Heirloom tomato salad

This is a good one with good acidity and sweetness.  Can go a bit easy on the salt though.  I like the tomatoes and other "exotic" ingredients.  The presentation is nice without overly fuzzy.

Man at work

Chef preparing our tomato salad.  Guy has these retro glasses on a la Terry Richardson.

Heirloom tomato salad

Like the ingredients and the acidity.  At momofuku noodle bar.  We were seated at the bar got to witness the  intense action inside the open kitchen.

Breakfast

Basil and tomatoes from backyard.

Random Pictures

George Lam or His song or both Considered "stale" by Some

I can't believe George Lam would ever be associated with "old soil."  But hey you never know.  I am also intrigued by the fact that one can actually complain about how "old soil" a song is to some government agencyTVB.  (I guess I got confused and mixed up with another reportage on the same article about Rubber Band or eraser or something)  Judging from Lam's getup below, there might be cause for concern.  I guess he can do whatever he wants, because you know he is Ah Lam.  He seems to be wearing the same jacket and pants since 1945, oh well.  And personally, I wouldn't button up the bottom button of any jacket, ever.  But that's just me.

 Photo from mingpaonews.com

Urban Cycling

Photos processed by Instagram
These shots were taken with a manual Nikkor 105 f/2.5 lens.  I was waiting for the bus and why not gave it a try.  I was actually quite happy with the some of the shots.
Then today I thought maybe with my usual Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 I should be getting more keepers.  I actually missed a bus while I kept myself busy looking for my shot.  Too bad all of them came out no good.

Middle School Graduation

This is a difficult shot, I was giving up but I am glad I didn't.

Graduation ... Almost

Candies

Some Books

Large JPEG Basic

Mister Harry

Straight from the camera JPEG Basic.

Random Picture

The lens is the first AF lens I bought after having my Nikon F5 imported from the future.  I don't use this lens enough.  When I got my D70 I got it as a package with the 18-70, so this lens doesn't get a lot of use at all.  I think it's a good lens, though in my mind, a bit bland and with no character--what I actually mean to say is my pictures are bland with no character.

Apple blossom

US Rubber Company

Primary School Days

The Urban Cyclist

shot using my oldie but goodie Nikon D7000 and my Nikkor AFS 18-70.  The lens is good enough but I always want a more professional looking one.  Just so I think I look better.  I panned to the right in his direction a bit.  This is from a BASIC jpg, USM, and a crop in Instagram without any filter.

Tomb sweeping festival camping

Thirty years ago.

Happy tomb sweeping festival

Thirty years ago.

Spring time weather finally

For some reason I don't like calling t-shirts tees.

Dual Time

Scrambled Egg

The thing with cooking is unless you are a total idiot you can't be too wrong.  At least not all the time.

Occam's Razor

He cannot log in to the system ...

a) He is new, just started yesterday

b) He got too many login's and passwords

c) The instruction is not clear though correct

d) He is an idiot

The correct answer is d

Social Media

Facebook bullshit I don't do (but feel free to do it yourself) ...

Some bullshit human tragedies with some bullshit disturbing pictures ... please Like and Share.

Some bullshit mosaic pictures asking people to Like and press some bullshit number to see some more bullshit stuff.

Fairway Gelato

http://instagr.am/p/W7yb9RiV_T/

I like ice cream better.

At Fairway

http://instagr.am/p/W70N0vCVyo/supermarkets used to carry everyday staples with reasonable and affordable prices.  Now they are organic this and that and food prices just gone off the roof.

Hand wash

It takes forever to finish a load using the dishwasher. Sometimes I just rather do it the old fashioned way--have my wife washed it. Or me rather actually.

I'd Rather Be High

Holy cow deluxe edition or version!

Domestification

Got my discount cards and coupons.

Look mom No Vent

Green kitchen

Compromise compromise compromise.

The Grandmaster

All directors are self-indulgent.  But Wong Kar-wai takes it to a whole new level.  Wong spends ten years researching "The Grandmaster," ten years shooting it on and off, another ten years shooting the Matrix-like trailer and yet another ten years flip flopping between whether to make the English title plural or singular, struggling whether the story is about the only man that matters in the whole universe, the one and only Man,  Yip Man or it is really more about a number of grand masters.  After forty long years and countless broken spareribs from Leung Chiu Wai, Wong finally decides it's just "The Grandmaster," without the ass.

