A protein inside a protein inside a protein, like this turducken, is called a "ballotine."

This week’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas” really increased the intensity — and I, for one, ate it up. The five remaining chefs were clearly the best, the cream of the crop. Still, I thought the judges made the right decision at elimination time. Even though I was not surprised, I was prepared to be, thus leaving me on the edge of my seat from the moment Jen said “turducken” during the quickfire challenge.

The quickfire challenge, articulated by Bocuse d’Or vetran Gavin Kaysen, was to cook a protein inside a protein inside a protein, hence Jen’s turducken joke. The Bocuse d’Or is the yearly “food olympics” in France. A turducken is a duck stuffed inside a chicken, which is stuffed inside a turkey. I wonder if I’d need a small personal loan to afford all three of those.

Welcome back

Birds all over the world rejoiced when they discovered that Jen actually wanted to work with seafood, which she says is her specialty. She made calamari steak, shiso and salmon all rolled up like sushi. It was pretty and apparently pretty tasty. Padma said “welcome back” after she tasted Jen’s dish.

So why all this talk about Jen? She won the quickfire. I thought the most delicious sounding dish was Kevin’s bacon-encrusted fried catfish, but alas, the television that transmits flavor has not yet been invented. Ahem. Anyway, Jen won an extra 30 minutes to cook during the elimination challege, which was — not surprisingly — for the chefs to prepare a Bocuse d’Or style dish, presented on a giant mirrored platter and everything.

Stuck in the moment

Eli says in a video on Broadway’s web site that he “got a little caught up in the situation … and the magnitude of what was happening.” I think most of the chefs fell victim to the same thing. I can’t really blame them: The winner of this challenge was promised $30,000. Despite the fact that all five of these chefs have put forth great performances throughout the season, all of them had technical problems with their dishes, except Kevin, whose dish was simply deemed too simple.

Everyone undercooked their dishes, except Kevin, so Kevin won. Judges called his dish “elementary,” but he still came out on top. This mark’s Kevin’s fifth elimination challenge win. It was a tad disappointing to watch the judges analyze such mediocre performances this late in the game, but I guess we just have to chalk it up to nerves and move on.

Looking forward to next week

In the spirit of moving on, I can’t wait to see the four very best chefs, who also happen to be my personal favorites, compete next week. We know from the preview that for the quickfire, the contestants must prepare a dish on a train — on the way to a new, far away place!

Based on the fact that he has won more challenges than anyone, logic points to the fact that Kevin will come out the overall winner on “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” but we’ve been surprised before. Was I the only one who was shocked when Hosea won “Top Chef” last season? Who do you think will win this season?

Tim and Heidi image from Wikimedia.

Once again, “Project Runway” has managed to remind me that I know absolutely nothing about fashion. Either that or the people who get to decide what is good fashion are crazy. Irina, who did show she was a very good designer throughout the season, was the “Project Runway” winner.

If she’d won based on the individual challenges throughout the season, I would have understood completely. However, I thought the collection she sent down the runway at Bryant Park was bizarre and even ridiculous. Shows how much I know. Of course, the person writing this is wearing sneakers, jeans and a hoodie. But it’s casual Friday at the best payday loans finding company in the world!

It’s not just me

However, I am somewhat comforted by the fact that I’m not the only person who thought Irina’s collection on the “Project Runway” season six finale was just weird. “If this is where fashion is going, I am resigning myself to jeans and T-shirts for the rest of my life,” one of my viewing buddies remarked as Irina’s almost-all-black “woman warrior” collection went down the runway.

We definitely agreed that her line was based on women in old sci-fi movies. Another friend called it “the fashion that the ’80s thought the future would have.” Before you get upset at us for being catty, remember, she won. We’re the idiots, apparently.

Our choice for ‘Project Runway’ winner

In case you are wondering, we all agreed that Carol Hannah should have won with her more practical, modern-looking line. Althea’s looked to me like a revival of the shabby-chic look that dawned a few years ago, but it was way too shabby, not very chic, and soooo two years ago.

My cousin in San Diego even agreed that Carol Hannah should have won, but she was the first to be told she was out and get auf wiedersehened. Clearly, the point of Bryant Park fashion week is not to display clothing that people would actually wear. Every season of “Project Runway” feature some talk about “show pieces” and “translating” what is on the runway into “real clothing.” I still don’t get the point. After six seasons of “Project Runway,” I probably never will.

‘Project Runway’ finale recap

The commercials promoting the “Project Runway” finale made a big deal about the fact that Tim Gunn said he was “going to lose it.” Yes, he did say that, but apparently Tim Gunn’s version of “losing it” is emphatically adjusting his spectacles, then propping his chin upon his fist and making an angry face. Oh, if only we could all control our tempers so well.

The editors also seemed to highlight Carol Hannah being sick, Irina being short and bossy with her assistant Gordanna and Althea almost crying when Irina — once again — implied she was copying her. Carol Hannah and Althea both got major kudos for their “surprise” 13th looks, but of course that footage was probably meant to throw us of the scent of who would be the season six “Project Runway” winner. Check out photos of Irina’s beffudling — er, I mean Irina’s winning collection.

Sandra Bullock image from Flickr.

“The Blind Side” has some really tough competition at the box office this weekend, thanks to the ravenous “Twilight” fan base. However, anyone looking for a more grown-up movie can skip “New Moon” and take  your instant cash loans over to “The Blind Side.”

Pete Hammond from Boxoffice Magazine goes so far as to say that Sandra Bullock delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as main character Leigh Anne Touhy. Hammond compares Bullock to Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich.

‘The Blind Side’ movie reviews

“The Blind Side” tells the story of Michael Oher, who was a first round draft pick this year for the Baltimore Ravens. However, a few years ago, he was a homeless, uneducated boy from a broken home. The wealthy, white Touhys took in the “oversized” African-American, says IMDB, and “groomed (him) into an athletically and academically successful NFL prospect.”

