Saturday, October 28, 2006
Watch This Spa.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The Harvest Dinner was very eventful, and I have a lot to say about it, but The Lad is sick, and adter getting home at around 11 last night, I was up with him at midnight, again from 2:15 to 2:45, again at 4 AM, and yet one more time at 6:30. I'm too exhausted to articulate everything I have to say about this week. I'll be back sometime later this weekend.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Halfway There
This week is by all accounts one of the hardest and busiest weeks of the academic year for the Culinary Arts program -- it's the week of the Harvest Dinner, the biggest fundraiser of the year for the entire college. A guest chef is invited, and the culinary students prepare a meal for around 400 guests who each pay $100 to attend, using a menu created by the guest chef. Today was prep day -- all culinary students helped prep the Mise en Place. Tomorrow the Second Years will be doing the cooking, while we First Years, along with the Hospitality Management students, will be the serving staff.
I spent the day helping prep for the salad - Arugula with a honey, mutard and rosemary vinaigrette. We were also responsible for coming up with optional vegan dishes based on recipes in the latest cookbook from our guest chefs, Capriak and John Pence (Not John and Caprial, Caprial and John -- that was very specifically communicated to us). To replace the first course of crab cakes, we decided on baked acorn squash stuffed with wild rice pilaf and apple cranberry chutney. The tenderloin entree was replaced (WHY?) with a marinated portobello mushroom with apple and onion consomme. And finally, instead of an apple mascarpone cheesecake, the vegan dessert is an apple and phyllo dough tartlet.
All in all a pretty long, demanding day. But I'd still repeat it a dozen times over rather than face tomorrow and the front of the house.
I spent the day helping prep for the salad - Arugula with a honey, mutard and rosemary vinaigrette. We were also responsible for coming up with optional vegan dishes based on recipes in the latest cookbook from our guest chefs, Capriak and John Pence (Not John and Caprial, Caprial and John -- that was very specifically communicated to us). To replace the first course of crab cakes, we decided on baked acorn squash stuffed with wild rice pilaf and apple cranberry chutney. The tenderloin entree was replaced (WHY?) with a marinated portobello mushroom with apple and onion consomme. And finally, instead of an apple mascarpone cheesecake, the vegan dessert is an apple and phyllo dough tartlet.
All in all a pretty long, demanding day. But I'd still repeat it a dozen times over rather than face tomorrow and the front of the house.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Musical Geography Question of the Day
If you'll be looking for eight when they pull that gate, where will you be and when?
Note:
I talked to Vic in person and asked him this, and yes, he got it.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Pun Fun
While enjoying the aforementioned dessert, I did something I haven't done in ages -- bumped my funny bone. I didn't find it humerus at all.
Something Wicked This Way Crumbs
Oh, man. I just had one of the most decadent desserts I've ever had in my life. The Feared Redhead picked me up after class, and before she went to work, we went out for Mexican food, then stopped by Sweet Life -- a patisserie here in Eugene that is (justifiably) renowned for their cakes, pies, and other desserts. I had the caramel chocolate shortbread, and just about died.
Unimpressed? I'm sorry, let me go into detail. They start with a scalloped shortbread.... I guess you'd call it a cookie, though it's as big as a coffee cup saucer, and a full quarter inch thick. It's the richest shortbreat I've EVER had -- when I asked them how much butter they use, the answer was, "You don't want to know". Then half of it is coated in caramel and then dark chocolate. Dear Lord, this thing was RICH, but not as sweet as you'd expect -- the dark chocolate and shortbread offset the caramel nicely. I'm telling you, this thing was pure evil. If you ever get to Eugene, join its dark side.
Unimpressed? I'm sorry, let me go into detail. They start with a scalloped shortbread.... I guess you'd call it a cookie, though it's as big as a coffee cup saucer, and a full quarter inch thick. It's the richest shortbreat I've EVER had -- when I asked them how much butter they use, the answer was, "You don't want to know". Then half of it is coated in caramel and then dark chocolate. Dear Lord, this thing was RICH, but not as sweet as you'd expect -- the dark chocolate and shortbread offset the caramel nicely. I'm telling you, this thing was pure evil. If you ever get to Eugene, join its dark side.
Shut Up, Cartman!
| Which South Park kid are you most like? Kyle You are clever, and often come up with intelligent and funny comebacks to other people's stupid remarks.
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| Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests. |
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
My Son the Preschool Gourmand
From the time he began eating solid foods, The Lad has preferred small portions of our grownup food to the baby foods we presented to him. As I've mentioned before, this has led to a toddler with some very refined tastes. His latest obsessions? Dill pickles, hot salsas, green olives, and Gruyere.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Praise the Lord and Pass the Twelve-Gauge
A big tip of the toque to Maximum Leader via Bobgirrl.
