tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9227688098315538352024-03-12T20:37:52.035-07:00HowitzerHowitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-12686746097805483492011-11-22T07:58:00.000-08:002011-11-22T07:59:33.739-08:00User ManualThere really is no user manual to life. I'm slowly accepting that it is normal to be unsure about my future.Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-35633535816225063492011-10-03T18:35:00.001-07:002011-10-03T18:36:13.579-07:00Infrequent postingI haven't been writing to this blog recently. I guess I haven't had much time. That definitely needs to be remedied though, soon.Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-10210806093135628182011-09-02T04:44:00.001-07:002011-09-02T04:48:45.869-07:00Good MoodAh...I'm in such a good mood right now. I just woke up from having some bizarre dreams. Then, Maggie tonight, plus moving in to new apartment, plus new classes starting soon...OH AND COLLEGE FOOTBAW.<div>
<br /></div><div>Hell yes.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Edit: I figure I should write down my dreams, since I so rarely dream. I dreamt I saw the BU space shuttle. I caught three guys walking in to McDonald's, sweating like crazy, and I knew they were gonna rob McDonald's. I fist fought him. I was wearing a neon green high-viz motorcycle jacket. I saw Denise Richards naked while on set. AND SHE WAVED AT ME. And then my first thought was to post it on Face (guysguyscheckthisoutsocool!!)</div><div>
<br /></div><div>What a weird night. Then again, this is like the first time I went to sleep before 1am in weeks. Maybe I should do this more often.</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-82405267783695477642011-08-01T09:44:00.001-07:002011-08-01T09:50:11.983-07:00Getting Paid to HelpI read somewhere, that people are more inclined to help when there is no promise of reward afterwards. The logic being, if you're offered rewards, you feel indignant at the implication that incentives are needed for you to offer your time. Which made sense, when I thought about it. <div><br /></div><div>I just got an email asking for volunteers to do a decision-research experiment, with an offer of a $10 Amazon gift card as a reward. I immediately felt like I didn't want to do the experiment, at the thought of seeming like I care about the $10 gift card. Yet, I had earlier asked my friend to help me move out of my apartment this fall, and I said we could go out for dinner afterwards. I did it to show my appreciation, but I hadn't considered how he would view the idea. I guess depending on what side of the transaction you're on, people have very different views.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-28349759656097268492011-07-14T20:43:00.001-07:002011-07-14T20:56:55.335-07:00Sitting on the steps of MITSitting on the steps of MIT, eating ice cream cake. Dusk gives the sky a deep blue color, with highlights of gold from the setting sun. I had a long day today, and just being able to pause and enjoy some ice cream feels really good. I watch the people pass through the busy intersection, in between the cars that whiz through. For now at least, it feels like life has been put on pause.Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-88926157602827442492011-07-04T11:31:00.000-07:002011-07-04T11:44:26.973-07:00Happy Fourth of JulyHappy Fourth of July!<div><br /></div><div>Today represents more than just the birth of a nation. A remembrance of the courage of the Founders is in order. 235 years ago, a repressed, powerless people had the courage to decide that life was more than just being alive. Life meant having free will and liberty. The power to decide your own fate. These people decided that life meant controlling your own destiny rather than being controlled. Instead of cowering before a greater power, like wolves running from fire, the American people rose up to fight and extinguish the external threat.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's something admirable about this. Our forefathers shucked any dependence on worldly security, and decided that their freedom was more important than having physical possessions and security from peril.</div><div><br /></div><div>I tried to put my feelings into words, but as is often the case lately, what I write down pales in comparison to what I feel inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-8698074557155880232011-06-14T05:10:00.000-07:002011-06-14T05:11:17.429-07:00Chevy VoltSaw a Chevrolet Volt on MIT campus yesterday! I wasn't even aware they were out yet. That was a cool experience.Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-7831691020863692552011-05-29T14:34:00.000-07:002011-05-29T14:35:34.859-07:00All American Kicks<div>Got these bad boys the other day. I love 'em, always wanted a pair of Converse shoes. I don't know why I never bothered to buy any. Probably cause I never shopped for clothes.</div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6lYvBF_RYM/TeK775O69QI/AAAAAAAAALs/ieUCkUjvCOQ/s1600/Converse-Chuck-Taylor-All-Star-Hi-Top-Black-Canvas-Shoes.