Goo.d

Today was a good day.
I got World of Goo from the WiiWare library. I was anticipating this title since last year. I'm always a big fan of physics based simulations, especially games like Bridge Builder, Pontifex, and those other random Flash based games.



I also saw the new Marvel movie, Punisher: War Zone. All of Marvel's new releases have been solid and this one just adds to its current track record. The movie was VERY violent. I have to warn against that. It's extremely disturbing with its violence and gore.

It is a solid film, but it's not a good movie overall. The Punisher series has always been about the action because the story is so simple, and that it delivers. This is all about the guns, gore, and cheesy lines. Only go watch this if you're a Punisher fan.

Good Days

Today was is a good day.
This year hasn't been that good for me overall and I find myself struggling to step forward.
Good days have been far and few in between for me. So I celebrate today.

I got a massage at a Chinese therapist. My back is feeling a bit better even though my it is still a little hot from the firecupping.
Mom and I went for an early dinner at Ha Long Bay, a Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant has been open for 5 months from what the girl said, and it's pretty good, though that location on the corner of Westminster and Cooney is not visible at all.
I'm definitely going back though, they have a kickass avocado shake! MMMM AVOCADO SHAKE. Good avocado shake is hard to find.

iCaved and iBought an iPhone

The title says it all.

A Double-edged comic

I always like the nerd humor from xkcd.
This strip however made me laugh and cry a little inside at the same time.

Gmail's New Themes

Google/Gmail has publicly released their new Themes feature and I have to say it looks kickass. This has been a long time coming considering third parties have created this functionality for the old Gmail and now that it's released as an internal feature, the new Gmail now looks beautiful as it is functional. Customizable themes just make the mailbox that much more personal.

Although this isn't a full opening of their color schema, it's just one step short of it. Right now you can only select pre-made templates that Google provides. I can't wait until Google releases a fully customizable color schema. Maybe even a UI layout modifier, but I think that's asking for a little bit too much.

Glamour

I just finished watching this TED presentation on Glamour by Virginia Postrel. It delves into the mysticism and illusion of glamour, the progression from the early stages of the mid 1900's into present-day super stardom.

I love her descriptive adjectives of "falsification", "illusion", and "transcendent". This is a good analytical speech on examining the definition of glamour and how it drives our modern perspective into what is beautiful. It entices us into the world of the mysterious and beautiful yet somehow still real and attainable, breaking through the everyday and transport us into the world of idealism and perfection.

She also describes the idea of 'sprezzatura' used by Baldassare Castiglione and defining glamour as being effortless. Effortless style. Effortless beauty.
A quote from the "The Book of the Courtier" Baldassare Castiglione -1528
"to practice in all things a certain sprezzatura, so as to conceal all art and make whatever is done or said appear to be without effort." Evoking the thought of a perfect world where everything is easy.

RestoReview: Trattoria

Trattoria or Trattoria Italian Kitchen is a contemporary lounge restaurant targeting a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant has its own spin on the trattoria style establishment by being less formal but also being a vibrant lounge having a large selection of wines and various delectable Italian dishes with modern twists. It is part of the Glowbal Restaurant Group and most likely an offshoot of Italian Kitchen. Trattoria is located at 1850 West 4th Ave in Vancouver rooted in the heart of Kitsilano's dining district.

We started out with a pitcher of the Sangria Bianca, or the White Sangria. Light, but well balanced. Cranberries give it a slight pink color also adding a hint of fresh fruitness.

Antipasto Plater(eggplant parmigiana, kobe meatballs, tiger prawns
osso bucco crochette, forno roasted clams, caprese salad
forno roasted asparagus and mushrooms
calamari with spicy tomato fonduta) - this was a delightful teaser and sampler of the different vegetables, seafood and meats.

Pasta Platter(spaghetti and kobe meatballs with tomato fonduta
penne pomodoro, linguine pesto and lasagna) - Delicious sampler of the various pastas. This is a MUST order. The Linguine Pesto is superb.

Torta di Mascarpone Pizza (fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic, caramelized onion) - I'm a little conflicted on this one. I'm pretty sure they served the wrong cheese since it was very strong and smelled more like Gorgonzola, than the supposedly Mascarpone. The cheese tasted bad, but the rest of the pizza was delish. Very tender roasted potatoes. Yum, and the dough was an oven fired masterpiece. The cheese issue might have just been a little kitchen mix-up.

Trattoria (Italian Kitchen)
1850 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, B.C.


Service & Setting: 4.5/5
Taste: 4/5
Cost Level: 3

Video Games Live!

It's been a while since the last VGL here in Vancouver which was in 2005. I'm glad it's back and I hope they're back a lot sooner than another 3 years again. Unlike the previous VGL at the QE theatre where it wasn't packed, tonight's showing at the Orpheum was packed like a can of sardines. It was full, full, full!
It was a lot more interactive this time around and it gets better and better.

Positive highlights of the show:
1) Soldier with glow in the dark exclamation mark and Tommy Tallarico in a cardboard box going around on stage.
2) An interactive game of Space Invaders where the guy had to wear a shirt with the Space Invaders icon and move around on stage to move the ship. (He lost the challenge and didn't complete the challenge of beating the first level in 2 minutes).
3) A Guitar Hero: Aerosmith challenge of Sweet Emotion on Expert. (The kid didn't beat the challenge of 175,000 points, but they gave it the prize to him anyway because he was so close. He hit ~173,000pts.)
4) A rock arrangement of One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy 7.
5) Some guy shouting out "LEEEEEEEROYYYYY JENKINS" during the World of Warcraft music.
6) Random filming of 'Reviews on the Run' with Tommy Tallarico and Victor Lucas doing a review of Warriors Orochi 2. They totally burned it! It's a piece of shit, and they totally deserved the dissing they got. Even X-Play's review rated it as terrible.
7) Girls in front of me doing Nintendo DS chat during the intermission with totally weird drawings and Japanese chat.
8) Longer running time. It started at 8, and ended at around 10:45.
9) Exclusive premiere of music from Need for Speed: Undercover including a live performance by a winning submission for the soundtrack by the Vancouver band, Splitting Adam

Negatives:
1) The lights are so annoying. During the Metroid and Metal Gear segments, they kept shining directly in our eyes. Though it was probably the section I was in and just somehow the lighting just focused on our section. Agh.
2) Random shouting during the music. Some of it was just inappropriate and served no effect but obstructing the music :(
3) SSX Tricky remix session with three EA DJ's blowing out our ears because of a feedback loop. (It might not have been their fault, it seemed more like a technical glitch)

Video Games Live is so much fun! It would be a lot more fun going with a bigger group of people though.

