Weekend Meme: Controversy Questions Meme

Hi all, today's meme comes from Johnny at Cannon Fodder, I was surfing and stumble upon his blog and found quite a bit of funny stuff.

1. Would you do meth if it was legalized?

I'm an advocate to try everything once in your life, but I don't know about meth. Meth is the anti-weed. It gives you a boost of energy and increase sweating and suppress your appetite, so it'd probably be great as a weight loss drug, but even if it's not addictive, the meth mouth thing is so unattractive. (Yes, it's vain, I know.)

2. Abortion: for or against?

For. If you're not ready for a child, don't have one. If you can't provide for yourself and your child, don't have one. If you can't provide a loving environment for your child, don't have one. We are already overpopulated as is, we don't need more people grow up to be potential assholes just because they didn't get enough hugs.

3. Would our country fall with a woman president?

Um... sure. Because penises are so important and monthly PMSes will drive the ladies to push the button to launch nuclear missiles. WTF? It's stupid to even brought up a notion such as this. If it didn't fall under a stupid retard like W. for 8 years, it won't fall under no one.

4. Do you believe in the death penalty?

Yeah, why not? Did I mention the world is overpopulated again? I think the Chinese had it right. Just shoot them in the range, bullets are cheap and I'd hate to use money to keep them alive or execute the expensive humane injection methods. Give them McD's for their last meals, maybe it's give them a stomach cramp so bad that they'd actually want to die. (Am I being too mean?)

5. Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?

Yeah, weeds never hurt anyone. And it's one less thing to worry about. Less unnecessary fights and spending on the war against drugs. Also less propaganda commercials.

6. Do you believe in God?

Definitely in a higher power. Somehow something has to cause the big bang or create material in the first place. Nothing comes from nothing, right? But I don't know if I can believe that the creator of all things is the Christian God. It might not be, it doesn't have to be. And even if He is, I wouldn't agree to everything in the bible, since it is not written by God. And I absolutely hate when people use it as a reason to hate. I don't think that matches my image of the Christian God or whatever the creator of all things would be.

7. Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?

Sure, definitely. Why would it hurt anyone if those folks want to settle down and commit to each other? It creates jobs and spending, it's a good thing.

8. Do you think its wrong that so many Hispanics are moving to the USA?

Everyone wants to live a better life, it's not wrong for someone to want that and using the proper channel to make it a reality. It's kinda a strange question, isn't it?

9. A 12 year old girl has a baby... should she keep it?

It depends who the father is, it also depends whether the girl understand what is happening and what will happen to her physically and how would it affect her life if she has the baby, it also depends on whether the girl's parent can afford to provide for another child. Mostly, I would advocate for an abortion. Even it is hers and maybe hers to decide, there are still plenty of responsibilities that a 12 year-old might not be ready for.

10. The alcohol age be lowered to 18?

Like they are not drinking before they are 21 now? Like a lot of people have said, if they are young enough to go to war and die, they are young enough to get drunk.

11. Should the war in Iraq be called off?

Yes, we went in for the wrong reasons and now we can't afford it anymore. What purpose would it serve for the U.S. to continue being there?

12. Assisted suicide is illegal... do you agree?

In this desperate economic times, it'd be good to create more jobs, no? If they want to die, let them. Make it a 3 months application process just in case the person might change his/her mind and make sure you have like 5 witnesses to the applicants so you won't get sued by the family. No videos or bullshit like that.

13. Do you believe in spanking your children?

Sure, I've got spanked before. I resent it but I grew up ok. Some kids needs to be slapped, that's all.

14. Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars?

For much less. And if I get money for it, I might start collecting flags and burning them in a pile. I need a job anyhow. People put too much value on a piece of cloth, I thought the bible said not to have false idols. And I thought all these patriotic freaks are also Christians. What do they do when they have competing values?

15. A mother is declared innocent after murdering her 5 children in a temporary insanity case... what do you think?

That's why abortion is a good idea. The justice system is unreliable and if she chose to live with her 5 dead children in her conscience then maybe she is insane.

16. It's between you and a person who is being kept alive by life support machines... one has to die? Who?

Me. That's basic instinct.

17. Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

Why would I do it and post it out if I'm afraid? If I do, I'd have done some other memes. lol.


Don't judge me, no! If you do, Oh well... haha. Go out and have a great weekend!

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The Glory That is Sinéad O'Connor

I was gonna title this one the original Sinéné, but that's so wrong... hehe.

Years ago, one of the clip shows on VH1 put Sinead O'Connor as #1 of the top 100 one hit wonders and I immediately took offense. Sure, Nothing Compares to You was a huge mega-hit and none of her other songs got to the same level, but to cast Sinead as a one-hit wonder is so not appropriate.

Well, I was a fan. I got into listening to her after I heard the aforementioned hit as well but I dug back to The Lion and The Cobra and got mesmerized by the emotion she lend to her songs, well that and her bald head. Her uniqueness lured me in. Not a lot of singers used anger, and yet be able to sound so angelic in other songs.



