cal_reflector

Shootings at Fort Hood

2009-11-06T17:32:09Z

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/06/texas.fort.hood.shootings/index.html

Very very, upsetting. The repercussions for this shooting may become the biggest since 9-11, on American society and especially within the Military. I'm not worried about another Japanese American Internment, but the fact is: the Supreme Court Case which found constitutional FDR's executive order authorizing the Internment remains good law, and that lingers in the back of my mind.

Hopefully, Taiwan will never go to war with the United States.

Spring 2010 Law Class signup

2009-11-05T21:00:24Z

It might be due to the smaller student body, but I've never been at a corporate/academic setting which such streamlined IT services. Both Foxconn and Berkeley fall well short of the user friendliness of USF Law School's online services.

Debated whether to take Corporations or not; for now opted instead for Federal Income Tax, since it is a pre-req to Corporate Taxation, International Taxation and some other courses, whereas Corporations is always available as a California BAR　course. So for now the line up looks like this:

Constitutional Law
Criminal Procedure
Federal Income Tax
Negotiations, Mediation, and Client Counseling Skills (Pass/NP)
Wills and Trusts

16 Units (Max allowed)

Man, what a boring lineup. Federalist Society is hosting this afternoon a debate between a Proponent for the positives of Guantamo Bay and a Critic. Middle Eastern food will be provided. I'm sure it will be a enjoyable experience.

If I were to write a Novel or do NANO

2009-11-04T23:56:19Z

****
The protagonist is a consultant who works for OPIC, which stands for Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a little known federal agency which provides Political Insurance.

For example, an American company wants to set up a business in a country with shaky political stability. They're worried that the foreign Government may freeze currency exchanges, expropriate their investments, even initiate violence against them. OPIC provides insurance against these risks of investing internationally, charging a premium up to 1.5% of the face value of the investment for complete coverage. OPIC also tries to prevent these risks from taking place by negotiating with the foreign countries in question. Due to the volume of American investments abroad in unstable regions, OPIC has an excellent record for payment and is very profitable, with a reserve of $65 billion USD.

The story begins in Guinea, where a worker in a Bauxite mine owned and operated by an American company discovers the richest vein of platinum in the world. Platinum is a strategic resource and essential to many industries and is 20 times as rare as Gold. The news has repercussions around the globe. The Protagonist enters the story when the Ruling Military Junta of Guinea expropriates the Mine and expels the Company for trumped up charges of official bribery, and the American Company claims against OPIC for a staggering sum in the Tens of Billions, threatening the Corporation's long term solvency. The protagonist is sent to investigate the truth of the claims, and if possible to persuade the Junta to negotiate.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry for African Development and Investment, which has become the leading economic force in Africa and has strong ties to many governments in and around Guinea, sees an opportunity and considers encouraging a People's Revolution in order to gain access to the ore. The State Department catches wind and begins to exert overt public pressure upon the Junta to return the Mine, or else. The expropriation becomes a cause celebre in the US as tensions rise domestically and internationally.

The protagonist, who strongly resembles Keifer Sutherland, has to navigate between these pressures while attempting to unearth the truth in a small African nation besieged by external forces and internal strife.
****

If someone can suggest a female partner or heroine for the story, I'm all ears.

Drop in the Bucket

2009-10-29T23:42:00Z

Annnnnnnnnnddddd... some more (but still not all) of that birthday fic I promised you, Aoife-Hime! Including the opening from last time.

Fandom: CCS
Character: Fujitaka, Sonomi
Genre: Chick-flick-ish

****
It was one of the oldest tricks in the Shonen Mangaka's playbook; the infallible fallback that generations of authors--deserted by their muse and hounded by their publishers--have resorted to: One day out of the blue a beautiful girl shows up on your Everyman protagonist's doorsteps and begins to dwell with him. Innumerable fan service opportunities follow, a parade of trips and slips and bumps and shared physical proximity that draws the teen couple inexorably into love...

... A scenario which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the situation Fujitaka found himself in one tranquil Sunday night, after he answered the doorbell that distracted him from his beloved Discovery Channel.

"Termites."

He blinked at the woman in striped suit and black heels standing outside his door with suitcase in tow. "I beg your pardon?"

Sonomi's sighed as though she were being forced to repeat the explanation, even though she was only explaining for the first time. "My mansion has termites. The cleanup will take a week at least and I've been forced to clear out."

"Oh. Well, that's... awfully inconvenient."

He winced when she glared daggers into him. The accusatory look soon faded however as she cradled her arms and averted her gaze; sheepishly, even. Fujitaka had never seen Sonomi Daidouji--the woman said to have the most balls in a boardroom filled with men--look so insecure.

Clearly, there was only one option left to him. "Would you like to come in?"

****

"So you two are living together?"

Fujitaka shut his eyes--sharing the news was harder than he imagined. "We are not. She's just staying until the work on her house is done."

"So you are living together."

"Not in the way you're thinking of." He was too old and wise to be embarrassed this way by his son. "Anyways, I let her have my room. I'll be sleeping in the library the next few days."

"Good thing Sakura just left for their graduation trip."

"And why is that?"

"You two have the house to yourselves for at least a whole week."

Five minutes after he hung up Fujitaka’s mind remained plagued by his son's deadpanned remark. He stood in the aisle of the supermarket and glanced down at the contents of his shopping basket: Moisturizing body soap, small bottle of deep rinse shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush and toothpaste, and other essential feminine toiletries that he'd been tasked with purchasing. Because unlike him, a Professor who only had to teach 11 hours a week, she was a full-time working woman with no time to spare.

