| wow |
[Aug. 7th, 2008|12:11 am] |
10,000 BC wasn't horrible. This may be due to low expectations and MST3k commentary but I was impressed with how much I didn't hate it.
In other news, Paris Hilton response to McCain (from Yesterday) is Awesome. And yes I am shocked I used the name Paris Hilton and Awesome together in a non ironic way
See Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad and more funny videos on FunnyOrDie.com |
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| things I didn't know |
[Aug. 6th, 2008|02:06 pm] |
Danish Pastry Shop cookies are good - I ate two of them in minutes. not good - especially after your dr comments on how you've been gaining weight over the past 2 years. (to be fair the last few times I've been there have been after vacation so its not as bad as it looks - but its still not where I want to be)
you can buy fresh fish at the Arlington Farmers market. I thought about it today but decided to get two bone marrow bones instead..which also may explain the Dr's comments above.
That tiny used book store had more Jim Butcher books - so two more Dresden books were procured.
Fooled By Randomness is, so far, one of the most awesome books I've picked up in ages. I know I've said that a lot but this time I really mean it!
I think I really like my quote about perl
"Perl doesn't just give you enough rope to hang yourself, it ties the noose and finds a good tree for you too" |
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| looks like the future may be here |
[Aug. 5th, 2008|05:54 pm] |
I think my next addiction may be Twin Skies (or the game after Twin Skies). Sounds like they may be doing things right (albeit ambitiously). So what is it?
Its a MMO that will allow for PC, mobile and web based in game play plus should combine social networking in the mix. It will also have a low price point to enter (I'll be curious to see if its a pay for access type plan as that would be interesting. They'd have to be careful not to allow the "pay your way to greatness" though).
In any case I'm really curious as this seems like the logical shift to MMOs - at least ones that want to offer something more than World of Warcraft. |
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| Edward Tufte in November Anyone? |
[Aug. 4th, 2008|12:14 pm] |
So Edward Tufte is giving a 1 day course in mid November (17, 18, or 19th) and I'm thinking of going. Its 380$ (unless we get 10 people, then it drops by 25%) and you get 4 of his books.
Anyone else interested? |
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| Reducing my Cable bill |
[Aug. 2nd, 2008|04:20 pm] |
So yesterday we cut hbo/starz/cinemax which, I think, saves 26$ a month. Today I bought a motorola modem for 32$ so I can get rid of the "lease fee" which I didn't see (I thought we got the modem on sign up). Last I have an extra upload pipe cost I'll need to remove and then I think that's all we'll be able to cut - hopefully something akin to 40$ total.
I'm beginning to see money coming back in before baby making - the mattress was paid off a month ago (23 months of no interest? yes please) and my car is paid off in 2 more months (I took a killer 3 year loan on the car - the payments are insane but when they are done - woo hoo!), Nep's car and student loans are done within the year too - so if BCBS comes thru there is a better than outside chance we can make baby and begin to save towards a new home on the other side of Somerville or Arlington or Cambridge or - well those are mostly it unless (until?) my company hits it huge and then we can expand to Brookline, Concord, Lexington (ha!). |
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| pondering |
[Aug. 2nd, 2008|12:05 pm] |
So is McCain's anti Obama viral ad all about portraying Obama as the anti christ? daily kos thinks so and after rewatching the video I think the kos may be right.
in general I though the video, aside from the last 5 seconds, was almost pro Obama - just not from his camp as its really poorly done. Now that I know its from McCain's I think its even worse - except for the 25% of Americans they are trying to reach - you know the 25% that are idiots and still believe that W was the greatest Evah.
In any case that's my thought for the day |
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| ack! |
[Jul. 31st, 2008|08:50 pm] |
I just took a look at facebook and I have a gazillion requests for everything from plants to zombies to packrats to causes - its a little overwhelming
maybe I should just not look for a few more days. |
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| a few more thoughts |
[Jul. 22nd, 2008|09:44 am] |
La Verdad is not worth the price. Its about 2x the cost of Tacos Lupitas (or Anna's) and not as good. Yes the tortillas are fresh and lovely. Yes supposedly the ingredients are top notch but at the end of the day if you are only a tad better than Chipolte and charging as much (if not more than) Ole I'm just not going to go back.
