I'm liking the new crowd on Top Chef, and like Monique, I'll like it more when the herd has thinned out a bit. You don't get coverage of every chef, so the faces get a little lost in the crowd.

But enough about that. Did anyone else catch the first episode of Ice Road Truckers tonight? It's awesome. If you like Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers is right up your alley. These guys are insane. I love the old salts, Alex and Hugh, and the young punks are entertaining too.

I'm loving this new crew of Top Chefs. Definitely agree that the level of cooking ability seems much higher overall this season.

feh. Am feeling very TAR right now, sitting att he airport where they apparently don't have a seat for me on the goddamn plane.

OKall better. On plane and out of here.

NFNS - At first I was surprised Columbe picked jarred and bagged stuff, but then she is trying to win a show on the network that has Sandra Lee. Her personality was really annoying so I'm glad she's gone. And Tommy looked miserable and it looked like he really had no idea what doing the show would entail in terms of being away from his family.

Top Chef - the contestants are on a higher level than the previous seasons. They did the casting a different way, even though they had open casting calls they still contacted the restaurants and establishments where the potentionals had worked before and asked about quality. They decided not to use home chefs or anyone not properly trained. Which I think makes sense.

Yeah, I felt for Tommy even though I cringed at every moment he was on camera -- poor dude seemed like a nice enough guy, but just completely in over his head. Colombe, otoh, needed to be nuked from orbit with actual nukes.

I just watche NFNS last ngiht for the first time. I was very amused by, was it Michael -- the bald guy with no camera skills at all?

Anyway, as I kept saying to S last night, the guy has no camera skills at all, but if his food is good, we can teach him the rest. We'll just put a shock collar around his neck. We'll get him looking at that camera yet.

Or better yet -- "We'll put a midget with a ball-peen hammer behind the center cooking counter. Every time you look away from the camera, the midget is gonna whack you in the kneecap."

Heh, I met Dustin Diamond once at a conference. This was waaaaaaaay before the sex tape. He has pretty much made a career off being Screech. It's a little sad, really.

You in the right thread there, SA?

On topic:

So I'm the only one who caught Ice Road Truckers in real time? Did others Tivo it? Regardless, more of you should watch next week. It's fun!