The Blogger is out and about.
No, actually, the neighbors cut the trees and cut the phone line in the process.
As usual the service is slow, took one whole week for the technicians to come down and fix the line. So no net at home last week till this afternoon.
Blogger is fully occupied at work too, so no blogging and no feed reading for sometimes.
Blogger got a report from the host service that she is over-using twice the allocated disk space.
Blogger found out that some nice people crack up the account and put some big files which she cleaned up quickly.
Blogger is planning to ask someone about this quote she read:

“A newspaper consists of just the same number of words, whether there be any news in it or not.” by: Henry Fielding

Blogger is happy that Gravatar site is back on and accepting new registrations.
Blogger is sad that flickr will combine with yahoo account and won’t allow old logins next month, which might affect the gallery plugin.
Blogger worries the rate of chew up bandwidth on her song files at fileden.
Blogger is sleepy at the moment, so good night and see you later.

This week music pick featuring five songs from Katharine McPhee’s, a runner up of last year American Idol, latest album – “Katharine McPhee”.

She has a voice similar to Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, quite a bit of Christina and Beyonce mixed. But hers is abit softer, not big one like Joss Stone and not that strong like Christina. Some songs she sings like Kelly Clarkson and in some her style is very similar to Beyonce.

Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American singer who was the runner-up to Taylor Hicks on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006.

IMHO, she has all it needs, the age, the look, the vocal and the attitude to become a great pop star. She follows a lot like Kelly Clarkson. Though I still prefer Kelly Clarkson cos’ she got more confidence vocal and very charismatic, I also believe Katharine will do great as she shows her potentials in this debut album.

I’m not sure how Katharine performs on stage as I’ve never seen her music video or the idol show. To be a great star needs not only vocal but the sensational look too. I already like her look and most of her songs from the album so a thumb up from me.

Here is my favorite 5 from the album.

Dangerous – this one is the top list from her album I think, it’s pretty cool. My #1. Sounded like Christina.

Dangerous. He’ll steal your heart away, then run away.
He’s dangerous. Protect your heart, he’ll tear it apart.
Dangerous. He’ll steal your heart away, then run and play.
He’s dangerous. Protect your heart, he’ll tear it apart.

[ Lyrics ]

Over It – Jr. Kelly Clarkson with a tint of Gwen on the chorus part. 2nd best.

Oh and that’s why
Your eyes… I’m over it.
You’re smile… I’m over it.
Realized… I’m over it, I’m over it, I’m over…
Wanting you to be wanting me.
No, that ain’t no way to be.
How I feel.
Read my lips.
Because I’m so over…

[ Lyrics ]

Love Story – I like the beat from here.

It’s a typical love story
We started out as friends
We met way back when
This is just a
Typical love story

[ Lyrics ]

Neglected – A slow one, I like the chorus part.

The more you try to tell me that you changed
the more i feel neglected
if this is how you try to make it up to me
then let’s just end it
I dont, like this feeling any more
I dont, like this feeling
cause whenever i’m around you boy i know that i won’t be respected
just neglected

[ Lyrics ]

Ordinary World – Slow one too, love the lyric. She is just Jr. Beyonce in this one.

Close your eyes and feel me hold you
Can you lead me through this ordinary world
Let the sky cry, restless rain to wash away the miles
Between us, ’cause without you it’s just an ordinary world

[ Lyrics ]

Track List: Katharine McPhee – Katharine McPhee

1. Love Story
2. Over It
3. Open Toes
4. Home
5. Not Ur Girl
6. Each Other
7. Dangerous
8. Ordinary World
9. Do What You Do
10. Better off Alone
11. Neglected
12. Everywhere I Go

Alrite enjoy! l8ter.

I’m in love with the new LCDs. They got 19″ Lenovo L192 Wide Tft monitors for their IT section. Last time they have pretty cool IBM flat screens and now upgraded with Lenovo wide screens.

The Lenovo L192 Wide Monitor offers users to view images in a 16 x 10 wide aspect ratio. It is available in business black. This monitor is best suited for complex spreadsheets, multitasking, general business applications and multiple-monitor environments.

Features & Benefits:

• 19-inch (483-mm) viewable image size
• Optimum resolution: 1440 x 900
• Tilt stand for viewing comfort adjustments
• 16 x 10 aspect ratio
• Analog attachment
• Internal power
• Meets 100 mm VESA requirement

Specifications: Lenovo L192 Wide Monitor

I hook it up with my ugly laptop screen and use it as dual extended monitor.
What a sensational sight! hehe

Watch this one, it’s good, really good. Very hilarious. Just listen properly.Chasers War On Everything – Americans

A general knowledge questions:
# Name a country that begins with “U”?
# What is the religion of Buddhist Monk?
# How many sides does a triangle has?
# What is the currency used in United Kingdom?
# How many kidney does a person has?
# Starwar is based on a true story – true or false?
# How many Eiffel towers are there in Paris?

Politic, Current Affair:
# Meet Mr. John Howard – Prime Minister of Australia – Have you see me on television? Thank you it’s just very nice to be recognized. My slogan is “John Howard is my mate”
# Who is Tony Blair?
# Kofi Annan is a drink – True or False?

