Every Easter, we are reminded with images of the crucifixion, the crown of thorns, nails in His hands, and His followers mourning and weeping His pain and death. These are images that remind us of the huge sacrifice that Jesus took, pain that He endure for me and you.
To this day, I still wonder why He would do something like that for me. I certainly don't deserve it. I need a constant reminder of His sufferings in order for me to be properly prepared for Easter.
To me, that's what Lent is all about. To be reminded of God's sacrifice and Jesus' sufferings as He died on the cross for me. God's gift to us allowed us to avoid being nailed on the cross and suffering for our sins. Truly, what we Lent is nothing compared to what He did for us, but in some ways its a way for us to do our part.
So my purpose for Lent is to give up something of my own, a sacrifice of a significant part of my every day life. Not just an inconvenience or something I can just think "ah well", and move on. It has to be something that I'll be constantly reminded of, and when I'm reminded of it, I must think about what Christ did for me.
Laterally, I like to give up something that is a luxury, something that might actually do me some good in giving up.
This year I've decided to sacrifice television. I hope that all of you can keep me accountable, not only of my abstaining from television, but to keep me focused on the purpose behind my sacrifice.
Starting on March 1st until April 16th, I will not use my television. This include the TV card on my computer. So no television for 46 days, no movies, xbox/gamecube games, no sports, commercials, news, weather, sitcoms, dramas, reality shows, DVDs.
February 28, 2006
February 25, 2006
Better Days
I'm chickening out. I'm gonna Lent television. I can't go without computer.. how would I grab chords to play guitar? Or look up chords for that matter. Or print out maps to go to places? Or how would I communicate with my parents? I can't give up computer/internet. I'll just be more conscious about my surfing habits.
There's a song I found out about reading Lon's blog. I think it has a good theme to it that fits well with our Salvation Army Fundraiser we had last night with the Illuminate fellowship group.
This is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, a song that, after I heard it I immediately went to look up to see if the Dolls had converted to Christianity. Last I checked, they had not. I don't have the song on me, but you can check it out here for free from mp3.com. Here are the lyrics:
There's a song I found out about reading Lon's blog. I think it has a good theme to it that fits well with our Salvation Army Fundraiser we had last night with the Illuminate fellowship group.
This is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, a song that, after I heard it I immediately went to look up to see if the Dolls had converted to Christianity. Last I checked, they had not. I don't have the song on me, but you can check it out here for free from mp3.com. Here are the lyrics:
Anyway, tomorrow I am gonna try to make a beef dip, or rather, probably tonight. I'm gonna try to slow cook it and then eat it tomorrow. I got tons of bread.. they were giving them away after the fundraiser.
Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls
And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
And it's someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And thats faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child that saved this world
And there's 10 million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
February 24, 2006
Lent
Yup, it's that time of year again.
Miraculously, this topic was brought up by one of my co-workers, who is an orthodox Christian. He was explaining to another co-worker that he had to give up basically all meats except fish until Easter. That was when I piped in about my ban on MSN last year, and video games the year before. I was actually surprised because I didn't know that he was a Christian.
Anyway, it's that time of year again, when I have to try and figure out something I could give up for God, in His Name, starting from Ash Wednesday (March 1), until Easter Sunday.
The chat thing is big, but I did that already and I don't feel like I've been necessarily chatting excessively to have it be something that I need to give up. And I'm already not gaming that much having quit World of Warcraft a month ago. And I've been playing my friend's xbox, which I had borrowed, but not to the point that I am setting aside time to play.
One co-worker suggested I give up the use of my iPod. I told him that would be nothing because I would just sleep on the subway instead.
But what I have been doing a lot of though, is watching television and to a lesser extent, surfing the web. Television has been on my mind a lot, what with my future wife on American Idol every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Survivor on Thursdays, Lost on Wednesdays, 24 on Mondays, Smallville on Thursdays. The list goes on and on. And then there's sports. I'm watching them all the time, and then I go on the web and read up on them too. It's an endless cycle of entertaining myself in some way or another.
So, without further adieu, my Lent for this year will be....
[drumroll please]
I, Brian Yao, will give up all entertaining technology including: television, computer, internet and portable music outside of work hours, to God. Starting on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 until April 8, 2006.
The conditions are that anything that is under my control I will keep in control, but anything outside of my control -- well, that's out of my control. So if someone has their music playing and I happen to hear it, then so be it. Or if someone tells me the score of something, then I will listen.
This is in my opinion, as close to a total sacrifice on my part as I can think of. I will be giving up:
March Madness 24 Lost Alias (when it returns) Smallville Essentially, the rest of the Raptor season Survivor Apprentice Leaf games Academy Awards Katharine McPhee (American Idol) Xbox Family Guy Music on MP3 Music, radio on my car Prison Break (when it returns) Blogging (unless I update at work?) Surfing the web Chatting and emailing (except at work) Movies I will add to this as I think of more
There's some debate over the conditions of Lent. For instance, March 1 to April 15 is not 40 days but actually 46 days. Supposedly it doesn't count Sundays. Maybe I could do this and just go all out on Sundays -- that's a possibility. But the way I figure it, is that I'll be cheating at work anyway so I should ignore the skipping of Sundays. Oh, and I'll have to cheat once when I do my taxes, which will be some time in April, depending on when my dad flies in.
So. There you have it. In 2006 Lent, I'll be pretending that I don't have internet or a television -- entertaining myself by playing guitar, reading books and talking on the phone. For 46 days.
Ugh..
Miraculously, this topic was brought up by one of my co-workers, who is an orthodox Christian. He was explaining to another co-worker that he had to give up basically all meats except fish until Easter. That was when I piped in about my ban on MSN last year, and video games the year before. I was actually surprised because I didn't know that he was a Christian.
Anyway, it's that time of year again, when I have to try and figure out something I could give up for God, in His Name, starting from Ash Wednesday (March 1), until Easter Sunday.
The chat thing is big, but I did that already and I don't feel like I've been necessarily chatting excessively to have it be something that I need to give up. And I'm already not gaming that much having quit World of Warcraft a month ago. And I've been playing my friend's xbox, which I had borrowed, but not to the point that I am setting aside time to play.
