JOURNAL

~ 11:55 PM ~

She sings from somewhere you can't see
She sits in the top of the greenest tree
She sends out an aroma of undefined lust
It drips on down in a mist from above

She's just the girl
She's just the girl
The girl U want

--Devo "Gurl U Want"

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Thursday, February 27th ::.

~ 04:55 PM ~

"From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs!" -- Marxists.org

Linkage:
Political Compass

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Wednesday, February 26th ::.

~ 05:24 PM ~

I got added to RateMyProfessors. Thanks to whoever decided to post the review.

Linkage:
Bush cites report---that doesn't exist

mine:

How evil are you?

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Monday, February 24th ::.

~ 05:08 PM ~

We had another snowfall at rush hour. Luckily, I was not late for my LCCC class. After doing a review session at Lorain and driving through the slush to CSU, I was peer reviewed during my Soc. of the Third World class. I believe class went well and we did have a good discussion of disease under capitalism. It is good to get advice and criticism from a fellow faculty member so I am looking forward to the review.

Realizing that I had 5MB of webspace at LCCC, I decided to develop a small sociology links page. However, I have no idea how to get it available to students besides announcing it in class and putting it on my syllabus in the future, which would be fine. I decided to use the webspace since I am teaching a family course this summer over the Internet at LCCC and I thought the experience with the system would be useful.

Linkage:
Trading Spaces' Fan Site
Who Owns What

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, February 23rd ::.

~ 04:18 PM ~

We went out to the Boneyard last night. It is a new bar for the area located about 20 minutes from our home. It boasts 40 beers on tap and all the peanuts that you could possibly want to consume. As for the shells, they get the floor. Overall, it is wasn't anything different than a BW3's.

We got our Pearl Jam tickets. They were well-priced and Sparta will be opening.

I got lucky and found a recipe for some leftover quinoa and bulgur. It was quite good and I substituted the rice for bulgur.

Linkage:
Buca di Beppo

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Friday, February 21st ::.

~ 07:57 AM ~

Neale will be pursuing Pearl Jam ticktes today. They are coming to town and she really wants to see them. Despite going to concerts regularly in the early-mid 90s, I never saw them. So, it will be a first for each of us. Also, we haven't been to a concert since fall of 2001...ouch.

Linkage:
People get ready

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Tuesday, February 18th ::.

~ 04:54 PM ~

As I mentioned, I did some cleaning of the site. Some photos have been removed and I promise we will add more soon since the digital camera makes it much easier to post new content.

Linkage:
Analogy of the Day

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Monday, February 17th ::.

~ 07:32 PM ~

With the addition of the digital camera, I will be updating and resorting the photo section soon.

Noel passed RateMyProfessors.com along tonight. It is great! Thanks.

~ 12:04 PM ~

Note to self: Move out of the snowy north.

Linkage:
Winter Storm Hits the East
The paperclip

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, February 16th ::.

~ 07:11 PM ~

I found some great exercises online for my classes. One for my race & ethnicity course and another for Intro when we cover stratification.

I relaunched the guestbook. Please sign in and share.

~ 12:56 PM ~

I got nothing.

Linkage:
Reaction Test

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Saturday, February 15th ::.

~ 08:56 AM ~

We got our new camera. It was a Christmas gift that was on backorder. Despite the delay, I was very impressed with PCNation and their service. They did not use any high-pressure sale tactics or try to get me to buy something I did not need.

There is a new (& free) version of Ad-aware available. Get rid of the spyware on your PC! It is a handy program.

Neale and I had dinner last night at Nino's Italian Restaurant. The food was good and the service was good but they could do more about the atmosphere.

"....sometimes I think it’s a shame when I start feeling better when I am feeling no pain."

Linkage:
Zoltans's Photos
Spread Condoms---Not AIDS

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Thursday, February 13th ::.

~ 07:46 PM ~

Special thanks to Mom and Dad for the Valentine's Day gift. Yum!

Also thanks to Darren for passing along the Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame site.

When it comes to Eastern Illinois University, you
are a GENIUS! You are a true credit to EIU. You
know your campus history and were smart enough
to read complete sentences. Why did you go to
Eastern, anyway?