The Zombie Movie Survival Quiz
Francesco Dellamorte is your name, and killing zombies is your game. Living at Buffalora Cemetery, where the dead rise quite frequently, you know how to take care of zombies. Yes, you are definitely a bad ass. Too bad your sexy model girlfriend is a zombie.
Take this quiz!
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The Zombie Movie Survival Quiz
Francesco Dellamorte is your name, and killing zombies is your game. Living at Buffalora Cemetery, where the dead rise quite frequently, you know how to take care of zombies. Yes, you are definitely a bad ass. Too bad your sexy model girlfriend is a zombie.
Take this quiz!
Quizilla
Join
Make A Quiz More Quizzes Grab Code
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Preemptive Hindsight
DuhA Big tip of the toque to Ken at It Comes in Pints?
The next time someone on the Left tells you that the entire reason we went to war with Iraq was WMD's, and that all the other reasons were tacked on later, send them over to Fish Fear Me to read this entry and its linked references.
The next time someone on the Left tells you that the entire reason we went to war with Iraq was WMD's, and that all the other reasons were tacked on later, send them over to Fish Fear Me to read this entry and its linked references.
An Interesting Perspective
A tip of the Toque to HMIL at Teapot Tantrums.
HMIL has posted a column by Victor David Hanson, who is in my mind one of the more intelligent, erudite spokesmen for the right today. I recommend you go read it. As in, right now.
There's a lot to digest there -- not only about how we're presented with information on Iraq, but on the state of affairs at home.
HMIL has posted a column by Victor David Hanson, who is in my mind one of the more intelligent, erudite spokesmen for the right today. I recommend you go read it. As in, right now.
There's a lot to digest there -- not only about how we're presented with information on Iraq, but on the state of affairs at home.
Comeback Weekend
This weekend in sports is going much better for me than last. Last week, by Padres got dumped from the playoffs with only 1 win. My Ducks got their tails whipped by Cal. And in Fantasy Football, I lost for the second week in a row -- going from alone in first and undefeated to being in fourth with a 3-2 record.
Well, this week, the Ducks recovered well from their loss and trounced UCLA 30-20, re-establishing themselves as one of 3 PAC-10 teams to watch.
In the meantime, I'm up 13.4 to 7.0 against one of the 4-1 teams in my league. It's way too early to call, but if I win, I could move up as high as second in the league, since another 4-1 team is also losing.
UPDATE:
Nope. After several reversals of fortune, I got trounced, 70.3-36.4. Oh, well, at least the Ducks won.
Well, this week, the Ducks recovered well from their loss and trounced UCLA 30-20, re-establishing themselves as one of 3 PAC-10 teams to watch.
In the meantime, I'm up 13.4 to 7.0 against one of the 4-1 teams in my league. It's way too early to call, but if I win, I could move up as high as second in the league, since another 4-1 team is also losing.
UPDATE:
Nope. After several reversals of fortune, I got trounced, 70.3-36.4. Oh, well, at least the Ducks won.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Musical Geography Question of the Day
If your destination is a world away from the coaly Tyne, to where are you sailing?
Friday, October 13, 2006
News to Me
I'm blogging from campus this morning -- something I've never done before, but being away from the house allows me the quiet and detatchment to think a little more clearly.
I was having my morning coffee down in the cafeteria a while ago. The table at which I sat was across the aisle from our Student Government kiosk (mostly because it's ALSO right next to the door -- quick in, quick out), where they're holding a voter registration drive. That in and of itself is an admirable activity. But what caught my eye and troubled me was one of the posters they have printed up and plastered al around, the one that says, "Education! It's a Right!"
Oh, really? Refresh my memory -- which part of the constitution states that? Where is that listed in the Declaration as a "Certain inalienable right"? Education isn't a right, it's a privilege. It's not yours by birthright, it has to be earned.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm a firm believer in the importance of education. It's one of the few causes to which I'll give my money. Heck, I'm even accepting assistance to get an education myself (though, to be fair, that assistance is coming mostly from charitable donations and from unemployment funds into which I've paid my share for the last 20 years).
