Saturday, July 28, 2007
How to steal the Harry Potter manuscript?
You have to scan the entire Harry Potter book and put it on the Internet before its release date. What should you do???
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Easy lunch
I'm totally sick of the food at the med center. I seriously doubt how people there can survive eating the same food over and over again. Famiglia pizzas, Wendy's, the Korean deli, Mike's bagel, it was basically my menu Monday through Friday during the past two years, with one random day spent at Subway, some Mexican deli, or Carrot Top. I'm not saying the food is lousy. But it's definitely time for a change.
For a long while, I managed to have lunch at home before coming in to the office. In the morning I would read papers and use VNC to work on my lab computer. But I've really got a lot of work to do lately and have to come in earlier in the morning. Sandwiches are now handy to me. See some basic sandwich recipes below:
Grilled Ham Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 red onion, sliced 1/4" thick
* 1 yellow onion, sliced 1/4" thick
* 1/2 lb. ham slices
* 2 Tbsp. honey
* 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
* 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
* 3 Tbsp. butter, softened
* 8 slices whole wheat bread
* 1/4 lb. Cheddar cheese, sliced
PREPARATION:
Preheat dual contact grill. Combine honey, Djon mustard, and thyme leaves. Brush on onion slices. Grill onion slices for 3-5 minutes until tender and marked with grill marks. Remove from grill and set aside.
Grill ham slices for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Make sandwiches with the grilled onions, ham, and cheese, assembling sandwiches with buttered side out. Grill each sandwich for 3-6 minutes until hot and cheese is melted. 4 sandwiches
Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS:
* 8 slices whole wheat bread
* 1/4 cup prepared pesto
* 8 thin slices mozzarella cheese
* 1 tomato, thinly sliced
* 8 thin slices Provolone cheese
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1/8 tsp. white pepper
* 1 Tbsp. flour
* 3 Tbsp. cornmeal
* 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION:
Preheat dual contact grill, waffle maker, or panini maker. Spread one side of each slice of bread with pesto. Make sandwiches, enclosing a thin slice of tomato between two slices of cheese, one mozzarella and one provolone.
On shallow plate, beat eggs with milk and pepper.
On another shallow plate, combine flour, cornmeal, and Parmesan cheese. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture, then dip into flour mixture.
Cook for 4 minutes on grill until crisp and golden.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Blueberry pie
從Ann Arbor採了好多好多的藍莓, 本來想說在BY家做果醬, 做個十瓶帶回來, 可是又怕坐飛機時果醬被沒收, 一猶豫之下果醬又沒有做了. 回到紐約打開一大袋的藍莓, 想說這麼多藍莓一定夠做果醬, 結果沒想到我一邊查做法, 一邊吃著藍莓, 等到食譜查到時, 藍莓已經沒有剩那麼多了...
查果醬做法的時候看到了這個藍莓派的食譜, 雖然這次的藍莓幾乎都跑到肚子裡, 沒有辦法做派了, 我還是在這邊把食譜貼上來, 下次有機會再做一個新鮮的藍莓派...
Filling ingredients:
3 pints of blueberries, cleaned and stems removed
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for thickening)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Egg wash ingredients:
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
1 Prepare crust. If you have made dough, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan and put into the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. If you have purchased frozen pre-rolled circles, allow them to defrost and place one of the circles on and in the pie pan.
2 Whisk egg and milk together to make an egg wash and set aside.
3 Combine blueberries, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and sugar and place in the chilled bottom crust of the pie pan. Dot the top with butter pieces. Roll out the remaining dough to the same size and thickness. Brush the rim of the crust with the egg wash, place the other piece of dough on top, trim to 1/2 inch over the edge of the pan, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F.
4 Remove from refrigerator. Brush the top with egg wash. Score the pie on the top with two perpendicular cuts (so steam can escape while cooking). Bake for 20 minutes at 425°. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling. Let cool before serving.
Source
Related: blueberry picking
Blueberry picking
Where to pick blueberries?
We went to Dexter Blueberry Farm, a U-Pick blueberry farm. They provide buckets. Call ahead of time before going, since you want to go on a day when the crop is good. A bucket of blueberries was about 4 dollars.