One co-worker suggested I give up the use of my iPod. I told him that would be nothing because I would just sleep on the subway instead.
But what I have been doing a lot of though, is watching television and to a lesser extent, surfing the web. Television has been on my mind a lot, what with my future wife on American Idol every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Survivor on Thursdays, Lost on Wednesdays, 24 on Mondays, Smallville on Thursdays. The list goes on and on. And then there's sports. I'm watching them all the time, and then I go on the web and read up on them too. It's an endless cycle of entertaining myself in some way or another.
So, without further adieu, my Lent for this year will be....
[drumroll please]
I, Brian Yao, will give up all entertaining technology including: television, computer, internet and portable music outside of work hours, to God. Starting on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 until April 8, 2006.
The conditions are that anything that is under my control I will keep in control, but anything outside of my control -- well, that's out of my control. So if someone has their music playing and I happen to hear it, then so be it. Or if someone tells me the score of something, then I will listen.
This is in my opinion, as close to a total sacrifice on my part as I can think of. I will be giving up:
There's some debate over the conditions of Lent. For instance, March 1 to April 15 is not 40 days but actually 46 days. Supposedly it doesn't count Sundays. Maybe I could do this and just go all out on Sundays -- that's a possibility. But the way I figure it, is that I'll be cheating at work anyway so I should ignore the skipping of Sundays. Oh, and I'll have to cheat once when I do my taxes, which will be some time in April, depending on when my dad flies in.
So. There you have it. In 2006 Lent, I'll be pretending that I don't have internet or a television -- entertaining myself by playing guitar, reading books and talking on the phone. For 46 days.
Ugh..
Flying Into Daybreak
Between my trip to Ottawa and hanging out with my brother during his Reading Week, I've had little or no time to do some things I've been wanting to do, especially getting a chance to sit down and listen to Charlie Hall's new album, "Flying Into Daybreak", and write a review for it. After talking to Drew, we both agreed that this is not a great album from cover to cover, but it does have a few good songs on it. Overall I would give it a 7.5/10.
Center
Chorus:
Christ be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our lives
Be the center of our lives
You're the center of the universe
Everythin was made in You, Jesus
Breath of every living thing
Everyone was made for You
Pre-Chorus:
You hold everything together
You hold everything together
Tag:
We life our eyes to heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We life our eyes to heaven, to You
February 22, 2006
I'm in love
That's right, it's finally happened. I'm in love.
Last night, a girl sang "Since We Fell In Love" to me, and I fell in love almost instantly. She had an amazing voice, she was like Norah Jones but with more soul, and silky smooth almost like Streisand. Flawless on the pitch.. man, she was amazing. She has long brown hair, and sweet, innocent smile. She sang for about 2 minutes and I was hooked.
Her name is Katherine McPhee.
Too bad I have no chance.. she'll be this year's American Idol.
Last night, a girl sang "Since We Fell In Love" to me, and I fell in love almost instantly. She had an amazing voice, she was like Norah Jones but with more soul, and silky smooth almost like Streisand. Flawless on the pitch.. man, she was amazing. She has long brown hair, and sweet, innocent smile. She sang for about 2 minutes and I was hooked.
Her name is Katherine McPhee.
Too bad I have no chance.. she'll be this year's American Idol.
February 21, 2006
No compassion
While we were sitting around in the living at Andrew's place in Ottawa, I noticed that they had a picture of a Compassion kid on their fridge. I pointed it out and Andrew said his name, as if he was reciting something. I thoought it was funny, because it seemed as if he was being tested. Lisa explained that she does all the writing for the letters they send to the kid.
I explained to them that I couldn't write to my kid, because I didn't know what to say without offending or disappointing him. I remember calling Compassion and asking them what I should write about, and they suggested I tell them what I enjoy doing or eating. I thought it was crazy. I mean, imagine I tell him I like playing video games and eating pizza. These are luxuries he will probably never see.
We got into the subject of sending them our pictures, which we both agreed is not the best idea because we really don't know what's happening on the other side. Who knows if there's even a kid at all, maybe it's all a show. Etc. (Mind you I don't actually believe this, but if there is 1 fake out there out of 1000 kids, I wouldn't be surprised.)
What about visiting the child? My feeling is that it would be detrimental to visit the child, because if I went there, and he saw me and saw what I was wearing, and how healthy I was, then he would know that I could afford much more than just the measely $30 I send him every month. The fact is, each of us could afford to feed entire villages for decades with what we make in a month.
So yea, no visitations.
I explained to them that I couldn't write to my kid, because I didn't know what to say without offending or disappointing him. I remember calling Compassion and asking them what I should write about, and they suggested I tell them what I enjoy doing or eating. I thought it was crazy. I mean, imagine I tell him I like playing video games and eating pizza. These are luxuries he will probably never see.
We got into the subject of sending them our pictures, which we both agreed is not the best idea because we really don't know what's happening on the other side. Who knows if there's even a kid at all, maybe it's all a show. Etc. (Mind you I don't actually believe this, but if there is 1 fake out there out of 1000 kids, I wouldn't be surprised.)
What about visiting the child? My feeling is that it would be detrimental to visit the child, because if I went there, and he saw me and saw what I was wearing, and how healthy I was, then he would know that I could afford much more than just the measely $30 I send him every month. The fact is, each of us could afford to feed entire villages for decades with what we make in a month.
So yea, no visitations.
Ottawa
I went to Ottawa this weekend to visit friends, and to catch the end of Winterlude. The weather was extremely cold. The morning of the day we arrived, they had received a pretty bad freezing rain storm. Everything was covered in a cm of ice and the roads were all covered in snow. On the way up, it was me, Eric, Kenric and Charita.
