Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Here's a hint, in the form of another question from the same song:
What governments is it propping up?
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Six Years Ago Today
A Tip of the Toque to Armies of Liberation via Howie at Blogfather Rusty's:
A Tribute to the U.S.S. Cole.
A Tribute to the U.S.S. Cole.
First They Came for the Snail Darters, and I Did Not Speak Out...
A Tip of the Toque to Babalu Blog via Ken at It Comes in Pints?
Apparently, the editor of the magazine Grist, big supporters of Al Gore, are calling for a Nuremberg-style tribunal for any scientist or public figure who doesn't toe their line on the human impact on global warming.
Because, as we've seen, the Left is all about freedom of speech and thought.
Apparently, the editor of the magazine Grist, big supporters of Al Gore, are calling for a Nuremberg-style tribunal for any scientist or public figure who doesn't toe their line on the human impact on global warming.
Because, as we've seen, the Left is all about freedom of speech and thought.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
More Good News
Just got back from a meeting with my counselor at the Workforce Network, an agency that helps with placement and training for unemployed individuals. It turns out that that $740 scholarship I'm getting is PER TERM, not overall. In addition, they're going to help with childcare as well, to the tune of an additional $500/term.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
It Was a Very Good Year
My Restaurant Operations professor, who has years of experience in the food and beverage industry, and is quite knowledgeable, informed us yesterday that this is going to be a very very VERY good year for Oregon wine. Apparently, from what he was saying, the grapes are both of high quality and in abundance -- usually you get one or the other. Furthermore, this is the height of the harvest, and we haven't had rain in almost a week, and don't expect any until some time NEXT week -- by then the grapes will be in. In the meantime, our weather is warm (almost hot) and dry, with mild, cool nights.
What does this mean for the wine drinker? It means that within a year or so, maybe as soon as six months, you should see a huge influx of very good wine from Oregon at a very reasonable price.
What does this mean for the wine drinker? It means that within a year or so, maybe as soon as six months, you should see a huge influx of very good wine from Oregon at a very reasonable price.
Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day
1. Through where do the move it?
2. Where do they sell it?
3. Where do they hide it?
2. Where do they sell it?
3. Where do they hide it?
OK, So I'm a Lunatic Too!
The other day, my friend Lurch and I were discussing the gibbous moon:
(Not to be confused with the Gibbonous moon:)
I was mentioning how it has always seemed to me that the shading of the gibbous moon provides a sense of depth that a full moon doesn't, and that a gibbous appears most like the sphere that the moon is, while a full moon appears more flat and disc-like.
We were also discussing the appearance of the moon during daylight hours, and how it appears more mysterious and surreal than at night when it shines so brightly.
Well, this morning, while relaxing before class, I looked outside and noticed the moon. Because it was just after sunrise, the sky was a deeper blue than is normal for full daylight hours, so the moon was clearer, more pronounced, and incredibly beautiful. It was quite a sight.
(Not to be confused with the Gibbonous moon:)
I was mentioning how it has always seemed to me that the shading of the gibbous moon provides a sense of depth that a full moon doesn't, and that a gibbous appears most like the sphere that the moon is, while a full moon appears more flat and disc-like.
We were also discussing the appearance of the moon during daylight hours, and how it appears more mysterious and surreal than at night when it shines so brightly.
Well, this morning, while relaxing before class, I looked outside and noticed the moon. Because it was just after sunrise, the sky was a deeper blue than is normal for full daylight hours, so the moon was clearer, more pronounced, and incredibly beautiful. It was quite a sight.
Black and White Issue
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we now wear full brigade in class. In fact, it's required both in lecture and kitchen lab classes. In addition, Culinary Arts students also take some hospitality management classes, and we are required to attend those in brigade as well.
This morning around 7:30 I was relaxing in a student lounge area on campus before class when one of my classmates walked by, not yet in Brigade. She made some snarky comment about not understanding why all of the rest of us came to school already in brigade, and how it would get our whites dirty.
I'll give you three guesses which classmate it was, and the first two don't count.
