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Top Chef is total bullshit.  I’m really tempted to boycott the show.  For real this time.  Andrew getting sent home because he didn’t “follow the rules” is completely f’ed up.  I thought it was beyond unfair when Antonia or Lisa didn’t get sent home when they decided they were above beer and polish sausage and instead made sea bass and chorizo in the improv challenge.  But yet they send Andrew home b/c he didn’t use a whole grain?  Unbelievable.

I just can not stand Lisa.  She is a self-righteous whiny baby who would knock an old lady down the stairs to win.  I mean what a fucking hypocrite!  She wantonly ignores the rules of the challenge and declares “I don’t cook with beer” and then has the audacity to call Andrew out.  And why the hell is Spike still there?  Ok, he can make a squash soup but is that really the makings of a Top Chef.  And you know what? I like Dale.  Sure, he gets far too upset over losing but at least he has talent.  Richard is obviously going to win though.  And he should.  He’s experimental but not as bizarre as Marcel or as annoying  as Hung.

I’m telling you, pull this crap again Top Chef and we’re through!  I mean it this time.

I went to Trader Joe’s for the first time ever on Sunday.  I know, I know, it’s shocking that I’d never been.  For years I’ve read their catalog which, for some reason, I always received in the mail. I found it amusing and in passing I’d always referred to the newsprint circular as “…like J. Peterman for food”.

Upon first entering I was completely overwhelmed.  Though I’m certain that had to do with the fact that I went at the worst possible time (Sunday early evening) at the worst location (9th Street). But I was really impressed by the selection.  I liked the prepared meals and salads and the fact that you could get vegetables and meats prepackaged in smaller portions.  But the thing I really liked was the prices.  At the checkout I was surprised that my two large, very stuffed bags of food only amounted to ~$60.  Comparable shopping experiences at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms routinely cost upwards of $150!

I haven’t tasted everything just yet but so far so good.  I will definitely go back but next time I’ll be armed with a shopping list and a sense of purpose.

Yesterday I went to Guitar Solo on Townsend to have the action taken down on my guitar. Guitar Solo has almost legendary status in the city because it is known for it’s acoustic guitar selection and even better Tech. I had stopped in before but never had anything done until yesterday. I must say I was not disappointed. The Guitar Tech, Dave, was a really great guy. He took it in the back and basically decided that he could take down the action but that there would still be issues because of the way that my guitar was constructed. Part of the conversation went like this:

Me: So what you’re saying is I should get a new guitar
Dave: Well…

Before you think he’s a shyster who’s just trying to separate a fool from his money I should set you straight. He’s right. My guitar is, to put it mildly, a piece of crap. I only bought it because it was a good starter and I always intended to upgrade to something better.

He explained that he might not be able to give me perfect results but that he would see what he could do. It was obvious that he had a real respect for the craft because he spent a lot of time in the back trying to make it as nice as possible. When he could have just taken my money and phoned it in. It seemed that he really cared whether or not I was happy with the end result. While he was at it I asked him to change the strings and pins. The pins, by the way, were nice wooden ones that he gave me a more than 50% discount on.

To my credit, I resisted the urge to buy any of the many guitars that I tried out while waiting for the Guitar Tech to finish. I really liked the Blueridge BR43 and the Wechter 5713. The Wechter was a small parlor guitar but it had a really nice sound and the back and sides was a gorgeous matte rosewood.

I’d highly recommend Guitar Solo. When small shops are getting crushed by mega chains like Guitar Center, it’s nice to see a local business that cares about quality and service. Oh, and the whole thing only ran me about $50 and that’s including the strings and pins.

Listening to music on the walk to work today I made a decision. And I’ve made up my mind so don’t try to convince me otherwise. I am officially boycotting any song that contains the lyrics “Can’t you see“. It has to be the most hackneyed non-original rhyming phrase of all time. I demand more, people.

That is all.

Saw Baby Mama last weekend. Extremely hilarious movie. I love it that smart, funny women are making waves on the big screen. Tina Fey is my hero. The only weak spot in the movie was Romany Malco who played Oscar the doorman. While I loved him in The 40 Year Old Virgin I really didn’t like him in this role. Tho to be fair, it’s hard to tell whether it was his acting or the writing. When Oscar says: “If you listen to DMX, the baby comes out goin ‘Ennngghhh!”… Sheesh. “Honest to blog” that is unbelievably bad dialog. But overall I really liked it. Amy Poehler was a riot and I loved seeing her and Fey together  on screen again.