Supper vs Dinner

I just looked up the definition of supper on Wikipedia. It's funny how many different definitions there are since in most places in North America both terms have no difference. However, reading the wikipedia entry opens up a can of worms since different regions have different definitions. A couple of places call lunch as "dinner" and 'supper' for dinner. Another grouping uses dinner as a major evening meal and supper as a light evening meal.

Credit and Debt

I am lucky that my parents instilled a sense of being frugal into me and taught me to not embellish spending. I just finished watching a movie called In Debt We Trust. You can watch this on the web on this link.

I had heard of this problem before. Credit and/or credit card companies target vulnerable students who are not psychologically prepared with the pitfalls of lending. Youths are enticed with offers of credit cards and the allure of "buying now, paying later" not realizing how not paying the credit balances on time could and will eventually lead into a cycle of perpetual debt. People's lives are ruined in the blink of an eye of a miscalculation of the power of credit and shatter futures one by one on a daily basis. It's crazy to think we live in such a world of greed and capitalism, with the rich feeding on the poor and misguided.

Financial Frenzy

I'm quite baffled by the current financial woes, or so I hear. I don't understand how it all works. I know it is in bad shape, but I don't know how everything works together that creates this/a hostile financial situation.

The buyout of Bear Stearns, government bailout of Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, the emergency funding for AIG, the crash of Lehman Brothers, the sale of Merrill Lynch to the Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase purchase of Washington Mutual, the forced sale of Wachovia to Citigroup. There are other events of the current financial crisis, but those are the ones that come to mind as I live in North America.

What will this mean for the world? What will it mean for individuals like me? I really have no idea.

Seven States of Matter

Playing Penny Arcade Adventures is always interesting as their colorful dialogue, wordiness, and intellectual anomalies make it a hilarious game. One of the items in the game was a book on the "Seven States Of Matter". I'm not really a physics student, but I looked around for a couple of articles.

Liquid, Gas, Solid, Plasma, Beam, Thought Waves, and BEC/Bose-Einstein Condensate (zero state of matter). Hah?

Mashable mention

Yay. Even though the mention of our product, Rezgo, was buried way down there in a list of 270 other online business tools, a mention is a mention! Mashable!

RestoReview: Soul Robata and Izakaya

Soul Robata & Izakaya is a new Japanese restaurant in Richmond's "food alley" on Alexandra Road. Soul is not your average Japanese all-you-can-eat. It serves a more traditional robata-style grilled food. Although the restaurant is dubbed as an Izakaya, it didn't feel like it as I didn't even see a drink menu. The restaurant is not really visible from the outside, it blends into the various stores beside it. However, the interior is charming and quite inviting. They had little lanterns or Akachōchin hanging above their sushi bar. The restaurant has a small, warm loungey atmosphere with quirkiness represented by the little cups and ceramics on the wall with english phrases that didn't make any sense or fit with the ambience. Examples of some of these phrases were: 'corn squeezins', 'mountain dew', and 'little brown jug'.

Sashimi (Hamachi, Kampachi, Mata?) - Fresh and soft. What good sashimi should taste like.

Grilled Beef Tongue - Soft, tender, and melts in your mouth. My fav beef dish!

Monk Fish Liver Pate - Definitely a must try. I haven't really tried fish pate and I have to say I really like it. It reminds me a little bit of the salmon pate I had before, but this is given a unique twist with its slightly pickled flavor. Yum!

Salmon tartare with Nori - I'm a little put off by this. I've had better salmon tartare elsewhere in Vancouver (if I remember correctly, it was at Brix). I would have to say it was average, and a little too strong in flavor. It was too 'fishy' and had a strong smell.

Crispy Chicken Skin - Mmmm. Can't really go wrong with fried chicken skin. Crisp, and flavorful.

Hairy Crab Bruschetta? - I'm not sure what is so hairy about it. Crab paste (the high cholesterol stuff) on top of bruschetta and served on some salad. An interesting dish guaranteed to raise your cholesterol through the roof. It's something to try if you've never tried it before, but I didn't feel like it was all too delish.

Takoyaki/Octopus Fritters - I love takoyaki, and Soul's "Octopus Fritters" are no exception. Standard formula and tasted like perfection.

Fried Ice Cream - I tried out two different flavors, green tea and
black sesame. The green tea was quite ordinary and did not match with the fried exterior at all. The black sesame on the other hand is rated as Jeff's current "Best Fried Ice Cream ever". The dark, intense earthy flavor of the black sesame merges perfectly with the fried batter. It is a perfect dessert to a Japanese robata dinner. For those of you who have never tried black sesame ice cream, it is an intense, mildly spicy concoction that has a nutty taste. (Unless you order ice cream at Guu, in Aberdeen anyway, that tastes like watered down ice cream because it's probably from Mondo Gelato).

Soul Robata & Izakaya - Definitely a robata, not so much an Izakaya. It's not Japanese run, but that's okay, the food is good. Service was excellent, tea service came by almost every 5 minutes or less and the staff was friendly. Ambience is a little quirky and not authentic, but it's a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The Black Sesame flavor Fried Ice Cream is a MUST.


Soul Robata & Izakaya
1015-8580 Alexandra Rd, Richmond. B.C.

Service & Setting: 4/5
Taste: 4.5/5
Cost Level: 3

Microsoft's new advertising campaign

Microsoft's second wave of ads are definitely much better than the Bill Gates / Seinfeld ads. It's nice to see Microsoft finally starting to pick up on competitive advertising, but they have a long way to go before they catch up to Apple's anti-pc ads.