Troy

I remember it
Dublin in a rainstorm
Sitting in the long grass in summer
Keeping warm
I remember it
Every restless night
We were so young then
We thought that everything
We could possibly do were right
Then we moved
Stolen from our very eyes
I wondered where you went to
Tell me when did the light die?
You'll rise, you'll return
The phoenix from the flame
You will learn, you will rise, you'll return
Being what you are
There is no other Troy
For you to burn

I never meant to hurt you
I swear I didn't mean those things I said
I never meant to do that to you
Next time I'll keep my hands to myself instead
Oh, does she love you?
What do you want to do?
Does she need you like I do?
Do you love her?
Is she good for you?
Does she hold you like I do?

Do you want me? Should I leave?
I know you're always telling me
That you love me
Just sometimes I wonder
If I should believe
Oh, I love you
God, I love you
I'd kill a dragon for you and die
But I will rise and I will return
The Phoenix from the flame
I have learned, I will rise
And you'll see me return
Being what I am
There is no other Troy
For me to burn

And you should've left the light on
You should've left the light on
Then I wouldn't have tried
You'd never have known
And I wouldn't have pulled you tighter
No, I wouldn't have pulled you close
I wouldn't have screamed
No! I can't let you go
And the door wasn't closed
No, I wouldn't have pulled you to me
No, I wouldn't have kissed your face
You wouldn't have begged me to hold you
If we hadn't been there in the first place
Oh but I know you wanted me to be there oh oh
Every look that you threw told me so
But you should've left the light on
You should've left the light on
And the flames burned away
But you're still spitting fire
Make no difference what you say
You're still a liar



The Last Day of Our Acquaintance

This is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know what your answer will be

I know you don't love me anymore
You used to hold my hand when the plane took off
Two years ago there just seemed so much more
I don't know what happened to our love

Today's the day, our friendship has been stale
And we will meet later to finalize the details
Two years ago the seed was planted
Since then you have taken me for granted

But this is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know your answer already


After I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, Sinead seems to have been discovered by the world and started doing a lot of covers. I bought Elton John's tribute album Two Rooms pretty much just for her edition of Sacrifice. Sinead has the ability to do the songs better than the originator which is why you'd want to hear someone else sings the same song anyway. Not because they are lack the talent to write new songs and their record contract demands certain amount of songs in an album like Beyonce or the Jessica Simpsons alike. Sinead did it better, with more emotions and offered a different point of view. Am I Not Your Girl was a stellar jazz album.

Since I was overseas, I didn't know about her tearing up the pope's picture on SNL and the whole kerfuffle. Even though I don't give a damn about the pope, but if her legs weren't planted solidly here in US, that act would seem a bit unwise. Maybe she thought she reached a level where people would overlook it and she was shocked and destruct that she got chastised by it. Her confidence in her music has changed.

Her 4th album Universal Mother was a desperate effort to apologize for what happened (All Apologies) and restore the fanbase (Thank You For Hearing Me), while most other songs are ultra personal ballads with strange tempos. The whole album was confusingly unrelatable. The star redeeming quality, other than her still angelic voice is the few covers she did on her Fire On Babylon single which included I Believe in You, House of the Rising Sun and Streets of London.




Streets of London

Have you seen the old man, in the closed-down market
kicking up the papers, with his worn-out shoes?
In his eyes you’d see no pride, hand held loosely by his side
yesterday’s papers, telling yesterday’s news

Chorus:
So how can you tell me, you’re lonely
and say for you the sun won’t shine?
Let me take you by the hand,
and lead you through the streets of London
I’ll show you something, to make you change your mind.

Have you seen the old girl, who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair, and her clothes in rags?
She’s no time for talking, she just keeps right on walking.
Carrying her home, in two carrier bags.

Chorus

In the all-night cafe, at a quarter past eleven
Same old man sitting there, on his own.
Looking at the world, over the rim of his tea-cup.
Each tea lasts an hour, then he wanders home alone.

Chorus

I'll show you something to make you change your mind.


I guess it's hard to revive a career after committing an act that baffled the public. (i.e. Chris Brown) After Universal Mother, Sinead went completely bible thumping and became a priest and published a gospel album, then announced herself a lesbian before releasing another album called Faith and Courage which still had some moderate success. Since then Sinead had put out an Irish folks album and in 2007, a reggae album but nothing embraced by the mass. It's a shame really, since she still have that great voice of hers. With enough good songs, I'm sure the public can re-embrace her. I mean, if Madonna is still out there in her 50s, there's no reason why Sinead can't.

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TV Review: United States of Tara

Torrenting again and got the first 7 episodes of the new Showtime show - United States of Tara and it was good.

Written by Diablo Cody of Juno fame, United States of Tara is a comedy about a woman with Disociative Identity Disorder (DID) and how she and her disorder affect her and people around her once she decided to stop her medications.

