Well, Wednesday was a day to remember. By that I mean it's not every day you're invited to chat with the marketing director Polaroid about new cameras, see Lady Gaga, and listen to a press conference held by the CEO of Polaroid. Yep, that's what I did Wednesday, and here's how it happened.
It hit the news Tuesday morning that Lady Gaga would be appearing at MIT (specifically, the MIT Museum) with Polaroid to do a photo shoot and unveil a new line of cameras. I've done work with the MIT Museum before and know a bunch of the people who work there, so I e-mailed and asked what the scoop was. I was told that there would be a private exhibit viewing at 3PM and a press conference beforehand.
"Cool! Do you need anybody to serve food/hold doors/be a token MIT student?"
"Sorry, I just got word that it'll be invited press only."
"Shucks, well, thanks for trying."
Of course, 10 minutes later, it hits the MIT Bloggers list and there is plenty of excited chatter about whether we'll be able to get press passes. I told them what I heard from the museum and then felt obligated to e-mail the museum again and ask about the definition of "invited." That's when I was told that there had been a change, that I could get in and that I was invited to a design brainstorming session. EXCELLENT! Then, after a phone call with the museum, I was given passes to invite 12 students (myself included) to the event. DOUBLE EXCELLENT!
Bloggers, friends, and strangers were all added to the list. The twelve of us showed up at the museum Wednesday morning at 11:30 for the design brainstorming and free lunch(!). The gist of the brainstorming session was, well, the head marketer said "I have concept drawings and renders of two potential new cameras for Polaroid and I'd like your input on them."
We were shown the two cameras (which I'm probably not allowed to share a lot about, but I will use their code names), "The Tank" and "Bellows." Both were definitely influenced by Gaga, and we weighed in on the pros and cons of each. The con was pretty heavy, that there simply isn't a need for physical pictures anymore. Polaroid kept talking about how pictures are "stuck in the computer," and while that may have been true several years ago, pictures have found a very happy home in computers, especially on the Internet. We asked him "What can I do with a physical picture that I can't do with a digital picture? Why should I buy this camera?" His answer? "An instant picture makes the experience more emotional and instant." Eh, good luck with that approach. There were some good ideas, specifically the idea of sticky backed instant pictures ("Look at that silly thing, I will take a picture of it, scribble something witty on my instant photo, and stick it to that silly thing") and potentially pictures with geotagged barcodes on them, but other than that, why do physical pictures exist?
After the meeting we were given WAY too much pizza and then were told to get out of the museum for 2 hours. Apparently the entire place got locked down for the arrival of Lady Gaga and nobody was allowed to be inside. Where the actual photo shoot was going to take place was a secret, but we found a bunch of people who had heard little bits of info from different sources and pieced together that Lady Gaga would be doing her photo shoot on the third floor of the building we were currently in. A few of our number knew their way around the building so we started our way towards an elevator to get up to where the shoot was going to be (a plan doomed to failure). We made sure to bring pizza and salad as an excuse for a visit (Gaga needs to eat, right?)
We made it to the elevator and were promptly stopped by a police officer and a museum employee. Ooooh boy, that was quick. "Where are you guys headed?"
"Oh, you know, just, wandering."
"Ok, well you can't be here, you need to leave."
"Ok, not so much wandering, as looking. You know, just wandering, looking, stuff like that."
"I'm sorry, you can't be here, you really need to leave."
*ok, how long can we stall until Gaga needs to use this elevator?*
"Well, um, we can't leave, because all the doors are locked and we can't get out."
"Really? Hm, well, hold on." The lady scampers off and finds somebody else.
"Alright, you can leave by going out this way."
"No, we tried that."
"It works now."
"But we can't, you know, wander and look for people if we leave."
"You need to leave."
"BUT WE HAVE SALAD AND PIZZA!"
"Come on."
*grumble*
And, before you know it, we were on the street with the commoners. A small crowd had gathered to wait for Lady Gaga to appear. The waiting wasn't too bad, we chatted with Dave Barber (you either know who he is or you don't), some other Gaga fans, and then eventually, two black SUVs rolled up and, wouldn't you know it, Lady Gaga was looking out the window of one of them. Just checking things out, looking around. People freaked. Then, 3 seconds later, cars were parked, Gaga was in the building, and that was that. 3 seconds. Unbelievable.
What were we going to do for 2 hours? We weren't allowed back in until the press conference and none of us had anywhere else to go, so we just stood there, walked around a bit, and stood there. Seriously. For 2 hours.
At 2:30 things started to get crazy again. Press had showed up for the press conference and were lined up by the front door. Fans, without press badges, were lined up where Lady Gaga's cars were parked. Where would she show? It was a decision that, unfortunately, I didn't make well. I chose to go inside with the press in hopes of seeing her, but that was right as Lady Gaga left out the back, completely ignoring the press, left out the back, stopping and signing autographs and shaking hands with all of the fans.
Oops! Oh well, life is full of choices, sometimes you get lucky and other times you don't.
The press conference was meh. The CEO of Polaroid was there, that was neat, and so was another head honcho, and they did reveal the photo of Gaga they took during the photo shoot, but most of the reporters were miffed that Gaga never showed up for the press conference. I was a bit miffed as well.
The impression I was left with is that Polaroid appears to be using Lady Gaga to bring in the cameras, then hiding her and announcing new and exciting products that, in the long run, will probably not save the twice-bankrupt company.
Harsh, I know, but we'll let Polaroid try to prove me wrong.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Polaroid and Lady Gaga
Well, Wednesday was a day to remember. By that I mean it's not every day you're invited to chat with the marketing director Polaroid about new cameras, see Lady Gaga, and listen to a press conference held by the CEO of Polaroid. Yep, that's what I did Wednesday, and here's how it happened.
It hit the news Tuesday morning that Lady Gaga would be appearing at MIT (specifically, the MIT Museum) with Polaroid to do a photo shoot and unveil a new line of cameras. I've done work with the MIT Museum before and know a bunch of the people who work there, so I e-mailed and asked what the scoop was. I was told that there would be a private exhibit viewing at 3PM and a press conference beforehand.
"Cool! Do you need anybody to serve food/hold doors/be a token MIT student?"
"Sorry, I just got word that it'll be invited press only."
"Shucks, well, thanks for trying."
Of course, 10 minutes later, it hits the MIT Bloggers list and there is plenty of excited chatter about whether we'll be able to get press passes. I told them what I heard from the museum and then felt obligated to e-mail the museum again and ask about the definition of "invited." That's when I was told that there had been a change, that I could get in and that I was invited to a design brainstorming session. EXCELLENT! Then, after a phone call with the museum, I was given passes to invite 12 students (myself included) to the event. DOUBLE EXCELLENT!