Close Call

I nearly got smashed in about 15 minutes ago. People really need to do shoulder checks, especially in high speed areas. I almost got pushed into the wall on the Second Narrows bridge. I was driving around 75km/h in the far right lane going onto the bridge. The black pickup in the center lane then decided he wanted to switch into my lane. I was probably in his blind spot just behind him on the right half a car length back. He was merging in pretty fast and he probably would have hit me had I not blasted my horn and try to give him some room. I think I might have damaged the right surface of my car as I moved right to dodge but probably ran into the barrier. I don't think I hit the guy, but damn, I heard a loud screeching/squeaking sound for about a second.

Alaskan Cruise

The Alaskan Cruise was a nice relaxing break for me. It wasn't the most exciting trip. It was quite boring, but it was nice and calming for me. I spent a lot of time out on the deck just staring out into the ocean and the icy land of Alaska enjoying the cool breeze.
Normally, I would assume I gained weight on the cruise, but I somehow actually lost 2Lbs after the week-long cruise. Must have been all that stair-climbing and walking action. I took a no-elevator approach and climbed the stairs every time. I walked a lot since I had to keep going between the back and the front of the ship.

I can't say I'm completely happy with the food on the cruise. I was happy with the quality on the casual dining. The formal dining however was quite disappointing. The expectations I had were quite high. I've heard that Celebrity Cruises has better food. I'm going to hold judgment and give them a 4/5 and give it an overall rating of acceptable. This is a temporary judgment as the cruise we were on had a special group of Jewish cruisers and b/c of them half the kitchen had to be locked down for them alone to prepare kosher meals. This severely limits the abilities of the kitchen's quality control to serve good meals.


Here are some pictures that I've chosen from the 1152 shots I took. :o

Nikon's New Weapon

I'm generally a Canon fan in the general Canon vs Nikon wars, but the new buzz from multiple sources about the new Nikon D90 which has received critical praise for new advancements in camera technology.

The biggest feature that distinguishes this SLR from anything else has to be the D-Movie Mode, which records at 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixels) in Motion JPEG format.
It also has matching features from existing current-gen SLR technology such as decreased noise with ISOs up to 3200, 12.3MP CMOS sensor, built-in sensor cleaning, and a top-speed of 4.5FPS continuous shooting.
The camera shoots in SD/SDHC and the lens system mounts with a wide-range of existing Nikon AF-S lenses.

I'm thinking I need to jump ship! The video feature alone makes this camera one-of-a-kind Digital SLR with video support.

Yummy Italian Style Lunch

I'm back from Alaska! I'll save that post for the next one once I get my pictures uploaded.

I'm sitting here having a really yummy lunch. I'm eating a Chicken Alfredo Rotini (mmmm creamy pasta) paired with an Italian "Sparking Blood Orange Beverage". I can't find a picture or a description of the product online, and I'm kinda surprised that not every product has been documented online yet. It's a refreshing orange drink that has a very dark flavor that's usually tasted more in dark red fruits like cranberry juice. It's name is Italissima Aranciata Rossa. Definitely something new to try!

False Anticipation

WHAAAA WHAAAAA WHAAAAA.
Police cruisers arrive with sirens blaring at the corner across from the window in the office. Two cruisers and an unmarked minivan stop in the middle of the street blocking traffic.

Oh boy oh boy. Something is going down? Unfortunately not... They went into a store and came back out after a few minutes. I thought there was going to be someone major action going down, but nothing happened.
Boo-urns.

An interesting poem

I haven't really read much poetry lately. I left most of that behind a couple of years ago. I was rifling through some pages of a poetry book in my room and I found this boggling piece.

The meaning behind this poem still eludes me.

r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r by e.e. cummings

r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r 
     who 
a)s  w(e  loo) k 
upnowgath 
    PPEGORHASS 
                    eringint (o- 
aThe) :l 
  eA 
           !p: 
S                      a 
  (r 
rIvInG    .gRrEaPsPhOs) 
       to 
rea (be) rran (com) gi (e) ngly 
,grasshopper;

Bus Decapitation

It's a little disturbing.... scratch that, it's really disturbing hearing about this story regarding the bus stabbing in Manitoba.

It's mystifying trying to comprehend what the person was thinking. Based on observations from the interviews, it seems like this was a random killing. A random attack, on a random person (unless he really, really wanted that corner seat at the back). It was premeditated though as the killer was armed with a survival knife and described as calm during the slaying.
The neck stabbing is one stage of trying to comprehend this. But then, the killer goes back and decapitates the victim. To behead is another level of extreme instability and aggression. It doesn't really stop there though, as the killer ramps it up again and is a sociopath by trying to distress other people as well by carrying the head around and slamming it against the door.

If the rumors about cannibalism are true, then this just goes beyond gruesome. This is pure terror.

The 5 Worst Ways to Die Hiking

The 5 Worst Ways to Die Hiking

Went up hiking at Buntzen Lake doing the Sendero Diez Vistas trail, though kinda screwed it up because instead of going the whole path around the lake, I doubled back on the route and took the same path down. Agh, so we missed all the viewpoints, but at least I got a good workout (almost) without killing myself.

5) Having a heart attack 30 minutes into a hike
The trail we chose was probably too hard for me. The initial vertical slope was pretty steep. For the first hour, I couldn't breathe, I was dizzy, seeing spots, colors, and imaginary people. After the first hour, it was better, probably because I threw everything up from IHOP breakfast, and threw up even though there was nothing left in my stomach.

4) Knocking myself out with a stick
There were a lot of wasps, bees, or moths, and flies. ANNOYING. I kept waving my walking stick around myself to get them off me, but when they kept buzzing around my head, my ears were hurting so I tried swinging the stick at them. I probably could have taken myself out.

3) Mauled by a black bear
On the way back from the hike, towards the parking lot. A bunch of people screaming came towards us. Nothing weird, they're just rowdy kids. "BEAR" "OMG That's the scariest thing I've ever seen. I don't even wanna do this anymore"(from a girl carrying a life vest). "

I heard a scream while we were still on the other side of the floating bridge... but didn't think anything of it. It kinda makes sense now.

2) Mauled by a cub
When we were taking the alternate path to the parking lot (to avoid the bear), we turned around and realized there was a cub following us (a group of about 15 people). As it kept coming towards us, we hastily ran away, turning back every so often to check it wasn't still following us.

