weekend...

had a very nice weekend...
saw harry poter, spent time with family and friends, played video games, caught up on reading, shopped, caught up on grading, worked thru a ruby on rails tutorial...

all in all a full, nice weekend - leaving me relaxed, a bit tired and ready for the homestretch of this semester

but despite this, i suspect most of you are chanting the weekend mantra - just one more day! while i can't provide that, i can provide you a laugh courtesy of those wacky funsters at mcsweeney's event this week...

big event this week is my tenure interview. i'm not really worried, but you know, until it is done there will always be a bit of anxiety

in neo and christmas shopping?

go to the forst gallery and pick up something from gina or bridget, or better yet, both!

me, i plan on doing it tomorrow - before or after test driving a new scion xB. i have researched this and i want this car. perhaps this is a midlife crisis or something - but i am taking a far greater interest in cars, clothes, gadgets than before... oh well...

must have took me 2 hours to pay 3 bills today. between not being able to find my check book - being distracted by the thinly sliced almonds we have ostensibly for salads, not being able to find stamps, favorite pens, etc... it was quite an ordeal... the rest of the day - work, work, work - then play, play, play!!!!

ice, ice, baby (too cold)

first snow

happy thanksgiving, all!

any neo IT people out there..

i teach at a local community college - it seems like there is a lot of misinformation out there about IT job opportunities - many say there are no programming jobs in the area, yet recent reports in the PD and crain's indicates otherwise....

so my questions are:
what is your view of the IT job market?
what can we do to let people know there are IT jobs available?
can you suggest any ways i can recruit people into our CISS programs?

any thoughts would be appreciated...

happy anniversary...(and other random goodness - with a small stream of consciousness detour...)

oh, yeah - 4 years ago, yesterday i got the boot from my old job... while i still have some issues re:it, the people involved - even the one that gave me the axe, i have no ill will - as it gave me an opportunity to reinvent myself - and pursue a long held goal of teaching full time. so many positive changes came out of the little *push* they gave me... still have dreams about working there... in real life, however, i feel i have found my calling...and aren't moving anywhere...

here's a couple of cropping/manips of a photo i posted before and maybe even another time - who knows...:


indeed it is a remix culture and i like it

i thought of this lyric by the pretenders - it makes me think of my kids...

WELCOME TO THE HUMAN RACE
WITH ITS WARS, DISEASE AND BRUTALITY
YOU WITH YOUR INNOCENCE AND GRACE
RESTORE SOME PRIDE AND DIGNITY
TO A WORLD IN DECLINE

WELCOME TO A SPECIAL PLACE
IN A HEART OF STONE THAT'S COLD AND GREY
YOU WITH YOUR ANGEL FACE
KEEP THE DESPAIR AT BAY
SEND IT AWAY,

here is a good article about introverts - it is right on the mark. i feel introverts are often misunderstood - i know i have been - people assume angry, or perhaps aloof, when i have been focused inward - i also like the distinction between introvert and shy:

Introverts are not necessarily shy. Shy people are anxious or frightened or self-excoriating in social settings; introverts generally are not. Introverts are also not misanthropic, though some of us do go along with Sartre as far as to say "Hell is other people at breakfast." Rather, introverts are people who find other people tiring.

Extroverts are energized by people, and wilt or fade when alone. They often seem bored by themselves, in both senses of the expression. Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being socially "on," we introverts need to turn off and recharge. My own formula is roughly two hours alone for every hour of socializing. This isn't antisocial. It isn't a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating. Our motto: "I'm okay, you're okay—in small doses."

although i am not as *shy* as i always am, i will always be introverted - i once heard it put is the best test of intro/extroversion is to complete the following sentence: "after a tough day at work, i am most likely to _______". if the answer is go out and be with people - extrovert. if it is to go home and hole up for a while - introvert. i only want to be around people when i feel good this poses an interesting dilemma - esp. with someone with anxiety/depression issues - as to draw into yourself is to feed the beast - i am sure someone has studied the correlation of depression and introversion - as i've said, things are going great lately, but been having oddly timed anxiety - i think it's time to go spartan and hit the straight and narrow...i'm also doing my best to take care of myself - i.e. gave myself permission to take to easy at work... etc.... link originally found on that old recluse neal stephenson's site

in other news...did a big chunk of my christmas shopping today...