Bloggers, friends, and strangers were all added to the list. The twelve of us showed up at the museum Wednesday morning at 11:30 for the design brainstorming and free lunch(!). The gist of the brainstorming session was, well, the head marketer said "I have concept drawings and renders of two potential new cameras for Polaroid and I'd like your input on them."
We were shown the two cameras (which I'm probably not allowed to share a lot about, but I will use their code names), "The Tank" and "Bellows." Both were definitely influenced by Gaga, and we weighed in on the pros and cons of each. The con was pretty heavy, that there simply isn't a need for physical pictures anymore. Polaroid kept talking about how pictures are "stuck in the computer," and while that may have been true several years ago, pictures have found a very happy home in computers, especially on the Internet. We asked him "What can I do with a physical picture that I can't do with a digital picture? Why should I buy this camera?" His answer? "An instant picture makes the experience more emotional and instant." Eh, good luck with that approach. There were some good ideas, specifically the idea of sticky backed instant pictures ("Look at that silly thing, I will take a picture of it, scribble something witty on my instant photo, and stick it to that silly thing") and potentially pictures with geotagged barcodes on them, but other than that, why do physical pictures exist?
After the meeting we were given WAY too much pizza and then were told to get out of the museum for 2 hours. Apparently the entire place got locked down for the arrival of Lady Gaga and nobody was allowed to be inside. Where the actual photo shoot was going to take place was a secret, but we found a bunch of people who had heard little bits of info from different sources and pieced together that Lady Gaga would be doing her photo shoot on the third floor of the building we were currently in. A few of our number knew their way around the building so we started our way towards an elevator to get up to where the shoot was going to be (a plan doomed to failure). We made sure to bring pizza and salad as an excuse for a visit (Gaga needs to eat, right?)
We made it to the elevator and were promptly stopped by a police officer and a museum employee. Ooooh boy, that was quick. "Where are you guys headed?"
"Oh, you know, just, wandering."
"Ok, well you can't be here, you need to leave."
"Ok, not so much wandering, as looking. You know, just wandering, looking, stuff like that."
"I'm sorry, you can't be here, you really need to leave."
*ok, how long can we stall until Gaga needs to use this elevator?*
"Well, um, we can't leave, because all the doors are locked and we can't get out."
"Really? Hm, well, hold on." The lady scampers off and finds somebody else.
"Alright, you can leave by going out this way."
"No, we tried that."
"It works now."
"But we can't, you know, wander and look for people if we leave."
"You need to leave."
"BUT WE HAVE SALAD AND PIZZA!"
"Come on."
*grumble*
And, before you know it, we were on the street with the commoners. A small crowd had gathered to wait for Lady Gaga to appear. The waiting wasn't too bad, we chatted with Dave Barber (you either know who he is or you don't), some other Gaga fans, and then eventually, two black SUVs rolled up and, wouldn't you know it, Lady Gaga was looking out the window of one of them. Just checking things out, looking around. People freaked. Then, 3 seconds later, cars were parked, Gaga was in the building, and that was that. 3 seconds. Unbelievable.
What were we going to do for 2 hours? We weren't allowed back in until the press conference and none of us had anywhere else to go, so we just stood there, walked around a bit, and stood there. Seriously. For 2 hours.
At 2:30 things started to get crazy again. Press had showed up for the press conference and were lined up by the front door. Fans, without press badges, were lined up where Lady Gaga's cars were parked. Where would she show? It was a decision that, unfortunately, I didn't make well. I chose to go inside with the press in hopes of seeing her, but that was right as Lady Gaga left out the back, completely ignoring the press, left out the back, stopping and signing autographs and shaking hands with all of the fans.
Oops! Oh well, life is full of choices, sometimes you get lucky and other times you don't.
The press conference was meh. The CEO of Polaroid was there, that was neat, and so was another head honcho, and they did reveal the photo of Gaga they took during the photo shoot, but most of the reporters were miffed that Gaga never showed up for the press conference. I was a bit miffed as well.
The impression I was left with is that Polaroid appears to be using Lady Gaga to bring in the cameras, then hiding her and announcing new and exciting products that, in the long run, will probably not save the twice-bankrupt company.
Harsh, I know, but we'll let Polaroid try to prove me wrong.
It hit the news Tuesday morning that Lady Gaga would be appearing at MIT (specifically, the MIT Museum) with Polaroid to do a photo shoot and unveil a new line of cameras. I've done work with the MIT Museum before and know a bunch of the people who work there, so I e-mailed and asked what the scoop was. I was told that there would be a private exhibit viewing at 3PM and a press conference beforehand.
"Cool! Do you need anybody to serve food/hold doors/be a token MIT student?"
"Sorry, I just got word that it'll be invited press only."
"Shucks, well, thanks for trying."
Of course, 10 minutes later, it hits the MIT Bloggers list and there is plenty of excited chatter about whether we'll be able to get press passes. I told them what I heard from the museum and then felt obligated to e-mail the museum again and ask about the definition of "invited." That's when I was told that there had been a change, that I could get in and that I was invited to a design brainstorming session. EXCELLENT! Then, after a phone call with the museum, I was given passes to invite 12 students (myself included) to the event. DOUBLE EXCELLENT!
Bloggers, friends, and strangers were all added to the list. The twelve of us showed up at the museum Wednesday morning at 11:30 for the design brainstorming and free lunch(!). The gist of the brainstorming session was, well, the head marketer said "I have concept drawings and renders of two potential new cameras for Polaroid and I'd like your input on them."
We were shown the two cameras (which I'm probably not allowed to share a lot about, but I will use their code names), "The Tank" and "Bellows." Both were definitely influenced by Gaga, and we weighed in on the pros and cons of each. The con was pretty heavy, that there simply isn't a need for physical pictures anymore. Polaroid kept talking about how pictures are "stuck in the computer," and while that may have been true several years ago, pictures have found a very happy home in computers, especially on the Internet. We asked him "What can I do with a physical picture that I can't do with a digital picture? Why should I buy this camera?" His answer? "An instant picture makes the experience more emotional and instant." Eh, good luck with that approach. There were some good ideas, specifically the idea of sticky backed instant pictures ("Look at that silly thing, I will take a picture of it, scribble something witty on my instant photo, and stick it to that silly thing") and potentially pictures with geotagged barcodes on them, but other than that, why do physical pictures exist?
