Blogroll

Some of you have figured out that this is not my only blog. I write about and for my job, my interpretations of Pavement songs, memories of encounters with rock stars and memorable shows I've seen, and a few other things. The idea was to keep this blog somewhat focused, which has worked to varying degrees.

For those of you who can't get enough comoprozac ramblings, you should check out my other blogs. Here's a brief rundown of the blogs I write. The new goal is to post at least once a week on each blog in order to make them worth the read.

living in misery - This is the one that started it all. I'm over 240 posts in and I'm still not sure what it's all about. I complain about my home, ramble endlessly about music, and write about life in general. I guess it makes sense. To date, this is also my most popular blog. When I post, my numbers go up. When I post something really good, they really go up. (Although, I suspect a drop with this run-on of a mess.) This may be my pride and joy. I even have a few items at CafePress, not to mention a whole store at CP.

Mr. E. - This blog has now been started three times. It was originally on Edublogs, but they were going through some transitions and I grew impatient before bolting to the friendly confines of Blogger. The resulting blog was supposed to be a way for me to give my thoughts on my work in education, but it soon spiraled out of control as I walked a thin line between personal and professional feelings. The general tone and feel of the blog was way more negative than originally intended, so I deleted it. Although the original version still exists over on Edublogs, I have once again revived Mr. E. on Blogger. Now, my hope is to post weekly on an educational topic that's on my mind. This time it will be constructive and not cross lines of professionalism.

Suppl_eMINTS - Keeping with the educational blogs, I post periodically on topics and resources I think can help the teachers I train. This blog will really only interest those in education, but I invite everyone to check it out. Again, my new goal is to post weekly, which should be easier with the summer months approaching.

I can't sing it strong enough. - I discovered My Impression Now after reading about it on fellow Guided by Voices fanatic John Sellers' blog, Angry John Sellers. The idea of writing an interpretation for every GBV song stuck with me. It was ingenious. I wondered if anyone had started a similar blog about Pavement. After extensive research (aka a Google search), I discovered that no one had yet started an oeuvre blog for my favorite band. So, ICSISE was born. Again, this blog needs some posts. I've barely made a dent into Pavement's discography in comparison to other similar blogs, but I'm determined to post one a week until I'm through. I wonder which song I should interpret next...

Anecdotal - I noticed that I was spending too much time reminiscing about back in the day at all the rock clubs and such of my youth. This didn't jive with the "now" aspect of lim. So, Anecdotal was born. This has been the most fun blog to write. The posts are either too brief or too rambling, but that's how my memory works. Sometimes I run out of good stories, but I think that a weekly rehash of my indie rock lifestyle would stir up some good stories I've forgotten.

Besides the blogs I write on my own, I also contribute to several collaborative efforts. MMEET (or as I pronounce it, "mmmmmmmmeet") stands for Mizzou Men for Excellence in Elementary Teaching...or something like that. Our group is primarily made up of area elementary school teachers who happen to be male. The funny thing is that maybe two of us are actually teachers in elementary schools. The rest of us are either attending MU in order to teach, teach other grade levels, or are grad students. It's a hodgepodge of guys, but we are all interested in how gender affects teaching.

Digital Vittles may be the first blog that I knew the people who were posting. It's a foodie blog based out of Columbus, but has since spread due to so many of us getting jobs in other locales. When I say that it's a "foodie blog", what I mean is that we write about all things edible. There are restaurant reviews, recipes, shopping highlights, and general food-related discourse.

Famille à la Maison (or Family Home, I believe) was my attempt to bring my family into the 21st century. It has worked to some degree with my mom occasionally posting, but I have been the biggest contributor. Someday, I'll get them all to post something...maybe.

The final blog is dieta estúpida (stupid diet). This blog was started by my blogging friends Lovey and Pizza Cottontail. They and their friends were struggling with their waistlines and decided to support each other with a blog. What resulted is sometimes humorous, sometimes disgusting, but always self-affirming. I have never struggled with my weight until I started aging, became less active, and have suffered from too much stress...and probably drank too much beer. So, to struggle in a group of like-minded individuals has been great. Now, if we could all get back to blogging so that the weight loss can continue...

