6.30.2004
intellectual dishonesty
So my very good friend Richard just got off of the radio: seriously. He was on the radio talking about Fahrenheit 9/11, which I have not seen, but about which I have heard much. He made some excellent points, not the least of which was to question whether Michael Moore wants to be known more as an entertainer or as a journalist. It was also fun to hear the voice of someone I often engaged in discussions poking fun at someone famous while on the radio. Click here for the show in question.
I'll confess, I called in. I asked whether moderate liberals (guilty) should be either concerned or angry that Moore's 'documentary' might, while doing the good of galvanizing some Leftists might also be doing the harm of becoming a rallying cry for the Republican Right. I don't think I was very articulate, though, and I have even more respect for Richard getting up and taking a national microphone.
And as my friend Diana notes, frog eggs are not supposed to stay inside the frog. I was not saying that the frog eggs are supposed to stay inside the frog indefinitely, just that perhaps the squeezing of said frogs was the equivalent of taking the frog eggs before their time. And I would like to reiterate that I have absolutely no idea what she does with these eggs, or with these frogs.
I'm writing this post on my brand new Macintosh Powerbook G4 (15-inch). It's a "refreshed" computer, which is just marketingspeak for "not exactly new, but certainly not owned for an extended length of time." It's about a generation old, which doesn't bother me since I won't be using it for the most cutting-edge of applications, but it's mighty good for what I need. Plus it's a sleek and sexy looking computer with a lot of power and a lot of memory. Funny that the same specifications might apply in looking for a mate... hmm.
I'll confess, I called in. I asked whether moderate liberals (guilty) should be either concerned or angry that Moore's 'documentary' might, while doing the good of galvanizing some Leftists might also be doing the harm of becoming a rallying cry for the Republican Right. I don't think I was very articulate, though, and I have even more respect for Richard getting up and taking a national microphone.
And as my friend Diana notes, frog eggs are not supposed to stay inside the frog. I was not saying that the frog eggs are supposed to stay inside the frog indefinitely, just that perhaps the squeezing of said frogs was the equivalent of taking the frog eggs before their time. And I would like to reiterate that I have absolutely no idea what she does with these eggs, or with these frogs.
I'm writing this post on my brand new Macintosh Powerbook G4 (15-inch). It's a "refreshed" computer, which is just marketingspeak for "not exactly new, but certainly not owned for an extended length of time." It's about a generation old, which doesn't bother me since I won't be using it for the most cutting-edge of applications, but it's mighty good for what I need. Plus it's a sleek and sexy looking computer with a lot of power and a lot of memory. Funny that the same specifications might apply in looking for a mate... hmm.
it's amazing what you can do with a proper thesaurus
Check this out: Accessorizing the Scoops of Summer from the New York Times. You may have to register to read it. Sorry. Not since I read a food column in a humor magazine (the food column was from the New York Times and was in to contrast with a humorous column from the same newspaper the next day) have I read such prose! This is truly horrifying and outstanding, all at the same time.
I saw the Harry Potter movie today. Yes, yes, it's been out for a while and yes, this was my first time seeing it. I could totally tell that it was a new director; the drop in faithfulness to the books as well as a very different editing style were apparent. Overall, not a bad movie, but it still lacks the magic and bright-eyed wonder of the first.
I also saw the lab where my best friend works. Having worked in the humanities since, well, forever, it's interesting for me to visit laboratories, in that I will probably never work in one. Among the bewilderingly complex things she does is to squeeze frogs. She would often tell of this squeezing when we chatted on the phone, but only today did I fully understand what she meant. It appeared to be akin to squeezing toothpaste out of a stubborn tube, or icing out of a pastry cone, except that it was a female frog, and eggs were coming out of her backside. She assures me that she's not actually hurting the frog (she uses the eggs to collect DNA for something or other), but I'm pretty sure that I'd react poorly to being squeezed so hard that what was supposed to stay inside me came out.
I saw the Harry Potter movie today. Yes, yes, it's been out for a while and yes, this was my first time seeing it. I could totally tell that it was a new director; the drop in faithfulness to the books as well as a very different editing style were apparent. Overall, not a bad movie, but it still lacks the magic and bright-eyed wonder of the first.
I also saw the lab where my best friend works. Having worked in the humanities since, well, forever, it's interesting for me to visit laboratories, in that I will probably never work in one. Among the bewilderingly complex things she does is to squeeze frogs. She would often tell of this squeezing when we chatted on the phone, but only today did I fully understand what she meant. It appeared to be akin to squeezing toothpaste out of a stubborn tube, or icing out of a pastry cone, except that it was a female frog, and eggs were coming out of her backside. She assures me that she's not actually hurting the frog (she uses the eggs to collect DNA for something or other), but I'm pretty sure that I'd react poorly to being squeezed so hard that what was supposed to stay inside me came out.
6.29.2004
when it rains...
...lightning strikes.
So I got my iPod replaced. My dad asked "what do you mean, replaced?" Well, they looked at my iPod, tried to hook it up to a computer and said, "wow. it's gone." So I am in possession of iPod #2, which is completely empty and devoid of music, and my CDs are all packed away somewhere, so I can't even begin to fill it up. I know it seems silly to fret and such over technology but for a musician, to lose all of that music makes life really pretty bleak, or at least, a bit less colorful.
And of course, lightning doesn't just strike. It strikes again.
