The horrorfest that was Stylista is finally over, with Megan proving to be one of the worst losers in (un)reality tv history. I can't say I'm glad Johanna won exactly; I'm just glad that DyShaun did not win. I think it was entirely due to the stupid hat that made him look like a perpetual freshman at NYU. Ashlie was probably the strongest competitor, but out of that bunch that's not saying much. I kind of feel sorry for the Elle editorial staff for having got themselves roped into this whole mess.

The food thus far on Top Chef has been surprisingly uninspired, given the caliber of this season's cast. Jamie from Absinthe is hanging in and seems to be doing well, but it's still at the point where I'm having trouble telling all the balds and beards apart. The blond guy is kinda scaring me. Unclench, dude.

I'm pulling a very late night tonight for work as we're releasing a bunch of assets in conjunction with the client's European office and there's no way we can currently "unlock" a folder on our public ftp automatically, so I have to start uploading a giant movie file at about midnight so it'll be available at 1 a.m. when the press release goes out. Whee. PR is all glamor all the time, people. This week I managed a local press tour for a client who was sick as a dog with the stomach flu. While we were all amazed and impressed with his ability to carry on while having to run to the bathroom about every 90 minutes to barf, I'm just very, very thankful he managed not to puke in my car.

Update: Um, wow. I had not yet watched the latest episode of Top Chef when I wrote this post about an hour ago. Kudos to Tom C. for staging a mini intervention.

Saturday night I watched Giant on tv... yes, a classic movie on regular ol' tv, on a channel that anyone still using an antenna could get. At about the point where Rock Hudson shoots Elizabeth Taylor's horse, I decided that I wanted popcorn. Let's reflect: I've survived without a microwave since July 2007. However, I have a jar of corn kernels and oil and butter. I put kernels and oil in one of my outstanding Calphalon pans, put the heat on medium, and lo and behold, within about five minutes I had popcorn. Drizzle on some Irish unsalted butter and sprinkle on some sea salt (paradoxical, but there you go), and I had a bowl of the best damn popcorn I think I've ever had. Way better than the movie itself which was kind of a disappointment. (And still don't really get how the Levi's 501 "Travis" ads from the 80's tie in.)

Other tv stuff: So upset that the chef from Absinthe in SF was the first to be booted from Top Chef. We did an event for a client at Absinthe a while back, and while they're better known locally for their bartenders than their food, I thought they did a fantastic job with our menu, and people still talk about that party.

Also watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. (Why? I have no idea.) DeShawn's husband Eric is the nicest person on Earth. Have to say I kinda like NeNe. Kim is just a freaking disaster (who the hell buys one Louis Vuitton bag for an 11 year old, let alone two??), and while I started out liking Sheree, she's rapidly wearing out her welcome.

Other current trash tv viewing includes Stylista. I feel really bad for Anne Slowey; at this point she has to be wondering how she got stuck with this merry band of half-wits.

My other regular viewing these days is The Wire on DVD, so cut me some slack. That show takes concentration, not to mention the ritual sacrifice of small furry animals to the writer's uncanny genius at the conclusion of each brilliant episode. Gossip Girl is on hold until I can get caught up on the current season, and Mad Men is sadly done 'til next season.