Thinking Way Too Hard About: Crossovers

Image by AbyssWolf

I'm a sucker for crossover stories. I'm fascinated by the thought of creating a new story by combining characters from multiple other stories. Sometimes the settings are mashed together with very little explanation, just some hand-waving about dimensional rifts or a magical summons. Other times, there is an elaborate backstory that combines threads of multiple stories to create an amalgam universe. The author can either lift the characters from their original settings as they originally appeared, or re-interpret the characters to match the new setting.

A Warning About Maxell Stereo Neckband Head Buds

I was on the lookout for some cheap headphones so that I could listen to music while at work. I ended up buying a pair of these for next to nothing:
http://www.maxell-usa.com/index.aspx?id=63;66;522;0&a=info&pid=193

See those bits at the bottom? If you think that part is where the music comes out, you are half right. That is the part where music comes out as it drills through your ears into your brain.

Seriously, I have never worn a more uncomfortable set of headphones. When I saw the picture on the cover, I thought the guy was enjoying some awesome tunes. It turns out he's screaming in blinding agony as his ears are brutalized by these torture-machines.

I've already ordered a different kind of headphones from Amazon, but I thought I would let you know to avoid these, just in case.

I think I saw a tumbleweed go by...

It's been a while since I've received a comment on this blog.

My other blog, Supervillainous, has the dubious honor of having a grand total of zero comments on it. (There was a comment or two on a placeholder post I originally put up, but that post has since been deleted.)

I'm not writing this post to be bitter (well, maybe a little) or to remind you that I always try to leave comments when I read a blog post (hint hint), but to introduce a change I have implemented: I have turned on "Reactions."

I know that some people read this blog. I also know that it's only around five people, but hey, an audience is an audience. So I figure that the reason that people don't leave comments is that there isn't much to say. People I know tend to be pretty sharp, and not the kind to leave comments like "Yep, I read it," or "Me, too," or "lol." So, to make it easier to give a reaction to my posts, I have added the ability to note whether you thought that a particular entry was "interesting," "weird," and/or "amusing."

Let's see if it works!

PS: Feel free to leave comments, too, if you want.
PPS: If your comment is "First!" I will cry a little, on the inside.

These words have steel

I stand alone.

I am with you.

We stand together.

Let them come.

Hold the line.

I will not yield.

Li Hing Mui

I should start by saying that li hing mui is awesome. I'm starting there because it's important to know, and because otherwise this post may sound at first like I don't like it.

I was introduced to li hing mui by my wife, who got a package from her parents in Hawaii. Li hing mui is a Chinese snack that's also very popular in Hawaii. It's a dried plum with special li hing powder on it, and it's impossible to describe the taste. Wikipedia describes it as "a combination of sweet, sour, and salty taste," if that helps.

I'm not sure of its correct pronunciation, but saying "leehee moy" has served me pretty well so far.

I can honestly say that my first li hing mui was memorable. I had never even tasted one before, so my wife warned me that the flavor was strong and I may not like it. Naturally this meant that I had to immediately put a whole piece in my mouth. I must have made some pretty hilarious faces.

Now I can't get enough of it. I eat it all the time. I only eat a little bit at a time, because I have learned that one of the side effects of li hing mui is that it makes your burps taste terrible.

My in-laws said that they will send us li hing mango next, and I am eagerly anticipating it.

So if you ever get the chance, give it a try. Only, take a little nibble first, to get used to the flavor. You'll be glad you did.