podcasting

I just installed the Blubrry PowerPress plug in, which allows me to podcast, which I’m excited about. Not that I’m excited about everyone in the world hearing my voice, but it is another form of media that I can experiment around with and enjoy. (Speaking is part of the language arts, after all). I can …read more…

something here does not make sense

Yesterday, I read on NPR that the stock market actually went down because Wall Street was worried about an economic slowdown. I don’t get it. We spent billions of dollars to bail out Wall Street, because their economy is basically our economy—Main Street just doesn’t matter any more, apparently. Reading this article made me realize …read more…

brother, can you spare a dime?

I recently added a support page to my main web page, where people can offer some sort of financial contribution. (That reminds me, I need to think of a better way to describe it than “my main web page.”) I have to admit, I was very reluctant to do that. I already have Google ads …read more…

First day of summer, apparently

This is what the atomic clock says on the wall:   Yes, it actually feels like summer in here. (That reminds me, I took some pictures last August on a nice long bike ride. I’ve got to find them and post them here, or just post them on my gallery.)   Of course, I know …read more…

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes, fresh out of the oven. (Please don't eat the bay leaves!)

With just a few simple ingredients, this is a filling, hearty side dish perfect for a holiday meal (it does take some time). Adding leftover ham or corned beef can turn this into a satisfying main dish. The real secret to this dish is taking your time with the béchamel sauce, so that the bay …read more…

Chili

This is my favorite recipe for chili. It’s not authentic—Texans would take real issue with this recipe—but it is delicious 1 pound ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed and ground (in a mortar and pestle) 3 tablespoons chili powder 3 cloves garlic, minced (I add more) 1 15.5-oz can black …read more…

New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

I don’t really like the idea of New Year’s resolutions, because it seems silly to wait until January 1 to change your life. If there’s something you want to do, then do it now. If there’s something you want to stop doing, then stop now. There’s never a perfect time to do anything, because there’s …read more…

Really Simple Curry Paste

I have always been intrigued by those jars of colorful curry pastes I have seen in the store, but have always been turned off by the price. So I decided to try making my own curry paste.There are lots of recipes for curry paste on the internet, but they are all pretty complicated, and seem …read more…

My Mighty Mouse Won’t Scroll

Seriously, I love my Apple Macintosh Mini, and the Mighty Mouse that came along with it. But there are times when the scroll button just won’t work. Turns out I’m not alone: Turns out that it’s just dust in the scroll ball. Here’s one solution, here’s another, and here’s a video that shows you how …read more…

Why I Use a Macintosh

Uh, seriously… see more Very Demotivational

Something I did that made my mom think I’m crazy

I bought a pair of slippers. That’s right: slippers. But know the history: I’ve always been a barefoot kind of guy. One of my main joys in life is going barefoot. When I get home, I take off my shoes. If it’s warm enough, I take off my socks. I just hate having anything on …read more…

Busy working on a paper…

Tentative title: “Emersonian and Du Boisian Double Consciousness and Assimilation: The Formation of Dual Characters in the Works of Sherman Alexie and Gene Luen Yang.” Eight pages down, with about another eight to go. It’s due by December 10 (at 9 pm?), so I’m spending all of my free time on that for now. Everything …read more…

First real snow of the season

I took my mother into Portage today, and drove through the first real snowfall of the season. We’ve had a few flakes here and there but until today, nothing really accumulated. But today we had maybe an inch or so—which, compared to what we can get over the course of the winter—is hardly anything at …read more…