The gravity of his situation--the direct result of his rash decision caused by the low light that made her body language seem like pleading the evening before--sank in like a battleship scuttled for an artificial reef.

****

It had been years since Fujitaka lived with a woman.

In the months after Nadesico passed on, Fujitaka slept on the sofa in his book-filled study, the empty space to his right at night too much to ignore. His current move to the couch however was not prompted by grief over a woman no longer here, but a woman who was here in full, and whose presence made herself felt in every corner of the Kinomoto residence: Four pairs of dark business heels in the doorway, fresh aroma from the $12,000 coffee maker in the mornings, and the different fragrance lingering in the bathroom (she always went first).

Objectively, the size of the house and their widely varying schedules granted them room well clear of each other, and yet the signs of an additional body living here could not be ignored. So after living as a widower for so long, Fujitaka could not help but be aware of how Sonomi entered and altered his space and routine.

“Good morning.” He smiled at his housemate as she descended the narrow stairs with briefcase and jacket in hand.

Sonomi reached inside the refrigerator just when he set down two plates of scrambled egg, sausage, hotcakes and a colorful bowl of salad. She glanced at the hot food and then at the plastic bag of sliced bread in her hand—conflict crossed her face before a sound of protest from her stomach betrayed her. Closing the fridge door, she smoothed down her skirt and joined her host at the table. “I never asked you to cook for me.”

“Food tastes better with two people.” He poured coffee for them both. “Besides, quality coffee like this should have a full breakfast to go with it.”

“The best coffee there is.” Sounding pleased but otherwise not showing it, she began to eat.

****

It had been years since Sonomi lived with a man.

The last and only time was such a distant and fleeting memory that she did not remember the bastard’s face, an achievement helped by conscious, paid professional effort to help her ignore and forget.

It should not have come as a surprise to her that Fujitaka’s house inherited so many characteristics of its master. Still, she found herself marveling at how clean and inviting and cozy the home was, and the ease with which she fit into the strange new surroundings. Physically, the house was far smaller than her super-sized mansion, a result of her need for independence, freedom, space. Yet despite the presence of him everywhere—the kitchen’s aroma of sugar and flour and tea, the hint of aftershave in the bathroom, the signature of his scent of in bed even after fresh sheets and pillow covers—she did not feel crowded in.

Still, there were limits to her ability to accommodate his existence, as she discovered one afternoon when he was teaching and she was home early and answered the door. Seconds passed as she wondered why the woman looked so intimidated before she realized she was glaring. “Yes?”

“Um, is Sensei home?”

Sonomi glanced at the woman’s apron and the Tupperware she was holding. She was automatically annoyed. “He said he wouldn’t be home till past six.”

“I see. Excuse me, but who are you?”

“I’m his friend.” She saw that the woman was gauging her—she had changed into a comfortable pair of sweat pants and T-shirt after getting off work. Sonomi planted her feet and crossed her arms across her chest. “And who are you?”

“I’m a neighbor. This is some pork and potatoes I made… Um, please give this to him when he comes home. Bye!”

After the visitor politely fled, Sonomi took the small box into the kitchen. She had just removed the lid to inspect the contents when the doorbell rung again; this time, a different woman brought yam and lotus root boiled in soy sauce and sugar. The incident repeated itself two more times, each time a homemaker or housewife startled to find her answering the door and leaving quickly after they left their offering. Later she learned from Fujitaka that he knew them all from some circumstance of being asked for help in their home; replacing a fluorescent light, a quick sink repair, an out of reach jar, etc. And when the housewives learned he was a widower the food started coming.

Sonomi decided the neighborhood was more dangerous than she thought.

To be Contd.
****

WEEKEND!!!!

2009-10-24T02:20:38Z

Am home in Los Altos; standard of living in rented room at SF had been getting progressively worse as food ran out and I had no time to shop or cook because I was going 9AM-9PM every day. So the afternoon after I drove down I went shopping at a Kinokuniya bookstore and a Mitsuwa Japanese super market. The effect was therapeutic and immediate: I bought 3 volumes of Sangatsu no Lion (Like I said I would), Gunslinger Girl volume 11, and Victorian Romance Emma Volume 9 in Chinese.

Here's something remarkable: This Kinokuniya carries manga in 3 languages; traditional Chinese, Japanese, and American. The same volume of Yotsubato! #8 cost: $6.50 for the Chinese version, $8.80 for the Japanese Version, and $10.99 for the American release. I was very surprised. To buy the same manga in California, you pay nearly twice as much for a local version than a Chinese one.

I can read all three languages, but after a few run ins with shoddy Chinese translations (depending on the work, a lot may get lost in translation) I started buying Japanese versions. But then some titles (like Black Lagoon) have such complicated dialogue that my Japanese is not good enough. So for some FAVORITE WORKS (Everything by Kei Toumei and Kaoru Mori, plus a few others) I end up buying both Chinese and Japanese versions. I haven't bought any English ones. For one, I'm afraid the nuance can't carry over as well, and price is also a concern. Like I said: 1 volume of English Yotsubato! = 2 volumes of Chinese Yotsubato!

Also: Did you know they have English translated Yaoi manga now?? Holy Crap! I wonder if I could get a job as a translator.

