m o v i e l e n s

m o v i e l e n s

Cool research project exploring colbrativie filtering in the context of movies. I'm sure it would be a great companion to netflix.

Been a while.

I was sick for a while, so I didn't really feel like fixing anything.

In other news, I'm moving from Madison, WI to Federal Way, WA May 1-7. Yes, I'm moving back in with my parents. Current plans are to landscape my dad and mom's places, and find some short term contract work to score some quick cash. Once I have enough funds, I will go traveling.

I'm using U-Pack to ship my stuff. It will run 1500 for 8 ft x 8 ft x 9ft of semi-trailer space. They deliver the trailer, then you pack your stuff in, and install their supplied bulkhead. Then they fill the rest up with commercial shipments (they are associated with ABF).

According to my research, I will get what I paid for:) The trailers are not air-ride equipped, so if you don't pack carefully, things will get destroyed. On the other hand, they sound reputable, and if you account for the fact that they are a commercial carrier in your packing, it seems like a cheap way to move. Here is someones horror story. I think they were foolish... they say on the u-pack website that the bulkhead is not meant to retain your stuff anyway. I plan on packing well and securing the load irregardless of the bulkhead.

Anyway, back to packing.

Google Integrates Satellite into Maps

I used to work at WRQ. Look at all the moats in the water. Sweet.

The ability to link to a zoomed map/satellite leaves something to be desired, though. Double click on A.

Chocolate Tofu Trifle

• 14 oz (1 pkg) soft tofu
  
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
  
• 1/2 cu whole yogurt
  
• 1 cu confectioners sugar
  
• 1 pint heavy cream
  
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 angel food cake
  
• 8 oz chocolate
  
• 1 tlb butter
  

Blend tofu, cheese and yogurt until. I used goat yogurt, because it was the cheapest. I didn't actually notice it was goat. It has a sharper taste than cow yogurt, which is fine for this, but if you want to use it in place of sour cream, I would stick with cow.

Mix in 1 cu confectioners sugar (or to taste) and extracts. 1 cu made it slightly sweet.

Fold in 1/2 pint cream.

Melt chocolate and butter, add 1/2 pint cream. Add sugar to taste. I think I used about 6 tablespoons.

Cut angel food cake into 1 inch pieces, mix with tofu mixture.

Layer tofu and chocolate.

Ideally, layer in glass bowl, and serve in wine glasses, or something similar, so that the layers are visible.


It was pretty tasty, but the chocolate was a bit overwhelming. It either needed more sugar, or more likely, less chocolate. Next time I will try 4 oz chocolate, and perhaps more butter. Also, some liquid ends up separating out from the chocolate mixture... I'm not sure what from.

Hurm, you could probably take hot chocoalte mix, heavy cream, and gelatin for the chocolate layer. Might be interesting. Or maybe chocolate pudding.

You can substitute other things for the chocolate layer. Fruit or vanilla pudding come to mind. Perhaps alternating chocolate and vanilla pudding?

DING DONG! THE POPE IS DEAD

This is what came to mind when the Pope finally kicked the bucket.


Ding Dong! The Pope is dead. Which old Pope? The Catholic Pope!
Ding Dong! The Catholic Pope is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Catholic Pope is dead. He's gone where the inquisition go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Catholic Pope is dead!