Joe Leydon from Variety says “The Blind Side” is “Another uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama.” Heaping more praise on the star of the show, Emanuel Levy says “Sandra Bullock renders a strong performance as the feisty Southern belle in this inspirational sports saga.”

Breakouts and books

In his first lead role, Quinton Aaron plays the other main character, Michael Oher. Leydon says:

“Aaron gracefully treads a fine line, playing Michael as neither dullard nor idiot savant, but making him emotionally vulnerable, painfully self-aware and surprisingly resilient. Better still, Aaron more than holds his own opposite Bullock.”

The film is based on the book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” and “The Blind Side” movie reviews are typical of films based on books. Many critics comment that the film doesn’t have much depth or subtext. “What you see is what you get,” says Levy. Critics consider it a fault when movies don’t contain the complexity and layering that books do, but most movie theater audiences would likely walk out of a film that contained all of the elements of a book complaining that it was long and slow.

Can’t win ‘em all

Of course, not every film critic gave “The Blind Side” a good review. Mark Palermmo from Coast, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says the film doesn’t contain “understanding or identification, just white self-congratulation.” Even reveiws that were positive overall, such as Michael Rechtshaffen’s, said that the movie contained “missed opportunities and surface gestures.”

While several reviewers criticize “The Blind Side” for not delving deeper into the complex racial and class themes present in the film, critics such as Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post, see this as a plus: “Viewers get the sense that this isn’t a story about race or redemption or the complexities of class and culture. It’s a story about a person who witnesses need and responds, simply and honestly, with unfussy compassion and authenticity. It’s a story about family.”

Blind predictions

I think this film will be intriguing for American audiences, who are living in a race-obsessed culture. Much like in the film, racial issues are certainly presents everywhere. However, this lack of focus on race that many critics cite will likely be a refreshing aspect for viewers who understand that race is an issue but are tired of having it in the spotlight all the time.

I think obsessive teenagers will drive “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” into the top-earning spot at the box office this weekend. However, I think “The Blind Side” will hold its own by continuing to draw audiences long after  “Twilight” lovers have spent their allowance.

Critics say "New Moon" is built on Taylor Lautner's sex appeal, and apparently that foundation is enough to earn big box office bucks. Image from Wikimedia.

On Rotten Tomatoes, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” reviews were 70 percent “rotten.” As of now 10 a.m. Friday morning, it has gotten 86 bad reviews. At Metacritic, only 46 percent of the reviews were good. However, I’d bet my emergency money that this film will be among the top box office sellers of all time.

I have discovered time and again that a film’s reviews and its box office sales often do not reflect each other. This may be one of the best examples of this phenomenon to date. “New Moon” box office sales, after last night’s showing at midnight releases, are expected to hit between $85 million and $100 million this weekend.

Breaking hearts and records

Even more amazing, “New Moon” broke the all-time record for most advance tickets sold. On Fandango, while “New Moon” has the record for most advance tickets sold, No. 2 is last night’s re-release of the first “Twilight” movie, which played before “New Moon” in many theaters last night.

It appears Stephanie Zacharek  really wanted this film to be good, but it wasn’t up to par for the Salon.com critic. She wrote: “New Moon offers few of the juicy, go-for-broke romantic pleasures of its predecessor, and the movie is so badly shaped that it’s hard not to blame Weitz as a director.”

Word from the fans

Of course, though good “New Moon” reviews were the minority, they are out there. “New Moon” got 37 good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. “New Moon is little more than a skillful soap opera, but it’s still enjoyable escapism – even if you’re old and wise enough to see through it,” wrote Anna Smith from Time Out.

“If you’re a romantic at heart who doesn’t mind shelling out $12 to watch a couple of adolescent boy hotties strut their stuff, you might as well just go and enjoy the eye candy. ‘Cause it’s kind of worth it,” wrote David Foucher from EDGE Boston.

Not buying it

Most critics agree with Sonny Bunch from the Washington Times, who wrote “There’s little in the way of forward momentum until the final 30 minutes; stretching out this picture to longer than two hours was indefensible.” Daily Mail, in the UK, says “New Moon” is “Tedious, long-winded and not so much undead as almost entirely devoid of life.”

For those of you who want to hear from an actual “Twihard” who gave it a bad review, Kevin McCarthy from BDK Reviews wrote: “New Moon lacks the chemistry and passion that made Twilight so special. The sequel focuses more on the gratuitous sex appeal of the two lead male stars.”

A solid sales strategy

If McCarthy is right, and the film focuses on sex appeal, “New Moon” box office sales are all set to meet expectations and go through the roof. For decades films have made millions off the sex appeal of the lead characters. The only difference in this decade is that the sexiness keeps getting sexier.

Indeed, Willie Waffle echoes McCarthy’s sentiment, but he gave the film an overall good review. “Gives fans what they want (hot young dudes who don’t wear shirts), and might surprise a few people who didn’t expect much.”

Eggo fail. Image from Flickr.

Last time I went grocery shopping, I noticed there was only one flavor of Eggo waffle in the freezer, and it was the plain kind. Luckily, the store brand offered the flavors I was looking for: blueberry and chocolate chip.

I grabbed the off-brand boxes and went on my merry way, not thinking much of it. Little did I know there is an Eggo shortage going on! Two Eggo waffle plants have been shut down, and one reopened while the other still remains closed. A factory in Atlanta shut down in September because of flooding, but it’s open again now. The plant in Tennessee that shut down because of malfunctioning production lines, and it’s still closed.

What’s the big deal?

The thing that has college freshmen, mothers with children in elementary school and my coworker all agitated is that the company has said this Eggo shortage will continue all the way until the summer of 2010! What in the name of quick payday loans are we to do?!

