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05/14 08:20P My Motorcycle Story

FiL Tsai — 2010-05-14T20:20-05:00

The story begins in 1984 when the Go-Bots were on TV. I remember getting the toy for Cy-Kill, leader of the Go-Bot Renegades which I had a lot of fun with. I also watched Transformers back then but they didn't have any cool motorcycles (at least not until 1986 when Wreck-Gar appeared in the movie, voiced by Eric Idle).

In 1985, Robotech was on the air (I remember running home from the bus to catch the last 15 minutes) and that got me really interested in motorcycles because of the Veritech Cyclone Ride Armor from the "New Generation" I totally wanted that toy but never got it, though I did pretend I had such a suit and could transform and all of that.

In 1986 the Kawasaki Ninja debuted in America and I remember seeing the commercials and thinking, "I want one of those!" This was well before I ever became seriously interested in cars (other than toys like Transformers), but of course, I was just a kid and dreams came and went pretty quickly.

Several years later, after I received my driver's license and was a Senior in high school, I got the itch again. I asked my mom for a motorcycle and of course she said no. IIRC, her reasoning wasn't so much around safety, but simply because I would be spoiled as I already had a car to use.

The next time I thought about motorcycles was around 2001 when Jordan Ho and some other folks around Chicago bought motorcycles. That piqued my interest so I used some of my expiring Delta airline miles to get a subscription to Sport Rider magazine. Then I was put in contact with an old MICDS friend, Allen McCoy, who was looking to sell his motorcycle (a Suzuki GS500 I think) in St. Louis. I didn't have the money and had no way to get it to Chicago so I passed on the deal. I even ended up transferring Sport Rider to Jordan as well.

Then in 2002, the Subaru WRX was released in America and suddenly there were two toys that I wanted. I started saving money as much as I could and even biked (on a bicycle) to work instead of taking the bus.

In 2003, I moved to Wheaton to save more money, but as it turns out my new landlord, Bryan Hsueh, also had a bike. Then, a couple months later, my housemate Adam bought a bike. I asked why he decided to get it and he responded, "A motorcycle isn't really something you think about, you just get it."

At this point, I had gone back and forth several times between the WRX and a motorcycle. What sealed the deal was when I was sitting at work one day, I hopped onto MSN and watched Subaru's presentation at the 2003 Detroit International Auto Show and nearly lost bladder control when it was announced that the Subaru Impreza WRX STi version would be coming to America.

That day, I made the decision that I would give up on my hopes for a motorcycle and stick with the car route. Within a year, I had the STi and started autocrossing it with Ben Huh in his TT and another guy we met named Bob in his Mitsubishi Lancer (not an Evo). Add in the purchase of a condo and motorcycles disappeared from my thoughts again.

Then, last year Bob told me he had bought a motorcycle. I was pretty surprised when he told me he got a Ninja 250 to learn on, a model I had considered as a starter bike myself. I told him to let me know if he ever planned to sell it.

Well, just two weekends ago, Bob e-mailed me to tell me it was for sale. It turns out Bob found a deal on a Suzuki SV650 and needed to sell his bike fast. So last Thursday I bought it. Now I just have to learn how to ride it...
(1 comments)

05/08 06:43P My DVR List

FiL Tsai — 2010-05-08T18:43-05:00

I've been having problems with my DVR. First, the second tuner stopped working so I couldn't watch in my room. Then it started taking longer to respond to commands. Now during playback it pauses every few seconds and the sound cuts out to the point that some recordings are unwatchable. Today, it started making clicking noises, which most likely means the hard drive is physically dying.

I guess I'm going to have to get a new one (and possibly upgrade to HD). Hopefully I can catch up on my recordings but I have about 80 hours of content. If my HD finally goes, I might lose a whole season of 24, Lost, Survivors, The Clone Wars, Caprica, No Reservations and various other items. Boo.

I also need to catalog my DVR recording queue so I can recreate it on the new HD DVR when the time comes, so here it is:

24
How I Met Your Mother
Gordon Ramsay's F Word
House
Top Gear
Lost
Heroes
The Office
Family Guy
Last Restaurant Standing
Fringe
Kitchen Nightmares
Robot Chicken
Parks and Recreation
Dirty Jobs
Mythbusters
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Primeval
Ace of Cakes
Bleach
American Dad
Top Chef
Good Eats
Attack of the Show
Verminators
Wrecked
No Reservations
Ninja Warrior
The Next Food Network Star
Warehouse 13
Top Chef Masters
Community
Glee
30 Rock
Caprica
Survivors
Human Target
The Cleveland Show

(1 comments)

