This one is relatively easy, but tasty none the less! Make it for your special someone.
Breaded Pork Tenderloins with Gnocchi and White Wine Shallot Cream Sauce
You'll need:
- One pork tenderloin
- Get one fresh from the butcher's meat case. Avoid Hormel's "Always Tender" and read the package labels on other brands; avoid the injection solutions. Go with "natural" pork, it's MUCH better!
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (Progresso works well)
- 1-2 eggs, beaten
- One large shallot (use one large bulb for every two people)
- Butter as needed
- Cooking oil (you'll want about 1/4" in the skillet)
- A little flour
- White Wine for cooking (have up to a cup on hand)
- Heavy cream
- Salt/pepper/desired seasonings
- One package gnocchi
Directions for pork:
- Heat oil in skillet (cast iron is preferred) over medium heat (I like canola, just don't use olive oil, it sucks for frying like this)
- Cut tenderloin into medallions, butterfly them and pound flat and thin with a meat mallet
- Bathe in beaten eggs, coat thoroughly
- Press in bread crumbs until well coated - surface should basically be dry to the touch
- Test the oil with a bit of bread crumb to make sure it's hot enough
- Put in oil, cooking until the under surface is a yummy looking golden brown
- Turn once during cooking, browning the other side (do NOT crowd the skillet with cutlets, cook a couple at a time, no more!)
- Place on paper towel to drain (you may heat the oven to "warm" or not over 200 degrees, to place tenderloin cutlets in to keep them warm while draining and while you cook the rest of them; if the oven is too hot, you'll dry them out!)
Sauce:
- Finely chop shallot, season with salt and pepper if desired, and fry in butter over medium heat
- Melt enough butter to cover the bottom of a small saucepan
- When shallots are just starting to brown, add a little flour and stir well with a wire wisk
- When flour turns brown, de-glaze with some white wine, maybe a couple inches off the bottom of the pan
- Continue to wisk, blending the flour into the wine, and cook the wine down to about half it's original volume
-Keep wisking, and slowly add the heavy cream, turning the heat down to avoid boiling the cream
- The sauce should be thick enough to cover the tines of a fork when lowered into it. It will smell so good your mouth will begin to water!
Follow the directions on the gnocchi package to cook them. It should take no longer than five minutes in boiling water.
Serve everything hot on the plate at the same time, drizzle sauce over pork (it should be very crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, delicious!) and gnocchi and enjoy!
This meal is fun to cook with others, due to its ease. It can be prepared in a short amount of time.
Serve with a fresh green salad. This meal is very filling, I don't recommend serving with bread. Just the meat, gnocchi, and salad are fine.
Pair with a lager or white, dry wine.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Winter Wonderland
Lots to write about, time to pick and choose...
Holidays
Dorothy Day was cool. Mom's was decent. One more at mom's and then it's over. I'm not a big holiday guy but it's been cool so far.
Job
New one! Yay! However, I really don't feel like finishing up 3M stuff that much. Time is running out! I kind of feel bad for Terry, but at the same time I don't give a rip. It is what it is. This time next week, I'll be at the refinery! VERY excite!
Sports
It was very nice to see Joe Webb do well. I especially liked his calmness and mechanics under pressure. Blitzers in his face, and he delivered repeatedly. T-Jack used to get jittery feet and always had inconsistent mechanics, despite immense talent. I'd like to see Joe get a chance to compete for a QB job next year, regardless of the coach. And, please, Mr. Wilf, don't bring in Gruden or Fischer! Keep Leslie or hire a coordinator off some other team. We don't need Fischer, he's a loser (6 playoff runs in 16 years, yet the media keeps calling him a "good coach," I don't get it) and Gruden will shuffle QBs in and out of here like musical chairs. We just can't have that.
Life
Things are going well with friends and family. Carolina and I are doing well also. Kind of annoying how people push us to "further" things... Why do that when things are going so well? Let's just let things take their course, shall we?
Holidays
Dorothy Day was cool. Mom's was decent. One more at mom's and then it's over. I'm not a big holiday guy but it's been cool so far.
Job
New one! Yay! However, I really don't feel like finishing up 3M stuff that much. Time is running out! I kind of feel bad for Terry, but at the same time I don't give a rip. It is what it is. This time next week, I'll be at the refinery! VERY excite!
