PR recaps

I'm mostly done with my episode 2 recap, but I'm really distracted by all the info coming out on Guild Wars 2, I'm afraid, so it's not going up before the show. I'll get that up maybe tomorrow, and try to have 3 and 4 done before next week, and then do my best to start getting a more timely recap up, though no promises until my doctor decides to give me a better painkiller for my back problems.

Project Runway S8, E1: "And Sew It Begins"

Last season of Project Runway, I made a stab at doing a dress overview with my opinions of it, with a couple comments here and there on the episodes, and then realized I couldn't keep up and stopped trying until the end. This season I figured I just would be better off not trying, but you know what? I've got some free time and am sitting at the computer anyhow, so I think I'm gonna try again... and I even am going to do more of a "real" recap! Until, you know, I start getting behind and only throw up notes about the dresses and then stop being able to keep up. No, no, wait. Positive thinking! Recaps! Let's roll back the clock and start with episode 1 because I'm already behind! Fair warning: this is quite long.

Er... no thanks.

From my local paper today:

Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group is teaming up with a Silicon Valley start-up to reward smartphone-equipped shoppers for walking into Simon's shopping malls.

The partnership with technology company Shopkick Inc. is a big step in realizing retailers' long-held dream of using cell phones to beam ads and coupons to people passing by to convert them into buyers.

I think someone needs to look up the definition of "reward". I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean the same thing as "annoy".

Top Chef & Project Runway

Here's my reaction to Top Chef so far: x.x

That word you keep using...

"Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens," a high-ranking Israeli government official told CNN Monday, after Turkey reportedly demanded an apology or an inquiry into an Israeli raid on an aid ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.

"Of course we regret the loss of life, but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence," the official said.

Yes, it was. Armed men rapelling onto boats from military helicopters is an act of aggression. Threatening people with those armed men is an act of aggression. The people who engaged in self-defense were those who attempted to repel the pirates.

Yes, I said pirates. That's what we call armed forces that board boats in international waters with the intention of securing control of said boats (outside of war). Israel was not in a state of war with Turkey. (Though they sure seem to want to be.)

And there would have been no need for the Israeli military to "defend" themselves if they hadn't deliberately gone onto those boats with armed men with the intent to commit violence in international waters.

(I realize there is a great deal of legal debate on whether or not this was acceptable legally. I note, however, that there is a great deal of legal debate, rather than it being cut and dried. Just once, I'd like to see the Israeli government admit they've made a mistake with their responses of overwhelming force. But I'm not holding my breath.)

Top Chef DC Initial Impressions

So, as usual with the first episode, I barely remember anyone's names or much about their actual dishes, but a few things did stand out:

• Dude with the dreads. Sorry, I know this is shallow, but to be honest I'm kinda glad I'm not going to have to be creeped out by his hair anymore. I know that dreads are just as likely to be clean as some random sweaty chef's hair, and he wore a bandana to keep 'em out of the way, but seriously, dude's hair scared me. Also, if the dish you make to represent yourself and where you're from is something I can make at home, you probably aren't quite ready for Top Chef. No offense.
• Big chick with a big mouth... I thought at first I might like her, until she decided to call another contestant a hick and implied that would mean he sucked. Yeah, I didn't see you in the top 4, babe. Maybe keep a lid on the insults til you show you're any good either, k?
• Kenny is freakin' fast at the mis en place. Doesn't guarantee he's good (but the top four placement in Elimination Challenge does tend to suggest he is), but, wow. I think I'd still be working on the onions, myself...
• On the other hand, dude needs to learn how to lose gracefully. Seriously.
• And speaking of someone who's gonna have to learn to lose: Angelo? Is that his name? The one who won, with the attitude and the smug and the self-absorption and the admittedly good-sounding dish? Yeah. You aren't gonna win all the challenges. Trust me.
• I hope the culinary instructor lady kicks some serious ass this season, because I'm sick of all the winners being young-ass kids. She seems to be pretty collected, so hopefully she'll do well under pressure. Don't know what I thought of her food, though.
• Kenny and Angelo may've clearly set the "people to beat" mark, but... Alex? Russian dude. *just goes and looks it up* Yeah, Alex. Anyhow, deconstructed borscht that actually sounded kinda good? Sounds like he's got some interesting ideas, at least.

Maybe by next week I'll remember more people's names...

Playlist: 1979

[Warning: This Post Contains Many, Many Words Below the Cut.]

Let's go back a couple years from the last playlist. As before, the flash object below the cut is an embedded playlist of American Top 40 hits I liked, this time from 1979.

Playlist: 1981

[Warning: This Post Contains Many, Many Words Below the Cut.]

The flash object below the cut is a playlist of songs that were either Billboard or American Top 40 hits in 1981 (back when it was hosted by Casey Kasem, for those of you old enough to remember that). It's obviously not even close to all the hits on either chart, but it's a good cross-section of music I actually enjoyed listening to.

Things I Learned From TV, Part 1

Got blue balls? There's an app for that!

A commercial advertising something called "Juicy TV", which appears to involve very large-breasted women, touted their service, which apparently includes an iPhone app. The statement above was not literally in the commercial, but it sure seemed to be the message.

Commercials with the sound off can be strange.

Based solely on the visuals, I believe that the message of a recent Snickers ad is this: When you are transformed into an old woman, just eat a Snickers bar! You'll soon be transformed back to your virile male self.

Sadly, the sound being on would probably confirm this was basically the message.

Things from bad movies are, well, bad.

Lesson for Saturday: if you try to hit ScaryDemonGuy with a car, and he jump/walks his way over it instead? Chances are, the same thing will happen when you put the car in reverse and try again.

I didn't catch the name of the movie, but the 10 minutes we saw was pretty bad.

Here's something I'm sick of...

I'm sick of people categorizing moderates as wishy-washy and unable to make up their minds, especially if they're willing to compromise on certain points.

First off, political opinions do not just come in "left" and "right". There's a whole wide spectrum. For instance, when it comes to abortion: you can be avidly for legalized abortion or avidly against it, but it's just as possible to be in favor of legalized abortion generally but also in favor of trying to minimize it through some means, or you can be against abortion generally but in favor of leaving it legal under certain circumstances. That's at least four major positions, but two of them are more moderate than the others. It's a complex issue; it can have complex positions.

Also, taking a compromise position takes both empathy for people one doesn't entirely agree with and the ability to discard preconceived notions in favor of examining the various positions to try to find where opinions are either more similar than one might have originally thought, or find where complex opinions have points that people are not as fervent about. It quite often accomplishes nothing to just keep on insisting Your Way prevails over Their Way; decisions are hard to make when no one can agree. Coming up with a suggestion that's "close enough to Our Way to be satisfactory" will be more effective in many cases. Just because it can take longer doesn't make it "wishy-washy"; it just makes it careful.

And frankly, the world could use more people willing to be careful.