Having said that - inside the style is more one big bar with some tables which makes me think they are not going for a place to eat dinner but more a place to get a small bite and a good margarita before going onto a club or game. |
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| well |
[Jul. 22nd, 2008|12:47 am] |
friday thru sunday was good - today was a not so much. From overtired to pinupgirlclothing.com sucking (seriously don't shop here), to the stress of the greenline (which combined to give me dry heaves after I finally got off) to - well let's just say today wasn't good.
Finally, I'm really hoping that Amira has a fast and perfect recovery. She's one of the really good people out there.
Anyway to cheer me up - pork belly confit with the skin seared and served over carmelized onions
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| Dr Horrible |
[Jul. 20th, 2008|01:06 pm] |
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So I finally watched all of Dr Horrible - and it was decidedly ok+ - the best part was, of course, Felicia Day who really plays that type of character quite well (for those unfamiliar with watchtheguild.com - its worth checking out). Dr Horrible did get the laugh down - in any case one thing I did learn was just how awesome Hulu is |
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| make it stop |
[Jul. 18th, 2008|10:43 am] |
So it appears that a MA ballot question will involve the repeal of the income tax.
Dear whoever votes for this inane bill
stop.
just stop.
I like safe roads, fireman, the T, health care, schools, and all the things the government does to make this one of the best states in the union. If this ballot actually passes and the legislation is stupid enough to enforce it this state will become worse than Mississippi. Its the dumbest thing ever.
That's all
if you are reading this and are seriously thinking about voting for this - please think about all the services that you depend on that we wouldn't have anymore. It would really kill the state |
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| good + bad |
[Jul. 15th, 2008|09:44 pm] |
Good - Steward + Brown clothing looks exceptional on me - I ordered another dress. Sadly they were out of the top I wanted
Bad - PinupGirlClothing.com is the suck. I'm keeping one bathing suit since its ok (and one of the better suits on me) however everything Nep bought is being returned and the one dress I procured is also being sent back. Really shoddy construction and sizes that aren't sizes (I'm sorry if your bathing suit is a large it damn well should easily go over my hips)
Finished The untold Story of Mao - if only half of it is true - the idea that Mao started off with good intentions needs to be struck down. |
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| wedding 2 |
[Jul. 13th, 2008|01:19 pm] |
I was here to enjoy this wedding and watch two amazing people get married. For reasons somewhat different than Nep, this wedding was extremely special to me. Anyway the other awesome thing was that  was the photographer and to say I am in awe of his work would be an understatement. I think he is one of the best photographers out there. Seriously amazing.
The other great thing, watching him work was a lot bit like watching me work - or at least on the path I was on. What's more interesting is that I've never seen another wedding photographer work like that. And, for whenever I photograph events in the future I gathered up a few other ideas from him - even though I'm not photographing as much it is good to pay attention and learn a thing or two.
With all that I only took a few photos
Being in the seats between Mi's parents gave me a great view to the ceremony - in fact I thought it was the best view - and it appears I wasn't the only one. Based on the lighting for the day I'm really glad that a) I was a guest and b) I really didn't have to worry about metering since I was gonna get what I get =)
( Read more... ) |
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| wedding #1 |
[Jul. 13th, 2008|01:08 pm] |
This weekend was wedding crazy - we went out friday night for the pre wedding party of Goat and tcb - and boy was it it a blast.
I have to say they were glowing - one might even say on fire! Photographically I was flying without my stofen - since I know they aren't really needed adn I wanted to play a little more with angling. Plus when you drag the shutter - well its all good.
( Read more... ) |
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| notes |
[Jul. 11th, 2008|10:27 am] |
thanks to Felica Day's blog - I joined goodreads - I spent 15 minutes last night marking books I've read in the past few years. I'm sure I'll add reviews of some and try to mark the ones I've read this year as I try to make my way to 75.