Location:
Dexter Blueberry Farm
11024 Beach Rd.
Dexter, MI
(734) 426-2900
View Larger Map
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Ann Arbor Art Fair
這是我第一次到Ann Arbor, 雖然居住在紐約, 之前從來也沒有去過規模這麼大的藝術展. 這邊數不清的作品都充滿了藝術家的創意與巧思, 有抽象的作品, 寫實的攝影, 也有實用的室內裝飾. 藝術家們都很和善與健談. 我們到每一個有興趣的棚子內, 跟藝術家們問東問西. 記得有位藝術家做彩繪玻璃, 一次平行設計將近三十片件作品, 每件作品都經過七到八次的過火(firing), 一次要創作這麼多件作品, 看來除了要有設計的美感, 記憶力也是要超強. 可愛貓咪專門店 明年再會囉！
Art Fair是Ann Arbor這個小鎮一年中最盛大的活動了. 平時平靜的小鎮, 一下子湧入了人潮, 為的就是參與全美最大的戶外藝術展覽. 超過1,200位藝術家帶著他們的talent與作品, 讓Ann Arbor增色了不少.
這麼傳神的金屬網人偶, 是用蠟先做出人像, 再把金線銀線慢慢纏繞上去, 最後用熱把蠟融掉做出來的.
宮廷的小丑, 相當的「高貴」喔！
這邊大部分的藝術品都很有「價值」, 像我們這種窮學生大概只能花十幾塊買塊Motawi精美磁磚(Ann Arbor高級磁磚)帶回家做紀念.
官方網站:
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Silent Hands Behind the iPhone
台灣上紐約時報(New York Times)的次數屈指可數, 最近好不容易因為Apple的iPhone熱潮, 搶到了一篇business版, 介紹台灣這個小島國在科技上的成就. 文中除了提到製造組裝iPhone的公司(鴻海, 廣達)外, 也介紹了其他幾家台灣的通信系統商, 以及台灣的競爭策略.
雖然產品在世界上佔有率很高, 跟韓國比其來, 台灣的廠牌在世界上其實能見度還是很低. 就算產品是自己設計, 掛原公司的牌子, 而不是代工製造, 一般人還是不知道他們買的優良產品是台灣做的. 另外坦白說, 沒有人會因為ipod, PDA, 或laptop是台灣製造的, 就認為台灣是一個強國, 台灣還要加把勁, 才能得到更多的國際知名度跟尊敬.
紐約時報原文
相關廠商:
Hon Hai
Quanta
D-Link
Garmin
Mitac
BenQ
Acer
Parkour
Always wanted to finish posting this one but never got time to get to it...
Parkour is a form of "urban gymnastics" and has certainly made some noise lately in the US. It's kind of like doing the stunts we all are very familiar with in Hong Kong movies. The "traceurs" can throw themselves into walls and somehow move into a completely different direction with a kick of the foot. They can jump off from 5 stories high and land on the ground in one piece like a cat. Not to mention their creative ways to overcome obstacles to get to their destinations (the spirit of parkour: command and discipline oneself to move from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible). My friend LS always wanted to do this. Actually there are now training sessions in several cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. And some are even on campus. You can read this New York Times article for more details.
This is the famous video:
And here you can read about the physics.
Disclaimer:
Parkour can be a dangerous activity. There are inherent risks in any physical activity, and Parkour is no exception. I do NOT encourage the practice of Parkour by an average person like you and me.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
渴望 iPhone
我並不是一個蘋果迷. 可是iPhone的設計實在令人嘆為觀止, 也難怪Apple各旗艦店在iPhone上市時會大排長龍.
David Pogue是紐約時報的專欄作家, 每週都以幽默的文筆報導最新的科技動態. 最近這篇video報導裡, Pogue 獻聲唱出他多麼地渴望iPhone.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Piano Man - Billy Joel
One of my favorite songs.