1) Impaling yourself on a walking stick
I almost fell on my walking stick, which was just a wooden branch. If I took a wrong step and actually tripped, my weight could probably have driven it straight through me. Then I would look like a complete retard.

Get Smart

There's so many summer blockbusters this year, I'm already behind on other movies that are currently out like Indiana Jones, Hulk, Wall-E, Wanted, and Kung-fu Panda. I'm so excited for next month as well for Dark Knight, Hellboy 2, and Hancock.

I watched Get Smart today. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. I wasn't expecting much since most remakes are pretty weak, but this one was alright. This role was meant for Steve Carell, but I was hesitant at all the corny jokes since Carell's performance on The Office gets pretty stale and predictable. The jokes were good though and not overly excessive.
Overall rating: 7/10. Lots of laughs, a simple movie to just relax and enjoy.

Growth

I know my own strengths and weaknesses. I understand my personality and try to change and improve some aspects of it. For the past few years, my belief was that if I applied small changes in my mentality, and shifts in attitude, I could create an entire personality change. It was partially right. I need to have the mentality in order to change myself. But complete personality morphs has to occur over time. Having sudden, major experiences can change who we are over the short term, but the mundane, monotonous minor experiences that we live through day in and day out alter us more.

I think about how I have grown every few months. It used to be that I could never notice myself changing. I always thought the same. My perspective has undergone a radical transformation in the past few years, though. Every time I ask myself how I have grown now, I realize I wouldn't ask the same questions, nor make the same decisions.

In truth, it is about every single day. Each day adds a new layer of growth. Small experiences shape who I am, who I will become. And while I think I can predict what I will do each time I face a situation, I know that it will be different every time I look at it. Every experience is a layer upon us. Layer upon layer, we are the sum of our experiences.

Every day is a gift. A gift to explore who we are.

Weight

Weight's always been a big issue for me. I used to be underweight when I was 6-7 years old. I wouldn't eat, and my mom had to run after me and force me to eat. The tables have turned now and instead I'm overweight, and eating too much. That might be an exaggeration since I have controlled how much I eat and I have been able to keep my weight around the same for about 5-8 years with a fluctuation of maybe 5 lbs. I'm thinking about this because I found a little fortune teller scrip where I weighed 174Lbs and 5'09" dated 17-07-1999. Funny, because I don't ever remember weighing that weight/height combination, because then I'd be in better shape than I am now.

Time to get my shape on and go work on my Wii Fit that I got this tuesday. (Maybe, I need to get out of shape, because I'm pretty pear shaped right now)

Philosophy Hour: Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil

I tried reading through my copy of Beyond Good And Evil, but it was also beyond comprehension; for me anyways. The text is just full of aphorisms and thoughts separated into multiple chapters. Each highlighting a different facet of Nietzsche's perspective. I might not have been able to read it because of what is lost in translation as the original work was in German. Instead, I used good ol' Sparknotes as my guide and referred to the book to verify the arguments.

This is a philosophy piece and thus prompts you to think. It provokes very different thought than usual philosophers. Nietzche tries to prod the reader to consider what he reads from philosophers; as they are inclined to force you to think how they do, or convince you that how they, the philosopher, thinks is the "right" way. In fact, by doing this, Nietzsche openly subjects his own work to judgment.

Perspectivism. This is what I think is the strongest argument from his work. He challenges the thought of "absolute truth." He posits that any truth is subjective. The same observation could result in different interpretations based on who is seeing it, and similarly some "truths" or rather opinions change over time. That is why he has an aversion to writings or language. They are fixed in time, and are only relevant at that time. Languages grow, but the words are unable to change with it. These words are forms of thought that someone has affixed to a word and will no longer be accurate as the words change meaning over time. In my opinion, this is especially true in religious teachings and texts as certain ideas made sense in the time they were written, but no longer correlate with modern society as it has not evolved with civilization. This creates conflict between those who follow the written word literally as to those who take it as interpretation.

Truth is such an interesting concept. There are so many concepts of how truth is no longer truth, and as I have said above, only relevant at the time. Such ideas in science such as Newton and Einstein on space/time, Ptolemy and Copernicus on the geocentric/heliocentric, and all those other "truths" that have been shattered. The same problems viewed from different perspectives can yield any multitude of "right" observations. In all fairness, no one can really claim the truth. They can only claim what they think is true, and only at that time. What Nietzsche tries to champion is the idea of taking everyone's opinion and going from there rather than just believing in one and ignoring the rest.

We must rather ignore "truths". If someone believes in a "truth", then it means that they have chosen their perspective and chooses to regard other opinions as false. We must move to a higher level and rather believe that truth is fluid, and changes as people need it to. We must ignore assumptions, and base our beliefs on knowledge instead. Facts that can be proven, and hold no perspective, and only give information without an opinion. If we can use this knowledge and listen to opinions, be open-minded, and then we may start looking for truth by being open to possibilities.

Pain. I've been in pretty harsh back pain since last week. I can't sit down for long periods without having my spine hurting. It's been getting better over the week, but now after badminton today, I can't even move without feeling my spine stiffening. Plus my glutes, quads and knee are aching. I really need to go exercise more.

The end of Narnia

I've been reading through the Chronicles of Narnia the past few weeks and enjoyed every story. The books are a breath of fresh air reminding me of the imagination we all lose once we move on from childhood. Characters from the stories themselves make that point when they first enter Narnia. We are all adventurers except when we are skeptics. It's sobering to see how blinded we become when we are drowning in fear, scared of reality. How is it that the amazement and wonder of youth, that crazy spirit that sets us free dissipates with age and experience.
I'm going to start looking for my own adventure now. There's a passage in the book that truly brought this to light for me. It sums up for me what the Chronicles of Narnia books are all about. Life, adventure, and being able to take it all in.

"For all find what they truly seek" -Aslan in The Last Battle

Got my spots!