03/29 10:46P Lo-Mein Recipe for 100

FiL Tsai — 2010-03-29T22:46-05:00

Ingredients
10 pounds Cantonese noodles or similar pasta (spaghetti)

12 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup sesame oil
4 tablespoons black pepper
1 cup white sugar
3 cups rice vinegar
6 cups soy sauce
4 cups Oyster sauce
2 large fresh ginger roots, cut into 1/4" slices
4 heads garlic, separated into cloves and lightly crushed
2 pounds green onions, halved
8 ounces cornstarch

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 head garlic, minced
1/2 pound green onions, cut into 2" pieces
8 pounds tofu, cubed
5 pounds mushrooms, quartered
4 pounds (about 12) Peppers, chopped
4 pounds Broccoli, chopped

Directions
Day before:
Noodles
- Cook the noodles, remove from water, rinse until cool
- Distribute into trays, cover with foil and refrigerate.
- Reserve hot water for boiling vegetables

Sauce
- Combine chicken broth, sesame oil, black pepper, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, and green onions.
- Bring to boil, then let simmer 30 min
- Remove ginger, garlic and green onions, allow to cool partially before refrigerating.

Vegetables
- Boil reserved pasta water
- Chop tofu and veggies
- Mix garlic and vegetable oil
- Boil peppers and broccoli, 3 minutes. They should be undercooked.
- Remove peppers and broccoli and let cool.
- Heat 1-2 tbsp garlic oil and stir fry mushrooms and green onions
- Refrigerate vegetables.
- Heat 1-2 tbsp garlic oil and stir fry tofu in batches (non-stick pan recommended)
- Refrigerate tofu.

Day of:
- Pour 2 cups sauce into the vegetables and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off.
- Make a slurry by mixing 2 cups of sauce with corn starch in a separate container, set aside.
- Bring remaining sauce to a boil
- When sauce boils, pour 1 cup sauce over cold noodles to warm and loosen up, mixing by hand is most effective.

If you need to wait until serving time, you can stop here for 1-2 hours max.

30 min before:
- Stir slurry until smooth, then add to sauce, bring to boil then simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Warm vegetables again.
- Toss noodles with vegetables (by hand is most effective)
- Pour 1-2 cups sauce over noodles and stir (with a utensil now as it will be too hot)
- Serve while hot.

(0 comments)

02/12 04:34P Another near accident. Learn to drive in the snow people!

FiL Tsai — 2010-02-12T16:34-05:00

Yesterday morning, after all the snow in the northeast (greatly exagerated in some areas, there were only 3-4" in the New Haven area) I was driving a couple co-workers to the client site in a Saturn Outlook (large, heavy, 7 passenger SUV with front wheel drive). I took my exit, a long sweeping cloverleaf ramp, behind three other cars going about 30.

Car 1, an old red compact, got a little wiggly and slammed on her brakes until she came to a complete stop in the middle of the road. Obviously, that exacerbated the situation instead of helping.

Car 2 had no choice but to brake and veer to the right to avoid a collision. They actually did an ok job, avoiding Car 1 and coming to a controlled stop on the shoulder.

Car 3 also slammed on their brakes, but swerved violently to the left causing the car's rear end to skid. The car slid to a stop, inches from the guard rail, perpendicular to the road, right in front of me.

So what was I to do? Obviously I hit the brakes, instantaneously setting off the ABS. With such a freaking large vehicle I knew there was no way I could stop. With Car 3 heading to the left and Car 2 heading to the right, I saw an opening.

I released the brake so I wouldn't skid and eased the steering wheel to the right and drove around Car 3, then turned back to the left, hugging the guard rail and quickly drove around Car 2 and Car 1.

While it wasn't as dramatic as my last near accident, my heart was beating pretty hard, though I didn't have any cool time-slowing-down effect. My co-workers complimented my quick thinking and we continued on our way.

A couple quick tips for anyone in a similar situation:

No sudden braking, you'll lock the tires and lose control (Car 1). Go easy on the brakes and don't expect ABS to save you since it is only marginally effective in low traction situations.
No sudden steering, you'll upset the car's balance and lose control (Car 3). Turn smoothly to help the car along the turn.
Your car is probably more capable of turning than braking, so evaluate options such as going around an obstacle instead of trying to stop (Car 2 and myself), keeping in mind the previous tip.
If you do lose a little traction, don't panic (Car 1). Instead, brake and steer lightly to maintain control and come to an easy and controlled stop in a safe place. The middle of the road is not a safe place.

(1 comments)

02/10 09:04P Ice Racing!