About a month before school ended, a pin in my watch broke, rendering it unwearable but otherwise OK. The guys here in Lexington, MA know my watch and can fix it (other watch places have told me that they don't have the tools for it) and for cheap (if other stores do have the tools, they're going to charge me upwards of $40 to replace a stupid little pin). So I put it in my car and drove up to Boston. I don't know what happened, but the watch crystal broke in transit, because on the way to the jewelry store, I saw that there's a giant crack down the face of the watch. This would be really humorous except that I'm a) petrified of doing *anything* for fear of wasting my time and breaking something else, and b) starting to get really really depressed. This frightens me because I've been depressed before and there's nothing I wouldn't do to avoid going through it again. But when so many things break in so little time (I think it's been less than a month), the stupid superstitious part of my brain is getting really on edge.
I dunno... I just feel like I'm going to lose it.
So I got my iPod replaced. My dad asked "what do you mean, replaced?" Well, they looked at my iPod, tried to hook it up to a computer and said, "wow. it's gone." So I am in possession of iPod #2, which is completely empty and devoid of music, and my CDs are all packed away somewhere, so I can't even begin to fill it up. I know it seems silly to fret and such over technology but for a musician, to lose all of that music makes life really pretty bleak, or at least, a bit less colorful.
And of course, lightning doesn't just strike. It strikes again.
About a month before school ended, a pin in my watch broke, rendering it unwearable but otherwise OK. The guys here in Lexington, MA know my watch and can fix it (other watch places have told me that they don't have the tools for it) and for cheap (if other stores do have the tools, they're going to charge me upwards of $40 to replace a stupid little pin). So I put it in my car and drove up to Boston. I don't know what happened, but the watch crystal broke in transit, because on the way to the jewelry store, I saw that there's a giant crack down the face of the watch. This would be really humorous except that I'm a) petrified of doing *anything* for fear of wasting my time and breaking something else, and b) starting to get really really depressed. This frightens me because I've been depressed before and there's nothing I wouldn't do to avoid going through it again. But when so many things break in so little time (I think it's been less than a month), the stupid superstitious part of my brain is getting really on edge.
I dunno... I just feel like I'm going to lose it.
6.28.2004
some cheese...
... to go with my whine.
Yes. I realize that I sound horrid and spoiled. After all, I'm not complaining about my health or my family or that I have no where to eat or sleep. Given the opportunity, I probably would, but right now, the bare essentials are in order.
The thing is, and I saw this in my students a lot, that we start to get used to listening to whatever music we want, talking to our friends on the phone instantly, or watching whatever's on TV whenever we feel like it. Guilty as charged. So I'm trying to be more aware that I have it pretty well in the grand scheme of things; but of course, I'm not trying that hard.
And as for cheese, I'm a pretty big fan of smoked gouda. and feta cheese crumbles.
Yes. I realize that I sound horrid and spoiled. After all, I'm not complaining about my health or my family or that I have no where to eat or sleep. Given the opportunity, I probably would, but right now, the bare essentials are in order.
The thing is, and I saw this in my students a lot, that we start to get used to listening to whatever music we want, talking to our friends on the phone instantly, or watching whatever's on TV whenever we feel like it. Guilty as charged. So I'm trying to be more aware that I have it pretty well in the grand scheme of things; but of course, I'm not trying that hard.
And as for cheese, I'm a pretty big fan of smoked gouda. and feta cheese crumbles.
musings on the nature of lightning
So it has been said by some that lightning does not strike the same place twice. It has not been said by me; I know better than to taunt lightning. And so it has happened again. Not another short circuit, as far as I can tell, but all the same, another of my beloved technological accompaniments has met its at least partial demise - my iPod.
For those of you who saw me roaming the halls this year or had me in class, I own an iPod. In fact, I love my iPod. So when my younger brother was having trouble with his, I stepped in to help. Now, it's been a while since I sync'ed up my iPod, since I no longer have a Mac in my no longer apartment (it belonged to school). It's run out of batteries several times so the time was never set quite right: I figured I'd sync it up with the G4 Tower we have here at home and all would be well; and I could fix my brother's problem.
The problem has been that while the G4 has no issues beginning to recognize the iPod, it gets kind of frozen about half-way through. This happens every now and again, not often, but enough to aggravate. Software update indicated that my iPod could use some updated software, so it proceeded to install said software, at which point, the computer froze. So now it's overwritten half of my iPod operating software and hasn't replaced the other half. Now my iPod can't be recognized by the G4 at all, and in addition, I think I lost all of my music.
Now, I have a 40GB iPod. And I'd used up about 15GB already. So to lose about 1/3rd of my CD collection is difficult, not to mention all of the other songs I'd had since Napster was legal. So the list of damaged goods now reads:
1) my TV
2) my cordless phone
3) my computer (back to life, sans original hard drive)
4) my cell phone (back to life, miraculously unharmed)
and introducing...
5) my iPod.
Of all of these, the computer is probably the most costly, information-wise, but the iPod is the most heartbreaking. Wish me luck when I call Apple tomorrow... :(
For those of you who saw me roaming the halls this year or had me in class, I own an iPod. In fact, I love my iPod. So when my younger brother was having trouble with his, I stepped in to help. Now, it's been a while since I sync'ed up my iPod, since I no longer have a Mac in my no longer apartment (it belonged to school). It's run out of batteries several times so the time was never set quite right: I figured I'd sync it up with the G4 Tower we have here at home and all would be well; and I could fix my brother's problem.
The problem has been that while the G4 has no issues beginning to recognize the iPod, it gets kind of frozen about half-way through. This happens every now and again, not often, but enough to aggravate. Software update indicated that my iPod could use some updated software, so it proceeded to install said software, at which point, the computer froze. So now it's overwritten half of my iPod operating software and hasn't replaced the other half. Now my iPod can't be recognized by the G4 at all, and in addition, I think I lost all of my music.
