Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Spring
It's spring. Finally.
I've got a few minutes to spare before I begin my weekend, so I thought I'd jot a few things down. I've had a rough week. Not with my job or personal relationships, but politically. Yeah. Politically this week sucked ass.
I needed to just clear my mind today, so a friend and I walked down State Street to enjoy the beautiful weather. We stopped in at Exclusive Company, and I walked out with the Pretenders 5 CD box set and the new Count This Penny album. Gotta tell you, I loves me some Chrissie Hynde. One song in particular has reinvigorated my interest in the Pretenders. Here's the video:
I discovered about a month ago that my MP3 collection lacked any substantial Pretenders tunes. That's just not right. So -- issue corrected. And -- come on. That video rocks. You can see how much fun they're having just jamming together. Look at the frame at 1:04. Pete Farndon give the camera a creepy staredown.
I've taken the motorcycle out a few times already. Man, I cannot wait until that is a regular occurrance. There's just something about being on two wheels that puts my heart and mind at ease.
Ever feel like you've been very close to the pinnacle of happiness only to find yourself about as far away from it as possible a short while later? Yeah. Me too.
Happy spring. Peace out.
I've got a few minutes to spare before I begin my weekend, so I thought I'd jot a few things down. I've had a rough week. Not with my job or personal relationships, but politically. Yeah. Politically this week sucked ass.
I needed to just clear my mind today, so a friend and I walked down State Street to enjoy the beautiful weather. We stopped in at Exclusive Company, and I walked out with the Pretenders 5 CD box set and the new Count This Penny album. Gotta tell you, I loves me some Chrissie Hynde. One song in particular has reinvigorated my interest in the Pretenders. Here's the video:
I discovered about a month ago that my MP3 collection lacked any substantial Pretenders tunes. That's just not right. So -- issue corrected. And -- come on. That video rocks. You can see how much fun they're having just jamming together. Look at the frame at 1:04. Pete Farndon give the camera a creepy staredown.
I've taken the motorcycle out a few times already. Man, I cannot wait until that is a regular occurrance. There's just something about being on two wheels that puts my heart and mind at ease.
Ever feel like you've been very close to the pinnacle of happiness only to find yourself about as far away from it as possible a short while later? Yeah. Me too.
Happy spring. Peace out.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Hard to understand sometimes...
So, I kind of have a routine.
I wake up in the morning. I go to work. I do a lot of "computery stuff". At 5PM, I start my commute back to Columbus. On my ride home, I frequently call my dad to talk about the politics of the day. Last night, we got into some murky territory where our philosophies are starkly different.
I've always considered my father to be a progressive. Almost in a militant way, which is nice. But when you enter into a conversation with him regarding education, things start to get weird. My dad is not different than a lot of men from his generation. Access to higher education was reserved for old money. It was a distinguishing attribute that separated the "haves" from the "have-nots". Nothing drew more attention to income inequality than one's access to higher education.
Then came the Vietnam War. This only reinforced my dad's resentment for the affluent. He saw it as a means to shelter the wealthy from their duty to serve their country. That...somehow, because of their wealth, their lives were more valuable than someone who couldn't get a college deferment due to their inability to afford higher education. It wasn't fair. At this point, we are on the same page.
If you venture down the path of "teachers" with my dad, you will inevitably uncover his disdain for them. He probably wouldn't be that explicit about it, but he doesn't have the luxury of writing this blog. He doesn't like them. He never has. I remember him making comments about the teachers I had in high school, expressing his inability to put up with the airs that some of them put on. He felt that they looked down their noses at non-teachers, and that somehow, they were a cut above. Again -- for him -- this is, at the root, a problem with social class, not with teaching (per se).
Talk about the income of 1st grade teacher, and you will run headfirst into a wall of irrationality. HIS problem, as he articulates it, is that a person teaching first grade DOES NOT need a master's degree, and that just by holding that degree does not entitle them to twice the income of a similar educator WITHOUT a master's. He feels that it's entirely UNNECESSARY to have that level of education to teach a bunch of 6 year-olds. The insinuation he makes, without actually articulating it, is that addition and subtraction, the alphabet, and penmanship do not require more than 2 years of post-high school education. Further, that by becoming "career students", they are falsely inflating the value that they bring to the student and the community. I disagree entirely. First, I personally would never besmirch a professional that continually sharpens their skills to increase their take-home pay. A first grade teacher doesn't go back to school every summer to learn about new breakthroughs in arithmetic -- they go back to be better educators. In doing so, they should be compensated, and I disagree that "the value isn't realized at that grade level". Disagree WHOLEHEARTEDLY. That's where I want the most enthusiastic and passionate people to be. I want them to instill the best habits and skills early on...to connect with them at THAT age. I don't want someone to reach a ceiling of $37,000 without any incentive to improve. That's just bad policy, and the quality of students would reflect that.
