In Before 2013

Haa, I quite like this time of the year. Time is continuous, so the idea of it "ending" at predetermined points is silly and very human, but humans do make things up for a reason. For instance, we do a great deal of reflecting - what we've done before, what we'll do in the future, whether life exists only here or beyond what can be attributed to Earth - so it makes sense to have a stopping point, to sit down and think.

I think I've had a good year. I've been very calm all year, only the occasionally frothing rage at someone mucking up the database FOR THE THIRD TIME! But you know, it's been mostly mellow so far. I realise how good things have been when I look at others who haven't achieved the same stability. I'd like to step in and fix things for them, but there's only so much an outsider can do. Personal peace can only be achieved on your own, I think.

The world didn't end. I'm a bit disappointed, it might have been interesting.

David Wong, a columnist for Cracked, recently published an article which is well worth reading. (I'll also note that he's rather given to using profanity in his writing.) It would have been nice if this article had been around while I was an idiot teenager/adolescent, but I suppose I should be glad that I learnt those lessons without the help of an Internet writer. You kids and your newfangled technologies.

It's now half-past three. Time for some cake!

Cinderella

I like this version.

I'm almost done packing, the flight home is tomorrow. Heh, it's almost routine now.

Cold Hard Gunk

Both of my housemates just moved out, leaving me the sole possessor of the fridge. The filthy, filthy fridge. I spent a few hours boiling up some water, pouring it over the unidentifiable brown coagulated material under the crisper drawers, scrubbing it down with a scouring pad, wiping everything down with mild bleach, then mild soapy water, then water twice, until everything was white and non-sticky once more.

Also, before I could start, I had to clear the bottom rack from liberal sprinklings of what looked like dried goji berries. Housemates, what the heck?

The freezer needs a good scrubbing too. But first, let me catch my breath.

Mirror, Mirror

The title text to this xkcd comic describes a famous trick question:

"When you look at words in a mirror, how come they're reversed left to right but not top to bottom? What's special about the horizontal axis?"

The answer is fairly obvious (they're reversed left to right because that's how you flipped the text around in order to face it towards the mirror), if slightly counter-intuitive, because it is easy to confuse the idea of a reflected image with a reversed image. It's also easy to prove that the premise of the question is incorrect - write a word on a sheet of paper, and then turn it top to bottom to face the mirror. Oh hey, the word is now upside-down, but not remotely flipped from left to right!

The question of what's special about the horizontal axis needs to be taken separately from the mirror. Or rather, why do we feel compelled to turn a sheet of paper or a book from left to right when turning it towards a mirror, rather than top to bottom, diagonally or any other angle out of the three hundred and sixty available? 

I thought it might something to do with the way we read horizontally, and therefore someone accustomed to reading top-to-bottom would turn the paper in that direction instead. My father contended that, since our feet are stuck to the ground by gravity, we are accustomed to move along the horizontal axis.  If you're in a dressing room and want to take a look at the back of your outfit, you twist yourself left or right about your waist - it never occurs to you to bend forward or backward until you can see your reflection, possibly because you're simply not flexible to do that anyway.

It's a bit funny though, how we don't even stop to think about such things. Or about astronauts in zero-gravity environments who might have a different perspective on things.

2013 is at the Door

So, I'm coming home soon! I didn't expect to be so casual about it, but I suppose I'm getting used to it. This time, when I asked my mother what she'd like me to bring back, there was no polite waffling about. She had a list.

I've been getting started on my Christmas shopping. At one point I was in the ABC Shop, a Very Dangerous Place, all the DVD box sets for various favourite shows lined up, price tags cunningly hidden on the back. I resolutely turned away - and immediately locked eyes on the Doctor Who shelves. The ones with the price tags proudly displayed on the front, because the DVD sets were discounted to less than two-thirds of the regular price. 

It was a well-planned ambush. I picked up Season 2 of the new series, justifying it as a Christmas present to myself, because it contained my very favourite episodes which I was sure to re-watch over and over again, and in no way was a squandering of hard-earned cash on frivolities. As I conveyed my new property towards the cashier, I turned back briefly to Season 1 and said - not out loud, that would be weird - I said, "I'll be back for you." Yes, The End of the World and Dalek would be mine. They would be mine someday, to rewind over every single frame, but for now I would bide my time.

Incidentally, the cashier was so not helpful. "You got a real bargain there, luv!" she exclaimed, as she scanned the barcode. "Wouldn't you like to get the rest of them? Bit rare, for the price to be down this much."

I got it home and watched everything. Twice. (For the commentary, you see.)