Now, I have a 40GB iPod. And I'd used up about 15GB already. So to lose about 1/3rd of my CD collection is difficult, not to mention all of the other songs I'd had since Napster was legal. So the list of damaged goods now reads:
1) my TV
2) my cordless phone
3) my computer (back to life, sans original hard drive)
4) my cell phone (back to life, miraculously unharmed)
and introducing...
5) my iPod.
Of all of these, the computer is probably the most costly, information-wise, but the iPod is the most heartbreaking. Wish me luck when I call Apple tomorrow... :(
6.27.2004
poor driver alert
Our poor driver alert comes today from the Constitution State: a brick red Subaru with CT plates 130-PUO. (yes, it's mean to post someone's personal information on the net, but this is just a small blog, and this was a severely poor driver) The woman in charge of said vehicle was weaving and exercising horrible speed control. Every now and then, she would raise her hand to the open sunroof, but only after she flicked the spent cigarette butt did I realize what she had been doing. The butt hit my windshield beffore becoming litter somewhere near exit 6A on Interstate 84. Ma'am, shame on you for being a poor, poor driver.
6.26.2004
beantown
so i'm out of NJ for the next two weeks - Boston to San Francisco to Chicago to Western MA. But yesterday and the day before, I was in NYC with my brother. A few thoughts...
I had to email a student (i'm tutoring this summer) a test. My hotel would charge $17.95 for net access, so I tried Starbucks. No hotspot. None either at Barnes & Noble. At Kinko's, I hook up at $0.10 per minute. Not bad, I think. But then, I'm having trouble logging on. After a few false starts (their cable connectors were awful), I'm up and running. It took me 50 minutes to NOT send a 53K document. So by now, I'm annoyed, I'm frustrated, and Kinko's has charged me $5 to do nothing. I end up going to Columbia U. the next morning and sending it out in less than 5 minutes. Moral of story: Kinko's sucks.
Two food reviews for you today. Don't take this as me bragging about how expensively I can eat - this is very much a "mom was paying, so let's eat well" type of occasion.
Sushiann
51st St. between Madison and Park.
Excellently fresh sushi, including a waiter who tells you not only the specials of the day but also where the specials of the day were caught. The fresh toro tartare was excellent, as was the fresh salmon roe. It is always a pleasure to taste really fresh sea urchin, and overall, my meal was excellent. Prices are reasonable for Midtown Manhattan sushi, and you certainly get what you pay for. The red bean ice cream is amazing, the capuccino ice cream not so much, and the green tea, while refreshing, tasted a little too woodsy.
Gallagher's Steak House
52nd St. between Broadway and 8th.
"Since 1927". Many of the staff appear to have been working since they opened - even the younger waiters are as crotchety and crabby as the oldest, including an Asian guy doing a turn as an old Italian server; talk about cognitive dissonance. Mom had the filet mignon, which was tender and almost buttery. My brother had the sirloin - tough but flavorful, even though he had it cooked to medium and drowned it in steak sauce. Me? I started with the onion soup (excellent) and went for the porterhouse. I'm only going to be in Gallagher's once in my life - might as well live it up. It was a little too cooked for my taste, but the flavor was fantastic. Rice pudding and apple pie brought the meal to a fitting, if stupefied end.
While i'm on the subject of food, here are some other reviews that might go otherwise go unwritten:
The subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki isn't bad, but don't order cheese like my brother did.
The Wendy's new Chicken Filet sandwich is barely acceptable: the lettuce was wilted and dry, and the sauce was pretty heinous. The chicken, to its credit, tasted like chicken.
Wow... It's good to be home.
I had to email a student (i'm tutoring this summer) a test. My hotel would charge $17.95 for net access, so I tried Starbucks. No hotspot. None either at Barnes & Noble. At Kinko's, I hook up at $0.10 per minute. Not bad, I think. But then, I'm having trouble logging on. After a few false starts (their cable connectors were awful), I'm up and running. It took me 50 minutes to NOT send a 53K document. So by now, I'm annoyed, I'm frustrated, and Kinko's has charged me $5 to do nothing. I end up going to Columbia U. the next morning and sending it out in less than 5 minutes. Moral of story: Kinko's sucks.
Two food reviews for you today. Don't take this as me bragging about how expensively I can eat - this is very much a "mom was paying, so let's eat well" type of occasion.
Sushiann
51st St. between Madison and Park.
Excellently fresh sushi, including a waiter who tells you not only the specials of the day but also where the specials of the day were caught. The fresh toro tartare was excellent, as was the fresh salmon roe. It is always a pleasure to taste really fresh sea urchin, and overall, my meal was excellent. Prices are reasonable for Midtown Manhattan sushi, and you certainly get what you pay for. The red bean ice cream is amazing, the capuccino ice cream not so much, and the green tea, while refreshing, tasted a little too woodsy.
Gallagher's Steak House
52nd St. between Broadway and 8th.
"Since 1927". Many of the staff appear to have been working since they opened - even the younger waiters are as crotchety and crabby as the oldest, including an Asian guy doing a turn as an old Italian server; talk about cognitive dissonance. Mom had the filet mignon, which was tender and almost buttery. My brother had the sirloin - tough but flavorful, even though he had it cooked to medium and drowned it in steak sauce. Me? I started with the onion soup (excellent) and went for the porterhouse. I'm only going to be in Gallagher's once in my life - might as well live it up. It was a little too cooked for my taste, but the flavor was fantastic. Rice pudding and apple pie brought the meal to a fitting, if stupefied end.
