Sorting Hat

I've always thought I'd be a Ravenclaw, though:

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

My Day

My typical day recently:

8:30am - Cell phone alarm goes off. I groggily stumble to the desk to turn it off and promptly fall back into bed.

9:00am - Groan and whine as I get up for reals. Shower, deliberate in the closet for 5 minutes wondering what I should wear, then moan and wear the same thing.

9:30am - Work. Coffee break.

11:30am - Early lunch.

7:00pm - Back hurts. Leave the office.

7:30pm - Log in my character to ffxi. Eat something in front of the monitor. Multi-task email, forums, gaming.

12:00am - Brush teeth. Fall into bed.


Want to know what I do in ffxi? Find out! It's not exactly it, but close. There have been 2 new expansions, and plus I'm usually:

CAT unit

I love SA. This is one of the posts from a Pet Island thread about how catPhone is superior to the iPhone:


I love my CAT units, but they're a bitch to maintain. Look how long the damn manual is (copied from elsewhere in PI, don't remember the original thread):

Congratulations on your purchase of a CAT Unit!

This model contains the following features:

User Friendly
Mouse Driven
Self Cleaning
Energy Saving Standby Mode When Not In Use
Self Portable Operation
Dual Video and Audio Input
Audio Output
Auto Search Routines for Input Data
Auto Search for Output Bin
Instant Transition (2 nanoseconds) Between Standby & Full Power Mode

Production Details:
After basic KIT construction, the unit undergoes six weeks of onsite ROM programming and burn-in testing. Listed features are installed during this period. Since MOMCAT uses local suppliers, there may be variations between units.

Transportation:
A suitable transportation case should be used for transportation to the operating site. Failure to properly ship a CAT unit may result in loss or damage to the unit and/or serious injury to the end user.

Installation Procedures:
Upon receiving the CAT unit, the user should examine the unit to verify that all I/O channels are operational. Look for minor bugs in or on the system. Bugs are indicative of the MOMCAT production environment. The user may manually remove any bugs.

Bring the CAT to operation in an environment temperature at 20 deg. C (+/-3 deg tolerance). Use a quiet room with the primary user(s) present. Open the transportation case and let the CAT unit autoexit. Initialize the self-learning program Katfind(tm) by displaying the input bins. These should contain H2O (liquid state, room temperature, 99% purity) and dry energy pellets. Immediately afterwards, display the output bin.

If the user already has a CAT unit successfully installed, it may be possible to transfer BASIC routines to the new CAT. For the first day or two, the CAT will stay in self learning mode. When the learn buffer overflows, the CAT will autoswitch to sleep mode. This is normal. The MMU system will store the new information to permanent memory. After 72 hours, the CAT will be interacting with the operating environment.

New User Tips
The unit may be placed in direct sunlight. CAT units are operational in all axes: standing, sitting, or laying down. If all basic environment requirements are satisfied, the CAT system will produce a slight hum. This is normal.

A new CAT should not exit the primary site facility. Full portability comes after extensive burn in. Some users never let the CAT unit autoexit the site. The advantages are longer unit life and fewer bugs. Contact with pirate CAT units may lead to unplanned BATCH iteration. Contact with untested CATs may lead to virus infection. If allowed to exit, fatal errors may occur. If you decide to let your CAT out, it should have a READ_ME.TXT file with a system address and URL which identifies the host site.

Your CAT should have a system name. The name may need to be reinitialized repeatedly until the system can read it correctly. This lets you issue voice commands to bring the unit to an online state. Many owners give their CATs a secret password as well. You can also get the CAT's attention by booting the system. While this is effective, it is discouraged.

Applications:
At present, there are few productivity applications for CAT:

MOUSE is a killer app. This is pre-installed.

Most owners use their system for game playing. CATs play best when they are new. Older units suffer a system timing decay which leads to reduced response and flexibility.

Some CAT games are:

CACHE
The CAT will CACHE a data string. This is similar to the K9 unit game, but the object must be smaller.

JUMP
Move the data string through the air. The CAT unit will reach new heights of operation.

