When I was Young...

 While driving in to work today, I caught most of a song I have not heard in many years..."When I was Young," by Eric Burdon and the Animals.  Burdon's haunting voice accentuates the message of how life changes as we age and not always for the better.  We become jaded, sometimes enjoying what we call the "little things" less and less.  Even though I caught most of the song while it was being played, I was moved enough to pull it up on YouTube Music once I got to work.  Burdon's voice boomed throughout my dimly lit, empty classroom via a Bluetooth speaker.  It was soothing in a melancholy way, bits and pieces, tiny vignettes of memories flitted about in my mind's eye.  So much so, I paused setting up my classroom for the day and replayed the song sitting quietly at my desk.  As the song ended and the memories once again faded into the recesses of my past I realized something I often forget, one must never lose sight of those "little things" in life and take time to smile at what we once did as children.

Songs such as this are why I love listening to Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM.

Random Thought: Plummers’ Tape

 Plummers’ Tape is strong enough to cut through your skin.  I found this out whilst attempting to cut a piece off by wrapping around one of my fingers.  It can be rather painful, so please do not try this yourself, use a proper cutting utensil.

Podcasting Update

 So...a while ago, actually February 6, 2021, I posted about wanting to begin podcasting on a regular basis again.  I am glad to say that I have partially met my goal.  Out of my two podcasts I do publish weekly to my Podbean site, which is set up for my classroom use.  It is mainly a weekly review for my students, it has potential to be helpful with the current educational situation of students either getting sick and being out of school or having to quarantine.  

My other site at Anchor.fm was for my personal use and random thoughts not related to my classroom.  That site has been sporadically used, "life gets in the way of life," as I like to say.  It is not an excuse, it just is a fact, if you are out doing activities, it is often difficult to find time to sit and podcast or blog well and consistently.  The last two terms can be flipped and melded together as in "consistently well," I do not want to do this just to do it.  I want to do it well, which of course is subjective.

I have become a co-host on a third Vlog/Livestream/Podcast, the PAECT Pod, our endeavor that uses Streamyard to push out a livestream to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.  The show is then recorded downloaded, edited, then uploaded as an audio file to Anchor.fm.  This show is a once a month effort, with smaller shows to preview upcoming events posted in between shows.  

For now I will consider this a win in the podcasting column.

Podcasting...Again?????

I am once again attempting to revive my podcasting habit, this time not just for my classes...but also general topics about the state of existence...but probably not as deep as it may sound.  My educational podcasts will still be hosted on Podbean, while my non-educational podcast will be hosted on Anchor.fm

The interest in podcasting has been there for many years, it has just been practiced in sporadic fashion, after several starts and stops, it is being attempted once again.  As with any effort that is hoped to catch on, a pattern must be practiced until it becomes a habit and part of a routine.  That is what I am hoping for...the journey will be updated both here and on my educational blog Mrsal.edublogs.org.

You can catch my Season 2: Episode 2 of Mr. Sal's Podcast n'nhat here.

Uncle Fester’s Hot Pepper Fruit Spread

Have you ever tried something a bit off the wall...unique...outside of your comfort zone?  Have you ever been pleasantly surprised?  World-endingly devastated?  Rocked beyond your wildest expectations?  I have been in several of these situations in my many years, under a variety of circumstances...from a food standpoint, palate-wise I was intrigued by this tasty concoction...Uncle Fester's Favorites: Hot Pepper Fruit Spread.

I tasted this stuff two years ago at the Ellwood City Arts and Crafts Show in Ewing Park.  I made the mistake of not buying any, I was not about to make the same mistake twice.  The jelly has a tinge of hotness, but is not overwhelming to your palate.

It tastes great on pretzels or corn chips as a dip.  Recently I have begun spreading this on toasted whole grain bread as an addition to my egg and cheese sandwiches.  A bit of heat in the AM rocks!

You can check out more about Uncle Fester's Favorites on Facebook by clicking here.

You can find out more about the Ellwod City Arts and Crafts Festival here.

Holiday Clean Up

This post was originally published at http://mrsal.edublogs.org/2017/12/22/holiday-clean-up/ but its message resonates here also...

Ahhhh...holiday break has started and I have so much to do, Christmas shop, well at least finish it, I started it yesterday after work.  In my defense, I have been looking for the presents I wanted to get people, but they are no where to be found..."Thank you Nintendo."  This holiday season I need to do some digital housecleaning, dumping emails, publishing or deleting blog drafts, and generally organizing some digital clutter on my desktop.  I am an early riser, so 20-30 minutes a day with my coffee before everyone else wakes up may not complete the task; but it should get me close to my goal and set me up for my New Year's Resolution.

Vinyl on HBO

HBO has a new series that focuses on the music industries of the 1970's; Vinyl. The show is graphic, loaded with great actors, visually stunning, nuanced with flashbacks and side clips that tease undercurrents and tensions between characters, interlaced with accurate historical facts from the era, and for someone with my ecclectic musical taste the soundtrack is unparalleled.

The first episode I was actually able to catch was episode two, and only a few minutes of it at that.  Those few minutes hooked me into the vivid tapestry of the show.  

I have since watched the pilot on in demand; a warning for all...do not try and watch Vinyl and try to multitask.  You risk missing integral, yet fleeting, pieces of the story.

If you enjoy music, history, and do not mind the graphic nature check out Vinyl.