Hung Truong: The Blog!

My American Idol Audition Experience!

So I had this weird dream last night that I was auditioning for American Idol. I haven't been watching the show this season, but I guess that it somehow seeped its way into my subconscious mind (actually, I think it's probably because my friend Mark asked me if I was watching it).

I was in a group of about 30 or so people auditioning. First, we took a tour of the American Idol facilities (which I don't really think exist). They mainly consisted of empty rooms and hallways. It was sort of like a cross between Costco and a warehouse.

After the tour, they split up the guys and the girls (just like in the show!) and the girls auditioned first. They all went into the audition room together. Whenever a girl would walk out of the room, you could hear music (it was sort of like a rock concert in there). The guys' turn came up, but unlike the girls, we had to go one by one.

It was at this point that I realized I was auditioning for American Idol, and should probably figure out what I was going to sing. I wasn't really thinking about it before. As my turn grew nearer and nearer, the only song I could think to sing was “Isn't She Lovely?” by Stevie Wonder, but I didn't want to do that because everyone sings that! Plus I only know the first 6 words… I was also thinking of singing a weird Of Montreal song that would totally confuse the judges.

My friends started calling me on my cell phone, and I was like, “not now, I have figure out what I'm gonna sing for my American Idol audition!” They were excited, but I think they still just wanted to talk about their own stuff.

Next thing I know, I'm at home reading my email, and my friend sends me a message saying that he saw my audition on American Idol. This is in the strange chronology of my narrative dream. I don't remember actually auditioning, but I guess I did… Anyway, there's a link in the email to the video clip! Before I got a chance to click on it to watch myself audition (for the first time), I woke up. I guess I'll never know whether I made it or not…

New Japanese Tounge-Twister Discovered!

Yep, I found one in my Japanese listening homework today. The lady says:

自分にしか責任を負ってこなかったの (eh? Jibun ni shika kattekonakatta no?)

Which I think means: “Eh? You only bought it for yourself?” (the subject was gifts)

Not only is this hard to say, but the Japanese person saying it just blazes through it! And I had to figure it out from listening, not from reading it! Listen for yourself:

jibunnishikakattekonakattano.mp3{#p232}

I guess it's harder to understand if you're doing listening homework, and you don't know the Japanese that she's saying. I'm going to go ahead and say it's my new favorite Japanese tounge twister! Next to basugasubakuhatsu, of course…

Device Warns You If You’re Being A Noob

MIT Nerds are developing a device that can sense the emotions of those around you and detect whether or not you're annoying them/being boring. Via the news link:

It will alert its autistic user if the person they are talking to starts showing signs of getting bored or annoyed…

If the wearer seems to be failing to engage the person listening, the computer vibrates.

Sure, it's for autistic people, but I wouldn't mind having one. I could set it onto ‘reverse.' If anyone around me was boring or annoying, it would instantly administer a Danza Slap to the offending noob.

For situations where slapping people myself would be inappropriate (mostly anywhere), this would be a godsend. I'd probably have to change the batteries pretty often, though…

Grow Your Own 1up Mushroom!

Thinkgeek.com is selling what appears to be a real life 1up mushroom! They provide a pipe, a spore, and some mushroom “food solution.”

All you do is add potting soil to the green sewer-pipe-shaped flower pot, and push the spores deep into it. Soak the soil with water using the dropper, add a squirt of the food solution, and then it's off to a dark location for a few weeks.

A still unanswered question remains: What happens if you eat it? I'm thinking either you'll die instantly, or grow to enormous proportions (in your mind) and then die. I smell an impending lawsuit will happen when a kid decides to eat the mushroom (thinking he's now got an extra life) and jumps off a cliff.

Even without eternal life-giving properties, I want this. Bad. I've already ordered 2 for myself.

Fighting The Common Cold With Cold-Eeze!

On Sunday night, my throat felt somewhat congested, so I figured I was catching a cold. I wasn't going to just accept it without a fight!

Cold-Eeze is like a cough drop, but it has some special Zinc ingredient in it. From my understanding, the Zinc coats your throat and prevents the cold virus from replicating. One note: the stuff tastes really gross, and it sort of stays in your mouth long after the lozenge is gone. Imagine eating the peel of a banana. Kick it down a notch and you have Cold-Eeze.

Last time I had a cold, I tried using Cold-Eeze to decrease the length of it. I used it the late in day after I felt like I was getting sick, so I ended up being sick for more than a week.

This time, I took it right away, even before I was sure that I was sick. Today, Thursday, I feel about as good as I did on Sunday. I'm definitely past the hump. In my experience, I've had colds that have been a lot worse (I didn't really feel all that sick during the worst days, Tuesday and Wednesday) and they've lasted a lot longer too.

I wouldn't say that Cold-Eeze cures anything; it just makes your cold shorter and weaker. Even if you're skeptical about it, I'd say it's worth it to have some lying around so you can test it yourself if you're starting to feel sick.

Maybe it is a placebo, but hey, whatever makes you feel better, right?