Luckily, I have come up with a few ways to cope with the Eggo shortage. Don’t worry, I am not going to tell you to actually cook in the morning or anything ridiculous like that. I understand all too well the reasons why people buy and eat Eggos. Luckily, I am a late sleeper and I was in college once, so I can help. I have decided to categorize my suggested coping methods into Eggo consumption motivations.

I need breakfast — fast!

One of the most common Eggo consumption styles is the by-hand-on-the-way-out-the-door method. This strategy is embraced by children who don’t get out of bed the first time their mother asks them and grownups who don’t get out of bed the first time their alarm goes off.

The most obvious answer to the Eggo shortage catastrophe is to buy generic frozen waffles. Most stores offer toaster-sized frozen waffles through a store brand. I think there might even be companies besides Eggo that make name-brand frozen waffles.

Of course, this Eggo shortage might be a good time to start experimenting with other quick breakfast items that can be hand-held and don’t really require toppings in a pinch. Pop-Tarts and other toaster pastries are great options and there are tons of flavors nowadays. When you’re in the frozen waffle section, look at the surrounding products. Toaster streudels, microwavable breakfast sandwiches and all kinds of new inventions can provide a super fast breakfast that can be eaten while walking to the bus stop or the car. But not while driving. That’s dangerous.

I don’t want to cook

People have all types of motivations for not wanting to put any more effort into their food besides pressing down the toaster lever. Perhaps they’re very hungry and want to eat right away. For some, it might be because it could be dangerous for them to attempt to use an oven or stove because they’re too … tired.

This is a common problem among college students, who often keep challenging schedules and will definitely be affected by the Eggo shortage. I’d say look to the microwave. Those are pretty safe and easy to use, so invest in bags of microwave popcorn, those Tyson Anytizers things (chicken nuggets) and microwave burritos.

It’s going to be tough, but we’ll get through this Eggo shortage together!

At least Tyra didn't choose herself. Image from Wikimedia.

I am not here to trash talk the “America’s Next Top Model” winner. (OK, maybe a little.) I am happy for her, and I wish her the best. However, I believe that the other finalist, Laura Kirkpatrick, was more deserving of the win.

I’d like to present a three-point, logic-based argument on why. I’m not saying it’s objective — it’s not. But given these factors, I just can’t believe the choice the judges made.

1. Her walk

The “America’s Next Top Model” judges said winner Nicole has a “signature walk,” but really she just has a bad walk. She has no business being on a runway with her bowlegged-ness and her swinging shoulders. She walks like a linebacker. She could definitely be a model for photos to go with articles on how to get easy payday loans, but she should not be ambling down a runway at Fashion Week by any stretch of the imagination.

Miss J felt strongly enough about Nicole’s awkward clumsiness during the Hip-Hop Hula challenge that Miss J blatantly mocked her. So why were Miss J and all of the other judges suddenly defending her horrible walk as “signature”? I have a theory on that, but I’ll save that for the end.

2. Her personality (or lack thereof)

The judges along with many photographers, mentors, agents and others along the way commented on Nicole’s lack of personality. They talked about her monotone voice, chilly demeanor and general social awkwardness. During the commercial shoot they said she came off as a snob, and they were right.

I think Nicole is gorgeous, looks fabulous in photographs and is a very talented model in a lot of ways. However, this brings me to my final arguments for why the “Top Model” winner was the wrong choice.

3. Laura is better

Laura’s walk is better. Laura’s personality is better. Laura’s legs are better. Everyone agreed all along the way that she was warm, friendly, humble and filled with gratitude. I think the modeling world could stand to have a little more of that. She did a better job at the commercial shoot. They did half as many takes with Laura compared to Nicole.

When the judges went through the photos from the whole season, Laura clearly had more great shots, according to the judges’ comments. Perhaps I am getting swept up in the fairytale of the would-be small-town-Wal-Mart-worker-turned-Top-Model-winner. Maybe I just love her accent, but again: The walk. The personality. The legs. This brings me to …

The theory

My ANTM-watching buddy planted in my head the idea that Nicole was selected as the winner before the finale. This is the only way the Top Model winner selection makes any sense. If the commercial shoot and the runway show on the finale were a total sham,that explains how Nicole could have been named the Top Model winner.

Of course, I am aware that the show could have been edited in a way that purposely misled the audience. However, I’m also aware that the people who sit behind the judges table aren’t the only ones who have a say in who gets to be the Top Model winner. The people handing out the life-changing contract, Cover Girl, have a pretty heavy hand in deciding who wins, and they could have made their choice known before the finalists went through all the song and dance of the finale activities.

Image from Flickr.

An FAA computer glitch in the National Airspace Data Interchange Network, situated in Atlanta with a backup in Salt Lake City, has caused flight delays all over the country. The FAA computer glitch has now been fixed, but because the system was not working for several hours, flight delays built up and it could take awhile for airports to get back to running on schedule.

The automated system that feeds flight plans to air traffic controllers at the airport in Atlanta was down from about 5:15 a.m. until approximately 10:30 a.m. The FAA computer glitch caused most of the departing flights from the large international airport to be temporarily shut down, and the delays that originated there affected airports all over.

Let’s get technical about the FAA computer glitch

This is not the first time the network has had this problem. The same thing happened in August, 2008. It’s too bad all computerized processes can’t be as easy as getting same day cash loans. The New York Times explained what happened during the time when the FAA computer glitch caused all of the flight delays:

Flight plans typically consist of hundreds of alpha-numeric characters, giving the flight number, the type of equipment, the place of takeoff, and various intermediate points, with altitudes. Controllers were entering them on keyboards, not quite hunt-and-peck but not nearly as fast as a computer would transfer the data.

The FAA glitch also affected the automated system that sends notices about equipment problems and other messages to the pilots.The glitches can be blamed on the fact that much of the code for the data processing system is written in obsolete computer language. Of course, one can imagine the outrage that would take place if the country’s airports shut down for long enough to reprogram the system.

