|
|
Thursday, November 26th, 2009
| |
7:47 pm - Open debate - an endangered species?
|
I know the golden rules to social gatherings are to never discuss politics, religion or sex... but c'mon. The best discussions are sometimes about those topics (perhaps even all three at the same time)! And when the group involves academics, I fully expect us to "go there".
Is it so wrong to expect that we could have an open debate, trading opinions and facts and positions, without it ending in someone growling, "I don't want to talk about this further." Good lord, man, I'm asking you for more information about your absolutes-- you'd think I'd questioned a cult leader's prophecy to his face instead of challenged a sociology professor's blanket statement.
I truly don't like this man. He's a blow-hard who likes to strew around his radical opinions and then doesn't have the chutzpah to explain or defend them when questioned. I call that a paper tiger, y'all. Too bad he's married to my friend.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL SINGLE PEOPLE:
If you decide ever to get married, please consider the impact on your friends (and yourself) of marrying an priggish a$$hole.
Love,
D
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, November 16th, 2009
| |
10:00 pm - The Magic of Cooking
|
It's amazing how putting brussel sprouts in the oven and roasting them turns them from mini-cabbages to scrumptious balls of nutty goodness!!!!
Nom, nom, nom...
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, November 8th, 2009
| |
8:27 pm - 2nd generation souffle
|
My therapist and I have been having interesting conversations over the years about the role of cultural identity and values in psychological conflict. He's a Jewish middle-aged psychoanalyst from the wealthier suburbs of Philly, and I'm a second generation Korean-American transplant to those same suburbs from Los Angeles. A lot of the cultural values I discuss with him as my parents' (and some of my) beliefs are things he hasn't seen in his practice before. We talk in our sessions about the role of the collective versus the individual, and how the Korean values of my parents clash with the independent streak of my American citizenship.
I was also recently quizzing a student in my role as part-time tutor on his AP Psych class, where this topic came up in the social psychology section. There were examples of how people from collectivist societies will introduce themselves by using group identities: "I am the oldest son." "I am an alumni of XYZ University." "I am part of XYZ corporation's litigation team." By contrast, individualists such as North Americans will typically introduce themselves by autonomous characteristics: "I am a lawyer." "I love to cook." Granted, this dimension of collectivism vs. individualism is only one of many ways you can measure various cultures (and has also come under criticism from cultural anthropologists, organizational dynamics experts, etc.), but I do find it ridiculously useful in articulating my particular struggle with my role as daughter.
I've long had issues reconciling my parents' expectations of myself as a "good" daughter and my personal wishes and ambitions. Throw into that mix my interpretation of my parents' expectations and we get what I call "The Second Generation Souffle." Instead of eggs, cheese, and chives, you get mother country vs. home country, family vs. peers, tradition vs. self all whipped together and tossed into the oven of adolescence. When you take it out in adulthood, the right combination and degree of blending will allow your souffle to stay light and airy, and the "wrong" combination can cause it to fall.
I wonder if anyone's done research on comparing souffle recipes? How does one honor thy father and mother while at the same time feeling free enough to breathe and be someone you want to be, not what your parents (or what you think your parents) want you to be? How have the successful happy ones managed it? What's the delicate right balance for this souffle?
I'm 28 and I feel like I've barely started to throw the ingredients together, let alone get it right.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
| |
11:21 pm - Facebook can be unnerving when...
|
1. People you remember as junior high moon-the-class goof-offs have wedding and baby pics up.
2. Someone you don't really know comments your pics with stalker-speech.
3. You get tagged in a photo-- and it isn't you.
4. It's used to communicate with your roommate.
5. An acquaintance's update is all about how he/she is being awarded with the Nobel/lecturing at Harvard/publishing a book. Man, I am the slacker of my circle of friends!
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
| |
6:33 pm - and we're off!
|
I just took out a loan against my 401k- me, the one who created an Excel model once to illustrate how financially disadvantageous taking one was versus just leaving it in there (double taxation, loss of compound growth, etc). I'm using it for seed money for 3 investments: an online pharmacy, a dance studio, and a personal assistant business.
Ack!
Somehow overnight timid Diana has grown cojones of steel...
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
| |
6:58 pm - College throwback
|
It amazes me that, even now, I can put away pizza as if I had a separate stomach just for it.
With Tabasco or Tapatio, especially. (Or Cholula, as this guy recommends).
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
| |
8:32 pm - Kanye sang it right...
|
"she got an ass that'll swallow up a g-string, and up top, uhhh, two bee-stings..."
Who knew? Kanye must have met me and I just don't remember. :)
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Saturday, October 10th, 2009
| |
10:18 pm - An introduction to hot
|
Peppers, that is.