I drove the whole way, which was a first for me, I've never driven such a long distance before. It wasn't too bad though, on the way up I drove pretty recklessly, reaching speeds of 160 km/h and averaging around 150 km/h. We got there in a hurry! On the way back it was darker and I was a bit more tired and I only drove about 130 km/h. I never once felt like falling asleep although there was once that I felt like the food coma might be falling upon me. Fortunately it never came. There's something about having someone else drive your car. I dunno, I'm sure I would've turned it over had I felt very tired, but there's just something about it. It's MY car. I don't like the idea of other people driving it.
In Ottawa, I stayed downtown with everyone else at Chris and Marion's place. They were situated in the heart of downtown, right by the art gallery and just a few steps from the Market. Man, if Lon and I had a place that close, that would've been so awesome. Although the rent isn't cheap there.
C&M didn't make full use of their place though, I guess because of the cold weather and as students, they didn't have much time. They didn't experience Ottawa like we did as co-op students back in the day.
On the first night, as big-city-folk, we were bored quickly. We spent most of the evening watching Olympics or playing Xbox, while consuming large amounts of alcohol. For dinner we went to a place called The Works, a burger place. It had great burgers, great onion rings. I especially enjoyed the sweet potatoe fries.. very yummy.
I think what's great about Ottawa, is that it's a small town and people live a simple life. There's more time for God.
That's not to say I don't have time for God, as a big-city boy. But that because you're living a simpler life in a small city, you have less distractions. And because I've grown up in this environment, it takes more to excite me. So often I'll be moping around feeling bored and feeling the need to be entertained, whereas in a simpler environment, I'd be content to just sit at home, do some reading, talk on the phone, etc.
That's the biggest difference I noticed when the next day I split off from Eric and Kenric to reunite with my Ottawa friends. We met up at church and then went for PHO. It was amazing to see that Pho Bo Gai had expanded and now had 4 restaurants in total. All in the same general area which is even more amazing to me.
We then went to Dow's Lake for some skating, although I didn't have skates so I just ran around on the ice. It was really cold. I mean really cold. Maybe not as cold as Edmonton, but for a Torontonian.. yikes. I had a Beavertail and it was delicious.
Afterwards we went to Andrew and Lisa's home near Kanata/Bell's Corner.
They have a really nice place. It's extremely nice, almost too nice. It felt like a model home. Everything was perfectly placed and neat and tidy, with posters and knick-knacks everywhere, proudly displaying their marriage photo's, along with a lot of Jesus/God stuff. You'd have to see it to understand. Oh yea, and candles. Candles everywhere, and the place smelled great.
We spent most of the time there just sitting around talking and it was great. I had a chance to share about things I've been working on, learning, and practicing. We talked about our families, church life, etc. Afterwards we had shawarma's for dinner, and then watched parts of the NBA Skills Competition (Iguodala got robbed btw).
All in all, it was a fun trip. I caught some guilt trips with some people who thought that 6 years between visits was kinda bad. I don't disagree.. I should have visited more often.
I drove the whole way, which was a first for me, I've never driven such a long distance before. It wasn't too bad though, on the way up I drove pretty recklessly, reaching speeds of 160 km/h and averaging around 150 km/h. We got there in a hurry! On the way back it was darker and I was a bit more tired and I only drove about 130 km/h. I never once felt like falling asleep although there was once that I felt like the food coma might be falling upon me. Fortunately it never came. There's something about having someone else drive your car. I dunno, I'm sure I would've turned it over had I felt very tired, but there's just something about it. It's MY car. I don't like the idea of other people driving it.
In Ottawa, I stayed downtown with everyone else at Chris and Marion's place. They were situated in the heart of downtown, right by the art gallery and just a few steps from the Market. Man, if Lon and I had a place that close, that would've been so awesome. Although the rent isn't cheap there.
C&M didn't make full use of their place though, I guess because of the cold weather and as students, they didn't have much time. They didn't experience Ottawa like we did as co-op students back in the day.
On the first night, as big-city-folk, we were bored quickly. We spent most of the evening watching Olympics or playing Xbox, while consuming large amounts of alcohol. For dinner we went to a place called The Works, a burger place. It had great burgers, great onion rings. I especially enjoyed the sweet potatoe fries.. very yummy.
I think what's great about Ottawa, is that it's a small town and people live a simple life. There's more time for God.
That's not to say I don't have time for God, as a big-city boy. But that because you're living a simpler life in a small city, you have less distractions. And because I've grown up in this environment, it takes more to excite me. So often I'll be moping around feeling bored and feeling the need to be entertained, whereas in a simpler environment, I'd be content to just sit at home, do some reading, talk on the phone, etc.
That's the biggest difference I noticed when the next day I split off from Eric and Kenric to reunite with my Ottawa friends. We met up at church and then went for PHO. It was amazing to see that Pho Bo Gai had expanded and now had 4 restaurants in total. All in the same general area which is even more amazing to me.
We then went to Dow's Lake for some skating, although I didn't have skates so I just ran around on the ice. It was really cold. I mean really cold. Maybe not as cold as Edmonton, but for a Torontonian.. yikes. I had a Beavertail and it was delicious.
Afterwards we went to Andrew and Lisa's home near Kanata/Bell's Corner.
They have a really nice place. It's extremely nice, almost too nice. It felt like a model home. Everything was perfectly placed and neat and tidy, with posters and knick-knacks everywhere, proudly displaying their marriage photo's, along with a lot of Jesus/God stuff. You'd have to see it to understand. Oh yea, and candles. Candles everywhere, and the place smelled great.
We spent most of the time there just sitting around talking and it was great. I had a chance to share about things I've been working on, learning, and practicing. We talked about our families, church life, etc. Afterwards we had shawarma's for dinner, and then watched parts of the NBA Skills Competition (Iguodala got robbed btw).
All in all, it was a fun trip. I caught some guilt trips with some people who thought that 6 years between visits was kinda bad. I don't disagree.. I should have visited more often.
February 16, 2006
Specialize
My initial instinct right now is to specialize in cooking main course meals. No salads, no desserts. Although desserts really intrigue me, it's just that since I cook for myself, if I learn to cook desserts, I'll just get really, REALLY FAT.
My focus right now is to cook things with beef in it. Because I LOVE beef.