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6lYvBF_RYM/TeK775O69QI/AAAAAAAAALs/ieUCkUjvCOQ/s400/Converse-Chuck-Taylor-All-Star-Hi-Top-Black-Canvas-Shoes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612254723307140354" /></a>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-5912101933604752322011-04-27T11:39:00.000-07:002011-04-27T11:42:05.562-07:00SummertimeI'm in a really good mood today. No homework to work on today, and I have some time tonight to cook. Maybe a little starcraft with Eric to cap my day. It helps that Boston is warming up now. Temperatures are reaching into the 70'sF, and the trees are in full bloom. There are lots of peach or cherry blossom trees now. I took a walk on the Charles river the other day, after a lazy lunch, and viewed the flowering trees on the other side. Truly beautiful. I should try to get a picture of them tomorrow, before all the blossoms wither away.Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-82779305860407327292011-04-26T13:58:00.001-07:002011-04-26T14:01:10.673-07:00Words of Wisdom"Discipline is what you do when no one else is looking." - We are all accountable to ourselves for our conduct.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour." - This is a bit unfair. Nonetheless, you can not justify disappointing conduct with prior admirable conduct.</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-86008069813300972762011-04-18T05:46:00.000-07:002011-04-18T05:53:53.768-07:00A Tale from a North Carolina TwisterJonathan Robinson saw the tornado moving toward his mobile home in Dunn, grabbed his cousin's 3-month-old son and dashed for a closet in his bedroom. But as he dove for safety, the twister took his home apart around him and swept the baby into the dark, swirling afternoon sky.<div><br />"As soon as I jumped in the closet, it came down and that little baby flew out of my hand," he said. "I seen him leave my arms. That's how strong the wind was."</div><div><br />Immediately after digging himself out, Robinson joined family members at the Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park frantically digging through the rubble all around them for little Ayden.<br /><br /></div><div>"I thought he was lost," Robinson said.<br /><br /></div><div>Several long minutes later, someone found the boy under a wooden board, unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital, where miraculously emergency room workers found only minor injuries. "He's really blessed to be here right now," said Ayden's mom, Ciera Robinson, as the boy's grandmother sat nearby giving the baby a bottle. "He's good now. He ended up with a lump on his head. It wasn't nothing major."</div><div><br />By Emery P. Dalesio, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42636273/ns/weather/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42636273/ns/weather/</a></div><div><br />I'm trying to imagine the fear and desperation Jonathan would have felt after seeing the baby leave his arms, and disappear into the windstorm of debris. Certainly, the whole family was desperate enough to search through the rubble for the baby, despite the seemingly impossible odds of finding Ayden.</div><div><br />- Howitzer<br /></div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-69824840401014458222011-04-10T10:42:00.001-07:002011-04-10T10:43:29.936-07:00Always Time For Michigan FootballNo matter how much pressure there is at school, there's always time for Michigan Football. Here's a clip from the Big 10 blog at ESPN:<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/25241/spring-football-101-michigan">http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/25241/spring-football-101-michigan</a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a great video, and it shows how much coaching goes into technique in football. </div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-41538094496426403362011-04-06T17:26:00.000-07:002011-04-06T17:28:42.880-07:00PressureThere's a lot of pressure at school right now. I can describe myself as "managing" my work. I'm unable to finish everything on my plate right now, so I have to leave parts of homework unfinished every week. Meanwhile, I still haven't finished my quantum exam, which I need to do to finish up my class from my first semester at MIT. Also, I got chewed out by my advisor today.<div><br /></div><div>Lastly, my brother's not doing so well at school, and I haven't had any time to call him to talk to him about it. Cue guilty big brother feelings.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-77808227019241010722011-04-04T22:49:00.001-07:002011-04-05T18:03:04.695-07:00First New Jeans..since 2008!My wardrobe of jeans have been with me for a long time, with the newest addition in 2008(!). However, they are starting to really fall apart. Holes formed in front of both pockets of one pair of jeans. Another pair had a small tear from a motorcycle accident(non-serious), which grew larger over time. And most pairs of my jeans have rips at the bottom of the inseam, probably because I walk with my feet balanced beneath me. I probably rub my jeans with every step I take.