While i'm on the subject of food, here are some other reviews that might go otherwise go unwritten:
The subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki isn't bad, but don't order cheese like my brother did.
The Wendy's new Chicken Filet sandwich is barely acceptable: the lettuce was wilted and dry, and the sauce was pretty heinous. The chicken, to its credit, tasted like chicken.
Wow... It's good to be home.
6.23.2004
the bent spoon, and other locales
Had an excellent day yesterday: tutored in the morning, then went to Princeton to walk around and catch some old professors. Saw my old boss from Forbes college: a fabulously nice person whose capacity for giving advice is matched by his encyclopedic knowledge of pretty much any subject.
Went to dinner with my hosts this summer and some of their wacky friends. Dinner at the Alchemist and Barrister: I had the Irish Lamb Stew: it was excellent. Had a taste of the crab risotto (part of the Seafood Medley): not bad, but the aroma of cheese (already a little funky) mixed with the aroma of seafood lent it an odor I normally associate with cleaning out my refrigerator. Also had taste of the Roast Turkey Sandwich with pear and brie on cranberry walnut bread: excellent, but it was hard to taste the pear and the brie. Perhaps a sharper brie matched with a less ripe pear?
Dessert honors go now to The Bent Spoon in Palmer Square. Owned by Gabrielle Carbone and Matthew Errico (married). This "artisan ice cream" shop was opened on May 16th by two TCNJ alumni in the Italian tradition of creamy gelato. I had the dark chocolate, which wasn't as bitter or dark as it should have been, but delicious all the same. Wanted to try the coffee swirl, with coffee from Small World Roasters (also in Princeton), but they ran out. I was also intrigued by the Sicilian Blood Orange sorbet and organic pineapple sorbet. Interestingly on the pastry menu: "Cream-Filled 'Winkie". hmmm...
Went to dinner with my hosts this summer and some of their wacky friends. Dinner at the Alchemist and Barrister: I had the Irish Lamb Stew: it was excellent. Had a taste of the crab risotto (part of the Seafood Medley): not bad, but the aroma of cheese (already a little funky) mixed with the aroma of seafood lent it an odor I normally associate with cleaning out my refrigerator. Also had taste of the Roast Turkey Sandwich with pear and brie on cranberry walnut bread: excellent, but it was hard to taste the pear and the brie. Perhaps a sharper brie matched with a less ripe pear?
Dessert honors go now to The Bent Spoon in Palmer Square. Owned by Gabrielle Carbone and Matthew Errico (married). This "artisan ice cream" shop was opened on May 16th by two TCNJ alumni in the Italian tradition of creamy gelato. I had the dark chocolate, which wasn't as bitter or dark as it should have been, but delicious all the same. Wanted to try the coffee swirl, with coffee from Small World Roasters (also in Princeton), but they ran out. I was also intrigued by the Sicilian Blood Orange sorbet and organic pineapple sorbet. Interestingly on the pastry menu: "Cream-Filled 'Winkie". hmmm...
6.20.2004
cookies, part two
OK, the French Vanilla milano cookies, while tasty, are a redundancy. The cookies are already lightly vanilla flavored; the only thing the french vanilla icing does is make the taste a little more pronounced. Tasty, but not worth the extra icing. Stick with the regular ones or, as I said earlier, the Raspberry ones are quite tasty. Just thought I'd finish up the thread.
cookies...
Went to the store yesterday: had no idea they made Milano cookies in Raspberry and French Vanilla flavors. The raspberry ones are quite tasty. I bought the Vanilla ones, but haven't opened them yet.
Tried Coke's new C2 low-carb version. Tastes like watered down coke. It doesn't even have the sweetness of Diet Coke. It just tastes bad. Didn't Coke learn anything when it introduced 'new coke': DON'T MESS WITH COKE.
Happy Father's Day everyone. :)
Tried Coke's new C2 low-carb version. Tastes like watered down coke. It doesn't even have the sweetness of Diet Coke. It just tastes bad. Didn't Coke learn anything when it introduced 'new coke': DON'T MESS WITH COKE.
Happy Father's Day everyone. :)
6.17.2004
good news and bad news, part 2
So I got my computer back today. Everything was great: I was emailing and IMing and watching Strong Bad and such. Meanwhile, I was also trying to get what I had archived off of the P. school servers to put back on my computer.
And it was working.
When suddenly, out of the blue, the computer shut down. Not the normal shutdown process: it just shut down. And wouldn't start again. Luckily, I hadn't left school yet, so I took it down to the tech folk who looked at me incredulously until they tried it themselves. It got halfway through powering up and then shut down. Then it powered up, one person logged in, and then it shut down. Looks like another short circuit.
And then they tell me that this short circuit is most likely what caused my last hard drive to destroy itself. I'm quickly running out of patience.
And it was working.
When suddenly, out of the blue, the computer shut down. Not the normal shutdown process: it just shut down. And wouldn't start again. Luckily, I hadn't left school yet, so I took it down to the tech folk who looked at me incredulously until they tried it themselves. It got halfway through powering up and then shut down. Then it powered up, one person logged in, and then it shut down. Looks like another short circuit.
And then they tell me that this short circuit is most likely what caused my last hard drive to destroy itself. I'm quickly running out of patience.
6.15.2004
good news... bad news...