Mitsuwa was fantastic. A Japanese department store/super market. They were having a Autumn Foodie Theme going on, and there were special offering and samples, from a variety of fried fish cake to rice balls to salt dried fish to mochi stands. I got the following:

3 salted pike fish and 2 salted mackerel for grilling.
1 Katsuo Tataki (a kind of charred broiled sashimi)
1 box of Uni (sea urchin)
1 box of Sujiko
Oyster Mushrooms, Octopus head, Shiitake mushroom, small avocados
Japanese cucumbers, Shoga red ginger,
Persimmons, Leek, 4 mochis (Sakura leaf, black bean daifuku, red bean Ohagi, and another daifuku).

http://www.japaneserestaurantinfo.com/columnsp/shokuzai/111507/index.html

Sujiko (fresh or salted salmon roe still in the egg sac) was definitely the most adventurous item I bought. And kids, I wouldn't recommend trying to prepare at home; you might get grossed out. Turning Sujiko into Ikura was not unlike trying to get the seeds out from a pomegranate, just ickier. By morning though I will have fresh HOMEMADE IKURA!!!

The Tako head (much cheaper than the preferred legs used for sashimi but just as meaty) went with the oyster mushrooms into seasoned steamed rice (half brown/half white). I left the flavor deliberately bland so I could add Shoga or red chili to flavor.

I ate the Katsuo Tataki and one of the Avocados with Ponzu sauce, and Trader Joe's lager.

Am now going to eat some of my fresh made mochi with hot green tea.

This is the way to start a weekend: Manga and Japanese food.

Edit: Emma Volume 9 is FRIGGING AWESOME. I am however going to ignore the last chapter and try my best to pretend it never happened, and that I never read it, for reasons which will be obvious to anyone who has read it.

New love

2009-10-22T06:11:22Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_Comes_in_Like_a_Lion

Read Umino Chika's new work after Honey and Clover: Sangatsu no Lion, or March Comes in Like a Lion. It sucked me in right away; the power of Umino's stories is her characters whom the reader can RELATE TO on a heart-to-heart level. Specifically, the struggles and heart ache and longing and relief which the characters experience. I also think the art has improved over her previous work; the lines are cleaner and more powerful now.

Surprisingly, the story contains little Romance; the story is about the main character Rei's quest to live his life after the loss of his family as a boy, and shows his ongoing struggles with his past as well as the acceptance he gradually finds in a neighboring family of three sisters. He's also a prodigy Japanese chess player and a rookie in the professional circuit.

The story prominently features two completely opposite women, both of whom have a very large impact on Rei's life. Both are several years older and beautiful, but while one tries to take care of and provide him with a new place of belonging, the other continually seeks to guilt trip and torment him emotionally. The first (the eldest of the three sisters) is almost too good to be true. The latter is a Bitch with the capital B and an awesome character (from a writer's standpoint) whom I'm surprised Umino came up with, as her stories usually contain such lovable characters.

Go read this guys. As for me, I'm off to Kinokuniya to grab my three Japanese copies tomorrow.

Ruling The People's Republic of the United States

2009-10-17T06:18:19Z

Spent all day playing Tropico: Where you are the El Presidente of a Carribean Island nation. It's a management type of game; get an economy up and running from minerals, vegetable, industry, keep your growing subjects and immigrants fed, working, and happy. I admire the game for its balance of complexity and the tongue and cheek moments: One measure of your score at the end of each "Reign" is how much money you managed to siphon off to a Swiss Bank Account. To build political consensus, you can also arrest and shoot charismatic opposition leaders dead in the street; you can also declare them a heretic. Also, if you choose "Alcoholic" as one of the two Personality Flaws of your dictator, the USSR has improved relations with you (although the Religious faction likes you less). The game allows you choose from a portfolio of famous such rulers (Castro, Che, Peron, etc, etc) and adjust the traits as you desire. The last lady I played with was Kleptomaniac; I think she was the Argentinian lady?

Speaking of factions: It's a good thing that environmentalists are generally one of the less numerous factions; really hard to pay attention to the environment when you're trying to keep up with housing and creating employment for a rapidly rising population. Often I'm forced to close the border to immigrants so I get a chance to educate the local populace first.

Until now I've played the benevolent Developmental Authoritarian State (Think 4 Asian Tigers) model. I provide my workers food, education, subsidized quality apartments (rather than Project Housing) to live in, Social Security, movie theaters, TV, nightclubs... and in return they reelect me every 8 years in consecutive landslides. I've never even had to rig an election or give a tax cut, which in the game is treated like a bribe; a short term boost to your favor best used in an election year for $100 to each member of your population. Only drawback to this is that your respect amongst the Intellectual community takes a big hit.

In fact, if you opt to receive kickbacks on construction projects, siphon money for Swiss bank, or are too enthusiastic about religion, the intellectuals like you less. No wonder all the Commie bigwigs and little wigs purged them; they're smart asses with a different opinion on how government should be run.

I'm only realizing now that the population (every tiny person has a name and background and personality) and jobs are genderized; the engineers who run your all important power plants have to be women, for example. Construction workers may be both genders. Union Teamsters who haul everything around have to be men. High school teachers have to be women, college professors men... but yeah, I'm not going to stir that up.

Given a choice between aligning with the USSR and the USA (either can invade you and end your reign resulting in game over if you piss them off too much) I usually go US; they give more generous foreign aid and provide Tourists, which is a whole other Economy I haven't explored yet. However, once you ally with them and let them build a Military Base on your island the USA starts demanding you conform to their ideals; usually, promoting capitalism with your Radio, News Paper, and TVs. Pompous, but the Russians have little dinaro to spare, so...

Naturally; in the absence of cocaine, coffee and rum seem to be the best cash crops for a Latin/Carribean island nation. Followed by Cigars, and then Pineapples, then Papayas and Bananas. Chopped down trees are sold as logs, lumber, or furniture. Typically, mining is the dirtiest but most easily accessible wealth, followed by industry... the more efficient it is the dirtier it is. Any environmentally friendly measures decrease industrial efficiency and increase expense. Al Gore would be proud.