Geography:
# Mark the country on the world map.
# North and south Korea, which one is bigger.

Typical Americans. HHHTRSF. Thanks KoSein for the Link.

This one give 5 minutes FREE call per day just from your browser. You only need a small flash plugin to add to your browser and you are all set to go. By registering to their site, you get extra 5min and total of 10 minutes of FREE calling per day.

Gizmo Call is a modernized way to make web-based calls developed by the team who brought you the Gizmo Project voice and IM software, as well as the SIPphone VoIP platform, a robust network and directory for efficiently carrying VoIP calls. www.gizmocall.com

I’ve tried to Singapore and Australia numbers, they all work like a charm. The voice quality is quite alrite too but can’t talk in unison. When I try myanmar number, I got this reply.

Sorry, We intentionally block calls to this country.

It’ll be abit nicer if the message goes like “Sorry, we don’t provide service to this country” or something like that but they use that “intentionally block” phrase. Man, that was just so mean.

I haven’t tested for Fiji numbers as I can do local calls easily but I’m sure it works fine. Oh when you register, don’t enter the last text-box ie. Enter your phone number, otherwise you cannot click on “register” button. Only when you remove it, the button becomes active. Anyways it’s pretty good if you wanna test calls to friends overseas. Enjoy calling. Call me too?

Hta Ma Nhal (Nhan Ma Nhal) is a very popular food for Burmese people especially for this time of the year. We, Burmese, have 12 special meals + celebrations for 12 special Burmese months. This month in Burmese calendar is called – “Ta Po Twal” and the special food for the month is “Hta Ma Nhal”.

Preparing and making of Hta Ma Nhal is very significant and memorable to Burmese society. It requires a group effort to create a successful, delicious dish. It signifies unity, cooperation, team work, harmony and the ecstasy for everyone. Many teams compete against each other to make the best Hta Ma Nhal in Ta Po’ Twal month celebrations. There will be side-kick helpers, cheerers, judges and on lookers.

The celebration has always been one of the most energetic and joyful occasions. I won’t go farther into the competitions and celebration part as I’m not sure how to explain it. I couldn’t find any photo related to “Hta Ma Nhal Pwal” but lucky enough, one post has this photo. Just for my readers to get a brief understand on what it is about, I’ve linked it here.

A few weeks back my mom made Hta Ma Nhal and I took some photos of it; but due to lack of motivation, couldn’t type up the post to publish it. This week I’ve read two of similar posts from other Burmese blogs as I’m sure everyone’s enjoying the Hta Ma Nhal season. But both of them lack photos hence I get myself together to type up this post.

Hta Ma Nhal is a simple meal yet a lot of hard work and sweat involved. Different people have different ways of making Hta Ma Nhal and this one is my mom’s style. So here is how it’s done for family size Hta Ma Nhal.

Ingredients

• Glutinous Rice (1kg)
• Peanuts (185kg, small peanuts better)
• Seasame Seeds (50kg Black, 50kg White)
• Ginger
• Coconut (1, Medium size)
• Sugar (3 tbl spoons)
• Salt (a pinch/ 1 tbl spoon – depending on your taste bud)
• Oil (300ml)

Preparations

1. Dip glutinous rice in water for 1 – 2 hrs.
2. Slice up coconut into thin piceases.
3. Slice ginger into thin pieces and pound a few more ginger for better smell.
4. Roast black and white seaseme seeds. The black seaseme are added just for the beautification to have some mixture of colors.
5. Crack and quarter the peanuts. The smaller peanuts are better but we only got big ones here.
6. Raise the rice once it ready. Let the oil hot and ready to cook.

Making It

1. Fry coconut pieces in deep oil until it golden brown. Raise it from oil.
2. Fry ginger pieces till it brown. Raise it from oil.
3. Fry peanuts, raise it from oil – fried peanuts has a better chance of preserving the food.
4. Fry raisen rice till it brown.
5. Once the rice is brownish in color, put water till rice submerges. Cover and cook it for a few minute.
6. Start stirring the rice just before all water dry out.
7. Stir well till the rice gets mashed up and let water dries up.
8. Once the rice been mashed enough put all fried ingredients, sugar, salt and mix it all well.
9. Save some seaseme seeds for later decorations.

You will need a strong arm to mix it as the rice become stickier once it’s been mashed and once all ingredients been placed into it. There is a tendency of burning the bottom parts as you mix the top layers. So you must have a strong fast hand to turn the mixture in many different directions and lower the heat to save some time from burning.
When you are satisfied with your mixing, tasting, sweating and weary yourself out, Hta Ma Nhal is ready.

You can preserve Hta Ma Nhal up to 2-3 weeks (may be more). Keep it in a fridge and heat up in microwave whenever you want to serve it.

Hta Ma Nhal is 0% cholesterol, 100% calories, a bit of protein and very good to fatten/cure anorexia. Definitely not the choice for obese ofcos.

So there you have it. Enjoy trying out.

Note:

Hta Ma Nhal is it also known as “Nhan Ma Nhal”. “Nhan” means sesame seeds cos’ it uses lots of sesame seeds.
Hta Ma Nhal is a food,
Hta Ma Nhal Pwal is a celebration/competition,
Ta Po’ Twal La is a Burmese month. La = month