Today is the last day of 2007, a time I always find to be good for reflecting on what has happened in the past year. This year has been an emotional roller coaster for a large number of reasons. The primary one is the entire reason for this blog's existence.
Looking back at this time last year, my family had just undergone a major transformation with the birth of #3. I was at my wit's end with my job and knew that I needed to change. Within weeks of the new year, the course was set and I began this journey towards career and life change. I'm proud to say that I was able to knock out 7 classes in 1 plus semester and proud of what my family has done to support me. It's often easy to overlook the sacrifices made by others on your behalf. But there is no way I could have done nearly as much as I have without a great support system to come home to each and every night. And while I may not make the transition to the new career as quickly as I would have originally preferred, I am as excited (and scared and nervous) today as the day I decided this was the change I was going to make.
On top of my career change, my first child entered kindergarten. It's been a sea change in her development, I am amazed at how much and how quickly she has learned. I don't know if all kids learn this quickly but it is unbelievable the difference from this time last year to today. I can't wait until she's old enough to support me :-)
And we experienced for the last time the first step, the first birthday and the first word of our child. It's so cliche to say the time goes so fast but if you don't stop to take it all in, the days will fly past you in a blur. I appreciate the better half and I frequently looking at each other in amazement and soaking up the individual moments that fill our daily lives with joy. While I'm not particularly religious or spiritual, to me these are the snapshots of enlightenment. I really hope to explore this area much more in depth in 2008 as I am developing a keen interest in my own self-awareness and discovering faith. I guess I'll have to fit that in between Calculus and Learning to Teach Learning Disabled Children :-)
I hope the journey from 2007 to 2008 has been as exciting and full of wonder for each of you as it has for me. And I look even more forward to the next chapter. Happy New Year.
Until next time.
Ace
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Big dude in a red jumpsuit
No, I'm not talking about David Lee Roth, I'm talking Santa baby! I hope this message finds all loyal readers making full use of their acquired holiday toys and trinkets. I am pleased to report the receipt of Season One of Flight of the Conchords, really the only thing I could think that I really wanted this year. The best part of the holidays was spending time with the family and having a long stretch away from work. With Xmas on Tuesday, Monday was also a holiday at work and I am using up a couple of extra vacation days so I'm not heading back until Friday. I can deal with 1 day work weeks, where do we sign up for that permanently?
I was a little bummed about Christmas this year. We hosted but due to Xmas being on a Tuesday very few travelers were able to make it. I usually love having a huge group around for the holidays but it was not to be. So, it was a quiet day with our only visitors showing up late Christmas Eve/early Xmas am and leaving by mid-day. We're going to make up for it by hosting a New Years extravaganza - hopefully it'll be a grand time.
The schedule for next semester is set up, with class on Monday and Wednesday evenings. These are 2 more required classes I will be getting knocked off the list. This should make summer a little easier, since I'm taking one of the 3 courses I was supposed to take over the summer. I may actually sign up for one more math class if I can figure that out before school starts in the next two weeks. I think I'm going to need to try and qualify for the class since I don't have any of the pre-requisites. I really should have taken Calculus a long time ago :-(
And I am happy to report that I have even had a little free time to read during the break from class. I read a book called Fantasyland, which is the story of a sportswriter for the New York Times who signs up for his first ever fantasy baseball league. The story talks about his experience and the very strange and obsessed sub-culture of fantasy sports. The book is pretty good but there are times when you call tell the dude is a fantasy newbie.
I also read a book from Phil Jackson, former head coach of the Chicago Bulls and current coach of the LA Lakers. It's a decent read but the guy who co-wrote the book with him sucks, because it doesn't have much voice at all. You can tell Phil's influence in the book but it comes off as amateurish. In my mind, it's the co-author's job to make the sports person sound like they wrote a real book. But there were some very interesting ideas in the book that I hope to explore in greater detail in this space in the future. Phil is known as a bit of a hippie type so I was intrigued by some of his psychology and philosophy.
And, speaking of fantasy, football has wrapped up. There was some sort of mix-up in the one league where I thought I didn't make the playoffs. Turns out, I actually did. Not only did I make it, I wound up winning the whole thing. And I managed to make it to the championship in my league with the highest entry, where the person I played in the championship (Q) and I agreed to split the first and second place money before the game. Lucky for me as he edged me by about 10 points. So, I made the playoffs in all 3 leagues and cashed in 2, coming out way ahead on my entry fees. Good stuff.