I haven't been able to get the religious faction happy enough to invite the Pope, which is supposed to be a super boost to my popularity with that segment of the population; having an economy than was 75% Rum based was probably the cause. In this game, religious satisfaction is a trade off with freedom to get drunk.

Oh yeah, ways you can lose the game; you forget to pay-raise your palace guards or soldiers, they over throw you. The income disparity between the higher-educated earners and proletariat becomes ridiculous, they population turns rebel and goes into the woods and starts attacking your infrastructure. You don't feed or pay people, same result. USA or Russia invades you because you were hard on Capitalism/Communism in your rule, you lose.

It's a tough game of political survival and pleasing everyone. The best way? Have no principles, pander to everyone.

The Cost of Living: Food

2009-10-15T17:42:39Z

What food can $4.00 USD buy you where you are living?

Here in the SF and Bay Area...

12 doughnuts of any variety at Safeway
1 Nutella Crepe from Japan Town
Breakfast Special at Taraval Cafe (2 eggs, 2 bacon or sausage, 2 hot cakes)
2 pieces of nigiri sushi (not including Tuna and more expensive varieties)
2 half Poor Boy sandwiches from Lucky's
4/5 of a Subway foot long
2-4 pounds of Broccoli, depending on season
1 Pint of beer at a bar

I was simply struck by how the same amount of money could buy such different quantities of food. Clearly, based on caloric value alone, the doughnuts are the best option. Health-wise Broccoli wins, but you'd starve. Such a discrepancy may shed some light on food and health and hunger in the market system, a measure of how many calories/essential nutrients one can buy with a fixed amount of currency.

Question 2: Should I feel guilty about eating sushi?

cal_reflector @ 2009-10-14T19:31:00

2009-10-15T02:34:37Z

Let the record show that when the office lady walked into Criminal Law class at 7:45PM announcing that the Professor had been stuck on the Bay Bridge since 3:00PM due to a overturned Safeway big rig and was not going to make it to class, I politely groaned rather than burst into applause like my colleagues. I was devastated; I was completely looking forward to being called on to make sense of California's hair splitting of Felony Murders and Misdemeanor Manslaughters and implied malice, etc, etc, etc.

To deal with my grief, I shall use the 2.5 hours to work on fic and play computer games.

Belated Birthday Gift Part 1

2009-10-12T08:24:12Z

For: Aoife-Hime
Title: Every Boy's Dream Come True
Fandom: CCS
Characters: Fujitaka Kinomoto, Sonomi Daidouji

It was one of the oldest tricks in the Shonen Mangaka's playbook; the infallible fallback that generations of authors--deserted by their muse and hounded by their publishers--have resorted to: One day out of the blue a beautiful girl shows up on your Everyman protagonist's doorsteps and begins to dwell with him. Innumerable fan service opportunities follow, a parade of trips and slips and bumps and shared physical proximity that draws the teen couple inexorably into love...

... A scenario which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the situation Fujitaka found himself in one tranquil Sunday night, after he answered the doorbell that distracted him from his beloved Discovery Channel.

"Termites."

He blinked at the woman in striped suit and black heels standing outside his door with suitcase in tow. "I beg your pardon?"

Sonomi's sighed as though she were being forced to repeat the explanation. "My mansion has termites. The cleanup will take a week at least and I've been forced to clear out."

"Oh. Well, that's... awfully inconvenient."

He winced inwardly when the toy CEO glared daggers into him. The accusatory look soon faded however as she cradled her arms and averted her gaze; sheepishly, even. Fujitaka had never seen Sonomi Daidouji--the woman said to have the most balls in a boardroom filled with men--look so insecure.

Clearly, there was only one option left to him. "Would you like to come in?"

****

"So you two are living together now?"

Fujitaka shut his eyes--breaking the news was harder than he imagined. "We are not living together. She's just staying until the termite work on her house is done."

"So you are living together."

"Not in the way you're thinking of." He was too old and wise to be embarrassed this way by his son. "Anyways, I let her have my room, so I'll be sleeping in the library the next few days."

"Good thing Sakura just left for their school graduation trip."

"And why is that?"

"You two have the house to yourselves for a whole week."

Five minutes after he hung up the Professor's mind remained plagued by his son's deadpanned remark. He stood in the aisle of the supermarket and glanced down at the contents of his shopping basket: Moisturizing body soap, small bottle of deep rinse shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush and toothpaste, and other essential feminine toiletries that he'd been tasked with purchasing. Because unlike him, she was a busy woman with a full schedule.

The gravity of his situation--the direct result of his rash decision caused by the low light that made her body language seem like pleading the evening before--sank in like a battleship scuttled for an artificial reef.

To be Contd?
****

Congratulations, Mr. President, But...

2009-10-09T14:32:17Z

If I were Obama's political adviser, I'd recommend that he strongly consider declining the Prize. I think that gesture would increase his domestic and international capital more than accepting the prize would. His supporters will become even more galvanized and his detractors will respect him, or at least have to shut up for a while. Some thing in the gist of, "Thanks, I'm honored, but this Prize has and should be given for accomplishments; they don't give prizes for TRYING to cure AIDS."

Edit: Never mind, he accepted it. It doesn't lower my opinion of him, but it was what I expected.

Feeling nice with Wodehouse

2009-10-08T17:08:56Z

Had a hearty breakfast at my greasy spoon this morning. I go once every one or two weeks to nourish myself on something besides broccoli and start the day on a sure footing. While there I read the following passage from the book I usually bring along:

"My nephew," Mr. Mulliner hastened to explain, "was not an author. Nor was Miss Bootle. Very few of those employed in writing motion-picture dialogue are. The executives of the studios just haul in anyone they meet and make them sign contracts. Most of the mysterious disappearances you read about are due to this cause. Only the other day they found a plumber who had been missing for years. All the time he had been writing dialogue for the Mishkin Brothers. Once having reached Los Angeles, nobody is safe."