<div><br /></div><div>It was time to go shopping for jeans. </div><div><br /></div><div>I finally got some financial breathing room, after a grueling January/February paying for outrageous Boston apartment fees for my next lease. I headed over to a mall in Natick one sunny day, in search of the closest JCPenney's. I had always bought my jeans from their low-cost Arizona brand. And by low-cost, I mean it. Their bootcut jeans cost $12-$15. I'm not sure why there's price variation on pants that are exactly the same, but different colors. I don't even think the price difference is due to the color difference. In any case, the previous set of Arizona jeans I bought lasted through all kinds of damage. They started out kind of rough and thick, but after 3 years they were soft and warm to wear. They still didn't thin out though, through wear and tear. I liked that they felt thick and protective when I put them on, so I felt like I should replace both of them with the same "model". Which I did, for $12 and $15. Sweet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since I was spending so little on those two jeans, I decided to try on some more expensive jeans. Expensive, meaning Levi's, which aren't that expensive compared to some other designer stores, like Express. The first thing I noticed was that the Levi's bootcut jeans were a lot tighter on me. I didn't like it at first, but then I saw in the mirror that the jeans fit me a lot better. It was like the jeans were cut for my legs, and not in an emo-punk-tight-as-leather-jeans way. I never realized that jeans could fit like this. I'm glad that I tried on the Levi's, and they're now sitting on my chair, to be worn tomorrow. $35, which isn't too bad.</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-36534799001122475062011-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:002011-04-04T22:45:10.881-07:00Objects as a CompanionsI spend so much time with my motorcycle that from time to time, I feel a connection with it. I almost look at it lovingly, like a pet...or a friend. It takes me places that I'm unable to go on my own. My motorcycle and I roam the streets of Boston late at night when everyone else is sleeping. We visit nearby bays and beaches on sunny days.<div><br /></div><div>It's quite odd that I've built this connection with my motorcycle, but I did the same thing with my car back home. I guess I tend to connect with my mode of transportation. Come to think of it, I've built the same connection with my skates. I think of them like an old buddy. Whenever I hold them, they're like an extension of my body. I feel content when I touch them. That said, I don't hesitate to lay them on the ground (blades covered, of course), whereas other people buy special bags to hold their skates. </div><div><br /></div><div>I used to think it was vain of people to grow attached to their possessions. You know how there are countless stories/fairy tales of greedy rich men who die surrounded by their wealth, but miserably alone? Those stories stressed the importance of non-material wealth, and dismissed material wealth. Well, I now realize why I grow attached to my objects, and I'm not ashamed to say that it happens. I'm able to enjoy many activities with my objects, and share many experiences with them. While I certainly wouldn't sacrifice life and limb for my things, I do feel a certain amount of emotional attachment.</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-12534150537108418082011-04-03T20:35:00.001-07:002011-04-03T20:35:46.971-07:00I am..<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">I am the stone that the builder refused<br />I am the visual,<br />the inspiration,<br />that made lady sing the blues<br /><br />I'm the spark that makes your idea bright<br />the same spark<br />that lights the dark<br />so that you can know your left from your right<br /><br />I am the ballot in your box<br />the bullet in the gun<br />that inner glow<br />that lets you know<br />to call your brother "son"<br /><br />The story that just begun<br />the promise of what's to come<br />and imma remain a soldier<br />til' the war is won (won)</span>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-15344169755215922482011-03-26T21:29:00.000-07:002011-04-04T22:46:46.892-07:00Every Once In A While......I feel very aware of my alone-ness. What made me realize that was the absence of any night time activities (the bar.) this weekend. A few friends happened to be out of town this week, and another friend who was supposed to visit couldn't make it to town, so I ended up having no real plans. Even though I was satisfied with the things I did this weekend (eat BBQ, workshop, motorcycle), I still felt twinges of not belonging anywhere. Hence, my feeling of loneliness. I guess most people feel like they have their family? I don't really have that feeling for my family, and I've always believed the disconnection isolated me from everyone around me. In any case, whenever I feel lonely, there's a desperation in me, to find a place where I belong. Of course, the reason I feel lonely in the first place is because I don't feel like I belong. So I end up shutting out everything beyond myself, and after a short while I don't feel lonely anymore. I guess self-focus is important here.<div><br /></div><div>I'm about to doze off right now, so I'll finish the analysis later. Or more likely, not. I had a workshop today about my research area, which was really enlightening. I met people that had a similar area of study as me. It was also really good to talk to people one on one, to find out what they do. I get a stronger sense of belonging (there it is again), which makes me more motivated. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also rode 20 miles to MIT Endicott House in sub-freezing temperatures. Man, that was cold; I think I still felt cold at lunch time. The people at the workshop kept commenting on my bike. They thought I was crazy for riding in these temperatures. Guilty as charged. I was seriously questioning my reasoning for riding that morning. ZZZzzzzzz......*sleep*<br /><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div></div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-3032783523415918602011-03-21T06:57:00.000-07:002011-03-21T07:10:14.184-07:00Bleeding Maize n' BlueI went back to Ann Arbor to visit this past weekend. Actually, I'm still here, but I'm leaving in the evening for Boston. Being back is in some ways stressful, because I have to struggle to schedule time to meet friends. UM isn't on spring break right now, and so the people here are only really free during the weekend. Also, I never feel completely "at home", mostly because there's the constant need of filling up my time with activities. That way I don't "waste" my precious time here.<div><br /></div><div>Still, I love this town, and I love this university.</div><div><br /></div><div>Memories of the Media Union, Art Museum, South University, State Street, Ashley's, Yost Arena, and north campus in general. Sometimes I wish I could turn back time a few years, and go back to being an undergrad. Then I see actual undergrads walking around, and I think that they're kids.</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-87688830247030203852011-03-15T08:30:00.000-07:002011-03-15T08:36:15.265-07:00Japan CrisisThis turned out to be pretty serious, after all. I remember when I woke up the morning of the earthquake, the headlines quoted "dozens" may be dead. Today, five days after, the news reports show more than 10,000. Not to mention, there's an enormous nuclear crisis now, which is what I'm really scared of. Tokyo is only a few hundred miles from one of the nuclear plants. It doesn't take much radiation to make an area unsustainable for life. Imagine if the life expectancy in Tokyo were dropped 10%, due to cancer and other radiation related hazards. Who would want to live there? Unsustainable radiation levels could cause Tokyo to wither and die off in the long term. What a tragic thought. Tokyo is a massive mega city, basically multiple major cities combined into one big metropolis.Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-76227693455904458392011-03-13T23:07:00.000-07:002011-03-13T23:14:34.930-07:00Boiled DinnerIn the spirit of St. Patrick's day coming up soon, Starmarket is having a sale on everything you need to make a boiled dinner. $1.49/lb corned beef, and similar prices for 5lb bags of potatoes and carrots. It's ridiculous. I think I just may have 4-5 meals for about $8. <div><br /></div><div>The first time I had a boiled dinner was from the Blue Leprechaun in Ann Arbor. One night, I suddenly remembered hearing about this "boiled dinner" as being someone's favorite meal. I thought it was interesting, since the meal certainly didn't sound that great. It wasn't. The boiled potatoes, carrots, and cabbage were tasteless. I'm pretty sure they boiled it in water, and heated up some corned beef for me. I was pretty disappointed, and never thought of the boiled dinner again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until last week, when Starmarket began having their aforementioned sale. Saturday night, after drinking at the bar, I popped over to the grocery store (open 24/7). What a bad idea. As I walked around, seeing the boiled dinner sale, I caved in and bought things to make a boiled dinner on impulse. As soon as I got home, I started to regret myself. "Never again am I going shopping after drinking."</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, today, I actually made a boiled dinner, and I have to say, the smell of corned beef in my apartment is driving me crazy. The stuff was freaking amazing. The potatoes and vegetables actually have the taste of beef in them, because I cooked them with the corned beef broth. Oh man, I'm having such a hard time going to sleep right now, because I want to eat the food I just finished making. So instead, I'm writing a blog post about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>My first meal from the corned beef will be lunch tomorrow. I'm hoping my Bostonian labmate will see what I'm eating. </div><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-2329701782359470492011-03-10T20:54:00.000-08:002011-03-10T20:59:54.585-08:00Sucked UnderSometimes I'm working on classwork, and I'm really just not understanding the material. I read the book, I see the equations, and somehow it just doesn't make sense to me. And finally, after a lot of stumbling around, I ask someone for help, and the explanation makes sense. I get a "duh." moment, and I start to wonder why it seemed so easy after hearing the explanation. To make matters worse, the equations start to make sense, but in a bad way. It's as if you were dyslexic, and were trying to spell the word "Physics". It just doesn't come to you, until suddenly, it does. This is a very frustrating feeling.<div><br /></div><div>Even worse, I start to think that I'm having a hard time because everything at MIT is so esoteric, and requires extremely smart people to understand it. I guess I put the people and the school on a pedestal. This is a bad situation to be in, because I start to second guess myself, and I'm unable to be creative and think for myself. I think it also hampers my ability to read the questions and take what they ask for at face value. I'm always grasping for second meanings behind the literal meaning, which leads me in the wrong direction.