Personally, I enjoy wearing my brigade. Maybe for someone who's just learning about cuisine, it's a silly school uniform. And I can understand her reticence to get it dirty.
But for an aspiring chef, it's a badge of identity -- it represents not just culinary school, but being a culinarian -- it's inclusive and exclusive at the same time, marking me as an acolyte into a special society. I may be just barely in the door of that society, but I'm already embracing it not just as a vocation, but a lifestyle, a culture.
And if it gets dirty, I'll wash it. But when I'm going to and from school and someday work, I intend to wear it so that people can see me and think, "Oh, there goes a chef." Clothes don't make the man, but they sure to lay a foundation.
This morning around 7:30 I was relaxing in a student lounge area on campus before class when one of my classmates walked by, not yet in Brigade. She made some snarky comment about not understanding why all of the rest of us came to school already in brigade, and how it would get our whites dirty.
I'll give you three guesses which classmate it was, and the first two don't count.
Personally, I enjoy wearing my brigade. Maybe for someone who's just learning about cuisine, it's a silly school uniform. And I can understand her reticence to get it dirty.
But for an aspiring chef, it's a badge of identity -- it represents not just culinary school, but being a culinarian -- it's inclusive and exclusive at the same time, marking me as an acolyte into a special society. I may be just barely in the door of that society, but I'm already embracing it not just as a vocation, but a lifestyle, a culture.
And if it gets dirty, I'll wash it. But when I'm going to and from school and someday work, I intend to wear it so that people can see me and think, "Oh, there goes a chef." Clothes don't make the man, but they sure to lay a foundation.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Why, Yes,
Cal, those ARE our feathered Duck Butts. Could you be so kind as to hand them to us now that you're kicking them off? Thanks ever so much.
Hmph. I had a bad feeling about today.
Hmph. I had a bad feeling about today.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Americans Are Americans Too!
One of the central themes you'll hear emphasized by many who advocate a more lenient attitude towards illegal aliens is the arguement that they're merely seeking a pbetter life, an American life, and that they deserve the same rights that the rest of us do.
Without arguing the specific merits of that argument, recent events at Columbia University leave me wondering how committed to those rights some of those individuals (especially the more radically leftist end of the pro-illegal spectrum) truly are -- especially with regards to the exercise of those rights by those with whom they disagree.
Without arguing the specific merits of that argument, recent events at Columbia University leave me wondering how committed to those rights some of those individuals (especially the more radically leftist end of the pro-illegal spectrum) truly are -- especially with regards to the exercise of those rights by those with whom they disagree.
Seeing Red (and Tasting It)
My home state has what are considered the strictest wine labelling laws of any state in the US. Oregon winemkers are not allowed to use foreign place names -- you'll never see an Oregon wine called Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Champagne. Furthermore, if it says it's an Oregon wine, all the grapes used to make that wine will have been grown in oregon, and all of them will be from the region of the state specified on the bottle, and (with the exception of Cabernet Sauvignon), at least 90% of the grapes will be of the state varietal.
And while this has been for the most part a good thing, there have been, in my mind, a few negative side effects. The main one has been that due to the focus on varietals and the prohibition against names like Burgundy and Bordeaux, there has been, especially in the past, an almost cult-like bias for straight varietal wines -- Pinots, Chard, etc. This means that less time and effort was spent on blended wines, and so they gained an unfortunately deserved reputation for being of lesser quality than the straight varietals.
But that lesser quality had to do with the effort being expended on them, not on the inherent superiority of pure varietal wines. And I'm happy to report that Oregon winemakers are starting to experiment more with higher quality blended reds -- with pleasing results. Some of the better results come from Cab-Merlot blends and Syrah-based blends, as well as more complex and esoteric blends.
Two of my favorites are Girardet Winery's Grande Rouge and Bergstrom's Red (how straightforward is that? Nice, huh?). The Bergstrom is a marvelous, full-bodied wine, both drier and bolder than the usual demure pinot noirs for which Oregon is known. It also has more oak flavor to it, and pairs well with steak and beef. The Girardet Grande Rouge is also dry, but not as in-your-face as the Bergstrom, and finds a middle ground between fuller-bodied wines and the softness of Pinot Noir. It went well with salmon last night, but I'd also not hesitate to pair it with Italian food or beef. And the best part? It'll st you back about $7 a bottle.