MIRROR
Place the unit in front of a mirror and watch it attempt to parse itself. Some units may ESCape. Reboot the system by calling its name.

CHASE
Played between two CAT units or a CAT and a K9 unit. Units take turns as one is the data and the other attempts to parse it.

DANCE and SING
Offer fishy data code to elicit a range of audio output.

Maintenance:
CATs will self-recharge. This takes 20 hours in a 24 hour cycle.

CATs are self cleaning and require little user maintenance. Do not clean the unit with alcohol or benzine-based solvents. This may lead to a violent explosion.

A CAT unit should be taken once a year to a VET for a system checkup. Do notattempt to open a CAT. There are no user serviceable parts inside. If a unit emits unusual smells or sounds, it should be serviced immediately by a VET.

You may examine the CAT system to determine if it has a male or female SCSI port. If the port is male, then the CAT unit may emit a non-toxic aerosol. The VET can remove this component.

CATs with female ports are plagued by periodic heating problems. The VET can fix this permanently by removing an internal part. Such systems should run unix.

Warning Notices:

CAT systems are normally user friendly. However, in certain documented situations, a CAT may pose a danger to the user.

Repeated jamming or obstruction of I/O ports may lead to deployment of auto-defense systems. Never attempt a first strike on a CAT system. Its CPU clock rate is made to milspecs and thus classified, but JANE'S FIGHTING FELINES notes that a unit was seen by ham radio operators to be apparently moving at500 mHz. Twin D-shaped five-pin connectors have an average seek rate of 3 nanoseconds. The manufacturer is not responsible for injuries to the user. Children should not poke anything into the CAT's I/O ports.

CAT may BYTE. In dry, cold weather, a surface electrostatic charge may build up. To avoid electric shock, stand on an insulated surface. Do not operate the CAT above water. This may lead to end-user damage. Carry the CAT firmly. Do not swing it by its "tail".

If you properly care for your CAT, it will give you years of loyal service. Many users get a second unit, to enjoy the ability to run complex simulation games.

User Groups:
CAT users can find other users and FAQ on the Usenet newsgroup rec.pets.cats.

Lifetime Warranty:
The CAT unit is guaranteed against catastrophic failure. Nine coupons are included.

Documented Problems:
The Ctrl key on most CAT units is defective. This may lead to serious performance problems. Do not install a BIRD unit at a site which has an operational CAT unit. These tend to disappear.

System Features:
Models = Main frame, desktop and laptop models (smallest footprint in the industry). Available in 15 inch, 17 inch, and 19 inch sizes. Interface = Touch sensitive interface for maximum user friendliness.

Memory = Not much. Upgrades available real soon now.
Expected Lifetime = 15 years (although 20 years is common).
Weight = 3-6 kilograms without optional cables.
Speed = 3 nanoseconds search/find with self-uprighting supertwist technology.

Color Graphics = Either paper white, monochrome (black/white), 64 grey shades, or maximum of 16 million colors with 40 terrabits of high resolution floating point pixels.

Sound Chip octaves, digital MIDI output (MI/OU).
Power Consumption = 250 grams protein daily (2 micrograms per second.)
Operating Range = -30 to +45 C (-22 to +105 F)
Vibration = 5-500 Hz, one octave/min, dwell at all resonance points.

Contacting CAT Technical Support:
Our highly trained technicians are ready to help you. As soon as they wake up from their nap.

Pasta

I like to make up dishes. This usually results mostly in something pretty good, but could also be spectacularly bad on occasions. Tonight turned out much better than pasta from mediocre family restaurants, and I just watched an early showing of Ratatouille this weekend (review later), so I thought I'd share.

(Sorry about the bad cellphone picture)


Ingredients:
2-3 cups dry pasta
1 salmon filet (4 oz?)
3/4 of an onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can sardines in oil
1-2 tbsp. cream
half a lime
salt and pepper

Put enough water to drown the pasta to boil. Make sure to salt liberally.

In the meantime, open the can of sardines and pour half the oil in it to a heated pan. Saute garlic and onions, adding a pinch or two of salt during the middle. Remove onions on to a plate when they're still slightly crunchy but cooked.