I <3 hot sauce. I <3 spiciness in general. To my faithful friends, this comes as no surprise. What might surprise them (and you!) is the lack of attention given to the classification of hot we see in the world around us.
Seriously.
I mean, we have 50,000 different words we use to describe and typify wine and a meager handful to describe hot. And of that handful, most are purely nominative to identify the pepper of origin or perhaps the most commonly associated food (i.e. habanero or Buffalo).
THIS IS A CRYING SHAME, FOLKS. There are hundreds of delicious hot sauces out there, begging to be consumed, and all you know of is TABASCO!?! I mean, I love Tabasco (sublime on pizza and mac & cheese), but c'mon... it's like the 2-buck-Chuck of hot sauces. Decent for what it is, but oh-so-plebian.
Let me introduce you to both my proposed classification system AND recommendations of hot sauce, you n00bs:
| | Tang - the acidity, often contributed by citric juice or vinager | Bite - the part that inflames your innards | Burn - the slower heat that builds cumulatively | Juice - the savoriness, the flavor | Overall Rating | | Tabasco | High | Low | Low | Medium | *** A decent, solid staple for every spice-lover's cabinet | | El Tapatio (my favorite) | Medium | Low | Medium | High | ***** Well-rounded and full-bodied, spicy without compromising flavor | | Jarred salsa | Low | Low | Low | Medium | * Blegh | | Fresh pico de gallo | Low | Medium | Low | High | **** Yumminess outweighs the lack of true spiciness | | Raw Scotch Bonnet Peppers | Low | ULTRA HIGH (eat at your own peril) | Low | None. Whatsoever. | ** Good to add for pure hotness to other things like stew or salsa, but only in small increments as there is no actual flavor... just pain. | | Korean hot pepper paste | Low | Low | Medium | Medium | **** A great smoky-sweet addition to all Korean cuisine | | Dave's Insanity Hot Sauce | High | High | High | Medium | ** It's only yummy for a fraction of a second before it's too much. But what a glorious milli-second that is... | | Chipotle (smoked jalapenos) | Low | Medium | Low | Medium | ** The nice thing about chipotle is the smoked flavor it adds to any dish, not the hotness. |
And now, some dancing peppers:
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, October 4th, 2009
| |
10:13 pm - Gorgeous gals
|
|
| Thursday, October 1st, 2009
| |
9:13 pm - Mouthwatering men.
|
|
| Sunday, September 27th, 2009
| |
6:55 pm - The aftermath
|
Somebody's shirt came off.
I danced the whole night.
Everyone loved my hat.
THIS WEDDING ROCKED!!!
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| Friday, September 25th, 2009
| |
10:26 am - Peripatetic Nuptial Journey!
|
So I've been helping my friends plan their wedding (they've been together since practically the first day of freshman year college, so it's time). It's ON-- yesterday was the first of four days of events.
Thursday: Rehearsal for ceremony at Buddhist temple in Flushing, NY.
Family meet-and-greet dinner, Chinese banquet style
Friday: The ceremony!
Wedding banquet at vegetarian Chinese restaurant
Saturday: The reception in Philadelphia, PA.
Sunday: Brunch in Plymouth Meeting, PA.
We're having so many events across the East Coast because originally what was just a reception blew up with the involvement of parents on both sides. Oh well. I get to eat a lot of good food, is what it comes down to.
Day 1 has been successful. I'm not in the rehearsal, so I Farmvilled until the dinner. The first 15 minutes were awkward because I was the only non-"family or SO of family" there, and so I stuck with the couple who were seated with her parents and their relatives.
Then they moved us three to the half-filled "young people" table, with her cousins and her brother. Much fun ensued, esp. as the wine wore on. I mean, the evening wore on. :)
The bride woke me up at 9:14 AM today because I'd slept through our 9 AM appointment for make-up (I'm doing hers today for the ceremony; she has a pro for the reception-- can we tell what part of the plan was her and the groom's original plan?). Eep. But we got it done in time for the 10 AM hair appointment.
And now I'm FREEEEEEE! Until the ceremony at 3 that is.
Yay for weddings. They're such happy times with old and new friends...
current mood:  bouncy
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Saturday, September 5th, 2009
| |
11:30 pm - Ode to S
|
Or, the Story of DiHong, the Crazy Cat Lady
How sweet it is that the only male
In my bed has whiskers and a tail.
There are signs we two were meant to be--
Back legs turned out, ballet wanna-be!
You have one white whisker growing on your snout;
I have one black hair on my leg, standing out!
For the feline persuasion, your frame is large;
I think it becomes you as the one in charge.