Why do I blog so much? Well, I suppose it's out of loneliness, but I prefer to see it as a way for me to make my own community where there is little. Sure, we have friends in COMO. I have made several new connections in recent weeks. The only problem is that I'm not around these people all the time. Additionally, my job has me isolated in my home office or on the road. I need more community, and the blogoshpere is giving me that community.

As part of my community, you should feel free to read the other blogs and leave some comments. You may also want to keep an eye out for the blog I will undoubtedly publish about my kid. I will try to keep up with all these blogs as best I can. Of course, living in misery will always be updated. I mean, it's the state I'm in.

A List of Things to Come

This is a list I have of posts I must make on this blog and others...

1. Beer
2. NCAA Update
3. Race/Racism in America
4. Blogging in the Classroom
5. Another Pavement Song
6. The Big Ten
7. Slow Pace of Societal Reactions
8. Stupid Misery/Missouri
9. McCain Statement Pic
10. Blogger Impersonations
11. More Concert Memories
12. Complaints about Teachers and Schools
13. Some Best of Lists
14. Recipe for our Misery Lunch
15. R
16. Why my plan for weight loss pales in comparison to Pizza's and Lovey's
17. More record reviews
18. The ridiculousness of gender selection
19. Local Politics
20. etc.

That is all.

Coffee and Dreams for the District

The "District", the partially nameless moniker arbitrarily given to COMO's downtown area, is constantly witnessing changes in storefronts and eateries - for better and worse. It often occurs to me that this part of COMO is both the reason this place is livable and the source of much of my misery. This contradictory feeling is mainly due the potential of the downtown that never feels fulfilled.

I know that it's already been reviewed by "real" journalists, but I have to express my pleasure in discovering the District's newest coffee shop, Kaldi's. From what I've heard, Kaldi's is based out of St. Louis and actually supplies much of the coffee for some Columbia coffee joints. So, it's not completely new to Misery, but it is a welcome new member of the District.

Kaldi's took over the nice corner space on 9th and Cherry, once occupied by one of those crappy noodle chains. I have to say that the space is way more appropriate for a coffee shop than it was for soup and noodles. The interior is sleek, trademarked with Kaldi's logo, and provides a variety of seating.

The coffee has been fine. Actually, I've liked most of the coffee in COMO. None of it is spectacular, but it's all well-roasted and brewed. The latte' at Kaldi's is a little heavy on the milkiness and light on the coffee taste. The coffee doesn't stick out which is fine - it's neither spectacular nor bitter.

What I like is that Kaldi's provides another coffee space that isn't hippie-dippy (Lakota), hipster-Christian (Artisan), or loaded with local yokels (Coffee Zone). It's an alternative that diversifies the coffee scene in downtown COMO without being Starbuck's.

The menu is varied and interesting, similar to Artisan. R and I enjoyed our savory crepes (salmon in one, turkey sausage and bacon in the other). The crepes were interesting, but a little on the Misery-bland side.

Over breakfast, we got to talking about the changes that are happening in the district.

First of all, there is an actual tapas restaurant. We're not talking about a place that serves Horsd'œuvres on little plates. No. We're talking about real Spanish-influenced tapas. Throw in some Rioja and I might forget I'm in Misery.

Secondly, there is word that Cucina Sorella and/or Trattoria Strada Nova will be returning upon the arrival of its founder. This would be a welcome return of one of COMO's best breakfast spots. Without Cucina, the quality of breakfast in this town dropped dramatically.

Third, it appears that the Ragtag/Uprise move to Hitt Street is making serious progress. I, for one, will be eager to attend films at the Ragtag knowing that there will be two to choose from. Rumor has it that one theater will have seats similar to the thrift store throw-aways like the current location and the other will have more traditional theater seating. Whichever is fine with me. I'm just exited to have choices of indie films in this town.

As far as the dreams I have for the District, I wish some stores would fill the empty space. I'd even be fine with some chain stores like Urban Outfitters or Banana Republic. These kinds of stores would be better than no stores and might bring additional traffic downtown to help support the existing businesses. Also, the rumor of Trader Joe's coming to COMO has to come to fruition. A downtown location would be ideal and this town could easily support the discount natural/organic/international food store.

Then, there are the businesses in COMO that should be downtown and not in a strip mall. JinaYoo's Asian Bistro has been the happiest addition to COMO's dismal dining scene in the last three years and should be downtown. Speaking of great Asian food, why hasn't Osaka made the move to the District? Besides the sheer entertainment of the hibachi, their sushi is far superior to Sake, downtown's current sushi joint.