"Rather like the old Press Gang," said the Sherry and Bitters.

"Just like the old Press Gang," said Mr. Mulliner."

The story was written back in the mid to late 1920s; the relevance of its humor even to today is astonishing. Wodehouse is fantastic, and reading his writing has the double benefit of studying his prose as well as looking into the culture of entertainment nearly 100 years ago. Here's a bit more.

****

Monday night in the bar-parlour of the Angler's Rest is usually Book Night. This is due to the fact that on Sunday afternoon it is the practice of Miss Postlethwaite, our literature-loving barmaid, to retire to her room with a box of caramels and a novel from the circulating library and, having removed her shoes, to lie down on the bed and indulge in what she calls a good old read. On the following evening she places the results of her researches before us and invites our judgment.

This week-end it was one of those Desert Island stories which had claimed her attention.

"It's where this ship is sailing the Pacific Ocean," explained Miss Postlethwaite, and it strikes a reef and the only survivors are Cyril Trevelyan and Eunice Westleigh, and they float ashore on a plank to this uninhabited island. And gradually they find the solitude and what I might call the loneliness drawing them strangely together, and in Chapter Nineteen, which is as far as I've got, they've just fallen into each other's arms and all around was the murmur of the surf and the cry o f wheeling sea-birds. And why I don't see how it's all going to come out..."

Here's the thing: Every sentence this person writes is entertaining. The diction helps some; the funny English names to be exact, but mostly its the tone. I should make this my goal.

Awesome Awesome Awesome

2009-10-06T04:14:51Z

http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2009/10/missile-base-2/

I hope there will be habitable ones left by the time I have money to buy one. Living in a deactivated missile silo? That's friggin awesome, I'm surprised no Comic Book Hero has thought of doing it yet.

Seriously though, I can think of many advantages to living in a nuclear silo. Being underground the place would be quiet, have great acoustics, be energy efficient in Summers and Winters, solar would be practical in Texas, safe against intruders, natural disasters, everything up to nuclear attacks. There would be tons of living space (depending on make and model), with possibility of opening up extra sunroofs to let in light.

I want one. Forget beach and gated golf communities, I want a mansion in a nuclear silo. So long as its within 25 miles of a sizable city, I'm good.

Edit: Apparently there are a lot of these big silos up in Spokane Washington. That seems like a reasonably nice (read: civilized) place to live in, unlike Wyoming and Kansas.

Edit 2: Finally! Hell March with 2009 Footage. Kind of an amateur job compared to the better video edits I've seen from non-Professionals, but mreh.

Thank you God for Our Daily Bread

2009-10-04T16:50:20Z

Happiness comes in many forms, such as: Fridge full of beers, fresh sausages, bacon potato and half a Black Forest Chocolate cake left over the previous days party.

Working on Aoife-Hime's birthday story, brb.

Hetalia + Code Geass

2009-10-03T05:34:20Z

Thank youuuuuuuuuu Internet. The splice of Prussia/HUngary onto Milly/Lelouch at 1:12 (OTP squared!) made me cry manly tears.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm6333415

EDIT: Stoneware Crock pots are NOT SAFE for using on stovetops! Heard two cracking noises before I removed the inner pot from the flames, checked for cracks, THEN went online to look at the manual.

Note to self: Don't be a gender cliche; read the manuals before using.

Party Planning, Western Cooking

2009-10-03T03:53:02Z

In Celebration of Oktoberfest ~~and sixty years of Great Chairman Mao's Revolution~~ tomorrow I'm hosting a small lunch gathering of friends at home. I provide all the food, they bring the drinks. College football and cut throat card games followed by USC vs. Cal at 5PM; if all goes according to plan I won't even need to prepare munchies for the Big Game.

If you know me you know I don't skimp on food. I have 5 kinds of Wursts from the local German deli Dittmer's (which I don't know how to cook but have an idea) and produce from local European Open Air Market The Milk Pail. I also have Black Forest Cake, BBQ and Onion Ranch chips, A&W Root beer from Safeway's; some things are better slow/organic/local, some are better factory made.

Only thing I forgot? Spices, for the German Red Cabbage. My recipe called for:

6 whole peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 whole allspice
1 bay leaf

So I figure, "Mreh, I'll just run back to Safeway after dinner and pick up what I need." To my dismay--due to my ignorance in American home cooking--I found that I have to buy spices in little bottles with thousands of whole cloves or allspice or peppercorn. I only need two allspice/cloves. That bottle would make this recipe x500 times.

So instead of awesome aroma reminding them of the Holidays my guests will just have to suffer Chinese Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, which coincidentally looks and tastes like German red cabbage.

Happy 2X Birthday, Aoife-Hime! I'm going to try to write you some fic this weekend, so look forward to that.

Edit: I'm panicking now because I have good sausage but don't know how to cook them. The internet has failed me with its conflicting opinions. I've seen beer/water simmer, grill, and pan fry, in different combination and order. HELP.

China celebrates 60 years of Communism

2009-10-01T21:35:12Z

All kidding aside, I'm glad I speak (and read and write) their language.

Chatting with a Rocket Scientist

2009-09-28T03:12:11Z

I'm not kidding; my high school friend actually is a rocket scientist.