also, my dear wife is going out of town this weekend (party at the zellers house) as the youngest daughter said...also she has a trip in the spring...i hope we don't slip too far into squalor (i would, if i were you, purchase stock in frozen pizza companies - i expect they will experience record sales...) - but anyhow, i am responding the way any mature adult would - i'm jealous of her and want to go on a trip myself - i am crunching the numbers and seeing what's feasible - right now, i am looking at perhaps a trip to ny between spring and summer semesters - and. poss. a little puddle jump over to iceland - who knows - i am just in the planning stages...i want to do something on the cheap. another option is that glorious, kerouac-ean american tradition - road trip...i have found these guys who may be able to help a travel rookie such as myself...

if i never see another leaf, it will be too soon - kinda takes the fun of taking photos of trees having to rake up everything! it was a fun family activity for the first few hours, then....blech

fall came all at once - i swear, one day, trees were full and green -a few days later they all changed, a few days later they all fell - never remember fall being this....um - sudden...


also, i misquoted nickelback - the actual lyric is "look at this photograph" - my sentiments stay intact

rip "uncle" eddie... the next time i lie, cheat or steal, i'll think of you ;-)
bless you and your family!

here's 8000 words...

makeover...

well i followed the advice given to me by las fashionistas and came up with this outfit...

well, to quote one of our families' favorite shows: "how do i look?"

vh1 top 20 countdown...

the vh1 top 20 countdown is a favorite in our house. we all like it, and it seems a good way to start a weekend morning. as a public service to my reader(s) i will comment upon this week's top 20. i invite your comments, either about the top 20 or my comments (meta-comments, as it were).

1. Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
clarkson is bland, yet unoffensive - hey, in a weak moment i might even crank up. say "miss independent" or "since u've been gone" in my car and bellow along. this song is a bit melodramatic - although i do take the opportunity to point out to my kids that unlike the dad in the video, i pay attention to them when they give me stuff they've worked on, and this will save them from being traumatized into getting bad hair-dye jobs in later life...


2. Gold Digger - Kanye West
a video, in which hip hop's latest big thing takes on a compelling social issue...the victimization of rich male celebrities by evil, manipulative attractive young women - who says today's pop music isn't socially relevant. i mean, the problem is so severe that former cleveland cav sean kemp fell victim to it at least a half dozen times...

sheesh - what a despicable song - perhaps moreso, as kanye seems like a bright, likable guy, unlike, say, eminem, who we all know is an idiot- it's misogynism in clean cut clothing... while i don't have the stats at hand, it's my guess there are multiple "dead beat dads" for every "gold diggers"...

the "problem" posed by gold diggers has a simple solution guys: "keep your pants on..."

oh yeah - and If you aint no punk holla: "we need AIDS test"...

granted, there is some ambiguity in the lyrics, but it really doesn't come out in the video...

3. My Humps - Black Eyed Peas
it's a hiphop tradition to sing about butts, but how weird is it to sing about you're own - creepy - and what kind of dance is the guy dong where he is walking his fingers around his own chest - all in all very disturbing

4. Nickelback - "Photograph" (from All The Right Reasons)
a song/video i love to hate. i can't stand the song or video - but goofing on it is more fun than seeing a video i *do* like.... i mean the guy sings "This is a photograph..." while he's holding a photograph to the camera!!!! thank you captain literal

5. When September Ends - Green Day
ah, a family favorite - not my favorite green day song

6. Stickwitu - The Pussycat Dolls
yawn - creative spelling points, perhaps, but that's it...

7. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
Good song - a house favorite - yet my kids are creeped out by the video. i feel sorry for the little singer cartoon guy with the bad teeth...

8. Sheryl Crow - "Good is Good" (from Wildflower)
i like sheryl crow, but this isn't her best...

9. Mariah Carey - "Shake It Off" (from The Emancipation of Mimi)
mimi - hehe - anyhow, what a contast with #10. carey is surrounded by crow and madonna both who look better with age and carey - far younger - looks scarier...

10. Hung Up - Madonna
i've been an on and off fan of her since "borderline", but i never found her really attractive (seriously) - ok song - ,but i have to admit she looks *great* in this video

11. I'm Feeling You (Feat. Michelle Branch) - Santana
branch and santana ought to make a whole record. i like their collaborations...

12. Weezer - "Beverly Hills" (from Make Believe)
love this song - still not sick of it...

13. Luxurious - Gwen Stefani
i prefer the "just one of the guys" - no doubt gwen, to the solo, glam gwen - though i like some of the songs on her solo record - this one don't do it for me - but there's always the mute button....


