For no particular reason I thought I would list some of what I consider to be culinary gems of Bloomington. All are tasty, though some are included because of the value in addition to the taste. So here they are in no particular order:
1. 3 dollar pints of Upland Winter Warmer at the Alley Bar (versus over $4 per 12oz at Upland).
2. Cheese sticks at the Crazy Horse.
3. Fish and chips at Coaches (Coach's?) (NB: it is half price on Friday).
4. Chili at Lennie's.
5. #40 at Esan Thai with chicken (medium hotness).
6. Mongolian Chicken at Dragon Express ($4.35) (one of the few things there with its own distinct flavor).
7. French pressed coffee at Cafe Ami on 4th St.
8. (Attempted) Eggs Benedict at Runcible Spoon (unfortunately the egg is not poached, it is fried).
9. Rockit's Pizza.
10. Falafel sandwiches at Falafel's (for some reason, if you get it to go, it is not only cheaper, but the price of the sandwich includes a soft drink or bottled water).
Though not consumable, I feel obligated to add:
11. The interior design at the Copper Cup across from the big Big Red.
12. The atmosphere at Tutto Bene.
Now, I suppose for the sake of being thorough, I should include a list of what I consider to be some of the most offensive pieces of crap littering the culinary scene in Bloomington.
1. Fries at Hinkle's.
2. "Bananas Foster" at Scholar's Inn (overall a piece of garbage).
3. Dinner rolls at Truffles (the quality of service matches that of the rolls).
4. Irish Lion prices for beer and scotch.
5. Grazie (overpriced, mediocre food and deplorable atmosphere).
6. Anything from Bear's Place, especially their cheese sticks and guac.
7. The Tudor Room at the IMU (glorified cafeteria food, I'm always embarrassed when I have to take a guest speaker there for lunch).
8. Since when was a stromboli a sandwich?
9. The service at Tutto Bene.
10. The atmosphere upstairs at the Irish Lion.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
Difficult to see, the future is
Anyone who knows me knows that I need to have a plan. I put everything in my iCal, and I am unfailingly punctual. It should come as no surprise that these days I am quite anxious, for my not too distant future is more uncertain that I'd normally allow it to be. Anyone who knows me also knows that I like to maintain pretty tight control over my immediate environment. It should come as no surprise that these days I am quite anxious, for my not too distant future is, as a result of its resistance to my iCal, more out of my control that I'd normally allow it to be. Let me count the ways:
1. Anyone who knows me knows that I live with Matt Dunn. Well, the honeymoon is over and we must go our separate ways. Have either of us started looking for a new place? No. The only certainty is that we will not continue to live in our current home.
2. My uncertain domestic future is a result of my uncertain vocational future. My department, barring some act of a flying spaghetti monster, will not be offering me funding next year. It is time to kick this bird out of the nest. This situation invites a host of uncertainties. For example, will I stay in Bloomington? If so, where will I live? Where will I work? I've considered staying here, even though it means that I'll probably end up waiting tables somewhere. I've also considered moving to Amherst, MA to live with my friend Kelly Trogdon. I'm not really sure what all my options are. Moving is expensive, so I can't really afford any arbitrariness in my selection procedure.
3. Anyone who knows me knows that in the summers I usually work for a program dedicated to educating precocious youths. Last summer I did not. I took Georgian here at IU. This summer will I go back to the nerd camp or will I take Georgian level 2 or Arabic? No one knows. I have, however, alerted the summer program that I intend to return.
4. In the more distant future is a fairly significant uncertainty. It has occurred to me that I might have options other than an academic career (which might not actually be an option).
Anyway, in case I end up staying here, I am accepting self-nominations for roommates.
1. Anyone who knows me knows that I live with Matt Dunn. Well, the honeymoon is over and we must go our separate ways. Have either of us started looking for a new place? No. The only certainty is that we will not continue to live in our current home.
2. My uncertain domestic future is a result of my uncertain vocational future. My department, barring some act of a flying spaghetti monster, will not be offering me funding next year. It is time to kick this bird out of the nest. This situation invites a host of uncertainties. For example, will I stay in Bloomington? If so, where will I live? Where will I work? I've considered staying here, even though it means that I'll probably end up waiting tables somewhere. I've also considered moving to Amherst, MA to live with my friend Kelly Trogdon. I'm not really sure what all my options are. Moving is expensive, so I can't really afford any arbitrariness in my selection procedure.