Btw, I just wanted to point out that, based on my experience last night -- don't cook broccoli with wine. It just doesn't work. Broccoli doesn't taste good with wine, and also when it has a pink tint, it doesn't really look too appetizing either.
--
Welp, I'm off to Ottawa tomorrow morning. To visit friends mostly, and to experience extreme cold temperature. I can't wait. This winter has been really wimpy and now I'll get it all in one weekend. It's expected to go down to -20, which is fantastic, I'm really looking forward to it.
It's weird, I think I really like extreme temperatures. Extremely hot, or extremely cold. Or maybe I'm just kidding myself and pathetically attempting to psyche myself up.
I'm really looking forward to seeing old faces.
--
Oh, today marks the first day in a week that I didn't drink. I guess that's a good thing..
My focus right now is to cook things with beef in it. Because I LOVE beef.
Btw, I just wanted to point out that, based on my experience last night -- don't cook broccoli with wine. It just doesn't work. Broccoli doesn't taste good with wine, and also when it has a pink tint, it doesn't really look too appetizing either.
--
Welp, I'm off to Ottawa tomorrow morning. To visit friends mostly, and to experience extreme cold temperature. I can't wait. This winter has been really wimpy and now I'll get it all in one weekend. It's expected to go down to -20, which is fantastic, I'm really looking forward to it.
It's weird, I think I really like extreme temperatures. Extremely hot, or extremely cold. Or maybe I'm just kidding myself and pathetically attempting to psyche myself up.
I'm really looking forward to seeing old faces.
--
Oh, today marks the first day in a week that I didn't drink. I guess that's a good thing..
February 15, 2006
Broccoli
After some ponderings, and someone asking me about it, I've decided to come clean in case some people were thinking it. No, the picture of the Osso Buco was not a picture of what I had. That was taken from the web.
I haven't given a whole lot of thought in terms of presentation of food. I'm still focusing on the "not poisoning myself" aspect of cooking. I was thinking the other day -- if I poisoned myself, and I died in my condo, how long would it be before someone noticed I was missing? I wonder how long it would take for my body to rot to the point that the neighbors would smell it. Chalk that one down for another sucky thing about being single. Hmm.. I think I have blogged about this before..
Back to the kitchen...
I like to buy crowns of broccoli, because I don't know what to do with the stems. I often find myself throwing away the stems, which seems like such a waste, so why buy them? Besides, I prefer the flowers. What I've read is that you take the stems and cut them length-wise. Shorten them if you wish. Look for green as possible. Don't buy the yellow/faded flowers, and look out for stems that feel soggy or soft. Those are bad.
That was probably all common sense for the average person, and you're probably thinking "Gosh, Brian didn't even know that part?!". Yea, I didn't.
What I've read, unless you're making a cream of broccoli, chicken broth is the way to go in terms of flavoring it. When you boil broccoli, it becomes soft and soggy. You want to avoid that as much as possible because.. well, who wants to eat soggy vegetables? I notice that when you boil them, the green color becomes more vibrant. One other way to see is if the stem starts to turn a bit translucent.
The last time I did this, I boiled them til I noticed the color changing, and pulled them out quicky and then stir-fried them. But I didn't know about the chicken stock part yet. All I did was melt Edam cheese on top, which was also good.
I guess that's nothing special. But before all I do is either boil them or fry them, neither of them really made them that much better than just eating them raw.
So tonight I'm going to use the chicken stock, and the "colorizing" method, and then stir-fry it with the garlic... and maybe some wine :D
Loblaws is selling steaks. Strip loin grilling steaks. These things usually go for $22/kg but for some reason they have them at $13/kg. This is like bringing a kid to a candy store and telling him everything his half price. I bought 15 steaks.
So tonight will be steak #1, with broccoli.
I haven't given a whole lot of thought in terms of presentation of food. I'm still focusing on the "not poisoning myself" aspect of cooking. I was thinking the other day -- if I poisoned myself, and I died in my condo, how long would it be before someone noticed I was missing? I wonder how long it would take for my body to rot to the point that the neighbors would smell it. Chalk that one down for another sucky thing about being single. Hmm.. I think I have blogged about this before..
Back to the kitchen...
I like to buy crowns of broccoli, because I don't know what to do with the stems. I often find myself throwing away the stems, which seems like such a waste, so why buy them? Besides, I prefer the flowers. What I've read is that you take the stems and cut them length-wise. Shorten them if you wish. Look for green as possible. Don't buy the yellow/faded flowers, and look out for stems that feel soggy or soft. Those are bad.
That was probably all common sense for the average person, and you're probably thinking "Gosh, Brian didn't even know that part?!". Yea, I didn't.
What I've read, unless you're making a cream of broccoli, chicken broth is the way to go in terms of flavoring it. When you boil broccoli, it becomes soft and soggy. You want to avoid that as much as possible because.. well, who wants to eat soggy vegetables? I notice that when you boil them, the green color becomes more vibrant. One other way to see is if the stem starts to turn a bit translucent.
The last time I did this, I boiled them til I noticed the color changing, and pulled them out quicky and then stir-fried them. But I didn't know about the chicken stock part yet. All I did was melt Edam cheese on top, which was also good.
I guess that's nothing special. But before all I do is either boil them or fry them, neither of them really made them that much better than just eating them raw.
So tonight I'm going to use the chicken stock, and the "colorizing" method, and then stir-fry it with the garlic... and maybe some wine :D
Loblaws is selling steaks. Strip loin grilling steaks. These things usually go for $22/kg but for some reason they have them at $13/kg. This is like bringing a kid to a candy store and telling him everything his half price. I bought 15 steaks.
So tonight will be steak #1, with broccoli.
February 13, 2006
Osso Buco
I haven't had anything to blog about recently. One thing I noticed yesterday afternoon, one really bad thing about being single -- I have to take several trips to the car to get all the groceries out. If I had a girlfriend or wife, she would be able to help me lug all that stuff up. (although I suppose that, as as gentleman, I would have to carry all that stuff myself anyway).