The main character Tara (played by Toni Colette) is a mural painter with multiple personalities who lives in the suburb with her wonderful supportive landscape husband Max (played by John Corbett) and she's the mother of two teenagers; a rebelious daughter with promiscuous tendencies and a skinny nerdy artsy younger son who excels academically and who's gay.

Amongst Tara's multiple personalities (or alters), there's T. who's a 15-year-old girl, highly rebellious and sarcastic. Destructive at times and scantilly dressed at all times, T. gets along very well with Tara's daughter Kate and they love to use Tara's credit cards go on shopping sprees. Buck, who's another alter, is a vietnam vet, a dude and a lefty (while all others are righties). Buck wears thick glasses and smokes, love to pick fights and harass women, he also love to polish his gun collection. Another one, Alice, is the model housewife who bakes and cleans and irons. She's the only personality that believes in God but then she tries so hard to be perfect that she will break into a vicious streak when things don't get her way. She also wants to take over Tara's body 24/7. And then there are also other personalities developing...

The show reminds me a lot of Weeds, they are both about family lives of sururbia moms with big secrets that affect people around them. There are also traces of Six Feet Under here and there. Maybe reminded me of the Tracy Ullman Show too. Not extremely clever writing but pleasant and it puts people in some funny situations. There's also a big laugh moment by the end of episode 6 when Tara's sister showed her botched boob job, I laughed so hard. I'm thrilled to see John Corbett getting into yet another show, he's a good looking guy and he seems to always play the "good" guy. I guess I'm not too familiar with Toni Collette, I thought she's the one who played Jean Grey in the X-Men Trilogy but turned out I was wrong.

It's a good comedy. Somehow it makes having multiple personalities seems like a super power. The usual self cannot do what other personalities can. It'd be interesting to find out if the mother of her children is not her true self but one of her alters or if the one who give birth (which is in itself a stressful situation and a trigger for her disorder) is actually Buck, the dude. That'd be kinda funny. I hope you'll try and watch it. If Showtime comes out with these good show with a constant pace, I might just subscribe.

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Naked People

One thing I lack the ability of is to imagine how strangers would look like sans clothes. Well unless its summer and you left nothing to the imagination or you're wearing nothing but a speedo. But I guess that's what fashion is for and why there are so many designers and TV shows trying to create "illusions" to make people look better.

Via The Slog, I got introduced to a German site called Naked People (NSFW) where regular people are shown in clothes and when you click on the picture, their clothes will disappear and the people will appear completely unclothed.

Interestingly, it taught me more what clothes can do.

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Mardi Gras 2009

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all! Let the sins begin!

I thought my favorite sin of all was gluttony, since when I saw this ham and cheese sandwich with eggs on top at This is Why You're Fat, I thought I wouldn't mind having a bite. What exactly do you call 11 Croque Madame all together? A Croque Brothel? A Croque Convent?



But instead of having this amazing sandwich, I'm having this shake and bake. Not the edible kind either. I've fallen ill with some kind of an infection and running a fever. With no appetite, I guess gluttony cannot be the sin of choice today, nor lust or wrath. I have no energy for either of that. According to this, greed and envy are not my strong suits either. The pride part of me thinks that by being sick might help me lose a few part. But now let me get comfortable of being a sloth and sleep it away. I stayed in bed almost all day yesterday. I'm not giving up anything for lent anyway.

Gotta get some chicken noodle soup. Hope you guys have a fun day!

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Oscar Redux

Foiled again!

A local video store had a contest to guess the winners of each Oscar categories and I thought I'd used the "leaked" winner list to win myself a DVD player or a bunch of free rentals. The free rentals would be sweet, since I just got back in the habit of renting DVDs. It's almost $5 a pop now. But the "leaked" winners turned out to be a bust, not that I've even entered the contest. So... meh...

I woke up from my nap in time to watch Barbara Walters' interviews on ABC, and was quite horrified to see Hugh Jackman giving her a lapdance.



This year's Oscar is quite good. I didn't enjoy the cheesy musical numbers much, but the presenters and the method that they give mini-tributes to the actor and actress nominees are quite enjoyable. Milk won two awards, in which both winners said something for equal rights in their acceptance speech. Slumdog Millionaire took home 8 awards, which is a good thing only because I've seen it. Though my self-loathing Asian side would complain why all the Asian winners on stage last night can't be more eloquent but say the stereotypical "I, very, happy!". Aye!

It was a great show, better than anything else on TV for sure.

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FDA Approved Depressant

Just came back from the party I went to last night, and my energy level is at all time low. I need to nap it off. Maybe I'm sick, or maybe I took some Despondex by mistake.



I'll sleep it off. Have a great week!

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Weekend Meme: Have You Ever... Meme

This seems to be a busy weekend. Maybe after being with your lover on Valentine's day, everyone wants to see friends. I've been invited to a birthday party of a friend at the burbs. Some other friends want to go to an Asian night at another club, and then I got invited to my first orgy. They could have sent that text to me by mistake but hey, it's a milestone! But then after all it's said and done, I just want to spend more time with CuteCub. This undefined relationship is a bit unsettling but I'm having a good time, even it seems a bit forced sometimes. (I'll shut up about it from now on, since I don't want to jinx it.)

