All Roads Lead To Rantville

Now Playing: The Bravery - Hot Pursuit

I finally saw a play, & one that wasn't being produced by my high school at that - Hamlet by the Soulpepper Theatre at the Harbourfront Centre. It was awesome, really - the acting was note-perfect; intriguing, rivetting and immensely entertaining. The only weak link, if there was one, was the actress playing Ophelia, Patricia Fagan - and it wasn't so much that she was bad as the fact she seemed noticeably less intense than the other actors. Still, it was a hugely edifying experience, and it did afford me the opportunity to swan about the house and proclaim my immense cultured-ness -

Me: Look! I'm all cultured-like!
Family: Sadly, you didn't get all gramatical-like at the same time.

Oh, and the fencing was soooo cool, I was totally fan-girling. :D

So, rerun-hell has mostly ended & we have been granted fresh episodes of all the TV I'm woefully addicted to - so far House, CSI, ER. Let me just say that "Bros before hos, man!" is ample proof that the secret to a great line is not in the writing, but in the delivery.

Anyway, the thing about medical dramas and science-oriented shows that really bugs me is the exposition. You know, when two doctors discuss and explain the patient's condition in easy-to-understand terms for all the laymen watching? Granted, it's necessary, but it's just so clunky! I mean, here are two science professionals who should know all these details, so why are they even talking about it? I mean, every time I watch one of these shows, the exposition jars me out of the moment. *mutter grumble mutter* Anyhow, while I'm on the subject of TV-peeves, I may as well take the opportunity to bitch about how bloody annoying laugh-tracks on sitcoms are. I mean, it's like the show is telling you, "okay honey, this is the part where you're supposed to laugh - just in case you didn't notice how funny that line was." Okay, you know what? I'm not laughing cause your show ain't funny, jackasses!

So yeah, the problem with laugh-tracks is that they're incredibly patronizing, and there is nothing that annoys me more than people who patronize me, or tell me what I should or should not be doing, or talk down to me. I mean, it's the ultimate sign of lack of respect, isn't it? Gah. You know what? I respect other people, for the most part, and people who don't accord me the same respect - y'all can just fuck off.

Whoa. I have no idea where that rant came from, but I'm feeling a lot better now. Ze steam, she has left ze building!

Oh, and Hem is back! Again! :D

Off now. Ta!

More Pointless Blabbering for the Masses

Now Playing: Erik Satie - 1st Gnossienne

After the quizfest that was my last post, I think I've got the quiz bug out of my system. On to more pointless blabbering for the masses!

In the aftermath of the beef-in-black-bean-sauce debacle, I decided I had to get back in the culinary game, so I enlisted the help of Thangam Philip's Modern Cookery, Volume 2. Now, this is probably the oldest cookbook we have - it's tattered and falling apart, the instructions are no-nonsense & text-only, but the recipes work! My first attempt was a pork curry - took forever to prepare, but turned out alright. It got me to thinking - Indian Cooking is really dependent on women having nothing better to do. I mean, the pork curry took me around three hours from start to finish - what with frying, blending and simmering - and this is today, when we have electric blenders and ready-ground spices, as opposed to when you had to grind the spices yourself using a heavy grindstone. Anyway, my latest effort, Chicken Rogini is my masterpiece - it's chicken in a creamy yogurt and cashew sauce. Deeelicious!

New TV show with potential: Prison Break. The first hour was a bit annoying - "watch Wentworth Miller and his steely glare!" - but as the second hour progressed, and it turned out that jail is a bit much for even Michael "anticipate-every-contigency" Scofield to handle - well, I'll be watching from now on. It doesn't hurt that Wentworth Miller is really easy on the eyes.

Finally saw Paheli & I loved it (except for the gratuitous CGI). It's photographed beautifully, and Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee are awesome together (plus SRK in a moustache? teehee!). Also saw Dus. The less said about that one, the better. I mean, it has Abhishek Bachchan and Zayed Khan (who can't act, but he's easy on the eyes) but the sheer implausibility of the plot and the emphasis of style over substance ruin a movie that could have been pretty darn awesome.

Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan in Dus (Indian anti-terrorism agents never take off their holsters, not even at the office,and yet, the lines of their suits aren't ruined.)

Zayed Khan in Dus (he doesn't take off the shades even when he's defusing a bomb and he emotes like he's stoned, but hey, he's cute!)

That's it for me - ciao, people!

Sabotage and Chinese Unicorns

Ultimate Sabotage, baby! Yeh koi maamooli sabotage nahin hai, yeh hai nayee ULTIMATE SABOTAGE! *grin*

Your word is SHIT. You are laid back and relaxed,
and most people like you. You don't especially
want to stand out from the crowd, you are
pretty happy with your lot.


