Unsmelly Durian?

On a dare from Roxy, I consumed durian in Thailand. It's supposed to be the smelliest fruit out there. It was a bit smelly, but I don't remember it too unfondly. Maybe this review is an example of time healing all wounds, but not having checked my Thai post, I can't say for sure. (As a point of honesty, I won't read what I had to say about it until I've finished this post.)

Anyway. I read in the NY Times that they have finally bred an unstinky durian. I don't think it's the same. It's not that I am a durian connoisseur; I can't judge it like wine or beer or cheese. So why am I upset? It's homogenizing food.

It's an affront to me because it's removing a barrier to entry. You don't have to go out on a limb to gain a new experience. There's less on the line.

Let's not have life be too easy.

I wonder what else is rolling around in there...

So having a spare moment or two, I hit wikipedia. On the front page, I see something about an infinite sum of positive numbers = -1. I click, and remember back to undergrad. I once knew how to sum an infinite series. It was critical to my existence. Or, at least my grade.

A click later, I stumbled upon "Cauchy sequence" and my mind screamed, "You've heard of that!!"

And, as I type this out, I think back to yet another undergrad class. In this one, I learned the difference between "recall" and "recollect." You have different types of memory. It's easier to get information into "recollect" to ace that multiple choice test. You only have to pick from the choices in front of you. Much more difficult to get it into that "recall" memory bank for the dreaded "fill in the blank" questions. I could recollect "Cauchy sequence" but if my life depended up on it, could not hope to recollect it.

Anyway. I was momentarily seized with the desire to once again commit to memory how to sum an infinite sequence. That desire has passed. It's just a bit too esoteric now. If it were a bit more practical, I would invest a bit of myself.

So we'll leave the moral of the story as "Look Dad! I wasn't drunk for all of undergrad!"

And think, I've only had one beer tonight.

I'm Kenny....

Never thought I'd be Kenny, but that's ok. There's also a William Shatner quiz too...

Chinese food

So I was at a local mall yesterday. (Don't ask why.) It's known for having a good, if a bit pricey, Chinese restaurant. So I stopped in to get dinner.

They handed over the menu. And it was in English. Not just "Kung Pao Chicken" or "Mu Shu pork" but "Beef in Hot ginger sauce" and "Hot tofu Szechuan style." I had this latter dish before, and found it to be a imitation of my memories of the real thing.

I've reached the point in my food life when I know I'm a fan of Szechuan, and my favorite dish is "Ma Po Dofu." The traditional preparation has chucks of tofu and small bits of pork in a sauce. And mouth numbing spices. But the key is the bit of pork. So I didn't want the "hot tofu Szechuan style" which was under the Vegetable menu, but the real deal.

I find myself in the awkward place where neither a menu in English nor one in Chinese fits my needs. So I simply had to order up in my bit Chinese, and hope for the best. It was tasty.

Will wonders never cease?

Let me start by saying, "Don't worry, I was supervised."

It's never a good start to a story, but this story does not involve fire.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I observed the workings of the top loading washing machine. I should point out that I have watched front loading machines at a laundromat. Front loaders were quite common in Europe, as they use less energy and water than the typical top loader. They have a transparent door, as most commercial dryers do.

But it was the opaque lid that always was a discouragement for the top loader. It was as if the process was meant to be a secret. Indeed, to watch it move through the entire cycle, you have to fool the machine into thinking that the lid is closed. Chris did let me put my hand in during the spin cycle, but before it was moving really fast.

So three cheers to the spirit of investigation of the known world! It may be a machine I've used hundreds of times without incident, but I'm a richer person for the experience.

Are you ready to vote?

I'm not opening this up for a free for all to express your political opinions. I'm not up for moderating that discussion. I'm just asking if you feel prepared to vote.

Like it or not, in Illinois, we elect our judges. The first couple of times I voted, I felt bad because I just had to guess if I should vote to retain someone. I could have unknowingly voted for someone inept. Knowingly is one thing, unknowingly is a psychological burden.

But the Illinois State Bar Association conducts a poll of attorneys. They require a 65% approval rating from the respondents before the judge is "recommended" for retention. They also have questionnaires, which the Bar evaluates, and gives a subjective qualified/not qualified rating. Is it perfect? No. But it's the best I could find.

Click here and select your county to see the ratings.

While we're at it, I'd recommend these folks as well. They send you an email detailing how your Congressional delegation voted over the previous week, as well as letting you know what's coming up to bat.