N says: I don't think the feds will forgive any of my loans, because I have a job whereas there are lots of jobless grads around these days
DH: That's the Gov for you
N: Anyway, I'm going to aggressively pay down the interest loans. And try to inflate my way out of the other ones.
DH: Should really consider that offer from Iran
DH: "Dude, we'll repay your student loans. And we'll pay you in awesome non-US currency too."
N: What do the Persians eat? Shih Kabobs?
DH: Lamb? Gyros? Iranian food: Rice based, cheese, herbs, garlic onion pomegranates dates, lamb chicken... sounds pretty good to me actually.
N: I guess anything is good if you cook it right.
DH: Best would be if you could work for China. No problem with food. Strongest currency in the world. Although it'd be crappy if the ChiComs sent you to work wherever they keep their test ranges. Azerbajian or Mongolia or something
N: I'll have to make them pay me upfront. I don't trust those guys.
DH: Can't be worse than attending Cornell; instead of stargazing you watch the sheep

****

DH: So what'd you think of Von Braun? Is it simply a matter of "If I had America's tax payers' money backing me I could've made that spaceship fly too"?
N: Well he was the mastermind behind the Saturn V rocket, which blasted the Apollo capules to the moon.
DH: Can you overcome Murphy's Law by throwing enough money at it?
N: Can't really argue with that.
DH: Guess the answer is yes then.
N: Money+time=quality. The Soviets had some really smart guys, but no money
DH: No money?? But they didn't operate on a cash economy right? "We'll just requisition anything you need from the Union."
DH: Unless what smart scientists need to function is... "Beach houses, Ice cream, night life, attractive women, high quality of life in general." Yeah, even the Soviet Union might have trouble getting that for their smart guys
N: Engineers need pizza, beer, junk food, cool gadgets, and finally, attractive women
DH: Soviet Engineer: "We want video games!"
Political Commissar: "You can have Siberian Gulag?"
Soviet Engineer: "Fine. No video games."
N: 1 month later: Political Commissar: "I wonder why he defected to the United States..."
N: These days, we also want fast Internet connections.
DH: I mean, Russia had none of those things; great classical and ballet but I don't know if that was everyone's thing... the women probably went to the Politburo, fat bastards. Now that'll really make a scientist defect
N: A month ago, our network went down, and withing 10 minutes everyone was standing up in their cubicles like prairie dogs, looking around to see if anyone know what to do.
DH: Haahahahaha
Nemo says: Even the telephones were IP phones.
DH: "Call Obama, tell him we're under attack by Chinese military hackers."

Zettai Kareshi

2009-09-25T18:16:44Z

9 SIGNS A GUY IS A KEEPER

http://dating.personals.yahoo.com/singles/datingtips/88524/dating-tips-9-signs-a-guy-is-a-keeper/

I cringed when I read this; seriously? I consider myself a reasonably nice guy but this made me sardonic. Quoting the guy from the Mac-PC commercial, "Call me when you're ready to compromise, lady."

Also: "If it's too good to be true, it ain't."

I'm not ruling out that there are Perfect Guys like these out in the world. The population is 6 billion and growing, so the math is in your favor that there's maybe... 13 of them in existence at any one time. Part of growing up is reconciling Dreams with Reality though.

It's very hard for me to picture what kind of person wrote this article.

There is one guy that comes close to fitting this bill though; naturally, he's from a Shoujo Manga: Shinogu from Hot Gimmick. Yeah, no need to say more.

cal_reflector @ 2009-09-21T19:31:00

2009-09-22T02:46:56Z

Had choice of attending the Labor Law Student Association or the Estate Planning Society's General Meeting. I went to the latter; it seemed more practical. The Estate Planning Society just got started last semester, which was surprising to me, and the speaker was a very nice guy who had the energy and charisma of a depleted Energy Bunny. If I WERE the guy on the podium talking, I'd have billed the event as:

"Estate Planning! Come learn how you can protect your future wealth and the wealth of others! Get paid to give Uncle Sam and his IRS Minions the Middle Finger and enjoy your spare time while doing it!"

Maybe if I step up and take over the Society I will do that next year, but that would mean I'd have to commit myself. I'm certainly tempted by its advantages: You're not suing or being sued by people as part of your job, you MAY well have a lighter workload than your regular lawyer counterparts, and there are lots of rich Baby Boomers heading towards bucket kicking who live in the Bay Area.

While it does lack the glam and excitement of litigation, I like the idea of helping people pass on their savings to their posterior. Or helping them feel assured that their kids will not sue each other over their estate.

Anyways, I need to talk with a estate planner to see what the job and lifestyle is really like. Challenges: The relevant course work seems hefty, namely many tax courses, yuck. -____- Plus my current experience is shaping up towards the International Corporate Transactions path.

Decisions decisions.... Oh yeah, and I have to wake up tomorrow at 8:00AM, so I can get to school at 8:30AM for the free Noah's Bagels and spreads and Coffee the SBA is handing out.

Man up

2009-09-21T07:15:59Z

I think I might have experienced a small miracle today; suffice to say that things turned out for the better.