Sports
It was very nice to see Joe Webb do well. I especially liked his calmness and mechanics under pressure. Blitzers in his face, and he delivered repeatedly. T-Jack used to get jittery feet and always had inconsistent mechanics, despite immense talent. I'd like to see Joe get a chance to compete for a QB job next year, regardless of the coach. And, please, Mr. Wilf, don't bring in Gruden or Fischer! Keep Leslie or hire a coordinator off some other team. We don't need Fischer, he's a loser (6 playoff runs in 16 years, yet the media keeps calling him a "good coach," I don't get it) and Gruden will shuffle QBs in and out of here like musical chairs. We just can't have that.
Life
Things are going well with friends and family. Carolina and I are doing well also. Kind of annoying how people push us to "further" things... Why do that when things are going so well? Let's just let things take their course, shall we?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Hope and faith
After a discussion with mom and Caro last week at Emily's, I've been doing a lot of thinking about faith, hope, and god.
"The Architect" in the second edition of "The Matrix" trilogy said something like this to Neo:
"Hope, the quintessential human emotion; simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."
At the time, this struck a chord. Lately, I've been around religion and have drawn some parallel conclusions.
At my uncle's funeral, lots of praying took place. Before he died, there were cards in his room from fellow church goers asking exactly what ailments he had so they could pray to god for specific cures (note that because I'm atheist, I don't capitalize the word "god" unless it begins a sentence) to said ailments.
At Jimmy and Annie's wedding, the pastor lady was non-stop with prayers. She was non-stop the night before at the rehearsal. All sorts of praying took place. As I gazed into the crowd at the church, I noted that many people were taking the praying seriously, with hands folded and eyes shut, looking down in serious thought, using their minds to communicate with god. From my viewpoint, this is utter foolishness; that someone could believe with all their heart that a supernatural being with all power is listening, despite evidence clearly showing otherwise (prayers are not answered, but this post will not argue god's existence).
My belief is that this stems from hope. Humans are the only animal on earth that knows they will die someday, and that there is nothing they can do about it. Sure, we can diet and exercise, visit the doctor regularly, and take our vitamins in the hope that it will make us live longer and healthier lives; knowing all along that at the end of the day, we're hardly cheating death, we're merely hoping to delay it's occurrence (notice the word hope was used several times there).
It is my belief that humans are the only animal to agonize about the past and worry about the future. We hardly live in the moment. If you observe a dog, they clearly live in the moment and it helps them deal with bad days or even bad beginnings in life! A dog can be rescued as a violent and reactionary animal from horrible conditions, and become a "normal" dog in just a few months' time because they are unable to agonize about their past or worry about the future.
Humans, on the other hand, worry so much about the future that they try and convince themselves and other members of the human race to believe that there is a separate, spiritually based life that is not on Earth; in other words, that we're going to live forever, even after our bodies perish. This "hope" for eternal life is what drives us to pray, sacrifice, and even fight/kill others who don't agree, to take up religion! We're willing, as a species, to use precious time and resources to honor imaginary beings, and we've done it for our entire history. We convince ourselves, in the deepest chasms of our minds, that these imaginary beings exist so we can cheat death and live forever. Talk about false hope! I almost feel sorry for religious people who sacrificed so much in life with the promise of "going to heaven," only to find that when they die, it all goes black and it's all over. If more people would accept that, I suspect the world would be a much different, and much better, place. We'd live in the moment more and take life much more seriously; there would certainly be no suicide bombers! We'd respect life so much more that I suspect lots of wars wouldn't even be fought. People would be more honest, and stop using religion and false hope as a source of motivation to the masses to commit atrocities. As Voltaire said: "If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities."
Since there is no way to convince 95% of the world's population that religion is an enormous waste of time, how about showing people the benefits of living in the moment from time to time? When you're doing something fun/enjoyable, savor the moment! Don't think about next week or last year, just enjoy living in the moment. Dogs and little kids do it all the time and seem to enjoy themselves while doing it. Also, it can help you shrug off disappointments or become over zealous over achievements.
I don't advocate never considering the past or contemplating your future. All I'm saying is, live in the moment from time to time. I bet you'll enjoy it, and "hope" you'll do it more and more often!