So anyway! People have been asking me for wishlists. I find wishlists to be rather troublesome things these days, honestly. After that awful Christmas which I spent by myself, even the mere company of those I love has become a blessing. It's hard to write a wishlist, because if I list the things I'd like to have, it would be endless, while the list of things I need is empty.

I do acknowledge that wishlists are useful for gauging the sort of things a person likes. Preferences change after all - last Christmas, my brother fancied the gift I got for my mother (Planet Earth, narrated by David Attenborough) and largely ignored what I had picked out specially for him. If that is the case, perhaps a list of my preferences would be more helpful?

I like blue, green and burgundy, and I prefer silver to gold. I eschew most cosmetics, but I like perfume and nail polish. I like cookies and scones and bread and cakes, and I like making them. I love both tea and coffee, but especially tea. I like sharks - oh come on, that's obvious. I like spiders, and badgers, and elephants and parrots and dinosaurs. Cats are alright, I guess. I like robots of various types. I like science fiction. As you can see from some previous paragraphs, I acquired a fondness for Doctor Who, particularly David Tennant's tenure. Actually, I'm inclined to watch anything with Mr. Tennant in it, even if they are otherwise contrary to my tastes. The same goes for Stephen Fry - gosh, have I mentioned that I love QI? I do, I really do! It's like the most interesting trivia contest in the world!

I'm a huge nerd! I love my bacteria! I love the periodic table! I love π, I love φ, Pythagoras' theorem, the elegance of DNA replication, Occam's razor, the oceans, the sky when it's about to rain, Mount Fuji, skyscrapers, suspension bridges, the Moon, the whole world and all its sights and sounds, boomdeyada boomdeyada!

Sorry, got carried away there.

See, this is why I can't write wishlists.

Australian Pizza

It's a type of pizza topping. A pizza topping with bacon and eggs.

So... How precisely do bacon and eggs relate to being Australian? Is it meant to be a breakfast pizza?

I'm just all kinds of culinarily confused right now.

ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOTE! This is the best chocolate cookie recipe. Hands down. Although I do recommend using 1-2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, otherwise they will be unreasonably big. You don't want to spoil your dinner, do you? Of course you don't.

Recipe: Honey Wheat Bread

This bread is easy to make and also delicious, especially when toasted and served with butter. It's very soft on the inside and just a touch sweet.

Honey Wheat Bread
Adapted from this recipe and multiple other sources. 

Ingredients (for 1 large loaf)

2 tbs dark brown sugar
2 tbs boiling water
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 tbs butter, margarine or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 3/4 cups bread flour
Extra 1 cup bread flour
1 cup plain white or wholemeal flour
1 tbs cocoa powder
2 tsp instant yeast (or 7g active dry yeast)
1 tsp salt
Ground oatmeal, semolina or cornmeal for dusting

Dissolve dark brown sugar in boiling water. Combine with warm water, oil and honey; stir well. Mix in bread flour. Sprinkle cocoa, yeast and salt on top. Mix with a wooden spoon until well-combined. Leave to sit in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Gradually add plain and extra bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is soft and just slightly sticky.  Place on a lightly-floured countertop and knead for 5 minutes. Place in a lightly-greased bowl. Lightly brush or spray the top of the dough with oil, cover with cling wrap and leave either in a warm place for 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight, until the dough has doubled in size.

Place dough ball onto a lightly greased countertop and roll out evenly using a rolling pin. Fold over the top edge and roll the dough tightly. Pinch the seam closed. The roll should be about 8-9 inches long to fit into the loaf pan; flatten any excess dough on either end, pull them up to create two flat sides and pinch the seams.

Roll the loaf in ground oatmeal. Place in a lightly-greased loaf pan. Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, until the dough has risen to about an inch above the rim of the pan.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place dough in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from pan, place loaf on its side on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Tip loaf over to the other side and allow to cool completely.

Notes

The original recipe called for caramel colour to be used for darkening the bread. Apparently, browning essence also works well. I used dark brown sugar because that was what I had in my kitchen; the result was a light-brown loaf.

Recipe: Lemon Curd Tart

The minute I saw the Orange Curd Tart recipe in the Coles magazine, I knew I had to try it. However, before my procrastinating self could get around to it, my co-supervisor's lemon tree started producing fruit at an alarming rate. He brought in bags and bags of them to work, and I thought it unfair not to at least attempt doing something with them.

The first I tried was a lemon-flavoured modification of this cake, which turned out surprisingly well, considering that I ran out of ground nuts and had to add extra semolina instead. Spurred by this success, I decided to modify a recipe which I had never tried before.