When the flag drops, the bullshit stops.  We hear enough of the back story.  So how is the movie?  Here is what my friend has to say.  I have nothing to say about the actual movie as I have not seen it yet or if ever.

QUOTE

I saw the Grandmasters 一代宗师 today. Kind of underwhelming. Not up to my expectations. I think Wong lost the plot somewhere. Not a great piece of story-telling. Would it be better had the movie been four hours long? I don't know. Anyway, Wong said that wouldn't happen in the next ten years. Was he trying to do to much in one movie? Possibly. The movie is educational in some ways, like introducing us to the various schools of Kung Fu, and there is romance, some fight scenes and hilarious elements as well. In the end, I was kind of lost. Zang is stunning as usual. The snow scene is very beautiful. That part should have been longer. The part of 宋乔慧 should have been longer too. No wonder she is pissed. I think Wong has taken too long to make the movie. Kind of funny because Wong only took 2 months to make the Chungking express, and yet that movie is such a classic. For all I know, this Grandmasters, with all its relative commercial success, won't become a classic despite some outstanding performances from Tony Leung and Zang ziyi.

UNQUOTE

I think I share the sentiment.

CVS Photo develop, print, scan minor disaster

I never learn.  I took a chance with CVS photo processing hoping and wishing that they would just do the work right, somehow on the first time, if not, then the second time.  But of course there was no miracle, not even a minor one.

I left my 160VC film there to develop, print, and scan.  I was able to drop it off at lunch and picked it up after work. The color came out awful but I can't argue with that because it could be anything but their error.

Then after I took the prints home, I found out they were all printed dusty and laterally inverted, i.e. mirror images, including the scans.  By the way, the scans were pretty awful too.  But I would only comment on dust.

The following day I brought back the whole envelop to the shop and the lady at the counter just wanted to examine the negative ... with her bare hands, running her well manicured fingers on the negative, not so much as caressing or holding on the edge but just as if holding on toilet paper or something.  Anyway, I dared not say a word except whining here.  She agreed to have it redone.  But somehow, she never said "sorry" or anything to that extent.

The machine was kind of broken so I had to call to make sure it's available.  And it was available after work.  I went there to pick it up again.  The pictures printed out right meaning they were laterally correct this time.  But they didn't give me the CD-ROM.  So the guy did it on the spot, burned one CD for me.   I couldn't check it on the spot so I went home, and found out the images were all laterally inverted.  Bravo.

They just couldn't do anything right the first time or even the second time.  I should know and it's my fault.  Would I let them do my film photos again, maybe.  Who knows.

Me Fixing the Odyssey 2001 Sliding Door

The sliding door hasn't been working since the snow on New Year day.  And I didn't bother to fix it.  And this time around it simply didn't fix itself when the temperature became warmer.  Today I finally got to see my mechanic on my way to Home Cheapot.  My mechanic told me I needed to re-seat the battery so as to reset the electronics of the power sliding door.  But he needed to have the code to unlock or lock the alarm system, which I didn't have it committed to memory nor did I have it with me 24 by 7.  Anyway, being the least handy man on earth, I am very reluctant to un-seat the gigantic battery myself, anytime I need to use a wrench and a screw driver is just too much, plus adding electricity to the mix just gave me pause.  http://www.hightechdad.com/2007/01/17/fixing-a-honda-odyssey-automatic-sliding-door/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_to_make_Honda_Odyssey_sliding_doors_lock_open#ixzz194e9ncWQ
I did my Google search on this problem some time before but never before did I find this easy fix:  pull fuse number 13 and push it back in.  I was ecstatic to read that except I had no idea where fuse 13 is.  Further search returned the result I was looking for.  The fuse is located on the right hand side of the front passenger leg well.  It's definitely  meant to be user serviceable.  I tried to pull it out with my bare hand but it was too snug, so I wondered if I needed a pair of pliers or something; at the same time, I was wary that I might break something if I didn't pull it out properly.  The manual came to my rescue.  Actually there is a fuse puller provided, inside the fuse box under the hood on the messenger side.  Armed with the fuse puller, a torch light (my eyesight isn't great) I was able to pull fuse #13 which says nothing about the sliding door but does say clock on the manual.  I pulled it out using the fuse puller and plugged in back in after some 30 seconds or 1 minute.  And everything just worked.  The power sliding door roared back to life.