I'm pleased to report that one of my favorite bands has a new album coming. A couple of the tracks can be heard here. I can't wait, I will be attending the two record release shows taking place in Florida in February. A good time to escape the midwest cold.
OK, that's enough for now. I hope everyone has a great new years!
Until next time.
Ace
I was a little bummed about Christmas this year. We hosted but due to Xmas being on a Tuesday very few travelers were able to make it. I usually love having a huge group around for the holidays but it was not to be. So, it was a quiet day with our only visitors showing up late Christmas Eve/early Xmas am and leaving by mid-day. We're going to make up for it by hosting a New Years extravaganza - hopefully it'll be a grand time.
The schedule for next semester is set up, with class on Monday and Wednesday evenings. These are 2 more required classes I will be getting knocked off the list. This should make summer a little easier, since I'm taking one of the 3 courses I was supposed to take over the summer. I may actually sign up for one more math class if I can figure that out before school starts in the next two weeks. I think I'm going to need to try and qualify for the class since I don't have any of the pre-requisites. I really should have taken Calculus a long time ago :-(
And I am happy to report that I have even had a little free time to read during the break from class. I read a book called Fantasyland, which is the story of a sportswriter for the New York Times who signs up for his first ever fantasy baseball league. The story talks about his experience and the very strange and obsessed sub-culture of fantasy sports. The book is pretty good but there are times when you call tell the dude is a fantasy newbie.
I also read a book from Phil Jackson, former head coach of the Chicago Bulls and current coach of the LA Lakers. It's a decent read but the guy who co-wrote the book with him sucks, because it doesn't have much voice at all. You can tell Phil's influence in the book but it comes off as amateurish. In my mind, it's the co-author's job to make the sports person sound like they wrote a real book. But there were some very interesting ideas in the book that I hope to explore in greater detail in this space in the future. Phil is known as a bit of a hippie type so I was intrigued by some of his psychology and philosophy.
And, speaking of fantasy, football has wrapped up. There was some sort of mix-up in the one league where I thought I didn't make the playoffs. Turns out, I actually did. Not only did I make it, I wound up winning the whole thing. And I managed to make it to the championship in my league with the highest entry, where the person I played in the championship (Q) and I agreed to split the first and second place money before the game. Lucky for me as he edged me by about 10 points. So, I made the playoffs in all 3 leagues and cashed in 2, coming out way ahead on my entry fees. Good stuff.
I'm pleased to report that one of my favorite bands has a new album coming. A couple of the tracks can be heard here. I can't wait, I will be attending the two record release shows taking place in Florida in February. A good time to escape the midwest cold.
OK, that's enough for now. I hope everyone has a great new years!
Until next time.
Ace
Thursday, December 20, 2007
CD Review - Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
From the first drum roll of Smashing Pumpkins much anticipated comeback CD Zeitgeist, I wanted to jump up and yell "The Pumpkins are back!" The CD features many of the sounds that make the Pumpkins what they are, from Billy Corgan's cerebral and symbolic lyrics and distinct voice to the inimitable drumwork of Jimmy Chamberlain.
When the first track Doomsday Clock kicks things off, you're at once brought back to the heavier sounds the Pumpkins highlighted during the heyday of the band. At the same time, you feel the band expanding and experimenting with new, even heavier drum beats and apocalyptic lyrical work from Corgan "I'm certain of the end / it's the means that has me spooked". You can't help but feel like Billy is aiming this one straight at the Bush administration when he wails "it's lonely at the top / these lonely days when will they ever stop / we gotta dig in, gas masks on / wait in the sunshine, bug-eyed / if this is living?" In fact, the whole album feels a lot more political than previous efforts from the band.
Bleeding The Orchid is a melodic lambast of the music industry and the sycophantic business approach of the record labels. I heard Billy rant about the topic in an in-studio live performance on XM Radio that demonstrated the passion the band has for making music. I will say that I was extremely disappointed to learn that my favorite lyric from this song does not say "There's clowns in my shower" but instead the more humdrum "There's clouds in my shower". Damn, clowns would have been a lot more fun.
That's The Way (My Love Is) is a hit in the vein of Adore or Machina, later Pumpkin albums that were considered more artsy and not as commercially successful as alt-rock staples Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie. The melodies are catchy and the music filled with the hooks Corgan has come to be known for.