On the BBC this morning they had 2 people talking about Iran's nuclear program. One man was polite, well versed, talked about all the intelligence proving his point and none against. The other spouted on about the "existential threat to Israel", the domino theory of Middle East nuclear weapons, and finally used belittling language to characterize those who didn't hold his view. The guy, in this case David Murray, came off not only as a pompous neocon ass, but as an uneducated pig headed fool.
Personally I do think Israel should be willing to sign on for a nuclear free middle east - but I know the odds of that flying are about the same as me eating a flying pig. I also think that any strikes against Iran right now would be the worst thing that could possibly happen and if you did see that happen oil would blow past 200$ a barrel and you'd see the world plunged into an even worse financial mess than we are in now. I'm hoping people wouldn't fall for this again but I have infinite faith in the ability of people to be idiots. Hell W got "elected" twice. |
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| far too tired |
[Jul. 10th, 2008|05:30 pm] |
I'm amazingly tired - I haven't really slept since Sat night.
drool worthy HTC Advantage 7510 - this is what I want only not at 1200$ and as an import |
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| before you give that money to obama |
[Jul. 9th, 2008|10:48 pm] |
If you plan to give money to Obama - subtract at least 35$ and give it to the ACLU and maybe write Obama a little note telling him where some of the money he would have gotten went to.
There is a bright side here - 27 Democratic senators (it would have been 28 had Kennedy been there) voted AGAINST FISA. That's 28 people who believe in the Constitution. I also shouldn't have to mention that NO Republicans voted against it. None. We really do only have one party left and its up to us to make sure we can take it over. That means we need at least 12 more senators - I think 2 to 4 years should do the trick.
For those of us in MA we can be proud that not one of our reps voted for this bill - once again I'm really proud of Massachusetts. |
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| sometimes we forget |
[Jul. 6th, 2008|11:30 pm] |
in tonights dinner I put a habanero. No big deal but I touched it with my right hand...and about 15 minutes ago I touched the corner of my eye with my right hand. Its not extreme pain - but its certainly not pleasant. I forgot that soap and water doesn't really get the oils off your skin...
in better news steward and brown is having a sale - so I grabbed a few things now that at least a few of their eco friendly items are serious sale. I need to find dressy flats for a wedding this weekend as I was just reinformed that I'll be on grass - that means forget the awesome red heels. I'll either hit the dsw off 16 or simply go to Harvard square for lunch one day this week. I wonder if Berks is having a sale?
I did find something on Zappos but 4-5 day shipping would be pushing it as I'd need the shoes by Friday.
and lastly, I'm 2/3rds of the way thru "They Knew They Were Right" - the story of the neocon movement in America. The first section of the book is stellar - quite possibly one of the best things I've read in a few years. In my wildest dreams I never thought of the neocon elders as Trotskyites. And I never really registered that the neocon movements' intelligentsia (at least the ones who started it) were Jewish. Plus so many other points of historical interest in this have me seeing the movement in a slightly different light. However the book is failing in the middle - it starts with calling Said's "Orientalism" nonsense (when in fact its a seminal work), continues through referencing Bernard Lewis is a good way and I'm currently at how he's defending the motives behind Iran Contra...So the guy is not really winning me over on his world view here.
I do like the fact that his view of early neocon thought is shown through a prism of sadness for what the progeny of the movements founders would do to it. So it goes to show that even Conservatives who are wiling to break rules for might find what the neocons have done as not so good.
I'm also more convinced that the road to hell is lined with good intentions and that many of these neocons deserve a place down there. The Kristols first and foremost. Seriously messed up people - I mean the one thing from this book that has become crystal clear is what an impact they've had in dividing America into diametrically opposed camps - and how terrible that's been for everyone. Well that and how completely horrible their policies have been (and as bad as they are now, it could have been a lot worse had Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton or the first Bush listened to their crap). So now I've found the second thing I can give Reagan credit for - ignoring the neocons in terms of the USSR. I also give him credit for bringing hope back (through smoke and mirrors).
