Gunpowder tea review

I've been looking for an alternative to the Japanese standard green tea sencha for a while now. Sencha is fine, but to me it leans a bit to too much to the bitter-astringent side. My previous attempt with the Longjing didn't pan out, so I went for a less ambitious grade of green and see how that would turn up. I set my sights on the gunpowder after hearing about it for a while and thanks to a final push by Pettigrew's guide, bought it.

From the very beginning I expected it to be something radically different in its aspect. I expected gunpowder tea to be, well, powder. It is not. Gunpowder tea consists of rolled up green tea leaves into small pellets. When these expand in water they take five times as much volume than when dry, so an appropriately large steeping basket is the way to go when brewing it. At least the one I've got here, which  comes from my local provider, has some noticeable debris that come out  when the leaf uncurls. Could be particles of the same leaf, but to me it looks like dirt. Luckily, the brew itself appears to be unaffected.

The liquor is stronger than the Longjing but softer than the sencha.  Once again, the leaf is very tolerant to prolonged steeping or resteeping. A teaspoon might be enough for 32 oz of water. Speaking of water, the tea appears best-brewed when it is just rumbling than near boiling or after-boiled. Unlike all my other teas, one wants to keep on swallowing with this one; as it cools, the more pleasant it gets. Call me crazy, but I've been leaving a cup of this over the last few weeks for a middle of the night drink instead of plain water and not only does it do the job, but also still tastes quite good. This one too is non-grassy (now that I come to think of it I've had a good run avoiding those of late). 

From what I read, it is a very popular beverage in Morocco where mint is added and I can taste why. It is very refreshing, especially when it has had time to cool off. In my short experience, it is probably among the top three in this area.

Books as objects

It was perhaps the Argentinian writer Borges who better framed books as objects for me. I somewhat remember watching an interview of him describing his passion for books, saying that on some level just having the physical presence of certain tomes in his library was enough for him even if he could no longer read them, while passing his hand fondingly over the covers of the Britannica.

It was a happy discovery the invention of the codex. The format is easily portable, readable and allows easy flipping to any part which is unmatched by any other.  In fact, for all the listening and approbation of audiobooks I've made and that still will be doing, I still miss the flipping aspect. How can one search through audio?

The fondness of books can still reach unhealthy levels. Liking them is ok up to some point, but  loving them too much isn't. There's a sort of hylotheism (had to use the word for once) somewhere down there, investing passion on material objects.  Guess that my take is to appreciate  the nice volumes you already have and distract yourself away from those you've not.

Now, I don't want to act as if having the moral high ground. For my part I resist any markings, marginalia,  or annotations to books of other's or my own. Some say that's the way to really own a book. I believe that on one part it defaces their pristine beauty, even more if the tome in question is special in any sort of way, such as being a first or deluxe edition; on the other, it robs intellectual spontaneity from whoever might read next by imposing one's own, possibly wrong or shifting opinions, then and there. I also have bad handwriting. 

Now, if you're a yet-to-be-discovered Leonardo or are the author one my books you and your pen welcome to them.

If you can resist the temptation of physical books and still appreciate them, check:

• Used & Rare by Goldstone & Goldstone, which deals on second-hand books in general from a collector's standpoint

• The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Hoover, which is on book theft and itself is a steal

• My favorite 6128 books article on the WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444868204578064483923017090.html

I diametrically stand opposite on most of the author's views, but his stance is interesting nonetheless. In a similar vein there's:

•  The Solitary Vice: Against Reading by Brottmann. Stemming from her own experience and building on that of others', the author makes a case against reading and its immediate reach. Not as bad as it sounds, but she does make some valid points. Fortunately in my view, I do pass her test on page 19. In the section titled 'Of human bondage' she touches briefly on bibliomania.

Is oneself the greatest threat to LastPass security?

I wrote this letter as a Q&A submission for the Security Now! podcast. It didn't make it into the show, but I thought about sharing it here. I think there's a valid point to my argument, but who knows? Am I right? Overly exaggerating? You tell us!

Dear Steve,

I'm currently moving away from a algorithm based password system. I have been testing out LastPass with some sites and have been more or less liking it. I'm already convinced that its technology can keep me safe from threats from without. However, I still have a cause for concern. As I see it, and as it currently stands, the greatest threat to a LastPass based security scheme is: *myself*.

Although I use good habits and have not had a problem for the last decade, I cannot completely trust myself not to bring malware to my system: I can be served a malicious banner on a trusted site, open a file from a contact that has been previously compromised, or click a link in an e-mail message while distracted ("so-and-so sent you a message!").

So, if I happen to get malware in my system, what is there to stop it from taking advantage from my LastPass sessions? As I see it, there are at least two ways in which it could harm me. The first one, taking advantage of an open LastPass session to look into my vault and grab whatever it can in one fell swoop; and secondly,  passively detecting the presence of LastPass and recording the unencrypted passwords on their way from LastPass to each webpage; key logging is surely not the only tool available for hackers. And, still a third one, if one wants to go over the top, what's to stop the malware from interacting concurrently with me on an open webpage? No doubt it can beat me on speed ("look! A banking site! Let's attempt a quick transaction").