I have made the leap. I finally installed Leopard. It's a little early to say if I like it just yet. It is different. Spaces is a little in-between for me, but I am very happy with Stacks. I'm gonna do a little mini-review on Safari since I wanted to do one for Safari 3.0, but never did.
Well, I wanted to praise Safari's improvements of having functional tabbing. Safari 2.0's tabs were pretty terrible, but the improvements in 3.0/3.1 have made up for it. The tabs are now draggable, and "pull-out" feature of being able to turn into new windows and vice versa, pulling tabs from other windows and transferring it into another Safari window is just phenomenal.
I guess for functionality that's it really. But the most important thing is the jump from 3.0 to 3.1. The SPEEEEEED! Apple boasts about it on the site, but they are not kidding. It just renders everything on screen faster.
Firefox has taken a backseat now. I didn't have a choice before and needed it to run my Gmail so I could use Googletalk, but Safari/Webkit's upgrades have made that functional. Now I almost use Safari exclusively, except for when I need to do browser tests. Or when Safari crashes.... which seems to come a bit more often than usual.

Staying frosty

It's still really cold here in Vancouver. A little odd considering it's already Spring but the average temperature is still looking around 8-10 degrees Celsius.

Just some Frost-y poetry for the frosty weather

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
By Robert Frost

"Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

I love Frost's work. His poetry is always calming because of its imagery and connection with nature. I added this because I was rummaging through some old poetry in elementary schools. Before I toss them, I'm gonna list them here so I'll have a little reminder.

Haiku:

A Windy Fall

The leaves gently falll,
trees swaying from side to side,
as the strong wind blew.

Snowflakes

The snow is drifting,
very softly on the ground,
painting the ground white.

Lanterns (1,2,3,1 syllables):

Snow
drifting
very light
filling the sky
white

Leaves
from trees
being blown
changing colours
fall

Games
pleasant
enjoyable
are challenging
fun

Rain
falling
drop by drop
pitter, patter
wet

Balls
are round
filled with air
played by people
bounce

Birds
have wings
big and small
soar through the sky
fly


I just realize some of those lanterns have some alternate interpretations. Hahaha. Okay, gotta get the mind out of the gutter. Time to get back to cleaning...

Diary Dialogue

I'm still combing over old agendas and journals in my cabinets. I love reading some of the stuff I write. It's a form of self-exploration that is so revealing. Unlike reading someone else's diaries, you are not understanding someone else's history, you are glimpsing into your own mind. Nothing is as intimate as having a conversation with your past self. (If I could talk to my future self, that would be cool too.)

Some things stay the same though even after a long time. Here are some entries I wrote for pre-set questions in my agenda:
I feel important when: "Somebody asks me for help"
I am able to: "Play the Piano lousily"
When I need help I turn to: "My family or friends"

Awakening

I woke up this morning from a dream so vivid because a girl was causing me physical pain with an iron grip, yet entranced in a magical stare. My forearm still felt like it was still being pincered by the girls razor sharp nails. Upon waking up, I looked down at my arm completely convinced that it would be bleeding and have slivers of skin peeled up by the human claws.

The last three weeks have caused me to suffer Mac withdrawal while my Macbook Pro has been under repair. Well, I got it back yesterday, and while the extremely long wait frustrated me. "I'll never buy Mac again, their service sucks" are words I rescind. It may have been due to production/supply changes/lost order or whatever, but I finally got my hard drive replaced. Only it wasn't the same. My original hard drive was only 100GB, but the replacement drive I received is 200GB. I guess it's fair only to ignore the long wait since I got a free upgrade. It may only have been a luck of the draw because they no longer make 100GB HD's for Macbook Pro's, which is the most likeliest reason. w00t! Back to mac!

To be or to be something else

I am going circles in my head still trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, and how to get there. The idea of trying to do things differently, to act differently that to what I should/would, is still at the front of my mind. I am who I project. And the world around will reflect upon that.
I have to keep resorting to the fact that I am myself, and that I shouldn't change who I am in order to achieve my goals. History does not remember kindly those who are willing to succumb to pressure. History champions those that stand against the flow and challenge the strong. If I act against my ideals, I'd be doing nothing but betraying myself and abandoning all self-respect. I have to trust in myself and believe that I shall pave my own path. Pretending to be something else is an illusion and will only serve to sabotage my own efforts of self-definition.

Some quotes that have helped me strengthen my resolve:
"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." -Socrates
"We write our own destiny. We become what we do." -Madame Chiang Kai Shek
"Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds." -George Eliot

Richard Branson said something that resonated so strongly with my beliefs in daily life in an interview on The Colbert Report in August 07. He said "In the end, all we have is our reputation." It's the Golden Rule. You treat others how you want to be treated. People will trust and respect you if you do likewise.

I don't understand how a lot of people just don't get it. Some simple truths are the hardest ideals to achieve.

A window to the past

I finally gave in and started to read through some of my diary entries. They start just under shy of 10 years ago in Nov 98 and they go on for about 3 years. I find myself flinching after reading every few lines. My memories aren't particularly painful, but it reminds me of someone who's so distant now. It may be distant, but it still feels like inside of me just pooling up in little pockets of unresolved reflection.
Some things seemed so important then that are trivial now. A lot of it is silly junk like how I used to obsess about Starcraft, and video games. I spent Christmas Eve in 98 playing Metal Gear Solid. Hahaha. My addiction with video games still carries through to today, but I wouldn't find myself writing about it in a diary.
Then some entries are damaging. There was somebody I wanted to talk to and get to know, but I never got a chance or didn't try. And now it's too late.

There are the ramblings of dreams and hopes I had then, now just fading reminders of what I perceive now to be as impossibilities and taken avenues. Silly ideas of where I would go to school. I was a pretty hopeful 15 year old back then. I'm a little more pessimistic now.

I'm finding it harder and harder to turn the page. And I cannot bring myself to throw it out. These memories are a part of me I still need to come to terms with and accept. Or bury them forever. Resolving one's memories is something I didn't think I had to do. I didn't think I had a bad childhood, but I guess any life experience has its own depth and magnitude that overall happiness itself can not measure.

Human centered design

An interesting example of modern anthropology in a technological construct by a researcher for Nokia.
This is the stuff I love. Human-centered design. Usability issues. Designing products for people rather than just for the specific need. People will use the same tool in different ways based on their own cultural context.

This is a good read for those who aren't even interested in usability. It appeals to all people who love design and invention.

Reformation

In order to create, we must destroy.

