Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Back when I was drawing our names in Mayan hieroglyphs [1], I briefly considered doing the same thing but with Egyptian hieroglyphs. I was ultimately deterred because the rules for writing in Ancient Egyptian are a lot more rigid and I didn't want to have to draw every single glyph that I wanted to use. Furthermore, a full royal name in Egyptian consists of five names. This is called a fivefold titulary or royal protocol.[2] The first name, or Horus Name, is written inside a serekh, which represents the palace. It is called the Horus name because a falcon, the symbol of the Egyptian god Horus, is typically depicted on top of or nearby the serekh. The second name is also called the Nebty Name. Nebty means "two ladies" and refers to two goddesses, Nekhbet and Wadjet, who are heralds of Upper and Lower Egypt, respectively. The nebty name is typically preceded by a symbol that combines the symbols of the two goddesses (a vulture and a cobra) sitting on top of two baskets. The third name, or Golden Horus Name, is usually preceded by the falcon symbol perched on the symbol for gold. The last two names, the Throne Name (or praenomen) and the Personal Name (or nomen; i.e., "birth name") are written inside of cartouches (also called shen rings). The Throne Name is accompanied by the glyphs for a sedge and a bee (implying kingship over both the valley and delta regions of Ancient Egypt) while the Personal Name is accompanied by the glyphs for a duck and the sun (meaning "son/daughter of Ra").

So, what changed? Why am I drawing the Egyptian hieroglyphs now? Well, I noticed that Wikipedia has a script for writing hieroglyphics, so I simply figured out how to use it and then copied the pictures. Let me tell you how it works.

Book Review: The Adventures of Arabella Ashby Trilogy

I originally became aware of this series when I read the short story, "The Wreck of the Mars Adventure" in Old Mars, an anthology of stories about Mars, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. This introduces the setting, where space is filled with breathable air. This means that ordinary sailing ships can be modified to sail between celestial bodies. The short story describes the first attempt to sail to Mars and was rather enjoyable. The Arabella trilogy is set later in the same world. The author's intent was to write a clockpunk [1] regency novel.[2] I was intrigued by the idea and thought that Leann might like that concept, so we started reading them together.[3] The books in the trilogy are: Arabella of Mars, Arabella and the Battle for Venus, and Arabella the Traitor of Mars.

Book Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles

There are quite a few children's books and young adult books that came out while I was in college and working on my doctorate that I never found the time to read. One such series was The Spiderwick Chronicles. In reality, I'd heard of the books, but I wasn't really aware of the series until the movie came out. Since moving back to Utah, I've been listening to books on CD when I travel to and from work. So, rather than read these books, I listened to audio recordings. The first five books were read by Mark Hamill. The three "beyond" books were read by Andrew McCarthy.

Book Review: The Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy

The Remembrance of Earth's Past is a trilogy written by the Chinese science fiction author, Liu Cixin.[1] It consists of three novels: The Three-Body Problem (2006), The Dark Forest (2008), and Death's End (2010). Ken Liu's English translation of The Three-Body Problem won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel and Liu's translation of Death's End won the 2017 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. These two novels also won the Chinese Galaxy Award.[2] Some spoilers ahead.

Product Review: More Takis Flavors (and Imitators)

Takis are a brand of flavored corn chip that I originally discovered while serving a mission for my Church [1] in México. The original flavor (Crunchy Fajita [2]) are one of my favorite chips overall. Recently a bunch of new flavors, including some limited edition flavors, hit the shelves. So, naturally, I had to buy them all and try them. Read on to find out what I (and my family) thought of them.

Product Reviews: Southeast Asian Treats

In Roy, Utah there is an Ocean Mart. Ocean Mart is a Utah-based Asian supermarket.[1] I originally went in looking for nattō (which I found) so that I could have my Introductory Microbiology students try it. (Nattō is soybeans that have been fermented by the bacterium Bacillus subtilis var. natto.) Now I go there at least once per semester and I occasionally veer off course and buy something else that has caught my eye. Here are a few recent takes.

The Invisible Mazes of Chagunitzu and Paganitzu

In the early 1990s my parents bought their a PC running MS-DOS. Over time we played several different games on that and subsequent PCs, including Monuments of Mars, Pharaoh's Tomb, Jumpman Lives!, Crystal Caves, and Paganitzu. These were all shareware games from Apogee, so we only had the first part of each one. Later, I got the chance to play all three levels of Paganitzu [1], as well as Chagunitzu [2], the first outing of protagonist Alabama Smith. Both of these games have rooms that feature invisible mazes. You know me: I drew maps![3]

Product Review Blitz IV

This is the final installment (for now) of mass product reviews. Preview: Doritos Dinamita Mojo Criollo chips, Lays Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger chips, Kerrygold Skellig cheese, MontChevré Fresh Goat Cheese Peppadew, Woolwich Dairy Chevrai Sweet Pepper Heat, Carr Valley Creama Kasa, Underground Meats Saucisson Sec, and Underground Meats Finnochiona.

