Carol Rutz’s Annexe

I have not posted a Weeaboo Alert in ages…but today, my gift broke that drought.

The day after Christmas, I got word via Slickdeals and FatWallet about one of Amazon’s Gold Box specials. Months before that, I told Preggie that I’m saving up for a Zojirushi rice cooker so I can cook decent steamed rice regularly. I would go to the nearest Chinese takeout and procure a quart for around 2 bux for dinner. Sometimes, I’d add tomato paste, spices and ground beef to make a “Spanish” rice casserole. I tried cooking rice myself: the result is uneven, with gungy spots and uncooked parts. I tried the slow cooker, but I was clueless about the ratio of rice and water. Preggie preferred a dry finish, not soupy/overcooked. Thus my regular patronage to the takeout until I am able to purchase my rice cooker.

I wanted a Zojirushi ever since I watched the Asian language channel (LA-18 KSCI) in California in the 1990s. That commercial with that white glossy machine, making fluffy rice. How the frell I could convince my mother to take me to an Asian market and get one? I figured that she would not have a clue, and let that go until after college.

Now fast forward many years later. I wanted to get some coupons for the “end-of-the-year” sales when I got word that Amazon was selling a Sanyo 10-cup fuzzy logic micom rice cooker for 60 bux including S&H as part of their Gold Box special. That means it was half off the regular price! I bought it immediately, and I got it today. The beauty is that it uses a PC chip to control the cooking time and keep things nice and warm when ready. It takes out the guesswork out of making rice. For more information, I refer to this 2003 San Francisco Chronicle article.

I’m reading its instruction manual and its recipe booklet authored by PBS chef Martin Yan. And do you all know what that means for me? Break out the wasabi… I’m going to make sushi!

Today’s Fark featured an article on suicide pacts in Japan, and someone mentioned this episode of Paranoia Agent. Entitled “Happy Family Planning”, this is about three people who tried to off themselves, but somehow their efforts were thwarted.

We have a broken-hearted gay man, a seriously ill old man, and a precocious young girl. Both men tried so hard to avoid her as she is way too young to consider such a decision, but she remained with them despite their efforts. And since this is Halloween, I would say that the twist ending is worth seeing.

Paranoia Agent

Add to My Profile | More Videos

From Kitaro’s early album Tenku comes this ethereal gem. It is heavy with idealism, medieval courtly love, and everything else good and noble that JRR Tolkien would throw into an epic novel. This is what Queen Mab would listen to in her MP3 player.

With that talent…I wondered whether Kitaro had found a cosmic tear in the space-time continuum and stuck his ear in it that he heard the heavenly choir for a few moments.

Via Fark, a story on how young Japanese are more familiar with smaller gadgets than with personal computers.

But that is NOT what I’m focusing on today. Look at the woman in the EGL outfit:

This is the type of outfit I want to wear when I visit Saint Louis. I have a cute black My Flat In London purse that I procured via eBay, and this screams elegance and maturity. No bows on my head will be used, as my hair is nice and short.

Via Fark, an article from the Lincoln Journal Star: Middle School Students Boycott School Lunches

Flashback from my Years in Publik Skool:

Around the Late 80s/Early 90s, I’ve read books of most kinds (except the works of TE Lawrence and Pauline Reage, for obvious reasons). One of these books was a “YA novel” by Paula Danziger entitled The Divorce Express, the story of one girl’s life after her parents’ divorce. Her dad moved to the town of Woodstock; her mom lives in New York City. And guess who’s getting shuffled via bus to see her parents?

But the best part of this story was the boycott of the school cafeteria. Phoebe and her classmates were disgusted with the school lunch and decided to brown bag their lunches. That school-wide movement was a success and the school listened.

Read the rest of this entry »

Symposia was plenty of stuff going on and I got to meet many of my fellow Confessionals and I want to say it was nice to meet you and to Tall Paul Hopkins and Georgeann McKee, thanx for being my friend.
I’m planning to write up an article regarding the DELTO program, the Wichita resolution, and the case for a good seminary education. Between that, housework, and the Student Government minutes transcription I need to do, I’ll be busy for a day or so. In the meantime, I’m posting up an adapted article up from my Threadless.com threads, so the Confessional Lutheran crowd can read, analyze and comment on the Earl de Darkwood.

Read the rest of this entry »

In his blog, he talked about the campiness of Batman. I commented that in Japanese anime, there is a camp/fanboy factor in it. Here is something I want to recommend. The following is a joint project of Daft Punk and veteran cartoonist Leiji Matsumoto. Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem has that old 70s cartoon feel with the synthpop added to it.

I’m waiting for my video to arrive so I can loan him my copy and see it on a clear TV screen instead of grainy teeny-tiny YouTube.

You can purchase Daft Punk - Interstella 5555 at Amazon so you watch it on your sharp HDTV!!!

Read the rest of this entry »