My brother helps me with that usually, but he wasn't home this weekend.
Last night I had some Osso Buco. It was store bought, pre-cooked. I cut it out of its plastic bag and was about to just cook it up and eat it. But then I realized that's what the old Brian would, not the new one.
My brother helps me with that usually, but he wasn't home this weekend.
Last night I had some Osso Buco. It was store bought, pre-cooked. I cut it out of its plastic bag and was about to just cook it up and eat it. But then I realized that's what the old Brian would, not the new one.
(It's the one at the bottom)
So instead, I looked into my fridge for what else I could do, to improve it. I had a box of mushrooms but that's all. How sad.. so I grabbed my keys and wallet and went downstairs to the Loblaws and bought 3 cooking onions. Onions are surprisingly cheap considering how yummy they can be. 34 cents, what a deal!
I cut the onions, length-wise so that they would come out as thin slices. I heated a pan with oil, and threw the onions in. As I stirred that I sliced up the mushrooms, from top to bottom as usual. On Saturday I was at Chapters (bookstore) and was reading up on how to cook mushrooms and broccoli, two of my favorite vegetables. I scanned them quickly to get a good general feel of the best ways to prepare 'shrooms and broccoli.
As soon as the onions started browning, in went the mushrooms, with some salt. And then as the mushrooms began to soften, I poured about half a cup of red wine, stirred that around. I really like cooking with wine. Actually, I just like wine in general. I had about 1/3 of a bottle on Friday night while watching a movie. Yes, by myself.
Once everything appeared "cooked", I prepared half a couple of beef stock with some corn starch to thicken it up a bit, then poured that in and let the whole thing simmer and flavor up. It was smelling pretty good at this point. I poured that whole mixture into a bowl to let it cool down a bit.
At this point I put the Osso into the pan and cooked it for the 8-10 minutes that was required to heat it up (according to the directions). At the 8 minute mark, I took out the Osso and put it aside, then poured my mushroom/onion mixture into the pan to cook it with the sauce that the Osso Buco had come with. This made it smell totally awesome. The sauce was made with tomatoes and herbs.
I mixed that all up and then poured that back on top of the cooked meat, heated up some rice and served it. To myself. I guess that's another crappy thing about being single. It's enough for two dinners though and I suspect it'll taste even better tonight.
One of these days I'll cook something that tastes absolutely awful and then I'll be stuck eating it all up for a whole week. I'm totally not looking forward to that..
February 07, 2006
Super Bowl Madness
Last night I had a few friends over to watch the Super Bowl. I'm a big NFL fan and I love watching football. I predicted Pittsburgh to win, I thought they were a better team and also from their history they deserved it. But nothing could have prepared me for what actually transpired. It was sheer madness.
Pittsburgh indeed won the game, but I couldn't be more wrong about which team was better. Seattle was hands down the better team, and if despite lots of errors they made, they would have won the game if not for some really bad calls made by the officials. Don't get me wrong, Seattle made some big mistakes. They missed two field goals, threw a very bad interception late in the game, and their receivers dropped way too many passes. But that's not really what decided the game. Those mistakes prevent the game from being a blowout -- I truly believe this game was called wrong, as if they had been bribed and the game was rigged.
The first obviously rigged call was Ben Roethlisberger's rushing touchdown that never happened. Ben called his own number and rushed towards the goalline. The ref called it a touchdown just as he got stopped prior to crossing the line. How can you call a touchdown if the ball doesn't pass the line? You simply cannot. This is a very important NFL rule, if you don't uphold one of the cardinal rules of the game, how can you even continue playing? Is it right to re-define a touchdown during the Super Bowl? I mean I can understand if the teams meet in the offseason and decide to CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME, but doing it in a crucial moment where the Lombardi trophy is on the line. That's sheer madness.
"Touchdown: When any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, breaks the plane of the opponent’s goal line, provided it is not a touchback."
Even in the replays, you watch, and CANNOT SEE THE BALL CROSS THE LINE. Perhaps the official guessed that it crossed the line, but to say that you actually saw it -- you would have to have x-ray vision, to be able to see THROUGH Roethlisberger's arm. Madness.
The second rigged call was a non-existent pass interference call against the receiving team (Seattle). Darrell Jackson caught a touchdown pass and he was called for pass interference. Again, the refs decided to change the rules of the game.
"Actions that do not constitute pass interference include but are not limited to:
(a) Incidental contact by a defender’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball, or neither player is looking for the ball. If there is any question whether contact is incidental, the ruling shall be no interference."
Darrell Jackson made incidental contact with the defender while they were both competing for the ball. This a NO INTERFERENCE call, not an offense pass interference. The refs called back the touchdown and instead of 7 points, Seattle ended up with 3.
One call, which we all noticed, was an offside that turned into a holding call, again against the Seahawks. Pittsburgh was clearly offside, but the refs let the play continue and then added insult to injury by calling a penalty against Seattle. That stalled another potential touchdown drive.
The first 2 bad calls would have given Seattle +14 points. The offside one could have given them another 7. The final score was 21-10, when it really should have been 31-14.
Now if you want to add the mistakes Seattle made, a bad run by Darrell Jackson by not watching his feet while crossing into the endzone (stepped out of bounds), two missed field goals - that's an additional 13 points. Let's just forget about all of Jeremey Stevens' dropped passes. As I said, if not for the bribed officials AND Seattle mistakes, it would have been a blowout. Seattle would have won handily, 44-14.
Hopefully next year they stick to the actual rules.
Madness. Sheer madness.
Pittsburgh indeed won the game, but I couldn't be more wrong about which team was better. Seattle was hands down the better team, and if despite lots of errors they made, they would have won the game if not for some really bad calls made by the officials. Don't get me wrong, Seattle made some big mistakes. They missed two field goals, threw a very bad interception late in the game, and their receivers dropped way too many passes. But that's not really what decided the game. Those mistakes prevent the game from being a blowout -- I truly believe this game was called wrong, as if they had been bribed and the game was rigged.