After the meeting we were given WAY too much pizza and then were told to get out of the museum for 2 hours. Apparently the entire place got locked down for the arrival of Lady Gaga and nobody was allowed to be inside. Where the actual photo shoot was going to take place was a secret, but we found a bunch of people who had heard little bits of info from different sources and pieced together that Lady Gaga would be doing her photo shoot on the third floor of the building we were currently in. A few of our number knew their way around the building so we started our way towards an elevator to get up to where the shoot was going to be (a plan doomed to failure). We made sure to bring pizza and salad as an excuse for a visit (Gaga needs to eat, right?)
We made it to the elevator and were promptly stopped by a police officer and a museum employee. Ooooh boy, that was quick. "Where are you guys headed?"
"Oh, you know, just, wandering."
"Ok, well you can't be here, you need to leave."
"Ok, not so much wandering, as looking. You know, just wandering, looking, stuff like that."
"I'm sorry, you can't be here, you really need to leave."
*ok, how long can we stall until Gaga needs to use this elevator?*
"Well, um, we can't leave, because all the doors are locked and we can't get out."
"Really? Hm, well, hold on." The lady scampers off and finds somebody else.
"Alright, you can leave by going out this way."
"No, we tried that."
"It works now."
"But we can't, you know, wander and look for people if we leave."
"You need to leave."
"BUT WE HAVE SALAD AND PIZZA!"
"Come on."
*grumble*
And, before you know it, we were on the street with the commoners. A small crowd had gathered to wait for Lady Gaga to appear. The waiting wasn't too bad, we chatted with Dave Barber (you either know who he is or you don't), some other Gaga fans, and then eventually, two black SUVs rolled up and, wouldn't you know it, Lady Gaga was looking out the window of one of them. Just checking things out, looking around. People freaked. Then, 3 seconds later, cars were parked, Gaga was in the building, and that was that. 3 seconds. Unbelievable.
What were we going to do for 2 hours? We weren't allowed back in until the press conference and none of us had anywhere else to go, so we just stood there, walked around a bit, and stood there. Seriously. For 2 hours.
At 2:30 things started to get crazy again. Press had showed up for the press conference and were lined up by the front door. Fans, without press badges, were lined up where Lady Gaga's cars were parked. Where would she show? It was a decision that, unfortunately, I didn't make well. I chose to go inside with the press in hopes of seeing her, but that was right as Lady Gaga left out the back, completely ignoring the press, left out the back, stopping and signing autographs and shaking hands with all of the fans.
Oops! Oh well, life is full of choices, sometimes you get lucky and other times you don't.
The press conference was meh. The CEO of Polaroid was there, that was neat, and so was another head honcho, and they did reveal the photo of Gaga they took during the photo shoot, but most of the reporters were miffed that Gaga never showed up for the press conference. I was a bit miffed as well.
The impression I was left with is that Polaroid appears to be using Lady Gaga to bring in the cameras, then hiding her and announcing new and exciting products that, in the long run, will probably not save the twice-bankrupt company.
Harsh, I know, but we'll let Polaroid try to prove me wrong.
Miniature Rafflesia
If you go to Sarawak. it is worthwhile to head to Gunong Gading. Gading is the home to numerous rare plants including the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia tuan-mudae (bunga pakma) At full bloom this giant flower streches nearly one meter in width. Unfortunately when I went to Lundu, it wasn't the flowering season. The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower"
My friend in Singapore grew this miniature rafflesia. She says it has a distinct odor but not overpowering as the real Rafflesia.
Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. It was discovered in the Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Chladni Day - June 29
More on Chladni at this link, much more.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Blanco Quote ; 12
F-ck SNL and the whole cast
Tell ‘em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole--Kanye West..
Diddy V.s Curtis... What's Really Good?
_____________________________________________________________________
Not sure what's going on with this new "Beef" but apparently Fif is still salty with Rick Ross so he's taking shots at Diddy.. This one is hilarious and I don't think anybody really cares what happens but it's funny to see Diddy drunk taking shots.. either way both dudes got money so neither one will lose anything behind this. Diddy basically has stock in BET/MTV and 50 is set for life not mention they both have their separate fan bases so it's kinda whatever..
My BET AWARD WRAP UP.....
Ok while the show was all that rememberable it had it's highs and lows so I'll just touch on my favorite portions of the show...
First Off Kanye West aka the Louie Vuitton Don graced us with his comeback and new single "Power".. I was in love with the song from when it first leaked however the performance along with BET censorship made me less interested in what Ye was trying to say... I'm glad he came, performed and left the building.. I know his new album "Good Ass Job" is gonna be EPIC.. Welcome Back Kanye...
Well Nicki Minaj was show stopping last night getting compared to everybody from Lady Gaga to Wilma Flintstone... lol I can't even hate she was the "it" girl last night from her fashions to her banging body.. Her amazing looks made up for her lackluster performances as it was rumored she was "lip singing" the entire night which she later denied. Whatever the case she took home big prizes in "Best New Artist" and "Female Hip/Hop Artist" along with Young Money for "Best Group"... She also sent a shout out to All The Females who paved the way for her career which may or may not be a subliminal message to her haters (Kim/Keys)..
In what was the greatest performance of the night in my opinion came in the form of Public Enemy #1 Chris Brown. After a year of ridicule, black-balling, low record sells, and shut out of a country Chris Brown made his triumph return to the main stage when he gave the Michael Jackson tribute that was long over due.. He literally brought the house down through his dancing and uncanny style and flare of the Michael Jackson we all know and love. (R.I.P)... He ended it with an emotional breakdown which received high praise from lots of his industry peers. #TEAMBREEZY.
In Other BET Award news...Va's Own Trey Songz who happens to be debuting his Reality show tonight on BET took home high honors for "Best Male R&B artist" Good Look Songz..
A Pregnant Alicia Keys was having sexual relations with a piano during the Prince Tribute. poor baby..
Patti Labelle proved age is nothing but a number as her movements was described from everything to the Stanky leg to the Dougie... She still kicking them shoes off... lol..
Drake had a decent performance nothing over the top kinda wished he would have performed "Fancy"
El DeBarge brought it back for #TeamLightskinned last night and I was thoroughly happy about that...
Overall The Awards were decent nothing over the top happened except for Diddy's drunkeness at the "afterparty" but a good show nonetheless... It appears Jay-Z/Beyonce/Rihanna were all absent which I hope was not due to the appearance of Chris Brown...
A-Z Food Fun: W for waxed ducks
For more A-Z Food fun, visit Jen @ http://unglazed.blogspot.com/
A-Z on Monday~~Letter W
Welcome to A-Z on Monday
where the alphabet gets tastier
every week!