"The Architect" in the second edition of "The Matrix" trilogy said something like this to Neo:
"Hope, the quintessential human emotion; simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."
At the time, this struck a chord. Lately, I've been around religion and have drawn some parallel conclusions.
At my uncle's funeral, lots of praying took place. Before he died, there were cards in his room from fellow church goers asking exactly what ailments he had so they could pray to god for specific cures (note that because I'm atheist, I don't capitalize the word "god" unless it begins a sentence) to said ailments.
At Jimmy and Annie's wedding, the pastor lady was non-stop with prayers. She was non-stop the night before at the rehearsal. All sorts of praying took place. As I gazed into the crowd at the church, I noted that many people were taking the praying seriously, with hands folded and eyes shut, looking down in serious thought, using their minds to communicate with god. From my viewpoint, this is utter foolishness; that someone could believe with all their heart that a supernatural being with all power is listening, despite evidence clearly showing otherwise (prayers are not answered, but this post will not argue god's existence).
My belief is that this stems from hope. Humans are the only animal on earth that knows they will die someday, and that there is nothing they can do about it. Sure, we can diet and exercise, visit the doctor regularly, and take our vitamins in the hope that it will make us live longer and healthier lives; knowing all along that at the end of the day, we're hardly cheating death, we're merely hoping to delay it's occurrence (notice the word hope was used several times there).
It is my belief that humans are the only animal to agonize about the past and worry about the future. We hardly live in the moment. If you observe a dog, they clearly live in the moment and it helps them deal with bad days or even bad beginnings in life! A dog can be rescued as a violent and reactionary animal from horrible conditions, and become a "normal" dog in just a few months' time because they are unable to agonize about their past or worry about the future.
Humans, on the other hand, worry so much about the future that they try and convince themselves and other members of the human race to believe that there is a separate, spiritually based life that is not on Earth; in other words, that we're going to live forever, even after our bodies perish. This "hope" for eternal life is what drives us to pray, sacrifice, and even fight/kill others who don't agree, to take up religion! We're willing, as a species, to use precious time and resources to honor imaginary beings, and we've done it for our entire history. We convince ourselves, in the deepest chasms of our minds, that these imaginary beings exist so we can cheat death and live forever. Talk about false hope! I almost feel sorry for religious people who sacrificed so much in life with the promise of "going to heaven," only to find that when they die, it all goes black and it's all over. If more people would accept that, I suspect the world would be a much different, and much better, place. We'd live in the moment more and take life much more seriously; there would certainly be no suicide bombers! We'd respect life so much more that I suspect lots of wars wouldn't even be fought. People would be more honest, and stop using religion and false hope as a source of motivation to the masses to commit atrocities. As Voltaire said: "If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities."
Since there is no way to convince 95% of the world's population that religion is an enormous waste of time, how about showing people the benefits of living in the moment from time to time? When you're doing something fun/enjoyable, savor the moment! Don't think about next week or last year, just enjoy living in the moment. Dogs and little kids do it all the time and seem to enjoy themselves while doing it. Also, it can help you shrug off disappointments or become over zealous over achievements.
I don't advocate never considering the past or contemplating your future. All I'm saying is, live in the moment from time to time. I bet you'll enjoy it, and "hope" you'll do it more and more often!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Into the great, multi colored yonder...
Big changes are all around us everyday, yet most folks don't seem to notice and/or care.
Lately, prices of many commodities have skyrocketed. "The Fed" pumped $600 million into the world economy last week, yet most people either haven't taken notice or haven't bothered to think it's important enough to comment on in conversation.
"The Fed" is really the world bank. The World Bank in Geneva is simply a loan shark to the third world. The Fed is what really controls the action. The G20 summit in Asia this week has our president and several others in his administration taking a beating from abroad for this influx of US dollars into the world economy, making exports from just about everywhere worth less, all the while making US exports worth MORE!
Look, I'm all for exporting to higher value. But does Fed Chairman Bernanke realize how his actions effect every day Americans at home? I know he does, but in from his big ass mansion, what does he care?
Gas went up, as did other petroleum related products.
Gold is insanely high right now. To all the people who sold their gold two years ago: neaner neaner neaner! Should have held it.