Also for the record I think Bernard Lewis is a racist idiot who knows next to nothing about the Middle East and Arab thought. Just sayin' |
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| mmmm lamb |
[Jul. 6th, 2008|07:54 pm] |
I had about a pound of lamb stew meat that I defrosted the other day - a quick browning then wine, diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, kale, peas, garlic, 1 habanero, pepper (white and black), cumin, cinnamon, chilie powder guillero and chipolte), cook a little over an hour on simmer and then add some couscous and well - it was pretty darn good.
I love the little challenges of getting 10 pounds of meat that you really have no idea what it will be - it forces me to go all over the place cooking wise.
nd sigh - I messread the anna sova sale site - I thought that the constantinople print duvet was a sheet - had it been a sheet I so would have bought it. As a duvet - not so much.
we need new sheets - and I am picky. I want organic and I want at least 400 thread count and I don't want sateen. So aside from anna sova, anyone know of some killer SKAL bedding?
we may wait to see if sonoma or napa or sf have anything... |
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| mmm |
[Jul. 5th, 2008|11:48 pm] |
Today was a day of tapas - Tapeo to start (always good) where I had an Absinthe and Cava cocktail. Fast forward to a wonderful dinner with good friends at Meyers and Chang - which really was wonderful. It took a bit to remember (like google) but Meyer's is the mastermind behind Radius and Great Bay. His wife is the one behind Flour (which I have not had the chance to eat at).
Anyway M+C is not too expensive and very much worth a stop |
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| here's hoping the weather clears |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|11:31 am] |
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Today may be even more lazy than I planned - especially if the weather keeps up the way it is |
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| ouchie |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|10:30 am] |
my lower back is in some pretty crazy pain - this is a new thing this year - but today is, by far, the worst. It hurts to sit. This is really not good. I'm thinking advil or aspirin in a little bit - and pray it works since I do have class tonight
Turns out the fire insurance people did send me the bill - it was attached to the overview - something new this year. Thankfully I was looking at it this morning - trying to find their number so I could call and ask where it was (its due in 11 days). Now I have it and at lunch I'll mail it off
watching all my investments stay flat/go down - despite the almost x amount I put in per month - for the past - I dunno - 8 years (not really but most of the 2000's have sucked for the market) is making me want to say f this month and go do a little shopping.
I did throw some money to WA-08 candidate Darcy Burner she's a real candidate - progressive - who almost won in 2006. She's awesome and this past week she had a terrible tradegy - her house burned down due to a faulty lamp in her son's room (they are all ok). So she can really use some extra help raising money for her campaign so that she can not fundraise for a little bit and instead maybe rebuild her life. For the geeks out there - the shirt she was wearing when she ran out of the house was < / war > - which I personally want. Well that and the There's no place like 127.0.0.1
Anyway what I really want is a heating pad. And to curl up in a ball since lying down hurts more than sitting |
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| oh and |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|11:28 pm] |
so John Kerry was a war hero who had the courage to speak out against the VietNam war. When he was "swiftboated" the media stood silent - some, like FOX and ABC even went along - questioning his integrity and if he even earned his medals.
Gen Clark questioned McCain's experience and said that being shot down doesn't qualify you to be president. This may not have been prudent but it was not a "swiftboat". So what do we see from the "Liberal" media
I'm ashamed of this country's media. Truly |
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| one last note |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|06:51 pm] |
Obama should have stood with Gen Clark - after all Clark was right being shot down doesn't qualify you for president. I really don't understand how that's a "swift boat" since Clark didn't lie or make light of McCain's service. He just made light of what it takes to be a leader.
For the record, McCain would make a terrible president. He makes a pretty pathetic senator (Keating 5 anyone? Hell I'd be bringing up this meme every time he opens his mouth about earmarks and campaign finance. Oh and that he's violated the spirit of his own bill too)
so given all this - forget donating to Obama for now - got to act blue and the ACLU and give money there. If you are going to give money to Obama I'd say wait a little - wait until he stops this stupid crap that he's doing now |
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| small world |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|09:47 pm] |
So we met our new condo mates - and it turns out I know one of them from way back!
truly a small world |
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| wildfires |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|10:48 am] |
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so how bad are the wildfires along coastal highway 1? I have a feeling this will be impacting our vacation in a few weeks |
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| fireside |
[Jun. 28th, 2008|10:15 pm] |
The fireside chats have been pretty wonderful - I've been to two this summer and both were excellent. This is a place I should make it out to for dinner some night. Or at least for drinking after sushi. Speaking of which, Fugakyu's menu seems less than I remember. The fish is still impeccable but I was a little peeved that when I asked if they had wasabi root maki she said yes and brought me something with wasabi mayo and crab stick. Ah well - the company was quite lovely. And this also reminds me that next time I'm down in Coolidge Corner I really want to got to Gari.