These improvements and the return of hotels to downtown might even be enough to give the District a real name. (The Doc[umentary] District? The Mizzou District? The District of Columbia?) The hotels could be a big piece. There is talk of the Tiger returning to its golden era as a grand hotel. Then there's the project by the university to create a downtown hotel that can host conferences. (However, can this really happen when the university is in such dire economic straights?) Hotels would provide the District with the population and life it needs to be a viable downtown.

I'm coming to terms with the possibility that I may be here for quite awhile, so I want the place to improve as much as possible. A lot of that improvement can happen downtown to make this an exciting place to live. It could give me a reason to forget that we're two-hours from any major city with real restaurants and entertainment.

In the meantime, I'll attend the Modest Mouse show on Thursday (after a burger at Booche's), catch a flick at the Ragtag, and stay at home Saturday to watch The Game (OSU/Michigan-for all of you who aren't familiar with college football). That should do for now.

My dogs is tired...

That is all.

(inspired by Penultimate Coupon Whore)

Nothing to Blog About

What does one do when there is nothing to blog about? I've put out two posts in as many weeks partly because I'm busy but mostly because I have nothing to say. Should I blog anyway, just to keep my readers engaged?

I started this thing as a way to get my thoughts out there, a way to record my time in Misery, but it's turned into something more. Now there's this whole networking piece that I never intended. On top of that are the regular readers that I somehow feel obligated to post my daily thoughts on Misery and music.

How does this happen? How does something that is so personal and self-reflective become a responsibility? I know that no one out there depends upon me posting every day to live, but I do feel like people regularly check out their RSS feeds to see what's new in Misery.

Then, there's this feeling of giving people what they want. No one has commented on my last two posts. Apparently no one wants to read about me hanging out with filmmakers and picking presidential candidates. I've got to pick some pop culture phenomenon to critique or give my thoughts on the new Devendra Banhart record (sort of weird, sort of disappointing) to keep my readers happy. But why? Why should I write this for my readers? I'm not selling my space for ads, so what does it matter what the readers think?

I don't know where I'm going with this. Perhaps I'm blogging just for the sake of blogging. Who knows?

What I do know is that I like to read people's comments. I like the feedback. Also, I like to read what others are blogging. My Google Reader has been backed up do to my busy schedule, but I always make time to read nearly every post. (Brooklyn Vegan posts way too much.)

So, I'll probably get back to some normal blogging. You can expect that I will comment on COMO-ians obsession with holidays, the Buckeyes' run at another national championship (although it may come to an end this weekend), and upcoming show reviews (The Thermals and Modest Mouse). Sorry for the digression.

NPR=Depressing

Has anyone out there listened to NPR lately? It's been freakin' depressing. Oil prices are on the rise. The housing market is in the tank. The government is watching (or listening) our every move while they accomplish nothing that will actually help us in any way. They're playing that sad piano tune on Marketplace. It goes on and on from there and it's like this every morning.

What I could do is stop listening to NPR or end our subscription to the New York Times. All news is bad news lately and that gets tiresome. I'm not saying that I want the crap Today or Good Morning America is shoveling but geesh.

Can't we have one day of good news? Scientists discover the cure for AIDS and cancer. The five richest men in the world decide to provide clean water systems for all of Africa. A team from Cleveland wins a championship. Something.

The worst part about all this bad news is that people (Americans, I'm looking your way) seem to be oblivious to what's falling apart all around them. The rich keep getting richer while the poor get nothing. SUV's continue to roll off the dealership lots. (Didn't you see Al Gore's PowerPoint presentation?) Americans run up crazy amounts of debt despite the ever-shrinking dollar and the fact that we are in a war. Maybe it's just Misery-ians, but hardly anyone is paying attention.

I know, I know. All this doomsday and Misery stuff gets old, but you have to admit that this is not exactly the greatest time period in the history of the world. NPR is depressing. I can't help that.

Not to worry. It's Tuesday, and that means some new music will come out. It's getting closer and closer to November when I'll get to see The Thermals and Modest Mouse within a week of each other. I'll see that new Wes Anderson movie and feel OK. I, like most people, will find something to divert my attention from the negative.

