Monday, February 23, 2009

A song I still love

Sometimes I hear a song that I haven't heard in years and wonder "Why have I not heard it in years?" This Mortal Coil's cover of this song is much more wonderful than the original. Sorry, Tim. Also, how amazing is Elizabeth Fraser?




Link

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Emojis, when letters just won't cut it

There's an app that unlocks the hidden emojis on iPhones not sold in Japan. I love them because 1) they're adorable, 2) they're prettier than letters, and 3) PICTIONARY.

Below is tonight's conversation with Ross*.

an exchange with ross

*I love my buddy Ross because he humors during moments like these.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

It's all about me

On Facebook, there's this pass-it-on kind of list where you write 25 random facts about yourself and then tag 25 of your friends and they return the favor. I ignored it at first, dismissing it as another bad survey a la MySpace, but I've actually found out a lot about friends that I didn't know before. Strange as it sounds, I felt a little closer to my buddies.

So, I took some time and compiled my own. It falls in line with my resolution to make more lists this year. See below.

1. I have a hard time giving out details of my life to people, except if it's about something I've eaten or somewhere I've been. In those cases, I'll go into detail and provide photos. This list will be an exercise in self-disclosure for sure.

2. I've really never felt proud of my country until last year, when I was moved to tears.

3. I still think about going back to school to become a biologist; biology intrigues and amazes me ceaselessly.

4. Sometimes I dream about winning the lottery. Then I'd take the money, buy an apartment building, live in one of the units and rent out the rest. Maybe I'd knock out the walls between two units and make myself one big one. It would provide a place to live as well as a steady income. Is that weird...or totally rational?

5. I've done the Master Cleanse once before and am considering it again soon. I like the taste of the spicy lemonade and enjoy the challenge. What I don't like are the salt flushes. I won't go into detail here.

6. I haven't had cable since the late 90's. I have to rely on friends or online video services to catch up on the cable shows I enjoy like Top Chef and Project Runway. BTW, anyone know when (if ever) the new PR will be on next?

7. Speaking of which, Jeopardy! is my favorite show of all time. I'll sometimes plan my night around it. I can do without the short one-on-ones with the contestants. I'm usually embarrassed by the trivial (ha!) stories they tell. Also, note to self: brush up on Shakespeare trivia.

8. I wish I could sing, if only so I could do karaoke. (I'd want to do Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' "Islands in the Stream")

9. "Have I grown up yet?" is a question I ask myself often. I don't really feel 30 or anywhere close to it. I know I'm an adult by definition but feel strange when someone refers to me as one.

10. I don't drink and feel like it's a social handicap so I've made it one of my new year's resolutions to start. Patrick's been helping me but it hasn't really happened yet.

11. I love gadgets and electronics. LOVE. I couldn't/don't want to imagine life without my phone, laptop, tv, camera, etc.

12. I'm allergic to a lot of foods but still eat them anyway. I enjoy food and won't let a few hives get in the way of my pleasure. Watermelon makes my throat close up, but it's SO refreshing.

13. I miss Barcelona to death and can't wait until I'm there again. I think it's incredibly romantic. It's also very beautiful and has tons of history. Barcelona is easily my favorite city and inspired me to relearn Spanish (though Latin Spanish, via tapes). I'm also going to learn to make paella.

14. On the other hand, I was disappoint with my trip to China. If it wasn't for the amazing man-made and natural structures, I would not have ever stepped out into the VERY polluted air. The food we had wasn't that great, which I was looking forward to.

15. The longest job I had was at Johnny Rockets (over 5 years) as a server in downtown San Jose while in college. I worked short hours, made good tips, and had hamburgers and shakes all day. For five years.

16. I've been a cook, a seller of books and clothes (not at the same time), a tutor, a machinist, a server, an intern, a production artist and a graphic designer.

17. I'm grateful to have kept in touch and on occasion reconnected with old friends through social networking sites. Go Web 2.0!

18. I own a house in Sacramento with my sister which we rent out to sorta crappy tenants. I'm looking into getting a place in the city, but it seems a little out of my grasp right now. Come on, lottery. Big money!

19. I keep a community garden plot where I've grown lettuce, zucchini, watermelon, sugar snaps, broccoli, eggplants, bok choy, carrots, etc. Some were more successful than others.

20. I can't stand how cute cats are. I'm really bummed out that I developed an allergy to cats, even though I used to have two in a house I rented with Jimmy.

21. I love cooking, but enjoy buying cookware even more. I bought a bunch of stuff so I could prepare a couple dishes for a dinner Christmas eve. Then I spent three hours in bed Christmas morning buying even more online.

22. There's a scar on the bridge of my nose from when I fell when I was six months old. There's also a scar on the pad of my right index finger, but I don't know when or how it got there.

23. Oh my god, I'm almost done. My brain hurts from compiling this list. Are you still reading?

24. I can play the flute, drums, piano (and other keyboardy type instruments), and guitar, but don't because I'm not very good at any of them.

25. I love camping, especially if the camp site is next to water. I love to sit and watch the campfire for hours. I love s'mores. I hate breaking down a tent, though.