Check Your EIU IQ With Eastern Illinois University Trivia
brought to you by Quizilla

Linkage:
My Irony
Temple Rules

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, February 9th ::.

~ 12:07 PM ~

I added our hummus, sweet and sour seitan, and dark meat seitan recipes to the recipe page. See main page for link.

~ 10:53 AM ~

We watched "About A Boy" last night and it was really good. I had heard good things but Neale was skeptical at first.

I made hummus and my recipe is getting better.

Linkage:
Michael J. Nelson

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Saturday, February 8th ::.

~ 02:53 PM ~

We went to the West Side Market this morning. I picked up two eggplants, 4lbs. of granny smith apples, some Himalayan red rice, 2lbs. of onions, 3 oz. of chili powder, 3 oz. of cayenne, 2 oz. of turmeric, a dozen of pitas, and 3 oz. of Italian seasoning for about $20. Why don't we go more?

I just sweet and sour seitan and it was excellent. Braising the seitan is the best way to go.

I have some grading to do. Neale is at a coworker's baby shower. I think I am passing by the video store tonight.

Linkage:
Metric Conversion Tool

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Friday, February 7th ::.

~ 11:32 PM ~

I was watching Penn and Teller: Bull**** on Showtime again. Tonight's target was alien abductions.

We gave NBC's Kingpin a chance. Unlike the show's clients, we are not hooked. I did not recognize Sheryl Lee when I first saw her.

Animal Planet’s “Pet Stars" featured a groundhog that could raise a flag. I hope this starts a trend of more groundhogs on TV. Hmmmm....

I made a "dark meat" version of seitan tonight from the Bold Vegetarian cookbook. I plan to use it in a stir-fry first.

Linkage:
Stop Abductions

~ 09:52 AM ~

Love ya.

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Thursday, February 6th ::.

~ 10:46 PM ~

I am watching Penn and Teller: Bull**** on Showtime. It is quite good. They are debunking psychics. John Edwards, your 15 mins. are up!

This was no boating accident.

Linkage:
It's tax time

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Wednesday, February 5th ::.

~ 03:11 PM ~

While Colin Powell was making his statement to the UN, I was having a class discussion on the nation-state and its use of force. There was a strong consensus about resisting the urge to use of force against our enemies and an understanding of how this war will not solve long-term problems.

Linkage:
Dummy Sociology article
International Space Station

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Tuesday, February 4th ::.

~ 06:06 AM ~

I asked my 11AM class yesterday about their feelings about the Columbia incident and we had a brief discussion. My inital question was "what is the norm for reacting to this type of incident?" Answers tended to focus on technical details and the various news reports, which is probably a good indicator of what, in part, we tend to do. It is always good to get a real opinion from a group.

After returning and leaving some messages, I have an upcoming job interview. Once again, it is a phone interview and then we will see what happens next.

Linkage:
NCSA
Op-Ed piece @kuro5hin

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Monday, February 3rd ::.

~ 02:29 PM ~

I was able to accomplish all that I wanted to this afternoon. My classes went well this morning. I spent a lot of time thinking about my 8AM course over the weekend.

I was able to find the source of the mysterious early morning thud. I have a stack of black file boxes (yes, my old teaching material boxes) in the 'office' closet. Despite being in the same column for months and always rearranged in the same order every time I have to get something from the boxes, they fell.

While I was working on some documents, I was using Media Player's radio tuner. I streamed quite well.

Linkage:
Garalt
30 Years of the Cell Phone

~ 06:01 AM ~

We were woken by a large thud about 4AM. We both got up and investigated but could not find any explanation. The noise sounded like something large (like a TV) fell off a shelf or table. It took us both sometime to get back to sleep.

Linkage:
Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, February 2nd ::.

~ 08:10 PM ~

Phil saw his shadow.

We went for a walk on the bike path. Neale is frightened by deer. Yet, I try to make contact. I think I need some corn.

Linkage:
SAT QOTD
No Rhyme or Reason

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Saturday, February 1st ::.

~ 11:19 PM ~

After 7 months I did decided to redo the opening page graphic. Enjoy.

We went for a walk today at the bikepath. Warmer weather is coming....

It was very sad to hear of the Shuttle tragedy.

Linkage:
Columbia

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Friday, January 31st ::.