Of course, we're all too good at finding these diversions. Some of us throw ourselves into our work. Others buy stuff. While others (this is me) turn to entertainment to help them forget there is a real world out there rife with problems. We all have some form of escape.

Do these problems hang around because we don't deal with them? Is there even anything we can do about the crummy economy, poverty, etc.? Or are we just trying to wait them out? You know, this too shall pass. I don't know. Whatever it is, I'll probably blog about until something else comes along. For now, I've got 54 minutes of NPR left this morning before they play some lame-ass classical music. Or, in other words: Back to Misery.

Late Afternoon Diversions

My sister once said that you can only look at Pitchfork so many times. Well, I hadn't looked all day, but I did find some entertaining diversions...

The Pipsters (hipsters who work for Pitchfork) actually posted two Spoon videos with this little, Peep-lookin' thing. I love this song, though.



Then, I checked out the latest Will Oldham sighting only to discover my new favorite soap, or, as I prefer to call them, "stories". Now I know where South Park got that whole "Tom Cruise, come out the closet" gag. Enjoy a sweet diversion.

Sharing the Blove (Blog Love)

Two fellow bloggers have recently mentioned my blogs as inspiration for recent posts. I am extremely flattered since both of them are professional writers whose blogs I regularly read and really enjoy.

One of these bloggers is Dr. Fabulous who teaches at Mizzou in rhetoric & composition with my partner, R. His partner joined him in his move and also works in rhet/comp. I've been reading their blogs since they first interviewed at MU. Yellow Dog covers a vast array of subject matter from Fab's diverse taste in music (which doesn't seem to go past 1976 or so) to beer (good beer, no PBR) to his personal life to his work in composition studies. His partner's blog, Working Blue, covers similar ground with more of a focus on motherhood than beer.

I passed along a copy of the article I wrote about in my last post to Dr. Fab. While his tastes do not match my own, I can respect his attachment to the music and intense loyalty. (His partner's tastes are actually much closer to mine.) Anyway, my post inspired him to write on the topic from his point of view.

The other blogger is Raymond Cummings, the guy behind Voguing to Danzig. (I'm writing his name out 'cause that's how he does it in his blog and comments. What?) He stumbled upon my oeuvre blog dedicated to Pavement and has been a great supporter ever since. He began his last post like so...

Ah, yaaaaaaasss – Terror Twilight’s crown jewel. This Johnny Knoxville-lookin' dude's take on the tune ("Folk Jam") got me to thinking about it last night in bed whilst wrestling with some wicked insomnia...

No one has ever referred to me as looking like Johnny Knoxville before. Kevin McHale? Yes. The star of TV's Jackass and that one John Waters flick? Never. Either way, I'm thankful for the mention.














Blogging for the last year has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life in Misery. The fact that these two guys felt it necessary to read what I have to say, write down their own opinions, and then let me know that I helped inspire those writings is somewhat satisfying.

Of course, I would be an idiot not to mention all the kind folks (friends and strangers) who regularly comment on my blogs. They keep me blogging. The conversations that I normally can't have are picked up by their clever and encouraging comments. It makes it hard to play up this whole "Misery" thing.

Whether you're one of these regular readers or have somehow stumbled upon living in misery by accident, please check out the blogs mentioned above as well as Central Standard, CouponWhore, Hardcore Blog Fisting Action (best blog name ever?), Post-December, My Impression Now, and Why Not Blog?. Of course, if I've left you off this list, leave me a comment.

Can you feel the blog love? Can you feel the Blove?

Happy Birthday America!

Wow! It's hard to believe that our little plot of land has grown from 13 tiny colonies to the mammoth 50 state industrial complex, world dominator, Middle East colonizer that it is today in just 231 years!

To commemorate this great, great holiday (right up there with Christmas and Arbor Day), I am dedicating this post to America's greatness.

What is the most popular, important, vital product/commodity sold today? No, it's not the iPhone. It's oil. And the US ranks among the top countries in this vital energy producer. America ranks only #3 in production, but we rock the rest of the world in consumption and imports! China, the so-called next world power and currently the largest country on the planet (and largest producer of adoptable children), doesn't even use half as much oil as we do. We totally stomp China's pathetic oil-burning asses! It should also be noted that we keep our oil at home. The US exports only 1 million gallons of oil a day. That's how it's done! Let the rest of the world figure out their own oil shortages. We'll keep on producing our 8+ million barrels a day and importing another 12 just to keep our Hummers humming. Take that the rest of the world.