It didn't go too badly either!

Lemon Curd Tart
Adapted from this recipe from the Coles winter magazine for 2012

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/3 cup caster sugar
125 g unsalted butter, diced or grated
1 egg yolk
2-3 tbs ice water

Filling
4 eggs
3/4 cup cream
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice, strained
1/4 cup pineapple juice, strained
2 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

Candied lemons
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 large lemon, thinly sliced

Mix flour, sugar and butter. Pulse with a food processor or rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and just enough water to form a soft dough. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place dough on a well-floured surface. Roll out dough until about 3 mm thick. Carefully lift up dough and ease into a 23 cm x 3 cm round loose-based tart pan. Gently press pastry into pan. Trim edges with a knife (set trimmed dough aside; see additional notes). Refrigerate for another 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Prick the base and sides of the dough with a fork. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with rice, beans or pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove baking paper and weights and bake for a further 10-15 minutes, until the pastry is lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool.

In a large bowl, mix all the filling ingredients. Whisk with an electric mixer until combined and a little frothy. Pour into tart shell and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top of the filling is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, prepare the candied lemons. Mix water and sugar; stir gently over low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes until the syrup has thickened. Add lemon slices and simmer for a further 5 minutes, until the slices are soft and have shrunk a little. Remove from heat.

Arrange lemon slices on top of tart and serve with syrup on the side.

Additional notes

The lemon version I made was still fairly sweet, so I would recommend halving the sugar in the filling when preparing an orange tart.

You can use the leftover pastry to make shortbread! Shape the dough into a rectangle and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cut into fingers, prick on both sides with a fork dust with a little caster sugar. Bake in the 180°C oven for 30 minutes, until the shortbread starts to brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely before consuming (this is the most difficult step).

Update XXXI: Beef...Stew

It's a Homestar Runner reference.

To update since the last time (and also to fill in the gaps between entries a little), I have several new recipes which I'll write up eventually. Things are progressing at work, and naturally leading to more work. I have a new appreciation for yoghurt. Also, Magnum Infinity.

Everyone should know about Gangnam Style by now, so I'm not going to comment on it beyond the fact that there's a shop about forty minutes up the road which carries those wedge-heeled canvas shoes.

Meanwhile, Stephen Fry!

Earthquake Lounge

Blogger, why did you have to change the layout? Why?

Whinge finished. I'm sitting in a departure lounge in Kansai Airport. Every now and then an aeroplane lands, and the whole place shakes. It's like there's an earthquake every five minutes.

I've been in Japan for the past two weeks, first for a conference and then a short holiday. Japan is an interesting country. It's true, when they say that Japanese are extremely polite. It's not just the bowing and the greetings, but also the extreme care everyone takes to keep public spaces clean, and to keep services as efficient as possible.

I also understand why so many expatriates, in spite of living in Japan for some time, are unable to speak the language fluently. It is so easy to get by without understanding Japanese, because almost everyone is willing to accommodate a helpless foreigner. (Although I did learn to read katakana and hiragana before coming here - I didn't fancy being completely helpless!)

I loved the regions in the Kansai region I visited, especially Kyoto. I wish I had spent more time there. Tokyo wasn't bad, but I found I preferred the areas which had an old-fashioned feel, such Asakusa and the Imperial Palace gardens, rather than modern districts like Shibuya, Ginza and Akihabara. Maybe I just like temples and nature. Less than a day into my stay in Kyoto and it already felt like home.

I did get to see Mt. Fuji with my own eyes (and camera), and felt all the more privileged when I was later told that it is hard to see the mountain at this time of the year, since it tends to be covered up by clouds. I did indeed see Mt. Fuji covered up by clouds later in the day - it completely disappears from view. Amazing that such a large mountain can vanish just like that .

Anyway, photos may be forthcoming at some point. For now, I'll enjoy this shaking room.

Jetsettin'

Flying off to a country where you can't even speak the language has to be the craziest, most daring thing you could ever do. It's already been a huge adventure, and we haven't even left yet. (Ahh, visas, will there ever come a time when I won't hate you...?)

Oh, I don't think anything bad will happen, per se. It's just going to be something I've flat-out never done before, because I like to plan everything out, and there are just some things you can't plan sometimes.

Hmm, I haven't really said anything clear, have I? Forgive me, but my mind is in a strange place.