Piano Man - Billy Joel
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"
La la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da
Chorus:
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
As the smile ran away from his face
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"
Oh, la la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy who's still in the navy
And probably will be for life
And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone
Chorus
It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
Oh, la la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da
Chorus
Friday, July 13, 2007
Biking in New York City
買腳踏車也一陣子了. 之前一直以為紐約市這個都市叢林裏面, 騎腳踏車是件很危險的事情. 後來發現市政府其實有完整地規劃腳踏車道, 只要沿著曼哈頓島周圍的腳踏車道, 基本上都是很安全的. 沿著腳踏車道可以帶你去許多曼哈頓著名景點, 在此我稍稍介紹一下.
學校附近Riverside park是一個理想的入口. 往北邊可以騎到華盛頓橋(George Washington Bridge)下的小紅燈塔(Little Red Lighthouse), 假如有興趣, 可以轉到橋上往紐澤西行, 去Fort Lee買東西或到Palisade park玩. 假如想留在曼哈頓島上, 可以繼續騎到Cloisters Museum, 這是大都會博物館的一個分館, 主要是中世紀的修道院古文物. 往南的話, 可以先騎到七十九街的船塢(boat basin), 這是電影電子情書(You've got mail)中Tom Hanks跟他老爸在船上討論人生大事的地方. 往下再繼續騎會經過網球場、籃球場、棒球場跟足球場, 來到夏天每個禮拜可以賞夕陽看電影的河濱碼頭.
基本上循著這條環島的腳踏車道, 可以帶你到曼哈頓南邊許多的景點. 假如有興致, 體力又不錯, 不彷騎到South Street的渡輪碼頭, 每天定時都有免費的渡輪可以載你去Staten Island. 渡輪的中層可以讓乘客牽腳踏車進入. 開往Staten Island的途中可以觀賞海景以及著名的自由女神像, view絕對不輸花五六十塊才坐得到的商業渡輪.
相關聯結:
Staten Island 渡船:
時刻表
渡輪資訊
Staten Island 棒球場: 咱們王建民之前小聯盟就是在這邊投的.
http://www.siyanks.com/
紐約腳踏車道路線圖:
page 1 page 2
有一個腳踏車友網站定期會組織腳踏車出遊, 接下來最近一次是7月29日, 到Harlem Valley鄉間小徑享受自然風光. 路程分為20, 55, 75, 跟100 miles四組. 有興趣請參考下面連結.
http://www.bikenewyork.org/
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Ichiro at All-Star Game
Ichiro's first inside-the-ballpark home run.
Pretty amazing and ruined it for the National League...
BTW, I love the swimming doggie...
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Wang's 9th win!
It's beeeen hot lately. This afternoon we went to root for Wang. With the help from GL, we got tickets on ebay for two fantastic seats behind the home plate (well, still some distance from the top, but the view was great!!). The best thing about these seats is that we were sitting underneath the roof and the shadow kept us from being scorched by the sun. The temperature was about 95 degrees, you can imagine how those people sitting under the sun felt, sweating and crying for water (well, beer actually, spend 8 bucks for one Becks!!!).
With the loss yesterday after the extra inning efforts, we thought the Yanks would be pretty tired and frustrated today. Losing so many games must have worn out their spirits. But the game turned out to be totally different. First inning, with two men on base, Matsui clubbed a home run and gave the Yankees an early big lead. Wang wasn't steady in the beginning but somehow managed to strike out two batters and allowed no runs. 
A-Rod and Cano followed Matsui and hit two three-run homers in the fourth. Such a big lead actually made me lose focus a little bit and I started to wonder when the Angels would get a hit and make it to first base. Throughout, there were only five sporadic hits today and brought me the only disappointment of this afternoon: there were not double plays for Wang because there were not many people on base!!! And the ground balls he induced were way too easy for Jeter to handle. I was waiting for Jeter's jump and making a perfect throw the first base. Regardless, the Yankees won and closed their gap with the Red Sox to a mere 10 games (look how happy I am). Keep up the good work! Take some good rest during the All-Star week! I'm still hoping the Yanks can make it to the playoff and eventually win a number 27!!!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
100 Years - Five for Fighting
I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
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