The bottom line is that guys like my dad place very little value on educators at that level. Now, you discuss Scott Walker and Act 10, and he takes a different tone. THAT'S about collective bargaining, and you'll never find him arguing against one's right to leverage their labor against their employer. Never. Even for teachers.
But he still hates teachers.
It's weird.
I wake up in the morning. I go to work. I do a lot of "computery stuff". At 5PM, I start my commute back to Columbus. On my ride home, I frequently call my dad to talk about the politics of the day. Last night, we got into some murky territory where our philosophies are starkly different.
I've always considered my father to be a progressive. Almost in a militant way, which is nice. But when you enter into a conversation with him regarding education, things start to get weird. My dad is not different than a lot of men from his generation. Access to higher education was reserved for old money. It was a distinguishing attribute that separated the "haves" from the "have-nots". Nothing drew more attention to income inequality than one's access to higher education.
Then came the Vietnam War. This only reinforced my dad's resentment for the affluent. He saw it as a means to shelter the wealthy from their duty to serve their country. That...somehow, because of their wealth, their lives were more valuable than someone who couldn't get a college deferment due to their inability to afford higher education. It wasn't fair. At this point, we are on the same page.
If you venture down the path of "teachers" with my dad, you will inevitably uncover his disdain for them. He probably wouldn't be that explicit about it, but he doesn't have the luxury of writing this blog. He doesn't like them. He never has. I remember him making comments about the teachers I had in high school, expressing his inability to put up with the airs that some of them put on. He felt that they looked down their noses at non-teachers, and that somehow, they were a cut above. Again -- for him -- this is, at the root, a problem with social class, not with teaching (per se).
Talk about the income of 1st grade teacher, and you will run headfirst into a wall of irrationality. HIS problem, as he articulates it, is that a person teaching first grade DOES NOT need a master's degree, and that just by holding that degree does not entitle them to twice the income of a similar educator WITHOUT a master's. He feels that it's entirely UNNECESSARY to have that level of education to teach a bunch of 6 year-olds. The insinuation he makes, without actually articulating it, is that addition and subtraction, the alphabet, and penmanship do not require more than 2 years of post-high school education. Further, that by becoming "career students", they are falsely inflating the value that they bring to the student and the community. I disagree entirely. First, I personally would never besmirch a professional that continually sharpens their skills to increase their take-home pay. A first grade teacher doesn't go back to school every summer to learn about new breakthroughs in arithmetic -- they go back to be better educators. In doing so, they should be compensated, and I disagree that "the value isn't realized at that grade level". Disagree WHOLEHEARTEDLY. That's where I want the most enthusiastic and passionate people to be. I want them to instill the best habits and skills early on...to connect with them at THAT age. I don't want someone to reach a ceiling of $37,000 without any incentive to improve. That's just bad policy, and the quality of students would reflect that.
The bottom line is that guys like my dad place very little value on educators at that level. Now, you discuss Scott Walker and Act 10, and he takes a different tone. THAT'S about collective bargaining, and you'll never find him arguing against one's right to leverage their labor against their employer. Never. Even for teachers.
But he still hates teachers.
It's weird.
Monday, February 23, 2015
It's been a while since I have blogged, so I will indulge.
Went to Rock River Pizza Company on Saturday. Loved it. If you haven't tried it yet, take a road trip to Watertucky and give it a go. You'll be pleased. Not Faye's Pizza pleased, but pleased nonetheless.
My new favorite song. The sounds these guys make are incredible:
Lori and I watched a few movies over the weekend, and for the most part, they were rather good. We started off by watching Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, and narrated by Toby Maguire. I had pretty low expectations, but I was rather pleased. The movie is about a woman whose husband ditched her for his secretary and left her heartbroken. Winslet's character became secluded and had given up on love altogether. Enter Josh Brolin, who plays a fugitive who has escaped prison while visiting the hospital to get his appendix removed. He takes refuge in Winslet's character's home where she resides with her son. I'll let you take it from there, but it was worth the time.