3. Anyone who knows me knows that in the summers I usually work for a program dedicated to educating precocious youths. Last summer I did not. I took Georgian here at IU. This summer will I go back to the nerd camp or will I take Georgian level 2 or Arabic? No one knows. I have, however, alerted the summer program that I intend to return.
4. In the more distant future is a fairly significant uncertainty. It has occurred to me that I might have options other than an academic career (which might not actually be an option).
Anyway, in case I end up staying here, I am accepting self-nominations for roommates.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Biting the Hand that Feeds Me
Last night I had dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants, Truffles. The fare at Truffles is not particularly exciting, though it rates highly in the company of its Bloomingtonian culinary companions. For several years I have been a regular at Truffles, though usually I go on Thursday nights for half priced martinis and a small bite. Last night, however, I opted to go all out and have a full meal (not off the less expensive bar menu) and a very pricey bottle of wine. My dining companions, too, ordered a very nice (albeit inferior) bottle of wine and two main courses and an appetizer. So, and not that how much we were spending should matter, our table should have received impeccable service. Our server was a young man, dishevelled in appearance, who knew nothing about fine dining table service. Let me count the ways:
1. Only once did he appear to fill the wine glasses. All other times we were left to serve ourselves.
2. The "tasting" portion of the wine was barely enough to wet my tongue, much less evaluate the quality of the wine I ordered.
3. Plates were not removed at the same time. Even worse, at one point all plates were removed except one belonging to a female in our party.
4. Knives used for appetizers were not replaced with clean ones, but were merely repositioned in the setting (this isn't denny's).
5. Bread was not brought at the beginning of the meal, but rather as what seemed to be a separate course between appetizers and main courses.
6. After telling the boy that we were *not* interested in dessert, he brought out dessert menus anyway.
7. Niether he nor the hostess offered to take our coats.
8. I was made to hand the boy my dirty plates when he could have cleared the table himself (and, in fact, that is his job).
This does not exhaust the ways in which we were given bad service last night, but it is all I care to list. I'll omit what was the worst infraction (committed by the hostess). Let's just say this: never become friends with the service at a fine dining establishment unless you want to witness egregious breaches of the implicit contract between diner and restaurant. Being my friend does not grant license to embarrass me in front of my friends by making me look like a niggard. Lest my reader consider me a snob for my complaints, let me remind you that this is a place that proclaims to be one of Bloomington's "fine dining" establishments. That means more than that the food is good or expensive; it means that service should be on a par with the image of the restaurant (so at Denny's I would never bitch about having to use the same spoon for my chili and my, I don't know, grits or something; nor would I balk one bit at helping out the server by handing him my plates). But when you are spending 30-40 dollars per person, a certain level of service and professionalism is reasonable to expect. Truffles is a disappointment in this respect, and, hence, Tallent remains my favorite restaurant in Bloomington (and in my nationwide Top 10).
Addendum: There is not so much as a sliver of truffle, black or white, to be found in any dish on the menu at "Truffles".
1. Only once did he appear to fill the wine glasses. All other times we were left to serve ourselves.
2. The "tasting" portion of the wine was barely enough to wet my tongue, much less evaluate the quality of the wine I ordered.
3. Plates were not removed at the same time. Even worse, at one point all plates were removed except one belonging to a female in our party.
4. Knives used for appetizers were not replaced with clean ones, but were merely repositioned in the setting (this isn't denny's).
5. Bread was not brought at the beginning of the meal, but rather as what seemed to be a separate course between appetizers and main courses.
6. After telling the boy that we were *not* interested in dessert, he brought out dessert menus anyway.
7. Niether he nor the hostess offered to take our coats.
8. I was made to hand the boy my dirty plates when he could have cleared the table himself (and, in fact, that is his job).
This does not exhaust the ways in which we were given bad service last night, but it is all I care to list. I'll omit what was the worst infraction (committed by the hostess). Let's just say this: never become friends with the service at a fine dining establishment unless you want to witness egregious breaches of the implicit contract between diner and restaurant. Being my friend does not grant license to embarrass me in front of my friends by making me look like a niggard. Lest my reader consider me a snob for my complaints, let me remind you that this is a place that proclaims to be one of Bloomington's "fine dining" establishments. That means more than that the food is good or expensive; it means that service should be on a par with the image of the restaurant (so at Denny's I would never bitch about having to use the same spoon for my chili and my, I don't know, grits or something; nor would I balk one bit at helping out the server by handing him my plates). But when you are spending 30-40 dollars per person, a certain level of service and professionalism is reasonable to expect. Truffles is a disappointment in this respect, and, hence, Tallent remains my favorite restaurant in Bloomington (and in my nationwide Top 10).