Chatted in length with an old friend from high school, and he provided the brutal honesty I needed to hear:

******
jy says:
it's more like you're the sort of person that can chat with people around 30-40s
easier than 20s
that's the impression

DH says:
I can see where I give off that impression

jy says:
so yeah, but it's okay, one of my girl friends said
男生是越成熟越有價值 (Men gain value with maturity)
so yah, it works towards your benefit, in the end
lol
不要急於一時 (Don't be hasty)

DH says:
"in the end" psh. Sucks for me though
by the time girls realize that they're already kinda old and not at their most attractive
unless they're 早熟 (quick to mature)

jy says:
the other thing is i never see you going after a girl
it's like, yah, the only girl i know is gloria, and that was n ages ago, lol

DH:
Oh that, Ummm, I don't know how?

jy says:
as in, has there been any girl,that's raised your interest enough
to the point where you'll try to start a conversation, etc etc, even though you don't know her

DH:
you mean just based off looks?
There's a freshman at Berkeley right now whom I've been camping in a big Taiwanese group with for the past 8 years now who has become really pretty
and I try to talk with her through facebook? But I don't think I get that much of a response, even though we chat alot during camping

jy says:
well honestly, this is really what i think; you should ask yu how he did it
cuz you're asking thew rong person
i haven't really had a gf either LOL
i have a lot of girl friends
some who were interested in me
but i never bothered

DH:
............. 你這渾蛋 (........You bastard)

jy says:
not really. Like on my scale
they're like 6/10's, acceptable
but at the same time i liked some 7-8/s
but i got owned there, so you see, karma

DH:
well at least you've got a tournament record, wins and losses
I've never been in the tournament before

jy says:
see, that's yoru problem, you don't participate
lol, dude
you're going to fall and trip whether you like it or not okay
it's not like 漫畫 (manga)
where you meet the girl of your dreams
and something happens on its own and carries you through okay
it doens't happen
life ain't a fairytale
it's more a nightmare 90% of the time
反正技巧也是練出來的啦 (Anwyays you get better with practice)
it's like tennis, you gotta start somewhere
you're gonna suck for a while
until you get enough practice to become somewhat decent

DH: SF from June 8 to ???? says:
it couldn't have been easy, liking a girl enough to try to get her to go out with you but getting turned down. How'd you handle it

jy says:
move on? what else can i say
i mean of course you're going to be 沮喪 (feel let down) for a bit
at least from my own experiences
but you'll get over it
unless you're super super 專情 (hard to translate; milk sop? Clingy?)
then i'd say sucks to be you

DH:
Remember, as you remember from the golden gate bridge; i'm super 膽小 (timid)

jy says:
so?
that's why
man up
damn it
stop being so flaky
no wonder

DH:

I know I know I know
jy says:
see you know your own problem
stop having me restate it to you
good game

DH:
alright I'll try to man up

jy says:
反正這種東西不用強求啦 (Anyways these things can't be rushed or forced)
do what you can 剩下的就聽天由命啦 (you can only leave the rest to Fate)
i mean if they don't like you they don't like you
what else you gonna do

DH:
you're right

jy says:
it's like there's people never going to vote for obama
same idea
it's like...you're 184
and i'm only 175
lol
c'est la vie

We then talked about how I didn't want attract a girl just because I may make a lot of money in the future, comparing that to beating a game with cheats on; hollow. Then I asked for specific guidelines on how to approach girls and what factors to consider when deciding to ask a girl who you've befriended out. How TV shows and a common like for anime are insufficient, and how common interactive interests are necessary... like Tennis.

Now that I've had my refresher course its up to me to execute.

Single Women, Politicians, Networking

2009-09-19T06:57:01Z

Best place for straight single women - San Jose?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ontheblock/detail?entry_id=47312&type=realestate

This is relevant to my interests. Basically the article says there are so many young bachelor professionals (read; high steady incomes) in Silicon Valley, from Palo Alto down to San Jose, women can come here and be choosy, even "plain" women; Attractive women become "Goddesses" and are fought over. The much lower cost of living compared to SF also helps.

Now I REALLY don't know what to do. Should I set my sights on San Francisco or in the South Bay?

1. Go South: On one hand I'm more of a Silicon Valley suburb Asian-ish kind of guy; was born and raised here. Plus there are so many Lawyers and Suits in SF, maybe if I go South I could stand out from the engineers and programmers.

2. Stay in SF: On the other hand, as the article points out, eligible girls are in relatively short supply in the South Bay. The competition may not be so easy either; not all engineers are unattractive nerds, and in Silicon Valley, MBAs and lawyers, who may be the blue bloods in older cities like SF, Chicago, and New York, are NOT the top dogs here. (This is strictly my guess; please feel free to disagree, ladies) Hmmmm...

Well, I've gone to a mega Taiwanese Church two weeks in a row in the South Bay now. I'll see how that works out... Not that I'd go to Church with the ulterior motive of meeting girls. Banish the thought. At most it would be a incidental benefit.

Dinner with Congressman David Wu from Oregon tonight; his term is up and supposedly the next election will be one of the harder one's he's faced in the past 12 years. It was interesting to watch how he listened to and responded to the gripes and concerns of a bunch of folksy Taiwanese people despairing over the present Taiwanese government surrendering the island to China. The election consultant accompanying him was a recent USF law grad, and we ended up talking a lot. An election consulting firm, by the way, helps people and organizations (school districts, Unions, etc) get elected/get their proposals passed. Their business is democracy. Rather interesting.

Attended a Symposium at USF and heard successful big and small firm lawyers talk. Came away with: When firms say they look for "leadership" and "managerial" skills, they actually mean "Marketing skills." Also, networking is vital, but I balanced the typical notion of networking with some advice from my dad: "It's not constructive to view every relationship through the lens of career-building. Just try to be CASUAL friends with as many people as possible."

I need to reorient; rather than weigh how people can be tools to advance my career (Which Kant said is very bad), I ought to... view people as ends in themselves? As dad said, don't plot so much, be sincere and cordial to everyone. Be friendly.

