Anthony Bourdain

Seriously, tonight's episode of "No Reservations" about Beirut was not to be missed. If you DID miss it, find out when it's re-airing.

Bourdain has always, and will always, be a sarcastic motherf**cker, but you could tell how real and deeply saddening this whole experience was for him. It is terribly sad.

The people he encountered - he was just starting to put a face to the Lebanese people, and you know, they seemed like your normal average every day people. And they are. He pointed out that Lebanon is very progressive and Western in its outlook - very tolerant. Unfortunately, there are some elements (like Hezbollah) which drag everyone down that wants to live in peace.

Seriously - just watch it.

Two things: his summation of the surrealism of it all. "I'm sitting at the pool, watching the war go on [down below]." And his absolute disdain and how shattered he felt realizing that there was NO American response (i.e. from the Shrub). He recalled the one clip showing over and over on the tv of Bush - chowing on a buttered roll - while Blair tried to get his attention. "Shattering."

Yeah, our government sucks.

And now, he's got another episode on which is basically blasting the government for it's anti-immigration policy, and the current desire to build a FUCKING WALL a la Berlin between the US and Mexico. It's totally "A Day Without a Mexican". Seriously, Anthony, I love you. He just showed all the guys working in Les Halles (french restaurant he heads in NY) - are those chefs French? Hell no, they're all Mexican boys, mostly from Puebla!

You know what they say about Mexico: "So far from God, so close to the United States."