The PPP option doesn't look as if it could help me here, because it would only protect the LastPass data when closed or from without, not when open and in use.

By the looks of it, LastPass is great with holding my passwords and populating fields quickly, but not much else. I still need some sort of second factor authentication for each site, preferably a global one.

Are these cause for concern or have the LastPass people have come with a solution for this too?

Columbine by Dave Cullen book review

I believe that it was when the Red Lake school massacre happened that I first learned about Valeen Schnurr and her experience at Columbine. She was interviewed on TV as part of the coverage of the latest incident and her story both inspired me and made me want to know more about the Columbine shooting. Over the next days I dove into the net and among all sites I found Dave Cullen's the most informative. At some point, if he had not already, he announced an upcoming book and I waited probably years for it.  When it finally came out, I immediately snatched it.

Columbine, is the result of research based on interviews with the survivors, news reports, the official Columbine documents and more. As one can immediately tell it is well-researched and thought out. Although it is a five-parter I felt it more like it had just two distinct parts: a first one describing the eve of and the attack proper; and a second where we get set of alternating chapters in which Cullen contrasts the shooters' path to the attack with the unfolding aftermath of the massacre. The shooters' path draws heavily from their recovered journals and schoolwork to gain insight into their motivations, preparations leading to the shooting and mindsets.

The survivors path describes their way to healing . These chapters in a way have the survivor community, rise up to the tragedy and negate the harm done by the shooters. Case in point, the rallying of survivor Patrick Ireland.

For what appears to be a 'first' we get the inside story from the assailants, as the killers wanted us to know and took pains to leave a trail. In part, this scheme would later be followed by the perpetrator of the Virgina Tech shooting. Of all the major documents known to exist what we still have missing are the infamous basement tapes. Since these have officially not been released, we only get the snippets  that Time magazine managed to get access to years ago.

During his reconstruction of the events Cullen, takes his time to put to rest many, if not all, of the most pervasive  conspiracy theories and myths surrounding the shooting, such as the third shooter, the Trenchcoat Mafia and the bullied outsiders. The Bernall/Schnurr library incident is also thoroughly examined. Although there are a few inescapable blanks, Columbine results in a solid coherent account.

When I finally got my hands on this book, I finished in about a week and it answered all my questions and more. Totally recommended.

5 stars

A Metal Evening

As I write this I'm listening to Yngwie Malmsteen's 2009 album Angels of Love. I find it a bit unusual, since metal music is supposed to be loud and powerful. Then again, I'm not really one to talk since my experience with the genre is small and to say the truth, it is mostly limited to this man and his music. I like what I hear.

My intro to him was through the music of Castlevania, back in 2008, when listening to some mp3s. Someone at the Castlevania Dungeon posted that Dwelling of Doom sounded just like YM's Music Far Beyond the Sun. I immediately checked that out and saw that it was true to the point of almost identity. I was hooked. Through eMusic I began to gather some of his tracks and not long after, some six or eight months,  I was delighted to find on his site he was coming to town.

The very day tickets went on sale I was first on line at my local Ticketmaster booth and I believe I bought the first couple of tickets, for me and a friend, townwide. I had to see this man in action. Wouldn't I go see Paganini play if I had the chance? Oh, and this is not a flippant remark. Both are virtuous on their instruments, compose and stretch the possibilities of each to 'impossible' reaches and have a loyal following. The Swede openly admires the Italian and it doesn't feel like a stretch imagining the Italian giving at least a knowing nod and wink to the Swede's play.

When the day came and I got to the venue I began to have some second thoughts as a row of imposing Marshall amps lined at back of the stage greeted the fans. Maybe I should've brought some earplugs. The people there were expectant and well-behaved. When the man finally appeared on stage there was a surge forward from the crowd and the tall fan behind me used me as a battering ram to open his closer to the stage. For a while I felt as lifted off my feet and feared that I might suffocate. In the end the push forward had the positive effect of placing me in the seventh to fifth row with a great view. I got separated from my friend for the rest of the evening.

I had prepared beforehand by going to the online forums and had found out by a poster who had listened to Yngwie in Argentina, that he positioned himself to the left (his) of the stage. I aimed for that and... success!

In regards to the performance, the venue's acoustics  were subpar. The first thing I noticed was an unpleasant after-screech for the highs. Got over it quick, but these never quite left. For a while I got fixated on the bass player and thought how lucky he was to be on stage as part of a great band. As for Yngwie, the thought that struck me other than his playing was: he's pompous! But in a good way. The leather pants that quite don't fit, the hair, the mid-kick, the guitar back roll, the teeth and backward shred... more than anything, I believe this is a kind of fanservice and that he has fun doing it. He could just stand there and riff, but he obliges and we love him for it. During the concert he went through a fair amount of picks which he threw to the crowd as they were spent. Sad to say I did not get any. The selection was good, including all the mainstay suspects. I was hoping for the 7th Sign, which is one of my top three, but it was not included this time around. When he pulled a cover on Mozart or someone, the audience cheered in recognition.