Add some more oil from the sardines. Fry the salmon on both sides, then break up the filet into flakes and pieces with the spatula, and cook as tender or as crispy as you like. Scoop out the salmon on to the onions.

If you cooked all this with a stainless steel pan or something similar conductive to glazes, turn the heat on low, add 1-2 tablespoon of cream or milk, and scrape the bottom with a spatula. Add the sardines, break them up, add some salt and pepper to taste, then at the end add the juice of half a lime.

Toss the pasta, salmon, onions, and sauce together. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

In retrospect: I could have used less oil from the sardine can, but at the moment I only have the use of an 8" pan. And some herbs at the end to add with the lime would be better. If you're wondering about my strange 3/4 onion--I used part of it for lunch.

Recently...2

Hahaha today's strip was even better.

Also I am now making plans to go to the taco place mentioned in Chris's new interview:

LAT: As a renowned cookbook author and chef (or at least member of an of the month club), please comment on your ideal taco. Also, what is your favorite taco place, and what do you order?

CO: I like a taco with a base of two firm little corn tortillas, stuck together, as I imagine most legitimate tacos are. I like a hard-caramelized pastor or asada under a heavy handful of cilantro and onion. This won’t mean anything to your Los Angeles readers, but my local for tacos is El Charrito in San Carlos, at the intersection of Holly and El Camino Real. You can barely get in there at lunchtime for all the Mexicans who have been busting their asses all morning. They do buche, cabeza, lengua, all the good stuff.

Making plans to reread HP1-6 before Deathly Hallows come out in July.

Still writing and brainstorming for DS. I want to make a DS post, but most things would be spoilers. Dun dun dun. I do, however, need to review it with someone, though. Some ideas are always brilliant until verbalized.

Recently...

I'm on season 2 of House MD. Of course, season 1's ep21 was the best. It's also interesting to read medical reviews on House, though I can't understand half the criticism D:

Also: today's Achewood.

I'm back! (sort of)

GRE! V630, Q790! Close enough to my goal :3

Bedtime now always seems to come so fast. 10pm is sleepy bedtime past and gone and no trace of footprints left. If I could fix my laptop up, life would be so good.

Work Update

After a week's worth of expensive (though decently tasty) hospital food, I decided to buy a Mr. Bento.

My 2 hour one-way commute makes any free time at home impossible. When I get home I cook, eat, and then it's time for bed. But I get to read a lot on the train. And work itself is awesome. I might try popping into rounds next week.

3 more weeks until GRE. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have any energy nor time for DS until it's done.

PS: Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows is available by pre-order on Amazon now :D Mark your calendars for July 21st!

Old Dog

Finally found a job! I'll be a clinical research coordinator at a teaching hospital/medical center, whoohoo. (The major downside is that I have to commute for 2 hours and get up at 5:45...)

Also I bought one of these, so I'm pretty excited this week ^o^ (Farewell, Beetle ._,)


This was on Car Talk the other day:

A man and his dog live at the foot of a tall hill, and for exercise they walk up to the top and then down the hill every morning. But as the years go by, the dog has gotten old, and now can only walk at half his original speed. So the man and the dog still walk the hill every day, but the man will get to the hilltop and then turn around. The dog meets him on the way down, and due to the power of gravity, is able to make it down the hill at his original young dog pace.

So the question is, if the hilltop is 3 miles away from their house, how many miles does the old dog walk every day?




Answer:
You can always make up values and plug it in, but here's the algebra answer that I worked out :D

Since distance = rate x time, the time that the dog and owner walked are the same, so t=d/r. And let's set D for the distance to the hilltop, and d for the dog's distance when he meets his owner. Rate will be r for the man and r/2 for the dog, since he walks half as fast.

The trick is the set up for the equation. Man makes it to the hilltop and turns around, so the distance he walked is the total plus where he meets his dog.
(D + (D-d)) / r = d / (r/2)

then,
(2D - d) / r = 2d / r
(2D - d) / d = 2
2 D/d - 1 = 2
D/d = 3/2
so the distance the dog walked will be d/D, or 2/3 the trip, and since the hilltop is 3 miles away, the dog walks 4 miles.

