Are We Self-Centered?

My dog killed a rat this weekend. She's really happy-- or more like, she thought she was playing with it. The weekend was a good day for photography.

My friends have actually decided to make a documentary of us for when we graduate. We had wanted to start Senior year but we decided that we should start now so that we wouldn't lose interest by next year. It's pretty fun-- haha. I think the group of six that we usually have have some many great ideas. The problem is that we never follow through with it. I think that's what kids nowadays are all about. Big dreams but there still is reality. Ah, life sucks hard but it's better with friends. Thinking about senior year seriously makes me sad.

Anyways, during Journalism, I read that my generation is the most egotistical generation as of yet. Known as generation Y, this generation boasts the most narcissistic college students...ever. The problems with this self-centered personality is the inability of students to get along with other people and accept failure. When confronted with failure, they often get frustrated easily. It reminds me of my younger brother who is extremely confident and gets exasperated when he cannot do things right. Professor Jean Twenge of the San Diego State University did a test called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory [NPI] and asked questions like "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person" and "I can live my life any way I want to." Many of generation Y scored high on this test for Narcissism.

What is the cause? Many blame the education system, the parents, and of course the media. All over, preschoolers are influenced by higher authority that they are special. The reason behind this has been the idea that it will raise the self-confidence in children. However good self-confidence is, this "confidence-booster" has also done it's job of raising bratty, short-tempered, and dishonest kids.

And the funny thing is is that it's true. Generation Y [my generation] is all about and Myspace, LiveJournal, and even I myself have fallen into the clutches of Blogger. Many children are more rebellious than ever-- and in a bad way, if I might add. Like many freshman college students, they think that they can take care of themselves but when faced with an obstacle, they sit, pout, and throw a tantrum.

Source: LA Times, The Battalion
Photographs: Coco and Dead Rat, Dandelion, Old Wood Pile [Backyard "patio" thing we demolished and had rebuilt because it started to rot] that has started to rot and rust, Garage
All photos belong to Karen-- only dandelion was photoshopped.

Soba Tsuyu

This dish is known as Soba Tsuyu. It can be considered a healthy meal by most people. It's very simple to make. I'm not sure, but it might be an acquired taste for Asian Sauces. Soba is buckwheat noodles. Soba Tsuyu is the easiest dishes to make using Buckwheat Noodles.

-Soba Noodles
-1/2 c. Soy Sauce
-2 cups Dashi Soup [buy the powder kind and just mix with water until you get the saltiness you like]
-Mirin
optional:
-scallions
-Furikake

Boil Soba Noodles [one bundles should be enough for like 3 meals] until soft. Wash with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside in the refrigerator to cool if necessary.

For the Sauce, mix about a 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 2 cups of dashi soup [you can find the powder mix kind in the asian aisle or an asian theme store], and 3 spoonfuls of mirin [it is a type of rice wine vinegar but whatever rice wine vinegar should be fine]. Mix together over a stove until boiling. Cool in the refrigerator. If you are lazy you can always buy the Soba Noodle Sauce in a Japanese Store.

If you want, cut some scallions and mix it with the sauce-- it's really all up to taste. Serve cold-- it's a cold dish. Mix sauce and Noodles. Decorate with Nori pieces or even Furikake [dried salted vegetable or fish "powder"--more or less "pieces"] with shreded Nori.

Lately, however, I really want to retry making those Chocolate-Cherry Cookies posted by Erielle of Fancy Toast that failed at the Christmas Baking Contest-- I didn't put enough Baking Powder [and we ran out of it] so the delicious cookie dough refused to rise. I had tried using Baking Soda but to no avail. Oh well. Ah~ it was good dough.