Being a geeky engineer - another thought

Disclaimer: This is by no means any complaint to ladies in any form.

Don't we guys love watching weather report, studying the cyclone path, and occasionally, the eye catching reporters. Being a geeky engineer, I am like Curious George and like to keep questioning many things and looking for answers to every question. And I take further steps to study hard into weather data.

Okay, here is my finding: I look up how many days considered arid, say below 55%RH throughout a year. Interesting enough, there are only 40 something days out of a year below this humidity level. Okay then. Give me a reason why all the ladies always complain about skin dryness all the damn time. And they have to moisturize their skins like every other day with cream, facial, and whatever else they use. What's the flip with that?

Alright, and the commercials keep reminding them to use this and use that wonderful product for extra moist, extra protection, heavy duty this and extra armored that. Hmm, is it me or is something fishy going on here? Can't we just use some common products- here is a good one: butter- for keeping skin tender and moist, like how I like my steak. Butter is natural and cheap, doesn't cost a whole lot. I also like to take a step further: From now on, 'butterface' shall be a positive word to honor those ladies using butter, not expensive products, on their faces for sustaining a thrifty lifestyle.

Actually, guys, do we really care this extra moisture scam? All we studs care is keeping that particular place wet, for like, 5 minutes (based on scientific figures from reputation research of the internet). Ladies, now you already know, and you can spend less on facials and creams. And you might ask 'now where should we spend this money?' More on those little hand bags, shoulder bags, purses, clutches, pochettes, baguettes, and those I can't even spell out. Let me take one for the team and speak out: No, if there is one thing let it be lingerie. So that we can make that 5 happy minutes a little longer.

My Own Thank You Notes

Honoring one of my favorite bits on the Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Show, here I am with my own little Thank You Notes. P.S. I am so hoping to have the thank you note music comping with this blog too.

Thank you, all you college students in your school outfit. You are like a walking location flash card. Just when I am lost, and yes, here you are. I am currently in the town of... Duke.

Thank you, Facebook People You May Know, for constantly reminding me of people I'm trying to ignore.

Thank you, @ sign, for making our life much much much easier when we have to spell out the word "at".

Thank you, the end of NBA lockout, signed by the Union of Bookies.

Thank you, social networking sites, for linking up people who already know each other and for letting people networking without actually being social.

Thank you, old people smell, for being a reliable indicator of senior citizens.

Yet Another Thought

Listening to few ol' tunes the other day. What's up with that Louis Armstrong singing White X'mas? It ain't right man, just ain't right. The song could be renamed to fine x'mas, nice x'mas, or tight x'mas... yeh yo.

Music, Lately

What's going on with R&B music lately? Lyrics are so unbearable.

First off, question to the ladies: How many of you think Trey Songz invented sex? I always thought it was Thomas Edison, oh my bad...

Ah, I am sick and tired of hearing making bed rocks, Okay? And please, I don't see how rocking her bed has anything to do with Stevie. Alright, alright, maybe that one time when Stevie's singing helped me to get laid, that's it. But I am sure this song won't.

By the way, I don't care about neighbor's names. Keep the squeaky noise down and use cup coasters, okay? You probably don't want to hear any scratching, yelling, and wall banding from my apartment either. Geez, trying to get some sleep here, Trey Songz.

And Luda, really? Is it the best you can come up with? Right, how low can all these go...

It makes me understand that there must be a market for all these great songs. If not, R. Kelly would have stopped making records to preach to girls. You know.

Random Thoughts

Just a thought, or thoughts indeed...

How come we never complain about "Damn! This computer is too fast for me. It needs to slow down."

Okay, of many thoughts come across our minds, men's of course, how about a penis reduction surgery? That's right - I don't think so!

Isn't Bluetooth the greatest invention? Now you can pretend speaking into the Bluetooth car phone and having a fake conversation in your car while you feel it is actually okay to talk to yourself, accompanying with hand gestures, because others have no idea about and don't know you being a total self-talk weirdo.

