Archive for the year 2007
El Laberinto del Fauno
Posted on June 10, 2007 by Ching under Movies, Reviews.
After watching Pan’s Labyrinth
The film has elements reminiscent of me of Legend
Anyway, I highly recommend this movie. It is well worth enduring the subtitles.
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A Dream of Better Art.
Posted on June 8, 2007 by Brian under News, Toys, Wishlist.
For the longest time I have dreamed of owning a Cintiq 21UX, its got to be one of the coolest Digital Tablets on the market to date. It boast an interactive pen display that combines the advantages of an LCD monitor with the control, comfort, and productivity of Wacom’s most sophisticated patented cordless, battery-free tablet technology. By using a pen directly on the screen, I can work much more quickly and naturally.
The Cintiq 21UX has an 21.3″ high-resolution display and a dynamically adjustable stand that allows the display to be rotated, inclined, and even quickly removed for in-lap use. To further enhance your comfort, the Cintiq 21UX comes with a cushioned Grip Pen for use directly on the screen allowing you to create in the most natural way possible.
If you know who I am then you know that i am an artist at heart and will draw anything that i feel if I have the time to sit and do it. I think with this I would probably do more and would eventually improve on what i consider to be a really good resume. However, with a jaw dropping price of $2400 big ones, it puts it a little out of my scope of purchase. At this point in time I just have too much else that needs attention. It makes me sad but I know that if i am patient then good will come of it. Just think, in the next 2 years technology could improve to the point that all new computers will have this feature and will automatically come this way. If thats the case then i will be glad that i waited so that i could just upgrade to something new all around and then start my art again from that point.
For know I am content with drawing my art the old school way and scanning it into the computer. I will eventually get caught up technologically and then i will surprise the world with my flavor of art and style. Till then, you will just have to find me, befriend me and ask to see my many portfolios.
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Wonders of Kansas
Posted on June 4, 2007 by Ching under Travel.
You’re all familiar with the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Then there are the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages which consists of the Stonehenge, the Colosseum, the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the Great Wall of China, the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, Hagia Sophia, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Other wonders that are sometimes mentioned include the Taj Mahal, the Cairo Citadel, Ely Cathedral, and Cluny Abbey.
Now there are modern wonders such as the Channel Tunnel, the CN Tower, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Itaipu Dam, the Delta Works, and the Panama Canal. However, the wonders that are most popular with tourists are the Giza Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, the Serengeti Migration, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, and the Machu Picchu. There are natural wonders, underwater wonders, and the New Seven Wonders as proposed by the New Open World Corporation (NOWC).
In 2008, Kansas will announce its 8 wonders selected by popular vote at 8wonders.org.
The 24 finalists are as follows:
- Arikaree Breaks, Cheyenne County
- Ball of Twine, Cawker City
- Big Brutus, West Mineral
- Big Well, Greensburg
- Brookville Hotel, Abilene
- Chase County Courthouse, Cottonwood Falls
- Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Barton and Stafford Counties
- Cimarron National Grassland, Morton County
- Constitution Hall State Historic Site, Lecompton
- John Steuart Curry murals, State Capitol, Topeka
- Davis Memorial, Hiawatha
- Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
- Fort Larned National Historic Site, Pawnee County
- Garden of Eden, Lucas
- Gypsum Hills Scenic Drive, Barber County
- Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Hutchinson
- Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Hutchinson
- Keeper of the Plains, Wichita
- Lake Scott State Park, Scott County
- Monument Rocks/Castle Rock, Gove County
- Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site, Republic County
- St. Fidelis Church, (Cathedral of the Plains), Victoria
- St. Mary’s Church, St. Benedict
- Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (for the Flint Hills), Chase County
So if you ever hear of anyone complaining that there’s nothing to see or do in Kansas, be sure to inform them of the 24 wonders. I bet you probably didn’t even know these wonders existed.
Check them out and cast your vote. I will be doing the same (though I already have my favorites). I will share my top 8 if you guys share yours also. Anyway, public voting ends at midnight on December 31, 2007. Happy voting!
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Salina Road Trip Recap
Posted on June 2, 2007 by Ching under Family, Flickr, Food and Drink, Travel.