~ 08:11 AM ~

Thank you very much Mom and Dad for the gift. Groundhog Day is this weekend.

We have a video call last night with Brit, Harrison, Casey, Debbie, Ed, Jack and Betty. It was Brit's birthday. We are using MSN Messenger to video conf. with them.

I upgraded to Windows Media 9 last night. It seems faster, uses less memory, and may help burn CDs on this machine.

The Smoking Gun found some previous acting and modeling experience of Fox's Joe Millionaire. Ouch!

Linkage:
Call For Help: WMP 9 article

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, January 26th ::.

~ 10:33 AM ~

I added photos from last fall. They are of various parts of the local bike paths. The first three are from the Metro parks and the remaining is the canal towpath.

I made my Guacholeo last night. It is a simple recipe this year. I will go out to get some chips from Chipotle in a few hours. Neale is getting pizza for the game and making a spicy cream dip.

I did some course prep yesterday and am almost set for tomorrow. I need to take some notes over a chapter.

Why does National Geographic have a swimsuit issue?

I got a call from someone using this site.

Linkage:
Jan 25th: Internet Attack

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Friday, January 24th ::.

~ 05:52 PM ~

I have selected some almost ripe avocados for the annual Super Bowl Guacholeo. Please see the recipe page for more details. Guacholeo is a special dip so the recipe is open to innovations. Neale requested no onions or tomatoes in her bowl and I will have to accommodate. In all, it is fun to watch the Super Bowl together. It is something we have done since we met. We are cheering for the Raiders...Gannon mostly.

Once again, the CSU College of LAS is accepting apps for the part-time teaching award. So, I have been busy this afternoon putting the materials together.

XP users: there are new security fixes available today.

Neale has a surprise waiting for her when she gets home. I was busy in the kitchen.

Linkage:
404 Error
AVG Anti-Virus

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Tuesday, January 21st ::.

~ 04:40 PM ~

I am use to the three-class cycle but I need lunch. Last semester, I went to Quizno's for lunch but I will be brown bagging it as I only have 45 mins. between classes.

~ 06:14 AM ~

We worked out together yesterday. Neale has decided to use our complex's gym. She is walking and doing some free weight exercises. We are both counting the days until we can get back to the bike path.

I upgraded to DirectX 9 to help solve a small video problem I was experiencing. There hasn't been any problems since the switch.

I made gorditas for dinner last night. I didn't have any corn husks to make tamales so I decided to wait. The gorditas went well for a first attempt.

My parents are visiting in June and Neale's mom, Debbie, made plans for May. We are still considering a Vegas trip and making plans for our anniversary.

Linkage:
Free the Mouse

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Monday, January 20th ::.

~ 02:42 PM ~

We both have the day off. Neale had to take an affidavit and I did some prep. Luckily, I am doing most of my notes during my office hours and using my time at home to write-up exams, handouts, etc.

Neale rented "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones" on Saturday but we couldn't bring ourselves to watch it instead of the NFL playoffs and the Golden Globes.

I cleared out some old back-ups. The past is truly past.

Linkage:
Googlism
Martin Luther King, Jr.

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Saturday, January 18th ::.

~ 10:15 AM ~

Some new photos will be posted soon. With the digital camera coming, there may be an overhaul of photos on the site.

I grew frustrated with the performance of the Detonator 40.xx series and rolled back to Det 30.82. So far, much more stable.

~ 01:06 AM ~

Neale is better. She came home early from work but recovered. She plans to catch up on Sunday.

My first week of the semester went well. The discussion at CSU was very good.

I found some Masa Harina at Giant Eagle this afternoon so tamales are soon!

In Spite Of Me
Time: 2:34
Sandman

Last night I told a stranger all about you
They smiled patiently with disbelief
I always knew you would succeed no matter what you tried
And I know you did it all in spite of me
Still I'm proud to have know you for the short time that I did
Glad to have been a step up on your way
Proud to be part of your illustrious career
And I know you did it all in spite of me
In spite of me
Late last night I saw you in my living room
You seemed so close but yet so cold
For a long time I thought that you'd be coming back to me
Those kind of thoughts can be so cruel
So cruel And I know you did it all in spite of me
In spite of me

Gone For Good
Time: 2:55
Sandman

I'm never going back never going back to you
I'm never going to see you again
I'm never going to dig out your picture
I'm never going to look you up someday
Life is very short
You don't love me anymore
So I'm never going to see you again
I'm never going to write you a letter
Never going to call you on the phone
I'm never going to drive by your house
I'm never going to catch you coming outside
Never going to walk up your walk
And ring your bell
And feel you fall into my arms
I'm never going to see you (x2)
I'm never going to see you again
Your gone for good

Team Morphine.