Bacon Blog

The creator of Achewood, my favorite online comic, writes his characters' blogs as well as his own. Though I love to read my friends' updates, Chris's blog has been the most enjoyable out of my daily reading list: (1) his use of language and humor combine into an irresistible narrative format and (2) he's recently writing about bacon.

Just read his newest entry. The best part is the pun on "rumination".

I love English.

And here's a little blog excerpt from Roast Beef, my favorite character so far on Achewood:
Since I was so wet I couldn't climb back in bed, which meant I was Up Early. I hate bein' Up Early cause it usually means I worry about Showbiz and Gramma K and my kidneys and all that stuff. Basically I just sat on the couch and watched TV judges say who could and could not have their kids anymore, and then when Molly got up I asked real nice if I could have a cup of baked beans and since she knew I was in a Place she was real understanding about it. (Baked beans are like my version of Prozac, except they can't be relied on.)

Hikaru no Go

Hikaru no Go triggered a revival of interest in go across the world since its publication in 1998 (manga, then adapted into anime), especially among children in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. And even I, who had never thought of go as exciting nor comprehensible, watched the anime series 3 times and began my own go interest. This is definitely one of the best series worth watching--even my mom went through the 75 eps in a roll with great anticipation and enthusiasm.

It follows Hikaru for 3 years all through his go progress from complete beginner to professional 1-dan. Beyond go, Hikaru as well as many of his companions walking the path of go all experience character development. The complex relationship between Hikaru, Sai, and Akira are especially worthwhile and satisfying to read. Although the women in the series are relegated to insignificant roles, the duality of masculine and feminine within the men, their connections to each other, and their go goals are more than enough to keep the story in top shape. (And owing to their complex relationship, it is no great surprise that Hikaru and Akira are the subject of many doujinshi.)



I'm running ahead of myself. Here's a snippet from the Wiki summary, which is easily gleaned from the first 2 eps:

Hikaru Shindo, the title character, is a 6th grade junior high student in Kita Ward, Tokyo. While exploring his grandfather's shed, he stumbles across a Go board haunted by the spirit of Fujiwara-no-Sai, a fictional Go player from the Heian era. Sai wishes to play Go again, having not been able to since the late Edo period, when he possessed the body of Hon'inbo Shusaku, an actual Go player of that era. Sai endeavors to attain the "Divine Move," or the "Hand of God" – a perfect game. Because Hikaru is apparently the only person who can perceive him, Sai inhabits a part of Hikaru's mind as a separate personality, coexisting, although not always comfortably, with the child.

Urged by Sai, Hikaru begins playing Go despite a lack of interest in the game. He begins by mimicking the moves Sai dictates to him, but Sai tells him to try to understand each move. In a Go salon, Hikaru defeats Akira Toya, a boy his age who plays Go with professional-caliber strength. Akira subsequently begins a quest to discover the source of Hikaru's strength, an obsession which will come to dominate his life.

Hikaru becomes intrigued by the great dedication of Akira and Sai to the game and decides to start playing solely on his own.

Although the series is a long 75eps, its length is necessary to experience the 3 years of go along with Hikaru. At no point in the storytelling does it feel prolix or tedious, and it's a faithful adaptation of the manga; at times it is even preferable to the manga, as the animation will illustrate out the moves in more detail.

There are many high point moments in the series, but to me the best was Sai's no handicap match with Touya Meijin--and Sai's subsequent realization that his purpose was to show the game to Hikaru.

As for go itself, there's no prerequisite to know the rules before watching Hikaru no Go, but on my 3rd watch-through after I had played a few games and read into theory and strategies, my go knowledge made the games more exciting. So rather than being discouraged from starting the series without prior go experience, instead, you should take it as a sign of the series' versatility, that it stands up to multiple watchings at different stages in your go hobby.