Let's recap: when we last left our hero, his television was shorting out, his 'net connection had gone down, his cordless phone was going wacky, his computer had died, and his cell phone had shorted out. I have some good news and some bad news: the cell phone has pulled a Lazarus, and has come back to life. The interesting note here is that the reanimation occurred when I got back into my car immediately after my chaperoning duties were completed. How ridiculous.
The bad news is that my computer will not be rejoining the world of the living - its problem is more an issue of the hard drive being functionally kaput. So while the good tech folk at the P. school (who own the computer at issue) can order a new drive and give me back a computer, records from the last two months of work and life, including my extensive database of the 600+ books in my library collection, are toast. All of them.
And without my computer, how will I watch Strong-Bad? :(
A final ending to the Quiz Bowl Tournament: The B team went 0 - 4, but gave some of their teams a real run for their money. Nicely done. The A team went 2 - 2, but managed to be the only team that beat the eventual winners of the entire national tournament. THE ONLY ONES!
We went to the Budweiser Brewery tour yesterday - very educational. I seriously think that the Clydesdales have it better than most third-world country dwellers. The entire brewery campus smells like fresh-baked bread, which made me quite hungry, and there is tasting to be had at the end of the tour. Before I continue, I would like to say that I abhor underage drinking and waited until I was 21 to drink. A purely legal decision: breaking the law is a bad thing. What follows is for the sole benefit of my 21+ readers and should not, under any circumstances, be construed as my condoning underage drinking, let along encouraging it. OK, on to the results:
a) Michelob Ultra - Anheuser-Busch's answer to the low-carb craze, Michelob Ultra has 2.6 grams of carbs per 12 oz. serving. Tastes like it had been made from beer. But it's not beer. It's a tan-colored water solution with a light and not very present beer flavoring added. Their ad campaign asks to "choose on taste". What taste? This tasted like soap. F.
b) Michelob Amber Bock - what they refer to as "hearty and full-bodied", this was the only beer that tasted anything remotely like beer. Drinkable, though there are other brands that do the same thing and taste better. B+
c) Bare Knuckle Stout - in the glass it appears to be a stout - it has a nice curtain effect (bubbles moving downward) and separates nicely over a 30-second period. It is dark, the head is creamy, and overall, it smells promising. This is what you get when you mix real Stout with dirty dishwater: a stout for wusses, drinkable, but barely. C-.
The bad news is that my computer will not be rejoining the world of the living - its problem is more an issue of the hard drive being functionally kaput. So while the good tech folk at the P. school (who own the computer at issue) can order a new drive and give me back a computer, records from the last two months of work and life, including my extensive database of the 600+ books in my library collection, are toast. All of them.
And without my computer, how will I watch Strong-Bad? :(
A final ending to the Quiz Bowl Tournament: The B team went 0 - 4, but gave some of their teams a real run for their money. Nicely done. The A team went 2 - 2, but managed to be the only team that beat the eventual winners of the entire national tournament. THE ONLY ONES!
We went to the Budweiser Brewery tour yesterday - very educational. I seriously think that the Clydesdales have it better than most third-world country dwellers. The entire brewery campus smells like fresh-baked bread, which made me quite hungry, and there is tasting to be had at the end of the tour. Before I continue, I would like to say that I abhor underage drinking and waited until I was 21 to drink. A purely legal decision: breaking the law is a bad thing. What follows is for the sole benefit of my 21+ readers and should not, under any circumstances, be construed as my condoning underage drinking, let along encouraging it. OK, on to the results:
a) Michelob Ultra - Anheuser-Busch's answer to the low-carb craze, Michelob Ultra has 2.6 grams of carbs per 12 oz. serving. Tastes like it had been made from beer. But it's not beer. It's a tan-colored water solution with a light and not very present beer flavoring added. Their ad campaign asks to "choose on taste". What taste? This tasted like soap. F.
b) Michelob Amber Bock - what they refer to as "hearty and full-bodied", this was the only beer that tasted anything remotely like beer. Drinkable, though there are other brands that do the same thing and taste better. B+
c) Bare Knuckle Stout - in the glass it appears to be a stout - it has a nice curtain effect (bubbles moving downward) and separates nicely over a 30-second period. It is dark, the head is creamy, and overall, it smells promising. This is what you get when you mix real Stout with dirty dishwater: a stout for wusses, drinkable, but barely. C-.
6.13.2004
it's useless, and expensive!
Seen on skymall:
The night-light patio umbrella: LEDs embedded inside the bottom of a patio umbrella are powered by bateries which charge when the umbrella is doing its job as an umbrella.
Solar LED lantern "illumninates with the flickering glow of realistic candlelight" but "without any concern about the danger of real fire." However, the fake candle still contains a wick, for no discernable purpose.
"Turn an ordinary flush handle into functional bathroom art." Behold, the chrome or gold plated dolphin sculpture, which can replace your front-mounted toilet flush handle. Because nothing says class like a gold-plated dolphin on your toilet.
An 8-foot "goal", complete with one 37" and one 24" giant basketball. "This set can be used indoors or out, or even at the office." What the hell kind of office would allow you to play basketball with a 37" ball? And can I get a job there?
The EPA Registered Insect Repellant Clothing, also with 30+ UV protection! At only $84 for a shirt, and $79 for pants, you can now stay insect-free for up to 25 washes - only $6.52 per washing.
And my favorite:
"Like a mood lamp, the Stock Orb glows different colors to indicate real-time changes in the Dow" Alternately a mood lamp for Wall Street dorks, or finally, something to tell those aging hippies at the commune why they won't be retiring from their day jobs anytime soon.
