• 3 cups steamed rice (preferably from a rice cooker)
• 12 oz (340 g) kimchi (in its own juice)
• 4 oz (120 g) lean steak
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

First spread out the steamed rice to steam off a little bit; you never want to make fried rice with really wet rice or it gets gummy. Dice the kimchi to small pieces about 1x2 cm, and cut the steak into thin slices about the same size. Melt 1 tbsp butter on a pan then stir fry the beef. Quickly add the black pepper, then take the beef off the pan and onto a plate before it's fully cooked (there should still be some red in it, but very little). Melt 1 tbsp butter in the pan again and then add the diced kimchi. Let it cook just until the green parts are starting to look dark and the white parts soften and turn clear, then take it off the heat and onto a plate. Cook the rice in two batches if need be... to each batch, melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pan, then add the rice and stir constantly. To each batch, add half of the kimchi, half of the kimchi juice, and half of the beef; stir on medium heat until everything is cooked. Salt to taste and mix again. Turn off the heat, add 1/2 tbsp sesame oil to each batch, stir and eat.

Optional: serve topped with a fried egg.
Yield: makes 3+ servings.

Delicious!

Carlos José Bustamante

• 1951-present
  
• Ph.D. in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, 1981
  

• 1930-present
  
• Ph.D. University Wisconsin, 1954
  

• 1912-2003
  
• Ph.D., Stanford University, 1935
  

• 1894-1966
  
• Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1919
  

• 1884-1959
  
• Ph.D., Universität Breslau, 1911
  
• [California Digital Library]
  

• 1860-1925
  
• Ph.D., Universität Berlin, 1884
  
• Dissertation: Über eine neue Interferenz-Erscheinung an planparallelen Glasplatten und eine Methode die Planparallelität solcher Gläser zu prüfen
  

• 1821-1894
  
• M.D., Königlich Medizinisch-chirurgische Friedrich-Wilhelm Institut, Berlin, 1842
  
• [Max Planck Institute for the History of Science]
  

• 1801-1858
  
• M.D., University of Bonn, 1822
  
• [Max Planck Institute for the History of Science]
  

• 1771-1832
  
• M.D., Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, 1795
  
• [MGP]
  

• 1748-1831
  
• Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 1771
  
• [MGP]
  

• 1744-1777
  
• Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 1767
  
• [MGP]
  

• 1719-1800
  
• Ph.D., Universität Leipzig, 1739
  
• Dissertation: Theoria radicum in aequationibus
  
• [MGP]
  

• 1693-1743
  
• Ph.D., Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 1713
  
• Dissertation: De corpore scissuris figurisque non cruetando ductu
  
• [MGP]
  

• 1663-1727
  
• Ph.D., Universität Leipzig, 1685
  
• Dissertation: Disputationem Moralem De Divortiis Secundum Jus Naturae
  
• [MGP]
  

• 1644-1707
  
• Ph.D., Universität Leipzig, 1665
  
• Dissertation: Ex Theologia naturali — De Absoluta Dei Simplicitate, Micropolitiam, id est Rempublicam In Microcosmo Conspicuam
  
• [MGP]
  

Jeff is the 'most outspoken member' of Citizens for Retiring the Penny. Below is the segment from the show:

Congratulations all around, especially to Jin-Der, who has done a fantastic job of making this project work. Although we were the first to observe ribosome activity in real-time, there is so much yet to come!

On behalf of Ryan, age 1 and three quarters, we thank you in advance.

I knew right away that it was a conservation effort, so rather than tossing it in with the junk mail, I set it aside to read later. I finally opened it and read about the "ClimateSmart" program, which offered:

For about $5 a month, you can make the energy that you use "climate neutral" by investing in environmental projects that absorb or reduce greenhouse gases.

I was a bit skeptical because of the constant use of scare quotes every time the phrase "climate neutral" was used in the mailer. Turns out, this program is not exactly like green tags, or carbon offsets. As I read at Grist, the ClimateSmart program is not at all a way of purchasing renewable power, and doesn't support programs to create, support or expand renewable power. If you are considering joining the PG&E ClimateSmart program, do read these two posts at Grist:

• PG&E's 'ClimateSmart' offsets are anything but
• Update on PG&E's ClimateSmart Offset Program

This would of course require Jeb Bush to run in 2016, followed by Chelsea in 2020. Hell, we could keep this up for a second generation if required!

America did away with kings and queens over two centuries ago. Right?

18. Texas A&M- There’s not much wrong this campus except for the lack of color. One poster said it’s essentially “BEIGE BEIGE everywhere…” I couldn’t agree more. And, um, “Aggieland”??? Not exactly an appealing phrase, is it? And on their website, they have an extremely strange lack of pictures of their buildings. Just keep adding fuel to my fire, Texas A&M. Knock yourselves out.

My favorite part? The Biochemistry & Biophysics building (affectionately and uncreatively known as Bio/Bio 'round those parts) is featured on the site. IN PARTICULAR, the lab I worked in as an undergrad is pictured. Sweet!

For those who take offense, no worries, for I don't particularly agree with many of the blog's top 20 list of beautiful American campuses. Pepperdine? Good gawd, are we really so swept away by a campus simply because it has a ocean view? Its' buildings are hideous!

After 27 years as a science teacher and 9 years as the Texas Education Agency’s director of science, Christine Castillo Comer said she did not think she had to remain “neutral” about teaching the theory of evolution.

“It’s not just a good idea; it’s the law,” said Ms. Comer, citing the state’s science curriculum. But now Ms. Comer, 56, of Austin, is out of a job, after forwarding an e-mail message on a talk about evolution and creationism [...]