Sardine in a Can

Sardine is the type that you either love or hate, and I just happen to love the taste of it. However, I haven't been able to find any great grilled sardines in the US, and it has been a challenge to find good sardines in a can also. So, I have been trying to find the best that is available in the US and here are a few of some I have tried:

Cole's Sardines Smoked Portuguese Sardines in Olive Oil, Portugal

The Good: The smokiness is about right, not overly strong, not so weak to distinguish. It adds complexity to the taste of sardine.
The Bad: Falls apart quite easily. Makes you curious whether fish was fresh during canary process.
Rating: 3

Morgada - Sardines Portugaises a la Tomate, Portugal, $4.50

The Good: Overall taste of the tomato sauce is quite good. Sardines are average.
The Bad: Sardines in tomato sauce just not my favorite, quite pricey.
Rating: 2

Matiz Gallego, Spain, $2.95

The Good: The size of sardines come just right! Chunky and tasty, with firm texture yet not too rough, without strong fishly smell. The bone is chewable and crunchy.
The Bad: Just couldn't get enough in one can.
My thoughts: Serve with toast.
Rating: 5

As do Mar Sardine (all'olio di Oliva), Portugal, $2.95

The Good: Taste is decent without strong fishly smell. Texture is not firm enough but overall is not bad.
The Bad: Salty.
My thoughts: Serve with food, say salad...
Rating: 4

Angelo Parodi Sardine (all'olio di Oliva), Portugal, $2.95

The Good: Fair. Taste - Okay. Nothing stands out exceptionally.
The Bad: Texture is slightly soft with slightly strong fishly flavor.
Rating: 2

Ligo (Tomato Sauce), The Phillipines, $0.XX

The Good: Price.
The Bad: Fishes are small and lack of the sweetness. Texture is soft and slightly rough.
Rating: 1

Bela-Olhao (Olive Oil), Portugal, $2.XX

The Good: Fair. Imported from Portugal.
The Bad: Fishes are small with slightly strong fishly taste.
Rating: 1

King Oscar (Two Layer, Olive Oil), Norway, $2.65

The Good: Fair. Neatly packaged. No fishly taste.
The Bad: Fishes are significantly small.
Rating: 2

Crown Prince (Two Layer, Olive Oil), Scotland, $2.65

The Good: Fair. No fishly taste. Similar to King Oscar Brand.
The Bad: Fishes are significantly small. No chewable bones.
Rating: 2

Sardine Pollastrini di Anzio, Italy, $4.95

Piccanti all'Olio d'Oliva Specialita della Casa
The Good: Although size of the sardines is relatively small, they have so much flavor in them, especially a kick of spiciness. Texture is firm, and olive oil is nicely "aged" in the oil.
The Bad: Not enough.
My thoughts: It is one of the best in the market most definitely, but it can't be consumed all by itself because of the saltiness.
Rating: 5

Natural Sea Brisling Sardines in Soybean Oil, Poland, $2.95

The Good: Flavorful.
The Bad: Texture is sort of mushy. Size is rather small. Bones are not noticeable.
Rating: 3


(Not able to find in the US)
Conservas Portugal Norte, Portugal

Porthos - Sardines A L'huile D'Olive
My thoughts: Served with salad.
Rating: 5

Porthos - Sardines A L'huile D'Olive Piquantes
My thoughts: Served with toasted bread, food, and more...
Rating: 5

Porthos - Sardines a la sauce tomate
The Good: Tomato sauce is not made of tomato paste, instead it is tomato oil. Fish is decent, size is slightly smaller as compared to others, without strong fishly smell.
The Bad: Texture is slightly rough. Sardines & tomato sauce just not sophisticated enough.
My thoughts: hmmm.... spaghetti?
Rating: 3

Bon Appetit - Sardines Portugaises a l'huile d'olive, Portugal

The Good: Fair, nothing exceptionally stands out.
The Bad: Salty and relatively smaller than others, fairly strong fishly smell.
Rating: 2

Kampell - Sardinal Portuguese, Portugal

The Good: Taste is unexpectedly fine without strong fishly scent.
The Bad: Not spicy enough, and the size of sardines is relatively small.
Rating: 4

Maruzzella - Sardine (All'olio di Oliva), Italy

The Good: Overall quality is superb. The size of sardines is in the larger size; the taste is well preserved; and they are not very salty.
The Bad: Bones are not crunchy enough to be noticeable.
My thoughts: It is a versatile product to be used for almost everything.
Rating: 4