In regards to the rest of the fans, a great many of them watched all right, but through the filter of their (then) crappy phones. It was frankly surprised by the number of glowing screens, but I guess that this is here to stay. Well, why not?

There are times when one feels as being a part of a larger whole. This was one of those times as one could feel the energy sweep over all of us and while it lasted, a sense of oneness. Cheesy? Perhaps. But I'm sure you've felt it before.

When it was over there was a noticeable number of parents waiting outside the venue for their underaged kids. I guess they did catch some of the music as it was loud enough for them to listen. Now,  loud it was. My ears, especially the right one, were ringing and felt as if clogged. I was begining to wish that I should've stayed with my mp3s. Volume control! Next day the after effects were worryingly still there, but began to lessen as time went on. Flash forward to present day, on a checkup with the ears & throat doctor, he told me I was none the worse for the experience.

An evening  to remember.

War Without Mercy book review

At high school  my classmates and I were given QBVII by Leon Uris as reading assignment some reason. It was about war crimes and was good and all. The question it raised for some however was: how come American/Allied WWII war crimes were not pursued? Were they that few? Just recently I got part of the answer to these questions in War Without Mercy.

This book is about the Pacific Theatre. One can think of it several related books bound in one: a) War crimes from both sides laid bare; b) the way the Americans viewed and portrayed the Japanese before Pearl Harbor; b2) before Midway and; b3) up to surrender; and c)  the perspective from the Japanese viewpoint.

The Japanese were called everything in the spectrum from vermin to supermen according  to the various stages, apes being the most popular. Everything but human beings. And not only by the sensationalist and uneducated but from what we generally believe respectable sources as Time and Winston Churchill.

In regard to war crimes, the American troops misbehaved as bad as the Japanese with the complicit assent of their superiors. Justifications were easy to come by.  The racial slur is appalling in hindsight but it served its purpose at the time. Not only did it inflame the passions, but made the business of killing easier, all while upholding support at home.

On the Japanese side, the optics where more complex resulting in their exaltation of their purity as rallying point at home and their Asian background for greater Asia. For the Anglo-Saxons they reserved the worst they could conceive, demons, which further fueled  their self-righteousness and the justice of their cause. Of particular interest is the next to last chapter where, largely based on recovered wartime documents, the Japanese postwar aims, within the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, are explained.

All these build into the crucial point of passing from hate and war to cooperation and peace. The final chapter reveals the mechanisms from which this was attained pointing out the seeds  that were already present in the view of each other. In the end, despite the momentum of the war years, the right decision was taken by the Americans, that of maintaining the Imperial Throne as a symbol, when it was needed the most.

It is a bit surprising is how in these last 60 years all this multi-century misunderstanding/hate/fear has evaporated to our present low state. Mr. Dower stops near the cusp of Japan's economic might at the end of 80's and he shows how, once again, distrust and fear flared up within some sectors drawing even on the war experience. He doesn't get to show us how these once again have receded, but receded they have. Looking to what has preceded, is it really true that the (white) West has overcome it's biases and that an era of sustainable peace & harmony with the East is here to stay? Do we understand each other now?

4 stars

Beethoven's Shadow book review

Music is one of the greatest pleasures of humanity and sometimes a bit of information or background knowledge can enhance the experience. Not only composers and listeners are relevant in the music communication, but performers frequently have a say.

In his book, Beethoven's Shadow, American pianist Jonathan Biss shares his performer's view on music in general and on Beethoven in particular. Not long ago he agreed to record the whole of Beethoven's piano sonatas and this book is a companion of sorts to the project.

It is a short book. It also has no obvious structure. Rather, Biss writes something closer to an extended essay. In it he explores, the project at hand,  recorded vs live music, virtuosity Fleisher, Schnabel and Serkin, with emphasis on the latter's philosophy, his (Biss') relationship with the sonatas and the quest of the 'ultimate' performance. The result is that more than listening/reading a lecture one feels he has him on one's living room having tea.

He has too much respect for the sonatas. From the start one can feel even something close to fear from his part seep here and there until he finally admits to it, defuses it and lays it to rest; all without losing admiring wonder.

The only thing that's missing are clips of the pieces he talks about.  I guess that those really interested can find them, but it would have been nice to have had them on the spot.

Now a short ramble on my impressions.  What I liked most was how he, being one of the most overexposed persons to the pieces, still find new aspects and secrets in them. My trepidation with music I like is listening too much to it and getting too familiar with it. Should that happen I fear getting some sort of diminishing returns by liking the piece less, not more. Biss sets my mind at ease. In other matters his impression on what ultimately is music echoes what Gleick describes in The Information when early theorists were trying to define the same question. Is it the scoresheet? A certain recording? The sum of all performances?

Both the audio and kindle editions are under $2, so, if you play an instrument or really listen to music, why not?