Linkage:
EFF
The Case: Objects Are NOT MEMORIES

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Wednesday, January 15th ::.

~ 03:52 PM ~

Neale is getting better. Last night was rough but the flu is slowly receding. She should be fine tomorrow.

I made Alton's sweet and sour tofu. The sweet and sour sauce was good but the marinated tofu didn't work out when cooked. This recipe will need some changes.

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Monday, January 13th ::.

~ 09:01 PM ~

Neale is ill. She seems to have the chills and an upset stomach. She has managed to keep down a Panera sandwich and soup combo though. Her second watching of The Mothman Prophencies seems to be the most troubling.

Tonight's Smoothie: 1 cup of blueberries, 1 1/2 cup of milk, one packet of Sugar in the Raw, and 4 tablespoons of wheat germ. Yum.

Linkage:
Mustard Seed Market

~ 01:36 PM ~

I did typical first day activities this morning. I took roll and told the students a little about myself. I submitted copies and cleaned my office. I got good news that my books are on the way. However, I am exhausted. It will definitely be an early night.

Linkage:
Earthcam

~ 06:00 AM ~

It is the first day of the spring semester. My first class is at 8AM Monday through Thursday. Since I have been on vacation and staying up later than normal, I got almost no sleep last night. My "clock" is really off. So, it will take a few days to adjust back to the semester schedule of going to bed at 10 and getting up at 6. It is a light day as I am just taking attendance in each class. They will get their syllabuses later this week because the books arrived late.

Lately, I have been seeking out episodes of Trading Spaces and While You We're Out and its on at 4 and 5 this afternoon.

Neale has an election in Sandusky this week and we will away for a few days. She made a great cannelloni last night.

Linkage:
Groundhog Day
Is it Spring yet?

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, January 12th ::.

~ 11:52 AM ~

My classes start tomorrow. I am ready. I just need a few more pieces to fall into place and I will be set.

Neale is over walking at our complex's gym.

I made Alton's pot pie last night. Check the recipe page for details.

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Saturday, January 11th ::.

~ 01:24 PM ~

It got cold overnight. Neale is heading out to purchase a new hair dryer. The previous one died earlier this week. I finished my last LCCC syllabus last night. It is a short book so I have plenty of in-class activities planned. We are spending the night in...probably a movie.

Linkage:
SAT Question of the Day

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Thursday, January 9th ::.

~ 11:57 PM ~

Comedy Central's Dave Attel featured Cleveland in last night's Insomniac. I recognized one of my former students from my first semester at CSU in one of the segments.

My semester prep is almost done. One of my texts was cancelled by the bookstore, which was surprising but another reminder of the state of college bookstores. However, I recovered and was able to find a better book.

Linkage:
Call for Help Addicts
Screensavers Addicts

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Wednesday, January 8th ::.

~ 10:57 AM ~

I was reading Alton's book last night and he had the courage or intelligence to mention Jeff Smith (aka The Frugal Gourmet). Although the exact details of what happened to Jeff Smith's career are vague (at best) when the guy was in his prime as a cook he was one of the best to watch.

I have to run up to Cleveland today to pick up some books and get my parking permit.

Linkage:
Jump the Shark
Toddy

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Tuesday, January 7th ::.

~ 10:39 AM ~

I donated platelets again. I was complimented on my movie choice. I always try to arrive a few moments late. I prefer other donors arrive before me, go through screening, and get to the chairs, which is where the first donor usually picks the movie. I dislike picking the movie that will dominate everyone’s viewing for at least two hours. Nevertheless, it was my call and I picked "October Sky" for three reasons. First, I actually had not seen it. I knew what it was about and was curious given the chance. Second, it is wholesome. There are at least 60 movies (most, if not, all I have seen) to choose from and some feature sex/violence/nudity, which I do not feel comfortable watching with complete strangers who may objective and the possible presence of children. Third, I have seen most, if not all, the movies they have (for better or for worse) and would rather watched something new on TV (Neale knows this all too well). I was surprised someone liked my choice and should probably error towards wholesome bland films next time. Why can’t we just watch a Trading Spaces? How about we enjoy a few hours of Animal Planet? On the other hand, isn’t there a special on National Geographic we have not seen?