Next? Food prices will spike. Except for government subsidised corn derived products (like all meat, and most other stuff with corn based ingredients, like anything in a package haha). This will make the problems with the American food supply even worse, as more people will turn to horribly bad for you subsidized foods without even realizing they're buying government sponsored corn by the bushels into their homes. Why buy a head of romaine or a bag of baby carrots when you can get a double cheeseburger at McDonald's for the same price?
So, how do moves like these effect our future as average, everyday Americans? The truth is, no one really knows. Greenspan convinced us all that our houses were banks to borrow from, always safely increasing in value and a very secure investment, like long term mutual funds or related securities. We all know how that turned out.
Our current Fed chairmen has created a more cautious culture, and I'm happy for that, because this group of Americans, hardened by the BS of 2008 and 2009, are not going to just "play along" like they did for Greenspan.
Here's an example... Auto companies reported profits this quarter, and GM is even going to make an IPO! Guess what is going to happen if gas gets real high and food gets expensive? Americans will turn back to saving money, and the car companies will once again be in the hole. Their only hope is to be efficient manufacturing so they can turn a profit on smaller cars. I promise that instead of bitching about gas prices, Americans will either hold their current cars or purchase small ones. The SUVs that aren't fuel efficient (most of them) will just sit and rust away on a lot somewhere, and then sold at a huge discount later on to clear the lot for the next model year vehicles. Then, these fancy profits being made will plummet, and GM's brand new stock holders will sell out so fast the remaining holders will have lost all their money. (Psst: we all should have bought Ford stock in 2008. It's increased by magnitudes since hitting an all time low of around a dollar).
What about other changes in our world? Are people noticing?
If you should stumble upon this, tell me if you think people around you are noticing the same changes you are.
Lately, prices of many commodities have skyrocketed. "The Fed" pumped $600 million into the world economy last week, yet most people either haven't taken notice or haven't bothered to think it's important enough to comment on in conversation.
"The Fed" is really the world bank. The World Bank in Geneva is simply a loan shark to the third world. The Fed is what really controls the action. The G20 summit in Asia this week has our president and several others in his administration taking a beating from abroad for this influx of US dollars into the world economy, making exports from just about everywhere worth less, all the while making US exports worth MORE!
Look, I'm all for exporting to higher value. But does Fed Chairman Bernanke realize how his actions effect every day Americans at home? I know he does, but in from his big ass mansion, what does he care?
Gas went up, as did other petroleum related products.
Gold is insanely high right now. To all the people who sold their gold two years ago: neaner neaner neaner! Should have held it.
Next? Food prices will spike. Except for government subsidised corn derived products (like all meat, and most other stuff with corn based ingredients, like anything in a package haha). This will make the problems with the American food supply even worse, as more people will turn to horribly bad for you subsidized foods without even realizing they're buying government sponsored corn by the bushels into their homes. Why buy a head of romaine or a bag of baby carrots when you can get a double cheeseburger at McDonald's for the same price?
So, how do moves like these effect our future as average, everyday Americans? The truth is, no one really knows. Greenspan convinced us all that our houses were banks to borrow from, always safely increasing in value and a very secure investment, like long term mutual funds or related securities. We all know how that turned out.
Our current Fed chairmen has created a more cautious culture, and I'm happy for that, because this group of Americans, hardened by the BS of 2008 and 2009, are not going to just "play along" like they did for Greenspan.
Here's an example... Auto companies reported profits this quarter, and GM is even going to make an IPO! Guess what is going to happen if gas gets real high and food gets expensive? Americans will turn back to saving money, and the car companies will once again be in the hole. Their only hope is to be efficient manufacturing so they can turn a profit on smaller cars. I promise that instead of bitching about gas prices, Americans will either hold their current cars or purchase small ones. The SUVs that aren't fuel efficient (most of them) will just sit and rust away on a lot somewhere, and then sold at a huge discount later on to clear the lot for the next model year vehicles. Then, these fancy profits being made will plummet, and GM's brand new stock holders will sell out so fast the remaining holders will have lost all their money. (Psst: we all should have bought Ford stock in 2008. It's increased by magnitudes since hitting an all time low of around a dollar).
What about other changes in our world? Are people noticing?
