This week’s New Yorker has an article by Burkhard Bilger called “The Search for Sweet,” about the difficulty of creating substances that taste good enough to serve as a substitute for sugar. (Unfortunately, the article’s not online.) At one point, Bilger notes that the less sugar you eat, the less of a taste for it you have. This made me think of something that happened yesterday. I’ve been told that it’s good to eat some peanut butter before working out, because it contains a lot of protein. I was doing that, but a few weeks ago I decided to switch to sugarless peanut butter, as it’s healthier. When I first had a spoonful of it, I was overwhelmed by the concentrated pungency of peanuts. But I’ve grown to like it.

Unfortunately, I ran out the other day, so yesterday I had a small spoonful of Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter instead. Blecch. I could barely eat it. I used to like the stuff, but yesterday it tasted so artificial and un-peanut-buttery. Give me sugarless peanut butter or give me death.

It’s amazing how many processed food products contain sugar. We really are addicted. It’s a good thing the Middle East isn’t a hub of sugar cane instead of oil, because then we’d be even more screwed than we are now.

Bring on the ethanol and switchgrass sugar-substitutes…

I liked the final episode of The West Wing last night. It was pretty undramatic and low-key – the only suspense was whether Bartlett was actually going to pardon Toby. (It’s too bad Richard Schiff didn’t appear.) The episode seemed to be more about the nitty-gritty of how one presidential administration transitions to the next, rather than about character development. I guess that makes sense, since most characters’ story arcs had been wrapped up before last night. And I love wonky presidential nitty-gritty, so I was into it, especially how the usher’s staff packs up the Oval Office in like five minutes and then sets it up for the new president. I think the one point in the episode where I started to tear up was when C.J. popped into the empty press room toward the end for one last view from the podium.

I don’t know if I buy Ronna (played by my former high school co-star) being Santos’s personal secretary. Matt pointed out that she seems too young. And it also seems kind of sexist. “Gee, what should we do with her character? Okay, she’s a girl, let’s make her a secretary.” On the other hand, it’s probably the most prestigious secretarial position in the country, so I guess that makes up for it.

I was happy to see Stockard Channing; I’m glad the napkin and Toby’s rubber ball both appeared (I’d forgotten all about that napkin); I’m glad there were references to Leo. I was hoping someone was going to use Bartlett’s famous line – “What’s next?” – and I was glad to hear it. It’s nice that we got to see the beginnings of Santos getting down to business in the Oval Office – the orderly transition of government and all that.

I almost wish the series could continue in some form. I’m sure there are people out there who are getting ready to write fictional episodes and post them online.

Ah, well. Goodbye, West Wing. Hello, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. (Can they maybe shorten the name?)

Smallville’s John Glover (Lionel Luthor) is openly gay. I had no idea.