Image from Flickr.

People in North Pole, Alaska, are upset that the town’s long-standing tradition of letters from Santa is coming to an end. People all over the United States will be affected by the change, as the Postal Service is dropping the national program that answers children’s letters near Christmas.

However, the change seems to be hitting hardest in North Pole, Alaska. It should come as no surprise that the tradition that became a nationwide Postal Service program began in North Pole, Alaska. Every year since 1954, children have gotten replies to their letters to Santa Claus, complete with North Pole postmarks and signed by “Santa’s Helpers.”

No money for Santa?

When I read about canceling the letters from the Santa program, I assumed it was because the Postal Service was trying to save money. After all, the USPS has already raised postage prices and discussed stopping Saturday delivery. It has seemed for a long time that soon the Postal Service will need a loan to continue operating.

However, it turns out that volunteers write the responses to children’s letters to Santa. Still, delivering some of the letters must have cost the Postal Service extra for labor and fuel. I thought “What a logical, frugal thing for the post office to do. They shouldn’t be wasting money on this.” As you can probably guess, I don’t have children, and I’m not really into Christmas.

A sad surprise

Turns out, money wasn’t the problem at all. While I supported the Postal Service’s decision when I assumed it was for financial reasons, I felt even more strongly that the USPS had done the right thing when I read the real reason the national program is being dropped. From the Huffington Post:

Last year, a postal worker in Maryland recognized an Operation Santa volunteer there as a registered sex offender. The postal worker interceded before the individual could answer a child’s letter, but the Postal Service viewed the episode as a big enough scare to tighten rules in such programs nationwide.

Of course, people in North Pole, Alaska, and probably elsewhere, are still opposed to the change, calling the Postal Service the Grinch. However, I think children’s safety is a lot more important than furthering the Santa fantasy and cutesy holiday traditions. Letting a registered sex offender have access to hundreds of little children’s addresses is just not right at all.

No sex offenders in the North Pole, eh?

While residents of North Pole, Alaska, are outraged, the mayor admits that the Postal Service is taking necessary cautions. However, he also says the incident that happened so far away from North Pole, Alaska, shouldn’t affect their small town.

The Postal Service has had restrictions in place for years, and there are still other letter-answering programs besides the one that the Postal Service is dropping. However, a spokeswoman from the Anchorage post office says Alaska won’t be able to operate any letter answering programs because of the new restrictions. Read the full story about why there will be no more letters from Santa in North Pole, Alaska

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Image from Flickr.

Thanks to the popularity of “Iron Chef,” which blazed the trail for all kinds of competitive cooking shows, people are finally learning about umami foods. Then again, maybe they’re just learning it from the soy sauce commercials and payday loan companies.

Regardless of how or why, umami foods are finally getting the interest and recognition they deserve, making people’s palates more pleased. The word “umami” came from Japan, just like “Iron Chef.” Even though the idea of the fifth taste was added to the list with sweet, salty, bitter and sour in 1908, a lot of people are just hearing about umami for the first time.

Umami gets some serious screen time

As I suggested before, I believe it is the magical box we love to learn from combined with the rise in popularity of cooking shows that has caused this sudden interest in umami foods. For instance, a couple of weeks ago on “The Next Iron Chef,” the Food Network show used to select, um, the next Iron Chef, the chefs participated in an umami challenge in Tokyo.

Umami has also been thrown around on the ever popular “Top Chef” and, as I mentioned, soy sauce commercials. So, now that we’ve heard my theory about where this fascination with umami foods came from, what the heck are they?

Umami means yummy

The Tokyo Imperial University first identified umami as a separate taste, which is why we use the Japanese word for it. “The Next Iron Chef” judges say that “umami” means “deliciousness.” Other English words used to describe umami are: savory, brothy and meaty. A judge on “Chopped” called it “earthy.”

The umami taste is classified as its own taste because just like salty, sweet, sour and bitter, the tongue has specific taste buds that respond to it. Umami is present in foods such as meat, fish sauce, soy sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes and Parmesan cheese. To get scientific about it:

The Umami taste is created by the amino acid Glutamate, and the ribonucleotides inosinate and guanylate, writes Thai chef and restaurateur John D Lee.

My thoughts on tasty tastes

I am a huge fan of savory foods, particularly pizza and potatoes, so I have a pretty solid  grasp of what umami is. I also love mushrooms and steak and soy sauce, so I understand why its synonyms are deliciousness and savory. However, all this talk of tastes and tastebuds always gets me thinking of my favorite taste of all: spicy.

So where is spicy on this list of tastes? Why isn’t it there? Lee wrote in his post about umami foods that “scientists now suspect that we may have receptors unique to spicy (capiscacim) and also to fat.” Scientists suspect, eh? Well, the only response I have to that is why don’t they know? I mean, come on! What in the world are scientists doing, if not identifying the spicy receptors? What could they possibly have to do that is more important? If scientists in Japan could identify umami foods more than 100 years ago, where’s the research on spiciness?

Image from Picasa.

Always a trailblazer for green policies, California today approved a policy that will put in place efficiency regulations for televisions. These regulations have become necessary thanks to liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs, which use more than three times as much power as their old-fashioned counterparts.

Energy standards have been put in place regarding large appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners since the 1970s. California is the first state to pass efficiency regulations for televisions. However, while I think it’s a good idea to create policies that apply to public utilities, I see one flaw in California’s new policy: It applies only to TVs that are 58 inches or smaller.

Once again, rules don’t apply to the rich

All payday loan lenders in California have to follow the same regulations; why don’t all individuals have to follow the same energy consumption rules? To me, it seems as though the state is saying that if you have enough money to afford a huge big-screen TV, the rules don’t apply to  you.