Addendum: There is not so much as a sliver of truffle, black or white, to be found in any dish on the menu at "Truffles".
Sunday, December 10, 2006
How Verizon Screwed Me
The wound is still fresh, so I'm going to try to make this a short post, long enough to convince you not use use Verizon's wireless service. I apologize in advance to casting aspersions on the company that helped to create my roommate, Matt Dunn.
First some terminology:
1. rerate: this refers to a counterfactual retroactive re-evaluation of charges. For example, you may rerate last month's bill *as if* you had a different plan, even though you did not. A rerate does not entail an extension of one's contractual obligations to Verizon, nor does it involve changing one's plan. You remain on the same plan, but a past bill is adjusted as though you had a different plan.
2. retroactive plan adjustment: I use this cumbersome terminology because I forget the jargon. Let's call it 'RPA'. RPA is like a rerate except that it does involve a plan change (albeit retroactively) and it typically accompanies a one-year extention of one's contract. So, if you opt for the RPA, you can, in effect, go back in time to change your monthly minute allocation, but it comes at the cost of an extension of contract.
Here's the story:
In August I had a $270 cell phone bill. I was shocked, so I called Verizon to see what I could do. They offered me an RPA, which I took (having not known about the rerate option (a special favor they do for some, but not others)). So, I retroactively signed up for 900 minutes per month and sold my soul for another year. I had assumed, commensurate with the RPA, that I remained on the 900 minute plan, and the customer rep. told me that I would need to call to be put back on my original 400 minute plan. I never called to change the plan back.
Fast forward to November. I get a cell phone bill for over 80 dollars. This makes me wonder how I could have possibly talked for more than 900 minutes. I call Verizon and the customer rep. tells me that I never had a 900 minute plan, that in fact what took place in August was a rerate. This frustrates me for the following reasons:
1. I had hoped, in August, to switch to a different carrier, but did not because I thought that I was bound by contract as a consequence of the RPA.
2. I now cannot switch companies since I do not want to enter into a contract in December, for I may not even be living in the country come September.
3. I was lied to in August about the action taken on my account.
The rep. talks to her boss and offers me two options:
1. Accept an RPA and, therefore, extend my contract by a year from that day.
2. Maintain my plan and pay the overcharges on a 400 minute plan.
I maintain my cool because, as mother says, you catch more bees (or flies) with honey than with vinegar. I tell her "I do not want the RPA because I may not be here in a year," (at which point she offers the second option). I respond to her offer thus, "So are you telling me that I will have to pay the overcharges because your company misinformed me about my plan, therefore leading me to believe not only that I had a 900 minute plan but that I also am bound to stay with Verizon?" She responds in the affirmative and apologizes. So here we have an odd case where the company admits that it is not my fault that I was charge overage fees, admits fault, and yet does nothing to rectify the mistake short of offering me a deal (RPA) that essentially screws me. I hate Verizon and will certainly find another service provider once I am in a position to sign my soul away to another company. Do not use Verizon. Cingular's phones are cooler anyway.
First some terminology:
1. rerate: this refers to a counterfactual retroactive re-evaluation of charges. For example, you may rerate last month's bill *as if* you had a different plan, even though you did not. A rerate does not entail an extension of one's contractual obligations to Verizon, nor does it involve changing one's plan. You remain on the same plan, but a past bill is adjusted as though you had a different plan.
2. retroactive plan adjustment: I use this cumbersome terminology because I forget the jargon. Let's call it 'RPA'. RPA is like a rerate except that it does involve a plan change (albeit retroactively) and it typically accompanies a one-year extention of one's contract. So, if you opt for the RPA, you can, in effect, go back in time to change your monthly minute allocation, but it comes at the cost of an extension of contract.
Here's the story:
In August I had a $270 cell phone bill. I was shocked, so I called Verizon to see what I could do. They offered me an RPA, which I took (having not known about the rerate option (a special favor they do for some, but not others)). So, I retroactively signed up for 900 minutes per month and sold my soul for another year. I had assumed, commensurate with the RPA, that I remained on the 900 minute plan, and the customer rep. told me that I would need to call to be put back on my original 400 minute plan. I never called to change the plan back.
Fast forward to November. I get a cell phone bill for over 80 dollars. This makes me wonder how I could have possibly talked for more than 900 minutes. I call Verizon and the customer rep. tells me that I never had a 900 minute plan, that in fact what took place in August was a rerate. This frustrates me for the following reasons:
1. I had hoped, in August, to switch to a different carrier, but did not because I thought that I was bound by contract as a consequence of the RPA.