Thanks Internet, thanks Google.  And a big thank to myself.

Warning:  if you somehow, screwed up, destroyed your car, causing property damage, injury, or even death to yourself or others, you are solely responsible for your own stupidity and misery, not me.

Where Are We Now?

1984

1987

notes:  to see them bigger?  right click and open in new tab then max it to full size.  it is possible to read the jpeg's.

Kitchen Range

I was watching food network tv the other day.  I think I saw something unusual or out of the ordinary.  I don't even remember what the show was called but it was before the live Thanksgiving cook by celeb chefs.  Anyway, the show features chef Aaron Sanchez making some salad at home.  Holy cow, I was impressed by his range, not by how extravagant, "industrial" or "retro" it is but how actually down to earth and down right "cheap" it looks (I could be wrong, it could be some 20000 btu range costing a gazillion dollars).  I certainly feel better about my range. I know deep down if you enjoy cooking you will cook on any stove, almost any stove, cheap or expensive.

Post Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving came and gone.  I was master chef for a day.

Thanksgiving

For some reason, I think this year's Thanksgiving comes fast and furious.  The anticipation, the stress, the shopping, the turkey are just palpable.  What am I going to cook for this Thanksgiving?

Gillette Mach 3 vs Dovo Best Quality 6/8

I haven't used the Gillette Mach 3 for ages.  Out of the blue, I just decided to give it a try and see how it feels again.  I have been straight ... razor shaving for some time with three razors in rotation, the Dovo being my favorite.  The process is kind of elaborate and if you are in a rush like every morning every day, it's just not going to work; I actually shave in the evenings or weekends once a week or so, to enjoy and unwind.  The stropping, the lathering and the full concentration can be somewhat taxing, that's when it's not enjoyable.  The Gillette Mach 3 provides a good alternative, it's almost effortless.  I lather up and shave.  Of course that is if you have a short beard or stubble, if you have grown your beard longer than say quarter of an inch then the Mach 3 won't work that well, all the cut hairs would get stuck among the three blades and you constantly have to rinse the razor cartridge.  On the other hand, the straight razor would cut through any length of beard without getting stuck.  Unless you are an idiot, the chance of cutting yourself with a Mach 3 is extremely low and you can just shave your way rather absentmindedly without losing a nose or an ear.  And Mach 3 actually gives a very clean or even cleaner shave than my straight razors.

Life of Pi

Piscine Molitor Patel doesn't like his name so he changes it to Pi.  Pi doesn't like what really happened in the 227 days he spent stranded in the Pacific, so he changes it too.  It's about story telling and story telling at its best.

I first heard of the title from a friend from way back when blog was the thing and Ang Lee hasn't directed yet another tiger movie.  I haven't forgotten the book. I once borrowed the e-book from the library.  Reading from a tiny screen isn't really my thing and I wasn't able to finish it before the god damned DRM kicked in on the expiration date. One day I shopped at BJ (not having one), like any domesticated male does, and picked up a copy there for $9.99.  I remember the e-book from the library doesn't even have different fonts denoting different voices like in the book does.  Even the book I bought is a low grade trade paperback (remember BJ), but still I found it infinitely much readable than the screen.  I doubt a bigger screen would make any difference.  This copy has the picture still from Ang Lee's movie adaptation as cover.  I am OKAY with that.  I haven't seen the film except the trailer or teaser out there.

The author or Yann Martel says "the story will make you believe in god."  It's a tall order and personally I don't think the book has much to do with religions or even preachy.  It makes some interesting points and say them in an interesting way, to wit: how he compares Christianity's God sending his Son to die for the sinners to the young protagonist's father sending him to the lions.  For the most part I read it like a young adult's adventure book and I guess to a large extent it is.  But like what infomercials say, "Wait, there's more!"  The story definitely takes on a progressively darker tone when it reaches the end.  Is Pi a reliable storyteller?  Does Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger even exist? And for that matter, the zebra, the orangutan and the hyena?  Or does it even matter?  I think the story is decidedly ambiguous ... or not, in a good way (not the sucky kind like Lost).  It actually makes me think and question what I just read.  Overall a pleasant good read.