But I reject the assertion that it's a right to which everyone is entitled, no questions asked, and I reject that the bill for providing that "right" is necessarily to be footed by the taxpaying public. It's certainly everyone's right to pursue an education, as that falls under the pursuit of happiness and definitely helps enable one to secure ones liberty. But the right to pursue does not necessarily convey the right to being aided in that pursuit. In fact, I'm beginning to see that as one of the basic differences between a right and a privilege -- a right can be defined as something that an individual must be free to do or not do, at their will, without hindrance or coercion from society or government or other individuals. A privilege is something that an individual is allowed to do or assisted in doing or shielded from by society, the government or other individuals, contingent upon the individual meeting certain criteria and/or taking certain reciprocal actions.
An education falls into that category. Does everyone have a right to a Harvard education? No -- that would require a certain level of academic performance, as well as financial resources. Does everyone deserve a PHD in quantum physics? No -- the level of education one attains is contingent upon both one's innate intelligence as well as ones willingness to make the required effort. Even among high school graduates, the quality of education they received is to a argue extent dependent on how much attention they paid, and how muh work they did. Garbage In, Garbage Out.
That's the part of the education priviledge bestowed upon students by educators. In the case of public education, we must also be aware of the fact that the priviledge is also besatowed by the taxpayers who fund education. They expect, or at least SHOULD expect, certain conditions be met in return for the funding they provide -- including accountability on the part of both students and educators for the quality and content of the education. They're footing the bill, they should get to see the statement.
In conclusion, and to reiterate, no, my dear ASLCC, education is NOT a right. It's a priviledge. Granted, it's a priviledge which in the long run is prudent to extend, but a priviledge nonetheless. So while I appreciate your efforts to motivate young people to ote, I'm not so thrilled about the way you're encouraging them to think about my wallet. I'm a student, but I'm also a taxpayer. And to answer the question of the young lady with the clipboard, yes, I'm registered to vote.
I was having my morning coffee down in the cafeteria a while ago. The table at which I sat was across the aisle from our Student Government kiosk (mostly because it's ALSO right next to the door -- quick in, quick out), where they're holding a voter registration drive. That in and of itself is an admirable activity. But what caught my eye and troubled me was one of the posters they have printed up and plastered al around, the one that says, "Education! It's a Right!"
Oh, really? Refresh my memory -- which part of the constitution states that? Where is that listed in the Declaration as a "Certain inalienable right"? Education isn't a right, it's a privilege. It's not yours by birthright, it has to be earned.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm a firm believer in the importance of education. It's one of the few causes to which I'll give my money. Heck, I'm even accepting assistance to get an education myself (though, to be fair, that assistance is coming mostly from charitable donations and from unemployment funds into which I've paid my share for the last 20 years).
But I reject the assertion that it's a right to which everyone is entitled, no questions asked, and I reject that the bill for providing that "right" is necessarily to be footed by the taxpaying public. It's certainly everyone's right to pursue an education, as that falls under the pursuit of happiness and definitely helps enable one to secure ones liberty. But the right to pursue does not necessarily convey the right to being aided in that pursuit. In fact, I'm beginning to see that as one of the basic differences between a right and a privilege -- a right can be defined as something that an individual must be free to do or not do, at their will, without hindrance or coercion from society or government or other individuals. A privilege is something that an individual is allowed to do or assisted in doing or shielded from by society, the government or other individuals, contingent upon the individual meeting certain criteria and/or taking certain reciprocal actions.
An education falls into that category. Does everyone have a right to a Harvard education? No -- that would require a certain level of academic performance, as well as financial resources. Does everyone deserve a PHD in quantum physics? No -- the level of education one attains is contingent upon both one's innate intelligence as well as ones willingness to make the required effort. Even among high school graduates, the quality of education they received is to a argue extent dependent on how much attention they paid, and how muh work they did. Garbage In, Garbage Out.
That's the part of the education priviledge bestowed upon students by educators. In the case of public education, we must also be aware of the fact that the priviledge is also besatowed by the taxpayers who fund education. They expect, or at least SHOULD expect, certain conditions be met in return for the funding they provide -- including accountability on the part of both students and educators for the quality and content of the education. They're footing the bill, they should get to see the statement.
In conclusion, and to reiterate, no, my dear ASLCC, education is NOT a right. It's a priviledge. Granted, it's a priviledge which in the long run is prudent to extend, but a priviledge nonetheless. So while I appreciate your efforts to motivate young people to ote, I'm not so thrilled about the way you're encouraging them to think about my wallet. I'm a student, but I'm also a taxpayer. And to answer the question of the young lady with the clipboard, yes, I'm registered to vote.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Musical Geography Question of the Day
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Here's a hint, in the form of another question from the same song:
What governments is it propping up?
Here's a hint, in the form of another question from the same song:
What governments is it propping up?
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.
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