Friday, June 29, 2007

Political Malleability?

I've noticed something recently that I find really troubling. When I'm talking politics with someone (or even a group of someones), him/her/they will say something that is extremely right or extremely left, and then they will continue as if they assume I completely agree with them even when I may not. By the time I craft a response to counter their extreme statement, the conversation has morphed into a right- or left-bashing tirade and I feel my response would fall on deaf ears so don't say anything. Additionally, if this is a group conversation, the entire group will generally chime in to support the political group bashing, as if no one has independant thought of their own (GroupThink/Mob mentality at its worst).

Unless I know someone well, I rarely assume a person's political leanings. I also think it's relatively unhealthy and unproductive to blame ALL of the problems in a large organization or government on one person. I think that's very rarely the case. I also think that the only way a new leader would be able to get anything done in politics today is if they were able to say (and back up with action), "I personally believe ___________ on issues X, Y, and Z. However, because not everyone agrees with me, I'm willing to find middle ground on this and work with others to find the most agreeable solution for everyone involved." Everything is so polarized today that if we don't cooperate on issues, nothing will get solved.

So what is it with me? Do I have a tendency to find and have conversations with political junkie nut-jobs? Do I pick friends who really do have these extreme political leanings or are they just devoid of independant thought? Are there no more open-minded people out there? Or does no one care what I think or say? Or all of the above?

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

I Hate My Car

The only thing reliable on it is that something is always broken.

I took it to Jiffy Lube today to get an oil change, and a power steering fluid hose broke. Yay!

The guys at Jiffy Lube said I could take it to Midas or Pep Boys and they could fix it for me. Nope! I went to both places and neither were willing to help me. It's a 15 minute job! Easy money!

Guess they didn't want mine. Guess they didn't want any of my business or good word-of-mouth either.

Apparently the Jeep dealership doesn't really want to help me out either. They couldn't give me a quote over the phone, because they "didn't know what was wrong" with it, even though I told them point-blank exactly what's wrong with it.

I hate it when people treat me like I don't know anything about cars.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Obsolescence of the Compact Disc

Every once in a while, there will be a news blurb on declining CD sales, and the rise of internet downloads.

Is the CD Becoming Obsolete?
Compact Disc's Outlook Worsens

I really believe a huge factor in the decline of CD sales is the huge cost of buying a CD. I prefer CDs to a file on my computer, but rarely will I shell out $20 for a CD. That's ridiculous!

I hypothesize that one could cut out the fat from music labels, reduce the price of CDs to $5-$10 (OK, I'd be willing to pay $15 for a CD, but only if it's from Michael Buble!), and you will see CD sales soar once more. Most of the cost of a CD is in marketing and middlemen (I'm guessing; I'm no business or economics major). If the music is good, word of mouth alone will sell it.

It's OK if you think I'm wrong. I don't mind. :)

Monday, June 25, 2007

Gaming Weekend

I played a lot of games this weekend. Wow.

Friday night was a standard Dungeons and Dragons night.
Saturday night my honey and I went to his parents' home for dinner and a couple games of 500. I didn't know how to play, so I got the 15-minute, 3-teacher crash course.
Sunday we went to a friend's apartment to play games. I learned Carcassonne, Apples to Apples, and Munchkin.

I felt that "Carcassonne" was too dependent on luck, and that it would be much easier to roll a die to determine the winner of any one game. I did, however, like laying down the tiles. The tiles are aesthetically pleasing and it's nice to find places to put them.

"Apples to Apples" was my favorite game of the night, if only because it's one of those "everyone feels good" games. It's also interesting (and amusing!) to see what other people come up with in response to the adjective card.

"Munchkin" was also fun, but I was getting tired by that point so I'm not sure if I really enjoyed the game or not. I can at least see why other people think it's fun.