I understand that the reason for the cutoff is that it’s impossible to make 60-inch plasma TVs that would fit the energy standards. However, if California is already placing restrictions on the types of TVs people can buy, why make the exception? Why is it OK for people to use inefficient televisions just because they are huge?

Hollywood hoarders

If this energy policy were to be put into effect somewhere else, it might not matter that super-huge TVs were exempt from the ban. However, there are a whole lot of people who can afford 60 and 72 and 100-inch televisions in California. Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Orange County in general are already crawling with them, just to name a few areas.

Placing the cutoff was likely the result of a compromise with electronics trade groups, which fought against the policy. They are the ones directly affected by the regulations because the law states they can’t sell energy gobbling TVs in the state. The rules don’t say anything about what types of televisions people are allowed to own. Televisions that Californians already own or purchase between now and when the policy goes into effect aren’t subject to the regulations. The standards will be enforced for retailers starting in 2011.

Better than nothing?

The L.A. Times says that the regulations will be a big help in conserving energy in California:

The energy commission estimates that switching to more efficient TVs would save an average of $30 per set per year and $8.1 billion in electricity bills statewide over the first decade. Moving to more efficient televisions would eliminate the need to build at least one large, gas-fired electric power plant, the energy commission says.

Clearly California regulators have done their homework, and the standards will be helpful in their state. I think switching to more energy efficient appliances is always a good idea. It helps the public as well as individuals. However, I dislike the fact that this policy implies what so many people don’t want to believe is true: If you  have enough money, you don’t have to follow the rules.

Jeep Patriot image from Flickr.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has come out with its annual list of Top Safety Picks. Eight SUVs and 19 cars have been given Top Safety Pick awards for 2010. People who want to make sure they’re getting the safest cars before filling out a personal loan application for a car loan should definitely check out this list.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named six vehicles made by Ford, which makes Volvos, Top Safety Picks. Subaru and Volkswagen each had five vehicles named on the list. The Institute picked four Chrysler vehicles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

For 50 years, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has operated for the purpose of reducing automobile accidents and injuries. The Institute is a non-profit organization that gets its funding from insurance companies. Each year, four tests are conducted to determine the Top Safety Picks:

1. Frontal offset impact test
2. Side impact test
3. Rear crash protection and head restraint ratings
4. Roof strength test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also rates child booster seats for cars and other consumer products. Of course, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been accused in the past of serving the interests of the insurance companies rather than the public, which is why vehicle testing is highly regulated. It has also come under scrutiny for being unfairly hard on motorcycles, but who are we kidding? Motorcycles are not known for their safety features.

New safety requirements

The New York Times noted that there were some major changes in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list. For instance, last year 94 vehicles were named on the Top Safety Picks list, and this year there were only 27. Furthermore, Toyota and it subsidiaries last year earned a total of 11 Top Safety Picks awards, and this year the company, which includes the Lexus and Scion brands, got none at all.

In order to make the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Picks list this year, vehicles had to get a rating of “good” on the roof strength test, which measures rollover protection, was required in order to make the list. “Good” is the highest rating. This change caused Toyota vehicles to be shut out, the length of the list to be reduced dramatically and the Honda Accord to be left off the list after it made the 2008 and 2009 lists.

Auto industry impact

Naturally, safety ratings play a big part for many consumers when they are considering vehicle purchases. After a couple of tumultuous years in the auto industry, the stellar safety ratings for Ford should help the company stay afloat while we ride out the rest of the recession.

Chrysler should be particularly encouraged by its four wins after it had to file for bankruptcy protection this year. Sales of the four vehicles that made the list should help stabilize the company. Those four vehicles are:

• Chrysler Sebring 4-door with electronic stability control
• Dodge Avenger with electronic stability control
• Dodge Journey
• Jeep Patriot with side torso air bags

Check out the full list of vehicles that made the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list in the New York Times’ Wheels column.

Image from Flickr.

“Project Runway” season six, its first season airing on Lifetime rather than Bravo, is nearing its end. The finale airs Thursday, and we will find out whether Althea, Irina or Carol Hannah will win the prize money and all of the other perks.

Wednesday’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” which Bravo thankfully managed to keep around, will pit the final five chefs against each other. To get you prepared for this delightful week on cable, I offer you recaps of “Project Runway” and “Top Chef: Las Vegas” because I love them so — both, I can’t pick. It’s like choosing between personal loan companies — they’ve all got what I want!

Top five on ‘Top Chef’

I think most viewers — and I know the remaining chefs — believe now that Robin is gone, we are really down to the very best of the bunch. Everyone still in the competition most definitely deserves to be there. Truth be told, I am a softy and I always felt sorry for Robin because the other chefs were mean to her.

They continued to be mean to her during episode 11, but on the most recent challenge, it was clear that it was Robin’s time  to go. I think she probably makes much better food than I ever could, but she kept repeating the same mistake: Rather than perfecting dishes that she knew she could do well, she was always trying brand new things. It finally caught up with her on “Top Chef” season six, episode 11.

Strong get stronger, weak go home

If it wasn’t clear that Robin was the weak link going into episode 11 (it was), it became apparent quickly. She left a huge mess in the kitchen after creating her quickfire breakfast in bed for Padma and Nigella Lawson, who is a huge big shot in the food world. Eli won with what Nigella called “a good hangover breakfast.” It was a reuben sandwich/eggs benedict hybrid, and it made it into the Top Chef Quickfire recipe book.

The elimination challenge was to create a dish inspired by one of those elaborate Vegas hotels. Robin, once again, took on way too much and tried a brand new experiment. She tried to make sugar panes that represented the glass sculpture all over the ceiling at the Bellagio. She failed. The sugar didn’t even make it onto the plate, leaving her with a boring dessert.