When I was little, Dad and Mum used to buy this preserved ducks called waxed ducks. They were not really waxed but wind and sun dried. In order to dry them well, they are flatten like a disc.
It is very salty and you cut them into little pieces. The savoury oil drizzled in white rice makes the plain steamed white a very delicious flavoured rice. A little piece of duck meat goes a long way.
In Borneo, it is available only during Chinese New Year. They also sell these in Singapore, and in any where there are Chinese. There are also waxed Chinese sausages and belly of pork.
We do not buy them in my household. The water engineer doesn't like preservatives.
A-Z on Monday~~Letter W
Welcome to A-Z on Monday
where the alphabet gets tastier
every week!
When I was little, Dad and Mum used to buy this preserved ducks called waxed ducks. They were not really waxed but wind and sun dried. In order to dry them well, they are flatten like a disc.
It is very salty and you cut them into little pieces. The savoury oil drizzled in white rice makes the plain steamed white a very delicious flavoured rice. A little piece of duck meat goes a long way.
In Borneo, it is available only during Chinese New Year. They also sell these in Singapore, and in any where there are Chinese. There are also waxed Chinese sausages and belly of pork.
We do not buy them in my household. The water engineer doesn't like preservatives.
90 Second Reagent Formula Used Below
Here is one reagent formula that I got to work with TMY and Efke. As mentioned before, it is like Quaill's recipe, and with the substitution of lye it is like 55 reagent.
I mix 4 ml HC-110, 15ml soapy ammonia which is ammonium hydroxide 5% in water, and 3 ml Ilford Rapid Fixer concentrate together. The HC-110 is viscous, so I add that in first, then ammonia, then the fixer. To that I mix in a gram or so of dry sodium sulfite. This is supposed to prevent sludge from becoming too extensive. Total development time = 2 minutes at 70F. This is more than enough to process one sheet of 4X5 film. Measure the pH and it should be nearly 10.
Afterward I use a standard hypo clearing agent such as more sodium sulfite mixed according to T55 instructions. You only need a little in water, and you can get by with none at all if you wash the negative thoroughly.
The soapy ammonia wets faster and acts like a photo-flo agent, which you definitely need if you are in the field and want the negative to dry fast without streaks. Another way I have done this is to also substitute the ammonia with 5 grams of sodium hydroxide, but if I do, I mix it in a stainless bowl as it gets hot. The final pH should be 9.4. Sodium hydroxide can be hazardous. Here are typical pH strips, which are needed to properly tune the reagent.
This is not our final formula as there is considerable change in the rate of development when used with a DTR process, but it will produce a negative in a hurry. There is a long experiment planned that would zero in on the right time, mix and receiver sheet that has been discussed at length in this blog. Also the above formula may be apparent to anyone who has read the earlier posts.
I mix 4 ml HC-110, 15ml soapy ammonia which is ammonium hydroxide 5% in water, and 3 ml Ilford Rapid Fixer concentrate together. The HC-110 is viscous, so I add that in first, then ammonia, then the fixer. To that I mix in a gram or so of dry sodium sulfite. This is supposed to prevent sludge from becoming too extensive. Total development time = 2 minutes at 70F. This is more than enough to process one sheet of 4X5 film. Measure the pH and it should be nearly 10.
Afterward I use a standard hypo clearing agent such as more sodium sulfite mixed according to T55 instructions. You only need a little in water, and you can get by with none at all if you wash the negative thoroughly.
The soapy ammonia wets faster and acts like a photo-flo agent, which you definitely need if you are in the field and want the negative to dry fast without streaks. Another way I have done this is to also substitute the ammonia with 5 grams of sodium hydroxide, but if I do, I mix it in a stainless bowl as it gets hot. The final pH should be 9.4. Sodium hydroxide can be hazardous. Here are typical pH strips, which are needed to properly tune the reagent.
I do not recommend that you mix these chemicals unless you have adequate training, wear a face shield and gloves, and have proper equipment. Absolutely do not get any chemicals on your hands or in your eyes. Caustic materials such as sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide are common in many detergent and even food processing formulas, but usually in very dilute, weak concentrations. Here I am using more concentrated forms.
This is not our final formula as there is considerable change in the rate of development when used with a DTR process, but it will produce a negative in a hurry. There is a long experiment planned that would zero in on the right time, mix and receiver sheet that has been discussed at length in this blog. Also the above formula may be apparent to anyone who has read the earlier posts.
Macro Flowers: Hibiscus
Thank you Maia.
I am joining this meme for the first time. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid. My Dad's favourite flower. It gives me warm fuzzy feeling everytime I see this flower.
Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.
First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.
Macro Flower Saturday
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thieves!
Today is "fix my bike so I can get to work day." More about biking to work later, but for now, listen to this. I started my day off by heading to Economy Hardware and the bike shop to get some metal epoxy and a screw for my rack on my bike. The weight of my bag is taking its toll and I have to use my 3 years of mechanical engineering education at MIT to duct tape, epoxy, and bolt it back together to reinforce it.
On the way to the hardware store I stopped by my bike (which I keep locked up outside) and, lo and behold, the back bag was open, my track jacket was on the ground, and everything looked rather rummaged through. Wonderful. Damage done? Extra tire tube was stolen, along with my bike pump and patch kit. I was not thrilled. But, I can't really get too angry because I don't lock my bag up, mostly out of convenience. I can see now that that habit has to change. But, even with a locked bag, the bag is still only velcroed to the rack, how do I prevent them from stealing the whole bag? Affix it to the bike rack? Cable lock?
Anyway, both Economy Hardware and the bike store were closed until noonish. Now my trip to Economy will include the purchase of a new tube and new bike pump, a nice little $40 expenditure I didn't expect, perfect way to start my week. The trip to Economy will now include the purchase of a small lock for the bag.
But, like I said, it was my fault, and to give whoever stole them some credit, they did leave my track jacket, chain oil, and tire inflation can in the bag. They just went after the emergency flat materials, meaning they probably needed them. I'm making enough money this summer that I can afford to replace what was lost, but still, it's not fun.
Also, the bike gets parked inside from now on. Maybe. It'll be a bit of a hassle, not sure it'll be worth it if I'm locking everything, but it may.
Thieves!
Today is "fix my bike so I can get to work day." More about biking to work later, but for now, listen to this. I started my day off by heading to Economy Hardware and the bike shop to get some metal epoxy and a screw for my rack on my bike. The weight of my bag is taking its toll and I have to use my 3 years of mechanical engineering education at MIT to duct tape, epoxy, and bolt it back together to reinforce it.