---
An update on our Quiz Bowl performance: both our A and B teams were totally hosed today. We shake it off and attribute our losses to intense dislike by both other teams and moderators. We will attempt the crushing of them by us tomorrow, commencing at 9:45 AM.
The night-light patio umbrella: LEDs embedded inside the bottom of a patio umbrella are powered by bateries which charge when the umbrella is doing its job as an umbrella.
Solar LED lantern "illumninates with the flickering glow of realistic candlelight" but "without any concern about the danger of real fire." However, the fake candle still contains a wick, for no discernable purpose.
"Turn an ordinary flush handle into functional bathroom art." Behold, the chrome or gold plated dolphin sculpture, which can replace your front-mounted toilet flush handle. Because nothing says class like a gold-plated dolphin on your toilet.
An 8-foot "goal", complete with one 37" and one 24" giant basketball. "This set can be used indoors or out, or even at the office." What the hell kind of office would allow you to play basketball with a 37" ball? And can I get a job there?
The EPA Registered Insect Repellant Clothing, also with 30+ UV protection! At only $84 for a shirt, and $79 for pants, you can now stay insect-free for up to 25 washes - only $6.52 per washing.
And my favorite:
"Like a mood lamp, the Stock Orb glows different colors to indicate real-time changes in the Dow" Alternately a mood lamp for Wall Street dorks, or finally, something to tell those aging hippies at the commune why they won't be retiring from their day jobs anytime soon.
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An update on our Quiz Bowl performance: both our A and B teams were totally hosed today. We shake it off and attribute our losses to intense dislike by both other teams and moderators. We will attempt the crushing of them by us tomorrow, commencing at 9:45 AM.
6.12.2004
bad day
This, too, was written by hand and uploaded later.
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It has been approximately two weeks since my television began to short-circuit itself to death. At about the same time, my cordless phone in my apartment began to malfunction, possibly caused by a short circuit. Yesterday, my computer... Today, on the first day of our St. Louis adventure (P. School Quiz Bowl's trip to a National Quiz Tournament), my cell phone decided that it too was unhappy in my employ and shuffled off its mortal coil as well. Peculiar, for sure, not to mention a good deal disturbing and possibly even unnerving.
Well, it can only get better from here, right? With four matches in the next two days, I certainly hope so.
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It has been approximately two weeks since my television began to short-circuit itself to death. At about the same time, my cordless phone in my apartment began to malfunction, possibly caused by a short circuit. Yesterday, my computer... Today, on the first day of our St. Louis adventure (P. School Quiz Bowl's trip to a National Quiz Tournament), my cell phone decided that it too was unhappy in my employ and shuffled off its mortal coil as well. Peculiar, for sure, not to mention a good deal disturbing and possibly even unnerving.
Well, it can only get better from here, right? With four matches in the next two days, I certainly hope so.
the last night
What follows was written at the posting time by hand, but was uploaded later.
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My computer having jettisoned its bootable hard drive, or at least, its recognition thereof, I am forced to write this portion of my blog by hand. A fittingly rustic way, I suppose, to end a three-year adventure in this very apartment. I am currently all but moved out - my desks have gone, as have my chairs, tables, and kitchenware, to say nothing of my books and shelves, which vacated this place long ago. Unfortunately joining my furniture in absence is my bed, and so I end my tenure here as I started it - sleeping on a hardwood floor on a few blankets and the comfort of a single reading-lamp. With such a sparse and unadorned space, a new phenomenon has developed - my apartment echoes! Not just a slight reverberation, but a truly differentiated echo. How cool!
I did, I admit, saddle both my mother and father with the burden of driving my belongings to Massachusetts on two separate occasions each, one of which befell my father last night, and one of which befell my mother this morning and afternoon. The act of helping someone move is difficult enough without the beneficiary of your kindness being a real pain in the neck - my mom and dad are amazing people and phenomenally loving parents. Three years of teaching have shown me that parenting is not an easy job. I put up with kids for about six or eight hours per day, and I get paid! In truth, the students are far more easy to "put up with" than I may have inplied, and no, I don't get paid a lot, but the fact remains that these kids go home to parents who have to deal with them for the other fourteen or sixteen hours each day. I think that I have a decent grasp of how hard parenting can be. Or, at least, I thought that I did. How my parents managed to help me move while I was being moody, frantic, and snappy is well beyond me. Thank you, Mom and Dad. And to all of you out there for whom this situation sounds vaguely familiar, be certain to thank those who love you unconditionally too.
In the spirit of farewells, I listened to some of the state funeral of Ronald Reagan on the radio. Now, I'll be frank - I am no fan of Reagan's politics, but I was very moved by the service. At one point, I even started to tear up.
Well, this is it: my last night in what has been a fine place to live. The stove is scrubbed, the bathroom sparkling, the fridge empty, the closets bare, adn the floors swept. I hope that whoever rents this apartment next will have as much fun here as I have. Goodnight.
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My computer having jettisoned its bootable hard drive, or at least, its recognition thereof, I am forced to write this portion of my blog by hand. A fittingly rustic way, I suppose, to end a three-year adventure in this very apartment. I am currently all but moved out - my desks have gone, as have my chairs, tables, and kitchenware, to say nothing of my books and shelves, which vacated this place long ago. Unfortunately joining my furniture in absence is my bed, and so I end my tenure here as I started it - sleeping on a hardwood floor on a few blankets and the comfort of a single reading-lamp. With such a sparse and unadorned space, a new phenomenon has developed - my apartment echoes! Not just a slight reverberation, but a truly differentiated echo. How cool!