Product Review: Chinese candies

I picked up some Chinese candies at an informal seminar when I was a post-doc at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I can only guess that they were provided by a Chinese post-doc or graduate student. 徐福记 (Hsu Fu Chi) is a Chinese candy company that is mostly owned by Nestlé.[1] The three crisps (all labeled 特制, "specially made") appear to have been produced by Hsu Fu Chi directly. I can only guess that the other two brands, Mr. Shu's and 英之莉 (Ying Zhi Li, "White Jasmine's Petal") are daughter companies.

Typefaces I Hate II: Scriptina

I see this font all the time, particularly in association with the Relief Society [1] of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints—on fliers, on crafts [2], and even once as a giant quote glued, letter by letter, to the wall. Sadly, it even appeared on the cover of the 2011 winner for Best Picture Oscar.[3] It was designed in 2001 by Frederic "Apostrophe" Nader for the free font foundry Apostrophic Labs, which went under in 2003.[4] It was then updated in 2010, mostly with character diacritics, by Roger S. Nelsson, for CheapProFonts.[5]

Product Review Blitz III

This is the third massive post of product reviews. Preview: Mitica Queso de Murcia al Vino cheese, French Abbey Port-du-Salut cheese, Red Apple Cheese Applewood Smoked Provolone cheese, Noble View Creamery Juustoleipä cheese, Gabriel Coulet Roquefort cheese, Keen's Farmhouse Cheddar, Sargento Tastings New Zealander cheese, Guilloteau Saint Angel cheese, Délice de France Grand Camembert, Emmi Roth Buttermilk Blue cheese, Käserei Studer AG Der scharfe Maxx cheese, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Reypenaer Gouda, Carr Valley Cheese Glacier Wildfire Blue cheese, Ninfas Queso Tetilla cheese, Fromagerie Lincet Délice de Bourgogne cheese, Saxon Creamery Green Fields cheese, Hook's Cheese Ten Year Sharp Cheddar, Rodolphe le Meunier Sillon Bleu de Chèvre cheese, Trappiste Orval cheese, Underground Meats Tuscan Salami, Busseto Dry Coppa, Volpi Romano Salame, cape gooseberries, Aroy-D Rambutan, Aroy-D Mangosteen, Ugli fruit, Combos 7 Layer Dip Tortilla, Combos Jalapeño Cheddar Tortilla chips, Pringles Tortillas Truly Original chips, Lays Chicken and Waffles chips, Godiva Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Nabisco Lemon Oreos, Nabisco Limeade Oreos, and Nabisco Mint Oreos.

Product Review: Cape Cod Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Vinegar potato chips

Before he got married, my Uncle Derek accompanied my nuclear family on several summer vacations. On one of those vacations (I can't remember which, but it was either the trip to Oregon or the trip to Alberta), he introduced my nuclear family to Cape Cod potato chips. We were ecstatic about them. In my memory they were so good. I don't recall what flavor he shared with us, but we devoured them. (However, it's entirely plausible that we would've enthusiastically emptied any bag of potato chips he decided to share with us, regardless of brand.[2]) It's not an easy brand to track down in Utah, but I rediscovered it while we were in Wisconsin.

Typefaces I Hate I: Monotype Garamond Italic and Adobe Caslon Pro Italic

The Garamond typeface is named after Claude Garamond, an engraver who lived in Paris during the 1500s. He created a roman typeface but wasn't interested in italics. A contemporary of Garamond's, Robert Granjon, specialized in italics and his italics are often combined with Garamond's roman glyphs into a single typeface. Garmond's typeface fell out of favor during the 1700s and 1800s. Meanwhile, in the 1600s another engraver, Jean Jannon, produced a typeface with some similarities to Garamond's. In the early 1900s there was a renewed interested in 'old style' French typefaces. Several type foundries produced typefaces that they claimed were based on Garamond's original roman type. Modern research, however, has established that many of these are actually based on Jannon's work, not Garamond's. Monotype's Garmond is actually based on Jannon's type.[1] I actually don't mind Monotype Garamond's roman (regular) typeface [2], but I really, really dislike the italic setting.

Product Review: John Morrell: Braunschweiger

At some point in my childhood I stopped liking bologna (or perhaps I never liked it at all). One day as an adult, however, I had a sudden craving for a bologna sandwich. So I made myself one and ate it. And I liked it. It tastes exactly the same as I remember it tasting, so I have trouble reconciling my childhood revulsion with my adulthood enjoyment. Contrast this with Vienna sausages [1], which I disliked as a child and I still dislike them as an adult. Anyway, at one point I was walking down one of the several meat aisles at Woodman's [2] and I spotted a processed meat product called braunschweiger. It is a pork liver sausage that originated in Germany.[3] I was intrigued, so I bought some and took it home. I expected it to taste similar to bologna or Vienna sausages, but be spreadable.