But if you do want to learn and join me: Learn rules by reading Sensei's basic rules page, the Wiki for go at Sensei's Library, then learn hands-on. You can download other people's games from the Go Teaching Ladder and look through them in a Java environment program, which also allows you to play in realtime on one of the most popular go servers, KGS. (KGS is sponsored by Kiseido, a Japanese go publishing company, and they have a large library of English translated go books.) Another option for playing online is through Dragon Go Server, which allows plays over several days or weeks through email. (If anyone want to play, my username is jomiel.)

Dog vs. Cat

I usually dislike email forwards, but yesterday's from a friend was so enjoyable:


Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Diary:


8:00am Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30am A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40am Walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30am Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00pm Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00pm Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00pm Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00pm Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00pm Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00pm Wow! Watched TV with my master! My favorite thing!

11:00pm Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!




Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary:

Day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and myself are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The audacity! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released --and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded! The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.......for now....

Selling

(same post as DS)

I really need to change to a different car, so here are some beloved books I've accumulated over the years from Japanese stores and websites that I'm selling. Click on thumbnails for bigger image. Please let me know if you would like more scans.


Manga:

Yakitate! Japan, books 1-20, $80

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, books 1-6, $40



Artbooks:

Escaflowne filmbooks, books 1-4, $20
Storybooks on eps 1-15 from shots. Esoteric series and design information on the bottom of every page, as well as art from design notebooks at the end.


Kenshin anime series artbook "best collection", $10


Kenshin KADEN, $18
Ultimate collection of Kenshin information. Notes from beginning to series to end of jinchu arc that manga volumes 1-28. Also pages on character, sword styles, etc.



Doujinshi:

Escaflowne, "Vision" published by Link Out (comedy), $6
Compilation of comedy pages.


Escaflowne, "Van Fanel Remodeling Project" by Minato Tajima (comedy, slightly adult), $10
A funny, lighthearted story by one of the best adult Escaflowne doujinshi artists.


Kenshin, "Saikai" by Shinji Yamaguchi (adult), $12
Popular adult Keshin doujinshi artist.


All are in excellent condition. The prices are ~50% of original cost and includes shipping, but are open to negotiation. Email in comment box for contact.

Jade Orchids

Despite my usual low opinion of Victoria's Secret's toiletries, the other day I bought their new lotion, Bali Orchid. It reminded me of childhood in Taiwan. There used to be farming women at major intersections in Taipei, with woven straw hats and large frocks, carrying a small bamboo basket of these "jade orchids". My parents would buy the orchids strung like ivory keys on a wire, and hang the flowers in front of the car air vent. The flowers would only last a couple of days in the hot humidity, but that honeysuckle smell when we first receive the orchids would linger for a while. When I visited Taiwan last year, I had looked for them, but there were no more orchid sellers. Perhaps the only way to continue to enjoy them is to buy a M. alba tree.

My habit is to collect toiletry items but end up using only a portion of them. I can't quite imagine what it'd be like when I get to an age to collect jewelry and afford designer shoes. I'll need a new closet, I think.

But for now, I'm content with my collection of toiletry and perfumes. Crabtree & Evelyn is the English, elegant version of Bath & Body Works. The best part is that my credit card rebates let me buy their Nantucket Briar, Nadira, and Evelyn Rose lines almost as much as I want and certainly more than I need.

GRE and more manga

Goal for GRE:
95 percentile
verbal 670, quantitative 800

10 weeks to go! My diagnostic exam was decent, so if I could get 100 points higher in both sections I can hit 95%. In times like this I suppose I should be grateful that my education prepared me for standardized testing and academic writing. And if I sound like a pundit or venture into incursions of sedulous semantics for the next 10 weeks, forgive me for my propitiatory efforts for school ingression.

Anyway. Manga updates and news.

Goong translation is now up to vol13.

Chocholatelova pointed me to Fullmetal Alchemist and now I'm engrossed. Although the beginning chs were childishly exaggerated, the story quickly plunges into the main storyline and is now deep in political intrigue. While FMA isn't quite magic realism or even pretend to present complex character development, its storytelling is strong. Now go read it in online viewer or download it, and come back to discuss it with me!
(The image is from Transmute.)