(Lazy) Recipe: Cream of Whatever Soup

My father likes to make something he calls "Stone Soup." Much like the story, it consists of "whatever we found in our refrigerator/storeroom". (Unless it's largely potatoes, then it's Irish Stew.) Although he did take exception once when I poured in a quarter-cupful of grated parmesan.

Anyway, this recipe is largely to get rid of sour cream leftover from making other stuff, since I hate it and never know how to deal with it. Also, this should show you what kind of ingredients I routinely keep in my kitchen.

Cream of Whatever Soup
I made this up myself.

Ingredients
1 potato
1 small onion, chopped
Chicken, bacon or any other meat, cut into small pieces
Broccoli or cauliflower (or both), cut into small florets
1/2 cup hot water
Chicken stock cube
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cornflakes

Prick the potato with a fork. Place on a plate, cover with a sheet of paper towel and microwave on medium-high for 5 minutes. Turn over and microwave on medium-low for another five minutes. Allow to cool, then peel and mash.

In a medium saucepan, heat up a little oil or butter over moderate heat. Fry onions until lightly browned. Add meat and fry until just cooked, about five to ten minutes. Lower heat and add potato mash and vegetables. Stir around for a bit for about two minutes.

Separately, dissolve the stock cube in the hot water. Mix in the sour cream. Pour mixture into the saucepan. Add mustard powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper; cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 min, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.

Take soup off the heat. Crush the cornflakes with the back of a spoon and sprinkle on top. Serve warm.

Western Blot (The Movie)

Haha oh my goodness.



Gilsons are indeed the workhorse pipette. Not as comfortable as an Eppendorf or as simple as a Finnpipette, but they're rugged and they get the job done. Just what a mercenary needs. (Incidentally, the multichannel shown in the video was a Finnpipette F2.)

I also just noticed the dry ice on the floor, for dramatic effect when Vitto steps into the lab. These chaps sure were having fun!

May 25

It's slightly odd to be talking about this now, but anyway - the local newspaper used to have a feature, on the same page with the horoscopes - about which famous person you shared a birthday with. And every year, I got Mike Myers. It was very irritating - I wasn't overly fond of Mr Myers's brand of humour, so it wasn't something I'd brag about.

But now we have Wikipedia, and its tendency to make lists of everything, and so I find that the writers of that newspaper feature simply lacked imagination. From the May 25 page, a selection of the cool people with birthdays on that date:

• Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton - he of "the pen is mightier than the sword", and the infamous "it was a dark and stormy night" opening line which inspired two contests.
• Igor Sikorsky - pioneer of the modern helicopter.
• Sir Ian McKellen - famous actor how can you not have heard of him.
• Frank Oz - the puppeteer who plays Miss Piggy (and other characters) on The Muppet Show.
• Stan Sakai - creator of Usagi Yojimbo.
• Frank Klepacki - I admit I jumped when I saw this, because he composed several tracks for the Command & Conquer series of video games, including Hell March 2.

Also, May 25 is Geek Pride Day, because in 1977, that was the day the (real) first Star Wars film was released. Take that, newspaper section written by an underpaid journalist!

Baked Beans

I used to love baked beans when I was very young, and then, for some reason, I started to hate them. I couldn't stand it when I ordered something from the Western food stall at school, and there were baked beans on the plate. They were yucky and watery and... ugh!

Fast forward to now, 24 year old me watching old episodes of QI (a fantastic show, go watch it). In one episode, permanent panelist Alan Davies asked, somewhat randomly, "Why can't other bean manufacturers make their beans taste like Heinz beans?" While not meant as an advertisement, it did have the effect that the next time I was in a supermarket, I went out of my way to include a can of Heinz baked beans in my shopping. And you know what?

Heinz baked beans are bloody delicious.

(MLIA)

And Sometimes, Dispassionately...

...they had to weed.

I remember preparing for my confirmation of candidature. I remember the sheer terror, that when you come into the room after the panel has convened, they'll tell you that you're not up to scratch. It doesn't matter that most students do get confirmed. You're always thinking you'll be the one who doesn't.

I remembered this today, sitting on the panel for another student, as the panel chair calmly informed her that she would not be confirmed.

The panel chair explained it to her, explained why, explained that the panel would re-convene in a few months and make a second decision, based on any further progress she had made. But looking at her face, I knew she hadn't heard a word after he had stated the panel's decision.

Confirmation of candidature happens after the student's first year. It's an assessment of whether a student appears to be able to handle another two or three years of a PhD course. Stopping someone from wasting a lot of effort on something they can't handle is a kindness, really. And if the title of Doctor is to mean something, it can only go to those who deserve it.