It's hard to find a meme to do this week, so I dug into the archive of the ever so funny and brilliant Chris at My 2 Cents, which got this from Sunday Stealing. So what are you doing this weekend?




Have you ever…

1. gone on a blind date? Through friend's introduction: "No". Through online: "Yes".

2. skipped school? Duh!

3. watched someone die? No, I'm fortunate like that.

4. been on a plane? Yes. I submit that if I ever watch Snakes On a Plane I'll never set foot in one ever again.

5. been on the opposite side of your country? United States: "Yes", China: "No, and I don't plan on doing that even if it means Tibet or Mongolia.

6. swam in the ocean? Yup, it's pleasant for like 45 minutes. After that you're being marinaded.

7. had your booze taken away by the cops? No, but it's that where the cop proceed to pat you down and strip you?

8. lettered in high school sport? Lettered? What does that mean? I was never good at sports, so probably not.

9. cried yourself to sleep? I don't remember. I can't remember the last time I did that or the cause.

10. played cops and robbers? No, but I wouldn't mind. I'd probably be the robber.

11. sung karaoke? Oh definitely!

12. paid for a meal with coins only? A whole meal? No.

13. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Yes and that turned into a disaster.

14. cheated on an exam? Oh definitely! I've designed a scheme where my classmates could cheat from me. And I also cheated from others before.

15. made prank phone calls? I wouldn't remember but I don't think so.

16. laughed until some sort of beverage came out of your nose? Yes, and soda burns!

17. caught a snowflake on your tongue? I should have but you can hardly feel a thing.

18. written a letter to Santa Claus? No, I don't think him or his elves read Chinese. We don't even have chimneys!

19. watched the sunrise with someone you care about? I've watched it with friends and I care about them. Although nowadays it's hard to wake up at sunrise.

20. been kissed under the misteltoe? No. It's not more magical, is it?

21. ever been arrested? Almost, when I yelled at a park ranger once because the stupid S.O.B. was blocking the exit way of a water park when everyone was rushing to get out during a thunderstorm.

22. gone ice skating? Yes, when I was a kid. I've yet to regain my balance.

23. been skinny dipping outdoors? Yes, in a jacuzzi and I'm gonna hush now.

24. had a nickname? Many. Nicknames are good, it means you're accepted in a certain social group.

25. been on TV? On a small station in Macau, I was singing in a choir and they got me on, but I don't have a tape to prove it.

Anyway, have a great weekend!

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The Memory Book

It was 5 in the morning and I was still awake, so I reached out to a box below my nightstand where I keep a few things and pulled out the little notebook, we call it the memory book. It's like your high school year book. Right before we graduated from high school, we each bought a notebook and passed it around for people to sign and write in.

It's full of fond memories, they reminded me how we used to chase each other down the hallway for fights (fake fights), throwing parties and go camping, renting houses in the islands for the weekend. While everyone our same age was busy studying, we had FUN. That's probably why we all did kinda bad in the public exam.

Along with the standard forget-me-nots and the good wishes, we became each other's critics, describing what's so great about each other and what is there to improve. I'm proud to have been described by everyone that I'm a good guy, a straight shooter and always with a smile on my face. For the criticism, they wrote that I'm at times silly, acting like a kid, acting with too much on principals and that I don't care to masquerade my feelings. I guess I have offended people by being too blunt at times, the worst of it all is that if someone get on my bad side, I don't have the ability to forgive. I think I haven't changed a bit at all.

Maybe my smile is not as bright as before from the wears and tears of the years, but everything else is very to the point. It warms my heart to know that there are people who knows me so well, but then my not changing could mean that I've not learned anything through the years. I'm still stubborn as ever.

It's good to be reminded of who I am, it gives me a chance to reclaim my spirits. It lets me know that I am loved and wanted. It's a good feeling.

After reading some entries, I sent out an email to my friends and tell them how much I missed them and how much I wish that we can get together again, maybe rent a house in the island for a weekend and hang. Although some of them got married and have kids and things might never be the same. But a few hours later, I got a few emails from them saying how much they've missed me as well. They have just got together a few days ago helping one of us prepare for a wedding. Old pictures were brought out and they all laughed on how stupid our old haircuts were.

I'm glad I have these friends and although I'm so far away, and we're all getting on with our busy lives, we have the same history and we have the same knowing. Whatever might happen, but we've got each other's back.

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Gummibärchen!

The Stranger Slog pointed me to the website of a Taiwanese artist YaYa Chou's exhibition back in 2005 where she made art out of gummy bears.









They're cute but what exactly is it that prevents them from melting? I'm sure if you turn on the chandelier, it'd run the risk of raining gum drops. And that suit... lol. Of course you can't really analyze this logically, it's art after all.