Of course, oil isn't everything. There's that crap about (pro)life, (Jeep) Liberty, and the pursuit of happyness we're always hearing about. Well, we're awesome in those departments as well!

I am in the education field and fully believe that learnin' is the best way in which a society's citizenry can improve their economic and cultural status. The USA is awesome at readin', writin', and 'rithmetic (the three R's). According to the OECD, American 15 year olds ranked 24th in mathematics, 19th in science, 12th (That's right! U-S-A! U-S-A!) in reading, and 26th in problem solving.

Now, the naysayers/anti-Americans/terrorists might point out that those numbers aren't so good when considering that the US is like second in educational spending, but I see the silver lining in the data. Those rankings are based on the top 38 industrialized nations. That means we're better than like 175 countries in math when you add in all the second and third-world countries. Take that Zambia!

Another area that America ranks higher-than-average is in health care. I don't care what Michael Moore says, we are freakin' ridiculous when it comes to making people feel better! We rank higher than Moore's new favorite country, Cuba. They're only #39, we're like two higher than that. Shoot! Who's ranked ahead of us? San Marino for one, actually they're #3. I've been there, and it's tiny. It's like the doll house of countries. They shouldn't count. Besides ranking us at 37, the World Health Organization (WHO?) found that the US-of-A is #1 in spending for health care. You know why? 'Cause we're rich! Dolla' dolla' bill, y'all! (Courtesy of the Wu Tang Clan)

God, I love this country and I wish her the best in the next 231 years. I'm not the only one saying it. The Times is comparing the US to Rome. Several national news sources are reporting that the US is #1. Even the controversial blog Daily Kos says that "America Is Number 1". What more do any of you need? This country rocks!


So, everyone live it up today. Shoot off some fireworks without losing too many fingers. Drink lots of PBR before crushing the can on your forehead (trust me). Get into a fight. (It's the American way.) And bake a birthday cake for our mother...no, not Mother Earth. Bake a cake for the one that birthed us all...or at least influences our lives the most (except for corporations and Hollywood). Sing "Happy Birthday" to the US-of-freakin'-A.

God bless America and no one else!

*Note: I actually began typing this post at 9:11...never forget that!

Paris = Mumia(?)

I don't like to comment on celebrities who are famous because they are...well..celebrities and have no real talents worth mentioning, but I want to address the Paris Hilton thing anyway.

Some editor from People on the Today Show (two pillars of journalistic integrity, joined together to fight ignorance and low pop culture IQ's throughout our great country) thought that maybe Paris Hilton's emotional and mental struggles in her prison cell would bring to light the ways in which our criminal justice system handles (or mishandles) mental illness. Then, by calling such attention to the failings of the American prison system, some change would occur.

Hold on. We're not talking Mumia. We're not talking Shakur. We're not talking Tookie Williams. We're not even talking Martha Stewart. We're talking about Paris freakin' Hilton.

Not only is Hilton talentless, she's rich, spoiled, narcissistic, and somewhat anorexic. She in no way represents the majority of people in prison. She's not black, a young male, or poor. What happens to Paris Hilton in jail will have no effect on the prison system.

Paris Hilton going to jail will bring about as much social change as Bono wearing a red Gap t-shirt (made in a sweatshop no doubt) for all of Africa (as if it were one big country with one identity).

The only way that Hilton will have any effect on prison reform will be if she puts here inheritance up for the cause (or at least the money garnered from her porn work). Will that ever happen? Unlikely.

Paris Hilton is just another spoiled, rich, whitey (reclaiming here) who doesn't believe the rules apply to her. This will soon be another answer to another question on some stupid trivia game in the near future.

I say "Free Paris" not because I think she got a bum rap, but because I'm tired of hearing about her skank ass (again, reclaiming)! Get off of my TV and, more importantly, get off of my People magazine!

Contemplating Kenny Chesney's Gayness

As "Androgynous" by the Replacements plays on my iTunes, I am contemplating the gayness of one Kenny Chesney. With his presence in COMO this weekend, it got me thinking how his perceived gayness plays to the masses. Now I am not going to propose that Mr. Chesney is a homo, but one has to wonder.

