kimiye

All packed up and ready to go! Now just have to wake both son and hubby up and get them out the door and in the car. See y'all in Louisiana and Texas! Many of you have my cell number, but you can also follow our journey on Twitter or Facebook. My Twitter id is kimiye, and it's public for this trip.

Of course, if Clay breaks news today (or wind or a leg), somebody call me!

Oops, forgot to sign out! My PC is on all the time, so if I'm logged into the board, there's no telling where I really am.

I'll be driving into Sugar Land on Friday, June 5, and leaving Thursday, June 11. I don't know what days my sister has off yet (likely Sat-Tues), so the schedule is mostly in flux. We will be visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors at the museum on Sunday. Hope to see more of the eHP this time!

Okay, I give up. I've been all over this board trying to find the thread where we can talk about getting together. Yeah, I'm Houston-bound again this June, with a stopover in New Orleans. Somebody point me towards the eHP?

I am still not a 'pod person, but I can answer your question about why the lossless version sounds better-- it is more dense-- more sound data equals bigger files. I'll try to look around and find what settings you need to use. I assume you use iTunes to rip your music rather than some other program. I use only mp3s for compressed music, and generally rip 192, 256 and 320 kbps depending on my mood and the type of music. I never rip to 128 or listen to that quality unless there is no other version available.

When shopping around iTunes, buy iTunes Plus versions of any song you want to really hear-- they are double the quality of regular iTunes (256 kbps vs. 128 kpbs). Of course, they almost always cost more, which is blatant money-mongering on Apple's part. And kinda stupid, since Apple can sell bigger and better iPods to support the larger files, lol.

So does anyone know if Mandy Moore was a singer first or an actress. I don't know her singing but I really like her as an actress. One of her movies is on my list of all time favorites - a teen movie of all things. I saw Because I Said So over the weekend and that's the kind of girly romantic fluff I like.

Mandy is a local central Florida girl-- went to Park Maitland school in Maitland, FL, (where my husband delivered mail in the 90's) as well as Bishop Moore High. She was a singer first, known for performing the National Anthem at various events. Got a recording contract at 14.

I remember hearing her radio interviews around town, and I'm pretty sure I heard her sing the anthem live on air once.

Clay content: He sure can sing the anthem.

I never saw the movie, but I did read all the books--A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Yeah, that's a great one! Wasn't that from "Mostly Harmless?"

I love Douglas Adams, I was so sorry when he died so young. Did you know that Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy started out as a TV show and then morphed into a book? He was so bad about deadlines and getting it written on time to be broadcast every week, that sometimes he would be writing it as the players were performing it. I read this in a really cool book by Neil Gaiman (another of my favorite authors) in a book about Douglas Adams called "Don't Panic."

Actually, before the television series, it started as a BBC radio drama. My family and I listened to it when it was rebroadcast on CBC in the late 70's. I had it on audio tape which has long since disintegrated.

Somewhere in the house I have a really bad quality videotape of the original Hitchhiker's TV series, from a PBS showing, I think. It might even be on Betamax, if I copied it back in the 80's. Don't know if it would be worth it to transfer to digital, but I'll post if anyone is interested.

lol, keepingfaith-- I can just hear you going on. At least if you're ever on a late night talk show, you have one of your three good stories to tell.

Anybody ever heard of this guy: Josh Hoge

I saw Josh a few months ago when he was playing the same bill with Ernie Halter (remember Clay's first acoustic guitarist/male backup?) at a local club here in Orlando. Both of them tour relentlessly in small venues, playing a 45-minute set in a night's lineup of artists. They sell CDs, t-shirts and other merchandise, sometimes with the help of a local fan running the booth. Jason Mraz started the same way, hit the big time and played bigger venues, then dropped back to smaller shows before he caught a second gold ring with his latest album and Grammy-nominated platinum single.

It's a challenging life, always on the road or in the air, living out of a suitcase. These guys don't have tour buses and they usually travel alone, packing their guitars, amps and loop machines. They can't be earning much from the venues with an average cover of $10 shared among performers and the house. Not to mention, half their audience is drunk and getting drunker, not always with happy results.

