Friday, January 29, 2010

Thursday, January 28, 2010

rademacher rumors

so, facebook tells me that current rademacher guitarist jonathan hadden is moving to new york and will be leaving the band soonish. but, i have also heard that r.c. from el olio wolof may take over bass duties and malcolm sosa will return to guitar. i've got to say that it would be hella cool. we will see what happens. also heard they mat be bringing in a new guitarist as well. we will see.

i'm very exciteded about this news as a rademacher fanboy. we will see how it all goes.

blame the victim

today in one of my classes we were discussing moral absolutism and moral relativism. this can lead to interesting discussion, or it can yield nothing. i'm enjoying this particular class because the students are very opinionated, and i find that my beliefs are pretty far away from many of theirs. today was such a case.

in looking at possible absolutes, the book has two different statements to discuss. here they are:
adults should never sexually molest children.
rape is always wrong.

in the first statement i find it helpful to have the class clarify why it means to molest. then, we can talk about what it means to be an adult or a child or if those even matter. i mean, should adults sexually molest other adults?

anyway, the second statement also can yield interesting discussion as we parse out rape, consent, force, statutory laws, and more. but today, today took the cake. you see, after i brought up california law and how you can't legally consent if you're under the influence of drugs or alcohol, i had student basically say, "if you're drunk at a bar, you're asking for it. especially if you're dressed slutty." now, those weren't exact words, but definitely the intent. oh, yeah, i forgot to mention that it was a female student that said that. and she went on and on.

this led me to push them on other crime. is it your fault if you get attacked or robbed? well, pretty much. they told me that if i was walking in a neighborhood and was wearing all red and got stabbed, i should have known better. even if i didn't know the neighborhood, i still should have known and it's my fault. i had a student tell me how he was getting gas late at night, some random guy hit him in the head with a bottle, and yet it was his fault. why, you ask? well, because he should've got gas earlier in the day, and he knew better.

w.t.f.? seriously, wtf? there were a few students that agreed with me, but overwhelmingly the class was unified in blaming the victim.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

poster on poster

sometimes i'm surprised by people. really, this isn't a rant or anything, just an observation on weird things people do.

today (tuesday) i was in a stairwell at work and saw this:



you see, we're doing some haiti fundraisers, and they've posted signs about what's going all around school. hallways, stairwells, and so on. this sign, they've posted over a motivational poster. in a way, it's funny that they put it on some tacky motivational poster. but, really, how lame is it that they put this up with some sticky stuff in the freakin middle? why wouldn't you just take down the other poster, and then put up the sign? i mean, if there's a nail or something, you've already got a way to hang up the sign.

wacky. just wacky.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

pork new york dinner

i've told you before about the pork new york steak. well, i made one tonight for dinner.

after thawing the pork out, i made a rub that mainly consisted of crushed black pepper and garlic, with a little bit of sea salt. i would tell you measurements, but i really don't have a clue on the pepper or salt. i do know i used 1 tsp of the pre-crushed garlic. i also added a small amount of olive oil to flavor and coat the meat. after seasoning the meat, i let it sit for a bit so the flavor could take hold a bit before cooking.



while the meat seasoned i cooked some black eyed peas. i grew up eating these little deals, along with things like fried okra and other southern dishes. i admit, i have yet to make okra right. it generally comes out way too oily and soggy. maybe i'll get it some day. anyhow, i was just doing black eyed peas as a side tonight. while they were finishing up i broiled the pork for about 9 minutes, flipping at 3 & 6 minutes. after cooking, i let it rest on the plate for 2 minutes and then plated the black eyed peas.



so, how did it taste? pretty good. i was happy with the peas, and overall i thought the pork new york was decent. it wasn't great, and i think it could've used something to give it a little more kick. but, i still enjoyed my meal

bad mystic cat

so, i came across this video and it made me laugh. yes, you need speakers. or headphones. but it's funny.

tuesday

what i should be doing: working on rogue paintings
what i am doing: watching soccer - epl is on live!

i'll make a change soon, but right now, i'm camping out on the couch.

Monday, January 25, 2010

monday haiku

nine thirty and now
i'm finally getting to
check teh internets

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Friday, January 22, 2010

bad blogger

yeah, i've been quite lax on my blogging lately. and, i know i wrote a piece last week about how i was going to try and get more done...and then didn't. my work schedule changed, coupled with afternoon stuff, and just being busy. and then i've got to mix in my general ability to forsake everything else to watch tv. yep. so, i haven't blogged much. been reading blogs though.

so, here's some stuff going on:
pub quiz is doing well after two weeks. we had 62 the first night, 77 the second. i wandered around during the second one and really tried to talk to each team, see if they're enjoying themselves and whatnot. seems like every is having a very good time. there are pics and a write up over @ our blog. for those that haven't already, you can also become a fan of us on facebook (fresno pub quiz) - we already have 90 people as "friends."