The first track released to radio is the ambling and rambling Tarantula, conjuring up images of the Guns N Roses track Double Talkin' Jive from Use Your Illusion I. While the Pumpkins would probably cringe at the thought, the vocal rhythm is strikingly similar and the dirty guitar sound adds another level of comparison. Billy reaches a little further back in Stars, a song that must have been a cast off from some 70's era ridiculous arena rock also ran. The picture of Chamberlain mid-drum solo seals the image.
The middle of the CD displays some real strength. United States of America is the drunken lovechild of previous Pumpkin favs Drown (of Singles soundtrack fame) and Silverf*ck from Siamese Dream, with a crazy Michael Jackson screech thrown in for good measure. The drumwork in this song is exceptional.
The best part of the CD is the diversity and ease with which the band switches from one sound to another, as deftly as ever. The transition is never more apparent than switching from the driving drum-heavy USA to the soft-handed, xylophonic Neverlost as Corgan gently pleads "Let's kill these hours and fill desire." This song crystallizes why I love the Pumpkins. They can write a song that will make you want to dive headlong off a stage and turn around and write a sweet melody such as this.
Bring The Light is my favorite track and starts slowly before sending the album back into turbo mode. The quick, short verses over Billy's melodies create a driving and emotional backdrop and Chamberlain struts his stuff on this quirky tune. For God and Country has the band dipping into an 80's pop tart sound while delving into issues of faith and patriotism(?). The piano sound towards the end of the song helps distract attention from the Thomas Dolby sound-alike attempts.
The title track to wrap up the album leaves an upbeat acoustic sound with Corgan asking "Are there any real souls to find?" The song brings to mind a more innocent time in our country, where a young Corgan could happily hitchhike his way across a hilly, verdant New England patch of road as afternoon stretches into early evening.
All in all, the CD mixes a lot of different sounds so that old Pumpkins fans and newer ones will find something to like. I also found a few things not to like, including the annoying habit of bands to release several "versions" of the same CD, with each having one different song than the others. Very annoying for those of us who haven't yet followed the herd onto I-tunes where you buy the songs individually. And a few of the songs on the CD were just a bit too much for me, primarily Stars and For God and Country. Oh yeah, and the fact that he didn't say "There's clowns in my shower." Boooo...
Until next time.
Ace
When the first track Doomsday Clock kicks things off, you're at once brought back to the heavier sounds the Pumpkins highlighted during the heyday of the band. At the same time, you feel the band expanding and experimenting with new, even heavier drum beats and apocalyptic lyrical work from Corgan "I'm certain of the end / it's the means that has me spooked". You can't help but feel like Billy is aiming this one straight at the Bush administration when he wails "it's lonely at the top / these lonely days when will they ever stop / we gotta dig in, gas masks on / wait in the sunshine, bug-eyed / if this is living?" In fact, the whole album feels a lot more political than previous efforts from the band.
Bleeding The Orchid is a melodic lambast of the music industry and the sycophantic business approach of the record labels. I heard Billy rant about the topic in an in-studio live performance on XM Radio that demonstrated the passion the band has for making music. I will say that I was extremely disappointed to learn that my favorite lyric from this song does not say "There's clowns in my shower" but instead the more humdrum "There's clouds in my shower". Damn, clowns would have been a lot more fun.
That's The Way (My Love Is) is a hit in the vein of Adore or Machina, later Pumpkin albums that were considered more artsy and not as commercially successful as alt-rock staples Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie. The melodies are catchy and the music filled with the hooks Corgan has come to be known for.
The first track released to radio is the ambling and rambling Tarantula, conjuring up images of the Guns N Roses track Double Talkin' Jive from Use Your Illusion I. While the Pumpkins would probably cringe at the thought, the vocal rhythm is strikingly similar and the dirty guitar sound adds another level of comparison. Billy reaches a little further back in Stars, a song that must have been a cast off from some 70's era ridiculous arena rock also ran. The picture of Chamberlain mid-drum solo seals the image.
The middle of the CD displays some real strength. United States of America is the drunken lovechild of previous Pumpkin favs Drown (of Singles soundtrack fame) and Silverf*ck from Siamese Dream, with a crazy Michael Jackson screech thrown in for good measure. The drumwork in this song is exceptional.