The first obviously rigged call was Ben Roethlisberger's rushing touchdown that never happened. Ben called his own number and rushed towards the goalline. The ref called it a touchdown just as he got stopped prior to crossing the line. How can you call a touchdown if the ball doesn't pass the line? You simply cannot. This is a very important NFL rule, if you don't uphold one of the cardinal rules of the game, how can you even continue playing? Is it right to re-define a touchdown during the Super Bowl? I mean I can understand if the teams meet in the offseason and decide to CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME, but doing it in a crucial moment where the Lombardi trophy is on the line. That's sheer madness.
"Touchdown: When any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, breaks the plane of the opponent’s goal line, provided it is not a touchback."
Even in the replays, you watch, and CANNOT SEE THE BALL CROSS THE LINE. Perhaps the official guessed that it crossed the line, but to say that you actually saw it -- you would have to have x-ray vision, to be able to see THROUGH Roethlisberger's arm. Madness.
The second rigged call was a non-existent pass interference call against the receiving team (Seattle). Darrell Jackson caught a touchdown pass and he was called for pass interference. Again, the refs decided to change the rules of the game.
"Actions that do not constitute pass interference include but are not limited to:
(a) Incidental contact by a defender’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball, or neither player is looking for the ball. If there is any question whether contact is incidental, the ruling shall be no interference."
Darrell Jackson made incidental contact with the defender while they were both competing for the ball. This a NO INTERFERENCE call, not an offense pass interference. The refs called back the touchdown and instead of 7 points, Seattle ended up with 3.
One call, which we all noticed, was an offside that turned into a holding call, again against the Seahawks. Pittsburgh was clearly offside, but the refs let the play continue and then added insult to injury by calling a penalty against Seattle. That stalled another potential touchdown drive.
The first 2 bad calls would have given Seattle +14 points. The offside one could have given them another 7. The final score was 21-10, when it really should have been 31-14.
Now if you want to add the mistakes Seattle made, a bad run by Darrell Jackson by not watching his feet while crossing into the endzone (stepped out of bounds), two missed field goals - that's an additional 13 points. Let's just forget about all of Jeremey Stevens' dropped passes. As I said, if not for the bribed officials AND Seattle mistakes, it would have been a blowout. Seattle would have won handily, 44-14.
Hopefully next year they stick to the actual rules.
Madness. Sheer madness.
February 06, 2006
Munich
I went into this movie with high expectations. After all, it had been nominated for
Best Motion Picture of the Year Best Achievement in Editing Best Achievement in Directing Best Writing, Screenplay Best Achievement in Music, Original Score
I came out pretty disappointed. I cannot see how this movie has any chance of winning best picture. The movie must be VERY VERY good to win it if you have no quality acting in it whatsoever, and therefore this movie simply has no chance.
Eric Bana (Hulk, Troy, Black Hawk Down) showed why he is better suited for action movies. He played the main character in the movie, a guy named Avner, who was hired to lead a team to kill each of the Arabs who orchestrated the Olympic tragedy in Munich, where several Israeli athletes were first taken as hostages, and eventually massacred. Bana has no ability to show emotion effectively. You'd think, that a Jewish man, going out to avenge the senseless deaths of his own people, would at least show some kind of determination, anger -- just something, to get us (non-Jews) the sense of pride these people have, the injustice they felt during this abomination killing. Instead, I felt as much as for him as I felt for Jason Bourne in the Bourne Supremacy. At least he seemed to know what he was doing. The only difference was Jason knew what he was doing.
As for direction, I can't disagree more to Steven Spielberg's nomination. I can see what Spielberg was trying to convey, but he just didn't quite make it. I liked that the movie portrayed the Jews as guilty as their Arab counterparts. The movie admitted that they were just as wrong as the Arabs, and that both sides should share the blame for this war that they have been fighting since the days of Abraham and Sarah. So that part I did like in the movie. But aside from that, the movie was very convoluted. He would jump from scenes of the hostage killings, back to Avner's quest. There were many parts where people would be speaking in another language but there were no subtitles. I didn't understand the purpose to the Dutch woman's character. Why did she have to be so promiscuous? Why not just have an old lady carry out the killing? Why did she have to be naked when they killed her with pee-shooters? There were just too many parts in the movie that had be scratching my head thinking, "What's the point of this scene? What's he (Spielberg) trying to tell us here? Why isn't the movie over yet?"
What is the deal with Steven Spielberg's not knowing when and how to end a movie?
Overall I thought movie related some important issues. And that's the point, isn't it, of all the nominated films this year -- they all have issues that they want to deal with. Whether it is racism, homosexuality, religious wars, communism and censorship, and.. (I don't actually know what Capote is about yet). Spielberg got his message across, but in my opinion, in an awkward and confusing story with little or no acting.
Overall Rating: 71%
I came out pretty disappointed. I cannot see how this movie has any chance of winning best picture. The movie must be VERY VERY good to win it if you have no quality acting in it whatsoever, and therefore this movie simply has no chance.
Eric Bana (Hulk, Troy, Black Hawk Down) showed why he is better suited for action movies. He played the main character in the movie, a guy named Avner, who was hired to lead a team to kill each of the Arabs who orchestrated the Olympic tragedy in Munich, where several Israeli athletes were first taken as hostages, and eventually massacred. Bana has no ability to show emotion effectively. You'd think, that a Jewish man, going out to avenge the senseless deaths of his own people, would at least show some kind of determination, anger -- just something, to get us (non-Jews) the sense of pride these people have, the injustice they felt during this abomination killing. Instead, I felt as much as for him as I felt for Jason Bourne in the Bourne Supremacy. At least he seemed to know what he was doing. The only difference was Jason knew what he was doing.