I also read Kimi no Kakera on readmanga.com, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the author was male. It just had such a quality of CLAMP ephemeral sensibilities and sketchy, imprecise inklines that is more common in female mangaka. The art enhances the story--it has a simple premise, a simple approach to narration, and yet by viewing the story through the eyes of children in a world that has turned upside down, it's strangely mature. However, until the Cinderella plight of Icoro and the innocence of Shiro came together at the end ch5, little more than Shin Takahashi's artwork motivated me to keep reading. But it really is wonderful art.

More School

My brother sent me this fine piece of news article today:

"It was surprising that past commercial video game play was such a strong predictor of advanced surgical skills," said Iowa State University psychology professor Douglas Gentile, one of the study's authors.

It supports previous research that video games can improve "fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, visual attention, depth perception and computer competency," the study said.

I guess all those hours of hand dexterity that comes by making platform jumps and shooting zombies while running to cover is actually worthwhile ;D The disclaimer at the end of the article that says 9+ hours of gaming is detrimental to getting in medical school, though, was pretty sad--I mean really, does the media need to dumb down research information to that level? It's like the microwave warnings about not drying cats in them.

Anyway, I've been starting to get serious on veterinary school and GRE preparation. GRE has so much similar content to SAT that I'm hoping the two tests also have correlative test scores.

I wrote about my first Saturday at the shelter clinic, but I haven't told my real dreams and fears about veterinary school. A few weeks ago I woke up in the pale fish belly light of early morning, shaken. I had dreamt that I euthanized all my cats, cuddling them and apologizing all the while. Man, that was scary. My mother, though, thought it was outrageously funny, and for a couple of days told the cats they'd better watch out before I kill them.

Well, of course, laughter chases fears away, but last week I then dreamt that I killed my dog through food neglect. My brother, currently in medical school, diagnosed subconscious feelings of inadequacy. Thanks, Dr. Feel Better. But it's true that I've never felt the same way about any other occupation--and I think this means that this is really want I'd like to do. So although it's sad that I will graduate later than my younger brother, at least I tried to apply to veterinary school ;D


The five targets for elimination in question:

Jomjom


Coco


Dudu


Mimi


Nicky

I Scream Ice Cream

More than escolar sushi, breaded ground lamb wrapped in corn tortillas with a squeeze of lime, cheese and olives, and chocolate, I love ice cream.

When I was little, we ate red bean popsicles and frozen colored ices in those long plastic containers. Ice cream meant tiny paper containers of vanilla Haagen-Dazs. I remember lifting up the top covering from its little tab, and eat tiny slivers of ice cream with a small wooden slab of a spoon. They were a treat, just like sodas, and I'd look forward to special days of the year to taste them.

Then US introduced me to brightly colored snow cones, creamsicles, layered push-ups, Dreyer's, pineapple sorbets, and Starbucks Mocha. I visited the Ben & Jerry's plant in Vermont during college, and vowed to eat the Vermonster one day. At ice cream parlors and carnivals I'd eat ice cream in a waffle cone and fudge sauce, and the best bite was always the last bite--when the softened ice cream seeped into the tip of the cone, and the sugared crisp and the creamy drizzle of ice cream combined into a treasured end.

So it's only natural that this birthday I asked for an ice cream maker. And since its arrival, I've made ice cream every week. The kiwi ice cream was good, and as the days went on, its flavor mellowed to wonderful. Cherry Garcia is decently good with maraschino cherries, although we'll have to wait for cherry season for a real batch. And the ice cream maker is running right now on chocolate chip cookie dough.

The Rules according to Ben and Jerry in their book:
Rule #1. You don't have to be a pro to make incredibly delicious ice cream.
Rule #2. There's no such thing as an unredeemingly bad batch of homemade ice cream.

Random Recommendations

Yesterday I read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Rereading will have to come after improvements in literature sophistication. Despite its short length, it has a long grasp. (Or is it because of it? just like The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway and The Pearl by Steinbeck, although the books are vastly different.) But my impression of Dorian's most unforgivable crime wasn't his delight in indulgences or his impassiveness of tragedies from his influence, but his belief that he was beyond repentance and grace.