I played Settlers of Catan last weekend, which I really enjoyed. There's just enough randomness to the game to make it different every time you play it, and enough strategy involved that you do need to have a strategy to play the game effectively. I think I'll actually end up buying this game eventually.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Kaylee's Teddy Bear Jumpsuit, Pt 2


I think I figured out that third character on her pocket; it's 幸 (xing4, "lucky"). Now I just need help for figuring out the middle character.
I got the teddy bear patches from Cheep Trims today; I should be putting the extras up on eBay soon.

L.A.'s Fashion District

Sunday afternoon I met a friend in L.A.'s Fashion District. I was hoping I could pick up the flower and heart patches for my Kaylee costume, but I had no luck. I did, however, find very pretty fabric on the cheap (5 yards of 60" sheer stuff for just over $20 - it would have cost me at least $30 if I had gone to JoAnn's, and it was higher quality stuff than what I would have found at JoAnn's).

The place is like Mexico but with fabric! My friend found a very cute Chivas USA jacket, which tempts me to find something similar myself. (Channeling my inner "sport chic" there) The whole experience firmly cemented in my mind that, with a little knowledge, you can literally find ANYTHING your heart desires in Los Angeles.

If you like to sew, stop by Michael Levine, on Maple. I definitely recommend parking in one of the $3-$7 parking lots; some of those streets look kind of shady to me. I would also recommend only bringing the cash you need with you; I definitely think it's possible to get pickpocketed here if you're not careful.

Bento - Breakfast!

I'm taking a friend to lunch today so I just brought breakfast and a snack in a tiny bento box I found yesterday at the 98 cents Marukai.

Top Tier: celery sticks filled with peanut butter; a minicup of granola
Bottom Tier: Cottage cheese topped with strawberries

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Bento Lunch - Picnic Time!

I lost the "valve packing" on the soup container in the dishwasher last night. Great. Hopefully I can just disassemble the food trap and it will be there and not down the drain in Borneo or someplace like that. This is what I get for thinking I could wash the rubber gasket and "valve packing" in the dishwasher.

I've heard the company who makes Mr. Bento, Zojirushi, has great customer service and that you can get a whole set of bowls for $15 + $3 shipping if you want. I've been thinking about getting an extra set anyway, since it doesn't make much sense for me to do a load of dishes every night. I don't cook THAT much. Hopefully they'll be able to send a gasket set as well.

Here's what's in Mr. Bento today (I really should start taking photos, but I'm lazy and also feel I'm not making the food look pretty enough for the camera - also due to laziness!):
Top container: Vanilla & Almond Granola from Sprouts' bulk section
2nd container: Leftover "Beanies & Weenies" from last night
Rice container: Potato salad (Homemade!)
Soup container: Cottage cheese and sliced strawberries for breakfast

The theory was that I could bring both breakfast and lunch to work, since Mr. Bento can pack a lot of food. The granola was supposed to be eaten with the cottage cheese, but I didn't care for the mix in textures. My neighbor really raved about the granola at Sprouts (they have something like 8 varieties), so I wanted to try it out. It's pretty good, even if I think it's a tad too sweet.

If you have a Mr. Bento and want to get replacement bowls for it, here's Zojirushi's contact information:
800-733-6270 (ask for customer service)
310-769-1900 (local number)
support@zojirushi.com

Monday, June 18, 2007

Bento Lunch - Pasta Salad, Dumplings and Eggs

I've been trying to make a recommitment to bringing lunch as opposed to buying lunch; you usually can't get lunch for less than $10 and it's a huge financial drain.

Today I packed in my Mr. Bento:
cashews and a lychee gel cup in the top container
fried dumplings and a soy sauce mini-bottle in the second container
chilled antipasto pasta salad in the rice container
sliced "ludan" (soy sauce eggs) in the soup container (I was testing out my new crock pot!)

All of this is obviously way too much for me to eat in one sitting. I think I'm going to stop by Marukai (a Japanese household item and grocery store) on the way home and see if I can find a smaller bento box. I have a hard time justifying spending $18 (plus $15 shipping) on a Hello Kitty one sent straight from Japan.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Hair Trimmings

Based on a recommendation, I went to Taka Hair Salon for a trim and protein treatment yesterday. I had no idea a salon experience could be so fantastic.

