Diversionary Tactics

Since I've been in serious political mode for a little while, I decided to lighten up the blog by listing the mindless diversions that have been keeping me sane of late.

• Marvel Ultimate Alliance
  If you couldn't tell by looking at my MySpace profile, I'm a fan. Just got it the other day and took it for a little spin. That little spin took three hours. I must warn you, this is an alarm game -- the kind of game for which you'd better have an alarm set or you could find yourself greeting the sunrise after having missed your wife's birthday party. Not that that's ever happened to me.
• Making Dinner Reservations
  Nothing takes your mind off the impending turnover of Congress like a grumbly tummy, so Brandy and I have been planning to enjoy a nice dinner out. It just so happens that Wednesday, November 15 is Dine Around day in San Francisco. 25% of your bill will be donated to the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. So if you're eating out anyway, you might as well make some of those dollars count.
• Television
  Big surprise there. Yesterday, Brandy and I watched a special Iron Chef America in which two of the Food Network's more annoying stars, Giada De Laurentiis and Rachael Ray, teamed up with Bobby Flay and Mario Batali. Those of you who don't consider cooking shows to be food porn might not recognize any of these people. Your primer, then:
  • Giada De Laurentiis
    Host of Everyday Italian. Among the general populace, relatively good-looking; among culinarians, hot. Despite speaking like an overly-medicated high school orator and possessing a head three sizes too big for her petite-despite-specializing-in-pastry body, she's not too annoying.
  • Rachael Ray
    ...on the other hand, is particularly annoying. After years of proclaiming her the most annoying thing on the Food Network (a sentiment echoed by a surprisingly large number of people), I found myself slightly stunned to note that I found her not-so-irritating on Iron Chef America. And all it took was her silence. Ah, bliss.
  • Bobby Flay
    What can I say about Bobby Flay that hasn't already been said? I actually don't find him that irritating. He is one of those people, I think, who seems perpetually condescending, whether he's trying to be or not, and I just take those people with a grain of salt. In recent years, he has toned down his attitude to the point where he seems to be a genuinely interesting guy. Still arrogant, but interesting at least.
  • Mario Batali
    My favorite of the four, and one of my favorite food personalities period (the other two being Anthony Bourdain and Alton Brown). Who knew a man of such impressive girth could be so light on his (orange-clad) feet or so quick with his wit? And how can you not be impressed with a man who has so obviously parlayed his culinary talents into a rock and roll lifestyle? In the world of food, this guy's my hero.