I wouldn't wish this life on Clay, who has a family to think of. I don't think he'd like it much-- he seems to be a social creature who wants people around him on the road, and who enjoys the teamwork it takes to put on a full concert. I can't see him doing more than a two or three month tour, and I wouldn't be surprised if he figured out a way, again, to stay in one place and have us come to him. At least until Parker is old enough to go on the tour bus...

BTW, I enjoyed both Josh and Ernie, and I buy every CD that Ernie puts out. Got them all autographed so far, too!

Squeeeeee!!!!! Thank you!!! (I heard from PerusingOne that your new netbook is just awesome!)

First 24 eps of Leonard and Sheldon are burning as we speak. I'll download the latest sometime tonight and finish the second disk off with something interesting lying around my hard disk. Maybe Chuck? I heart that handsome geek, too, and I was thrilled when the background music tonight included Talking Heads. Then another TH song was featured on Heroes, with another favorite geek, Hiro. What's goin' on?

My Mini 9 is such a cool toy, and I was amazed at how nicely my TV shows play on it. I caught up on hours of Bones and House on my last plane trip. Even more fun, I get to play with Ubuntu Linux instead of bloated MS OS's for a change.

Okay, (deep breath) I think I'm done geeking out now.

Unfortunately, I don't have that ability...we're in the stone age out here...just a VCR/DVD player.

Hee! They did find the house!

Kim

Thanks for the heads-up & recap anyways. I'll watch for some highlight clips to show up online.

Hee. Send me your new address and I'll burn you copies of every episode so far. They'll work on that cranky old laptop of yours.

Jinx, Scarlett! I'm definitely bringing that movie and we have to watch it!

Food-related movies are good too!

food movies that I love?

Tortilla soup

Soul Food

are there others?hee

Tampopo

Rent it from Netflix or some place. Watch it with subtitles. Really funny and strange Japanese movie about noodles and sex. My cousin Shinichi said he thought it showed the Japanese soul. I'll bring it the next time some of us get together, and I'll teach you how to make zaru soba (easy peasy!).

Clay content: He eats at teppan-yaki restaurants and likes to play with his food.

Do they really serve dolphin ? :o

I couldn't let this go by.

This is a dolphin fish, served all over the world and prized by deep sea fisherfolks.

As opposed to the mammal dolphin which is a protected species, at least in US waters.

Clay content: He's as cute as a dolphin.

PerusingOne just won something! What, I don't know!!!

ETA: It might have been the 32" LCD TV!!! That explains the comment about the fact that she lives there.

Would you like to go back and quote me where I generalized about Asians? I did not. You assumed.

QUOTE: "Interesting concept. However, I must say that absolutely all of the Asian FCA'ers that I know don't just "seem to be so smart". They really are smart. I wouldn't say they're just average people who have parents who gave them a leg up."

How do you know what kind of education was provided for them? Did you ask for details on their education? You are making the assumption here. You've based that assumption on the handful of Asians on this board who actually post.

No, I wasn't making an assumption based on posts. They are not necessarily board members who post regularly, as a matter of fact. I said all the Asian FCA'ers that I know. I was talking about people I actually know. People I've spent time with. People I've slept with. Over the years I have known them, I have of course discussed education with these friends. You made an assumption that I was talking about people I don't really know, and you are wrong.

I've never said that Asians are any smarter than any other group, just that a few that I do know are some very smart people. As are, by the way, all shapes and colors of other FCA'ers who are also some of the very smartest people I know. Personally. Not just through their posts.

All I said was the small group of Asian people on this board that I know are really smart. What I apparently didn't make clear is that it sounded like you were saying they could only achieve well because they had parents who spent money on private schooling. That's what I was objecting to in your post.

Well, that is YOUR assumption, I NEVER said or implied anything so preposterous and, at best, highly insulting. All I was trying to communicate was that Asians, as a culture, value education very highly, and that is why so many of them seem smart.

That wasn't all you said. You said a lot more. But if you want to back off and say nothing more than that many Asians value education, I'll agree with that. I won't agree that it "is why so many of them seem smart," because that implies that it's all a ruse. Just that extra fake education, and not real knowledge. I don't even agree that so many Asians seem smart. It sounds like another stereotype to me.