Last weekend I started volunteering as an assistant in the Humane Society clinic to its vet techs. It was amazing and gross at the same time to play orderly for cats with upper respiratory disease. My cat care experience elevated to a whole new level as I dumped diarrhea litter and wiped snot off cage ceilings. So exciting. The vet techs told me about the PetSmart Charities website with its webinars. Perhaps I'd finally be motivated to seek a second degree.

Through a chance email I heard about PhD comics. Quite interesting, and #808 is my favorite so far. But Achewood still takes first place webcomic in my heart for its brilliant original storylines and wit. And it's about cats and teddy bears and and a baby otter.

I'd also like to recommend Hikaru no Go, but it should merit its own post.

Movies

Reviews of films watched this month. Bonus picture from Pan's Labyrinth:


Stranger than Fiction
As unlikely was I to fall for Will Ferrell after his last movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the play on literature and narrative in Stranger than Fiction was great. Emma Thompson's acting as a stereotypical psychotic author made the tragedy clearer. And of course, I love any movie about food.

Lonesome Jim
This seems to be modeled after the realistically mundane ideal in modern fiction, and one of the most depressing movies ever until the last 10 minutes of the film. The characters are all full of personal problems. Jim is this sensitive, depressing man without real aims in life; his brother is a failure; his father is unyielding and obtuse to feelings; and his mother is unrelentingly optimistic and breathlessly supportive--and somehow all these characters all fit together into a fulfilling ending (still within realism limits). Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler made that small town portrayal believable.

The Departed
This had a very different feeling from the Chinese original, Internal Affairs (also II and III). It was Americanized for more action, slightly different themes, and to Hollywood standards and tastes. Although there was more than enough drama and tension, I was disappointed at the rush ending. I preferred IA's conclusion, to have room to show character development, but TD was still a great film, and DiCaprio's best film yet.

The Good Shepherd
I had a lot of anticipation for The Good Shepherd, and though the film would improve with more Angelina Jolie involvement, the amount of thinking required past the movie viewing time made up for any disappointment in her role. There was so much uncertainty, intrigue, and history for discussion and further thought.

Pan's Labyrinth
This had been called the fairytale for adults, and the adult impact carried all the way through to the very end. It was mystical and alluring, and yet the story brought forth themes of death and sacrifice and life, much in the vein of magic realism. And the girl Ivana Baquero who played Ofelia--showing vulnerability and courage, the paradoxical nature of the innocent heroine, the plot's culmination of tragedy and bravery--so clearly at only 12!

Games

Okami (PS2)


I'm finally ready to play the end stage of Okami, after 50 hours of playing already. This is IGN's and my best of 2006 game. Its graphics are beautiful, the playstyle is original (combination of keypad and awesome brush mode), the storyline is actually touching (I almost cried at the Ark of Yamato), and the characters are intriguing (Issun is a little annoying at times, but nothing like the letdown in ff12's Vaan).

I'm already planning to play it again in +mode after I beat it. I seriously never play any game to completion, but Okami is really that good. Also I'm thinking about getting its soundtrack because I'm a nerd.

But if you decide to get Okami, just brave through the aggravating voice effects and the hold my hand start for the first few hours. Trust me, it's worth playing.


On to the other console games I actually play:

Katamari Damacy & We Love Katamari (PS2)

Best game for relaxing. And yes, those are buildings in the second picture.

Pikmin & Pikmin 2 (GameCube)

Strategy game for people who prefer to order turnip sprites around instead of medieval armies or futuristic tanks (and by people, I mean me).

Zoo Keeper (Nintendo DS)

The DS version of the free Flash game. Although not free, it was nice to have different game modes like 5 min competition, quest, etc. Nice for long lines, bus rides, and realization that 1 hour goes by pretty fast.

Trauma Center: Under the Knife (Nintendo DS)

If you enjoyed the game Operation as a little kid, this is similar--excitement, heart pumping stress, and little medical basis.