All in all, I'm encouraged by the new blended reds. I'm also interested, bemused, and at times amused by the names the winemakers come up for for these blended wines. One winery names them all after members of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Appropriate, given the adventurous spirit this new trend reflects.
Are you ready to join the Corps of Discovery?
And while this has been for the most part a good thing, there have been, in my mind, a few negative side effects. The main one has been that due to the focus on varietals and the prohibition against names like Burgundy and Bordeaux, there has been, especially in the past, an almost cult-like bias for straight varietal wines -- Pinots, Chard, etc. This means that less time and effort was spent on blended wines, and so they gained an unfortunately deserved reputation for being of lesser quality than the straight varietals.
But that lesser quality had to do with the effort being expended on them, not on the inherent superiority of pure varietal wines. And I'm happy to report that Oregon winemakers are starting to experiment more with higher quality blended reds -- with pleasing results. Some of the better results come from Cab-Merlot blends and Syrah-based blends, as well as more complex and esoteric blends.
Two of my favorites are Girardet Winery's Grande Rouge and Bergstrom's Red (how straightforward is that? Nice, huh?). The Bergstrom is a marvelous, full-bodied wine, both drier and bolder than the usual demure pinot noirs for which Oregon is known. It also has more oak flavor to it, and pairs well with steak and beef. The Girardet Grande Rouge is also dry, but not as in-your-face as the Bergstrom, and finds a middle ground between fuller-bodied wines and the softness of Pinot Noir. It went well with salmon last night, but I'd also not hesitate to pair it with Italian food or beef. And the best part? It'll st you back about $7 a bottle.
All in all, I'm encouraged by the new blended reds. I'm also interested, bemused, and at times amused by the names the winemakers come up for for these blended wines. One winery names them all after members of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Appropriate, given the adventurous spirit this new trend reflects.
Are you ready to join the Corps of Discovery?
Thursday, October 05, 2006
The Badge and the Spatula
I'm really looking forward to the new show coming out on the Food Network, The Hungry Detective. The star is a real LAPD Detective and a food critic. Why does this show's concept jazz me so much?
Back when I was in my early twenties, I worked as a parking valet. My workday started in the evening and went until well after midnight. I had friends who were night owls as well, and usually didn't go to bed until around 4 AM or so. One thing I learned: If it's 2 AM and you're hungry for good food, look for cop cars. If you see 2 or more police cruisers parked at the same establishment and their lights are NOT flashing, eat there. Trust me on this one. Cops know food.
Back when I was in my early twenties, I worked as a parking valet. My workday started in the evening and went until well after midnight. I had friends who were night owls as well, and usually didn't go to bed until around 4 AM or so. One thing I learned: If it's 2 AM and you're hungry for good food, look for cop cars. If you see 2 or more police cruisers parked at the same establishment and their lights are NOT flashing, eat there. Trust me on this one. Cops know food.
It Can Happen That Fast
Today I had the... opportunity(?) to help avoid a missing child incident. No, not The Lad, someone else's kid.
On Thursdays, TFR doesn't go to work until 3:30, and I have no classes, so we decided to spend the early part of day together OUTSIDE of the house. It's been a glorious day, sunny and warm with only the slightest hint of chill in the breeze. We went first to Lone Pine, a farm stand/petting farm where The Lad got to feed goats, and we had pop and a caramel apple. Then we drove into Eugene and went to Emerald Park, where there is an excellent playground and sandbox. While we were there, we met several other parents with toddlers. One woman was there with a boy of about 4 or 5, and a little girl of 2. At one point a preschool class came marching out of the rec center to play on the playground, and this woman went over to talk to the teacher and ask her if there were any openings, then returned to the sandbox. A few minutes later, she told the boy to get ready to go, then went over to the playground area to get the girl. Within a minute she was back, frantically calling the girl's name and asking if we had seen her. She wasn't anywhere to be seen -- not in the sandbox, the playground, or the parking lot.