Endnote:  a word for young readers:  it has some gruesome scenes about cannibalism.

Gas

I never thought I needed to wait in line to get gas. But here I was standing in line holding a gallon and a quarter gas can waiting for my turn, like some idiot. I was trying to buy another canister and the shop Icarus across the street tried to sell me one for $20.  At what point is pricing what the market can bear becomes pure evil price gouging?  I am not sure, but no thanks.  I will live with my gallon and a quarter just fine. Why is the line moving ever so slowly?  People just don't know how to pump or people don't have credit cards.  People are just taking their sweet time at the pump. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

Powerless but okay

Sandy knocked the power off but I am doing just fine. The gas stove works and we had dinner before the light went out--no candle light dinner. The howling wind was scary. I know first hand what strong wind can do to the trees and what falling trees can do. Kids have no school today yesterday and tomorrow. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

Subway Tiles

Comprehensive Must Read High School Review

At some point in life, one is confronted with the reality that one has to spend four years of one's life in an institution that's called high school.  And to some, even to re-acquaint oneself with it once or twice or a few times later in life.  I didn't go to any high school here in America, my America high school knowledge is mostly hearsay.

Being a somewhat caring and responsible parent, I have decided it's about time to get to know high schools better instead of and in addition to just watching Saved by the Bell, Hollywood, 90210 and 21 Jump Street reruns on TV.

I could preface all the below HS with "This is the high school you want your kids to go to ..." but I guess it goes without saying.

Hunter College High School
If your kids meet their requirements like 690 on ELA and 733 on Math, they will get a letter from the middle school saying that they can take the Hunter's Entrance Exam.  Sometimes, on the number 7 train on my way back home, I see some Hunter HS students, they are usually quite cheerful (for the simple fact that they are going home I guess) and good looking.  The world is just not fair.  Smart and good looking.  Three United States Supreme Court justices went there and so was Cynthia Nixon.

Stuyvesant High School
I was there once many years ago as a guest.  Four Nobel laureates are alumni.  Other notable alumni include Lucy Liu and Tim Robbins.

The Bronx High School of Science
I read quite a bit of HS reviews (that's why I am an expert).  I think this is like the only HS people don't really complain about.  This is a big HS, I say huge.  I went there last year in the evening.  And parking wasn't any easy.  I remember kids playing Chinese yo-yo or diabolo (are they the same?).  If you want your kids to play Chinese yo-yo in a respectable HS, this is the only HS to go to.  The students there are bright and cheerful.

Bard High School Early College Queens
If I am not mistaken, this HS offers a HS education and an associate degree upon graduation in four years.  Do you still have a life?  I know all good HS are rigorous.  But still, this is frightening.  You need to pass their assessment test and then an interview to get in.  I was impressed the time I was there.  Mark, the school student representative and the principal Ms. Thompson did a great job representing and introducing the school.  Ms. Thompson was actually at the elevator bank directing parents to follow her when the kids went to take the exam.  The campus is in a building shared with two other HS and a community college.  By all accounts, it should suck.  But I actually find the campus oddly pleasant perhaps because of its bright decor and open atrium in the middle.  Overall I have a positive vibe.

The Baccalaureate School for Global Education
USNEWS ranks it the number one high school in New York State.  The ranking probably sets it up for disappointment.  During my visit, I was impressed by one and only one thing:  The super tight no photography security.  A parent raised his cell phone, apparently wanted to take a picture of the crowd waiting at the entrance was immediately warned of no photography by the lone security woman at the front desk twenty feet away.  I think the parent thought he was going to die because he just wanted to snap a picture.  Once inside the make-shift auditorium,  I saw the guidance councilor David-Lang talking to a group of parents came prior.  This went on for a good ten minutes while the 2nd group was kept waiting and waiting for his introduction and the slide-show to begin.  Being a New Yorker, I just have no tolerance to this kind of wait, if he's not ready for the second group why letting us in?  There is really little or no campus to speak of, kind of expected but still disappointing.  I got the chance to talk to a history teacher, she was nice and helpful.

Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
It was a rainy evening when I got there so it wasn't the greatest open house experience but the principal and the students made it kind of worth my trip.  The open house ended at the auditorium where the principal and some twenty students gave a Q&A session.  It seems like a good HS.  Again there is little campus to speak of unless you count the shared facilities with York College.  It's expected but still disheartening.

Emails Intercepted ...

FROM:
AAAAA AAA Adam
TO:
bbbbb bbbb the builder
CC:
ccccc cccc cat

ddddd@
Message flagged Monday, October 15, 2012 5:50 AM
Do u think that there will be a war that would last eight years again? No one would dare to come into China? China is unconquerable. But if china can't win a skirmish quickly or suffer a severe naval setback, people would soon realize that its PLA is nothing but a paper tiger. With the kind of discontent simmering in the country, it is sth they have to think about because the people's anger at the Japs would be re-directed at the Commies.
Sent from my Banana

On 2012年10月15日, at 下午3:58, bbbbb bbbb <redacted@redacted.com> wrote:

top communists work up as a group, very efficient to fuck Bo and his wife, settle all the matter before the 18th CCP conference.

Do you know why Japanese want to end up the conflict with China ASAP, time is on the side of China. In any long term conflict, the enemy will fuck up, even Japanese realized that. the character and behavior of China mobs are the most powerful weapon of the CCP against the western power or Japan, rather than the aircraft carrier, missiles or J-10, J-11, J-13 Jetfighters



> Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:11:52 +0800
> From: aaaaaa@aaaaaa.com
> To: redacted@redacted.com