I know it's not good for my low carb diet, but I rather have Swedish fish.

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Asian Artist Introduction: Faye Wong

I don't know what took me so long to write about Faye Wong, I guess Faye is just too popular a character in my book and I assume there was no need to go in depth introducing her. If there is any Hong Kong singer worth introducing, it has got to be Faye. She's the most talented by far.

Faye was born in Beijing and her family brought her down to Hong Kong, where her musical career begins. Like most singers from Hong Kong, she didn't write her own songs. We have a habit of covering Japanese and western songs with Chinese lyrics and make an album out of it. Faye first got famous covering songs like Karen White's Superwoman, The Cranberries' Dreams and Tori Amos' Silent All These Years under the name Shirley Wong in an effort from her record company to make her sound more western. These songs combined with some written by the local songwriters had made her quite popular in the early 90s.

In the meantime, she had a side acting career for some TV novella and she ended up in a film made famous by Quentin Tarantino named Chungking Express where she played a semi-stalker. (If you haven't seen this, it's a cool film to watch)

After establishing her success and her fanbase, her record company had giving her much freedom to experiment, she's changed her name back to Faye. She published an extremely experimental album called Fu Zao (Restless/Irritable) in 1996, writing most of the songs herself, and the songs are consisted of more sounds than words. The following albums have changed from Cantonese into Mandarin which is more of her native language and her success grew even further. The Japanese were so taken by her that she was contracted to sing the end title of Final Fantasy VIII "Eyes on Me" (Any gamers here?)

In her personal life, she was married to a singer to a popular rock band, gave birth to a daughter and later divorced, incidentally matching everything a fortune teller told her which she sang in a song years before her divorce. She was later involved with an upcoming singer more than a decade her junior, their affair became very public since Hong Kong is really not that big a place. They broke up and Faye married a Chinese film star. She's had stopped publishing records since 2003.

She's much beloved by the Chinese and she's got a huge gay following. My friend here has a tall glass bookshelves just for displaying her records.

Red Bean (1998)



New Tenant (2000)



Flower From Land Yonder (2000)



The things I've seen, had went off
The things disappeared, I've remembered
I'm standing at the corner of the sea, the edge of the sky
Heard the sprouting from the soil
I wait for the flowers to bloom again
So the fragrant would linger for the ages
There's no lighthouse at the land yonder
But I'll still be looking out
The sky may grew dark, my hair may turn white
But I'll be carrying my torch
When he comes, I'll tell myself
I'm not scared, I love him.

Beautiful Mistake (2003)



I also thought she looks like my mom, maybe she's just pretty. (Or maybe we all look alike... lol)

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The Canoe Story

During a so-called employee development outings, my back gave out and I had to be rescued by paramedics and an ambulance.

I should have seen it coming, really. The whole thing is very badly planned. We were acting on the whim of our boss who thought spending a weekend canoeing down the Susquehanna river was a good idea. Out of our group of then 14 employees only 4 can swim and most of them have families and are single mothers. So there were a lot of reluctance, but then our boss said it was mandatory so we toughed it up and went.

After spending a few hours driving to a campground north of Harrisburg, PA and a relatively peaceful and even fun night building up a tent, a fire, barbecuing and talking, we awoke to our daunting task that is the river. The river was much more shallower than I though it'd be. I've canoed before so I wasn't as much in the hysterics than other people might be.

Through random pairing, insisted by the boss, the two most obese persons got paired up in one canoe. One of them happened to be the best swimmer, so we thought it might just be ok. The champions of this outing ensured that since they are experienced and they know how to swim, they'll stay back and make sure everyone was ok. Five minutes later, the "obese" boat flipped, bags were floating down the river...

All the canoes went passed me and I heard someone screaming hysterically over at the river bank like someone had died. I turned around and saw a little behind me a canoe had flipped and while the non-screamer was screaming her lungs out, the swimmer was nowhere to be found. I picked up the floating paddle and hiked over the rock bank to help. Turns out the swimmer went under when the hollow of the canoe flipped and he came out unscathed. It was hard to get the screamer back onto the canoe afterwards but we managed.

The following 8 hours were composed with me getting out of my boat, pulling my colleague's canoe out the extremely shallow river banks. Somehow I feel obligated, since I'm one of the three men on the trip and the ones promised to stay behind are a few minutes down the river and everyone else is afraid to get in the water and get wet. By the end of the day, my back started to bug me, I find that I can't stand to seat up straight anymore and had to lie down. I thought floating down the river might help and the the cool water did help a little but then I couldn't stand back up.

My good-sport partner is now nervous, but everybody else already arrived got to the second campground and we're just two minutes away. By the time I floated down the site, I was surprised to find my boss annoyed as he asked me maliciously if I was truly ok or make pretend. Offended, I insisted that my back was giving out and he called for an ambulance.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics wouldn't go near the river where I was because they didn't want to get wet. By this time I felt quite humiliated, but after much altercation, I got on the ambulance and they had to cut my shirt off so that I don't get hypothermia. By the time I got done in the hospital I was so hopped up with the good stuff that I winked at my lesbian colleague while a tall hunky beary nurse hold me up and put me on the wheelchair, while she was laughing hysterically.