I'm starting to shift gears now. In my path of destruction I find that I am changing who I am. Every change brings about a light upon an aspect of my life that I did not realize. I am continually applying changes to other things I wish to improve or even forget. I've been so focused on some things in my life and those goals aren't wrong, they're just unreachable for me because of obstacles that are so close to me that I choose to ignore.
Here's hoping to the continuing de-evolution of my currently existing footing, and to rise from the ashes tomorrow and ascend upon my lofty sights.

I found some old diary entries while I was (currently, still am) cleaning my room. I'm contemplating on whether to burn them or not. I haven't read through them yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like what I see. I feel like I really need to engulf them in flames so I can move past. Just throwing them in the garbage would feel like I'm just burying it within me, and then I'll never be able to get them out.

Destruction....

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then I must be paving the road to the apocalypse or something... I think I'm on a record breaking spree as of now. I broke a sprinkler handle while washing the car on the weekend, and while I was out there doing some cleaning, I went to mow the lawn. Oh of course, I ran the blade into some kind of pipe and broke the blade and the pipe as well. I seem to be earning my title of "Smasher" quite handily.

I went to the Vancouver International Auto Show today, not as much excitement as it usually gets, but still a lot of nice concept cars to look at. The weirdest has to go to the Ford Airstream, which is similar to a standard Airstream, but built more like a luxury car inside rather than an Airstream RV.
The Audi R8 seemed like it had the highest amount of traffic and attention in the central display area, it looks so awesome. It makes you wonder about Audi trying to push their boundaries of sport luxury sedans to a higher (and better) level for their brand.

Penny Arcade Vs The Industry

I just finished reading an article from Wired interviewing the guys at Penny Arcade regarding digital distribution.
From what I've read correctly, that's going to be ingenious if they are really allowing for a game key to be distributed among different platforms. A la, having to pay for the same game on different systems. It's ridiculous and if I am given the freedom to be able to play on a different system, when I want, then it's giving more power to the people. Do I really own something if I am forced to buy it multiple times just so I can use it at different situations for the SAME content?

I'm also intrigued with the idea of creating a new digital distribution platform as opposed to existing ones like Steam. Steam is alright, only because it allows the user to be free from having to own a physical copy of the game to still retain the ability to play it again. Being able to download on demand is great. Other than that, it is a pain having to consistently update their platform. I'm hoping Greenhouse will break the mold and bring a new age of freedom. With the guys at Penny Arcade at the helm, or co-helm, I'm sure it will.

Withdrawal

Oh, it pours when it pours.

Last week, as in my previous post; my Macbook Pro failed. And now... my internet at home is dead. I'm still going through Mac withdrawal, but who knows what will happen after I get hit with internet withdrawal at home.

I've managed to entertain myself pretty well without my net. The Best of Sherlock Holmes has been a good read, and I'm sad I finished it so quickly. Now I want to read all the other stories that weren't included in this book.

I was really annoyed when I found out that my connection was still broken last night. I thought it might have just been Telus' usual spurts of broken connectivity when I was internet-less on Monday. Telus tech support took 20 minutes before I got connected to an agent. And even then, they were useless. I'm stating it now. Telus = useless (except maybe when it's working).
I stumped the agent because he wasn't able to figure anything out for me because they couldn't access the telephone account that I use for my ADSL. I half expected it, and I didn't bother telling the tech that we no longer had Telus phone lines. haha. So, I don't have any other choice but switch to Shaw anyways. Hmm.. which Shaw probably expected when they said we could still use our Telus ADSL (with the knowledge that we'd have to switch over when Telus' ADSL breaks down on us).

Shame On Me

The issue of backing up my data has been on my plate for the past few months. The primary concern was really my older PC that my dad uses. It's getting old, the hard drive freezes, and so I've been wanting to shift the old data into the external drive. He hasn't been around much so I haven't gotten around to it and assuming the data is still intact since it just hangs, and doesn't completely prevent access. My current PC is also starting to act up as the fan on the power supply goes into loud whining every once in a while and then decides it's fine again.

I have to say though, of all the computers, my Macbook Pro was last on the list of things expected to fry. Shame on me. This is either the second, or third time I haven't backed up my data properly. It is a pretty complete disaster if I do, my photos, and recent projects are all on it without any form of backup and it'll be a complete disaster if I'm unable to scavenge any existing data.

Have I learned my lesson? Yes. Again. Will I actually apply the lesson towards the future? I hope so.

Hoping that I can still recover my files. And then when I'm done sulking I can start cursing Apple.

Super Mario Galaxy Fini....ARGH

So I thought I finished Super Mario Galaxy. And now I realize that you actually have another 120 stars to go through with Luigi. I wanted to be done with this game already. My only consolation is that it will only take less than half the time to do it the first time because everything will exactly be the same. It's just frustrating I have to redo it.

Jeffrey's Manila Restoreview Roundup

Angels Kitchen, Connecticut Ave, Greenhills

This restaurant has an identity crisis. The restaurant's walls are bare. The back wall is painted green, but the side walls are white. There's a couple of old 70's style floral leafs, and some mirrors, but other than that, the restaurant has no attitude or message to convey to say "This is who we are".

The thin bread crisps they serve as munchies are bland and not crunchy enough. They taste like they're old and given to you just because they don't want to give you fresh ones. Granted, they serve pate with the bread crisps, but the pate itself is quite tasteless. Even ;
The Pumpkin Soup was decent. However, it was inconsistent as we ordered it twice, and it was good on the first order, but the second serving tasted bland.

I tried the Lamb Chop Curry? It was alright, nothing spectacular. Nothing to write much about. It's pretty standard. Lamb... covered with curry.

Their "Fruit Splash" is more like "Not Enough Fruits mixed with too much ice". I could barely taste anything. It was mostly watery and made me feel like a retard for drinking something with no flavor.

The cuisine is mostly home style cooking. Home style Filipino, and other regional home style dishes in general. It's mainly Filipino cuisine, but not limited to, there are some select dishes from different regional cuisines, like Malaysian, and Indian. It's more of a potpourri of dishes anyone can prepare at home.

The one thing that does redeem this restaurant is its desserts. The Banana Chocolate Cream Pie is deeeelish! Not enough chocolate though, or else the balance is perfect.
The Apple Pie covered in caramel was quite scrumptious. Incredible crust! Oh my! The one issue I had is that the pie is served cold. The waitress also told us not to get it a a la mode for the pie because it's already covered in caramel. She was wrong, customer's always right. It tasted better after we got the vanilla ice cream anyway, but the pie would have been even better served hot.