Which Swear (Curse) Word Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

_________________________

Hippie You are 42% Rational, 57% Extroverted, 28% Brutal, and 28% Arrogant.

You are the Hippie! Characterized by a strong sense of extroversion, irrationality, gentleness, and humility, you no doubt frolic through fields preaching peace and love to all! You are probably either very spiritual or needlessly paranoid about "the man", like most hippies, as a result of your focus on intuition and feelings over cold, brutal logic. You are also very, very social. And like any hippie, who would have no qualms about hitchiking across the country just to meet some interesting people, you too love to interact with others, even complete strangers. Because we know most any hippie is peace-loving and humble, it stands to reason that you, as well, are terribly gentle and humble, almost to the point of revulsion. Your carefree attitude of peace and harmony is probably very, very sickening to realists or cynics or anyone who isn't a hippie, to tell the truth. In short, your personality is defective because you are overly emotional, extroverted, gentle, and humble--thus making you an annoying hippie. And you listen to psychadelic rock and smoke a whole lot of pot. Okay, maybe not, but I wouldn't be surprised if you did. To put it less negatively: 1. You are more INTUITIVE than rational. 2. You are more EXTROVERTED than introverted. 3. You are more GENTLE than brutal. 4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant. Compatibility: Your exact opposite is the Sociopath. Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Hand-Raiser, the Televangelist, and the Robot. * * If you scored near fifty percent for a certain trait (42%-58%), you could very well go either way. For example, someone with 42% Extroversion is slightly leaning towards being an introvert, but is close enough to being an extrovert to be classified that way as well. Below is a list of the other personality types so that you can determine which other possible categories you may fill if you scored near fifty percent for certain traits. The other personality types: The Emo Kid: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. The Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. The Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. The Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. The Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. The Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. The Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 45% on Rationality You scored higher than 55% on Extroversion You scored higher than 24% on Brutality You scored higher than 19% on Arrogance

Link: The Personality Defect Test written by saint_gasoline on OkCupid Free Online Dating

________________________

Minerva Indeed, you are 66% erudite, 33% sensual, 45% martial, and 33% saturnine.

Another virgin Goddess (Diana or Artemis being the other), Minerva was, just like her Greek counterpart Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Freedom as well as an all powerful Goddess of War, which made her a most formidable opponent indeed. Among the many disciplines that fell under her control were: writing, the sciences, architecture, embroidery, and just about anything else dealing with artistic skills, wise counsel, and of course battle and warfare. Like Athena, owls were considered sacred to Minerva, representing wisdom. She was a very wise warrior, respected by the Roman legions. She was also, no kidding, the Goddess of Women's Rights and patroness of career women. The Fifteen Goddesses These are the 15 categories of this test. If you score above average in ? ?all or none of the four variables: Neit. ? Erudite: Minerva. ? Sensual: Aphrodite. ? Martial: Artemis. ? Saturnine: Persephone. ? Erudite & Sensual: Isis. ? Erudite & Martial: Sekhmet. ? Erudite & Saturnine: Nemesis. ? Sensual & Martial: Hera. ? Sensual & Saturnine: Bast. ? Martial & Saturnine: Ilamatecuhtli. ? Erudite, Sensual & Martial: Maeve. ? Erudite, Sensual & Saturnine: Freya. ? Erudite, Martial & Saturnine: Sedna. ? Sensual, Martial & Saturnine: Macha.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 19% on erudite You scored higher than 1% on sensual You scored higher than 30% on martial You scored higher than 13% on saturnine

Link: The Mythological Goddess Test written by Nitsuki on Ok Cupid

_________________________

Ki-lin You scored 64% Esotericism, 14% Power, and 14% Malevolence!

A mythical being of Chinese mythology, comparable with the Western unicorn. Ki-lin personifies all that is good, pure, and peaceful. It lives in paradise and only visits the world at the birth of a wise philosopher. The unicorn, which can become one thousand years old, is portrayed as a deer with one horn, the tail of an ox, the hooves of a horse, and a body covered with the scales of a fish. It is one of the four Ling.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 86% on Esotericism You scored higher than 13% on Power You scored higher than 29% on Malevolence

Link: The Mythological Profile Test written by LacedWithASmile on Ok Cupid

_________________________

Obi-Wan Kenobi You scored 84% wisdom, 35% aggression, 57% power, and 79% morality!