FiL Tsai — 2010-02-10T21:04-05:00

I already posted these on YT/Twitter/FB but thought I'd compile them all in one place.

FVSCC Event 5-1

FVSCC Event 5-4

FVSCC Event 5-7

FVSCC Event 5-8

FVSCC Event 5 Extras

WAG 1

WAG 2

WAG 3

(2 comments)

02/02 10:58P February Travel Plans

FiL Tsai — 2010-02-02T22:58-05:00

Here are my tentative travel plans for Feb 2010

2/1 - Fly to Indianapolis, IN for work
2/4 - Fly to Chicago, IL
2/5 - Drive to Hustisford, WI for Ice Driving Class
2/6 - Drive to Chicago, IL
2/8 - Fly to New York, NY, drive to New Haven, CT for work
2/11 - Drive to New York, NY for fun
2/12 - Drive to Princeton, NJ or Boston, MA to visit friends
2/13 - Drive to Hebron, NH for Ice Racing (maybe)
2/14 - Drive to New York, NY, fly to Chicago, IL
2/15 - Fly to Denver, CO for work
2/19 - Drive to Colorado Springs, CO to drive up Pike's Peak
2/20 - Drive to Denver, CO, fly to Chicago, IL
2/21 - Fly to Los Angeles, CA for work
2/25 - Drive to Anaheim, CA to visit family
2/28 - Fly to Chicago, IL

(0 comments)

01/21 10:17P Merlot Pear Crumble Recipe

FiL Tsai — 2010-01-21T22:17-05:00

One of my favorite dishes from the dinners I've cooked this year is the Merlot Pear Crumble. It's actually a combination of a Merlot Poached Pear recipe from About.com and a Crumble Topping recipe from RecipeZaar. A full version of the recipe is available here (pictures coming soon) otherwise here's a quick text version.

Merlot Pear Crumble
Ingredients:
4-6 Pears (recommend Bosc or Anjou)

Wine Sauce:
1 1/2 cups red wine (recommend Zinfandel, Shiraz or Merlot)
3/4 cups of granulated sugar
Zest from 1 lemon (remove zest with peeler)
Juice from 1 lemon (juice lemon after removing zest)
2 tsp vanilla
2 sticks cinnamon (or 2 tsp ground)
12 cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Crumble Topping:
6 tbsp butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup oats (any type but instant)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix sauce ingredients in a large pan and simmer over medium heat.

Meanwhile, peel pears, cut in half and remove seeds and fibrous core. Place pear halves in the simmering sauce.

Lower heat and simmer pears, covered, for 8-10 minutes per side, until tender.

Meanwhile, make the crumble topping. Mix brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

Cut butter up into small cubes and drop into crumb mixture. Using your hands, coat the butter with the crumbs, then smash each piece of butter once between your fingers. Continue mixing in this manner, smashing only large pieces of butter. Do not overmix, there should still be small but visible (1/8") lumps of butter. The mixture should still look dry and crumby, not doughy. Keep in refrigerator until the pears are ready.

Remove cinnamon sticks, zest and cloves from sauce (it's ok if you don't get everything). If your pan is oven safe, cover pears with crumb topping. If not, transfer pears and sauce into a 9x9 or 9x13 baking dish (depending on # of pears) and cover with crumb topping.

Bake pears at 350 for 20-30 minutes until crumb topping is crispy and sauce is bubbling.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Note: If desired, you can let the pears marinate in the wine sauce overnight to let the wine penetrate deeper. Then simply add the crumble and bake when ready.
(0 comments)

12/16 08:59A My best India story (TMI warning)

FiL Tsai — 2009-12-16T08:59-05:00

In Jaipur India, the group had recently finished lunch at LMB Restaurant. We were roaming the bazaars looking for deals when my stomach started grumbling a little. I ignored it for a while, but eventually, I knew I had to do something about it. I mentioned to the group that I REALLY had to go to the bathroom. The big question was what to do about it...

On a scale of 0-10 (with a standard McDonald's bathroom being a 5) a typical public bazaar bathroom in a developing nation probably rates a 1, not a pleasant choice in a small emergency. Another option was to walk 10 minutes back to the LMB Restaurant bathroom which rates about a 2. I chose that option.

Anna, a friend from KPMG, accompanied me into the restaurant. As I entered I told the manager that I had eaten there and needed the restroom. Then I remember that the restaurant has not TP, but fortunately Anna had a travel roll with her that she gracefully offered. I quickly shuffled down the hallway to the men's room only to be cut off by a young boy who grabbed the only stall and proceeded to have the same issues that I was having. I had no choice but to wait. Or did I?