I got put in a hotel room for the night with my lesbian colleague and the others got some Boston's Market and we all went home the following day.

It's symbolic, really. Out of this staff development/team building exercise, I've learned that people who promised to be there proved to be untrustworthy, and that turned out to be very true. And me, the people pleaser who go out of his ways to help others ends up getting hurt. I should have learned.

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Chef YvesPaul's Installment - Discovering Spaghetti Squash

I was on a low carb diet for a while the last few week, I don't think I am anymore since I've been having chocolate, cookies and a large amount of ice cream. But during the diet, I've experimented a few things and I was most impressed by Spaghetti Squash.

Spaghetti squash is an oblong winter squash, that's yellow or ivory in color. After it's cooked, the flesh falls out in ribbons that resembles spaghetti. Then it can be used as regular pasta for baking or eaten with pasta sauce. It contains valuable nutrients like folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene and it's completely low carb!

Calories in Spaghetti Squash - Spaghetti Squash
Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti Squash - Spaghetti Squash
Servings: 1 cup
Calories 42 Sodium 28 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 181 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 10 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 2 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 4 g
Trans 0 g Protein 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Just cut them in half, seed them and rub them with oil sprinkle salt and pepper and baked skin side up for 20~25 minutes in 400 F and then let them cool down before handling them and use a fork to scoop the flesh out.

Here's my simple lemon pasta recipe:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, cut into thin ribbons
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 lb of pasta/spaghetti squash meat
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped (optional)

1. Heat up the oil and butter in medium heat
2. Put in the garlic and onion, stir-fry until onion gets translucent (5 minutes)
3. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and chicken broth, heat until simmer.
4. Put in pasta or spaghetti squash and heat up for 4 minutes until liquid is slightly absorbed.
5. Sprinkle in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, served warm. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

*If using spaghetti squash, reduce the amount of chicken broth to half and prolong heating time at the end to about 8 minutes. Spaghetti squash will release its own liquid.

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Beatboxing Kids

Apparently there are a lot of kids in Europe that enjoys beatboxing.






Is this even real?

If only the kid who comes out 7:00 in the morning outside my window would beatbox instead of crying and screaming out loud. (...Where's my beer bottle?)

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MadTV Cancelled?

I wasn't aware of this but apparently after 14 seasons, MadTV had been canceled because of the production cost is too much for Fox to bear. The show had been canceled since the end of October and they are talking about moving the show to a different network, possibly a cable channel.

It's sad really, I have been sitting by the TV faithfully every Saturday night wondering why it's moved to a later time slot and why SNL had come back but not MadTV. It's a bit sad since I like the show a lot and I find it a lot funnier than Saturday Night Live. But it shed a light onto why both SNL and MadTV constantly changes its casts. It's refreshing to see young people, even though some of them don't seem to be ready for the spotlight yet but then they are cheaper.

Here's some clips from my favorite MadTV alumni - Debra Wilson (no, not Bobby Lee):

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Weekend Meme: The 99 Things Meme

Today's Meme comes from Fair View Sue and Eric at Gambrinous with Griffonage.



The rules are simple: bold the items you’ve done; don’t bold items you haven’t done.

Here we go:

1. Started your own blog (Like Sue Said, "Duh!")
2. Slept under the stars (I've camped before)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (Spectacular)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (My left kidney... not!)
7. Been to Disneyland/ World (Disneyworld, it's ok.)
8. Climbed a mountain (Hiked, not climbed)
9. Held a praying mantis (Evil looking creatures)
10. Sang a solo (I don't think karaoke counts)
11. Bungee jumped (Would love to)
12. Visited Paris (A seven year long visit)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (Yes, it was crazy)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I'm painting, paint by number style)
15. Adopted a child (Maybe one day)
16. Had food poisoning (Who hasn't?
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (They closed the top section because the stairs are deteriorating now, but I've gone as high as I could)
18. Grown your own vegetables (Is toe fungus a vegetable?)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (Yes, I was a really small kid and I kept running back and forth to see if her eyes would really follow me)
20. Slept on an overnight train (I've been on an 8-hour train ride but not overnight)
21. Had a pillow fight (It's always a fight)
22. Hitch hiked (My uncle got us lost in the woods once)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Um... duh!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (Why?)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (Curiously I notice strange things happening in my body when they happen)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (Not since I've become a vampire... What kinda question is this?)
31. Hit a home run (Baseball is not big in China)
32. Been on a cruise (I hope to...)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (Passed by on the train, does it count?)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (What do you mean birthplace? Like the hospital? What if they were born at the same town, does that count?)
35. Seen an Amish community (Reading Terminal Market, there are 15~20 of them selling stuff, is that a community?)
36. Taught yourself a new language (Se hablo Espanol.)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (Maybe I'm like his mother...)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (I think I had but then I'm Chinese; if I don't have a picture to prove it, I was never there.)
39. Gone rock climbing (Why?)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (Are you kidding me?)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (This is not a sexual innuendo, right?)
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (Yes, I'm that cliche)
46. Been transported in an ambulance (The fuckers cut open my shirt!)
47. Had your portrait painted (Does caricature counts?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (Um... I'm gay?)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (I don't have a car, and I don't know where there's one.)
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (It's a shame, really.)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (Tai Chi boxing from a Latino guy, for shame.)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen (Might not be a bad thing, I'm interested.)
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Eaten many though)
62. Gone whale watching (Does fat people count?)
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (I've donated blood, 5~6 times.)
65. Gone sky diving (Would love to!)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (Yes, I have my moments)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (Yes, but he didn't speak to me)
71. Eaten Caviar (It's fun and interesting)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (Pass by tons of times)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (Laid off, never fired)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London (Yes, when I was a kid)
77. Broken a bone (What about the wish bone from the roast chicken, that count?)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (Yes)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (I don't know how to drive!)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (You mean the WHOLE thing?)
86. Visited the White House (Not inside though, Bush was still the president and I had no interest.)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Lobster, not proud of it)
88. Had chickenpox (I don't know, I might have)
89. Saved someone’s life (Done plenty mouth-to-mouth, but I don't think they needed saving in the first place)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Met Adele, Robert Gant, Margaret Cho, Liam Sullivan and a few porn stars.)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Does a boyfriend count?)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit (I've threatened, but I guess it's not really my thing.)
98. Owned a cell phone (Who doesn't?)
99. Been stung by a bee

I got 43 out of 99, I guess I could visit a few more places.

Have a great weekend and a great Valentine's day!

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Blog Intro: This is Why You're Fat

Since my friend Cubxotic and Joe.My.God had mentioned this blog, I thought it'd be worth posting here to share. This Is Why You're Fat is a blog where people can post pictures of "deliciously gross food" and it's very entertaining to see all these innovative food that seems to contribute to the obesity problem of America. I wonder if looking at these pictures makes people of the less fortunate countries hate us more. It's pornographic.

Take this more instance:



The 12 bird true love roast... Contains 12 different kinds of bird: large turkey filled with goose, chicken, pheasant, aylesbury and barbary duck, poussin and guinea fowl, partridge, pigeon squab, quail and mallard duck. Breast meat from 48 different birds + 8 types of stuffing.

Apparently there's 5 golden rings in it somewhere as well. Is it really necessary to take 48 lives and put them all in a roast. How do you differentiate what is what, or maybe it doesn't matter any more, we're just eating numbers and excess here.



I submit that even the most cock-hungry porn star with the widest throat couldn't down this thing. It's just for show, I'm sure.



I don't know if I've told you guys that I've been on a low carb diet for almost a month now. But boy am I tempted to take a bit of this French-Fry Encased Hot Dog On A Stick. It's a meal on its own. Mmm... French Fries, mmm... hot dog, mmm... stick.



Almost as impressive is this Kitchen Sink Ice Cream Sundae, I think it'll take 15~20 people to finish the whole thing. I'm surprised that anyone would order it, unless you desperately need to renovate your kitchen and you can take the sink home afterwards. Is there a nozzle somewhere down to pour the melted ice cream out so you can have milkshake?

Other than the above mindboggling food oddities, there are also a giant Kit-Kat bar the size of 2 babies, a 120 ounce steak, a bacon cheeseburger that uses glazed donuts for buns, a cheeseburger the size of a microwave and the aforementioned Bacon Explosion.

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For The Talent Portion...

This chick is crazy and I'm mesmerized.



It's a bit crass and over the top but yet very amazing. I can do without the costume, the acrobats and the dance, really. Just her spinning the canvas and draw is quite enough. The whole thing is a bit crazy. I wonder how long she took to perfect it.

I've posted too much videos recently, haven't I?

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The Onion: The Next Gizmo (NSFW)

Apparently someone has a grievance with Sony...


Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

By the way, I guess it's cursing day here at this blog...

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Music Invasion: Christian Bale's "Bale Out (RevoLucian Remix)"

The surprise dance hit this winter is RevoLucian's remix on the Christian Bale lash out. It's quite well done, very catchy and I especially like the Barbara Streisand quote at the end. It just balances out.

Now they are saying that Christian Bale was displaying the all too common roid rage, since he's using it as part of his training for his role in Batman. Somehow it sounds much better than "I was just being a dick." Don't you think?



"No! No! Fuck No! No! Fuck! No!" I think it could translate into a good break up song.

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Stephen Colbert's Threat Down (02/09/2009)

Since I missed the whole last week, I guess I'm trying to make up for it now. I was watching The Colbert Report and found him way more hilarious than usual. Maybe it's because I'm in a much better mood, or maybe he's got a new writer.