On the other end of things, Michael — or Voltaggio the Younger — won the challenge with his crispy buffalo wings, inspired by New York, New York. I find a lot of comfort in the fact that my love for buffalo wings doesn’t mean I have an unsophisticated palate.

Fastest ‘Project Runway’ recap in the West

Here’s a summation of what happened on “Project Runway,” the season six finale Part I: Nothing. Yes, it was the episode where Tim Gunn went to visit the designers as they worked on their collections. Then the designers checked into their hotel. Then Heidi told them there was a “surprise.” They had to create another look for their collections before the show in Bryant Park.

Sorry, Heidi, but six seasons in, this is not a surprise. In fact, if Carol Hannah, Irina and Althea didn’t show up for the finale with an idea of what else they’d make, they’ve obviously not been following the show. Just two more days, folks, and the suspense will be through! Yes, it’s a little sad to see season six come to an end and begin the long wait until season seven.

Image by wikimedia

Never in a million years did I think I’d find myself doing any of these things:

1. Defending Rob Schneider
2. Agreeing with Howard Stern
3. Berating a national news organization for sensationalizing

However, I am about to do all three. After I watched the CBS news story on the Rob Schneider radio interview that took place Friday morning in Palm Beach, I thought Rob Schneider was being arrogant, rude and combative. However, after I watched a video of the full interview, I have to agree with Howard Stern’s sentiment that the catastrophe was the result of the radio show hosts being unprofessional.

Bad news is good news

In order for you to see things from my perspective, I suggest you go through the same process I went through. First, watch the ABC News story about the Rob Schneider radio interview.

Of course, we all know that Rob Schneider has had enough hit movies that he’ll never need same day payday loans to make ends meet. One line that has stuck out was when Rob Schneider says he makes a lot more money than the radio hosts and he says “I could buy and sell you.” In the ABC News version of the story, this part comes across as insulting and mean. Watch:

Makes for a pretty good story, eh? But wait…

There’s more to it

If you watch the video of the entire interview, you’ll see how CBS carefully cobbled together sound bites to make it look like Rob Schneider was being a first-class jerk. I can’t speak to whether CBS did it intentionally, but I have a really hard time believing that the network just arbitrarily left out all of the parts where Schneider kept his cool while the radio show hosts completely lost theirs. You can see this in the video of the full interview.

It’s a long interview, so I’ll paraphrase. The full interview was more than 10 minutes long. When put in context, it’s obvious that Schneider is engaging in a little bit of good-natured, sarcastic ribbing and the hosts are completely overreacting.

I cannot believe I’m agreeing with Stern

This story about the Rob Schneider radio interview really blew up when Howard Stern mentioned it on his show. I have not heard all of Howard Stern’s comments, and I am sure I wouldn’t agree with all of them. I do agree with the gist of what he said, though. The show hosts acted unprofessionally and Rob Schneider was just being the type of comedian he is known for being.

At one point in the full video Schneider says, basically, that the show hosts picked a fight with him to create a better story. I don’t know if that’s what they were doing, but I can see why Schneider said that. If they weren’t just trying to bait him, they need to learn to calm down.

Taking sides

Of course, a lot of people disagree with me, even after seeing the full interview. However, the blogs I have come across that defend the radio hosts and call Rob Schneider a number of names to describe his conduct all appear to have some sort of affiliation with the radio station. At the very least, people I’ve seen defending the radio station hosts in print live in Palm Beach and likely listen to the show often.

A caller during the morning show said Schneider was being a jerk, but again, I believe that person probably was a big fan of the show and the hosts. Sure, some of the jokes Schneider made were rude. However, the hosts on the Rob Schneider radio interview were way too defensive and completely overreacted, turning something that was meant to be a joke into an on-air blowup that didn’t need to happen.

Image from Flickr.

Like a couple of runaway teenagers proclaiming they “don’t need nobody!” Coke and Costco are sticking to their respective guns. The result is that Costco won’t restock Coke products until the companies reach an agreement. Costco and Coke couldn’t agree on  pricing, so Costco said it won’t order Coke products unless the Coca-Cola Company comes down on prices. This is a financial situation that payday loans can’t fix.

Though Costco is one of the largest wholesale retailers in the U.S., Coca-Cola Company is definitely the Goliath of this fight. Coke is the largest soft drink maker in the world, and let’s not forget the Coca-Cola Company owns several non-soft-drink brands, too. The outcome of this feud will likely depend on whether the absence of the Coca-Cola Company’s many beverage brands puts a dent in Costco’s profits.

Coca-Cola brand recognition

It’s tough to predict how much of an effect not carrying Coke products will have on Costco. For every person who will gladly drink any cola flavored beverage at hand, there’s a person who says “just water” after a restaurant server says they carry Pepsi. For every office employee who uses whatever vending machine is available, there’s one who will walk across the street to buy his or her favorite brand of soda.

The cola wars have successfully created a large group of people who are vehemently loyal in each camp, but Costco will just have to do the math to find out whether paying the price for Coke is worth it. My gut tells me that Costco customers are more concerned with saving money than they are with brand loyalty. However…

Coke is more than Coke

We must bear in mind that it isn’t just cola at stake here. The Coca-Cola Company owns many beverage brands, including Sprite and Barq’s rootbeer. It also makes Vitamin Water, Minute Maid products, Odwalla, Powerade and Dasani bottled water, just to name a few.

Costco does carry substitues for most Coca-Cola Company products, but there are definitely customers who will opt to buy their favorite beverages elsewhere rather than buying another brand of orange juice or Vitarain instead of Vitaminwater. The question is how many.

Image from Flickr.

As more people embrace new methods of communicating, language must evolve to describe those methods. I admit that I do more communicating via Facebook and online instant messaging than I do by phone or even in person. Even the payday loan store is being replaced by the internet.

Apparently this is true for many, as the the Oxford New American Dictionary has declared “unfriend” the 2009 Word of the Year. In the dictionary, the word is defined as “To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.” This says more than one interesting thing about modern culture.