I was first exposed to the gayness of Kenny's on-stage persona New Year's Eve 2000. As the apocalypse ticked closer, my friends and I were flipping through stations until we landed on concert footage of the country music heartthrob. (If Chesney had made out with an unsuspecting Larry the Cable Guy-type, I'm sure the end would have come.) Now, keep in mind, this was before the Fab 5 of Queer Eye showed "straight" men everywhere how to dress in form-fitting pants that, as one of my colleagues pointed out, make it clear which religion they are. Chesney was decked out in tight jeans and a tighter sleeveless t-shirt while leaning against his similarly dressed guitarist. I could see this video being played in every Brokeback bar from here to Texas (beers, steers, and queers).

I know that clothes (and rubbing up against your guitarist) don't make a man gay, but you have to wonder who he's performing for. I think it's great that gay men (especially cowboy boot and Stetson-wearing bears) have a role model or at least sex symbol to look to for inspiration.

I Googled "Kenny Chesney gay" this morning to see if it was just my warped, gay-centric perception or there really are rumors out there. After reading that the cornerstone of journalistic integrity, Fox News, proclaimed that Kenny Chesney is not gay, I nearly quit looking. However, curiosity got the best of me, and I continued to search for the truth. What I found was that Chesney's ex, Renee Zellweger, filed for divorce after four months of marriage due to fraud. Fraud. Whatever could one be fraudulent over in marriage? Hmmm...

On top of that, Chesney's crack team of media relations experts advised him to flatly deny his homoerotic tendencies. And, as we all know, denial of homosexuality always means straight. They even dug-up a flight attendant by the name of Paula Jackson who claimed to have a 10-year relationship with the country music sensation and assured the press that Kenny was not gay.

Why try so hardto prove that you're not gay? Is Kenny a big fan of the infamous Hardaway crossover? Will his legions of beer-guzzling male fans quit buying his cd's? (Or will women continue to flock in droves with their BBFF's - Best Bear Friends Forever - in tow?)

Do I secretly wish Kenny Chesney were gay? I don't secretly wish he were gay. I'll openly admit it. I also wish Kordell Stewart was the first openly gay NFL player - while still in the league. I wish that Tim Hardaway's former teammate Chris Mullins were his gay lover. (Would Mitch Richmond join them occasionally?) I wish that Eminem, George Bush (Sr.), and Bruce Willis would all come out of the closet.

Why do I care? I care because this country needs a swift kick to their straight-but-narrow asses. People will never get over the stigma of the gay until someone they view as masculine, a leader, someone they respect comes out of the closet and is unapologetic about it. It's time for a gay revolution! And maybe, just maybe, Kenny Chesney could the vehicle of change. (Try not to laugh too hard.)

*Disclaimer: In no way do I propose that Kenny Chesney, Larry the Cable Guy, Renee Zelweger, Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullins, Kordell Stewart, Eminem, George Bush, Bruce Willis, or any member of the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy are gay. But would it be so bad?

Sedalia!

R and I were looking for something to do in Misery last weekend and happened to stumble upon Sedalia(!). (It's way more exciting with the exclamation point after it, don't you think?) Apparently, Sedalia(!) is the home of rails, trails and ragtime. We had heard that there was good Mexican food and art in this town that is also the home of Misery's state fair. Anyway, we decided to check it out for ourselves.

The road leading into Sedalia(!) contains no signs that tell you anything. We did see a sign mention an art museum on I-70, but that was the last word on that. We actually drove a couple of miles outside of town before turning around to ask for directions.

R ran into the closest Shell station and asked where the contemporary art museum was located. The (East) Indian couple behind the counter had no idea there was a museum of any kind in their little town, neither did the other locals in the convenience store.

After conferring with the Yellow Pages, we headed toward the 16th where the museum was located. As we drove by the state fair grounds, I joked that it was probably located on the fair grounds itself. Well, I was close. The museum was hidden on the campus of State Fair Community College which sits adjacent to the fairgrounds.