You are one of the wisest Jedi of them all, and have had a very eventful career full of failures and successes. You are a skilled fighter, having defeated many powerful opponents in your time. You are not overly aggressive, though. You are more reserved and collected. Your sense of morality is without question, and you are a model Jedi.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 77% on wisdom You scored higher than 33% on aggression You scored higher than 37% on power You scored higher than 61% on morality

Link: The Famous Jedi or Sith Test written by SarumantheMad on Ok Cupid

Undergraduate Kitchen Misadventures or, why I don't have a future in the culinary arts

Now Playing: Garbage - Run Baby Run

I've been trying my hand in the kitchen for the past week or so - and surprisingly, the United Nations has not come a-knockin' at my door to accuse me of creating weapons of mass destruction. You think the billowing black smoke, noxious fumes and screaming civilians would tip someone off, but no - I've been left to brew my broths in peace. (Stir in the witches' spiel from Macbeth, with cackling to taste)

So here's what I've been serving up lately:

• Pasta with seafood sauce (marinara sauce, if you want to get all fancy on me) - this actually came out pretty well, even according to my mother. To be entirely fair, she only said it was good after i went, "how is it how is it tell me tell me its good right don't be mean tell me its good how is it how is it?" ad nauseum ad infinitum.
  
• Pancakes. with blueberries. Yes, I realise it's fairly conventional to add bits of fruit or whatever to pancake mix, but I just discovered this, so humour me, okay? :P
• Beef in black bean sauce - okay, I can't do Chinese food. At all. This was a total unmitigated disaster - a horrible charred mess. The beef took too long to cook, then it charred, and then the gravy disappeared and I was left standing in the shambles that was my kitchen with a smoke alarm going off. I shall stick to restaurant-made chinese food from now on - much easier that way. This week's experiment... Failure. (Anyone gets that reference, you get a blended hot chocolate from Second Cup, my treat :D)
  

Hey, even Nigella Lawson had to start somewhere, right? right?

Hem has decided to quit blogging (again!) - so mourn the passing of one of the better blogs on the block.

And that's it for me. Ta.

Ennui - or the lack thereof -

Now Playing: The Dandy Warhols - The Last High

So, Hem & Vince both redesigned their blogs recently, which prompted me to try and redesign my own slice of the information superhighway. Attempting to redo a website sans any real HTML knowledge? fun, fun, fun. The fact that you are looking at the same old, scratch that, classic, look, should clue you in to the fact that the redesign was unsucessful. I was going for a stark, b&w look, featuring Uryuu Ishida from Bleach. It kinda worked, but not quite - so until I get with the program and learn HTML, the tried and tested look will have to do.

Uryuu who, you ask? That would be this guy -

- just so you know. (All images from the bleach_icons lj community)

And now to present a scene from chez abacus -

Me: You know, I think there's something wrong with my memory! My ability to recall details is totally deteriorating. *shudder*
Brother: Hm. That is funny. I mean, normally, you can remember the most useless details. Something must be wrong with you. Really, really wrong.
Me: Why are you smiling like that?
Brother: No reason. (starts humming "How do you solve a problem like Maria")
Me: That'll teach me to look to you for reassurance! Kung Fu Kidney Jab Of Doom!
Brother: owww.
Me: Ahhh, now I feel better.

Anyway, summer is almost over, and this time, it went by too fast for my liking; none of the usual summer's end ennui, possibly because I actually kept busy this time. I actually worked, for the first time in my life, and it was a job I really enjoyed - being the Verbal Reasoning instructor for students taking the Princeton Review MCAT prep course. Teaching was, for me, a totally new experience - fun, but also entirely nervewracking. I managed to convince myself that every murmur and whisper in class was caused by there being something on my face (in a spectacular display of my customary self-absorption) - which meant I spent much of the class time in an agony of wondering what was wrong with my dress/disposition/face/whatever. Other than that, it was an entirely edifying experience - I now have oodles of respect for anyone who's in any kind of teaching position, and I'll never be able to talk in class ever again.

I finally bought the creative zen - blue, 5 GB - and have named it Fluffy.

Also, no takers for the Interpol concert. Why, oh why, did they have to play on a Wednesday?

Movies seen recently -

• Main Pyar Kyun Kiya: It's good for a David Dhawan movie - Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen are both funny, as is Arshad Warsi in a small role, but Katrina Kaif can't act. Gah.
• Kya Kool Hai Hum: Chock-full of what us Indians refer to as "non-veg" jokes, but still, the funniest movie I've seen in a long while. However, if you can't take really juvenile humour, this isn't the movie for you. Ritesh Deshmukh, Isha Koppikar & Anupam Kher are the standouts in an awesome comedic ensemble.
• Kisna: A good movie, but marred by the 3-hour rule that hindi movies seem to consider sancrosanct. If it had clocked in at two hours or so, it would have been a good movie, but it just kept going and going - like the energizer bunny, except in a bad way. The end result of too much of a good thing (ie - Vivek Oberoi) in this case, is mediocrity.
  

Now off. Ta!