As a parent, my heart went out to her, so while TFR stayed with The Lad I went looking too. For some reason, I was drawn to the north end of the park, past the playground, where there was a picnic pavillion, grassy ares and volleyball pits. As I headed that way, a woman coming in the opposite direction asked if I was looking for a little girl. She pointed me in the right direction, and within a minute I had found her. She had seen a squirrel and taken off chasing it. The scary thing was, when I caught up with her, 100 yards north of the sandbox, she was within 20 feet of the edge of the park. I herded her (she was skittish and I didn't think it appropriate to pick her up or try to take her hand) back towards the sandbox, when the woman she had been with came running. She thanked me, expressed surprise that a 2-year-old could move that fast (Oh, yeah, believe it, lady!), then confided in me that the girl wasn't her daughter -- she was watching her for a friend.
That put a chill down my spine. It's bad enough that she was inattentive and let the girl get out of her sight, but to be so cavalier with another parent's child? If someone pulled a stunt like that with The Lad, I promise you, I'd have to display my Pimp Hand. You don't take your eyes off of your kid, let alone a child left in your care. That little girl was within moments of possible disappearing forever. When I found her, she was down in a swale where she couldn't be seen until I was within a few yards of her.
On Thursdays, TFR doesn't go to work until 3:30, and I have no classes, so we decided to spend the early part of day together OUTSIDE of the house. It's been a glorious day, sunny and warm with only the slightest hint of chill in the breeze. We went first to Lone Pine, a farm stand/petting farm where The Lad got to feed goats, and we had pop and a caramel apple. Then we drove into Eugene and went to Emerald Park, where there is an excellent playground and sandbox. While we were there, we met several other parents with toddlers. One woman was there with a boy of about 4 or 5, and a little girl of 2. At one point a preschool class came marching out of the rec center to play on the playground, and this woman went over to talk to the teacher and ask her if there were any openings, then returned to the sandbox. A few minutes later, she told the boy to get ready to go, then went over to the playground area to get the girl. Within a minute she was back, frantically calling the girl's name and asking if we had seen her. She wasn't anywhere to be seen -- not in the sandbox, the playground, or the parking lot.
As a parent, my heart went out to her, so while TFR stayed with The Lad I went looking too. For some reason, I was drawn to the north end of the park, past the playground, where there was a picnic pavillion, grassy ares and volleyball pits. As I headed that way, a woman coming in the opposite direction asked if I was looking for a little girl. She pointed me in the right direction, and within a minute I had found her. She had seen a squirrel and taken off chasing it. The scary thing was, when I caught up with her, 100 yards north of the sandbox, she was within 20 feet of the edge of the park. I herded her (she was skittish and I didn't think it appropriate to pick her up or try to take her hand) back towards the sandbox, when the woman she had been with came running. She thanked me, expressed surprise that a 2-year-old could move that fast (Oh, yeah, believe it, lady!), then confided in me that the girl wasn't her daughter -- she was watching her for a friend.
That put a chill down my spine. It's bad enough that she was inattentive and let the girl get out of her sight, but to be so cavalier with another parent's child? If someone pulled a stunt like that with The Lad, I promise you, I'd have to display my Pimp Hand. You don't take your eyes off of your kid, let alone a child left in your care. That little girl was within moments of possible disappearing forever. When I found her, she was down in a swale where she couldn't be seen until I was within a few yards of her.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
With All Due Respect...
...To Smallholder,
The Demon Rum has been blamed/to blame for congressional shennanigans for much longer than he assumes. But that's all water under the bridge.
The Demon Rum has been blamed/to blame for congressional shennanigans for much longer than he assumes. But that's all water under the bridge.
Silly, Yet Strangely Intuitive.
Boy, Howdy! to Cabin Mistress at Uncle Sam's Cabin.
The Easiest Personality Quiz you'll ever take:
The Easiest Personality Quiz you'll ever take:
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