Not that it makes dropping the axe any easier.

Men in Black III

It has seriously been fifteen years since the first Men in Black film was released, and ten years since the second one.

Seriously?

Seriously.

I watched the third instalment yesterday, and I have to say I loved it, even to the point that it's my favourite of the three. I'm always happy to see a comedy film which doesn't rely on gross-out humour or slapstick, and which is backed up by a good plot. The story had a few holes here and there, but they were easy to forgive in light of how entertaining the whole thing was, start to finish.

Naturally, the story was helped along by the excellent characters. There was a notable lack of plot-induced stupidity in the lead characters - none of them inspired moments where I thought to myself, "No, you idiot, you should obviously...!" (The minor characters were a different story - but then again, without their mistakes, there would be no plot.) Intelligent characters catch on very quickly, as they should, and authority figures don't unnecessarily get in the way of the heroes beyond the demands of their duty. The cast was believable, aliens and all.

Will Smith played an older, more experienced but still smart-mouthed Agent J to perfection. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as the stoic Agent K - there are a couple of brilliant scenes where J despairs over K's apparent lack of emotion, even as Jones is able to convey that K is indeed affected. Together, it is easy to believe that the two agents had been partners for fourteen years - J's ribbing of K's faults is good-natured, they cover each other during battle almost seamlessly, and their determination to keep each other safe is heartwarming.

I should mention that Josh Brolin is utterly, utterly brilliant as the younger Agent K. His performance is spot-on. The bad guy, Boris, was also great. He reached a level of sheer repulsiveness which even the villain from the first film didn't achieve. (Incidentally, Boris is played by Jermaine Clement, from Flight of the Conchords. I didn't even recognise him!)

The film kept many of the staples of the series - sly jokes about disguised aliens, shiny technology, good old-fashioned detective work, pie - and built a clever story which forces you to rethink what you may have assumed earlier in the film. It was by turns exciting, suspenseful, intelligent, funny and yet full of heart. I'll be getting this one on DVD.

Traffic Warden

Just a lovely, heartwarming little film. (Pay attention to any words you might notice in the background - they are all important!)



P.S.: David Tennant! <3

Extra Life

Okay, no, not really, just older by another year, which is really more like a shortened health bar than an extra heart container. But, you know. Two full zodiac cycles. Starting to get old here.

Hmm, you know, I think I have grown up. Not since yesterday, but, you know, over time. Things which used to bother me don't, really. Some other things come easily to me, where they used to be difficult. I'm just not struggling, like I used to.

I think I could get used to this. A feeling like being suspended in water, calm and at peace. Not trying to go anywhere or escape anything, just here and living and breathing. Right here.

Thesis

One chapter, for all intents and purposes, is now complete.

ONE CHAPTER DONE.

Now I have to do the same thing like four more times, and I can get a PhD! :D

Taste

Today's xkcd.

I was so startled, I laughed until my stomach hurt. Thank you, xkcd!

Every library should have a secret room like that, for that sole purpose. Except that then those books would become very popular...with children, using them as the controls for an impromptu merry-go-round.

(Wonderella made me laugh out loud too, with the utterly unexpected ending.)

Now You're Thinking With...

I would love to watch a full-length version of this. This is what a video game film adaptation should be like.

Obvious Thing I Missed

The TvTropes logo has a lampshade hanging on it.

When did that get there?!

(It's always had it.)

Science and Creepiness

I have mentioned the SCP Foundation before, and perhaps hinted as to how much I adore the series. It is only recently, however, that I have begun to understand why made-up reports about fictitious entities, contained by an equally-fictitious organisation, have such a draw for me. It's because of when I sit down to write a report about my lab-work, or plan an experiment, I could just as easily be writing about a SCP object.

I wouldn't say all researchers in all scientific disciplines could say this, but in my case, working with infectious disease, it certainly applies. We have physical containment levels for what we work on. There are often special requirements for different organisms, pertaining to handling, containment and maintenance. While there is usually enough information to culture the organism, and prevent it or modified strains from escaping into the environment, there is frequently a lot which is not known. That, of course, is the reason for experimentation.

We often have to do things we would rather not in order to find answers. I have infected and then killed several mice in the course of my experimentation. Did I enjoy it? Of course not. But it had to be done - there's that ugly phrase again - for the greater good. It's not on the level of utilising Class D personnel, or any sort of human experimentation for that matter, but it is still unpleasant, and often difficult to morally justify.