Next up was An Unfinished Life, with Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford, and Jennifer Lopez. I really liked this one. Lopez plays a widow, now in an abusive relationship, and escapes to Wyoming to live with her estranged father-in-law, played by Robert Redford. Jean's (Lopez) daughter is a stark reminder of the death of Einar's (Redford) son, tragically killed in an accident while Jean was at the wheel. Morgan Freeman (Mitch) plays a ranch hand opposite Redford that had been crippled by a bear attack while Redford's character was falling over drunk. This is an old storyline from Hollywood -- a jaded old man softened through his relationship with a child while being mentored by an old friend. Good flick.
I watched "Under The Skin". What a horrible film. Seriously. If all you care about is seeing Scarlett Johannson naked, well....then you're gonna love this movie. If you enjoy movies where the director actually lets you in on the plot without blatant attempts at mimicking Stanley Kubrick, then you'll think it sucks -- as I did. Fuck this film. Don't waste your time.
We're getting closer to opening the store. Should be in the next few months. That, along with our attempt at getting our dream home has kept us busy and nervous.
More later.
-Clark
Went to Rock River Pizza Company on Saturday. Loved it. If you haven't tried it yet, take a road trip to Watertucky and give it a go. You'll be pleased. Not Faye's Pizza pleased, but pleased nonetheless.
My new favorite song. The sounds these guys make are incredible:
Lori and I watched a few movies over the weekend, and for the most part, they were rather good. We started off by watching Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, and narrated by Toby Maguire. I had pretty low expectations, but I was rather pleased. The movie is about a woman whose husband ditched her for his secretary and left her heartbroken. Winslet's character became secluded and had given up on love altogether. Enter Josh Brolin, who plays a fugitive who has escaped prison while visiting the hospital to get his appendix removed. He takes refuge in Winslet's character's home where she resides with her son. I'll let you take it from there, but it was worth the time.
Next up was An Unfinished Life, with Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford, and Jennifer Lopez. I really liked this one. Lopez plays a widow, now in an abusive relationship, and escapes to Wyoming to live with her estranged father-in-law, played by Robert Redford. Jean's (Lopez) daughter is a stark reminder of the death of Einar's (Redford) son, tragically killed in an accident while Jean was at the wheel. Morgan Freeman (Mitch) plays a ranch hand opposite Redford that had been crippled by a bear attack while Redford's character was falling over drunk. This is an old storyline from Hollywood -- a jaded old man softened through his relationship with a child while being mentored by an old friend. Good flick.
I watched "Under The Skin". What a horrible film. Seriously. If all you care about is seeing Scarlett Johannson naked, well....then you're gonna love this movie. If you enjoy movies where the director actually lets you in on the plot without blatant attempts at mimicking Stanley Kubrick, then you'll think it sucks -- as I did. Fuck this film. Don't waste your time.
We're getting closer to opening the store. Should be in the next few months. That, along with our attempt at getting our dream home has kept us busy and nervous.
More later.
-Clark
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
Mid Century Madness
Had a pretty good weekend.
Lori and I went out to the Old Rock on Friday night with Mr. Thom. It was a little weird in there that night. We sat down, and we waited at least 20 minutes before anybody even spoke to us. Granted, it was busy...but not that busy. The good news is that once we WERE finally waited on, I quickly forgot about the lack of attention earlier. One thing, though -- they need better beers out there. Only the Hopalicious appealed to me, but I don't like to drink that all the time. I tire of it rather quickly. After listening to countless country songs on the juke, we needed to get out of there. Too rural. ;-) Home by 10PM.
I headed over to Mr. Thom's place on Saturday morning to help him with his home network. He had some serious bandwidth issues over his WiFi connection. Not only was his signal being trounced by that of his neighbors, his equipment was almost a decade old. Using Speakeasy's website, we determined he was only getting about one-third of the possible bandwidth. We installed a WRT1900AC by Linksys. It was up and running within about 20 minutes, and the results were incredible. Excellent signal strength and fantastic throughput over WiFi. And now he's rockin' a Roku. How could life be any better?
Saturday night we met up with Niki, Miss Mommaerts and Jen. We hadn't gone out together for a while and it was nice to be able to catch up with them again. We ended up having a couple of brews at HSB, and then quickly migrated to the Black Kettle. I'm always surprised by the steaks out there. I'm not ready to render judgement on their food yet. I need more data.