Product Review Blitz II

Hang on to your horses! This is my second product review blitz and it's a long one! Preview: J&L Grubb Cashel Blue cheese, Da Vinci Herbed Gouda, Rambol Gourmandise Kirsch cheese, Clawson Blue Stilton cheese, Casaro Pecorino Romano, Champignon Rougette Bavarian Red, Mitica Taleggio, Père Double Cream Brie, Clawson White Stilton with Lemon Peel, Capricorn French-Type Goat Milk Cheese, Carr Valley Cheese Bread Cheese, Emmi Appenzeller cheese, Luigi Guffanti Robiola Due Latti cheese, Sartori Black Pepper BellaVitano cheese, Sartori Balsamic Vinagrette BellaVitano cheese, Sartori Raspberry BellaVitano cheese, Sartori Peppermint BellaVitano cheese, Sartori MontAmoré cheese, Bucky Badger Combo Cheddar Cheese Curd, Henri Hutin Belletoile cheese, Crave Brothers Les Frères cheese Old Croc Extra Sharp Cheddar, Schmidhauser Tomme Crayeuse cheese, Beemster Graskaas cheese, Mitica Caña de Cabra cheese, Igor Gorgonzola Piccante cheese, Fiorucci Sopressata Dry Salame, Doritos Dinamita chips, Doritos Jacked Ranch-Dipped Hot Wings chips, Doritos Jacked Enchilada Supreme chips, Doritos Jacked Smoky Chipotle BBQ chips, Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips, Stacy's Multigrain Pita Chips Combos Buffalo Blue Cheese and Pretzel, La Panzanella Sesame Mini Croccantini, La Panzanella Whole Wheat Croccantini, La Panzanella Black Pepper Mini Croccantini, Mediterranean Snacks Sea Salt Lentil Crackers Lays Cheesy Garlic Bread chips, and Lays Pico de Gallo chips.

Product Review: Valdeón cheese

A blue cheese made in the León province of Spain from the milk of cows and goats. It gets its name from  Posada de Valdeón, the tiny (~500 inhabitants) municipality where it is manufactured.[1] Before it is shipped it is wrapped in sycamore maple leaves or chestnut leaves. Besides having thick blue veins running through it, the cheese also has a characteristic yellow-green appearance, which can be kind of intimidating. Even more interesting, blue cheeses, such as this one, have been found to contain andrastins (see the examples in the notes below [2]), compounds which can be used to supplement cancer therapy.[3]

Product Review: Fermín: Lomo Serrano

The Spanish term lomo serrano means "mountain loin" (not to be confused with "mountain lion"). It is a dry-cured pork loin (lomo) produced using farm-raised white pigs. The meat is dried in curing sheds up in the mountains (sierras, for which serrano is the adjective), where it is cool and dry.[1] Cuts of meat from the front legs (paletilla serrano, "mountain blade") or from the hind legs (jamón serrano, "mountain ham") are also dry-cured this way. The serrano varieties are the least-expensive dry-cured meats in Spain. The more expensive varieties (e.g. jamón ibérico, "Iberian ham") are made using free-range Iberian black pigs. Because the dry-curing process produces an intense, salty flavor, these meats are typically sliced very thin.

Product Review: Beehive: Seahive Cheddar cheese

Ever since I started visiting Harmon's for their cheese selection, I've seen the offerings of a local creamery: Beehive Cheese, Co., based in Ogden, Utah.[1] Unfortunately, neither of their flagship cheeses interest me since they are rubbed with coffee grinds ("Barely Buzzed" cheddar) or black tea leaves ("TeaHive" cheddar). I abstain from both tea and coffee for religious reasons [2], so both of those cheeses were out. Besides, I've been going for 'horizontal' experience (lots of different kinds of cheese) rather than 'vertical' experience (the same cheese from different producers), so trying another cheddar was low on my priority list. But when we were getting ready to move from Utah to Wisconsin [3], I decided to take advantage of the availability of their cheeses while we were still there.

Product Review Blitz I

It's been years since I posted any reviews to this blog. But there is a long backlog [1] of reviews. For a lot of them, I'd written my thoughts, but not an intro. Rather than write an intro for each one (especially since it's been years since I tried these products), I'm going to give you several reviews here in one go. As a preview: lychees, Cadbury Creme Egg, Snyder's of Hanover Bacon Cheddar Preztel Pieces, Alma Kräuterschatz cheese, Bon Fire Maverick Salt and Vinegar Chips, Häagen-Dazs White Chocolate and Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream, Martinelli's Blood Orange, Martinelli's Mango Lemonade.

Product Review: Les Fromagers de Chevillon: Domaine du Vallage cheese

I couldn't find a lot of information about this cheese online. In fact, I'm not even 100% sure that the Harmons cheesemonger labeled it correctly. It could be "Domaine de Vallage", "Domaine du Vallage", "Domaine de Village", or "Domaine du Village"—all turn up in a Google search, but none is obviously right. Either it's a triple-cream Brie, or it's a triple-cream mold-ripened [1] cheese that's very much like Brie. Ours looks a little funny because we refrigerated it for a few days, which gives it a consistency more like cheesecake. We didn't let it sit out long enough to liquefy again before we started eating it.