Overall rating: 4/5

Zucchini's Vinotek and Grill (Redux)

Strike, the lunch menu is exactly the same as their dinner menu.
Have I ever mentioned that their Apple/Pumpkin Cream Soup was excellent? No? IT IS EXCELLENT. Can you hear me now? IT'S EXCELLENT.
Their Tomato Soup is also top notch. This is the first time I've tried their French Onion Soup, and now I've come to the conclusion that the soup entrees are Zucchini's best offerings.

The Duck a L'orange was tres excellente. Duck is one of those dishes where you either cook it right, or it tastes like crap. I was delightfully surprised with the texture, but mostly the Rosti Potatoes that came underneath the duck pieces.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Cyma Estiatorio, 1/F Greenbelt 2 Ayala Center, Makati

Attitude! This place is overflowing with it. With the unified "Opa!" from the staff upon lighting of an order of "Flaming Cheese" and the white stucco walls and chic modern Greek hybrid murals and lighted glass, it's a very relaxing dining atmosphere.

I've forgotten what I ordered, but most of the dishes were pretty good. The salad is excellent. The one thing I didn't like was their lamb, and the Greek potatoes, they weren't sour enough. But it's not fair for them, any Greek I taste has to go up against my experience with food at The Mad Greek.

Overall rating: 4.2/5

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Florabel

Florabel, The Podium

The restaurant's contemporary wooden design with dimmed lighting is accentuated by simplicity of the plastic table lights. I would probably say that any type of electric lighting is cheesy, but the smooth, curved plastic-shelled lights they use as table lighting actually gives a statement of the restaurants simple, but elegant atmosphere.

The appetizer I ordered, the 'Duo of Tuna & Sashimi' is sheer genius. I would have walked out happy just having eaten that appy.
It was a very well rounded presentation of seared tuna sashimi, a risotto mixed with tempura chunks and morsels of tuna sashimi, and mesclun salad.

I was a little less impressed with my main entree. The 'Pan Seared Prawns and Scallops in Lemon Caviar Butter' with risotto had a very weak taste. It relied too much on the butter to give the rice and seafood flavor. The scallops were seared perfectly. Just enough to give it a crisp texture. Just enough that it was still soft inside. The risotto was a little too hard for my taste, it could have been because it was made with wild rice, but I still disagree with it. Risotto should be soft enough so that it feels like it melts in your mouth.

My disappointment was short-lived. For dessert, I ordered their Chocolate Souffle with Yuma, accompanied by vanilla ice cream, and fruit compote. I didn't mind having to wait the 20 minutes for them to prepare this because ultimately, it's chocolate ecstasy. Oh how the warm, hot soft chocolate souffle just melts on your tongue. MMMMM

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Blogging drought

I have been without internet for the past few days and with all the preparations for my grandma's funeral, I've been busy.
I'm tired, exhausted, and when I get back to Canada, I'll be overwhelmed again with the load of things I have to do.
My brain is bursting with exclamations of incomprehensible jargon as my mind is struggling with the load of responsibilities and obligations.

The one respite I have I guess is watching some Discovery Channel here. I have nothing to do at my house when I'm at home so I can actually watch television. One really interesting show I saw this morning was a special on Ayurveda. It is the traditional, or rather, aliopathic, form of medicine that is used in India. I think these forms of natural medicine should be considered more seriously in modern medicine on the basis of having been used and been effective for a long time. They have existed before the invention of modern scientific standards and really have no reason to be ignored. Besides, it's much more fun being rubbed down with oil rather than popping a few pills.

Mourning

I felt bad in December when I didn't come back to Manila when my grandfather passed away.

My conscience is a little less guilty since I came back to at least see my grandmother before she passed away. I've been busy for the past few days because of the funeral arrangements for my grandmother. It's a little complicated with Buddhist customs, so I'll outline it later. But I'll be here at the funeral home(?) for at least 4 more days until her body is cremated.

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Duo

Duo Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Serendra Piazza - Fort Bonifacio Global City

Their menu has a good selection, but there is no creativity at all.
We started with the Tessie Tomas salad for appetizers. It was very good. The shiitake mushrooms gave it an earthy flavor while the seafood lightened it. The cheese was a little too strong for salad though.

The Steak and Foie Gras was excellent. The steak was cooked to tender and moist medium rare perfection. The Foie Gras was a little bland though, the lack of flavor made the dish completely about the steak. I don't know what the chefs at Duo are thinking, but trying to fool the customer is a no-no. Sneaky attempts at trying to mix people's perceptions, by mixing the meat and potatoes into a single mound so they all look alike, is down right devious.

The Mint-crusted Lamb was ho-hum. The mint-crust was something new for me. But the preparation was sloppy. The meat was not consistent for each lollipop, and the garlic mash was too salty.

The waiters were unprofessional. We brought a birthday cake, and yet, when they came out with it from the kitchen, the waiters held it for a little girl to look at. I would have said nothing if the child was from our party, but she wasn't. And if the cake is ruined, how the heck are they going to make up for it?

The menu is lacklustre. The overall generality of dishes allows the chef to do whatever he wants with a dish on that day. There is no focused vision on the flavors of the restaurant. The plating and originality of the dishes is a complete disaster. I know it's a steakhouse, but the chefs should still have pride in making each entree distinct and visually identifiable. From what I saw, the dishes were prepared just to spec to match the menu description.

Overall Rating: 3/5


This was my first trip to Serendra out at Fort Bonifacio.