Oh, H&M has reasonable priced (12$) organic cotton tees! This made me happy.
I should write a little code tonight but I think I'll leave it till tomorrow. |
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| 2 books down |
[Jun. 28th, 2008|12:26 am] |
Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis was a good gum shoe read with shades of Commander Vimes. Very fun.
Resurrecting Empire by Rashid Khalidi was just an awesome primer on the state of the Middle East - there isn't much to fault here as I mostly agree with his assessments on the past 100 odd years and why W and Co really made things so much worse (and why living in a echo chamber a la the W regime) is a really bad thing. I only hope that Obama makes this a lot better.
anyone else catch the Daily Show's McCain 2 week flip flop on off shore oil drilling? Awesome. BTW McCain news flash - off shore drilling will not help anyone but the big oil producers. |
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| did not know |
[Jun. 26th, 2008|03:16 pm] |
The RSX was discontinued - thus the entry level Acura is the TSX. I find that a little sad. While I did not like the RSX, I loved the Integra to pieces. This really will change the feel of the Acura line - and not in a good way (to me at least). I guess they really want to become a me too (but cheaper) to the bmw, mercedes, infiniti crowd. Ah well.
I completely flubbed this week when it comes to studying or say, doing my homework. Thankfully class is still several hours away.
Even though I've quit WoW again, my account doesn't end till the 2nd so a few nights ago I ran my first instance in ages - shadowfang keep. Amazingly, I've only done this instance once before so it really was "new to me". Somehow I ended up healing. I guess that's the shadow priest's lot in life. Anyway while fun, it wasn't fun enough to get me to stay. |
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| since I'm in a slightly blah mood |
[Jun. 24th, 2008|10:37 pm] |
I'll take a moment to tell Obama to stop being an ass and start, you know, leading. Where is he on Fisa and why is he avoid Muslim American's like the plague?
yeah maybe he has more in common with Deval than just a lifted slogan.
in other news go Dodd and Feingold. Again. |
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| holy cats |
[Jun. 24th, 2008|05:32 pm] |
The wind made the building move (at least the 4th floor). And the rain storm was supremely impressive for the 5 minutes it lasted.
insanity. And cool. |
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| ugh |
[Jun. 23rd, 2008|10:30 am] |
so. hung. over.
thankfully there were brownies for breakfast
and advil
though someone at work left my milk uncovered (it must have popped its top when someone grabbed something else) so without knowing if it was friday or this morning - I ended up chucking it (work fridge is disgusting so unexposed milk would, at the very least, pick up a bad flavor)). This left me stuck with the mini moos.
damnit George Carlin died |
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| mental note |
[Jun. 21st, 2008|03:25 pm] |
Bandol is a region not a winery.
Hopefully this Rose will taste similar to the one we had last week (which was amazing - gamey is a great word for it - light enough for summer fair but deep and complex enough for pork or even bbq) |
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| sad day in DC |
[Jun. 20th, 2008|01:46 pm] |
so Congress is rolling over on FISA. Not surprised. Its already rolled over on Iraq funding (those 80 democrats will get primary challenges and you can be sure I'll donate to a few of the challengers - especially any that go against Pelosi or Reid or Hoyer). However the new GI bill won't get vetoed - so that's a big victory.
McCain calling out Obama for not taking matching funds is idiotic - especially considering that McCain is violating the law when it comes to his campaign and its financing (he is facing legal proceedings and as soon as the FEC is back up to speed he's going to have issues there too). McCain - at least he's been consistent since the Keating 5 days. Obama said if the PACs were taken care of, he'd opt in - well the PACs are still being misused so he opted out - makes sense to me. Plus the fact he's going to out raise McCain by at least 2 to 1 makes me happy too. Oh and that money, it won't be tied to corporations. How nice.