There are always the nasty surprises - the person who breaks a flask of infectious bacteria and acquires the corresponding disease shortly afterward, the person who ends up in a room with a leaking nitrogen dewar and suffocates before they know it - all the times when a mistake was made during the most unfavourable circumstances. There are incident reports, and they are every bit as impersonal as the artificial ones in the Foundation's collection.

Perhaps most pertinently, these organisms can be utterly terrifying. Look up bacillary dysentery, or meningococcal disease, or gas gangrene. These are real-life horrors.

In handling a pathogenic organism almost every day, when the precautionary measures are known by heart, it all becomes routine. When it becomes routine, one stops imagining the worst that could happen. Why imagine, when the worst has never happened, and when paranoia leads to a waste of resources?

Horror fiction on the other hand, makes it a point to explore the worst that could happen, in the process exposing the fallacy of considering a dangerous object, which hadn't done anything harmful yet, to warrant no more caution than a harmless object. When I mentally wrote out a SCP entry for the bacterium I work on, and realised it would qualify for Euclid class, it was a shock. Had I truly become so familiar with a dangerous, dangerous pathogen, that I no longer considered it threatening? Did I really think that it could not have any nasty surprises hiding up its prokaryotic sleeves, even there are many things about it which are poorly understood? Was I so really so arrogant, that I no longer feared a bacterium which causes an often fatal disease?

The entries in the SCP series are written to be entertaining, which is why their properties are so exaggerated. It's understandable, that the more dangerous objects have to have such bizarre, obviously undesirable effects in order to be accessible to a lay audience. But if you think about it, a bacterium like, for example, Clostridium tetani doesn't need to liquefy a patient's insides or cause projectile haemorrhaging. It's already frightening for what it does naturally. 

The SCP Foundation showcases the creative fiction of some excellent writers. Are we really so arrogant as to think that Nature can't possibly be more creative?

Recipe: Chocolate Tiramisu

Tiramisu is delicious in general, but this one has no raw eggs, no alcohol and lots of chocolate. Yum.

Chocolate Tiramisu

(Adapted from the recipe originally posted here)

Ingredients

300 ml thickened cream

400g mascarpone cheese

1 cup vanilla custard

250 g savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits

Chocolate syrup

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup couverture chocolate

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp instant coffee

100 ml water

4 tbs espresso syrup

Espresso syrup

8 tbs instant espresso coffee granules

4 tbs dark brown sugar

3 tbs hot water

1 tbs brandy flavouring

To make the espresso syrup, combine the coffee, sugar and hot water until dissolved, then add the brandy flavouring.

In a double boiler, combine all the chocolate syrup ingredients. Heat, stirring continuously, until combined. The syrup will resemble a colloid, with chocolate solids suspended in a watery solution. Turn off heat.  Leave the syrup in the double boiler until needed.

Carefully mix the custard and mascarpone cheese until blended. Whip the cream with an electric mixer. Fold gently into custard mixture.

Prepare tiramisu in wine glasses, ramekins or any other small containers. Put a spoonful of the cream mixture into the bottom of each container, spreading it a little to cover the base. Dip ladyfingers in the chocolate syrup and place upright in the cream, so as to line the sides of the container. (Break the ladyfingers in half if they are too long.) Add more of the cream mixture to the centre. Place more syrup-dipped ladyfingers in the middle. Top with remaining cream. 

Drizzle remaining chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.

Hacker

To the dude from Germany who accessed my Gmail account: I hope you were thoroughly bored while you were in there.

To Gmail: Thanks!

To everyone else: As far as I can tell, no harm's been done. Let me know if you get any suspicious mail which is purportedly from me.

Tricked

I admit it. The multitask mode gag (one of Google's many, many pranks yesterday) got me. Hey, Google's always coming up with crazy stuff. Why wouldn't I think that some people (gamers, mostly) might legitimately want to use two mice at once?

So, how about that new dashboard on Blogger. Personally, all the white hurts my eyes. I hope there will be some new skins to make it less eye-searing.

Nostalgia

Back when Bionicle was still going strong, it was hard to believe that it could ever end. I thought that it might last something like twenty more years.

Well, I was pretty much a kid back then, inexperienced in matters of commercial viability. Nevertheless, I haven't forgotten how much happiness a little piece of fiction gave me.

Time-Wasters: Traitor

I enjoyed Traitor very much. It's a shoot 'em up, with all the usual elements of typical games in its genre. You are a pilot, and you have a ship. You fight waves of enemies in ships bigger than your own. You are able to defeat these enemies even though you are outnumbered one-hundred to one. Killing enemies gives you credits to spend on various upgrades. There are final bosses who are bigger and uglier than the usual mooks.