I did, I admit, saddle both my mother and father with the burden of driving my belongings to Massachusetts on two separate occasions each, one of which befell my father last night, and one of which befell my mother this morning and afternoon. The act of helping someone move is difficult enough without the beneficiary of your kindness being a real pain in the neck - my mom and dad are amazing people and phenomenally loving parents. Three years of teaching have shown me that parenting is not an easy job. I put up with kids for about six or eight hours per day, and I get paid! In truth, the students are far more easy to "put up with" than I may have inplied, and no, I don't get paid a lot, but the fact remains that these kids go home to parents who have to deal with them for the other fourteen or sixteen hours each day. I think that I have a decent grasp of how hard parenting can be. Or, at least, I thought that I did. How my parents managed to help me move while I was being moody, frantic, and snappy is well beyond me. Thank you, Mom and Dad. And to all of you out there for whom this situation sounds vaguely familiar, be certain to thank those who love you unconditionally too.
In the spirit of farewells, I listened to some of the state funeral of Ronald Reagan on the radio. Now, I'll be frank - I am no fan of Reagan's politics, but I was very moved by the service. At one point, I even started to tear up.
Well, this is it: my last night in what has been a fine place to live. The stove is scrubbed, the bathroom sparkling, the fridge empty, the closets bare, adn the floors swept. I hope that whoever rents this apartment next will have as much fun here as I have. Goodnight.
6.10.2004
packing stinks
Had my last faculty meeting yesterday - it was a bittersweet moment. Yes, it's been two weeks since I had any classes, so I've been saying my goodbyes for a good long while now. Still, there's always a finality to these things. The hardest one was a goodbye get-together thrown by my colleagues in the foreign language department. I truly am going to miss everyone: their warmth and dedication are legendary.
Another tough goodbye - yesterday I had to throw out a giant mushroom (6 feet tall, 8 feet wide) which had taken up residence in my living room for about seven months. I'm very sad to see it go, but it had a good run, and had been, in fact, saved from demise by yours truly last year. My friends and I enjoyed it, but it's time to say goodbye, I think. Of course, its being time does not make the parting any easier.
That said, I had forgotten how large my apartment could be.
And so I come to the most finite of my exits from life in NJ: I'm moving out of my apartment today and tomorrow. Every last detail has to be thrown into a box and packaged and hauled up to Massachusetts: it's depressing to think that my life can be put into a series of cardboard boxes and moved from place to place. It's disappointing to have to uproot myself too. I'm petrified that I'm forgetting something or doing something wrong. As someone truly tied down to routine, I never find moving at all easy. And the worry I bring to the job negates most of the excitement of exploring somewhere new. Oh well, back to packing.
Another tough goodbye - yesterday I had to throw out a giant mushroom (6 feet tall, 8 feet wide) which had taken up residence in my living room for about seven months. I'm very sad to see it go, but it had a good run, and had been, in fact, saved from demise by yours truly last year. My friends and I enjoyed it, but it's time to say goodbye, I think. Of course, its being time does not make the parting any easier.
That said, I had forgotten how large my apartment could be.
And so I come to the most finite of my exits from life in NJ: I'm moving out of my apartment today and tomorrow. Every last detail has to be thrown into a box and packaged and hauled up to Massachusetts: it's depressing to think that my life can be put into a series of cardboard boxes and moved from place to place. It's disappointing to have to uproot myself too. I'm petrified that I'm forgetting something or doing something wrong. As someone truly tied down to routine, I never find moving at all easy. And the worry I bring to the job negates most of the excitement of exploring somewhere new. Oh well, back to packing.
6.07.2004
graduation
Graduation arrived with much fanfare and brilliance: caps were worn, as were gowns, and faculty were also dressed in their academic robes with hoods and everything. I'd go for my PhD just to get a cool poofy hat. I really want a poofy hat.
The ceremony was excellent: student speakers were quite good, the Letter in Life winner was excellent, and it didn't take too long either. All in all, a good day.
Unfortunately, we pause to honor the demise of my television, which sometime in the last few weeks has developed a short circuit which causes it to shut off at random times, often at #4 in the SportsCenter Top 10, a shut off from which I must wait anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours before I can successfully turn on the TV again. So even if I wanted to be at home enjoying the Simpsons or some other televised fare, I am unable. I tried to watch the Belmont Stakes but was cut off; caught some of the President Reagan tribues, but was also cut off. This is getting really aggravating.
I'm at school finishing my grading and listening to excellent post-Gregorian Chant polyphony. Sweet.
It occurs to me that now that we're in summer, I've got a question for everyone: What's on your summer book list? Not "What are you reading b/c you're supposed to for school?" but "What are you reading b/c you feel like it?" I'm currently reading a book which was a recent gift: Oxford: A Cultural and Literary Companion, by David Horan. It's getting me really psyched to go in October.
By the way, stop asking me if I'm in Oxford yet: term doesn't start until October 11.
The ceremony was excellent: student speakers were quite good, the Letter in Life winner was excellent, and it didn't take too long either. All in all, a good day.
Unfortunately, we pause to honor the demise of my television, which sometime in the last few weeks has developed a short circuit which causes it to shut off at random times, often at #4 in the SportsCenter Top 10, a shut off from which I must wait anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours before I can successfully turn on the TV again. So even if I wanted to be at home enjoying the Simpsons or some other televised fare, I am unable. I tried to watch the Belmont Stakes but was cut off; caught some of the President Reagan tribues, but was also cut off. This is getting really aggravating.
