“Saying ‘I believe in science,’ is really just a shorthand way of saying, ‘I have a degree in the humanities.’”
— Robert Tracinski, spanking Elizabeth WarrenYou really shouldn’t carry your knife that way.

The Rock’s proposed remake is apparently still in the concept stage, and I hope it stays that way.
(for some reason, I now hear Edith Bunker’s voice singing “Mister, we could use a man like Ol’ Jack Burton again…”)
My first reaction to this picture of 19-year-old Seira Jōnishi (上西星来) was to search on Amazon Japan for photobooks and DVDs.

My second reaction was to Google for more pictures, because she doesn’t have any photobooks or DVDs yet, and her idol group Tokyo Performance Doll has blocked international viewing of their (forgettable-but-decorative) music videos. Her 20-year-old cousin Kei (上西恵) only has one photobook, despite being an NMB48 member for five years. Clearly there’s an opportunity for a double feature here.
As I mentioned earlier, it was nice having parents and sister for the holidays. The three weeks of cleaning and maintenance before they arrived were a bit frantic, though. And my fridge, freezer, and pantry are pretty darn stocked for a while; I kept telling them that if they didn’t eat a lot, I wouldn’t have to shop until Valentine’s Day.
Still, even with the place stocked up, we made some outings, in which we discovered such things as Envy apples (tasty, long shelf life, doesn’t brown when left out), Robata Grill Japanese restaurant in Carmel (terrific karaage, and how can you go wrong at a place that sells baconmaki appetizers?), and something I can’t link to, the Stonemill Kitchens Pretzel Bread Ring, which appears to be a Safeway-only item so exclusive that Stonemill’s web site doesn’t acknowledge it yet. And every time I buy one, the clerk is shocked that the store has such an item.
Also, not a new discovery, but we recommend Jamie Oliver’s Beef and Guinness Stew with Dumplings, although you probably want to increase the quantity on the stew; the dumplings absorb a lot of liquid. Also Vicolo Corn Meal Pizza Crusts, which I stocked up on for quick dinners.
Hoharu wants to let you know she has a new DVD out. I approve of this use of Twitter as a marketing tool.


I dropped my parents off at the San Jose airport Monday morning. They’re still not home. After spending the night in Denver thanks to storm-cancelled flights, they finally made it to Indianapolis last night, and are renting a car today to drive the rest of the way.

It was great having them and my sister for a week, and my house is cleaner and more spacious than it’s been for years, but it is nice having the place to myself again.