Note, I said private tuition, I never said private schooling for THEM, as YOU stated.

By saying "private schooling" rather than private school, I thought everyone knew I mean the additional after-school tutoring. So, once again, you interpreted what I said into something I didn't say.

I am prepared to agree to this... that neither of us seems to be able to understand what the other person was trying to say. Therefore, I hope my point on the importance of education and reading comprehension is, at the very least, valid.

Oh, I understand you perfectly. I agree that you don't understand me. You've done a great job of explaining yourself and your reasoning, and I still think you are stereotyping all over the place. And with that, I'm done with this discussion, because it's clear you believe what you want to believe, and nothing I say will make a difference. I'm not angry or insulted, but I am tired of trying to get through to you.

How many Asians do you know? Have you traveled to different parts of Asia? Have you LIVED in different parts of Asia? Have you been educated with them? Have you lived under the same roof with them? Spoken their language, learned about their values. their culture, their spiritual beliefs? Even with all that, the diversity of Asia is mind blowing and generalizations are impossible. But one thing I know in a general sense, they value education highly and go out of their way to provide it for their kids.

I'm not going to answer this. There's no requirement that I, nor anyone else, have all that experience in order to have an opinion. And the fact that you have had much of that experience doesn't make your opinion any more valid than any other.

But I will say, it is you who have made the biggest assumption of all.

I didn't intend to generalize or stereotype but having lived in Asia for almost 10 years, including attending school where 99% of the students are Asian, they weren't ALL smart. There were those who were average or a little above average but did very well because of the focus and extra-curricular activities placed on academic achievement. Of course, there was always a bunch of wiz-kids that would have done brilliantly, no matter what. (I also attended a small private school in Asia where 99% of the kids were NON-Asian, and let me tell you, the difference was stark).

I'm certain you know so much more about it than I do. Sorry to have questioned your expertise.

I am no expert, and I don't like stereotyping either but generalizing from knowing the Asian members on a small(ish) forum is also stereotyping, no?

Would you like to go back and quote me where I generalized about Asians? I did not. You assumed. All I said was the small group of Asian people on this board that I know are really smart. What I apparently didn't make clear is that it sounded like you were saying they could only achieve well because they had parents who spent money on private schooling. That's what I was objecting to in your post.

I also don't agree with your using "statistics" like "99%" from your years in Asia as supporting evidence for your suppositions about all Asians, or for that matter, about non-Asians. It's just your interpretation of your experience, and not any sort of empirical data.

So let's just say that we have some Asian FCA'ers who fit your example of "wiz" kids and then we can agree on something. But they don't deserve to have you denigrate their achievements because of your assumptions about Asians and private education.

jamar1700, thanks for your link about nerd culture and anti-intellectualism. It was fascinating! Funny how Clay has called himself a nerd, while I lovingly called him a geek from the very first time I laid eyes on him.

I didn't intend to generalize or stereotype but having lived in Asia for almost 10 years, including attending school where 99% of the students are Asian, they weren't ALL smart. There were those who were average or a little above average but did very well because of the focus and extra-curricular activities placed on academic achievement. Of course, there was always a bunch of wiz-kids that would have done brilliantly, no matter what. (I also attended a small private school in Asia where 99% of the kids were NON-Asian, and let me tell you, the difference was stark).

I'm certain you know so much more about it than I do. Sorry to have questioned your expertise.

You know how people always think that Asian kids seem to be so smart? Much of their "smartness" came from their parents, i.e. their parents would work two jobs, whatever it takes, to pay for after-school private tuition, to give their kids an academic leg-up. That's is why so many of them do so well at school, and even have exceptional English language skills despite English is not their mother-tongue, i.e. not spoken at home.

Interesting concept. However, I must say that absolutely all of the Asian FCA'ers that I know don't just "seem to be so smart". They really are smart. I wouldn't say they're just average people who have parents who gave them a leg up.

Just saying that stereotypes, and explanations of stereotypes, aren't necessarily true. I will say that many Asian families may have a high regard for education, teaching, and high goals. But that alone will not result in extraordinary achievement.

