As a lifelong Mac user (and pursuer of all things Apple) I’m excited about the Leopard release tomorrow (though I probably won’t install it on my overburdened old powerbook). But I have to say, what is with the gross sci-fi packaging? I feel as if I’m about to be swallowed by a purple nebula of backed-up files. Part of what I enjoy about being a Mac user is the whole "thoughtful minimalism" design culture, but lately, somebody’s been slathering on the useless eye-candy with alarming abandon.

On a completely unrelated note, I made Pad Thai today from scratch. It was my first time working with Tamarind. I wonder how many people know that this slightly suggestive-looking pod is the main flavoring in Pad Thai. I certainly didn’t. It’s really sour, so you have to combine it with an equal amount of sugar. The first batch I made came out of the pan as a single crunchy, oily unit. The next two batches improved drastically (you have to cook Pad Thai one serving at a time, or else it doesn’t cook evenly). The whole project seems kind of ludicrous, because I could just hit up any of the five places within 200 feet of my apartment that sell perfectly good Pad Thai. But that’s exactly why I wanted to see if I could make it myself, because it’s one of those things I’ve only ever eaten at a restaurant. Actually, people in Thailand never eat it at restaurants; it’s sold only on the streets there, the equivalent of our hot-dog and pretzel carts.