On the way to the hardware store I stopped by my bike (which I keep locked up outside) and, lo and behold, the back bag was open, my track jacket was on the ground, and everything looked rather rummaged through. Wonderful. Damage done? Extra tire tube was stolen, along with my bike pump and patch kit. I was not thrilled. But, I can't really get too angry because I don't lock my bag up, mostly out of convenience. I can see now that that habit has to change. But, even with a locked bag, the bag is still only velcroed to the rack, how do I prevent them from stealing the whole bag? Affix it to the bike rack? Cable lock?
Anyway, both Economy Hardware and the bike store were closed until noonish. Now my trip to Economy will include the purchase of a new tube and new bike pump, a nice little $40 expenditure I didn't expect, perfect way to start my week. The trip to Economy will now include the purchase of a small lock for the bag.
But, like I said, it was my fault, and to give whoever stole them some credit, they did leave my track jacket, chain oil, and tire inflation can in the bag. They just went after the emergency flat materials, meaning they probably needed them. I'm making enough money this summer that I can afford to replace what was lost, but still, it's not fun.
Also, the bike gets parked inside from now on. Maybe. It'll be a bit of a hassle, not sure it'll be worth it if I'm locking everything, but it may.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Back to the personal blog!
Hey, it's only been what, a million years since I've done any real writing for this blog, right? Well, that's about to change (yay!) and I'm about to start updating again regularly (or as regularly as I can). What I discovered is, while writing for my MIT Blog, it became very very difficult to update this one. I don't know if you've tried to maintain two blogs but, well, I have now, and it wasn't exactly successful. So we're back to this one again after a few years of hiatus, and I'm glad.
I don't have a whole lot now, this is mostly an "I'm back," but look for stuff coming in the future. A lot has changed with me since I last wrote in this blog, I'm a different person. I've experienced three years of college (hard college), Web 2.0 has blossomed into a tweet-erific, reddit-tastic, farmville nightmare. So much of what I could write in here is probably already posted elsewhere on the internet, everything travels so quickly, so I'm left with a question:
Do I repost cool stuff that I find?
Do I write original content?
My time at MIT, if it's done anything at all, has certainly hurt my creative writing ability. Everything is so technical that, even with classes designed to prod the creative part of my brain, my ability to "write entertaining things for fun" has vastly diminished. This makes me sad. Maybe starting to write for fun again will help nurture my dying creativity. In order for this to happen, I'm leaning towards "write original content." This could be hard, because I've already filled this blog with so much original content that, with any more, well, you may know more about me than I do. Maybe not. Like I said, a lot has happened in three years, and this could be a good chance for you to get to know me again.
One thing vastly different between this blog and my MIT blog is the readership and what each was trying to accomplish. Everything I wrote at MIT was looked at with a critical eye, picked apart, and many times flung right back at me (maliciously at times). Here, there are no rules, no stigmas, and the people reading will probably not consist of nearly as many current students. I'd like to get back to my previous reader base, the wild wild users of the internet that DON'T live on the same campus as I do. I like anonymous strangers reading my stuff, it's pleasant.
So there, a quick welcome back and some thoughts. Are you ready? I am.
Back to the personal blog!
Hey, it's only been what, a million years since I've done any real writing for this blog, right? Well, that's about to change (yay!) and I'm about to start updating again regularly (or as regularly as I can). What I discovered is, while writing for my MIT Blog, it became very very difficult to update this one. I don't know if you've tried to maintain two blogs but, well, I have now, and it wasn't exactly successful. So we're back to this one again after a few years of hiatus, and I'm glad.
I don't have a whole lot now, this is mostly an "I'm back," but look for stuff coming in the future. A lot has changed with me since I last wrote in this blog, I'm a different person. I've experienced three years of college (hard college), Web 2.0 has blossomed into a tweet-erific, reddit-tastic, farmville nightmare. So much of what I could write in here is probably already posted elsewhere on the internet, everything travels so quickly, so I'm left with a question:
Do I repost cool stuff that I find?
Do I write original content?
My time at MIT, if it's done anything at all, has certainly hurt my creative writing ability. Everything is so technical that, even with classes designed to prod the creative part of my brain, my ability to "write entertaining things for fun" has vastly diminished. This makes me sad. Maybe starting to write for fun again will help nurture my dying creativity. In order for this to happen, I'm leaning towards "write original content." This could be hard, because I've already filled this blog with so much original content that, with any more, well, you may know more about me than I do. Maybe not. Like I said, a lot has happened in three years, and this could be a good chance for you to get to know me again.
One thing vastly different between this blog and my MIT blog is the readership and what each was trying to accomplish. Everything I wrote at MIT was looked at with a critical eye, picked apart, and many times flung right back at me (maliciously at times). Here, there are no rules, no stigmas, and the people reading will probably not consist of nearly as many current students. I'd like to get back to my previous reader base, the wild wild users of the internet that DON'T live on the same campus as I do. I like anonymous strangers reading my stuff, it's pleasant.
So there, a quick welcome back and some thoughts. Are you ready? I am.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Beauti Worst Punk Haircut Footballer Image
Beauti Worst Punk Haircut Footballer Imagewhats the worst haircut that you've ever had? At the time you might think it was trendy at the time but looking back you think oh my god i looked like. I had a pudding bowl haircut until I was about 12. That is, a completely straight fringe line - it wasn't literally done with a bowl. Painful memories from looking at old photo albums.
Hair Punk From Edgar Davids Footballer
Hair Punk From Edgar Davids FootballerHis dreadlocked hair punk and his protective eye wear made Davids one of the most recognizable footballers of his generation. Davids was one of the players chosen by Pelé to be featured in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living footballers.Personal informationFull name Edgar Steven DavidsDate of birth 13 March 1973 (age 37)Place of birth
Hair Just Crazy Footballer Image
Hair Just Crazy Footballer ImageIf you don't like football you can tell us about your team that plays another sport!
Top Worst Hair Footballer Pictures
Top Worst Hair Footballer PicturesInspired hair we bring you some of the more interesting hairstyles past and present in the world of football. facial hair is probably a whole different contest! But I would agree on that assessment. that have been well documented...have certainly not done the manager or the players any favours.
R.I.P... To The Greatest.. MJ
This man's legacy speaks for itself.. One Year Ago we lost one of the greatest musical persona's known to man. His music will live on through the generations and today we celebrate his life...