Her departure, which has stirred dismay among science professionals since it became public last week, is a prelude to an expected battle early next year over rewriting the state’s science education standards, which include the teaching of evolution [...]

The chairman of the panel, Dr. Don McLeroy, a dentist and Sunday School teacher at Grace Bible Church in College Station, has lectured favorably in the past about intelligent design.

Having gone to school in College Station, I am familiar with Grace Bible Church. It's a very, very family-friendly evangelical church. I knew a lot of kids who went there, and they were definitely the classic evangelical type. I suppose that's beside the point; the real question is: how the hell is a dentist and Sunday school teacher heading up the panel for the TEA's standardized science curriculum? Is there really no better qualified person in the entire state of Texas? A trained scientist perhaps?

From the article, it isn't clear the text of the email that Comer sent out. Was it like "FYI -- attached message" or was it like "FYI -- let's get these creationist nutjobs!" (the difference is huge; while the former would be lawsuit worthy, the latter would obviously be grounds for disciplinary action).

In any case, I'm nervous that Texas will retreat from the required teaching of modern biology in school. Words cannot express how angry it makes me that we still have to debate the single unifying core tenet of modern biology. It's like "debating" GR. Ugh.

There are many considerations for choosing a given knot on a boat. For example, you generally want a strong knot, but you sometimes want knots you can release against a load, or sometimes want knots that tighten under load for security. You also want knots that don't tangle upon untying. For this reason, having a solid repertoire of knots can be useful, both for sailing, and for moving mattresses on top of cars.

When you want a new pair of womens shoes, stilettos, or Vans shoes, the Internet is where you should go to. If you want to buy steve madden shoes, head onto the Internet!

But anyway, oh right, the familiar knot we use for tying our shoes is a variation of the square (or reef) knot. It's amazing at how automatic this knot becomes, even though it's actually pretty non-trivial. For example, when we tie our shoes, one side goes over the other for the first hitch, then we switch for the second round (most people do left-over-right for the first round, then right-over-left for the second round). If we did the same side on top twice in a row, we get a much less sound knot (I encourage you to try it, left-over twice in a row feels super wrong, but you could practice the mirror image: right-over-left, then left-over-right). Ach! How did I ever learn this as a kid? It's pretty sophisticated!

Finally, I leave you with the observation that we use a dainty little bow for all of our shoe tying. Even the manliest man has two small little bows at his feet...

The lady and I (along with about a million other people in the East Bay) were awakened at 4:42 this morning by an earthquake. Although we've experienced one other magnitude 4.2 temblor before, this one seemed especially jarring.

For one, the way this one shook made it feel especially powerful. At our place, there were little rumbles before and after, but most of the energy was in one high-amplitude wave that hit all at once. The best part was riding the house, because it felt like an underdamped spring that kept "ringing" as the wave decayed down. It rattled the liquor bottles (they were safe though, phew!), and torqued the whole house. It was the first time I've experience the house being torqued; luckily 1908 all-wood construction is strong but giving, making it great for absorbing a lot of the energy of the quake.

It's comforting to know that it was the Hayward fault that slipped. It runs about 100 yards from where I work... awesome!

Also, our local Safeway (about which I've written before) had two of its windows broken. Luckily, the Chronicle is there with the photos.

UPDATE: The Chronicle has more on the quake, including why it felt so strong in Berkeley.

Weird.

I cannot express to you how much I hate your universal phone software. All of your phones have the same ugly dysfunctional user interface, and it makes me want to barf and leave you for a company with better phones. You'll excuse me if I say that it's NOT "all about the network" if every day you have to use a phone with a crappy interface.

Get rid of the ugly red menus! I will never own a phone with them. I appreciate good design, and that, sir or madame, is not good design. Incidentally, my contract ends in August. I have been up for your "new every two" promotion since June, but I have yet to find a phone that I could live with. Don't get me wrong, Motorola and others make many good phones, but you break them all! This makes me sad, because your network is so good and I do want to stay with you, but if I have to go through the red-screen monster, I will reluctantly pass.

Furthermore, what's up with the crippling of the phones? I use Bluetooth OBEX for transferring photos I take. Why would you take that away from me? I will never use your half-baked PixPlace service, and I resent you breaking my phone to prevent full use of it.

By the way, the overly-confident executive who thought that the red interface and removing functionality from user phones were good ideas deserves to lose his post. Perhaps your CEO Dennis Strigl lacks this hubris, I don't know, but given that he's had over six months to turn this misdirected ship around, I sadly don't have much hope.

I hope you decide to improve your phone offerings (stat!) or you will soon miss out on my monthly autopayment.

Thanks, and God Bless America.

I've modified the recipe to make it a little less Uncle Ben and General Mills, and a little more whole natural foods you can find almost anywhere.

• 2+ cups dry jasmine rice, uncooked
• 1 large chicken breast, 1 deboned chicken thigh
• 1 can diced tomatoes (not petite diced), drained and rinsed
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 1 can cream of celery
• 2 cans of water
• 3 scoops/cubes of chicken boullion
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 fresh large jalepeños

Parboil the rice by cooking for 5 minutes in plenty of excess boiling water, then stop the cooking by draining and rinsing under cold water. Separately, boil the chicken in water for 20+ minutes, until it begins to separate. Keep the water from the boiled chicken around for later. Let cool, then remove any fatty parts and shred the chicken.

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then add everything together with rice. Mix well. Add enough of the broth from the boiled chicken to make the mixture nice and sloshy. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 45 minutes in a 9"x13" casserole dish.

Enjoy!