Are we unfriendly people?

News organizations and even an Oxford Dictionary editor are painting Oxford’s choice for Word of the Year as a reflection of the unfriendliness among us. Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program, wrote Is it a comment on the times that our Word of the Year is about rejecting people we once embraced?”

She poses this as a question, and I have an answer: No. It is not a sign of the times. There have always been fickle, petty, vindictive and sometimes downright mean people. There have always been humble, loving people who do uncharacteristically mean things out of anger and spite if they are pushed just so.

The bright side

The positive thing about people having the option to unfriend others is that it’s harmless, and it has taken the place of more damaging methods of expressing anger. Be honest, I’m sure you’d rather be unfriended on Facebook than have your tires slashed or your car keyed or your yard toilet papered.

Yes, unfriending someone is an immature, petty way to deal with interpersonal conflict. However, I think the fact that it gives an outlet without doing property or any other sort of damage is positive. Yes, feelings can get hurt when someone gets unfriended, and it could lead to other consequences, but the act of unfriending itself is quite harmless.

More new words

Not surprisingly, many of the other finalists for Word of the Year were technologically inspired. On the short list was hashtag, a symbol (#) used on Twitter to allow people to search for terms. Netbook and paywall also were finalists. Confirming that text messaging is one of today’s most popular methods of communication, “sexting” and “intexicated” also were finalists. Sexting, of course, means sending explicit messages or photos. Intexicated refers to being distracted because of texting while driving.

The dismal economy also triggered new words, including “funemployed,” which Oxford now defines as “taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests.” Another finalist for Word of the Year: “zombie bank: a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support.”

Thanks to a politics, “teabagger” and “death panel” are now officially words. As my parting piece of news, I want you to know the phrase “tramp stamp” has made it into the dictionary. Good job, America.

Hungry families need help all year, but Thanksgiving is a great time to start donating to fight hunger in the U.S.

I was absolutely shocked to read at Reuters Web site that “More than 49 million Americans — one in seven — struggled to get enough to eat in 2008.” That’s 14.6 percent of the households. It is endlessly astounding to me that one of the richest countries in the world has 49 million hungry residents and still doesn’t provide health care for its citizens.

The list of huge problems that needs White House attention is getting bigger. The USDA survey on “food insecurity,” which is where the one in seven statistic came from, shows that the most important fights we should be conducting don’t require bombs and should occur in our own neighborhoods.

Where help is needed most

Paycheck loans can help families who don’t have enough money to buy food, but they are only temporary solutions. The federal survey says that 5.7 percent of households in the U.S. ran short of food for seven to eight months of the year. The USDA has conducted this survey for 14 years, and the number of people in 2008 who had trouble obtaining enough food is the highest yet.

“The number of Americans receiving food stamp assistance soared above 36 million for the first time in August, the eighth month in a row that enrollment set a record,” Reuters reports. President Obama wrote a statement saying he vows to reverse the trend. Food stamp benefits already were raised through the stimulus package.

Help if you can

There are a lot of worldwide and nationwide organizations that help provide people with food, but the best place to start is in your own community. We all know how long it takes for government programs and efforts to be effective, so the best thing you can do to help with this national problem is to find a local organization.

If you’re lucky enough to always have food, share! Especially around Thanksgiving, it is easy to find private organizations or churches that gather and distribute food donations. It’s easy to forget that hunger is a year-round problem, not just an issue around the holidays. Encourage your friends to help if they can.

Mr. T image from Wikimedia.

We all know at least one. World of Warcraft players are among us, sometimes in unexpected places. For instance, I wouldn’t have pegged Mr. T for a World of Warcraft fan, but he is the new spokesman for the online game that has captivated more than 10 million players.

Mr. T is not just trying to sell WoW, though, he’s putting his own special spin on it with a new “weapon,” the mohawk grenade. World of Warcraft entertains millions of people, and some of those people are not even players. For instance, I know a writer for a payday loan company who has never played World of Warcraft but is always entertained by little news tidbits and popular videos that involve WoW every so often. OK, that person I know is me.

Why I approve of the mohawk grenade

I was delighted to read about the mohawk grenade because not only is it a funny concept, it’s harmless. The mohawk grenade doesn’t harm the characters it hits, it simply transforms their hairstyles into Mr. T’s signature look.

Reports say that mohawk grenades are available to players in North America today, and overseas friends will have access to them next week. Each mohawk grenade has five charges, and once you use one up you can buy another.

How to get a mohawk grenade

You can get a mohawk grenade in World of Warcraft by locating a Night Elf Mohawk non-player character outside a starting zone. Everything I’ve read says you can “claim” it. So … good luck with that.

There’s no official word on how long the mohawk grenade will be available, but it’s a temporary feature. If all of the “weapons” in World of Warcraft worked this way, I’d definitely consider playing. I wonder what other fun weapons WoW could come up with? Maybe a grenade that makes the target talk like a pirate? I’d definitely use grenades that gave people funny accents or made them talk like Sarah Palin.

More fun with Warcraft

The last time I got a good laugh out of World of Warcraft news was when I came across this video of a boy completely losing it after his mom canceled his WoW account. Of course, the authenticity of this video has been questioned all along. However, even if this particular video was staged, everyone who knows an avid WoW player can attest to the fact that it’s at least based on a true story.

Will the Washington Blade maintain Internet presence?

The demise of the newspaper began long before the recession, and it will continue afterward. Newspaper publishers are finding it harder every day to compete with digital media. Window Media, which was the country’s largest publisher of gay newspapers, has shut down.

Window Media published the Washington Blade, a Washington, D.C., publication that celebrated its 40-year anniversary last month. Window Media owned several other publications, too, including the Southern Voice and David, both based in Atlanta, The Southern Florida Blade and 411 Magazine.