Sunday was time to relax with smatterings of cleaning. Did laundry, cleaned the floors, took down a Christmas tree (don't fucking judge me), and cooked some spaghetti. Dudes -- lemme tell ya. I have the spaghetti sauce dialed in. Totally easy and it has HUGE flavor. Here's the dealio:
Clark's Spaghetti Sauce
2 green peppers (diced)
1 large white onion (diced)
3 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 12 oz can of tomato paste
5 cloves of garlic
1.5 lbs of ground chuck
1.5 lbs of italian sausage
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons thyme
3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon fennel seed
dash of chili pepper
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Empty cans of diced tomatoes into large pot. Add tomato paste. Fill the empty can of tomato paste with water and add it to the pot. Mix in peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, sugar and chili pepper. You only need to add about 2 teaspoons of chili pepper. If you add too much, you'll overpower it, so chill. Let simmer on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.
The place should start smelling fucking fantastic.
Now you need to start on the meat. I brown it in an electric skillet just out of convenience. I mix the ground chuck and the italian sausage by hand in the skillet and then brown it over medium heat. I usually hover over the skillet and break up the large chunks of meat until I get it to the consistency that I want within the sauce. Drain and add to the sauce.
Add your salt and pepper. Taste as you go. It'll take a few minutes for the sea salt to properly dissolve, so make sure taste...add....wait....taste...etc.
Let that all simmer on low for about 30 minutes.
I add salt to my water when I boil spaghetti noodles, as it helps to keep them from sticking together. Cook the noodles in the boiling water for 9 minutes. Rinse. Toss with olive oil.
Serve, bitches.
Still working on the financing for the house. We should have some news today or tomorrow but it is driving us insane. I want to make an offer and get the negotiation started. Lori and I need to be in that place. Anybody else in there would be a disservice to coolness.
Lori and I went out to the Old Rock on Friday night with Mr. Thom. It was a little weird in there that night. We sat down, and we waited at least 20 minutes before anybody even spoke to us. Granted, it was busy...but not that busy. The good news is that once we WERE finally waited on, I quickly forgot about the lack of attention earlier. One thing, though -- they need better beers out there. Only the Hopalicious appealed to me, but I don't like to drink that all the time. I tire of it rather quickly. After listening to countless country songs on the juke, we needed to get out of there. Too rural. ;-) Home by 10PM.
I headed over to Mr. Thom's place on Saturday morning to help him with his home network. He had some serious bandwidth issues over his WiFi connection. Not only was his signal being trounced by that of his neighbors, his equipment was almost a decade old. Using Speakeasy's website, we determined he was only getting about one-third of the possible bandwidth. We installed a WRT1900AC by Linksys. It was up and running within about 20 minutes, and the results were incredible. Excellent signal strength and fantastic throughput over WiFi. And now he's rockin' a Roku. How could life be any better?
Sunday was time to relax with smatterings of cleaning. Did laundry, cleaned the floors, took down a Christmas tree (don't fucking judge me), and cooked some spaghetti. Dudes -- lemme tell ya. I have the spaghetti sauce dialed in. Totally easy and it has HUGE flavor. Here's the dealio:
Clark's Spaghetti Sauce
2 green peppers (diced)
1 large white onion (diced)
3 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 12 oz can of tomato paste
5 cloves of garlic
1.5 lbs of ground chuck
1.5 lbs of italian sausage
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons thyme
3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon fennel seed
dash of chili pepper
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Empty cans of diced tomatoes into large pot. Add tomato paste. Fill the empty can of tomato paste with water and add it to the pot. Mix in peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, sugar and chili pepper. You only need to add about 2 teaspoons of chili pepper. If you add too much, you'll overpower it, so chill. Let simmer on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.
The place should start smelling fucking fantastic.
Now you need to start on the meat. I brown it in an electric skillet just out of convenience. I mix the ground chuck and the italian sausage by hand in the skillet and then brown it over medium heat. I usually hover over the skillet and break up the large chunks of meat until I get it to the consistency that I want within the sauce. Drain and add to the sauce.
Add your salt and pepper. Taste as you go. It'll take a few minutes for the sea salt to properly dissolve, so make sure taste...add....wait....taste...etc.
Let that all simmer on low for about 30 minutes.
I add salt to my water when I boil spaghetti noodles, as it helps to keep them from sticking together. Cook the noodles in the boiling water for 9 minutes. Rinse. Toss with olive oil.
Serve, bitches.
Still working on the financing for the house. We should have some news today or tomorrow but it is driving us insane. I want to make an offer and get the negotiation started. Lori and I need to be in that place. Anybody else in there would be a disservice to coolness.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
The council had some very important votes during the last regular meeting. All in all, I think it went rather well.
Looks like the State of Wisconsin will be consolidating agencies due to Walker's budget. This might affect me and my contract. We shall see.
Still hunting "cool ranch". Waiting on the bankers to give us the thumbs-up.
Wish us luck...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)