R.I.P MJ
I think these are fairly good for 90 seconds
A total of only about 2 ounces, just poured in, and the Efke 25 negatives were exposed to light 90 seconds after pouring in the concentrate. The top image is a DTR attempt using an absorbent sponge. Where the concentrate did penetrate, development was nearly complete, which means only a thin film of reagent like this is needed. Well, we knew that, right?
The bottom image is a partially submerged concentrate with no sponge, used as a control. The slope of the Paterson is responsible for the gradient from left to right, and the white areas on both are the consequence of exposing the negatives to room light then watching, and timing, the change to black with the remaining reagent. Time to black was about 30 seconds.
This is a very rapid reagent, and useful for our system. Click on the images to see details. Note the dendritic shapes around the sponge, which are a consequence of wetting action, as well as the mottled action, also characteristic of a kitchen sponge. Also note there are some good spots.
I see no gross solarization on the can, even though after 90 seconds there was reagent on it in bright room light. For that reason, I conclude that we have met the 2 minute requirement with room to spare, even with minimal amounts of reagent. You cannot see what I am reporting without clicking on the images, and I can see how few anonymous visitors actually do click on the images, so please be one of them.
This is vacation time for many and I will leave you to the beach, or the mountains, for a couple of weeks while I focus on Soundwave Research and AMBIT Corp.
Back soon - enjoy Summer, and the long golden hours.
This is the 121st post on this blog. They sure do add up.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Causa: Food from Peru
At the end of every term, in our adult ESOL school at Mt Albert Baptist School, we encourage our students to bring something of their home for a shared lunch.
My student Felicitas from Peru brought Causa. I asked her to explain to the other students. She made a potatoes mash filled with tuna and avocado. The potatoes were layered like a giant sandwich.
Ingredients:
1kg potatoes (yellow, if available)
½ cup vegetable oil
1 lemon juice
1 can of tuna-fish
½ onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 avocado
parsley and chopped hard boiled eggs for decoration
Salt
This is a very beautiful and delicious dish to take to a pot luck aka bring a plate. It is economical, and you can have your own version of minced beef, lamb or chicken.
I Love Being A Barber!!!!!!!!!!
The Top "5" reasons not to buy a Iphone...(lol)
No. 5: A Skimpy Camera
| Popular Stories on Yahoo!: • New Hollywood Piracy Threat • $75 Million Mansion Lacks Basics • Obama Mortgage Plan in Trouble More from Yahoo! Finance |
This will be a bigger point of contention this week when Verizon (VZ - News) and Motorola unveil the Droid X Wednesday, the newest Google (GOOG - News) Android phone, which features an 8-megapixel camera. Android phone giant HTC has also been generous with 8-megapixel cameras in its Droid Incredible and Sprint's (S - News) EVO.
Meanwhile, Apple, always the laggard in cameras, won't enter the 8-megapixel class until next year when it debuts a sweet Sony (SNE - News) camera in its 2011 iPhone. But by then, who knows where the rest of the pack will be?
No. 4: No Swype
If you've seen Swype or used it, you know why this omission makes the list. Typing on a touchscreen is a challenge as the flat glass surface offers few clues to where your fat fingers are precisely making contact. It's an error-prone process that gives one a longing for the raised keys of the BlackBerry keyboard from Research In Motion (RIMM - News).But the Swype keypad software helps tame the new medium. Swype follows the pattern of your finger movements to type words or predict words without the usual hunting and pecking.
Apple did wonders with the touchscreen, but Swype makes it more useful for those among us who like to type.
No. 3: Video Calling
Okay, it's not totally bait and switch, but Apple's hot new iPhone video calling feature, FaceTime, comes with lots of asterisks and a limited applicability.Say you want to video chat with someone using the Apple iPhone 4. That someone has to have a WiFi connection and he has to use the same application on his own iPhone 4. You're looking at a small club of people -- not exactly an application of global Skype-like proportions
.
No. 2: iPhone 4 Shortages
Strong demand is only half the story for Apple's iPhone sales debut. Limited supply is the other. A shortage of in-plane display panels, the crucial part of Apple's touted retina display screens, has forced Apple's contract manufacturers to cut production rates in half to 1 million iPhones a month.This means there won't be enough iPhones on hand to meet the presumably high demand. Though it's not a terrible problem to have if you are a gadget maker, sellouts and delivery delays will mar Apple's big iPhone 4 debut. The frustration could push buyers toward other phones.
No. 1: No Verizon iPhone.
A new iPhone is big. But a new iPhone at Verizon? Much bigger.Apple's exclusive partnership with AT&T (T - News) has been a point of discord among iPhone owners and it has tarnished the public perception of both companies. It also has done almost nothing for AT&T's stock.
Investors have been waiting for the Verizon iPhone. But that's apparently not going to happen until next year, if ever.
So Apple fans who want the new iPhone have to lock in for another two years with AT&T. This scenario is not particularly pleasant considering that AT&T's new subscriber plans put penalties on people (like iPhone users) who happen to be heavy data users.
{Throwback} It Never Rains In Southern California...
Tony! Toni! Tone! were one of the best groups back in the 90's thought I'd throw this on cause song was stuck in my head this morning, not to mention I wish it would rain here in Va.. It's like Hell threw up outside.. smh
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
J.Cole - Who Dat [Video]
Really anticipating J.Cole and what he has in store for his debut album. On a recent episode of 106 and Park Cole stated he had no guest appearances which is something very rare in hip hop nowadays. I expect great things from the 1st Roc Nation signee...
Saga seeds,
Adenanthera pavonina Family : Leguminosae Common name : Coral Tree, Red Sandalwood, These little red seeds have heart shapes, so here they are for you, Cheryl.
We call them love seeds, and in Chinese, it is Hsaing Si Dou or lovesick bean. Children collect them and they look very pretty in a glass jar.
Among teenagers, if a boy gives you a saga seed, it means he loves you. If you don't want to reciprocate, you better not accept it. Alas for me, nobody had ever given me any, so I make my kids help me pick them.
If you are wondering where I found them, they were at Sentosa Islands, and also near to the hippos area of the Singapore Zoo.
They grow in pods, and disperse the seeds and leave behind this dry pod.
If you still can't find them, head to Terminal three of the Changi airport. They have a giant seed there. When I was in Singapore, the Singapore Science centre was asking visitors to donate seeds. I think they were aiming to collect one million seeds.
