NabloPoMo Day 17: Cute Tea and Journalism

If tea can ever be considered cute, this would be it. I wasn't planning on buying more tea, but when I stopped in at the store to see if they had the Chrismas/Winter teas like they do in Japan, I found this tea for fall.

In Japanese, the name of the tea is "Imo Kuri Kabocha", which translates to "Potato, Chestnut, Pumpkin" - the bounties of fall. But the best thing about this tea is, the "cha" in "kabocha" is written using the Chinese character for "tea" - so it's a pun, crossing the name of the squash (kabocha) with tea (cha). Oh my gosh, I about died. I love puns like this. With that and the cute animals and veggies on the box, I couldn't resist, I had to buy this.

Today's Reading
I wanted to read and think aloud about the Progressive Tax but I don't think I'm going to be able to finish reading this today. I started to read it at work but sheesh, I actually to do some work today. Imagine that. I do appreciate Brad DeLong for thinking highly enough of his readers just to provide the link. I'm sure all the rest of his readers are just fine with it but for the non-academics, or rather, non-rigorous readers like me, I wish he could just summarize? :P I promise I'll finish reading it someday, because this passage is just too rich and I want more:

For example, a policy prescription such as taxing height (Mankiw and Weinzierl, 2010) is obviously not socially acceptable because it violates certain horizontal equity concerns that do not appear in basic models.

But then, I saw his latest post about the future of journalism education and was intrigued. He cites three examples from the New York Times, which I have held in high regard, at least among the daily print papers. In all three examples, until he pointed out the "hidden" information behind what the reporter actually wrote, I completely took the reporters words at face value. That is, in Mr. DeLong's words, I am the typical "low-information voter" or reader.

I admit I'm not an engaged consumer of news. I don't listen to NPR regularly anymore since I often don't drive to/from work, I don't read mainstream news outlets online on a regular basis, not all the blogs I read report the latest news (they're more analysis and snark). I certainly don't hear or read something and think much beyond what's reported.

So I've been led to believe that the Occupy movement is not cohesive and just disruptive. Or that Obama is being soft on policies about the economy, health care, deficit, etc. I did at times feel like I wasn't getting the whole story, that there must be something else out there, but I haven't until recently given thought to seeking out more. But then, how different am I from hundreds of thousands of voters in America?

I'm lucky I have a job where I sit in front of a computer with a fast internet connection much of the day so that whenever I want to take a break, I can read up on news or blogs and such. But if I still worked all day at the Japanese restaurant I used to 20 years ago, I couldn't afford such time. How are people then supposed to get fully informed?

It is a little scary to think that an esteemed journalistic organization like the New York Times can lend different shades of truth to the news. What about the people who only get their "news" from clearly-biased sources like Fox News? I feel like there is so much burden placed on the general public to suss out what's real, what's a cover-up, what's misleading. In a way, this information age is a blessing and a curse.

I also feel like these days, there's very little room for debate. People form their opinions based on what they read or hear and it just doesn't seem like they are willing to see other perspectives or consider changing their minds. Although I suppose this isn't really a new thing. And I'm not even saying this is a conservative or liberal thing, I've seen it on both sides. I feel like I've tried to keep an open mind, but then I feel like I've been wishy-washy of late. I guess the lesson is, it's hard to be objective.

I hope those in power to affect the future of journalism is spurred to think and act by Mr. DeLong's piece today.

NaBloPoMo Day 16: Veggie Dinner and Occupy Democracy

It's not that all I do is bake. I like to cook, too. I like to think I'm following Michael Pollan's dictum: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Vegetables."

This is from a little while ago, but I've totally fallen in love with a vegetarian cookbook by a Japanese blogger. She uses very few ingredients, very simple techniques, and some unique flavors to accent her vegetable dishes and they are so good. The main dish below looks like sauteed scallops but actually is king trumpet mushrooms! The stalk part of the mushroom was cut crosswise so each piece looks like a scallop. They actually kind of feel like scallops, too. Weird. It's lightly sauteed with some Chinese greens.

It's paired with a slice of Spanish omelette because I had to use up some eggs and potatoes. And broccoli soup. I guess this isn't strictly a vegetarian dinner since I used eggs and milk but it was still good.

Today's Reading
Robert Reich, as always, has succinctly summarized the state of things. When he puts it this way - the Supreme Court says money is speech and corporations are people, but Occupiers can't Occupy - it seems so clear, and so scary to think how powerful and how right the Supreme Court has become.