It will be challenging; ever since leaving high school I've become increasingly amoral, pragmatic, realist, skeptical, and cynical. I hope I can regain some of the Faith, ideals, and optimism I had back then.

cal_reflector @ 2009-09-17T15:51:00

2009-09-17T23:13:28Z

Property Professor shared this with us before class: A NY Times Editorial lamenting growing poverty over the past decade and the rich getting richer under Bush, and calls for Social Equality.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/opinion/16wed1.html

My thoughts: The call is for higher taxes on rich people so government can redistribute it. I think rich people should support livelihoods of poorer people, which they do by hiring and spending and giving to charity. On the flip side, Bad rich people who speculate on coffee prices in Venezuela and buy Yachts made in Turkey and helps AIDS kids in Africa, that does no good at all for Americans. But I digress.

If our government were Singaporean or Finnish then I think the government SHOULD be the agent of distribution, because they'd be efficient. As is I have no confidence that the US Government can help needy people in the USA with my money.

I also have no confidence that US Government can reform itself to become more like Singapore/Finland's government, in the near future, or ever. Partly it is size, partly it is ethnic diversity (A problem Scandanavia doesn't much have).

So what does everyone else think?

Edit: I've never lived in poverty. My dad was poor growing up in Taiwan. He came to US in mid/late 1970s and eventually made his fortune in Silicon Valley as an Engineer and Entrepreneur. Chances are I can never measure to that sort of rags to riches achievement. That's kind of my relevant background.

Hetalia Drabble

2009-09-15T23:45:32Z

3 Hour break between Evidence and Property. Took a little time to read old CCS role-playing posts from almost 4 years ago. Frankly, I'm embarrassed by how sappy and cheesy my Touya sounded, especially initially, but I had no framework personally or from canon to rely on that would inform me of how he would have reacted to news that Kaho was pregnant with his child.

Things improved later and my portrayal of Sakura's brother became more in character; wry humor, restrained sarcasm, undisguised annoyance with certain things and people, quiet tenderness, and surprising emotions that one had to tease out from behind the cool facade. Good times, fun times.

And now, Hetalia fiction:

Title: Poopy Face
Fandom: Hetalia
Character/Pairings: Prussia and Hungary aka Gilbert and Elizaveta
Rating: G
Summary: Hungary ran away from the palace... again, but Prussia knew where to find her. Part 1 of a 3 drabble mini-series.

*********
Prussia returned to find the palace in an uproar; Hungary had vanished again, giving her escorts the slip while on her way to her embroidery lessons. The young knight was not the least bit concerned however, for he knew exactly where to find the troublesome princess.

****
"Here to drag me back?"

She sat on the green shores by the lake deep inside a forest clearing, arms and chin resting atop her knees as she gazed out onto the shimmering water. Prussia plopped down next to her, careful not to step on her wide frilly dress hem. This had been their secret place for years, and none of the adults knew about it.

"Nah, too much of a hassle."

The boy and girl watched green and brown ducks float by. Prussia saw how unhappy Hungary was, and for some reason that made him unhappy as well. "What's with the poopy face?"

"Who are you calling poopy face?" Sparks flared in her green irises, reminding him of the Hungary of old, who fought as well as she danced; a whirlwind that completely blew you over.

"You look like that time you broke your ankle and couldn't get on a horse for months. If that's not a poopy face I don't know what is."

The anger faded and was replaced with the same gray look moments ago. "... I hate being a girl." She lifted the hem of her dress as if she were picking up a dry lizard. "I hate the clothes. I hate the lessons. I hate the new rules. I hate this body."

Prussia blushed furiously when Hungary squeezed her small but noticeable chest for emphasis. She bit her lip and swallowed as though fighting back tears. "I
... I wish I'd been born a boy like you. Then we would..."

"I think," He wouldn't let her finish, "I think being born a girl is a wonderful thing."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that? You're not a girl."

"A wise man told me so, and he's never wrong. Anyways, he said being a girl is a wonderful thing, but its up to us gentlemen to make them feel this way."

A gust of wind took the ducks to flight as the surrounding woods whistled and finally settled. Hungary stared at him, and Prussia felt more heat rise to his face. "So what I'm saying is I can... I'll... make sure you're...happy that you were born a girl... if you want."

He was sure he was burning up; the Yellow chick perched on top of his silver head fluttered down to rest on his shoulder to avoid the rising steam.

Then she began to laugh a tinkling laugh and every dark mood there ever was was dispelled, even though it left Prussia very confused. Hungary wiped away a tear and grinned. "You a gentleman? Yeah right, you're centuries away from becoming a gentleman."

And now his face was red for an entirely different reason. "Well... you're no lady either! You... you... you... flat-chest poop-faced tomboy!"

And then the girl leaped up and began to chase the boy around, surprising him with how fast a girl in skirts could run, even though she was barefoot and he had good leather boots.

And although she would never admit it, did not even notice it until centuries later, the boy had in fact made her happy for the first time that she was a girl.
****

cal_reflector @ 2009-09-13T17:48:00

2009-09-14T00:54:50Z

Went to Church for the second time in the past... 5 years? It was pretty good, and later I'll post a bit of what I got out of it.

49ers won today. Green Bay is playing Chicago on CBS. Even though historically Niners hate Green Bay back in the heyday of Farve, he's gone now, and the new QB for Green Bay was a quarterback for Berkeley when my brother was there, Aaron Rodgers. He's also hecka good, so I find myself rooting for him despite the political incorrectness of rooting for Green Bay.

The sermon and the brief bible study today helped give me some perspective on my life at the moment, the stress of law school, and what I hope to accomplish, but more on that later.

Fandom: Bakemonogatari continues to WOW with its cast of girls.

Prussia-Hungary has exploded this past Summer on Pixiv; 1200+ and counting now, many of which are extremely high quality fanarts and fan comics. I'm curious as to whether the author foresaw the rapport Gilbert would reach with the fans.