2. I now cannot switch companies since I do not want to enter into a contract in December, for I may not even be living in the country come September.
3. I was lied to in August about the action taken on my account.
The rep. talks to her boss and offers me two options:
1. Accept an RPA and, therefore, extend my contract by a year from that day.
2. Maintain my plan and pay the overcharges on a 400 minute plan.
I maintain my cool because, as mother says, you catch more bees (or flies) with honey than with vinegar. I tell her "I do not want the RPA because I may not be here in a year," (at which point she offers the second option). I respond to her offer thus, "So are you telling me that I will have to pay the overcharges because your company misinformed me about my plan, therefore leading me to believe not only that I had a 900 minute plan but that I also am bound to stay with Verizon?" She responds in the affirmative and apologizes. So here we have an odd case where the company admits that it is not my fault that I was charge overage fees, admits fault, and yet does nothing to rectify the mistake short of offering me a deal (RPA) that essentially screws me. I hate Verizon and will certainly find another service provider once I am in a position to sign my soul away to another company. Do not use Verizon. Cingular's phones are cooler anyway.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Christmas Blog
I've been pretty good all year. Allow me to list some of the highlights:
1. I won the Samuel Westfall Graduate Student Travel Fellowship
2. I got all 'A's
3. My summer was productive: I maintained a garden and started learning a new language
4. I forfeited my spring break to dogsit for a friend
5. I volunteered my time to become Co-director of IU's Human Intelligence Website
6. I made several gestures of goodwill, though not all were appreciated
7. I did my roommate's dishes when he was too hung over to do them himself
8. I never missed a day of work
9. I more or less donated my bed to two young ladies who did not have one
10. I vowed not to download music or movies illegally (and I haven't since then)
11. I housed a homeless person for the better part of 3 weeks.
Anyway, I guess what I am saying is that the christmas season is upon us and it is a time not only for self-reflection, but it is a time to think about others. Therefore, I provide a link to my Amazon Wishlist.
My Amazon Wishlist
1. I won the Samuel Westfall Graduate Student Travel Fellowship
2. I got all 'A's
3. My summer was productive: I maintained a garden and started learning a new language
4. I forfeited my spring break to dogsit for a friend
5. I volunteered my time to become Co-director of IU's Human Intelligence Website
6. I made several gestures of goodwill, though not all were appreciated
7. I did my roommate's dishes when he was too hung over to do them himself
8. I never missed a day of work
9. I more or less donated my bed to two young ladies who did not have one
10. I vowed not to download music or movies illegally (and I haven't since then)
11. I housed a homeless person for the better part of 3 weeks.
Anyway, I guess what I am saying is that the christmas season is upon us and it is a time not only for self-reflection, but it is a time to think about others. Therefore, I provide a link to my Amazon Wishlist.
My Amazon Wishlist
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
4 Bloomington Bus Drivers
Bus Driver 1 (my nemesis): This bus driver usually runs the #4 bus in the evenings. His demeanor is fairly aggressive and dull. My cards, including my student ID card which serves as a bus-pass, are held together by a clip (the kind with the black clipping section and metallic grips (sorry for the crappy description)). I use the smallest variety. Bus Driver 1, no matter where I situate the clip on the cards, cannot seem to make out without considerable effort whether I am in fact showing him a student ID card. He has told me on several occasions that I have to remove the clip for him to see the card (even if the only part of the card that is obscured is the bar code at the bottom of the card). Is this man being difficult for its own sake? Is he really so dull that no object can be attached to the card lest he cannot recognize it? What does he do about people's thumbs that might cover the so important barcode at the bottom? Once I got into a fray with this man over this issue, but the outcome was at best a draw.
Bus Driver 2: This bus driver, also running the #4 (or #5) clearly hates me. Whether he drops me off near campus or at home, he does not provide ample time for me to exit the bus. He has on a number of occasions closed the door on me. Not only is this very uncomfortable (the doors pack quite a resistant wallop), but it is hard on garments. This bus driver also is prone not to stop at my bus stop even when I pull the wire to alert him that I would like to be dropped off at the next stop. This I cannot understand. When you pull the wire, you are to be dropped off at the next official bus stop, which brings me to the next driver.
