Thursday, June 28, 2007  |  

- so on the bandwagon -

I might as well chime in on the Oden vs. Durant debate before it's too late: Kevin Pritchard *should* take Oden, of course, but who wouldn't *want* to take Durant? Either way, Seattle will be the big winner of tonight's draft, "settling" for Durant without ever having to second-guess themselves.

Plus: I am totally obsessed with New Balance 1061. They say it's like running on marshmallows.

Current music: Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There

Wednesday, June 27, 2007  |  

- the rising stab of the unfelt needle -

My Favorite Blogger writes:

The other excellent couple Robert and Margy gave me the book Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino for my birthday. It's about a middle-aged Japanese woman whose unnaturally beautiful sister becomes a prostitute and is subsequently murdered. When I opened the gift wrap, Margy knew what to say to hook me in and make me start reading it immediately: "It reminds me of Lynda Barry's Cruddy, only without the hope."

Tuesday, June 26, 2007  |  

- just like the 60's, only with less hope -

Finally watched Shortbus last night and found it thoroughly tedious. The only redeeming thing about the movie was Justin Bond and the song he (she?) performed at the end. I think he (she?) just replaced Alana Steele as my favorite drag queen.

Also, overheard in Vancouver last night: "Actually, the food [at the Cheesecake Factory] is pretty decent. It's their clientele that repulses me."

Current music: Justin Bond and the Hungry Marching Band - In the End

Monday, June 25, 2007  |  

- super kawaii (that means super cute in japanese) -

So, that cute Japanese place *is* called Occupied. And these are the ashtrays I wanted ($13.50 each). Well, one of them, anyways. Can you guess which one?

On an unrelated note: For once, the American justice system does the right thing. Now, can we get that idiot judge dude's soon-to-be-broke-ass disbarred for life?

Current music: The Knife - Silent Shout

Sunday, June 24, 2007  |  

- thank you for smoking -

1. Found a cute store in Gastown that sells cute Japanese knicknacks. I think it's called "Occupied." Or maybe that was an actual "Occupied" sign (I didn't see any other signs). They had these really cute ashtrays that almost made me want to take up smoking again.
   
   
2. Bought a t-shirt that has a silhouette of a bird smoking a cigarette. I had seen Corey's friend's brother wearing one and liked it so much that I found out where he got it from. It sort of goes against my t-shirt buying philosophy (yes, I have one), but it's not like I'll ever see him around. (At least I hope I never do.)
   
   
3. Discovered that one aspect of smoking that I really enjoy is holding the cigarette between the middle and index fingers (as opposed to the thumb and the index finger). And no, I didn't start smoking again, so relax.

Thursday, June 21, 2007  |  

- (don't) start spreadin' the news (just yet) -

I am one of 150 people who got invited to attend the 2nd Annual Google Test Automation Conference in New York this August!

(The application process entailed writing a 400-word "essay" on how you can contribute to the discussion and what you would like to learn from the conference. Mine was just over 200 words, half of which was a bullet-point list.)

I still need my director's approval though. Fingers crossed...

Current music: Tracey Thorn - Out of the Woods

Wednesday, June 20, 2007  |  

- wii have a problem -

Overheard in Vancouver:

Guy 1: I'll ask her to bring the Wii.
Guy 2: Why? Are you already out? Does she have good stuff?
Guy 1: I said Wii, not weed!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007  |  

- my posse's on broadway -

What I miss about Seattle:

1. Sunday brunch at Kingfish: In addition to the aforementioned Crabcake Dewey, their Good Glory! Grits and biscuits are to die for. There are absolutely no good biscuits available in Canada. None.
   
   
2. Ezell's: Good enough for Oprah, good enough for me. There's absolutely no good fried chicken available in Canada. None. (OK, Gyoza King's chicken karaage is pretty damn good, but it's just not the same.)
   