The Singapore Science Centre has probably the largest collection of saga seed in the world. It is displayed as an exhibit in the MATHEMAGIC Exhibition. The aim of this particular exhibit is to illustrate the magnitude of "one million" to the visitors. To date, some 300,000 saga seeds had been collected. More seeds are needed to fill the container. Help from the public is required to complete the collection of 1,00,000 saga seeds. Please sent your collection of saga seeds (irrespective of large or small number) to:
Officer-in-Charge
Saga Seeds Collection
Singapore Science Centre
Science Centre Road
Singapore 609081
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Blanco Quote ; 11
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.---Drake..
Monday, June 21, 2010
cacti flower
My daughter's little cacti plant has a lovely flower. The cacti is the size of a hen's egg, and the flower is less than 1/3 inch in diameter.
The Boondocks Ep. 8.. The Madea Parody...lol
Hate It Love It... Those shots to Tyler Perry were hilarious... I recently purchased "The Boondocks Season 1" on dvd...I really need to catch up..
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Cooking in a simulated volcano.
Ben showed the American version of cooking with a volcano.http://streetpolo.blogspot.com/2010/06/z-munchin-monday-way-early-v.html
In New Zealand, our natives, the Maoris have adapted thei version of volcano cooking called the Hangi.
Cooking for a storm, chicken, pork, mutton, potato, kumara, pumpkin, cabbage, wholesome food cooked on site. Food wrapped in paper and alumnium foil placed in a basket and steamed in the ground for hours from hot stones.
The Maoris got this idea of a hangi from the hot thermal volcanic grounds where eggs can be boiled by lowering into thermal pools. In a Hangi, a big pit or more than one square yard is dug in the ground. Timber is burned, and stones are heated. The baskets of food are put into the pit and covered with jute sacks. Dirt is dug on top of the pit. The food takes a few hours to cook. It looks like a smoking volcano.
For more A-Z Food fun,
A-Z on Monday~~Letter For more A-Z Food fun, visit Jen @ http://unglazed.blogspot.com/
A-Z on Monday~~Letter V ">http://unglazed.blogspot.com/
A-Z on Monday~~Letter U
In New Zealand, our natives, the Maoris have adapted thei version of volcano cooking called the Hangi.
I was teaching my ESOL adult students what a Hangi is.
I was pleasantly surprised that In South America, they also cook food in a similar way. In Peru, Felecites tells me they call it Pachamanca, and in Chile, Monica says they call it Curanto. My Samoa students call it Umu.
In my other blog, annkschin.blogspot.com, I wrote about Hangis and my book, Mail order Bride., and short story, Nadine in various posts, but I didn't have a closeup photo. Here I am fortunate that Ngarimu's cousin invited me to take as many photos as I wanted.
Here are pix of the hot pit.
Cooking for a storm, chicken, pork, mutton, potato, kumara, pumpkin, cabbage, wholesome food cooked on site. Food wrapped in paper and alumnium foil placed in a basket and steamed in the ground for hours from hot stones.
The Maoris got this idea of a hangi from the hot thermal volcanic grounds where eggs can be boiled by lowering into thermal pools. In a Hangi, a big pit or more than one square yard is dug in the ground. Timber is burned, and stones are heated. The baskets of food are put into the pit and covered with jute sacks. Dirt is dug on top of the pit. The food takes a few hours to cook. It looks like a smoking volcano.
For more A-Z Food fun,
A-Z on Monday~~Letter For more A-Z Food fun, visit Jen @ http://unglazed.blogspot.com/
A-Z on Monday~~Letter V ">http://unglazed.blogspot.com/
A-Z on Monday~~Letter U
Potatoheart - Tobias Feltus
Fellow Speed Graphic aficionado Tobias Feltus walks us through the iterative process of making images assisted by instant photographic materials, in this case FP-100. The seemingly quaint Speed Graphic is an essential tool of many analog photographers, and it is quite fortunate for us that Graflex manufactured them by the millions, as we are assured an adequate supply out to at least 2100. These 60 and 70 year old boxes may need a little bit of fixing up from time to time, but should last indefinitely. Here is a most realistic and satisfying presentation of artistic use of such a camera, and the overall process of making Potatoheart.
Sibu aka Sibau fruit
I was born in Sibu, in Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
Sibu was named after the local Sibau fruit. This fruit is similar to the hairy rambutan fruit that people cultivate. The Sibau fruit is a wild tree that grows in the jungle.
The natives pick them and sell them at the road side stalls. My grand dad did a lot of trade with the natives in upper Rejang river and we exchanged the Sibau fruits with Grand dad's grocery and other items like fish hooks and sinkers. It looks like an egg size hedge hog. The skin is thick and you open the fruit with a twist.
One day when I was living in Singapore, I saw the fruits in the market. I was full of nostalgia and bought some and shared my joy with my neighbours. They have never seen a fruit like this.
Ten years later, it has become a fashionable fruit tree. In West Malaysia, people were growing them in their back yard, and the markets in Singapore were selling a lot of them. Most people didn't however know what its name is. Of course, it is a grafted type, and the fruits are much bigger than the jungle ones.
In West Malaysia, they call it the Pulasan which in Malay means twist.
The grafted ones were sweet with a tangy taste but not as nice as the rambutan. When I saw them last July, I bought them for nostalgic reasons. They were also very difficult to twist to open. Full of sap, so I put my hand in a plastic bag, and used a knife to cut it open.
My West Malaysian friend teased me that my Sibu fruit was of inferior quality.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Everything went wrong, but...
Anyway Efke 25 4X5 sheet film, here shown processed in a couple of minutes. By that I mean processed with a monobath/reagent that works fast, and no presoak, nothing much except a final wash in sodium sulfite to get the hypo out, just like we do with 55, and a splash of Poland Springs bottled water. I used the Paterson Orbital tank and a very small amount of #3, but this can all be incorporated into a sleeve or holder that could be taken to a location, shot, and processed on the spot. Click to enlarge it. Click it again if you have to. Look under the tree.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Bamboo leaves and Zhung Zhi
This is a post of Tradition and nostalgia. The Zhungzi or zhung in my Cantonese dialect or commonly known in Singapore and Malaysia as Bak Zhang is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Through the years in South East Asia, it has morphed into the Nyonya Zhung where the fragrant pandan leaf has been used to impart it's fragrance.
We ate this every year on the Lunar fifth of May, and we helped Mum wrap this difficult dumpling. I can make it but I am a lazy person, so I have not made it as an adult.
The History behind this dumpling and the Dragon boat festival associated with is Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu jumped to the sea when he was frustrated that the king did not listen to his advice. After his death, the people realized that the king had made a great error by not listening to him. By then it was too late, they threw rice into the sea so that the fish would not eat his body. The banging of drums on the dragon boats was to scare the fish away.