14. Brighter Than Sunshine (Live @ VH1.com) - Aqualung
pretty good song - sounds like keane - the cover of jethro tull's aqualung was cool

15. Bon Jovi - "Have a Nice Day" (from Have a Nice Day)
i swear, haven't they done this song before???

16. Stand Up for Love (2005 World Children's Day Anthem) - Destiny's Child
i mean, how can i criticize a song that is the 2005 world children's day anthem - i'm not that big of a jerk. and the ladies are even clothed...

17. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers
the killers are doing their best to channel the 80's - right down to absurd (not in a good way) videos. they are a favorite in my house, but i'm pretty lukewarm. i am baffled if they were serious about this video, or is it meant to be tongue-in-cheek, or if it a comment on the absurdity of videos or what - as a teacher, i must say "guys, you're not trying hard enough".

18.Music (Live @ VH1.com)- Leela James
i actually like this one quite a bit - mental note: check out the rest of the record

19. Fix You - Coldplay
pretty good song

20. The Great Divide - Scott Stapp
wow, i was just saying the other day what the world needs now was a solo record form the leader of one of the most pompous, overblown, annoying bands in history...thank g*d, i slept in a bit and missed this one

my rankings:
1. weezer
2. gorillaz
3. leela james
4. santana/branch
5-20. who cares...

fashion advice...

i asked las fashionistas how an, ahem, middle aged man, could dress in an age appropriate, but not boring manner. here is their response. i think they gave good advice!

anyone else wants to put their two cents in - feel free...

50 things about me...

questions from bridget


1. What is your middle name?
Leonard (after me dear dad)

2. What color underwear are you wearing now?
not sure, guessing dark blue or grey
*peeking*
grey

3. What are you listening to right now?
dave holland - global citizen, from the not for nothin' cd

4. What are the last 2 digits in your phone number?
i genuinely have a prob remembering phone numbers as i rarely call myself, and when i do, the numbers are programmed - anyhow 13

5. What was the last thing you ate?
bagel and cream cheese

6. If you were a crayon what color would you be?
green

7. How is the weather right now?
grey/blustery

8. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
no clue - probably someone who wanted to lower my mortgage payments

9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
wow - do i take the high road or low road here - no pun intended

10. Favorite type of Food?
pizza - perhaps the easiest question i've been asked. ever.

11.Do you drink?
only to excess

12. Do you smoke?
only at metroid prime pinball

13. Ever get so drunk you don't remember what you did?
now how would i know that if, by definition, i can't recall the incident?
;-)

14. Hair color?
hair on head -depends on which specific hair...grey or brown
beard mostly grey

15. Eye color?
hazel

16. Do you wear contacts?
no

17. Favorite Holiday?
christmas

18. Favorite Month?
may

19. Have you ever cried for no reason?
no - i mean, it might have been for a dumb reason, or an inexplicable reason, but there has always been a reason

20. What was the last movie you watched?
tv: revenge of the sith
theater: serenity

21. Favorite Day of the Year?
today

22. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
well, given my current situation good judgement trumps any other factor...
before i was married though, yes - painfully shy - i am still not sure how i was able to overcome it to actually *get* married - love conquers all, huh...

23. If you can say something to someone
right now what would it be?
i love you

24. Hugs or Kisses?
from whom?
if from hershey, then def. kisses...

25. Chocolate or Vanilla?
chocolate

26. left or right ?
left

27. Favorite Donut flavor ?
glazed or choc covered

28. ketchup or mustard ?
on what?

29. What books are you reading?
bode miller's autobiography
the cathedral and the bazaar
some book about AJAX

30. Piercings?
yes

31. Favorite Movie?
from my blogger profile:
* i heart huckabees
* house of flying daggers
* the life aquatic
* chungking express
* run lola run
* the bourne identity
* the bourne supremacy
* ghost world
* the big lebowski
* dr. strangelove
* the wizard of oz
* crouching tiger hidden dragon
* lost in translation
* the fifth element
* american beauty
* the outlaw josie wales
* groundhog's day
* undercover brother
* amelie

Favorite Music
32. Favorite football Team?
browns - though i haven't watched them since they played in municipal stadium - pre-move

33.What were you doing before this?
eating my bagel

34. Any pets?
3.5 cats - approx 5 fish

35. Wendys or Taco Bell?
taco hell

36. Butter, Plain, Sweet or Salted popcorn?
butter + salt

37. Dogs or cats?
eh - i've waffled on this issue - as much as it pains me to admit, cats

38. Favorite flower?
dandelions

39 Have you ever been caught doing
something you weren't supposed to?
yes, i ate pistachios during class. can you imagine, i grew up in a time/place where a kid could get in trouble for *that*?