Thanks to my roomie bringing you into my life,
I'm pretty sure I will never be someone's wife.
A crazy cat lady I will stay
And cuddle with Scratches everyday!
--This message was cat-approved
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, August 31st, 2009
| |
9:15 pm - My newest hat...
|
So I give up. Cutting back on spending doesn't work for me. I'll just work harder and longer at my part-time job. :)
Here's my new hat!
i <3 etsy.
Diana + etsy 4-ever!
|
|
(6 comments | comment on this)
|
| Thursday, August 27th, 2009
| |
10:46 pm - Well, on the bright side...
|
I gave a presentation to my boss' boss and his boss today, and on the bright side, they acknowledged that it was good work done. On the other hand, he seemed visibly depressed by the stark picture I painted. It's never good to be the bearer of bad news.
You know, how come no one ever assigns you a project in the corporate world for something that will be good news? Like, collect success stories of X across the company or put something together evaluating how Y is saving the company $Z billion a year.
I get that you always want to improve and move the business forward, but surely a semi-annual smug moment of marveling at our own awesomeness is not too much time out of our working lives...
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, August 24th, 2009
| |
11:50 pm - Geek out!
|
Did you all know that the boy who plays young Simon Tam in Firefly is Zac Efron?
???
Apparently it was Efron's first major credit, according to IMDB. Dude, the High School Musical kids are taking over the world!
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
| |
11:04 pm - More animal abuse...
|
A sneak peek at Scratches' Halloween costume (yes, I definitely plan to dress him up).
In this one, you clearly see how the indignity is weighing on him:
For those of you about to call the local SPCA cops-- no worries. This is the last time. At least until he wakes me up at 3 AM and 6 AM again with his whining for attention.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Sunday, August 16th, 2009
| |
9:28 pm - Feline Felony?
|
In celebration of Michael Vick's signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, I too decided to inhumanely treat my animal:
Yes, that is indeed a doggy-tutu. Unfortunately, Scratches is so ginormous that it only fit around his neck, so instead it looks like a girly Elizabethan ruff.
Meow!!!
|
|
(8 comments | comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
| |
11:01 pm - My Life According to Garbage
|
Stolen from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) marcusaj .
Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, answer these questions. Pass it on to people you think would find this interesting (including me). Please, don't use the artist I used and try not to repeat a song title. It's harder than you think! Repost as "My Life According to (ARTIST)."
Pick Your Artist:
Garbage
Are you a male or female?
Stupid Girl
Describe yourself:
So Like a Rose
How do you feel:
I Think I'm Paranoid
Describe where you currently live:
Silence is Golden
If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
The World is Not Enough(!)
Your favorite form of transportation:
Drive You Home
Your best friends are:
All the Good in This Life
You and your best friends:
Special
What's the weather like:
Only Happy When it Rains
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
Dog New Tricks
What is life to you:
Not My Idea
Your favorite color is:
Cherry Lips
Favorite time of the day:
Sleep
If you could change your name, you would change it to:
Supervixen
Your fear:
Sex is Not the Enemy
What is the best advice you have to give:
Shut Your Mouth
Thought for the Day:
Push It
My soul's present condition:
Temptation Waits
Motto:
The Trick is to Keep Breathing
current music: Garbage - Dumb
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Friday, July 24th, 2009
| |
8:32 pm - It's that time again...
|
It's EXCEL time! I haven't posted a crazy spreadsheet in a while, so for those who don't know-- I totally <3 Excel. Excel and I are going to have a legion of children together.
In fact, in our little family we already have:
1. Clothing inventory (item count by category and sub-category: e.g. Tops / Dresses / Ballroom dresses / Blue sparkly sequined dress)
2. Gift inventory (items I've pre-bought, cost, value, intended for whom, for what occasion, what year, category)
3. Birthday tracking (People, social group I know them through, date, gift, cost, value, and tracking columns for Card, Wrap, and Given after each is done)
4. Financial Statements (intricate Vlookup-linked tabs that automatically convert transactions from Checking, Savings, Investment, and Credit Card accounts into spending categories by bi-weekly pay period)
5. Holiday tracking (names, social group, occasion, date of occasion, gift if applicable, cost, value, Card, E-card, Wrap, Given)
6. Swap records (all swapped items, sent and received, including name, swap site, cost to ship, original cost of item, and formulas to automatically calculate running totals spent versus items acquired to come up with a cost per item)
7. And my current favorite...
Book Inventory!
All my books by binding, title (including series name and volume number if applicable), author, cost, value, source, genre, additional genre, whether it's listed on GoodReads.com, and what condition)--
And the best part is the statistical summary at the bottom:
......................Lists make me so happy.
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
|
|
|
|