The difference is in the storytelling. After the first few missions, the game becomes non-linear, and releases you into a map which you can use to visit various sectors, in any order you prefer. In each region, you can purchase upgrades or take on missions to earn cash. However, you can't just pop in wherever you like. Some places won't hire or sell to you unless you have a certain degree of reputation, which you can acquire by performing more missions.

The game's universe is rich with details. There are more well-off sectors, which charge more for upgrades and won't admit suspicious characters. There are the poorer regions which don't pay too well, but will ignore the fact that your ship is clearly stolen. There are the dirt-poor sectors which border on desperation. There are geographical differences - some places cannot be accessed without special equipment, and types of enemies encountered in battle vary from place to place, some looking more alien and organic, others more mechanical. Even the people are different - there are miners, farmers, pirates, officials and aliens who live in hives and refer to you ship shields as "skin"; there are people who are excited to help you, people who are cautious, people who are simply tired. Half the fun - the fun that's not blowing things up with overpowered weaponry - is exploring all these details, uncovering the story bit by bit through various conversations and briefings.

The writing is also excellent. While the particular story - your employers turn out to be power-hungry jerks, so you turn against them - isn't at all uncommon among shoot 'em ups, it is handled carefully. You aren't told that there is something wrong with what they are doing - you see it. And when you turn traitor, you end up having to work for a lower pay than you are accustomed, making you feel that your choice had consequences. Little things like that. 

There is an early decision you have to make, between a cruel and a pacifist course of action. I chose to be good and finished the game, then came back to try the evil option. It was hard. With a few well-chosen lines, the game managed to make me feel guilty over harming some innocent pixels - so guilty, that my conscience would not shut up until I had to restarted the game and taken the good option again. Within only a few missions, I was so drawn into the game's universe that the morality of my character mattered to me.

Traitor is not a very big game, nor is it very difficult. The missions are very forgiving - you can quit at any time and restart them, and there is no penalty for being killed. It's a pleasant game, encouraging you to take your time to explore and read through each conversation slowly, and not worry too much about losing. All in all, it's an intelligent, thoughtful distraction to spare a few hours on.

Recipe: Fish Cutlets

These are a treat from my childhood. For as long as I can remember, my mother would make them at Christmas, and my brother and I would help her. We weren't allowed to roll the paste into balls, because it contained fresh chillies, but it was our job to cover them in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs. And then to sneak one or two while they sat cooling on the kitchen counter. 

I modified the recipe slightly so it uses cornflake crumbs instead of breadcrumbs. Cornflake crumbs are crispy and delicious, and impart a lovely golden colour.

Fish Cutlets
(The recipe was passed down through the family, no idea where it originated)

Ingredients
425g canned mackerel or sardines
4 medium potatoes
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
Pepper, salt and lemon juice to taste

1 egg, lightly beaten
Cornflake crumbs

Boil the potatoes, then peel and mash them. Drain the canned fish and remove the bones; flake with a fork. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, fish, chopped onion, chopped chilli, pepper, salt and lemon juice. Stir with a large fork until smooth and well-mixed. 

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat up a small amount of oil over medium heat. Fry the fish paste, stirring constantly so that it does not start to turn crisp. When the paste is drier, slightly glossy and no longer gives out steam, turn off the heat. Allow the paste to cool.

Roll the paste into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in beaten egg, and then in cornflake crumbs, ensuring that they are well-coated. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Deep-fry the balls in a deep-fryer or non-stick pan for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Consume immediately before anyone else shows up. Makes about 30 cutlets.

Additional Notes

I use canned fish so that even if I don't get all the bones out, they can still be safely eaten. Fresh fish can be used instead.

Frying the paste is an important step, as the cutlets will crack during the deep-frying step if there is too much water in them.

If using a pan to deep-fry, fill it up with oil to at least 1/2 cm and heat it up over medium-high heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, I like to scatter a few sesame seeds into the oil, which should immediately float up if the temperature is correct. 

If the cutlets have not been deep-fried yet, they can be stored in the freezer for a month. If they have been fried, they'll just get soggy and disgusting. Why would you do something so horrible?!

Fish cutlets can be eaten on their own, or with rice and curries.

Distance

I received an email from my brother, requesting a favour.

A stiff, formal letter which ended with "regards".

Am I now a stranger to my own family? I need to think on this.

Aye Arr Ell

That title came out quite piratical.