Today is almost done. I look forward to doing nothing tonight. Tomorrow should be a little crazy but not as bad as I feared at the beginning of the week. |
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| snappy "sushi" |
[Jun. 19th, 2008|11:30 pm] |
Being a lovely day, I took a walk to Davis Square with the intent of trying Snappy Sushi. Boston Globe mentioned it as an innovative cheap eat - so why not?
Let me tell you why not. The first problem was the brown rice. Yes, I somehow missed that they only use brown rice. Now for a unagi crunch roll, this worked surprisingly well. However for the other two rolls I tried - not so much. And based on the table chatter, not many people thought brown rice worked all that well in general.
As for the rolls, the aforementioned unagi roll was decent, it would have been sublime had they not drenched the tempura flake in sweet ponzu sauce. On the other end of the spectrum we had the hamachi spicy roll which was not spicy and the brown rice texture just made the roll feel chewy in the mouth. Chewy is not a sensation I like when I'm eating maki. And finally the Boston Roll. This was one of the most expensive rolls on their menu (at 10.95) and from the description it sounded like a lobster and red onion salad with avocado and cucumber. Well, it sort of was that. This really should have been described as an avocado and cucumber roll with a lot of warm onion salad and a few fleks of lobster from a can (or frozen and left to thaw in water). To say this was terrible would be an understatement. To make matters even worse, when they topped the roll with the salad, they kept the round side up - not the flat side - so it was almost impossible to eat the roll as it was designed. Methinks the "Sushi" chefs need more training. A lot more.
So as far as I'm concerned Davis is still in need of a sushi place.
In other news, I started the Mandarin class tonight - it was a lot to take in but I think it will be good.
I was also a social butterfly at work - mostly doing a lot of code reviews and general chit chat - plus I had to talk about the maple vanilla bacon ice cream and pork belly confit. |
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| when I'm overtired, I cook |
[Jun. 18th, 2008|09:45 pm] |
The pork belly confit is going nicely - 14 ounces of duck fat go a long way.
and maple vanilla bacon ice cream was made. Its good. |
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| first book read in a bit |
[Jun. 18th, 2008|12:59 am] |
finally finished "The Secret History of the American Empire: The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals and How to Change the World" by John Perkins.
Let me start by saying I should be the target audience - I know the US has done some really bad things and I know that corporations are not out for the public good and I'm willing to believe there is a huge oil land grab etc so by all rights if this book had been half decent I could have really liked it. However it was utter garbage. It doesn't even matter if some of his innuendo and hearsay is true - he gives less "facts" than Kuntzler (and that says a lot), Mr Perkins is far too full of himself, and his book rambles all over the place. Worst of all, I highly doubt his stories or that he was privy to anything or that he knows how to write. I'd almost say this reads as a conspiracy theory wanna be recovered anti hero book.
Seriously one of the worst books I've ever read. It is better than The Message of the Sphinx
For a real view, not an idiotic fantasy, of the IMF or the world bank, Stiglitz is the man. For NGO and giving - White Man's Burden is hard to beat. For CIA/US malfeasance pick your history book but I think Blowback is a good intro. Whatever you do avoid this book. Its crap like this that gives the liberals and socialists bad names. Still, at least his heart is in the right place - and he is trying to help protect and defend people who can't defend themselves. Still, there is no excuse for trying to pass this off as "history". This is as much history as a Graham Hancock book - ok well maybe not that bad. But Close. Real close.
Also if anyone reading this believes what Hancock writes is true, don't tell me. Its really better that way. The little historian/acheologist wanna be inside me would die just a little. |
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| duck fat |
[Jun. 16th, 2008|04:20 pm] |
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Anyone know where I can find a good amount of duck fat? I'm thinking about doing some deep frying this weekend |
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| on happier ground |
[Jun. 12th, 2008|08:27 pm] |
signed up for facebook - playing now
feel free to ping me there |
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