I'm at school finishing my grading and listening to excellent post-Gregorian Chant polyphony. Sweet.
It occurs to me that now that we're in summer, I've got a question for everyone: What's on your summer book list? Not "What are you reading b/c you're supposed to for school?" but "What are you reading b/c you feel like it?" I'm currently reading a book which was a recent gift: Oxford: A Cultural and Literary Companion, by David Horan. It's getting me really psyched to go in October.
By the way, stop asking me if I'm in Oxford yet: term doesn't start until October 11.
6.04.2004
incoming!
Had dinner with the incoming students tonight: P. school is lucky - the incoming students seem really cool.
Also had dinner with some of my faculty coworkers tonight: in this respect, I am truly blessed to have made so many wonderful friends. It's hard to leave the comfort and security of such a warm and generous and loving group of people. These are titans of education: people to whom I look for inspiration, people who serve as examples of respect and love of students, and people whose integrity and character are beyond question. They are my models and I will miss them. Their support for me has been truly wonderful, and I cannot help but think that P. has been probably the ideal place to spend my first few years out of college.
Also had dinner with some of my faculty coworkers tonight: in this respect, I am truly blessed to have made so many wonderful friends. It's hard to leave the comfort and security of such a warm and generous and loving group of people. These are titans of education: people to whom I look for inspiration, people who serve as examples of respect and love of students, and people whose integrity and character are beyond question. They are my models and I will miss them. Their support for me has been truly wonderful, and I cannot help but think that P. has been probably the ideal place to spend my first few years out of college.
6.03.2004
poop
Yesterday was the 25th Anniversary of the Pooper Scooper Law in New York City stating that if your dog makes a mess, you've actually got to clean it up. It boggles the mind that it was only 26 years ago, New York City was just another giant toilet for dogs. Oh *boy* how things have changed...
I've been grading all day yesterday and today: I am surprised by how much paperwork I have to deal with. Drove to Western MA to drop off some boxes of stuff with my folks. Back in NJ tonight. On the way, I ate at a rest stop on the NY Thruway. Big mistake: rest stop food is awful.
Having read comments on my previous posting, I have two comments. Firstly, yes, I'll be at Keble College, which is inside Oxford the town, and also inside Oxford the University. It's a beautiful college, and I'll be living in-college for the first year.
Secondly, yes, Americans watch a lot of TV. "I hope Mr. W isn't like that in England." Who says I'm like that in the US? I think that the poster feels that by commenting on how many shows were at my disposal, I am admitting to having watched all of it. With that said, I would like to admit that I did watch quite a lot of it. I mean, I work hard to keep our national TV-watching average above 4 hours per day. It takes a LOT of Ron Popeil ads, re-runs of M*A*S*H, and Law & Order spinoffs of every variety to do it, but I'm just willing to make that sacrifice for the team. Heh.
In my defense, I'm a huge West Wing fan, but I don't want to get into a tizzy over the Sorkin / post-Sorkin debate except to say that I'm still a fan, and I'm still watching and buying DVDs and thinking to myself that if my coworkers looked like Janel Moloney, I'd get even less done around the office than I already do. :)
I've been grading all day yesterday and today: I am surprised by how much paperwork I have to deal with. Drove to Western MA to drop off some boxes of stuff with my folks. Back in NJ tonight. On the way, I ate at a rest stop on the NY Thruway. Big mistake: rest stop food is awful.
Having read comments on my previous posting, I have two comments. Firstly, yes, I'll be at Keble College, which is inside Oxford the town, and also inside Oxford the University. It's a beautiful college, and I'll be living in-college for the first year.
Secondly, yes, Americans watch a lot of TV. "I hope Mr. W isn't like that in England." Who says I'm like that in the US? I think that the poster feels that by commenting on how many shows were at my disposal, I am admitting to having watched all of it. With that said, I would like to admit that I did watch quite a lot of it. I mean, I work hard to keep our national TV-watching average above 4 hours per day. It takes a LOT of Ron Popeil ads, re-runs of M*A*S*H, and Law & Order spinoffs of every variety to do it, but I'm just willing to make that sacrifice for the team. Heh.
In my defense, I'm a huge West Wing fan, but I don't want to get into a tizzy over the Sorkin / post-Sorkin debate except to say that I'm still a fan, and I'm still watching and buying DVDs and thinking to myself that if my coworkers looked like Janel Moloney, I'd get even less done around the office than I already do. :)
6.01.2004
still working
Back at the P. school today to clean some stuff up. Yesterday's Memorial Day was overshadowed by horrid weather that knocked out my net connection for a while. While watching Memorial Day television, I was struck by the number of television marathons being run. I was able to switch from JAG on USA to Law & Order on TNT to The West Wing on Bravo, to Bobby Flay and his annoying self on Food TV. All day. It was pretty incredible. Well done, America, for creating a Memorial Day so vapid that we'd all rather spend it indoors watching television.
It's now the summer season - I can wear white shoes with impunity! yay.
For an amazing look at where I'm going to be next year, check out a Virtual Tour of Keble College. It's gorgeous. I especially like our beautiful Liddon Quad, which can only be trod upon by the Keble College croquet team. Go croquet!
It's now the summer season - I can wear white shoes with impunity! yay.
For an amazing look at where I'm going to be next year, check out a Virtual Tour of Keble College. It's gorgeous. I especially like our beautiful Liddon Quad, which can only be trod upon by the Keble College croquet team. Go croquet!