I totally agree with him that the Occupy movement can't turn violent. They'll definitely lose me if they do, not that I've been an ardent supporter, at least not of the Occupy LA movement. Maybe it's because I haven't gone there yet, seen and participated in the organizing meetings, but I don't see any concerted effort at clarifying demands, engaging civic organizations, student groups, unions, etc., - basically, building a movement. The website seems to be just reporting and giving support to other Occupy movements around the country, or doing random teach-ins and days of actions on weekdays. I get that the movement is about the disenfranchised who presumably are not workers, but lots of us in the 99% are working, too, and it seems wrong to not target some messages and actions to them/us.

Robert Reich ends his post today with a challenge - it's time to occupy democracy. I'd love to see some thoughtful discussions about what this means.

NaBloPoMo Day 15: Focaccia Again and Negotiations

Another attempt at focaccia, this time using a recipe I cut out from the LA Times some years ago.

I didn't clip the entire story that went with the recipe so I didn't realize until well after I started making this that the recipe was created by Nancy Silverton of the La Brea Bakery fame. As in, professional baker?! Yikes, I think I've bitten off more than I can chew (no pun intended).

The recipe starts out by making a focaccia sponge of yeast, flour and water and letting it sit for 24 hours. Then it uses the sponge and other ingredients to make the dough, which rests in total for about five hours. Did I mention that I started to make the bread around 6 pm? Very poor planning indeed. So of course toward the end, I was rushing the proofing process a bit, not paying enough attention to the baking time and I burned it.

But, I have to say this was pretty darned good. I didn't follow the recipe exactly - the recipe called for putting small chunks of mozarella cheese into the dough along with the olives and rosemary but I was too cheap. It was fine without. The recipe uses a lot of olive oil and it made the bottom so crispy and the whole thing very fragrant. When I think focaccia it's more of a chewy bread; this was more like a rustic bread but the recipe is definitely a keeper, although I'll have to be more careful about what time to start the sponge and baking, so I'm not up so late watching the oven.

Today's Podcast

Found this series of podcasts on Slate.com about Negotiations. The two journalists took an MBA negotiations class as well as interviewed professional negotiators and other experts. It's pretty basic but I found it totally useful. Even after taking the Negotiations class in b-school, I have to say I'm a terrible negotiator. I think this set of podcasts is a really nice complement to the b-school class. I felt like I got a lot of theory in class, and this podcast has some really basic but useful tips and compelling real-life examples like peace negotiations.

Today in the News

Speaking of negotiations, if what he wanted was to address safety and health concerns, couldn't he think of a better way than to send in the heavy artillery of the NYPD and force a mass evacuation? Clearly, then, that wasn't the actual intent behind the clearing of Zuccotti Park. What did they actually want to accomplish? Disruption, intimidation, criminal prosecution, discouragement of future protests, are what comes to mind.

It's reminiscent of the forcible incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII - for the safe of the Japanese Americans? Nope, guns were pointed inside the camps. Because of suspected espionage? Nope, no proven cases and many men volunteered to risk their lives for the country that imprisoned them and their families, to prove their patriotism. The real reasons could be found in racism and politics back then.

What about now?

NaBloPoMo Day 14: A New Addition

Every year I add to my collection a magazine or two on holiday cookies. This year, I didn't find a magazine that spoke to me. Every magazine I looked at had some versions of cookies that is in the other magazines I already have. That might be a sign that I have too many magazines. Hmmm.

Anyway, I was in a small bookstore and finally got my hands on this Gourmet Cookie Book! I had totally forgotten about it! This came out in 2009, I believe. Gourmet Magazine, before its untimely demise (sniff), had selected a representative cookie from each year that the magazine had been published. Each decade has a brief narrative giving context to the era and styles of cookies, and each cookie has a little note of origin. Not only are the recipes and stories fascinating, Gourmet, true to its form, has a beautifully laid out photo of each cookie type, laid out in kaleidoscopic designs. It's a treat to flip through the book.

When the book first came out, or maybe while it was being finished up, Gourmet actually published many of the cookie recipes online, so I still have them printed out. In fact, the Chocolate Wafer cookie recipe has become one of my favorites and I've been making them for three years straight, going on four.