As for direction, I can't disagree more to Steven Spielberg's nomination. I can see what Spielberg was trying to convey, but he just didn't quite make it. I liked that the movie portrayed the Jews as guilty as their Arab counterparts. The movie admitted that they were just as wrong as the Arabs, and that both sides should share the blame for this war that they have been fighting since the days of Abraham and Sarah. So that part I did like in the movie. But aside from that, the movie was very convoluted. He would jump from scenes of the hostage killings, back to Avner's quest. There were many parts where people would be speaking in another language but there were no subtitles. I didn't understand the purpose to the Dutch woman's character. Why did she have to be so promiscuous? Why not just have an old lady carry out the killing? Why did she have to be naked when they killed her with pee-shooters? There were just too many parts in the movie that had be scratching my head thinking, "What's the point of this scene? What's he (Spielberg) trying to tell us here? Why isn't the movie over yet?"
What is the deal with Steven Spielberg's not knowing when and how to end a movie?
Overall I thought movie related some important issues. And that's the point, isn't it, of all the nominated films this year -- they all have issues that they want to deal with. Whether it is racism, homosexuality, religious wars, communism and censorship, and.. (I don't actually know what Capote is about yet). Spielberg got his message across, but in my opinion, in an awkward and confusing story with little or no acting.
Overall Rating: 71%
Good Night, and Good Luck
I knew nothing about this movie going in. This movie was nominated for the following categories:Best Motion Picture of the Year Best Achievement in Directing Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Best Achievement in Art Direction Best Achievement in Cinematography Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
This was a really short movie. Just 1.5 hours. And thank goodness for that because it was in black & white and they didn't really have much story to tell anyway. If it dragged on I probably would have hated it.
The story is about a CBS news team that sets out to expose the madness of Senator James McCarthy and his hell-bent scheme to erradicate all communists from the US, including any who were related to an communist. Mainly, it surrounds the story of a man serving in the US Marines who's father was a communist, and how he was released by the army without any cause. He wasn't personally affiliated with Commies. The CBS lead guy is Edward R. Murrow, played by David Strathairn. He is a relative newcomer (despite being 57 years old).
The acting in this movie was excellent. Strathairn was very good. He was extremely believable as a news guy, he was very hard-nosed, a stern man set out to do what was right, even if it would destroy his career. He was well respected and you could sense that without anyone being particularly respectful to him. His newsboys were good too, they that sense of determination of getting the truth out.
I honestly don't know too much about the background of this story. What I did get though, was a sense that back in those days, TV wasn't there for pure entertainment as it is today. The CBS people worked hard to get the news out, to inform the people and help the public understand what was happening around the world. Television was taken very seriously. Newscasters were reviewed, and they cared what other people thought of them. And most of all, they were trying to make a difference in the world. They weren't just reading a teleprompter but actually telling people what was really happening. The real, gist of the stories going on. And they were proud of their work and their achievements.
For me the most curious part of the movie was the point of the characters played Robert Downey (Gothika, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Wonderboys) and Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile). I saw no purpose of these two characters. They were pretending to be friends while really being married, and eventually got fire from CBS.
The directing I thought was also good aside from that useless couple. It was very well done, as if it were a movie made back in those days. The thing for me is that it was believable. And the truth is it had to be because Strathairn used the exact words and phrases that Murrow used in real life. The movie appeared to be very authentic.
Personally, I've found most of these political movies to be very boring. I'm not going to rate movies by how often I've fallen asleep though because I'm not into politics and world issues in the first place. It's not my cup of tea, is all.
Overall rating: 83%
This was a really short movie. Just 1.5 hours. And thank goodness for that because it was in black & white and they didn't really have much story to tell anyway. If it dragged on I probably would have hated it.
The story is about a CBS news team that sets out to expose the madness of Senator James McCarthy and his hell-bent scheme to erradicate all communists from the US, including any who were related to an communist. Mainly, it surrounds the story of a man serving in the US Marines who's father was a communist, and how he was released by the army without any cause. He wasn't personally affiliated with Commies. The CBS lead guy is Edward R. Murrow, played by David Strathairn. He is a relative newcomer (despite being 57 years old).
The acting in this movie was excellent. Strathairn was very good. He was extremely believable as a news guy, he was very hard-nosed, a stern man set out to do what was right, even if it would destroy his career. He was well respected and you could sense that without anyone being particularly respectful to him. His newsboys were good too, they that sense of determination of getting the truth out.
I honestly don't know too much about the background of this story. What I did get though, was a sense that back in those days, TV wasn't there for pure entertainment as it is today. The CBS people worked hard to get the news out, to inform the people and help the public understand what was happening around the world. Television was taken very seriously. Newscasters were reviewed, and they cared what other people thought of them. And most of all, they were trying to make a difference in the world. They weren't just reading a teleprompter but actually telling people what was really happening. The real, gist of the stories going on. And they were proud of their work and their achievements.
For me the most curious part of the movie was the point of the characters played Robert Downey (Gothika, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Wonderboys) and Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile). I saw no purpose of these two characters. They were pretending to be friends while really being married, and eventually got fire from CBS.
The directing I thought was also good aside from that useless couple. It was very well done, as if it were a movie made back in those days. The thing for me is that it was believable. And the truth is it had to be because Strathairn used the exact words and phrases that Murrow used in real life. The movie appeared to be very authentic.
Personally, I've found most of these political movies to be very boring. I'm not going to rate movies by how often I've fallen asleep though because I'm not into politics and world issues in the first place. It's not my cup of tea, is all.
Overall rating: 83%
February 04, 2006
Hot stuff
Raptors forward Antonio Davis' wife (Kendra Davis), whose quarrel with a fan last month brought her husband running into the stands, was charged yesterday with tossing a cup of hot coffee at a woman near Chicago, police said.What a wacko.
Toasted Sesame Seeds
I could not, for the life of me, find these. I looked all over. Maybe not ALL over, but two stores without any success. In fact, two stores yielded just one brand of sesame seeds, and only at one store. So.. my bulgogi is going to be missing a little seasoning.
Currently, the meat is soaking it up in a bowl of the mixture. I have no idea how it'll turn out. The butcher at Bruno's wasn't as good as I had hoped. I asked him for thin slices and the best he could was about 1/2 an inch.
The other thing I think I need to buy is a casserole dish, or something of that size. I have nothing like that right now. I had to cut the meat into half because they were too long to fit in my largest dish. How sad is that..