Hope you enjoy.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

ThreatDown - Gay Divorce

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Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

I finally get to see Slumdog Millionaire. Since everyone said it would be a good movie and it got so many awards and nominations, I figure it had to be worth the $6. Yes, people, $6 for the matinee at the Ritz, a local well-kept art house theater in 3 different buildings with 11 screens. It's a good place to see art films, especially when art films put most people off and so it's relatively quiet in there. I thought I'd be the only once in there, but it ends up getting around 11 people. Not bad for a Monday Matinee screening? (Nobody talked or maybe we're too far apart to notice.)

Well enough about the theater, let's talk about the movie. By now probably most people have seen it already, so this review is probably quite unnecessary. But here it goes anyway... (haha...) Slumdog Millionaire is a Cinderella fairy tale about young Jamal going on a game show in search of his girlfriend.

Jamal, played by Dev Patel of Skins fame, tells his life stories through how he comes to know the answers of questions asked in the game show. Jamal grew up with his brother Salim in the slums of Mumbai. The two seems to think of money making schemes and get into trouble all the time. They lost their mother during an attack on Muslims and became orphans and along the way they met another orphan girl Latika. The three of them got taken in by a slumlord to beg on the streets, the brothers escaped but Jamal swear that one day he'll find her and they'll reunite.

India is depicted as an over-populated country where the quality of living is very poor and torture and violence is used casually. Jamal grew up with an exceptional determination and optimism that makes his older brother Salim jealous and seek to control and punish him for it even though his brother is the only family that's left and he loves him. In fact, everyone seems to be in the business of putting other people down. Maybe since the country is so over populated that everyone is struggling to rise on top, so they resort to watching a game show to carry them in another world.

The kids were brilliant in this film, cute and believable. Since I've never been in India, I think it's a personal treat to be able to lay eyes on the land and see how people there lives even though it might not be the reality of things. Of course, the whole thing is quite implausible and I still don't get how Jamal get to be on the game show or Latika could have been alive for so long or why Salim couldn't be more swift at the end but generally I find the film charming. Will it get an Oscar? It's very possible. A-

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My Explanation

Ok folks, I'm ready and back. Thanks for all your kind words but it turns out it was my own fault.

Yes, even though I'm usually very reserved at times I get emotional, erratic and impatient on some issues. Issues that I deem very important to me and when I don't get my way, I lash out. Of course it is no excuse, especially after I realize how insensitive I have been with other people's feelings.

I don't know why I act in extremes, it had been like that all my life. My junior high once said that there's no moderation or lukewarm with me. It's not necessarily a good thing. I've perfected a skill to cut people off my life when the relationship has gone south. There's no mending, no forgetting or forgiving. It's too black and white but I'm learning. Not everyday is sunshine and smiles, if I learned to ride out the stormy weathers maybe I'd be a better man. Things can be fixed and relationships can start over, it's not the end of the world and unlike before, nobody will die.

The Hulk has to go, I can't let my anger get the best of me. But if you don't have anger doesn't it mean you don't have passion in life? Should I be actually proud that I actually can still be angry?

Anyway, I'm back and I'm actually more than glad that things are back to normal now.

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Plunging Into Oblivion

I'm beginning to think that I'm actively breaking my heart so that the pieces become so little that at the end even if they break again, I won't feel pain anymore. It's not a passive thing, I'm being proactive about it, I'm sure. I'm convinced that everyone that I know that everyone I'm falling for is unavailable and the most unsuitable guys I can find. In fact, that is a requirement. If you fall for me in the first 5 days we met, you're clearly not for me. I have to be the subservient one, or how else can I play the victim at the end? As a gay Hong Kong singer Anthony Wong had sung "Smeared mascara is not enough, change costumes and jump through a window."

We're going for the dramatics. Fear of rejection, cringing for the inevitable and then go for the jugular. It's not pretty enough if you don't get the red from the blood. Scream from the top of your lungs for the things you're more afraid of, get prosecuted for it and watch it happen. It's not that you're not smart and you don't know it, but instead of bathing in the sweet of it, throw a stone through your own mirage and step on the glass on your bare feet. What of it? That's what modern heroism is reduced to anyhow.

Life is so not going my way and I'm tired of it all. The hell with it.

"Stop holding onto people so tight"

My buoy will stay afloat and mossy down the river, I should quit grabbing everything I find and just accept my fate and sink to the bottom. Nothing is simple. Nothing is easy. Nothing begets nothing. The truth is I long for something simple and easy and that's what I'm getting.

"Stop being a pussy, Paul."

Would it hurt as much if it doesn't ring truth or if you don't care for that particular person?

Can I ever learn? I'm too proud and stubborn to change my ways even though nothing is working out, I much rather deteriorate thinking I was right, thinking I know better when I clearly don't. I'm lost. Through no fault of others. I have brought it on my own.

I think I'd stop posting for a while, until I've gathered myself up.

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Christian Bashing Vs. Gay Bashing

Worth a look.

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