   
3. Nordstrom: 7 of my last 10 shoe purchases were at Nordy's. Nuff said.
   
   
4. Seattle Public Library: All the stuff I get from here more than pays for my frequent trips to Seattle.
   
   
5. Trader Joe's: Oh well, at least we have H-Mart up in here.
   
   
6. The Stranger: Only because I thoroughly despise The Georgia Straight. And The Westender. And The Courier.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007  |  

- eggcellent! -

Following up on yesterday's post, here is my list of top 5 eggs benedicts:

1. Kingfish Café (Crabcake Dewey): My favorite breakfast item of all time. One of the things I miss the most about Seattle.
   
   
2. Sophie's Cosmic Café (Santa Fé Benedict): I love the cornbread/avocado combo (especially with Sophie's famous hot sauce) though I could probably do without the black beans (which, thankfully, is served on the side).
   
   
3. Glo's (Eggs Benedict): Not sure if this is worth the crazy waits, but this is my favorite classic benny. The secret is in the grilled tomato slices.
   
   
4. Lolita's South of the Border Cantina (Huevos Benedictos): Two words: Chipotle. Hollandaise. Also, to quote Chris Rock: "Cornbread -- ain't nuthin' wrong with that!" Get it with shrimps.
   
   
5. El Greco (El Greco Benedict): An old fav before I discovered Kingfish and others. Not nearly as good as it used to be though.

Monday, June 11, 2007  |  

- ella ella eh eh eh -

Some random notes as I try to resist reading anything related to the Sopranos series finale:

1. Umbrella: I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I love the new Rihanna song. I think it's because that part in the chorus where she goes "eh eh eh" evokes the image of Anne from Little Britain channeling Celine Dion.
   
   
2. Nu: Yikes, this place is in a dire need of a restaurant makeover. I've never been to a more outdated, dumpy-looking place -- and this is supposed to be a semi-fancy place where an omelette costs 12 bucks. Food and service were very good although their highly-touted eggs benedict ("the best in town" according to Vancouver Magazine) was decidedly mediocre.
   
   
3. Korean horoscopes: The funniest thing I've read in years. Ask nicely and I might translate for ya.
   
   
4. Japa Dog: I agree with Hannah that a hotdog (especially from a street vendor) is best with just simple ketchup and mustard, but their Terimayo (beef hotdog with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, nori and grilled onion -- all for under 5 dollars) is pretty tasty.
   
   
5. Cameroid: My favorite morph filter is called "Ratface" -- go figure.

Thursday, June 7, 2007  |  

- rehab is the new black -

I swear, if I have to do any more split-lunges or one-leg squats, I am going to scream. I got a green light to start running again, but I'll probably wait a little longer until I'm completely pain-free.

Also, starting yoga tomorrow. For this, I bought a pair of yoga shorts from Lululemon despite my intense hatred for the store. (For those who are not familiar, Lululemon is an insanely popular Vancouver-based yoga outfitter which has completely taken over Canada. Everywhere you look -- at the gym, on the streets, at fancy restaurants, and even at work -- you see people wearing Lulu. And it ain't pretty. It's an epidemic that must be stopped.)

I actually don't mind their stuff except everything is so ridiculously overpriced. You know there's a problem when Niketown starts to look like an affordable alternative for workout clothes. And I hate their "we are so green, it hurts!" attitude. I swear, if they offer me a free compost kit one more time, I am going to scream.

Current music: Mutya Buena feat. Amy Winehouse - B-Boy Baby

Tuesday, June 5, 2007  |  

- trip like i do -

I've never been a big fan of rotoscoping. I don't find it visually appealing, and more often than not, it's an unnecessary gimmick. It probably doesn't help that I found both of Linklater's attempts to be extremely annoying, though that was mostly due to the inane, stupid dialogues rather than the visuals.

While watching A Scanner Darkly this weekend, however, I discovered that rotoscoped movies look waaay cooler if you watch them sans glasses or contacts. With over-saturated colors, blurred edges and slightly-more-fluid-than-normal movements, it's super trippy! It also ends up looking a lot more realistic which, I realize, sort of defeats the intent of rotoscoping, but whatever.

If you don't suffer from debilitating myopia like I do, you could probably set your projector out of focus just a bit and achieve a similar effect. If you don't own a projector? Well, whose fault is that?

Current music: Tindersticks - Running Wild