That was a great little mind-walk down memory lane, keepingfaith-- is it strange after all these years I can still remember the entire melody and sing it in my head? Although for a long time I thought the lyrics went "and get in the livin' scene". I think I'll go with your new interpretation of the song-- sounds good to me!

For what it's worth, there is mime_fan audio for at least one concert of every tour going back to the Independent Tour, and I know where to get it all. I guess it might be time to do an index.

What's the name of the other Japanese place close to Ground Zero (the pricey-at-night but decent & a great value at lunch one)?

It's Megu, and there are two locations, downtown and midtown. The menus are pretty different, so be sure the one you're going to has what you want.

Have a great time! I'll be thinking of you guys all week.

ETA: Eh! I just checked and Megu downtown is now closed for lunch. The one in midtown offers specials for lunch but it's not the same menu. Sorry! Maybe you can just go to Sapporo again! At least the noodles and dumplings there are a real bargain!

Hope everyone's having a wonderful time with all their travels (whatever you do, Kandre, don't try to use the toilet on a train*...), and with their families this holiday season.

I'm popping in to give a restaurant recommendation from the last time I was in NY with my cousin who lives there, a Japanese barbecue place called Gyu-Kaku. They have a little grill in the middle of each table, and you order a la carte raw items to cook on it. Happy hour in the East Village or lunch deals at the Midtown location each weekday are your best bargain, or just order the prix fixe (for two) to make things easy. The staff will help with demonstrations and recommendations. Izumi and her Japanese translator friends had a fine time filling my plate, after I amused them by saying the only item I wouldn't eat was the intestines. The skirt steak was wonderful.

Google map to both locations in the East Village and in Midtown

*My nemesis of a toilet was on the sleeper train from Miyazaki to Yokohama. It was one of those slot in the floor deals, except it was on a platform about 2.5 feet up. You step up to squat on top of this box, holding onto the helpful handrails, and try to aim while the train sways and bumps. And, you have to provide your own toilet paper. The other pleasant experience was brushing my teeth at the row of tiny sinks in the unisex section of the toilet. I hadn't run into a strange man in my bathroom since the mid-70's, and had forgotten the protocol.

Wow, Scarlett, that gave me chills, and I can say that doesn't happen too often.

A wonderful holiday to all who come here! May we meet again soon.

And while I'm here, right click to download my son's original composition called "Christmas Jam for the Fam":

Ben triple-tracked on guitar and drums

We put all our crap in the garage (because most of us don't have attics, either-- don't need the highly sloped roofs that keep the snow from getting too heavy, so there's no room up there). It's rare to find a basement in Texas or Florida, but we do love our big garages that never have enough room for the cars. I don't remember basements in Arkansas, either, although many folks had a small root cellar/storm shelter.

Just talked to my sister in Sugar Land-- they have no shingles and not much tarp left on their roof, quite a bit of leaking, and a hole in the ceiling of one of the upstairs rooms. Two large trees uprooted in the yard and a swimming pool full of debris. They have a generator and are holed up in the master bedroom. My mom and nephew slept through the storm. Looks like they did pretty well, considering. I was surprised to get through on the cell phone long enough to have a good chat.

Sure hope they get their power back soon-- the neighborhood has underground lines, so it could be worse. I remember two weeks of misery after Hurricane Charlie, and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Our houses aren't built with breezeways anymore, so the heat and humidity just sit on you.

Just for fun, this recipe of mine has been on line at a friend's site since I wrote it shortly after the storms of 2004.

luckiest...that soooo sucks about your iPod...a NEIGHBOR? Gonna visit that neighbor's house anytime soon?

Hee....it's very tempting. But I can't prove anything.

Don't iPods have serial numbers? And isn't that serial number associated with iTunes on your PC? I can't check since I don't have an iPod, but isn't that how Apple controls where your downloaded tunes will work-- so strictly that you can't load songs on more than one iPod unless you buy an extra copy?

I'd most certainly call the cops! And your car insurance might cover the cost if the property is not recovered.

*waves at all the travelers-- I've enjoyed all the travelogues!*

Thanks for the birthday wishes! I'm off to bed with my new DRM-free mp3 player (Sandisk Sansa e260 w/video-- no iPod for me!)-- my family has given up on buying me techno stuff and just lets me buy my own! And theirs! Night!