Bus Driver 3: This bus driver, same route as bus driver two, today inquired if I wanted to be dropped off at the intersection of Mitchell and Maxwell, the next stop, or at Maxwell Terrace down the street. Now, I don't know bus driver logic, but I thought that the default position was this: when the wire is pulled, you stop at the next stop. You should not have to ask if the person actually meant the stop after the next one. Think of how chaotic it would be if pulling the wire meant that you wanted to be dropped off in two stops!
Bus Driver 4: Bus Driver 3 reminds me of a fourth bus driver who does not really merit a whole section since her primary deficiency is related to that of bus driver 3's. If I pull before the stop sign 100 or so feet before my bus stop, she gets angry and tells me, clearly irritated, that it is unclear whether I want to be dropped at the stop sign (i.e., the traffic sign) or the actual bus stop. The last time I checked, there was a reason why bus stops were not marked by octagonal red signs that say 'stop' and it was probably to control for this very confusion, but perhaps she sees the word 'stop' and gets confused. Perhaps her brain is wired to stop at the first sign that says 'stop' after the chime.
Bus Driver 2: This bus driver, also running the #4 (or #5) clearly hates me. Whether he drops me off near campus or at home, he does not provide ample time for me to exit the bus. He has on a number of occasions closed the door on me. Not only is this very uncomfortable (the doors pack quite a resistant wallop), but it is hard on garments. This bus driver also is prone not to stop at my bus stop even when I pull the wire to alert him that I would like to be dropped off at the next stop. This I cannot understand. When you pull the wire, you are to be dropped off at the next official bus stop, which brings me to the next driver.
Bus Driver 3: This bus driver, same route as bus driver two, today inquired if I wanted to be dropped off at the intersection of Mitchell and Maxwell, the next stop, or at Maxwell Terrace down the street. Now, I don't know bus driver logic, but I thought that the default position was this: when the wire is pulled, you stop at the next stop. You should not have to ask if the person actually meant the stop after the next one. Think of how chaotic it would be if pulling the wire meant that you wanted to be dropped off in two stops!
Bus Driver 4: Bus Driver 3 reminds me of a fourth bus driver who does not really merit a whole section since her primary deficiency is related to that of bus driver 3's. If I pull before the stop sign 100 or so feet before my bus stop, she gets angry and tells me, clearly irritated, that it is unclear whether I want to be dropped at the stop sign (i.e., the traffic sign) or the actual bus stop. The last time I checked, there was a reason why bus stops were not marked by octagonal red signs that say 'stop' and it was probably to control for this very confusion, but perhaps she sees the word 'stop' and gets confused. Perhaps her brain is wired to stop at the first sign that says 'stop' after the chime.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Checklist of Upcoming Extravaganzaaaaaas!
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #1: Nov. 17 at 1 pm will witness one of the most anticipated battles of that week. In one corner, the Centennial Scourge, the Devil of Selection, the Duke of Trout: Mad MattDanDunn. In the other corner, coming out of a 5-year hiatus from talks, defender of truth, justice and g, the Key to Validity, the Prince of Novelty: S.Brian Brain the Hooooooood. These two longtime foes (roommates, actually) will go head to head in an awesome battle over Brian's most recent dissertation section: Validity and Scientific Realism. Brian thinks he settled the question, Matt thinks Brian is uncharitable to his opposition and that either way, Brian's position is vaccuous. Life at the S. Mitchell house will never be the same. Heads will roll, dogs will stink, and crickets will invade.
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #2: APA Dec. 27 where Brian will NOT get a job on the basis of his paper "Validity and Scientific Realism".
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #3: Spring Break (March 12-17) in Amsterdam where I will present my paper to a group of methodologists, one of whom I attack, though ultimately defend, in my paper "Validity and Scientific Realism". While there, I intend to gorge myself on Japanese Pancakes.
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #4: May and June in Tbilisi where I will do nothing related to my paper "Validity and Scientific Realism". There I will show my skills as a premium dancer, eat khachapori, drink cha cha, and get stuck in a kwevri (shout out to my didi kartveli megobrebs).
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #2: APA Dec. 27 where Brian will NOT get a job on the basis of his paper "Validity and Scientific Realism".
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #3: Spring Break (March 12-17) in Amsterdam where I will present my paper to a group of methodologists, one of whom I attack, though ultimately defend, in my paper "Validity and Scientific Realism". While there, I intend to gorge myself on Japanese Pancakes.
Extravaganzaaaaaa! #4: May and June in Tbilisi where I will do nothing related to my paper "Validity and Scientific Realism". There I will show my skills as a premium dancer, eat khachapori, drink cha cha, and get stuck in a kwevri (shout out to my didi kartveli megobrebs).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