40. Are you taken or single?
taken, sounds so - forceful, as though i was seized during a pillage. i am married.

41. Have you ever REALLY loved someone?
yes

42. Who would you like to see right now?
parents

43. what's your fav color?
green

44. Have you ever fired a gun?
yes

45. Do you like to travel by plane?
not really

46. Right-handed or Left-handed?
mainly right - i do a few things (shoot pool, shoot a rifle) left handed...

47. If you could be with someone right now,
who would it be?
my parents - i mean, have them here, not me be there...

48. How many pillows do you sleep with?
how ever many are under my head when i fall asleep - this is effected by numerous factors - usually 2 - um, pillows that is, not factors

49. Are you missing someone?
yes

50. Do you have a Tattoo?
no - not yet





bridget's dumb random questions


apple or oranges ?
apples - red delicious only please - otherwisw oranges

paper or plastic ?
uh

opener or twist off ?
der

favorite movie starring sylvester stallone-go
paradise alley - or maybe - what was the mountain climbing one with janine turner...

do you know all the lyrics to phil collins tunes ?
do i really have to answer - probably
remember i am 95% loser

what are your favorite phil collins tunes ?
can i geek out and say something he did with Brand X

why would this be ?
trying to save a modicum of self respect?

last movie you forgot to return on time ?
i go blockbuster membership plan or something - no late fees!

who would you place in a dunk tank ? a cold dunk tank...
hehe - i know, but i am not saying...but thanks for allowing me some hypothetical revenge

what was the first movie you saw actual NUDITY ?
i'm thinking SHAMPOO

fruits or vegtables ?
fruits

the most in late fee you've ever paid ?
recently had a $4.00 library fee - prob not the highest, but in the upper 50 percentile...

what the worst about eating vegtables? (no not the wheelchairs!! nonono)
ouch....
um - not noticing an onion in the mix - i hate onions...
kind of a tough question for a vegetarian....

insert your own dumb questions....here _________


my dumb random questions

who is the most attractive world leader ever?

if you could have an actual light saber or hover craft which would it be?

what videogame most resembles your life?

were you to become a hip hop star, what would your name be? (my answer, as previously reported, was DJ MegaHurtz)

why does michael jordan have a shampoo with his name on it? (he really does)

i invite anyone else to take a shot - post a comment if you do...

beck said it best...

from: cynical: a life

i'm thinking this is reasonable - with perhaps + or - 2% margin of error

this. that.

jen and i have reopened our olympic fever blog

my brother lives in new york - after talking to him about his life, i've come up with a major revelation of what i don't find satisfying about suburban life. now, for many of you, this might be obvious - but there's no places to hang out in the suburbs... i love my neighborhood, but there really aren't any close places to hang with friends, meet cool new people, etc... where do you folks hang out?

the thing about anxiety/depression that people that don't suffer from it don't *get* (tom cruise, among others) is that it is not tied to external conditions. it's different than being nervous about, say, an audit or a final exam. i woke up today very anxious, and really, there's no reason - today shapes up to be a boring, but fairly normal-easy day...

tonight is my new favorite show no reservations - any anthony bourdain fans there? - i really like his show/books - even though he goofs on vegetarians...

it is ironic that after posting i have nothing to say has come my most prolific blogging in a while...i suspect, i still don't have much to say - but i'm not letting that stopping me from say it - at great length... or perhaps, it's just that i have some breathing room in my work schedule...

***EDITED. LINK TO OLYMPIC FEVER FIXED***

more fall....

summer has always been my favorite season, followed by spring, than fall, and winter...

however, things are shifting around. i had a hard time with the heat this summer - was really draining...and this fall is so beautiful - and hey, i've even discovered a few things i like about winter...guess it goes to show, there's advantages and disadvantages to nearly every situation....

bug eyes, ghost fish and bubbles

buddha's flower sermon

But this time the Buddha had no words. He reached into the muck and pulled up a lotus flower. And he held it silently before them, its roots dripping mud and water.