Ose! Tatakae! Ouendan! (Nintendo DS)

I don't think there's an English version released yet, but you might consider importing this. Yakuza-like punks cheer people on with dancing and high spirits. The DS version of DDR and other music games.

Treasured Clutter

Since I've moved back home for the past month, I've been doing the horrible mission of finding space for my new stuff amid my room full of old stuff. The clothes part was easy--what no longer fits or would never wear again went into the donation bin. Same with books. I simply donated to the library or put them up on Amazon.

But now I'm left with these things I've collected from childhood and either still useful or interesting as memories--my "treasured clutter". Stamp collection. Hair clips. Paintbrushes. All the cards and letters I've ever received. Blank notebooks in every size and paper make. Grades and ID cards from school. Diaries since elementary school (the most embarrassing of the bunch!).

My mom in recent years is on the side of less clutter. When my grandpa died, we had to sort through all of his possessions, took a few boxes, and donated the rest. She said she didn't want to leave behind a mess for us to throw away when she dies.

I'm more on the sentimental side, I suppose. In our summers in Taiwan, my grandpa taught me hours and hours of Chinese calligraphy. His best brushes and calligraphy books were uncontested among the extended family, and I brought home a full suitcase. No one writes with brushes anymore except for hobby or art. So I thought of the matter more as us kids not understanding his interests enough to treasure his clutter.

But as for my stickers and colored pens, perhaps fate will be less kind.

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Guns, Germs, and Steel had sat on my bookshelf for a few years before I finally read it this week. I can't imagine the amount of work it took to even add "and __" to a data-loaded sentence or the knowledge he had accumulated in order to assemble the information into a coherent theory, but equally amazing is his ability to write academia into a bestseller.

I thought of his explanation of "Why Europe, Not China?" was pretty good. The usual thought is Confucianism politeness limiting China's response to other country's aggression or development--which is not true, as Chinese considered foreigners as barbarians and does not hesitate to protect themselves from the constant threat of Mongol invasion and state uprisings threatening to bring in a new dynasty. But the most ridiculous theory was about Chinese characters placing limitations on inventiveness and concept creation (as opposed to alphabets, which could be rearranged to form new meanings and be adapted to different country's needs, the author claimed). But Chinese has gone through slight evolution, as seen in comparisons between modern Chinese to Japanese and Korean, which used Chinese exported thousands of years ago. And anyway, Chinese was one of the most inventive countries in history. All the way up until 1400s, that is, when centralized government took to isolationism and departed from technological advances. So in this "Not China" aspect, I agree with Diamond.

The most interesting parts of the book, though, were the last two chapters, the Epilogue and the GGS Today. It's intriguing to think how his theories in GGS would apply to business structure and would continue to modify current government powers.

Critics of his book say it's about environmental determinism, and I do think lumping everything together into a general theory is simplifying matters and may cover true causes, but it's pretty good as a overarching theory to span human history for 13,000 years. Plus it's a popular book, so that means the populace will think about these issues. To spark controversy and bring debate into the public forefront is a good quality that will create better social awareness and open-mindedness.

Hello

In hopes that I would have as interesting things to say as Sapphirefly and Algelic, and have just as much fun talking about random thoughts in life as about Escaflowne, I opened this new blog "Jomiel Says:".

Well, I suppose nothing's more appropriate for a first blog post than the subject of me, me, me. But instead of one of those lists that's supposed to tell all about myself but really tell nothing at all, I thought I'd mix things up a little:

Favorite food: sushi. hot pot. ice cream. cheap tasty authentic Mexican tacos with a squeeze of lime. chocolate fondue. chocolate. medium rare New York strip au jus. fresh ramen with seven spice pepper. (I'd better stop now...)
Food I'd only eat on a desert island: salad.
Most read books: Pride and Prejudice. The Lord of the Rings. Harry Potter.
The real bosses of the house: 4 cats and 1 dog.
Things I wouldn't even step on because they are so gross: slugs, etc.
Hours per day I'd spend in front of the computer if no one cared: 20.
Weird medical condition: sun allergy.
Number of shoes in my closet: never enough.

The image is from visiting dollmaker webpage a while ago.