Traffic was truly horrific and I was 20 minutes late. When I called the salon to tell them I would be late, the receptionist was super friendly and very understanding. When I got to the salon, there was zero parking and I had to park at a different parking lot. When I explained the situation to the receptionist, she was very sweet and invited me to double-park in the salon's parking lot, leave their business card on my windshield and told me that their valet would be there shortly and take care of the matter. (Turns out when I moved my car I was able to find parking.)

Nami, the cosmetologist who trimmed my hair, listened to what I wanted very carefully, told me very precisely what she was going to do and made sure that was OK with me, then proceeded to cut my hair. Whenever she applied a product she explained to me what was in the product and what it was supposed to do for my hair. She was also very helpful in recommending a protein treatment (and the take-home solution) that best suited my needs.

While we were waiting for the protein-and-amino-acid solution to soak into my hair, she offered me something to drink and brought several magazines for me to look at (in addition to the ones that were already at her booth).

I was completely blown away. This is what a $60 haircut is supposed to be like! Nami did a great job with my haircut - it really pays to go to someone who knows how to handle your hair type.

This month and next month they are having a special on hair treatments - so book your appointment today!

Restaurant Review - In'N'Out

Mmm. In'N'Out. There's nothing quite like the taste of an In'N'Out burger. (Quite obviously, this is my obligatory In'N'Out post - apparently there are a lot of them out there.)

I like the Double-Double served animal-style (grilled onions, pickles and "special sauce" added) with the bun extra-toasted, but I usually get the cheeseburger combo with the cheeseburger served animal-style with an extra-toasted bun. This is the epitome of fast food joints! A cholesterol kick will never get any more delicious than this!

In'N'Out is found all over Southern California and parts of Nevada and Arizona; I've heard they plan to expand to Southern Utah and Arizona as well. We'll see.

Their french fries are best right out of the fryer, with extra salt sprinkled on them, and everything is deliciously washed down with a strawberry milkshake. I've heard they'll make a Neapolitan milkshake, but I haven't tried this out yet.

Which reminds me, the In'N'Out restaurants have the most friendly staff I've ever seen in a fast food joint. Perhaps it's because they get treated well by the company they work for (you can start making $9.50 there). Regardless, they will make just about any change to their burgers they can possibly make. Protein-style (with a lettuce leaf instead of a bun), onions, no onions, extra pickles, no sauce, extra meat patty, extra cheese, the list could go on and on.

Mmmm. Delicious cheeseburger. Go get one today!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Halloween Costume 2007 - Kaylee's Teddy Bear Jumpsuit, Pt 1

Yes, I'm a nerd, and yes, I'm a big fan of Halloween. Did I mention I have crazy fugue states in which I compell everyone around me to question my sanity?

I usually decide early what I want to dress up as, so that if there are unforseen complexities I can still have a nice costume ready on time.

This year was a toss-up. I was either going to do Shane Vansen from Space: Above and Beyond, or Kaylee from Firefly. Kaylee won out, only because my sweetheart replied to my e-mail with, "That would be PERFECT!".

Others have trod this path before me. Apparently Kaylee is a popular choice among fellow female geeks. One girl has her notes on making the costume here, and Serenifly has screenshots of everyone in the cast and notes for some of the costumes worn on Firefly and Serenity. I will probably not worry about the jacket or parasol. The shirt I'm going to substitute something from Urban Outfitters.

Something tells me that this will be a project not unlike the one I half-heartedly started for Arwen's chase habit one year (and left undone - it would have been financially disasterous).

