Breakthrough!

Look at that, I've now broken my personal record for posting. I am now up to 17 posts this year. Breakthrough of a sort. Yay technology!

More on the fuzzy logic rice cooker

Earlier in the week I thought I'd make myself some dal. As I was getting out the pot I thought "let's try this in the FLRC.' So in went half a pound of mung beans, some garlic, ginger, onions, chili and spices and water to cover. I set the FLRC to 'slow cook' and went back upstairs to work. One hour later, perfectly cooked dal.

Today's experiment was only moderately successful. I set the timer last night to have porridge ready by 8. This worked perfectly but, perhaps because I actually used Red River instead of porridge, or maybe because I had the cooking program set to 'regular', there was a lot of overspill. Took a while to clean up. The Red River was fine thiugh, although I'm always tempted to take the cooked cereal and fry it with eggs and bacon ('Saskatoon Hash'). This would negate the general healthiness of the exercise.

Anyway, next I shall try the FLRC with a Cuban black bean stew.

I know this is dull stuff but I'm just done with the first week of term. Am v. tired.

Quest for Fire: You're doing it ALL wrong

I forget how I found this, but when I did I immediately thought "This is the film that Ian told me that Gavin told him about." And so I took it home and put it on. The best thing about this movie is that there is no dialogue per se, so basically make your own as you watch it.

So. Fire. We need it, we don't have it. Send Dominant Alpha Male, Tough Beta Male and Sidekick male to get some before we all die of hypothermia. Hijinks with cannibals, naked homines sapientes and saber-toothed tigers ensue.

The most famous scene of the movie involves the scene where the more evolved Ika manoeuvres herself under Alpha to teach him that it's much more fun for both of them when the sex is belly to belly, and not, as some of my older textbooks would say, coitus a tergo (this was on the principle that if you were going to be kinky and indulge anything other than the church-sanctioned missionary position you should be educated, or perverse, enough to read Latin). And it's a great scene, made greater by the fact that they are sheltering under a tiny rock shelf as it's pissing down rain while Beta and sidekick look glumly on. Beta (Ron Perlman in his first role) then pats Sidekick's thigh in an 'any port in a storm' kind of way and is vigorously rebuffed.

It's very entertaining, you should watch it. And after you've done that listen to Ron Perlman and Rae Dawn Chong (Ika) give the commentary: 'I was so cold' 'I thought I was going to die' 'Look at my breasts' 'Man you were gorgeous' 'I wanted to kill Annaud' 'Me too. Me too'.

Money Can't Buy Me Happiness

But it can buy a very comfortable sofa. And that makes me happy. Makes the cat happy too.

Other purchases this week include a fuzzy logic rice cooker. This little gem will also do porridge, and is a steamer and pressure cooker. And it has a timer, which means I can set it the night before to cook my breakfast. Which will be a big help in the dark days of winter as I get stumble around trying to get ready for my 8am classes.