track season is getting into full swing. we've been doing our off season practice for a while, but now we're getting into season. of course, we've managed to have all of 2 practices due to all the rain. we were scheduled to have a throwers pentathalon today, but it was changed to tomorrow due to all the storms. sadly, this means i won't be there because i made plans to be out of town on saturday (since the event was today). later this afternoon i've got to go out to the track to do some work getting the venue ready for tomorrow's event. hopefully it won't rain and jack that plan up, and won't rain tomorrow. my throwers need to get some events under their belts. practice is good, but a meet always brings more energy, nerves and other stuff that they've got to get used to.

speaking of saturday, i'm headed to l.a. for my second usmnt game. this one is just a friendly, but it's against honduras, who also qualified for the world cup. our team won't be at it's best, as many of the bigger names won't be playing, but it will give us some insight of what our subs will look like in south africa, as well as help decide some of the positions still up in the air on the team. for more comprehensive breakdown, i suggest the shin guardian. i'm also excited because this is the first game i'm attending as a member of the american outlaws. and, i'm going with what is somewhat the basis for our potential fresno chapter. adam, carrie and her brother are signed up and official, vince and mike will get on board very soon, and myself. now, there may be more fresno area members out there, and we're in the process of locating them (or getting people joined up). it's fun to be a part of a supporters group, and it will be cool to link up with the l.a. outlaws group, and other outlaws from across the u.s. to pre-game at the off campus pub, march into the match together, and have a blast in the supporters section. hopefully the weather in carson will be nice enough. btw, it'll be my first match at the home depot center, home of the galaxy.

i haven't been to a movie or a local show in quite a while. need to change that soon.

anyway, i may post some cell shots from tomorrow's game, and some other stuff over the week. /end

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

pub quiz 1/20

just a friendly reminder of wednesday night's pub quiz @ landmark. $125 from last week's jackpot is rolling into this week's jackpot.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

bohemian rhapsody a la bluegrass

fun little remake of queen's bohemian rhapsody by hayseed dixie.

rudy jr.'s chicken man

about a year ago someone told me about the goodness that is chicken man. it wasn't far from my house, but i'd never heard of it. so, i filed that recommendation away in my head for future use. yesterday, i finally made it over.

honestly, this place is tucked away between streets. it's unassuming location and building might fool you into thinking that the food might not be so good. you'd be wrong to think that. their food was amazing. and, the quality of food is why a odd location and building don't hurt the business. seriously, it's that good.

i went with two friends who had eaten their before, one who had been eating there for quite a long time. they both had the sourdough burger with cheese. the burger looked great, and comes on slices of sourdough bread. they also both ordered a piece of chicken on the side. myself, i decided to order some jalapeno poppers and the four piece chicken. the poppers were awesome. these weren't some store bought, frozen poppers. these were fresh, made right then in the restaurant poppers. and a bunch of them. when the chicken arrived, the waitress let me know that they threw in an extra piece. who does that? super nice. and wow, the flavor on the chicken was great. yeah, it's fried chicken, but it wasn't overly greasy. i mean, there's grease because it's fried, but it wasn't gross.

none of us finished our lunch, but we all took home our food for a tasty meal for later. me, i took home three pieces of chicken that heated up for a nice lunch today. i'll definitely go back and try more of the menu - like the burgers & ribs.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

update on life

hey, i've been a little busy lately so i haven't put anything up on the blog. we had a blast at pub quiz last night w/62 people.

today, i took two naps. one after class, but before lunch, and then a long one after lunch. it seems i haven't slept a lot lately. well, not during normal hours. but i feel well rested now.

tomorrow, i'll try and post something real, and interesting. but for now, just wanted to say hi.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Monday, January 11, 2010

monday haiku

presenting pecha kucha
tonight at starline at eight
twenty slides on art

Sunday, January 10, 2010

r.i.p. ipod photo

you had a nice, long life. i bought you in 2005 and you were my first ipod. before you it was cd players and travel cases filled with plastic. we became very good friends and i loved your long battery life on road trips. over the years i used you to show off my artwork, record presentations and meetings and even played an occasional game of solitaire.



i know, we didn't spend as much time together over the last few years because i had that new fangled iphone. and this last year i got a new ipod "classic." you became heather's after her ipod mini went belly up. and through it all you worked beautifully. it was almost a badge of honor to break you out and have people by shocked by such an old ipod.

but it couldn't last forever. sadly, your hard drive wound down for the last time. sure, we'll replace you, but we will miss you as well.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

pub quiz at the landmark




Pub Quiz
Wednesday nights at the Landmark
644 e. olive
$5 a person, teams of 1-6
Cash payout to winning team & other prizes
Happy hour & drink specials
starts @ 8, arrive early
hosted by the View Looks Good from Here, Fresno