So for others who wish to venture into the abyss with me, this is what I've found so far:
Kaylee's Teddy Bear Patch - this is the "correct" bear patch to use, but the site requires a $65 minimum order. I ended up getting some trim and eyelet for future projects - I might end up making my own translation of her "Prairie Harpy" dress (except I would use a blue floral print and probably different lace). I'll probably E-Bay the other 9 bears that I won't need. I tried to contact Trim & Button Expo (mentioned on the how-to site), but they're out of stock.
The Bead on Kaylee's Necklace - This is as close as you will get to the bead in the promo photos; Murano glass is very individual. This site also wants a $20 minimum order, but if you like jewelry making this won't be hard. I bought two extra beads to make matching earrings.

The character on her right pants leg is the "xi3" from "xi3huan", which means "happy": 喜
I think the character near the teddy bear is "ai4", which means "love": 爱 (simp) 愛(trad)
The characters on her pocket are a puzzle. The top one looks like it might be "ping2" from "ping2jing4", which is one of the two translations for "Serenity" they have on the show: 平静 The middle character doesn't look like "jing4" to me though. The bottom character has "tu3" ( earth - 土) for the radical but I can't make out the rest of the character to try looking it up in a dictionary.

My mother (who is suffering from empty nest syndrome) offered to make the jumpsuit for me, so I'm squared there. I don't care for Kaylee's jumpsuit in Serenity, but I really love the embroidered flowers on it. My mom mentioned painting the flowers on, which seems more in line with Kaylee's character. We'll see what happens.

For those who are just altering a jumpsuit, I recommend getting a military surplus one (in cotton, not high tech fabric), cutting off the arms and finishing the edges on the armholes, and putting the patches and writing on. If Mom does end up making the jumpsuit from scratch, I'll see if I can post photos of the pattern pieces.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Movie Review - Serenity

I finished watching Firefly last week; last night I treated myself to Serenity. I have to admit that the film is probably much better if you've watched Firefly - otherwise you'll lack much-needed character and background information that's relevant to the film.

The plot was definitely movie-grade (a major problem with most TV-to-silver screen adaptations), although now I'd like to see the series revived to incorporate and expand on the new plot developments.

I wasn't particularly impressed with the movie's main antagonist, as I felt that Firefly had more intimidating recurring villains and that it would not be a problem to craft an ultimate evil for the Serenity crew to face.

I hear a new special edition DVD is slated to release in August. It's rumored it will contain the R. Tam Sessions, which, in my opinion, makes it worth waiting for.

Movie Review - A Scanner Darkly

I saw A Scanner Darkly this weekend. It was interesting. It's possibly the only Keanu Reeves film that I can tolerate, and only possibly because of the rotoscoping done to render the film in an visually fascinating, "comic-book" style. (Sorry; that's "graphic novel")

The pacing switches between fast and slow, and the dialogue is sometimes difficult to keep up with. I say read a summary of the movie before watching it.

The film becomes more appealing after viewing it, although I don't think I'll be seeing it again anytime soon. I recommend it for Woody Harrelson's performance alone.

A Visit to the Museum

My sweetheart took me to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena yesterday. It's an interesting collection of works, most notably of Van Gogh, Picasso and Degas works. Rodin graces the entrance. There's also a massive collection of Asian (mostly Indian) art. There's the "correct" amount of art there, meaning you can see the entire museum in a day but there's so much good stuff to see that it's possible to return several times and get the feeling of seeing something fresh and new.

I never took an art history class or anything but I really like looking at art. I wasn't particularly good at art class when I was in school, although I enjoyed the ceramics class I took. I particularly like still lifes (which apparently include dead animals - I never knew!), but there are also portraits and landscapes that I enjoyed viewing.

Something that I really love about most art (especially Greek/Roman art) is the value of a normal/healthy woman. There's not one anorexic among them.

Admission is $8, although if you are a student with an ID card you can get in for free. Parking in their lot is free as well.