I was looking for a website for Duo, but I found a review instead. I love his style. He's a professional travel writer/critic so he has experience writing polished articles. I need to get a new camera so I can actually do that, my DSLR is way too bulky to carry around. Some day, I hope I can improve my writing and be able to write a little more professionally. I'd love to be a pro food critic. That'd be the funnest thing to do. Eating for work. =D

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Zucchini's

Zucchini's Grill and Vinotek, Quezon City

I have to come out and say I'm a little biased about this place. My previous trips here have been nothing but beyond expectations. I can still taste their wonderful Cream of Apple and Pumpkin Soup (with roasted walnuts and apple chips) and the Lamb Lollipops with Saffron-infused Rice.
However, this actually works against them for my review today. I was expecting nothing but pure gourmet ecstasy. Sadly, I was not as impressed this time around.
For appetizers, we shared a Sea Scallops dish served multiple ways, and a Duck Breast Salad. The Sea Scallops dish had nothing memorable and was mostly mush. Even the element served with foie gras lacked flavor. The salad looked pretty appetizing but alas the duck was overcooked, and eventually renders the dish flavorless just as a salad dish with overcooked meat.

The soup never fails to impress. I tried the Roasted Mango Soup instead of the usual Apple/Pumpkin. It tasted more like Squash soup as it was more savory than sweet. I think it was probably a squash soup mixed with some mangos, and mango bits to give it a little bit of a sweet after-taste.

The Lamb Lollipops a la Provencale (with Escargot Ragout, Cauliflower Puree, and Zucchini Florentine) was pretty interesting. The taste of the lamb paired with the Provencale sauce was quite disappointing, but I was more interested in the sidings. The Escargot Ragout had a very subtle taste but a very distinct presentation, it was mixed light and airy, similar to a garlic mash. The Zucchini Florentine was some spinach contained in a section of zucchini, covered with some melted cheese. Disappointed by the taste, but presentation is still wonderful.

Dessert? I can't really remember if Zucchini's has good desserts or not. I ordered the "Frozen Coconut Souffle". I've never heard of such a thing.... souffle, that's frozen? (Okay, maybe it's because I'm just not an experienced gourmet.) Plating, presentation, and originality are all off the charts. This was some crazy concoction from the chef's demented psyche. The base of the dish was thin slices of pineapples caramelized with sugar and created little saucers of pineapples. On top of that in the center was some type of frozen coconut custard, similar to panna cotta, accented with a cherry on top. This was more a work of art than food. Visually impressive, but hard to eat. The custard was alright, but the pineapples were very hard to cut, and definitely way too sweet.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Portal humor

A Day In the Life of a Portal Turret

It's a little nerdy humor, but it's great. It will only make sense if you've played Portal.

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Buon Giorno

Buon Giorno, Tagaytay

Modern Italian. That sums it up pretty well.
We started with a number of appetizers Frutti Misto fried seafood platter, creamy Pumpkin Soup, and Pepperoni pizza. They were all are fresh interpretations of very traditional dishes.
The entrees were all cooked to perfection.
I ordered the rack of lamb and it was tender and delish. Their Prime Rib was also superb. Perfect and moist, I have no complaints whatsoever.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

On our way back from Tagaytay, we got some pastries from a place called Rowena's.
Mmm... damn. If you ever go by, pick up some of their buko tarts, ube tarts, strawberry or blueberry tarts. DAMN. They are all good. I've never had such good buko pie tarts before. It's so creamy it tastes like egg custard. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
Not too sweet, not chunky. Creamy and delicious all around.

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Cafe Uno

Cafe Uno, Tomas Morato

They always have a unique variety of dishes, varying locations of culinary inspiration.
Their uniqueness doesn't carry much weight though. Their cooking is absolutely terrible.

Appetizers
The Roti with Onions and Gruyere started everything off with a nice twist. Roti's not usually served wet, but I liked the new approach to a standard cultural (Malay) dish where it's served dry with some spicy sauce.
Scottish Smoked Fish Chowder, was too smelly. Too salty. It was something new, but most people wouldn't be able to take a few sips before throwing up from how smelly the fish was. I know it's supposed to be salty because it's smoked, but you don't want people to be choking on it. They need to lighten the concentration.
The Green Pea Puree was standard fare. It's just puree of green pea.

The Grilled Wrasse was more fried than grilled, the fish was actually pretty tender, but the onion sauce was way too salty and too strong.
The GrilledBarramundi was even less thrilling. The fish lacked any flavor at all. The bean sauce they used to try and cover up the lack of flavor was still lackluster and merely a reminder of how unskilled the chef is.
The salmon was alright. A little overdone, but nothing special.
So far, the only dish they actually had any success from what we tasted was the Rack of Lamb with horseradish. Perfect counterbalance sauce for lamb.

Dessert
Creme brulee. TERRIBLE. The creme was not cooked enough. It wasn't creamy at all. It had the consistency of cheesecake. It was warm. How can you serve creme that's not chilled? And to top it off, the sugar wasn't completely caramelized.
The Chocolate Fallen Cake was okay.

Overall score: 2/5

The blurring of desktop and web

There is a merge/shift in using web technology to create complicated desktop applications. Desktop applications normally take a much more difficult approach using desktop programming. It is starting to create a paradigm shift in the design of web application technology with the introduction of development frameworks such as Prism by Mozilla, AIR by Adobe, and Silverlight by Microsoft.

This new wave of integrated technology allows for rich Internet applications to be made into a desktop experience. Although each of the technologies has its own strengths and weaknesses, all of them are striving to push integrated web media onto the desktop. Hopefully more of these new media applications will hit the desktop and revolutionize the stagnant slow, dull desktop applications of the past 20 years.

Sony HDR SR12

Wired has a brief video up on the new Sony HDD Camcorder at CES. I'm a little skeptical about it since most consumer level camcorders are unable to perform any decent quality in their recordings.
However, the review talks about recording in full HD, 1080p quality. That's a pretty big leap in modern video quality for consumer level products. The reviewer also talks about the image stabilization feature taken from the Sony Alpha cameras. If the camera even delivers on either of the two features, it'll be so far ahead of the competition.

Bill Gates has humor!

Bill Gates' retirement video from CES. Hahaha. I gotta give props to him for having humor and making light of himself.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2008!

I'm going to start it off on a sad, sober note.
I always thought of myself as someone who's a very solitary person and I would be okay not being with family.
Well, that's gone straight out the window. This is my first holiday season (Christmas and New Year's), spending it without family. Mostly just together with friends. And well, friends are friends, they're not family. I have really been in a rut. I just realized how much I miss them. It's like some type of psychological torture.

Now a little bit wiser and less solitary, but still feeling lonely.

Another year has passed, and I have grown some more.