Food and cooking as part of culture is so inextricable and makes life so, so interesting, I just can't get over it. It can build bridges, start revolutions, trigger memories, inspire creativity. I feel very fortunate to live in a culturally diverse place like LA where I can get exposed to so many different types of foods and cultures. It's truly an adventure.

Today's Reading
I guess this was posted on Friday but I missed it.

Why Everyone Hates the Boss

The brief post cites research by a UCLA professor about the neuroscience behind leadership, and how leaders with great technical skills may have less-than-great social skills (or vice versa?). The thing I thought was fascinating was this:

...the circuitry for thinking analytically, such as thinking about the future or about concepts, switches off the circuitry for thinking about others.

The point being that the more strategically-minded a leader is, the less capable s/he is to think about others, namely, I'm assuming, downline managers and staff. If this is really true from a neurological standpoint, it's fascinating! So, I'm wondering, is this circuit switch a strict on/off thing? Or is there a way to tape the switch open somehow, so people can do both? It seems like there are people who can do both - but just maybe not in the same moment. Very, very interesting. Would need to see what other research finding Dr. Lieberman comes up with.

I have to somehow figure out how to fit in online readings during the weekend. I'm so behind on Krugman and other favorites.

I just love that Krugman says things like "...Italy's economy minister[,] threw a hissy fit..." and "supply-side policies -  structural reform that makes workers more productive, prices more flexible, or whatever...". Hissy fit! Or whatever! How can anyone not love economics after reading him?

NaBloPoMo Day 13: Pizza Breakfast and Chamber Music

Argh! 30 minutes left in day 13!

Breakfast might be my favorite meal of the day. I think I like the fact that I have the entire day to work off whatever I eat.

A while back, we went to a restaurant that serves pizza for breakfast. Technically, brunch, but how awesome does that sound. I'm not a fan of "cold leftover for breakfast" concept but real, wood-fired pizza? A must-try if ever there was one.

A cozy place in Hollywood, with a wood-burning oven front and center. Very promising.

I had the smoked salmon and tomato pizza. Holy smokes, this was good. I guess after the crust was mostly baked, the chef put on the toppings - good quality salmon, tomatoes, onions, etc., then fired it up in the oven ever so briefly, so that the tomatoes got even sweeter and everything melded together oh so well. And a great, crispy thin crust, none of that yicky gaseous smell like a certain place in Gardena we did not like.

Also had the breakfast calzone - I thought we ordered the bacon-and-egg but this looks more like sausage and egg. Maybe that was the special for the day. Another great dish, this one of the hearty variety. I hadn't ben a huge fan of calzones in the past, I thought they were too doughy but the crust on this one was relatively thin, just like the pizza, and so crispy.

Definitely worth a repeat trip.

Olio Pizzeria & Cafe
8075 W 3rd Street, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 930-9490

Musical weekend
Got a chance to finally hear the Mansfield Chamber Choir perform. A few people from work are a part of it and I missed the chance to hear them in concert last year. I'm so glad I went. It's a much smaller group than the Angel City Chorale and while a 120+ person choir has its upsides (think THX sound effects trailer but live and in parts), I very much enjoyed this 20-or-so person ensemble. You can hear individual voices, as well as the parts so clearly, and it's so nice to see the expressions of joy on the singers' faces.

What I really enjoyed tonight was also the accompaniment by the four-string quartet. With a real viola player! Woot! I've always held viola players in utmost respect ever since I attempted playing the viola freshman year in orchestra and gave it up after 3 months or so - too hard! Plus, not all the scores had a viola part so I remember trying to change the keys and rewriting the third violin score into a viola score. I suppose there is software or more likely an app now to do that but in 1987 I could only do that by hand, so that didn't last long.

Anyway, it's so amazing to hear live string music and harmonic voices. It's like they reach directly into my heart. So fun and soothing. The song selections were, I thought, quite inspired as well. Very classical pieces by Caldara, funny songs by Haydn (I didn't know he was such a jokester!), a modern (1977) cantata using text from Walt Whitman, and a Beatles song in madrigal style (!), among others. Just an awesome, awesome night.

NaBloPoMo Day 12: Down to Mexico

Plaza Mexico, that is.

I had seen this shopping center off the 105 for some time and had been wanting to go. So last October, I think it was, we finally went on a clear, cool, sunny Saturday.