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sigh.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-56690046781832410752011-03-08T07:49:00.000-08:002011-03-08T07:55:52.261-08:00Motorcycle Battery = ResurrectedTurns out after leaving my "dead"motorcycle battery on the battery tender for 3 days, it was finally fully charged. Not sure why it took my battery tender so long to charge up my battery. The tender charges at 750mA, and the battery has a capacity of 14A, so I figured it would just take 18 hours to do a full charge. In any case, I have an extra battery coming in the mail, along with a torque wrench and Harley muffler :D.<div><br /></div><div>I've also been listening to some older punk rock that I used to listen to in middle school. sum41, Bowling for Soup, Yellowcard. Listening to this stuff now reminds me of memories from highschool. Some people associate smells with places and past memories, but I associate music with those things. It's nice, because I can carry all my music in my pocket.</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-76721444617995448042011-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:002011-03-03T08:47:12.922-08:00Motorcycle Battery = DeadGah..charged it all overnight, and it only reads 7V, instead of 12V. I need to order a new battery now, and it won't get here until at least next week. At least it's going to rain 3 days this weekend...*sob*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-48460521670164938012011-03-02T15:28:00.001-08:002011-08-07T21:18:49.096-07:00Left the Lights Running = Dead Motorcycle BatteryYesterday, as I went out for a late snack (~10pm), I shockingly realized that I left my keys in my motorcycle. Worse, I left the lights on all day, and the battery was dead by the time I got to it. Oh man...I was stuck at school with my poor motorcycle gasping for juice. Crap. To make matters worse, I had to meet a friend back at my apartment, because he was staying the night while visiting Boston. Crap.<div><br /></div><div>I ended up waking up at 6:30am today with him, because he had to catch a flight. Meanwhile, I left for school with my battery tender in hand, hoping to get my motorcycle charged up quickly. I tore down the bike, pulled the battery, and linked it to the battery tender to be charged. Today was supposed to be a warm day, in the 40'sF, so I wanted to get in a good ride in the afternoon. 3 hours later, I check the power light, and notice that it's still charging. Dang. The voltmeter showed only 6V, with 12V being fully charged. After further research online and some calculations, I realized that it can take a long time to fully charge a motorcycle battery. Specifically, 18 hours using the combination of my battery tender and battery. Crap.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm now in motorcycle withdrawal mode. I have to take the subway back home tonight, and tomorrow morning. At least now I know, it takes a long time to charge a motorcycle battery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Edit: It ended up taking 3-4 days for my battery to fully charge to 12.6V, using a 750mA battery tender. Afterwards, from researching online, people told me that battery tenders are not built for fully charging a battery, hence the long recharging times. Also, jump starting my motorcycle battery with a car engine was NOT RECOMMENDED. Something about likely destroying the puny motorcycle battery with too much current. </div><div><br /></div><div>-Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-922768809831553835.post-39460376885940399242011-03-01T14:44:00.000-08:002011-03-01T14:49:31.740-08:00Pasta with Pesto, Green Beans, and PotatoesI made this dish following the recipe below on Sunday. It was a simple, yet filling dish. I didn't add enough green beans, and the potatoes need to be diced up into smaller pieces. I think the red potatoes I used didn't have enough starch. The commenters on that website recommended against using Idaho or Russet potatoes, but I might try that next time. Also, I think adding some Italian sausage to this dish would have been perfect. Not sure how that would mix with the pesto though. The spiciness might overpower the basil in the pesto. <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/11/pasta-with-pesto-potatoes-and-green-beans-recipe.html">http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/11/pasta-with-pesto-potatoes-and-green-beans-recipe.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>In other food related news, I recently discovered apple butter. Browsing through the bread spread section at the grocery store, I noticed a jar of this stuff sitting there. Hm..butter + apples I thought..it sounded delicious. Actually, apple butter doesn't contain any butter, but is rather a concentrated sauce of sugar and apples. That didn't prevent me from spreading butter first on my toast though :) The combination of hot toast, butter, and apple butter is delicious. </div><div><br /></div><div>- Howitzer</div>Howitzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15601807092780036485noreply@blogger.com0