Our gifts from Amazon arrived today. We are just waiting on our camera from PC Nation. We went with them for lower prices and free delivery not their abundance of stocked items. It should be soon though.

Our new mouse is installed. It went smoothly. However, I am still using the PS/2 port instead of using one of my two USB ports (**note: more USB ports on new PC). The Intellimouse Optical is great. It is a good size, very responsive, no trackball to clean, and colorful. Despite the new mouse, I still had to look up a keyboard shortcut today. They're always handy.

I tried our Braun stick blender and made a smoothie. I added frozen mixed fruit, 1/2 cup of milk, and some sugar (or honey) and I had icy fruity goodness in seconds.

Linkage:
Neale...You are my friend
Is this serious?

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Monday, January 6th ::.

~ 09:33 AM ~

Hello from snowy Cleveland where it was the best of times (Ohio State wins Championship) and the worst of times (the Browns).

I made my corn chowder yesterday. It was the first time making my own chowder and my first time modifying a recipe for the slow cooker. The slow cooker recipe called for evaporated milk and creamed corn, neither have I preferred. So, four hours later I had a good first attempt. However, I plan to make the next one creamier.

Neale typed in the afternoon and I was relaxing as the Browns self-destructed. We did watch America Undercover: The Iceman Talks to the Psychiatrist later in the evening.

Today, I have more prep to do as classes are still a week away.

Linkage:
365 Days

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Sunday, January 5th ::.

~ 01:07 PM ~

We saw Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers last night with Dolores, Joe and Jay last night. It was good and the theater was excellent. Then we went to Hoggy's, which does have a veg option.

My Dad sent me the Foodie Trend-O-Meter quiz from the Chicago Tribune and I scored a 21 out of 30.

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Saturday, January 4th ::.

~ 04:25 PM ~

Buckeyes!!

Neale had some work to do but she was able to finish quickly. She is napping presently. I made a tasty Black Bean and Sweet Potato veggie burger for lunch. It was the first recipe I tried from the Bold Vegetarian Chef. I am trying a corn chowder tomorrow.

We are seeing Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers tonight with Dolores and Joe.

I got a tune-up yesterday and it really makes a difference.

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Thursday, January 2nd ::.

~ 11:22 AM ~

Since we were traveling I was without my access to the web and missed a very important (to me at least) news item over the holidays. Joe Strummer, lead singer of the Clash, passed away on December 22 from cardiac arrest. This is very sad news.

Linkage:
MTV News
Joe Strummer
Strummer Site
The Only Website That Matters

~ 12:22 AM ~

I went the whole day without watching more than 10 minutes of football. I am just waiting for Friday.

I believe we are seeing LOTR: Twin Towers on Saturday.

Deep dish was invented in '43?!?! Find out more at the History of Pizza

Alton's book is great. This is better.

Neale heads back to work tomorrow and I have to start prepping. I need to write lecture notes, overheads, etc.

Linkage:
2002 Follies: The most overhyped and underreported stories of the year

[comment on this day's entry]

.:: Wednesday, January 1st ::.

~ 03:22 PM ~

It is so nice to do next to nothing sometimes...

~ 01:39 AM ~

Have a Happy New Year! Yes once again. Did you think I would be otherwise occupied? No, we are home and I decided to check my email. We had fun. The Flying Fig was good and worth the 45 min. wait for our table. I decided on principle that we should have walked after 20 min. but alas I was not the decision maker. The food was excellent and the waiter was very good. Being New Year's Eve we talked about Dick Clark and he is....(drum roll)... 72.

Yes once again...the journal will be archived for you reading pleasure..have you noted the clues? I have some Twin Peaks ep. Tivoed. I am the arm.

Linkage:
They died
Top Religion Stories of 2002

[comment on this day's entry]

T O P