May 2, 2006 Archives

Just upgraded to Ubuntu 6.06 beta. It's easier to install than Windows (didn't fully reinstall, b/c upgrading from the Badger release). The previous Ubuntu release still required you to go through a text dialog mode, but this time, they seem serious to have you boot directly into a graphical mode.

So the gang at Canonical delayed the release of Dapper Drake from April to somewhere in June to make the distro more user-friendly. So far, so good. I'm indeed happy about my glossier windows, although I'm still wondering if anything fancy like MacOS' dock (which has been more than two or three years old, and nothing of that sort was seen on either Windows or Linux) will ever arise - considering that eye candy means lifestyle improvement, and which is what I think pushes the need for computer upgrades (just look at Windows Vista).

To be satisfied completely, it will take Adobe to release a version of Flash that works on 64-bit OSes. I don't really need 3-D desktops (as much as people working on command-line environments didn't think they need a *mouse*), and surely, I've seen some beta-ish apps for Linux that do that and which I don't want to touch with a 10-meter pole for the sake of my system's stability.

Ubuntu Linux is a really cool idea, and free installation CDs shipped to anyone, anywhere around the world should be the alternative to Windows (or pirating Windows - if MS really becomes tight about this, like some sort of online registration system, people may flock to free alternatives).

Hmm. At least we didn't lose 7-1 on home ice. Four games lost by a margin of a goal. Both goalies making their first appearances in playoffs, and playing the hockey of their lives. Habs captain out-of-competition b/c a chance incident.

I finally made the couscous, but added way too much water. It also had a very suspicious aroma (after all, I bought that bag of couscous more than four years ago...). The lamb stew was great. Photos later, now I've got to ride the low in happy chemicals. :/

Is, for the next two weeks or so, will I be hating the Senators or not?

In other news, the most improbable partner of a Battle of Alberta got through, and Detroit is playing golf. Calgary versus Anaheim is going into a nail-biting seventh game tomorrow.

After spending some time at McGill, decided that it was enough of a nice day to walk from there all the way to Concordia. Down on University, cross the lower campus from Milton, then south on McGill College, east on De Maisonneuve, south on Peel, east on Ste-Cath, all the way to Guy.

The goal of this was to get to the big dollarama in Faubourg, thinking that I would be able to find a cheap couscousière there. Maybe I'll just cook it in the rice cooker... Nonetheless, I stopped at that Middle Eastern shop on Ste-Cath next to the bank on the corner of Guy, and got myself another contingent of random spice (ground cardamon, and paprika - cuz the paprika we have at home is probably as old as this house), and some dry-roasted peanuts to quell the aggravating hunger. Then, on my way to the metro, decided to stop by another shop, the one directly on the corner of St-Mathieu and De Maisonneuve, and also got spices (ground cumin), pita, and zahtar pita, which I had the pleasure of discovering as an undergraduate, as it was sold by the student-run architecture caf, right on our way to classes.

We've been going pretty Mediterranean these past weeks. We've started buying the Pheonicia brand of yogourt which, at about 2$ for its 750g format, totally whips the mainstream brands (goes for about 3$ in the same format). The taste is surely different, and caters to a clientele that does not mind to mix in their own flavours. One of my favourite is a pinch of ground espresso coffee with a drop of vanilla extract. Others would be just a spoonful of fig jam; or sultana raisins and walnuts with a bit of sugar (unless you chew on the raisins, it gets a bit bland otherwise); or just honey.

Last week at Adonis, I was intrigued by the rectangular plastic bins filled with fresh (goat?) cheese, and what people actually do with it. If it weren't for the very long queue-ups at the cheese counter, I would've gotten myself a portion of that, just to dip the Lavash crackers we bought at Cosco into something.

Now I totally have spices in excess and will want to season any sort of meat with it in preview of any garden party I would happen to host this summer (which would either be plenty or none at all, since almost all my Montreal relatives, including those living in the same house, would be gone to Asia...). And in terms of meat, I would suppose that anything exotic has to come with the seasoning, b/c, what sort of other meat than beef, pork, chicken, lamb and fish do people actually eat? And now, I should try to finish pop novel Guns, Germs and Steel... I think I'll read up on spices.

Lamb, merguez sausages. Now maybe fresh parsley, onions, spices and ground beef for some easy kebabs?