I shuffled back out and asked one of the waiters if there was another bathroom I could use, but there was not. So I returned to the hallway and waited for the boy to finish. A couple minutes passed after which the boy's father entered the bathroom to help him out. At that point, I decided it was time to take control of my own destiny.

After careful observation of other patrons, I discovered a slim window of opportunity: the women's bathroom was open. I knew from previous discussions with the group that there were two options, a Western style or a squattie potty. I decided on the squattie potty for the primary reason that you don't have to touch anything. I ran in and quickly locked the stall door.

I stood there for a moment contemplating whether there was a right way to use it as it's been a while since my last time. I was forced to make a snap judgement and decided to use it in the direction I happened to be in at the time. I squatted down, being careful not to touch anything (I will note that the women's bathroom rated a 3 compared to the men's).

I did my business, desperately clutching the small package of travel TP. When I was done, I opened the package and carefully unrolled the measly contents and discovered a scant three squares which kept rolling back up. I finally got them to a usable state and finished up.

I stood up and hit the flusher only to discover a half-hearted flow of water, unlike the squattie potties in Japan. It was at this moment that I realized that I had been facing the wrong way. Just as I was becoming aware of this, the door to the bathroom opened and I heard the jingling of a (presumably) Indian lady walking in.

As the embarrassment crept over me, she attempted to open my stall. The stall was locked of course, but it still added to the overall shame of the situation. I attempted to flush again but the tank was extremely slow to refill so all I could do was cower quietly in my stall and wait. I don't know how long I was in there, but finally the lady finished and left.

I flushed again and only succeeded in removing 50% of my shame but I felt that I had to leave as quickly as possible. I stood on my tippy-toes and peered over the stall door to ensure I was alone, then made a mad dash for the door, fearing that another lady would catch me in the act.

I erupted into the hallway and was much relieved that no one was looking my way. I calmly strolled out of the restaurant, thanked the manager and proceeded outside to find Anna, who provided me with some Purel which I used liberally before finally recanting my story to the group while turning beet red with embarrassment.
(1 comments)

12/08 07:23P How to get ready in 5 minutes

FiL Tsai — 2009-12-08T19:23-05:00

There are some darn good tips in this Japanese video on how to get ready in five minutes in the morning. It's not translated, but you should get the gist of it.

(0 comments)

11/28 02:49A I Like Cereal

FiL Tsai — 2009-11-28T02:49-05:00

I caught this amusing song from the movie Ping Pong Playa and thought I'd share it with you all.

I Like Cereal by CHOPS (audio)

[chorus]
I like, I like, I like cereal (X3)
Don't put the box away I'm about to have me some more
I like, I like, I like cereal (X3)
Don't put the box away I'm about to have me some more
[/chorus]

Sittin' at the table throwin' fits at my motha
Want my own box don't wanna split with my brotha
The one thing I hated to admit he discovered
Was certain cereals that made the milk different colors
If you took away my cereal, you heard screams
I like Kaboom cause it always made my poo turn green
I make a scene in the store and start to act disobedient
If sugar didn't come first in the ingredients
Make my mom buy me some no matter what it costed
The best ones started with the same word, "frosted"
'Cause if it ain't sugary it ain't no good
I hate health food cereals, they taste like wood

[chorus/]

My favorite kinds was made by Mineral Gills
Big spoon, big bowl, I got minimal spills
I ain't finished the box yet, in a minute I will
While I'm get in my car to see kung fu cinema thrills
I be watching Master Gill chomping Zilla Vanilla
Maybe gr-ape that's the one that had the purple gorilla
I crunch chunks of hunch munch, Watch the Dukes doing stunt jumps
Left it in the milk too long, turned into dog crumps
I remember once I saw some s**t that was scary
Cause I seen it in the milk, they call it invisiberry
24/7 in my house breakfast is served
I'm a keep eatin' cereal 'til it gets on your nerves

[chorus/]

At finding toy surprises, gimme the crown
Listen up here and now I'm a to tell you my secret now
For if you shake the whole thing just a little to hear the sound
Pop open the top of the box with a seamless round
Pull the glue off the side of the bag and peel it down
If it's stuck hold the box sideways and squeeze it round
See it now, if not then hope that your parents don't see you
Plow through the box with your hands up to your elbows feeling around
I'm feeling proud now that I know that it's found
Toy searching mission accomplished, it's over for now
So I go around a quarter pound mound and go to town
With the bowl to my mouth like a hound is going down
So slowing down, now you know I'm throwing down
Eating rainbow colors you can't even find over the clouds
You're feeling over fed but it ain't all done
'Til you tip the box over your head and drank the crumbs

[chorus/]
(0 comments)