Mayer
I have been listening to a lot of John Mayer lately. There's a major dry-spell in the Christian music scene. I haven't listened to a new cd in a really, really long time. No new songs or lyrics to share.
I've gone back to John's first big album, Room for Squares. I really enjoy it. I don't know perhaps I didn't notice before or what, but the lyrics are so "real" to me in this album. My favorite song right now is "My Stupid Mouth".
My stupid mouth
Has got me in trouble
I said too much again
To a date over dinner yesterday
And I could see
She was offended
She said "well anyway..."
Just dying for a subject change
Oh, it's another social casualty
Score one more for me
How could I forget?
Mama said "think before speaking"
No filter in my head
Oh, what's a boy to do
I guess he better find one soon
Haha.. I always think that same exact thing when I offend someone and realize it the second it's happened "score one more for me, idiot". Haha.. John's a funny guy.
Gaming
Today, I logged into World of Warcraft, breaking my 3 week retirement. I played for an hour and was totally bored.
There's another game that I've been playing a lot of lately. Bubbels. Be very careful on this. It is highly addictive. And you will get extremely frustrated by it. So like I said, be very very careful.
Super Bowl
As you may have guessed, tomorrow is Super Bowl. I have not cleaned my place as well as I have liked. The reason was that I am just far too lazy. It's a bunch of guys, so it's not like I have to clean it up to impress. And by the time any girls do arrive, it'll be late enough that I can blame the mess on the guys.
I'm pretty smart when it comes to making excuses and covering up for my foolishness. Thank God for that..
Currently, the meat is soaking it up in a bowl of the mixture. I have no idea how it'll turn out. The butcher at Bruno's wasn't as good as I had hoped. I asked him for thin slices and the best he could was about 1/2 an inch.
The other thing I think I need to buy is a casserole dish, or something of that size. I have nothing like that right now. I had to cut the meat into half because they were too long to fit in my largest dish. How sad is that..
Mayer
I have been listening to a lot of John Mayer lately. There's a major dry-spell in the Christian music scene. I haven't listened to a new cd in a really, really long time. No new songs or lyrics to share.
I've gone back to John's first big album, Room for Squares. I really enjoy it. I don't know perhaps I didn't notice before or what, but the lyrics are so "real" to me in this album. My favorite song right now is "My Stupid Mouth".
My stupid mouth
Has got me in trouble
I said too much again
To a date over dinner yesterday
And I could see
She was offended
She said "well anyway..."
Just dying for a subject change
Oh, it's another social casualty
Score one more for me
How could I forget?
Mama said "think before speaking"
No filter in my head
Oh, what's a boy to do
I guess he better find one soon
Haha.. I always think that same exact thing when I offend someone and realize it the second it's happened "score one more for me, idiot". Haha.. John's a funny guy.
Gaming
Today, I logged into World of Warcraft, breaking my 3 week retirement. I played for an hour and was totally bored.
There's another game that I've been playing a lot of lately. Bubbels. Be very careful on this. It is highly addictive. And you will get extremely frustrated by it. So like I said, be very very careful.
Super Bowl
As you may have guessed, tomorrow is Super Bowl. I have not cleaned my place as well as I have liked. The reason was that I am just far too lazy. It's a bunch of guys, so it's not like I have to clean it up to impress. And by the time any girls do arrive, it'll be late enough that I can blame the mess on the guys.
I'm pretty smart when it comes to making excuses and covering up for my foolishness. Thank God for that..
February 01, 2006
Superbowl Champs
The Pittsburgh Steelers deserved this win. They played hard and beat the top teams in the league to get to the big game. They were sentimental favorites as well, with old-timer Jerome Bettis finally getting the win after a long and prolific NFL career.
The Seattle Seahawks deserved this win. They played hard all season long, nailing down home-field rights throughout the playoffs. They played valiantly despite the fact that 95% of the fans were cheering for the other team. They also had the help of the NFL's Most Valuable player in Shaun Alexander.
Reading these two paragraphs, it seems that Pittsburgh is the team who most would cheer for. Myself included, fans would love to see Jerome Bettis close out his career as a champion. Nicknamed "The Bus", Bettis is a mammoth runningback who has rumbled his way through a 13-year career that includes over 13,000 yards and 94 total touchdowns.
So it seems like a perfect fitting, for Superbow XL (40) to be played in Jerome's birthplace of Detroit, Michigan, where is all began.
There is no doubt in my mind that Pittsburgh will win this game. Seattle has great defense, great offense, great coaching. The same can be said for Pittsburgh. On paper, these two teams are very evenly matched. But it's the intangibles that seperate these two teams. First, you have the Jerome Bettis factor. Second, the Troy Polamalu factor. And third, you have 80,000 fans in Detroit cheering for the Steelers.
I think it'll be a good game though.
It's difficult for me to write this, as I'm actually a Seahawks fan. But sometimes you have to be realistic..
The Seattle Seahawks deserved this win. They played hard all season long, nailing down home-field rights throughout the playoffs. They played valiantly despite the fact that 95% of the fans were cheering for the other team. They also had the help of the NFL's Most Valuable player in Shaun Alexander.
Reading these two paragraphs, it seems that Pittsburgh is the team who most would cheer for. Myself included, fans would love to see Jerome Bettis close out his career as a champion. Nicknamed "The Bus", Bettis is a mammoth runningback who has rumbled his way through a 13-year career that includes over 13,000 yards and 94 total touchdowns.
So it seems like a perfect fitting, for Superbow XL (40) to be played in Jerome's birthplace of Detroit, Michigan, where is all began.
There is no doubt in my mind that Pittsburgh will win this game. Seattle has great defense, great offense, great coaching. The same can be said for Pittsburgh. On paper, these two teams are very evenly matched. But it's the intangibles that seperate these two teams. First, you have the Jerome Bettis factor. Second, the Troy Polamalu factor. And third, you have 80,000 fans in Detroit cheering for the Steelers.
I think it'll be a good game though.
It's difficult for me to write this, as I'm actually a Seahawks fan. But sometimes you have to be realistic..
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