The lot was empty. Not only are the folks of Sedalia(!) ignorant about their very own contemporary art museum, but they also don't park anywhere near it. (Maybe they wait to go after church on Sunday.) Regardless, we could tell right away that this little art space was an oasis in the desert that is Misery. The exterior reminded us of our beloved Wexner Center in Columbus, OH, and we hoped the interior would provide the same comforts.The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art is a cool art space that provides a wide array of contemporary pieces by some of today's most known and unknown artists. The museum is currently featuring two artists.

The first is New York sculptor Jeffrey Mongrain. His juxtaposing of large iconic sculptures in traditionally religious settings was interesting, but sort of odd. I guess it would mean more to me if I were Catholic. He did have some interesting pieces featuring a moose and one that enlarged the eye of the guy who created those eye scanner things you see in sci-fi movies.



We found the other visiting exhibit to be both interesting and entertaining. Tom Huck's wood prints in his Two Weeks in August and the Bloody Bucket focused and the legends and folklore that emanate from America's small towns. His bizarre characters, scene depictions, and accompanying stories filled our hunger for Missouri weirdness. There were stories of crash-up derbies gone awry, strange fold having sex in outhouses, and NRA squirrel barbeque's. It definitely made the insanity that is Misery seem OK for the moment.


After visiting with a very lonely docent, we headed out to her recommendation for good Mexican food, El Tapatio. The restaurant was a spacious but typically-decorated Mexican restaurant. The one unique piece of the interior was the smallish, raised, wooden dance floor. we quickly dove into some tasty chips and salsa accompanied by two Negra Modelos.

I had the Chimi Del Mar which featured shrimp and a topping of a delicious guacamole. R chose the Birria, the "most authentic dish, straight from Jalisco, Mexico," according to the menu. While mine was a pretty standard chimichanga, R's was this bowl of shredded lamb and pork goodness soaking in a pool of its own juices and spices. The tortillas that came with her dish were so authentic (insert extremely offensive visual of Mexican culture in order to demonstrate said authenticity here). Needless to say, this was some the best Mexican we've had this side of Mexico (MO).
To top off the evening, some of the local girls (brown and white-skinned) performed traditional Mexican folk dances on the restaurants previously mentioned dance floor. I have to say that it was an unexpected treat. Some of the girls had no clue what they were doing, and some were quite good. I'm sure this is no different from any other youth dance troupe.

All in all, Sedalia(!) was quite a pleasant surprise. It made me feel like there is something not-so-miserable in between St. Louis and Kansas City. We'll definitely return. I would love to try the famous Guber Burger next time...

One Door, One Bulb

A friend (Ben) is a semifinalist for this Big Idea contest on Sundance. His is the best. Click below to vote everyday until the contest time limit runs out. Now!
One Door, One Bulb

Earth Day Ramblings

I heard somewhere that the label on a Starbucks cup is placed in such a way that it remains visible no matter how one smashes it. I consider this as I try to figure out what I'm going to eat/drink this fine Earth Day on my way to COMO's annual celebration.

I'll also have to consider which brew of coffee I should choose as they often come from thousands of miles away. That's a lot of fuel just for a cup of coffee from Sumatra or Guatemala (oh, but I do love the Guatemalan coffee).

I have to also consider my ongoing job hunt as I drive 40 minutes, an hour, or even two hours to job interviews. Of course, I won't commute two hours every day, but you get the point. We'd like to replace my rundown '97 VW Golf if at all possible with a Toyota Prius, but that environmentalism will cost us. Being a leftist/hippie/ anarchist /tree-hugger is expensive at $22k...which might be my salary next year.

Does anyone even care that it's Earth Day? There are still a lot of SUV's out there, and no one's cutting down on their electric use. This was the first full week of 60-70 weather, and our neighbors had their AC on. (And yes, they do own an SUV.)

Al Gore hasn't changed any minds. It won't matter how many Oscars he wins for "Best Power Point Presentation", no one wants to hear why we should live more earth-friendly lives. Our oil consumption hasn't gone down as we continually to use it in our cars, plastic crap sold at Wal-Mart, medicine, and even food (yeah, I said "food"). If he had only won the presidency...he could have let us all down by not really making any substantial policy changes. Oh well.

Maybe George W Bush will blaze some trails this Earth Day, and SUV sales will surge in order to save our failing economy. And maybe Starbucks will design a cup will actually send out subliminal messages to buy more coffee from Sumatra.