Some of my favorite pieces:
Still Life with Cherries, Strawberries and Gooseberries
Saint Joseph and the Infant Christ
View of the Santa Maria della Salute with the Dogana di Mare
An Arrangement of Flowers
Rape of Proserpina (Rape of the Sabine Woman)
Still Life with Rummer

and my favorite painting:
The Liberation of St. Peter

I especially recommend checking out the Asian art - there's "amorous" lovers to be found! *wink wink nudge nudge*

Friday, June 08, 2007

The Not-So-Simple Life

I've declined commenting on the whole Paris Hilton media frenzy until today. I read an interesting article today by a former roommate of hers. It changed my opinion of Ms. Hilton, but I still think she should go to jail and serve out her sentence. I certainly wish I could brand myself and have it be worth the amount she earns each year. Then again, I don't think the brand of Diane and what she endorses are necessarily as appetizing to those with money.

We'll Always Have Paris

If Ms. Hilton is playing a facade to the world, she should know that there are some consequences to having that sort of public image. It can't be all fun and games.

Hilton Sent Back to Jail in Hysterics

In some ways, I feel sad for her. In other ways, I don't. She really lost her cool today in the courtroom. Or maybe she was just playing her part.

Sometimes I wish I had been given the opportunity to live a life of privilege, because it would enable me to spend my life in intellectual and cultural pursuit. I would be free to travel and see the world. I would have the luxury to be truly gracious and ladylike. It would not render my heart and pocketbook to go to the gas station and fill the gas tank to "F".

I think if I had the opportunity to have that life, and it would come by me honestly - if there were no ethical qualms - , I would take it.

On the other hand, I already have a fairly cushy lifestyle, and I'm not hurting for money. I'm not starving on the streets of Darfur.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

I Must Be Living In A Cave

I've been looking for an appropriate Father's Day gift and I stumbled across it today. Turns out they released the Space: Above and Beyond DVD set a while back, and I just found out about it. I remember watching this show with my dad when it first aired, and being really sad when it was cancelled. (Thanks FOX!) I also remember when they re-aired it on the Sci-Fi Channel and my dad and I had a system down where we would tape the episodes to cut out the commercials (this was before TiVo).

One of the many great things about the series was the memorable music composed by the late Shirley Walker. I just found out today that she passed away last November, and that the Academy failed to recognize her during their "In Memoriam" segment of the Academy Awards this year. And I thought Hollywood was big on being liberal and recognizing minorities/rarities in industry.

After watching and enjoying the Firefly series (recently for the first time - I was away in college when it first aired), I think it's sad how many great shows get cancelled before their time, while some shows (Enterprise, anyone?) drag on way past their expiration date.

Did I mention I ended up buying two copies of that DVD set? One for Dad, and one for me. It'll be nice to rewatch all those episodes again.

Just Say No

The United Nations wants to abolish the use of the Traditional Chinese writing system.

Let me back the Firefly-class starship up just a little.

Back in the day, there was only the Traditional Chinese writing system. During the 20th Century (especially during the Cultural Revolution) the writing system was 'simplified' (or 'modernized', depending on how you look at it) to increase literacy. Today, traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and ex-pat communities whose settling residents left China before the language reform.

For the record, I'm learning the Simplified Chinese writing system, although most Chinese speakers (especially those who travel internationally) end up learning both. I don't really feel there is much of a difference between the two - there are many characters (even difficult ones) that are the same in both writing systems. Because I want to travel more in Taiwan than in China, I probably should learn the Traditional system as well (my Chinese teacher has given us the choice), but I feel that, since the Simplified writing system is more widespread that it will help me more than the Traditional writing system right now.

Besides, if my mother can read my notes to her, that's all that really matters to me.

Go here to Just Say No.

Monday, June 04, 2007

We Going To Take On The World, Now?

JFK Plot Suspects Turned To Carribbean Extremists

Terror is an idea. That's why you can find it everywhere. Once you decide you can't live in fear, the terrorists lose a lot of their power.

It's easy to demonize a group of people (read my post on PFC Anzack). It's not easy to "man up" and fight an idea.