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

lunch review - cosmopolitan tavern

i had long heard stories about the great food at the cosmo. i'd never been there, but always thought i'd give it a try. after seeing a picture of the cheddar burger on a local website i figured that it was time to get myself down there. my wife was off work, and so we were able to enjoy a nice lunch date.

upon entering i was a little unsure if we should seat ourselves and waiter for a server or what, but then i saw two cash registers where people were ordering their lunches.

i had a cup of the italian wedding soup, which was the daily special. it had a nice flavor, and the meatballs in it were great. the soup was a tad salty, but maybe that's just to my taste.


for my main i ordered the cheddar burger. after all, it's what got me down there. i also had some fries and a drink. honestly, the burger was great. it had a very good flavor and the lettuce on the burger was fresh and crisp - a great touch often neglected. the fries were decent, but i was pretty full from the burger and soup that the fries were a bit of an afterthought.



my wife ordered the tomato and basil sandwich, which she really enjoyed. actually, there were almost too many fresh tomato slices on it, and she took off a few just to make the sandwich a little more manageable for her. she ate half, and took the other half home for later. she also had the sweet potato fries which were good (i had a few myself).






overall, a very nice experience. people tell me that it's super busy between 11:45-12:30, so be warned that you may have to wait a short bit to get seated or for food. it's worth it though.

cosmopolitan tavern
1546 Fresno St
Fresno, CA 93706
(559) 264-5110

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

rock out baby

ah, videos of babies doing things are always cute.

Monday, January 04, 2010

the estonians

man, some of the blogs that i didn't check for a few days over vacation had a lot of content to sift through. i thought this re-do of the simpson's intro was pretty funny.




also, here's a link to an artist's website who creates simpsons stained glass windows.

monday haiku

back from vegas now
catching up on blogs and such
don't tweet these ten things



hard to fall asleep
at decent time due to
vacation sleep sched

Sunday, January 03, 2010

stewie griffin's family feud answers

stewie griffin’s answers on family feud during family guy episode tonight (he was being held by lois, who was also answering)

something you sit in – my own feces
name a popular fruit – clay aiken
something in your closet – scary monsters
favorite holiday – 9/11
what do you do on weekends – black guys

when his answers weren’t used he said, ‘wait a second, i said feces? where’s my answers? oh, you’re just going to pretend i’m not here just like robin william’s agent pretends he’s still funny.”

i love fog

fresno has gotten a lot of negative press lately. over the last few months we have been slammed as the dumbest city by one group, had a negative article in the usa today, have been jokes on conan and jay, and even sent out some invites on youtube to the aforementioned comedians. if you follow the fresno blogosphere you've probably seen reference to some of those things.

in response, several fresnans have tried to be much more proactive about pushing the good things of fresno. james collier and barry falke are two guys i've met and are doing good work on their blogs. of course, there is also the fresnan and the beehive, all doing good things promoting fresno. and, yes, i'd like to think that adam and i do a fair share on our own blogs as well as on our podcast, the view looks good from here, fresno. but, new voices are also popping up on the scene. one that really intrigues me is 31 days of fresno, which is a facebook group (and a blog page). here is the description "31 Days of Fresno is a challenge to all Fresnans to post something they love about Fresno every day during the month of January. There has been a lot of talk about how to improve Fresno, and one of the things that always comes up is that in order to make Fresno a great place to live and to visit, we need to change how we view Fresno ourselves. I challenge you all to join me in this! If you're coming up short on things to love about our city, check out our links- you might find something you didn't know about before! Feel free to post your Fresno love on our page, it would be great to see what everyone else loves about living here. Please keep rude comments to yourself. We're trying to create a Fresno-positive community here"

cool idea. i doubt i'll post something every day there (i've already missed the first two days) but i'll check it regularly. and, i'm going to try and post more fresno positive stuff here right now. honestly, i haven't really put up too many posts lately that hyped or reviewed shows, or talked about stuff going on. i just haven't done too much. but, i'm getting to it. i promise.

so, here's something i love about fresno: the fog. now, i don't love it when i can't drive because it's soooo thick, but i enjoy a good fog (especially if it breaks up later in the day). i was in vegas for the n.y.e. holiday, and enjoyed their nice, clear skies. as we flew back i napped a little but awoke for our descent back to fresno. as we dropped in, i was greeted by the fog. it was strange, i couldn't tell how thick it was or how low we were. it was actually sorta frightening, since i was in a plane and had a slight worry we'd smash into the ground, but once we dropped through the layer of fog and i saw city lights (not the strip club but actual city lights) i looked fondly on fresno. i was glad to be back home. later in the night i stepped into my back yard and again looked up to enjoy the fog. the moon was pretty full and was shining through the mist. beautiful.

enjoy fresno over this next month.