A tale of two cities

For those of you out of the loop, I am currently employed as third- through sixth-grade general music teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Institute, a pre-K through 8th grade public school in Buffalo. It’s my first full-time position as a music teacher, and I am happy to be working there despite the many challenges facing me.

The Buffalo Public Schools were closed today due to -20 degree windchills, so I used my day off to return as a substitute teacher at the Maryvale Intermediate-Middle School complex in Cheektowaga NY, where I began the year as a long-term sub, and where I have subbed many times. Only a short drive down the expressway from Martin Luther King School, subbing at Maryvale Intermediate-Middle School is a very different experience than teaching at Martin Luther King MCI. I have a few minutes of downtime today, and I would like to blog about the similarities and differences between these two worlds.

Kennedy Addresses the Greater Houston Ministerial Association 9/12/1960

… I believe in an America where separation of church and state is absolute; 

The famous dressing and marinade

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1-1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/4 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Zatarain’s creole mustard
• Pinch of Sugar

You don’t have to refrigerate it!

Spanish Game, Morphy Defense

My first hurdle as a budding chess player is getting a handle on some basic chess openings. This article is an ongoing analysis of one of the more common opening scenarios that I have seen in my games.

Avoiding Chess Blunders: The Damiano Defense

I am beginning a strong push to become a better chess player. I am finding that one of the keys to my becoming an adequate player is avoiding blunders. I frequently trap myself in situations by not being aware of the ramifications of a move. I have decided to use blogging as a tool to explore situations I’ve been into help both myself and other developing chess players.

The following situation, called the King’s Knight Opening, is very common during the first two moves of chess games:

The white player opens the game by moving his King’s pawn two spaces to square e4 (This is the most common opening move.) The black player moves her pawn the same way. For his second move, the white player moves his knight to square f3.

I am sure even the most inexperienced chess players have been in this situation at least ten times. The black pawn is under attack with no support. There are a few things the black player can do to equalize the situation, including putting white’s pawn under similar attack (moving her King’s knight to square g6) or supporting her pawn by moving her Queen’s knight to c6 or her Queen’s pawn to d6.

There are also a number of things that seem to be good ideas, but are not. One of these is called the Damiano Defense, and looks like this:

It seems like a good idea. The black player believes she has protected her pawn with another pawn, which means that it is up to the white player to figure out a new attack.

However, it is a blunder. Watch how it unfolds.

Pasta quasi alla Puttanseca

Makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta (about 6 servings no leftovers)

Ingredients (in order of use)

mild olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 or 2 bell peppers, chopped
7 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large tomato pureed
6-7 plum tomatoes, pureed (you can use a 1-lb can of crushed tomatoes instead)
about 1 cup sliced greek olives
2 tablespoons cured capers (drained of brine)
cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt and black pepper (to taste)
various italian herbs (to taste)
about 1 tablespoon tomato paste (to thicken)

1 lb Pasta (I chose penne regate)

Yes!

Take a look at the Genesee gateway project, a renovation and reimagination of the block of Genesee street just east of Ellicott in downtown Buffalo. As reported on Buffalo Rising:

The new owners of the block, a partnership including Scot Fisher and CityView Properties, is working with Flynn Battaglia Architects on redevelopment plans. A mix of office, residential and retail space is anticipated for the properties stretching from Ellicott to Oak streets.

I am so happy someone is doing this. I had always promised myself I would invest in that block and do pretty much what they’re doing once I won the lottery or came into some serious dough. It’s such a critical set of buildings, both practically and for the image of the city, and is most likely a lucrative investment.

Colorado Pledge Walk-out

A group of students in Boulder, Colorado walked out of school during the pledge of allegiance this past Thursday. In an email to Rocky Mountain News, the president of the Student Worker club at Boulder High School wrote that the protesting students were concerned that the pledge takes away from school time and that the phrase “one nation, under God” violates the separation of church and state. “Boulder High has a highly diverse population, not all of whom believe in God, or One God,” she wrote.

Once outside, an alternate pledge written by a Boulder High senior was read to the group:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag and my constitutional rights with which it comes. And to the diversity, in which our nation stands, one nation, part of one planet, with liberty, freedom, choice and justice for all.”

Various news sources offer conflicting accounts of the number of students participating in the walk-out, with the majority reporting fifty students physically leaving the building and as many as a hundred watching from the inside.

Celebrating Delicious Cheap Food

NPR’s All Things Considered did a story today about the Vendy awards, given to New York City’s best food cart. One of the women interviewed raved about the food at a particular cart, saying “I love New York. It’s the only city in the world where you can get good food this cheap.”

Now. If you know me, or have read the subtitle of my here blog, you can probably guess how I feel about that.

The Strong Case for Allowing Same-Sex Parenting, Part One: Exploring the opposing viewpoint

When talking about adoption and parenting, whats best for the child is usually the primary concern for each party. This holds true for cases of adoption and/or parenting by same-sex couples. With the best interests of children in mind, five states currently bar homosexuals from adopting children despite a need for adoptive parents and a growing body of evidence suggesting that same-sex households are adequate environments for the developing child.In part one of the series The Strong Case for Allowing Same-Sex Adoption, we will explore the viewpoint that adoption should be limited to heterosexual couples de jure by investigating the four primary talking points that opponents of same-sex parenting use when supporting public policy that limits the ability of same-sex couples to adopt children.