NaBloPoMo Day 11: Baseball and Sports Fanatics

Happy Veterans Day. Thank you to all who have or are currently serving this country to keep us safe and protect democracy and freedom worldwide.

Today's writing prompt from BlogHer is to make three wishes.

Wish 1: I wish for a peaceful world where reasonable heads prevail and weapons are not needed to settle disputes.

Wish 2: I wish for an equitable world where everyone can get educated and receive quality healthcare without worrying how they will pay the next month's rent or mortgage, all the while mowing the lawn or cleaning the house of a multi-millionaire.

Wish 3: I wish for this (High-->1 En 8). (I can be selfish for once, right?)

11-11-11
I wonder just how many texts, emails and blog posts will be put up right at 11:11 am/pm today. I hope the mobile carriers, ISPs and others are ready.

It's Beginning to Look Like Baseball Season
OK, not really, but the college baseball season will start in February so it is time for the countdown to begin. They've had some fall scrimmages as well, and other practices, one of which I happened to catch. So excited.

I don't know how it happened but I am just so fascinated by college baseball. I love watching the players, watching them develop their skills and grow in maturity over the years. I love the various strategies employed by the coaches on both teams. I love it when a batter puts down a perfect bunt that meanders right up along the third baseline, making the pitcher and third baseman helplessly watch as they hope the ball rolls foul...but doesn't. I love the long arc of a curveball that freezes the batter. I love the spectacular catches in the outfield, but also the routine plays in the infield. Practice makes perfect.

I do enjoy professional baseball, too, but in some sense, I feel like college coaches have a tougher job - they're not always working with the most talented players, or the most experienced. I know big league managers have to deal with egos and motivation and all that, but still, they are working with professionals, being paid to play baseball. The college coaches, though, have to work with kids 17-20 or 21 years old, who balance rigorous coursework (at least at UCLA!), with not just practicing baseball but also working out, studying videos, and also just enjoy being a college student. I worked part-time while I went to undergrad but still can't believe what these student athletes do. I like to see dedication and commitment in people, as well as watching them do what they love, and I guess that's why I like college sports so much.

I feel so fortunate to have seen pitchers Trevor Bauer (pictured left) and Gerrit Cole for the last three years. The entire nation's eyes were focused on them (in the world of baseball) and they played their hearts out. Their individual skills, strategy, development, and dedication was really neat to see. I can't wait to see them play in the pros.

But It's Just Sports
But it is just sports, after all. Sports can't trump human and civil rights. It should be about playing by the rules, not gaining unfair advantages all for the sake of the "Ws". And it most certainly shouldn't excuse liars and criminals.

I'm quite shocked and disgusted at all the news surrounding the child rapes and other crimes in the football program at Penn State. I'm not even going to link since it's been all over the news. I'm disappointed in Paterno, who I thought was an admirable, principled coach. He may be still, but he certainly had at minimum a lapse in judgment by letting this happen under his nose.

I'm also dismayed at the student reaction, at least portrayed by mainstream newsmedia, at Paterno's firing. How can these students stand up for him, even though these serious, serious crimes persisted under his watch? He can't claim ignorance. A head coach of a major football program can't claim ignorance on goings-on within his program. That's his job, to keep watch and weed out the wrongs, and most of all, protect the students.

I'm sad that all this casts college sports, and sports in general, in a negative light. There is so much good about college sports, with caring, smart coaches like John Savage, Gary Adams, Al Scates, Cori Close, and others who care about the well-being and development of students, not just how many wins they can get in their career.

A Little More on Yesterday's Post
So I really wonder if someone, somewhere, put a 24-hour hex on me by mistake. From 8 pm Wednesday to 8 pm Thursday, almost to the dot, it was one mishap or miscue after another. In addition to the things I listed yesterday:

• Mixed up a couple of meeting times for work and personal appointments (fortunately, no harm done)
• Took the bus to the mall, which should have been a 30-minute ride but due to traffic, took 1.5 hours
• On the way home, I got off at another wrong stop, so had to walk about 15 minutes to my transfer stop (which, I suppose in the end, was good)
• Dropped a piece of daikon radish which almost rolled behind the stove

The daikon drop was the last thing that happened, around 8 pm, and I took the fact that it DIDN'T roll all the way behind the stove, and that I was able to retrieve it with the aid of some long chopsticks, as a sign that the curse had lifted. I sure hope so, and 12+ hours since, I think that may be the case.