> Subject: Re: Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend
>
> I do believe China have some crack units which are well-paid, well-t rained and world class. Just look at China's gold medal haul in the Olympics. But in a prolonged conflict, it is a different matter. The Chinese communists can only come up with some showcase things that mesmerize some people. When the CCTV camera crew is gone, every thing is fucked up. The other day, 许鞍华 was stolen in a hotel or someplace. Once it was known that she was the famous film director, it took the local police a few hours to crack the case. Is the local police this efficient in other times?
> But it is impossible for those crack units to be totally oblivious to what is happening in the rest of China. They have relatives, haven't they? Somehow, they know what is going on in China. In a society riven by such income inequality and such prevalence of fake products, can people trust each other as a team?
> 
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "bbbbb bbbb" <redacted@redacted.com>
> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2012 12:20:28 PM
> Subject: RE: Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend
>
>
> welcome back aaaaaa, read your long mail later. 
> 
> but some response 
> in Shanxi, the ancester of Bill of Exchange in China. 
> 
> I disagree with you, in the long term war, enemy will fuck up, even the Emperor of Japan admitted that in WWII, same as in Russia. But in a short term war, say in confrontation with Japan over those islands, or even short term war in Vietnam in 1979, PLA will fuck up. 
> 
> read your long mail later 
> ddddddddddd
>
>
>
> > Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:09:42 +0800
> > Subject: Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend
> > From:
> > To: dddd@ddddd.com
> >
> >
> > What happened in <redacted>, aaaaaa? I was in China for one day 
> > with my relatives, some of them distant ones, in September to attend a 
> > wedding party. I didn't realise at the time things wer e that bad in 
> > China. 
> > 
> > I don't know what your friend would say after reading your 
> > observations about Northern China or China in general. <redacted> I think. 
> > 
> > ddddd 
> >
> >
> > On 15 October 2012 11:49, <dddd@ddddd.com> wrote:
> >
> > In a way, I am very happy to be back to HK. I was so worried that I 
> > couldn't come back before the Chinese National Day/Mid Autumn 
> > Festival. If you check it out on the internet, it got really chaotic 
> > during those Golden Holidays. Besides I was getting tired after a 
> > while when all those people seemed to be trying to get a few extra 
> > bucks from me all the time. Things were particularly bad in 平遥/山西。 
> > Their ancestors, who built up their banking businesses (银号）almost two 
> > hundred years ago on the back of honesty, must be turning in their 
> > graves if they saw how their descendants have degenerated into. In the 
> > Northeast, never mind the Ermeneguildo Zegna stores or the Lafite 
> > wines they are drinking, if you scratch the surface you will find a 
> > Chinese peasant/country bumpkin right away. People chuck their rubbish 
> > wherever they like, spit all the time (though the situation was better 
> > than 9 years ago when I first stepped foot on Manchuria), talk at an 
> > unbelievable loud voice, yell when they are on their cell phones, jump 
> > the queue and elbow their way into the train （though once settl ed, 
> > they can talk with you about civility and other subjects eloquently). 
> > OK, these are all superficial things, but these are the things that 
> > count. Even by their admission, the quality （素质）of their fellow 
> > Chinese people are bad. And I am appalled by the lack of trust amongst 
> > the Chinese people. The degree of apathy/indifference was alarming. 
> > Trust is what bonds people (li ke you said). A society won't be too 
> > efficient if people harbour such distrust of each other. Maybe, that 
> > is why China has done so badly in team sports. I wonder what would 
> > happen if China ever gets into a prolonged war with its enemy. There 
> > is a cosmic disconnect between what you see on TV and what you 
> > experience on the ground when the CCTV cameras stop rolling. 
> > 
> > When Deng opened up China in 1979, he said 'to get rich is gl orious.' 
> > The potential of the Chinese people, long stymied, was released. 
> > Economic value had to be increased all the time. It was GDP, my 
> > friend. Resources have to be mined. If there is a scenic spot in the 
> > vicinity, fence it off, build a tower and start charging entrance fees 
> > even though no one has a clear idea where the money finally goes. Like 
> > in everything Chinese, this sort of Capitalism soon takes on Chinese 
> > characteristics. If you are a government official, you have to use 
> > your position to make as much money as possible for yourself while you 
> > are still in office. For many others, they don't have any qualms about 
> > selling fake foods. For men, to cheat is the way to go. For women, if 
> > she is young, beautiful and have a good figure, the way to go is to 
> > offer her body as a means to get what she wants while s he is still 
> > desired by men. 
> > 
> > Hey, I am not saying HK or elsewhere is perfect. I am just shocked by 
> > the apparent lack of shame as manifested by these people. 
> > Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have long been the pillars of the 
> > Chinese society. But under communism, all these people have grown up 
> > ignorant of them. And everyone knows Communism is a pack of lies, 
> > those at the top have no idea of what is going on at the grassroots 
> > levels. They travel in tinted limousines protected by police escorts. 
> > 
> > I saw a lot of slogans in <redacted>, <redacted> and elsewhere exhorting 
> > people to be honest. It is like my theory that the more you talk about 
> > it doesn't mean you have any of it. Just because you talk about 
> > harmony doesn't mean you have harmony in the society. Ditto honesty. 
> > China right now is a 男盗女娼 society， The men are thieves and the women 
> > are whores. This nation has no 礼义廉耻 （broadly translated as politeness, 
> > loyalty, free of corruption and the feelings of shame). 
> > 
> > The mainlandisation of HK is not a good thing, or even in the 
> > interests of China. After all it was a vibrant HK that enabled China 
> > to get back up after the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. <redacted>. Many 
> > people in HK are also impressed by let's say, the Chinese satellites 
> > orbitting the moon, the latest aircraft carrier or the number of gold 
> > medals China won in the Olympics...But look closer...70% of the 
> > Chinese male population in the Northeast are smokers, and most of them 
> > chain-smoke. They still look like the Sick Man to me. I really don't 
> > c are much about those athletes who won glory for the communist party. 
> > It is irrelevant to me. 
> > 
> > Sometimes I think the Chinese communist party and the Chinese people 
> > (in China) deserve each other. Remember the episode I told you about 
> > when I was in <redacted>. I was the one who stood up against that 
> > jerk. Everyone else, except me and the other Guangdong guy who had the 
> > window seat, signed their names in the review sheet. 
> > 
> > So when you brought me into this category of 'Chinese men', I am 
> > slightly offended because being Chinese in China to be is 男盗女娼。 
> > 
> > aaaaaa