Nostromo - Sardine All'olio di Oliva, Italy

The Good: Chunky.
The Bad: Not enough flavor, and texture is rough.
Rating: 2

Delicius - Sardine All'olio di Oliva, Italy

The Good: The size of sardines is good. Bones are adequately crunchy. It's lightly seasoned so additional seasoning can be added to it.
The Bad: Texture and taste tend to be on the mushy and fishy side.
My thoughts: It is versatile and I think it can be made as a Pâté .
Rating: 4

Fauchon Rillettes de Sardine, France

The Good: This is not a regular sardine in a can, but pâté in a jar. It has a very enjoyable taste, although it is quite different from what I have reviewed so far.
The Bad: Addictive.
Rating: 5

Minerva Sardines Piquantes Portugaises A L'Huile Vegetale, Portugal

Rating: 3

Season Skinless and Boneless Imported Sardines in Pure Olive Oil, Morocco

The Good: Excellent for making pâté and breadspread. Olive oil complimenting the sardines is thick and tasteful.
The Bad: Firm texture that makes them hard to chew. Sardine itself is less impressive than the olive oil.
Rating: 4
To Be Continue...

Chocolate Reviews

It's a log of all the chocolates I have tried... and I am planning to share my 2 cents on different chocolates:

Cafe~Tasse, Belgium
Noir - The Earl Grey
Rating: 9

Confiserie Heilemann, Germany
Edelbitter-Schokolade 77% Cocoa
Rating: 9

Michel Cluizel, France
Noir Infini 99%
Rating: 9

Recchiuti, San Francisco, CA, United States
Force Noir
Rating: 9

Amedei, Italy
Napolitains - Cioccolato Fondente Extra 75%
Rating: 8.5

Domori, Italy
Tavolette - Chuao Hacienda San Jose
Rating: 8

Baratti & Milano, Torino, Italia
Napolitains - Cioccolato Finissimo al Latte
Rating: 8

Vivani, Germany
70% Cacao Edel Bitter (Ecuador)
Rating: 7.5

Maglio, Italia
Africa Cacao 75%
Rating: 7.5

Republica Del Cacao, United States
Los Rios 75% Cacao
Rating: 7.5

Santo Domingo Cacao 70%
Rating: 6.5

Les Freres Blanc, France
Chocolat noir 72% de cacao
Rating: 7.5

Hachez, Deutschland
Cocoa D'Arriba Mango Chili 77% cacao
Rating: 7.5

Cote d'Or, Belgium
Noir 70% Cocoa
Rating: 7.5

Le Belge, Napa, California, United States
Cacao Noir 72% Artisan Dark Belgian Chocolate With Roasted Cacao Nibs
Rating: 7.5

Valrhona, France
Guanaja - Chocolat Noir 70%
Rating: 7.5

Agnes B Delices 70% Noir
Rating: 7.5

Perlege, Belgium
Noir
Rating: 7.5

The Tea Room, American Canyon, California, United States
72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Infused with Yerba Mate Tea & Cacao Nibs
Rating: 7

Green & Black's, England
Dark 85%
Rating: 7

Chocovic, Spain
Guaranda 71% Cocoa
Rating: 7

Feodora Chocolade, Bremen, Germany
Grand 'Or 75% Cocoa
Rating: 7

Godiva, Belgium
Overall Rating: 7

Marks & Spencer, England
Dark Chocolate with Peruvian Cocoa 72% Cocoa Solids
Rating: 7


The Tea Room, American Canyon, CA, United States
Dark Chocolate Infused with Yerba Mate Tea and Cacao Nibs
Rating: 6.5

Cuorenero, Bologna, Italy
Kiwi a Pezzi - Puro Cioccolato Fondente Extra
Rating: 6.5

Toblerone, Switzerland
Milk Chocolate With Honey and Almond Nougat
Rating: 6.5

Isis Luxury, Belgium
Belgian Extra Dark Chocolate - 85% Cocoa
Rating: 6.5

Meiji, Japan
Cacao 99%
Rating: 6

Stainer, Italy
Tavoletta Di Puro Cioccolator Fondente - Cacao 100%
Rating: 5.5

Hersey's, United States
Cocoa Reserve 65%
Rating: 5

Scharffen Berger, Berkeley, CA, United States
70% Cacao Bittersweet
Rating: 4

82% Cacao Extra Dark
Rating: 6

See's Candy, United States
Overall Rating: 3