Nature is stunned

Last week it was nearly 90, this week it's freaking 20. Ah Spring in the midwest. Last week I had gorgeous dandelions and wild pansies and now I have shriveled sad limp blossoms.

My vacation is usually around my work conference. This year it's in Pittsburgh. I know that I will need some kind of break which sounds stupid to say with this political climate but it's because of the political climate that I need the break. Mom reminded me of a trip I wanted to take but said nothing when I said mom I'm not comfortable going to Canada (not that I think the Canadians would hate on me but I hate what this Musk Muppet is doing to them and feel embarrassed)

Sigh. Maybe I'll be go to Maine or West Virginia but so much of what I'd like to do in either place I can not longer do ( hike) One of my students tells me he has a home in Maine. I'm jealous. I would love that.

So Fannish 50 let's talk competitions and bias. I do watch cooking competitions (though Foodnetwork IS fatiguing me on them) My favorite is currently on: tournament of champions. One of the things I like best is it's truly a blind judging. For contrast they say it's a blind tasting on Beat Bobby Flay but Flay and his competitor are standing in front of the judges making faces. You'd need to not have eyes to miss seeing who cooked what.

In ToC the chefs aren't in the room and in theory the judges aren't even aware of who is competing and the challenge parameters are done by the spin of a wheel. I find this much more satisfying because it does the best it can to eliminate biases.

On the other hand I love the baking challenges (I have no idea why. I don't bake) And I can see bias (especially if a baker has charisma) and this year has probably been the worse. There was a baker, loads of personality, self taught by his grandfather who raised him (and this guy was rather flamboyantly gay as well) and honestly how he made it past week one is a miracle but he hung in for 5 weeks. I have to say it was the personality pushing him forward more than his skill. The judges liked him but now that we're in the final few weeks that wasn't going to work it.

Also this year we have Kardea replacing Carla Hall (not sure why) now I like her as a chef and tv personality but she has to be educated about baking things by Duff as we go (she was also with him in the kids baking challenge) and this week she was dancing with one of the bakers so yeah bias.