Time for another recipe from the all-star maestro at faking Malaysian goodies (that would be me) when you can’t get the right stuff. This time, I bring you… BRAINS. Yes, you heard that right. Otak-otak literally translates into “brains” in Malay.

However, you zombies out there are going to be a bit disappointed to find out that this delicacy is… well, brainless.

It’s actually a fish paste with rempah (garlic, turmeric, gallangal, ginger, etc) and is surprisingly easy to fake. Even if you’re a real zombie, you’d enjoy it. I promise.

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Sad but true, I’ve pretty much accepted the fact that I am headed home. Not that home is a bad thing, of course. In fact, home is awesome – and not just because of the amazing Nasi Lemak.

The truth is, there really isn’t anything left here for me. I feel like I’m wasting my time when no one really needs me here (and this includes the economy and the government). Sure, I love my experiences and lifestyle here and would love to stay but the sad fact is that I can’t and I can’t help but feel a bit bitter that it all has to end. But I’m not all that bummed about going home either because there are sides to the US that I don’t like as well. Read the rest of this entry

Everyone rejoice! From the writers of the original Freakonomics, the new and improved Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance is out! Finally, what we’ve never thought we might want to know (well, most of us, anyway) in a hardcover.

I’m about midway through the book now and I have to say that it’s in a similar vein as the first one; taking an economist’s approach to analyzing human behavior and natural phenomena – the what’s and the why’s. This book tackles the questions that are just too damn interesting to ignore like, “Why aren’t more women prostitutes if it’s such a profitably industry?” (useful information, I’m sure) or “Why is chemotherapy so widely used when it so rarely works?” (that’s an important one) or “Who visits retirement homes?” (downright mind boggling).

All in all, I think this book is a slight improvement over the previous one. It is an easier read (not that the first one was a tough read) and seems to have better flow than the first, which seemed a bit disjointed at certain points. And don’t worry if you haven’t read the original, they have nothing to do with each other, really. Each chapter tackles different questions and it’s better to think of them as separate articles rather than to expect the book to have an intro-climax-outro structure or plotline.

Anyways, if you’ve always wondered if there was a new way of looking at things empirically and without a political or ideological slant, get this book. It’s true facts in your face.

No one ever wants to make a dining table faux pas when their jet-setting and mingling with the locals on some exotic trip to assert their “I-can-afford-to-travel-the-world” snobbery. So test your international table-manners with this handy-dandy quiz to make sure you don’t gross out the world.

You can thank me later when you realize I saved you from a beheading for not using the right utensil while enjoying maggot fried rice in a tropical village with the elders.

Today marks the official day that Geocities is laid to rest. It’s a sad, sad day but just serves to remind us that no matter how glorious something was, the end is never predictable, nor too far away (even on the internet).

I remember making my first webpage on Geocities (and no, I will not link it) when I was 11 or 12 or so. Back before blogger, or facebook, or twitter, Geocities was the place to get yourself on the web and it was the launch-pad for individuals to make themselves heard – for free. And yes, I do realize it was just a web-service that didn’t develop with the times and just ran out on itself but as with anything that has had a hey-day, it made a difference to people.

So here’s a place to share your goodbye stories on cnet.

Also, check out xkcd’s tribute.

Had a really random day yesterday… Decided (sorta on a whim, no less) to head to the beach and Adele and I ended up at this semi-random beach near Santa Cruz (I think the beach is called Dooney Boone or something like that, but I can’t seem to find it on google maps!). I’ve been to it before, but the last time I went, the skies were a little gray and the wind was blowing a chill into my bones.

Yesterday, however, the weather was perfect. The sun was warm (in mid-October!) and the clouds made these ribbons in the sky around the sun. I got to enjoy my lox sandwich and double-dutch mocha on the sand and just breathe and watch the sea as it swashed into the cove. There’s such a strange sense of calm that beaches provide. It’s almost like meditating with all the senses and being to perceive with a heightened sense of being – the salty air, the texture of the sand and rocks, the sound of the splashes, the view of the sun resting in the sky. Ahh… ce’st la vie. Read the rest of this entry

So the Scandinavians are at it again – always one step ahead of the rest of us. As usual, their human rights record has to be maintained and since they’ve run out of ways to upstage us in the real world, they’ve decided to cross over to the web to assert their holier-than-thou.

Broadband is now a legal right in Finland.

That’s right. They’re bridging the digital divide between the haves and have-nots by making the information super-highway accessible by everyone. And it’s 100MB broadband, too. That’s like saying to your people, “Here, Finland. Thou shalt have free candy. And let the candy be mouth-watering, mind-blowing and peace-bringing.”

In all seriousness, I’m jealous. These kinds of social goals seem to always start in some Scandinavian country – it’s like they’re always trying to legislate towards a utopia where everyone shares their toys, plays nice and spread happiness and hope (as opposed to, say, herpes and hepatitis). I don’t even know how they plan to implement this “Broadband for the Masses” program, but gosh darn’it, it sounds good.

Maybe I should move to Finland. I may be homeless, but I will have internet.

Gosh, it’s so hard to update daily – even if it’s a rant (yes, I know there’s plenty to rant about – but I get ranter’s block, okay?)… There just isn’t enough to say some days. And yes, it might be a testament to how much is not going on in my life at the moment.

Anyways, since it was a Saturday night, Adele and I decided to go out – and boy did we make the most of it. Had dinner at P.F. Chang’s (we had the prix-fixe menu, which we couldn’t finish – and so we skipped the entree and went straight for dessert after the soup and appetizer) and headed out to watch Where the Wild Things Are because that’s what all the cool kids are doing. Read the rest of this entry

Now until October 25th, World of Goo is available for pay-what-you-want! And it’s totally worth it (whatever you want, that is).

This is probably the most epic game I’ve played in awhile. Arguably, it’s all about goo – but that doesn’t make it feel any less heroic (don’t judge me)! What you do is you overcome challenges and puzzles with your goo-buddies and traverse time and space in an epic adventure full of… well, goo. The puzzles themselves are not exactly super easy, but it’s easy enough to figure out after a couple tries, and yet not too hard that you get stuck and frustrated like other similar puzzle-type games. Oh, and did I mention the music? And how cool it’s swanky 2D-ness looks?

It’s just unbelievably impressive that a core-team of about 4 people (with various other thanks) made this game. It’s really polished and the cheeky sense-of-humor of these so-called “indie revolutionaries” of the gaming industry really shines through all the goo.

Get it. Now.

***The soundtrack to World of Goo is also available for free, here.

http://bit.ly/gamingsurvey

Chance to get a $25 Amazon.com gift card if they decide to call you for an hour-long interview. Internationals are welcome and it seems like they want a diverse group so you could probably take the survey even if you don’t label yourself as a gamer (yes, we’ll keep that a secret so we don’t ruin your chances are finally getting a girlfriend).

Thanks for the link, Adele!