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Stick a fork in me

I’m done with second year!

Moving to Mars!

Yesterday for April Fools Day, one of Google’s jokes was a supposed project with Virgin to create the first human colony on Mars by 2014. Ha ha, great joke, guys!

And then, as if by design, the Science Channel aired a show about Mars. I was flipping through to catch American Idol but got caught up in this show.

Apparently, making Mars habitable is very much within our reach — all it takes are some greenhouse gases (our specialty!) to warm it up and melt the frozen subterranean oceans. Then, with abundant water and CO2, and all the elements necessary for life already in the soil, plants will be able to grow and generate oxygen for humans.

Jury duty

I received a summons to serve as a juror in April. Now, our classes are over (that’s right, no more lecture-based courses for the rest of my life!) but we do have a little thing called Boards coming up (May 15 for me) and until then we will be cramming cramming cramming, both at home and with the Kaplan class we have on our campus.

So April is not a good month for me. I had to postpone my service until May 27 (giving myself some leeway in case I wanted to push my test date back).

And this throws a wrench in any plans I could have made for a vacation before the start of 3rd year (June 2). But I guess when my country needs me…

[cue Kristy Lee Cook singing "God Bless the USA"]

You have a new quest!

I share my personal self-reflections from time to time, because it’s nice to have a record of how I’ve changed, and because I hope these ideas can help other people.

Recently I have been thinking about all my baggage (all that relationships/sex/intimacy/fear business that I keep blogging about).

After talking to a good buddy of mine from college, I concluded that I should sort myself out as a gay man–and, eventually, come out to my family–before I try to form any sort of relationship.

And a big key to all of this, I’m finding, is the shame running through all aspects of my life. Shame about my appearance, about personal shortcomings, about my shame itself, and most of all, about my sexuality. To identify as gay, as a social label–that doesn’t bother me. But nothing makes me more nervous than to acknowledge that, yes, I have sexual desires.

Wicked!

I caught the very last day of a spring promotion where tickets were 25% off, so I finally saw Wicked at the Pantages Theater.

And wow, the show was pretty spectacular! The special effects, set and costume design, and the all-out musical numbers. There’s also some pulling at the heartstrings, too (as all good musicals must).

As I was telling my friend, Wizard of Oz + musical theater = one happy gay guy. I’ll be humming all weekend.

Thoughts on American Idol tonight

All right, Top 10. What a night of performances! My thoughts:

• Where did this girl Syesha come from?? WOW she’s got my attention now!
• Brooke continues to be painful/boring to watch. She’s such a charming person, but I don’t think she’s got what it takes. Take some risks — sing Tori Amos! Regina Spektor! Amy Winehouse!
• Kristy Lee Cook has got a pretty sexy dad when she was a baby. Yeah I said it — y’all were thinking it anyway. Go watch her video if you don’t believe me.
• Also, was anyone else hoping she would end “God Bless the USA” with a salute? Her arm was going up and I got all excited, but it didn’t happen. Isn’t there a rule or something? I’m pretty sure it’s in the Patriot Act.
• Archie can do no wrong. But Simon’s line does kind of ring true: “I don’t think that is you at all, and I’d be amazed if you chose this song yourself, because that isn’t you.” Perhaps a message to Stage-Dad Archuleta to back off? David, first chance you get, you sing “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. Or some equally-inspiring freedom ballad. Trust me, one day you’ll need those words and you’ll have them right there inside you.
• David Cook is white-hot. The acoustic “Billie Jean” arrangement may have been Chris Cornell’s, but props to David for brilliant song selection and execution. I stood up along with Paula.

My picks: Syesha Mercado, David Archuleta, David Cook

More adventures in cookery

Whether or not my cooking has gotten any better, I’m getting better at taking food pictures! I even borrowed some of my roommate’s apples for visual effect — how’s that for composition?

Wine was on sale at the supermarket this weekend (for Easter??) so I picked up a bottle of their finest discount Chardonnay. But seriously, I did consult a vintage chart and everything.

I decided to make some chicken to go with the wine. Originally, I set out to make a chicken fried rice — something simple and that would make some tasty leftovers. But as my chicken sauteed, it looked so good by itself that I hated to mix it up with other ingredients. So the rice and peas that I had intended to mix in became the side dishes, and it turned out pretty well.

This time, deglazing was not a good idea. The wine was too weirdly tart on the chicken and the rice and peas. Perhaps if it was like a chicken with mango salsa or something that could have worked, but here it tasted funny.

But it makes a great picture, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately Titled Institution

I was watching TV with some friends when we saw a commercial for Universal Technical Institute. Well, just watch the commercial.

As Jay Leno would say, I’m sure this is a fine institution.

Used to be such a lovely word!

And yes, that is a young Hugh Laurie.