Anyways, a few hours ago I was in foodcourt at a local mall and I saw a chap wearing a Hero of Heart hoodie walk by. I didn't stop to think too long about it, I just strode after him, caught up and asked, "Hey, are you a Homestuck fan?"

Turns out he was, and he seemed quite delighted to meet a fellow fan too. It's a funny thing, being a fan of an Internet series. If I saw someone wearing a Transformers T-shirt, or carrying a Fullmetal Alchemist comic, I'd think to myself, "Cool, this person likes one of the things I do," and leave it at that. But if it's something Internet-based, there's an added excitement, an immediate and reflexive thought of "Let's be friends!"

Furthermore, it seems that this particular person is Facebook friends with the husband of one of my real-life friends. How's that for six degrees?

Leap Day

Happy day which only comes once every four years! I'm sure that there are many superstitions associated with this day, even though it's added to the calendar for mere convenience.

Tomorrow is my PhD's anniversary as well, which is... less exciting. It's just another reminder that time is trickling away. There's never enough time, it seems, to find all the answers.

Scale of the Universe 2

Or, how to feel small and insignificant.

Humans can't comprehend large numbers. It's only when a bigger and a smaller number or objects are placed side by side that the differences are obvious, and even then it can be hard to comprehend. The creators of the Scale of the Universe series have done a great thing here.

(The Large Hadron Collider is bigger than Vatican City? Seriously?)

(Actually it's bigger than Uluru as well. And the Titanic looks quite comfortable sitting next to the International Space Station.)

(I need to think a little.)

Update XXX: Thirty Posts Titled "Update"

Quick check in here - been stupidly busy. SO MANY EXPERIMENTS. I am a fiend of science.

Whatever that means.

There was a great short story in Nature last month. Go take a gander. (Make sure that you're not eating anything, or intending to eat anything. There's a fair amount of squick.)

Back Again

In Australia, again.

I think I have a cold.

(This post has the exact same title as one from last year, except in reverse. I really must be jetlagged to find that amusing.)

Blue Ball Machine

It's sorta like a Rube Goldberg machine, only insane.

But check out all those details! Those hypnotising, hypnotising details.

Unpublished Post: In the New Year

(Note from the future: I found this post in my drafts, it was never published for any reason that I can see.)

The (Chinese) New Year is almost upon us! I'm irrationally excited because this is the Year of the Dragon, and I'm a dragon. (This also means that my age this year will be a multiple of 12.)

I discovered that the Today newspaper publishes a Sudoku puzzle almost daily. Sudoku puzzles are fun! I've even gotten the hang of the 5-star difficulty ones, and no longer have to slave for 3 hours over them.

I recently had some Kinokuniya vouchers to spare, so I got hold of Black Jack volumes 16 and 17. Black Jack is a manga series about a renegade surgeon with incredible skills and a tendency to be involved in the most bizarre of medical situations. (Building a little girl out of a teratoid cystoma? Surgery on a computer? Surgery on himself while suffering from a parasitic disease and being attacked by wild dingoes in the Australian outback? All in a day's work for Dr. Black Jack.) The stories are well-written with a balance of humour, seriousness and poignancy. In spite of Dr. Black Jack's almost godlike skills, he cannot save everyone, and his personal life is beset with tragedy. Yet there are the moments of fourth-wall breaking silliness, triumph and sheer awesomeness. (Self-surgery! Dingoes, I'm telling you!)

Also, the art is excellent. Poo to all those people who think art has to be realistic to be good. Black Jack is unashamedly cartoony, and yet there's a brilliance about the composition of each panel, even the panel layout as a whole. (In one story, a ship is rocking badly in a storm, tossing its passengers back and forth. The panels angle diagonally and even crisscross to reflect the movement.)

tl;dr Black Jack is an awesome manga about an awesome doctor, definitely a series I recommend.

MMXII

Happy New Year!

According to certain people, the world ends this year. End of the year or no, I prefer to take a leaf from Pascal's book, and continue with the assumption that the world isn't going to end.

I tend to take some time and reflect, at the end of the year. Last year I was lonely, my life spinning out of my control, and I was unsure of what would happen to me. Last year's reflective entry had a tone of desperation which makes me wince now, because I can clearly see the mistakes I was making and they shouldn't have happened.

Then again, hindsight is always like that, isn't it?

This year, I pulled myself up, out of the morass I'd watered for myself. I learnt to accept myself, and to live, really live. I think I grew up more this year than I have before. I think this was the year I finally became an adult.

Last year I wrote that there's never any time. This year I realised that time isn't a commodity which needs to be spent.

I wonder what I will think next year?

To the new year.