The disciples were greatly confused. Buddha quietly displayed the lotus to each of them. In turn, the disciples did their best to expound upon the meaning of the flower: what it symbollized, and how it fit into the body of Buddha’s teaching.

When at last the Buddha came to his follower Mahakasyapa, the disciple suddenly understood. He smiled and began to laugh. Buddha handed the lotus to Mahakasyapa and began to speak.

“What can be said I have said to you,” smiled the Buddha, “and what cannot be said, I have given to Mahakashyapa.”

from PaperFrog - who gives the same interpretation i have...

here is an interesting and odd visual interpretation of the flower sermon

well, my photo isn't of a flower, but that's ok, cause i'm not a buddha (and chances are, you are not Mahakasyapa)

but i see my photos in this spirit - an invitation to see - which i give both to myself and you...

i took a boatload of photos today and will post more as time allows...

art sale..

gina and bridget are having an art sale.
anyone in the cleveland area should check it out....
here are the details...






pass it along!

had you predicted this in, say, 1975...

they'd have locked you up...

Actors Warren Beatty and wife Annette Bening tried to crash a campaign appearance Saturday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as the governor sought to drum up last-minute support for a group of statewide ballot measures.

from abc news

this y that

imagine a creature, gray, middle aged, affable, loves laying on the couch and eating. not as spry as he used to be. no not me! my cat simba. we had a scare this week. he was limping around, and seemingly in a bad way. we feared the worst. apparently, just a pulled muscle - he'll be fine - and we are celebrating. my other cats i range from feeling hostility to a kind of benevolent apathy. but simba is different. please no psychological theories about identifying with him...

in other pet news - here is our fish...




lastly, i've made a collage in a shadow box. it's hard to tell from the photo, but each photo is at a different height....

photo friday...

photo friday: warmth

autumn leaves...

i believe was one of my grandmother's favorite songs. anyhow, they remind me of stained glass windows - the leaves are translucent and colorful, the branches dark and solid...

my office...

notebook

i keep a little notebook with me on which, i jot down thoughts, doodle, etc...

i haven't written anything in it for ages, i was looking through it and found the above page, and i got a kick out of it...

i scribbled this page while sitting in a very boring class. i can honestly say, this page accurately captures my feelings of that moment. longtime readers will note it betrays my anti-PowerPoint® bias.

the text, in case you can't read it is...

• ppt is excruciating!


• grad school teachers can't give presentations.


• don't know how to use powerpoint

note how in the original, these are listed faux bullet point style. perhaps it is a coincindence, but i believe this was done deliberately, as the next page includes the phrase "death by bullet(point)"

the balloon coming from my mouth says" "take me now, Lord"

flowers

blogging...

what makes a good/successful blog? thousands of hits? many incoming links?

i can answer the question from a reader's perspective. the blogs i read that i consider successful are ones where the writer either is a subject matter expert whose opinion i value, or has a compelling personality - so what they have to say is interesting no matter what they write about.

as a blog writer, i am not so sure how i would "rate" my blog. i think a blog is successful if it brings the blogger satisfaction. the personal nature of blogs and the personal nature of satisfaction requires that the criteria is personal. someone once told me that i have a good blog given i don't write about my work, my family or my personal feelings....lol...i guess for me blogging gives me an opportunity to connect with people - lately i don't feel like i have much of a connection with too many people in real life, and really i am not feeling the connection i used to feel with the blogging world, as well...not sure why this is... it's a chicken/egg thing.. i don't seem to get the feedback i used to (not that i am trolling for comments here), so perhaps i am not inspired - or perhaps my lack of inspiration causes less interest among my readers...

additionally, i genuinely don't feel i have much to say - i like weird music that no one else likes, despise the current administration, read obscure books, have several simpleminded passtimes...it's not depression that keeps me from writing - i just have nothing i feel like sharing - not that there is anything compelling i *don't* feel like sharing either....

so i have been posting photos mainly. i am both serious and not serious about my photos. serious in the sense that it is therapeutic and fun. if nothing else, it gets me off the couch - and i find taking photos - the process and the end result - fulfilling and satisfying. i don't take it too seriously though. i am not a pro. i am not an artist. i want to "keep it light" everyone in awhile, i admit, i start taking it too serious - and i usually reel myself in pretty quick... what's the point of a hobby that brings frustration - that's what real life is for....

not sure why i am posting this - that's another reason for blogging, i suppose - a void into which one can tramble without boring one's loved ones...