These days you can buy the tetrahedral shaped zhungzi throughout the year. My traditional Cantonese ones are rectangular shape like a pillow. My two older sisters Rose and Elizabeth can make them. Alas for me, too many decades away from home and combined with laziness, this tradition has died with me. I think I can make the tetrahedral shape of my mother in law, if I tried. They use a special kind of bamboo leaf which my mum grew in her garden. Most people buy from imported from China. The Vietnamese call this Elephant bamboo.
On Wednesday, just as I was about to start my Adult ESOL class, the ESOL administrator, my friend C gave me a pack and she had made some Zhungzi. I have forgotten it was the festival again. During the class, I was discussing with the class about lunch, and they talked about rice. We talked about the different ways of eating rice. A student brought up the dumpling made of sticky rice. My friend's Zhungzi came handy. I took them out and showed it to my students from Algeria and Peru.. What is more true than one picture is worthed a thousand words. I only had 4 of them, so I didn't want to let the students sample them.
When Sam saw them, he was very excited. He had not have Zhungzi for 4 years. No prize for guessing who ate most of them. May be I should try to make them.
I took the photo of the bamboo clump when I arrived on the Gold Coast. It was the same one Mum had grown in Borneo. Here where her body lay, they also grown the bamboo which we used to make Zhungzi. We used with without having to boil them as you would have to with the imported ones. The leaves were soft and subtle.
My friend and ex school mate http://sarawakianaii.blogspot.com/2010/06/zhongzie-remembering-chu-yuan.html
has written about this festival. You may like to read about it.
Still Wanted: Paterson Orbital, with the Motor
I did get one of these, and have just observed an apparent speed increase of the Efke 25 in Reagent 3 using it. That's OK but I would really like to get another one, and the motor base. Or, just a motor base. Maybe I could make a motor base. Will trade actual money for this item.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
chamomile tea
When I was growing up in Borneo, Grand dad and mum used to brew up big pots of herbal tea. They were bitter and dark looking concoction. We were told the hot tropical Borneo can make one sick. I didn't like it, but I listened a drank them by the bowlful. There were other brew like flu brew, duck feet cha, and we even went round the neighbourhood collecting herbs.
Gone were those days, I have become my own mum. Some times I go to the Chinese grocery store and brew some Buddha's fruit when my cough won't go away.
Now, I make cups of chamomile tea. It is supposed to be soothing and calming and helps you go to sleep. I just drink the mild bitter tea and think of my Mum and Grand dad.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Park Street Ice Cream
The Paterson Orbital processor arrived today in great shape, ready to hasten the selection of materials, time and reagents, as well as film choices for new field processable 4x5 black and white negatives. Having a fast, daylight tank that doesn't use gallons of chemicals is a relief.
It's too bad Paterson stopped producing this product. On the embossed surface, it is marked "patent applied for" but I haven't spotted it yet online. Perhaps Paterson decided it wasn't worth it, or maybe the claims were so narrow that it hardly mattered. One has to go on ebay and buy from someone in England to get one, and the postage is very expensive.
Image: Park Street Ice Cream, Natick MA, on a Summer evening. Click to enlarge.
The Celeb Side Of Social Networks...[I agree!!!]
A excerpt. from Queen Latifah's Upscale Interview:
She also explained why she is wary of social networks:When I meet someone I want to enjoy the moment of connecting with them. If they’re scrambling to get a picture to post on twitter, they’re losing the memory by missing the moment. Real life and social networking are not the same. I’m in a hotel room right now looking out at Central Park. The people out there are living life, playing soccer. Do I want to kick the ball? Or take a picture of it? I want to kick it
Monday, June 14, 2010
U for unpolished red rice
I have a relatively new blogger friend Mildred, we share similar interests in food and flowers and good songs. On her Saturday post, she had on U-tube the beautiful voice of Alan Jackson. I was feeling a bit down with a long nagging flu that won't go away and the gloomy weather. Jackson's songs uplifted me with his "In the Garden." Thank you Mildred.
In Mildred's post today, she had and ABC of food meme. I thought this is just up my alley. I have just started this new blog of food and flowers. It is great to have blogger friends with the same interests.
http://yellanmildred.blogspot.com/2010/06/in-garden.html
http://yellanmildred.blogspot.com/2010/06/unstuffed-mushroom-dipa-z-food-monday.html
For more A-Z Food fun, visit Jen @ http://unglazed.blogspot.com/
A-Z on Monday~~Letter U
Welcome to A-Z on Monday
where the alphabet gets tastier
every week!
As an Ethnic Chinese I grew up eating rice, rice and more rice. People say eating rice won't make you fat, but this is not true. It depends on what you eta with the rice. I have never been match stick thin, and in Asia, I am considered fat. But here in New Zealand, it feels good when there are more people who tilt the scale more than you.
Rice and whole grains are healthful sources of carbohydrates, providing you choose the right ones. Try adding the following varieties to your holiday table - each provides nutritional benefits as well as flavor and texture.
For rice dishes: Experiment with brown, basmati, jasmine and wild rice, all healthier options than traditional white rice. My brother in law Kallang comes from the Bario Highlands, they grow a very good Bario rice, and people who have tasted this rice swear by it.
Look for organic varieties, and keep them stored in tightly sealed jars on the pantry shelf. During very hot, humid weather you might want to refrigerate the grains.
When I was in Singapore, I used to entertain quite a bit or have pot luck meals with my friends. I made this at one of the lunches with our friends in Nanyang technological University where I lived for 16 years. It was WOWed and they wanted the recipe and it is such a healthy dish.
BROWN RICE SALAD
1 cup cooked brown or red (from NTUC or Liberty)rice
1/4 cup chopped spring onions
1/4 cup of red onion, diced (optional for colour)
1 red or yellow pepper, diced
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 cup. cashew nuts
2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. soy sauce dressing
Toss thoroughly.
Optional: sweet corn kernels
peas
diced green pepper
diced celery
pine nuts
for a non vegetarian salad, boiled eggs, chicken, ham may be added.
SOY SAUCE DRESSING:
3/4 c. oil (sunflower or soy)
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper for taste
Put all ingredients in jar; shake well. Makes 1 cup.
Serves 6 to 8.
I couldn't find a photo of this rice salad. The photo shows the boiled red rice we ate in Singapore. My son and I made the cake one year for the man in the house birthday.
Camellias
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are native to eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia.
It grows in Auckland, and blooms in late autumn. There are white, pink and red ones. They don't seem to bloom every year, as the plant in my garden failed to produce a single bloom.
This was taken when there was heavy rain, and the groun was covered by camellia confetti.
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