The best part of the CD is the diversity and ease with which the band switches from one sound to another, as deftly as ever. The transition is never more apparent than switching from the driving drum-heavy USA to the soft-handed, xylophonic Neverlost as Corgan gently pleads "Let's kill these hours and fill desire." This song crystallizes why I love the Pumpkins. They can write a song that will make you want to dive headlong off a stage and turn around and write a sweet melody such as this.
Bring The Light is my favorite track and starts slowly before sending the album back into turbo mode. The quick, short verses over Billy's melodies create a driving and emotional backdrop and Chamberlain struts his stuff on this quirky tune. For God and Country has the band dipping into an 80's pop tart sound while delving into issues of faith and patriotism(?). The piano sound towards the end of the song helps distract attention from the Thomas Dolby sound-alike attempts.
The title track to wrap up the album leaves an upbeat acoustic sound with Corgan asking "Are there any real souls to find?" The song brings to mind a more innocent time in our country, where a young Corgan could happily hitchhike his way across a hilly, verdant New England patch of road as afternoon stretches into early evening.
All in all, the CD mixes a lot of different sounds so that old Pumpkins fans and newer ones will find something to like. I also found a few things not to like, including the annoying habit of bands to release several "versions" of the same CD, with each having one different song than the others. Very annoying for those of us who haven't yet followed the herd onto I-tunes where you buy the songs individually. And a few of the songs on the CD were just a bit too much for me, primarily Stars and For God and Country. Oh yeah, and the fact that he didn't say "There's clowns in my shower." Boooo...
Until next time.
Ace
Monday, December 10, 2007
Nearly there
My last class was supposed to be tonight but due to inclement weather, it has been cancelled. Kinda sucks because now I have to drive out and pick up some assignments later this week and complete any revisions and submit them by mid-day Friday. Not very convenient with a very full work schedule but I'm going to have to make it go somehow.
Very short post as I'm trying to catch up on a thousand things that have fallen through the cracks during a very busy semester. But I've bid a fond farewell to my friend Shakespeare (parting is such sweet sorrow) and a not so fond farewell to the irritating professors in charge of my clinical observations. And now I'm trying to chart the course from here to fall '09 when the student teaching begins. It appears I will not actually be able to get my math endorsement by the time I start teaching but hopefully will be able to finish up during my first year of teaching. This should change my status from another English teacher scraping for a job to a very marketable English and Math teacher scraping for a job. This is a good thing.
Next post is likely to be a CD review I promised over the summer. Been a while since I ruminated on any music but I'm starting to get the juices flowing with some recent record releases that I've enjoyed and a few live shows upcoming that I'm excited about.
Almost snuck into the playoffs in my one fantasy league, I won my game, one of the players I needed to lose did lose and the third player won but outscored me by a lot to take the tie-breaker. Suck!!!! But I managed to win one of my playoff games (and lose the other). The good news is, I won in the bigger $$$ league. A win this week puts me in positive cash territory on the season. A loss and I still have a chance to break even. But no matter what, I'm in the money, hurray!
Here's pulling for the App State squad to win the I-AA title in football this Friday for a 3rd straight year!
OK, gotta run.
Until next time.
Ace
Very short post as I'm trying to catch up on a thousand things that have fallen through the cracks during a very busy semester. But I've bid a fond farewell to my friend Shakespeare (parting is such sweet sorrow) and a not so fond farewell to the irritating professors in charge of my clinical observations. And now I'm trying to chart the course from here to fall '09 when the student teaching begins. It appears I will not actually be able to get my math endorsement by the time I start teaching but hopefully will be able to finish up during my first year of teaching. This should change my status from another English teacher scraping for a job to a very marketable English and Math teacher scraping for a job. This is a good thing.
Next post is likely to be a CD review I promised over the summer. Been a while since I ruminated on any music but I'm starting to get the juices flowing with some recent record releases that I've enjoyed and a few live shows upcoming that I'm excited about.
Almost snuck into the playoffs in my one fantasy league, I won my game, one of the players I needed to lose did lose and the third player won but outscored me by a lot to take the tie-breaker. Suck!!!! But I managed to win one of my playoff games (and lose the other). The good news is, I won in the bigger $$$ league. A win this week puts me in positive cash territory on the season. A loss and I still have a chance to break even. But no matter what, I'm in the money, hurray!
Here's pulling for the App State squad to win the I-AA title in football this Friday for a 3rd straight year!
OK, gotta run.
Until next time.
Ace
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