Waiting: Where's the Love?

In case you were unaware, I am in the process of searching for a new job. I've interviewed four times so far and have yet to get that call. I expected one school to call me yesterday. Of course, I don't really want that job and the $11k pay-cut that goes with it, but I'd at least like a chance to turn it down. The district that can pay me the same as I'm making now is really dragging its feet. So, I wait.

Waiting is the worst and best part of any experience. In the case of a job search, it sucks. You're waiting for people you don't know to make a decision based on variables that are unknown to you versus competition you've never met. I'm currently not waiting for any job offers that I really want. I am waiting for two school districts to get on the ball and call me for some interviews. Otherwise, I don't know what I'm going to do next year. Waiting for something that you don't want or a chance to be turned down does not help one's situational-depression.

Waiting can be exciting. However, most of the waiting I've done that's been fun has to do with music. Nothing substantial or life-altering, just music. One good release has come out after another, but it doesn't help my situation any.

Feist's The Reminder comes out any day now (or May 1st). She's getting a lot of press and attention all over the internets. In fact, I'm listening to All Songs Considered (The Podcast), but they are playing the wrong song. The DJ claimed to play a portion of "My Moon My Man", but it was obviously not the correct track. Listen to her MySpace page or check my own post.

I'm waiting for May Day for another reason. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are coming to the Blue Note. It's the first time I've seen them, and it's the first time in a long time that I'm really anticipating a rock show to be great. It seems the more shows you attend, the less remarkable they are. Hopefully this one doesn't disappoint.

So, here's to waiting. And waiting...and waiting...possibly for a less-random post.
(Painting: "Waiting for the End of Time" by Rene Kita)

Living in Misery

My stomach hurts. This place really is miserable sometimes.

Eric Bachman sings "Give me somethin'" over and over. That's what I need...somethin'.

Have you ever lost a job? It's no fun. Then you have to start all over. I'm starting over today. I have a job fair to try and right this ship.

What makes it hard is that I have so many people that believe in me. They believe that this is a mistake. They can't understand how I could not be a good teacher. They assure me that it's not a good fit. I work too hard and have done this too long to not be a good teacher.

Maybe they're right. I hope they're right.

Here's to starting over at square one.

True/False 2007 TV Spots

These TV spots make me want to go to True/False so badly...oh wait, I already have a "fool" pass.

Americans are NOT stupid - WITH SUBTITLES

I know that Jay Leno does this like every night, but this video is ridiculous. Are people really this dumb? Unaware? It makes me proud to be a teacher in this country.

A Miserable V-day

The snow has been cleared...well, most of it, and we're back to the daily grind. On top of it all, today is Valentine's Day. R and I don't do V-day since our b-days are the 9th and 11th. However, that doesn't seem to stop anyone else. This is the day to show fake love for your real love buying crap.

It doesn't end there. Yesterday, a student of mine called to ask when we would have our class Valentine's party. I replied, "Tomorrow (today). Valentine's Day." The student wanted to know how many chocolate-covered strawberries to make. I told him that I preferred dark chocolate.

My mom informed me that she needed to go buy a card for my dad. She's doing this mostly because he's not. Apparently, Dad gets mad every year when Mom gives him a V-day card, mainly because he didn't get her one. This may sound dysfunctional, but my folks have been married for 33 or so years. So, I guess they know something the rest of don't.

Either way, people will buy useless crap for each other today just to express their love...for capitalism. Chocolates, flowers, greeting cards, lingerie, flavored condoms, etc. will fill people's Target shopping bags today as people try to buy their partner's love. It's a funny holiday. It's so important to so many people, but we don't get the day off. I'll save my celebration for Presidents Day when I will get a day off. Presidents Day...now that's a day worth celebrating capitalism.

Miserable Wintry Mix

So, I sit here not much differently than I did 20 or so years ago. I'm wondering if the nasty weather that the TV is calling for is really going to happen. Is it really going to cause us to miss yet another day of school? I did predict a while back that we had one more in us this winter. We'll see. I feel pathetic waiting for school to be called off when there is so much I need to accomplish at work. Besides, I already took today for my birthday, and next Monday's a holiday...I guess. Anyways, here's to snow days. Hopefully I'll get one more this winter and do something fun like wash the sheets or clean out the fridge.