A dramatic exit

Apparently Window Media employees didn’t see this coming, and they showed up for work Monday only to find the locks changed and notes saying the newspapers would no longer operate and they could come back Wednesday to collect their things.

Rumor has it the Small Business Association had given Window Media’s biggest stakeholder, Avalon Equity Partners, $38 million in guaranteed loans. When Avalon failed to come up with half that amount in private investments, the SBA placed Avalon in receivership.

Fuzzy details

SBA said Avalon was in receivership in February, and in July, Window CEO David Unger quit. There was some speculation that Unger was forced out by the SBA. It’s not clear exactly how Window media came to the decision that it should cease operations.

The Washington Blade staff reportedly will meet tomorrow to discuss a new venture, headed by the Washington Blade’s current editor, Kevin Naff. Members of staffs on the other Window-owned publications also have said they will try to continue to provide news on the gay communities in their areas.

State of the newspaper

Newspapers all over the country have been shrinking or shutting down in pretty high numbers for a few years now. The country’s biggest publisher, Gannett, completed huge layoffs this year.

This pattern will continue until newspapers can figure out a way to adapt their business models to capitalize on the Internet. It’s a rough transition for a very old industry, but necessary if news publications want to survive.

Meteors! Image from Flickr.

Welcome to the holiday season during a recession. Millions of consumers rack up credit card debt every year during the holiday season, but this year an unusually high number of Americans already are in debt, but the holiday spirit will no doubt convince them to accumulate even more debt, even if it means they have to face the debt consolidation process later.

Consumers generally cut back on spending on entertainment during this period, either because of the cost of buying gifts, an aversion to the cold or both. However, a lot of people are excited about the Leonid Meteor Shower, which will be at its peak tonight. The best part is that watching a meteor shower is free.

Leonid Meteor Shower 2009 time

Reports say the Leonid Meteor Shower’s 2009 peak time will be during the very early morning hours on Nov. 17, but there are some conflicting reports regarding exactly what time star gazers will have the best view. CNN reports that NASA says the view in the U.S. will be best at 4 a.m. ET or 1 a.m. on the West Coast.

The timing is pretty inconvenient for making it a family activity, but the price is just right, as looking at the stars is free. All you need is blankets and a good spot to watch it, though many areas reportedly will be too cloudy for watching the 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower.

Leonid Meteor Shower history

The Leonid Meteor Shower comes about every three decades, according to CNN:

The Leonid shower is made of bits of debris from the Tempel-Tuttle comet, which streaks through Earth’s inner solar system every 33 years.

CNN also says people in the U.S. should be able to see 20 to 30 meteors during the Leonid Meteor Shower’s 2009 peak time. Of course, that’s if skies are clear.

Appreciating natural phenomenon

With movie ticket prices getting higher all the time and other activities such as eating out and going to other types of shows getting more expensive, I’m sure a lot of families are wishing they could TiVo a middle-of-the-night meteor shower. Though unemployment is at a 26-year high and underemployment is skyrocketing, too, inflation is continuing with no regard for people’s finances.

Interesting, free activities are hard to come by, so some individuals or families very well may be willing to lose some sleep to see the Leonid Meteor Shower tonight. A meteor shower is a great way to teach kids about space and the solar system without having to pay for tickets to a museum.

John Cusack stars in "2012." Image from Picasa.

The world is going to end — again. Previews of and commentary surrounding the film “2012″ remind me of the constant speculating and paranoia during the two years or so before the year 2000 hit. I’m not really sure exactly how rumors that the world was going to end or that we could expect the Second Coming of Christ began, but they were everywhere and even easier to find than money lenders.

Furthermore, most people were pretty sure that all of the computers in the world would somehow be rendered useless as soon as the clock struck Jan. 1, 2000. Well, now that that’s passed and we’re all still here, it’s time to start focusing on the next end of the world, which is featured in the movie “2012.” I don’t personally know any people who believe that the world will really end in 2010, when the Mayan Calendar says it will, but I do know that people are fascinated by thoughts of the world ending.

‘2012′ pulls in the big bucks

The film “2012,” which stars John Cusack and details the upcoming apocalypse, beat out all of the other films in theaters in terms of ticket sales over the weekend. Perhaps it’s because it was the only new wide release, as “Pirate Radio” only was released in a few hundred theaters across the country.

“2012″ made $65 million, pushing “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” from the No. 1 spot to No. 2. “The Men Who Stare at Goats” came in third for ticket sales with $6.1 million. “Precious,” a Tyler Perry/Oprah project expanded and did well, snagging the No. 4 spot with $6.1 million in ticket sales. That’s a pretty amazing feat, considering that “Precious” is showing in less than 200 theaters. “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” remained in the top five, making $5.1 million.

More about ‘2012′

The Mayan Long Count calendar comes to an end on Dec. 21, 2012. This is actually the year 5125 on that calendar. Some theories state that this date marks a positive spiritual experience or awakening for humankind. Others say it marks the apocalypse.

Of course, the film “2012″ focuses on the idea that disaster will strike. Filmmakers have made it pretty clear that the film is only loosely based on the Mayan calendar. It’s not really meant to reflect the beliefs of the people who follow that calendar, it’s just a disaster movie designed to sell tickets — and sell tickets it did.

Box office top 10

Amazingly, despite horrible reviews, both “Fourth Kind” and “Couples Retreat” did well at the box office, coming in sixth and seventh place, respectively. I am pretty surprised that “Couples Retreat” is still pulling in viewers. It has been out for five weeks. “Paranormal Activity” came in eighth place at the box office.

This weekend alone, “Paranormal Activity” made more than $4 million, even though it only cost $11,000 to make. It has made more than $100 million to date. Rounding out the top 10 box office moneymakers, “Law Abiding Citzen” made $3.9 million, and “The Box” pulled in $3.2 million.