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Thinking about food. My housemate Miller pointed out that microwave light popcorn does not a dinner make. I remember Dylan making the same observation ten years ago when he was subletting from me for a few months. And they're right, of course, but... I don't know, dinner just isn't that important to me. I'm not that hungry in the evening, but I appreciate it as the socially most important meal of the day, and of course if delicious food is presented to me I'll generally have some.

Of course, that's the fundamental problem. I'll eat for the taste of something, and for hunger... but not for "energy" or "nutrition" per se, because there's no definite feedback loop. I can't even set up an experiment to test the idea that "dinner is an important meal" because of the disconnect between what I eat and how I feel.

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Quotes of the Moment

"Hors d'oeuvres have always had a pathetic interest for me," said Reginald, "they remind me of one's childhood that one goes through, wondering what the next course is going to be like -- and during the rest of the menu one wishes one had eaten more of the hors d'oeuvres."

I love this guy; he's like the James Thurber of Edwardian-era Foppery. I'm currently tackling "The Complete Saki" though it feels like it might be overdoing it a bit.

Imagine the other day, just when I was doing my best to understand half the things I was saying, being asked by one of those seekers after country home truths how many fowls she could keep in a run ten feet by six, or whatever it was! I told her whole crowds, as long as she kept the door shut, and the idea didn't seem to have struck her before; at least, she brooded over it for the rest of dinner.

This line reminds me of of a Groucho Marx line I once heard, in response to a woman who explained her having lots and lots of kids by "well, I love my husband..." supposedly "I love my cigar too, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while!" didn't happen, or not on-air, but I've heard "well, I love flapjacks, but I don't have closetfulls of them!" in response to the same scenario.

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Video Games of the Moment

So NickB has been talking about this game Portal, as well as a free prototype you can play on windows called Narbacular Drop. The latter has the same 2 portal system, but in a more graphically primitive and fairy tale setting. (The makers of Portal have hired the team of students who made Narbacular Drop.)

The 2 portal concept, where you can make any 2 locations "virtually adjacent" via that set of doors, is a real mindbender. Seeing your back or side through a portal you set and realizing that (in game terms) it's not a reflection, nor a video monitor of some kind, but YOU, your player herself (in N.D. you play "Princess No-Knees" so teased because of her lack of jumping ability) takes some getting used to. And then setting up little experiments and what not... plus there's usually more than one way to solve a puzzle, and it's a challenge not to get fixed on one idea when there might be an easier to execute alternative.

I'd recommend the download, even though the game is a bit glitchy. (sometimes I came into the Boulder Run room and there were no boulders, needed to finish the level, until I was killed at least once.) It's only about 4 or 5 real puzzles, but good mental exercise.