Culinary side effects

Celeb chef Anthony Bourdain says the economic downturn may be good for the restaurant business:

There is going to be an apocalyptic shakeout. On the plus side, the bullsh** will be the first to go. (Nation's Restaurant News via The Big Money)

If the recession leads to a purge of derivative, sub-par tapas bars and Belgian beer-and-frites places, maybe it will all be worth it.

Purple people power for DC voting rights?

So, Sen. Dianne Feinstein has sent some apologetic packets of swag to all the Purple Ticket people who were blocked from attending Obama's swearing in. (Politico)

I love this comment someone left on the "Survivors of the Purple Tunnel" Facebook page:

Just received my packet. I will compose a collage with my Metro smart card, purple ticket, inauguration photo and a picture from our Day of Service at the Marvin Gaye Park. Recent good news for DC is that debate will resume to give the District a voting House member. Our experience at the Purple Gate may not be atypical for DC residents whose city has suffered too many years from lack of voting representation and influence in Congress. Maybe the Purple Gate group can help make that finally happen. [emphasis mine]

Damn right! Living in DC is like living one's entire life inside the Purple Tunnel of Death, every single day, until we get fair representation in Congress. Powerless and trapped, we never get to participate in the big event, even though we have tickets. The ticket which every eligible American citizen is granted upon birth or naturalization. The ticket to democracy. Sniff. This is great; I could keep riffing on this one for a while.

Here come the zombies and/or global pandemic

Scientists Make HIV Strain That Can Infect Monkeys
Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Scientists have created a strain of the human AIDS virus able to infect and multiply in monkeys in a step toward testing future vaccines in monkeys before trying them in people, according to a new study.

Dude. While I fully support the search for an AIDS vaccine, I have definitely seen enough movies to know how this story ends.

I hate it when that happens

My small but helpful trust fund lost 40 percent all at once, and then another 20 percent, leaving me, practically speaking, destitute. I suddenly needed something more than an Internet writing job (Internet writers need trust funds) at the exact moment when there were no jobs.

...is how Victoria Floethe opens an article about Monaco in Slate today. The article: pretty interesting, actually. The angle for connecting with the audience: not so great.