Brian’s parents wanted to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary by driving to Cozy’s in Salina and invited Brian and I to tag along. Now if you tell someone that you are driving 3 hours to eat some burgers, with gas at over $3 a gallon, they’re going to think you are freakin’ nuts. This is pretty much the reaction that Brian and I received from folks we told about our road trip. Our Cozy Inn burgers, as good as they were, have got to be the most expensive burgers I’ve ever eaten. Good thing they were on mom and dad. ;-P
Of course, I managed to talk everyone into checking out some of the Salina tourist traps to make the most out of the drive. No one believed me that there were things to do in Salina. Just type “things to do in salina” on Google and you’ll find several suggestions.
The three places we visited were the Smoky Hill Winery, the Smoky Hill Museum, and the Central Mall aquarium. The trip was loads of fun.
I think Smoky Hill Vineyards and Winery was my favorite part of the trip. We got to sample a variety of different wines. We also walked around the property a bit and checked out the vineyards. Mom and dad bought a couple of bottles of wine to take home with them.
The Smoky Hill Museum was really cool also. They had some really neat exhibits. I love the antique stuff and the reproductions.
Central Mall is just like any other mall, except it has a really neat aquarium by the food court. The aquarium is home to several species of fish indigenous to Kansas. The mall also has plenty of areas for children. It is very kid-friendly unlike some of the malls we have in Wichita. The stores are nothing spectacular, though. I think people mostly just go there to hang out.
Anyway, we had a really nice time on our day trip. We also had a nice treat on the way to Salina. We happened by the Black Kettle Festival in Moundridge. We stopped to check out the antique planes. Of course, I took the opportunity to take some photos. Overall, I think everyone had a great time.
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Bang Bang Sauce
Posted on May 27, 2007 by Ching under Flickr, Food and Drink.
Brian and I tried Bonefish Grill one of the newer restos in town a few months ago and really loved the food. I was completely amazed that Brian liked the restaurant because it is primarily a seafood joint. They offer great steaks, though, which is nice because then Brian has something that he can select from the menu. The two times that we have dined there, everything has been deliciously prepared. We have no complaints.
I was so impressed that I told my coworkers about the place. Jan has been there once or twice. Darcy has taken dining at Bonefish to another level. She’s been there probably half a dozen times since. She and her husband Mike absolutely love the place. They actually drive from the West side of town, where they reside, to the Waterfront, which is on the East side of town just to go to Bonefish.
Anyway, Bang Bang Shrimp is probably the most popular item on the Bonefish menu. Everyone loves their Bang Bang Shrimp. The secret is in the yummy sauce. The sauce kind of reminds me of the signature sauce, found in Honey Walnut Chicken at Fusa, but with a spicy kick to it. Darcy told me that she found a recipe online. This led me to my own search. Here’s what I found..
I found that the sauce consists mainly of three ingredients: mayonnaise, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, and a few drops of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. How much of each ingredient you use will depend entirely on your taste buds. The simplicity of the sauce recipe is nice. However, from all the articles I’ve read online, most have failed at successfully duplicating the flavor of the famed Bang Bang Shrimp sauce.
I joked at Darcy that if she ever successfully duplicates the sauce, she could probably use it with everything. You could “bang bang” porkchops, “bang bang” chicken, and “bang bang” just about anything because it really is the sauce that makes the dish. The shrimp is just your run of the mill, garden variety battered and fried shrimp. Granted it is crispier than most, but the sauce is where the magic happens.
I’m not much of a cook, so I couldn’t really see myself toiling over the kitchen for hours mixing a bit more mayo and a bit more chili sauce just to get the flavor right. Surely there is an easier way to “bang bang” nirvana. Here’s a secret I will share with you: you can actually buy pre-made Bang Bang Sauce through the Dinni’s Select web site. I’ve not seen these carried at my local grocery store, but if I find it I will let you guys know. For now, I think it can only be purchased online.
Dinni’s Select offers a wide variety of delicious sauces for you to try. You can buy a three-jar gift pack and choose three different flavors. Or you can just get three jars of the Bang Bang Sauce. 🙂
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