If you should stumble upon this, tell me if you think people around you are noticing the same changes you are.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The language of...
Last weekend, my buddy got married to his long time girlfriend. Their son was happy about it, in a few years he'll be real happy about it.
It was a fun time, to be sure, I'd voluntarily be in another wedding if given the chance.
Saw lots of cool people do cool things. Who would have guessed that Sean and Katie were such aces on the camera? I would have liked it if Matters showed up, but such is life.
What I'm wondering about are grudges and animosity.
What's up with them and why do they exist? The cliche "why can't we all just get along?" often pops into my head. Until, that is, I lengthened one or I guess, didn't hear the apologist out. Of course, I have no clue if she was actually an apologist.
What was her deal? Was she jealous that Caro and I appeared to have a really great time while her and Johnners were hardly seen during the festivities that followed the ceremony? Did that prompt her to approach me, with Uncle emmm-Scotty, no less?
I suppose I'll never really know. I see her once or twice a year, at best, and never found her a particularly interesting person to talk with. I remember the first time I met her, we rode in the car to Jimmy's cabin slugging down beers and joking around. Then, I said something forceful, which I'm one to do, and didn't apologize for it. Then, over the years, I had to endure countless smart-assed remarks and rude comments directed straight at me whilst she chuckled her fat rolls up and down. I sat there and took it, out of respect for Johnners. Then, after I made a personal pact to tell her off, she seemed skittish and didn't approach me the next half dozen times I was forced into her presence.
So, what should I do? I think I'll talk to her next time, sort of "finish what I started" and move forward.
Here's my dialogue:
"Jaque, since the first day I ever met you four years ago, you've been a total asshole to me for no apparent reason other than my sometimes forceful personality. I never understood why you held some effed up personal grudge against me, nor do I care. I sat and took it due to my respect for your significant other, who obviously loves the hell out of you. I'm not apologizing, as I see no reason to; I've done nothing wrong in my opinion. Rather, this is a peace offering, and only that. I don't really want to be your personal friend, but if we're in the same place, I promise not to be a cold, distant asshole to you and no one else. I will actually say hi to you and if I'm feeling squirlly, I may even ask how you're doing and engage in brief periods of small-talk type conversation. That's where it ends, though. I've taken too much guff from you over the years and believe I've seen your true colors (fuck, another cliche, I'm on a friggin role here!), and have concluded that we're either miles apart in personality or mere millimeters apart. Either of which make for a good friendship match. That being said, let's shake on it never to be assholes to each other again. Practice tolerance, and I shall do the same. Good day to you, Jaque."
There, that should do it.
It was a fun time, to be sure, I'd voluntarily be in another wedding if given the chance.
Saw lots of cool people do cool things. Who would have guessed that Sean and Katie were such aces on the camera? I would have liked it if Matters showed up, but such is life.
What I'm wondering about are grudges and animosity.
What's up with them and why do they exist? The cliche "why can't we all just get along?" often pops into my head. Until, that is, I lengthened one or I guess, didn't hear the apologist out. Of course, I have no clue if she was actually an apologist.
What was her deal? Was she jealous that Caro and I appeared to have a really great time while her and Johnners were hardly seen during the festivities that followed the ceremony? Did that prompt her to approach me, with Uncle emmm-Scotty, no less?
I suppose I'll never really know. I see her once or twice a year, at best, and never found her a particularly interesting person to talk with. I remember the first time I met her, we rode in the car to Jimmy's cabin slugging down beers and joking around. Then, I said something forceful, which I'm one to do, and didn't apologize for it. Then, over the years, I had to endure countless smart-assed remarks and rude comments directed straight at me whilst she chuckled her fat rolls up and down. I sat there and took it, out of respect for Johnners. Then, after I made a personal pact to tell her off, she seemed skittish and didn't approach me the next half dozen times I was forced into her presence.
So, what should I do? I think I'll talk to her next time, sort of "finish what I started" and move forward.
Here's my dialogue:
"Jaque, since the first day I ever met you four years ago, you've been a total asshole to me for no apparent reason other than my sometimes forceful personality. I never understood why you held some effed up personal grudge against me, nor do I care. I sat and took it due to my respect for your significant other, who obviously loves the hell out of you. I'm not apologizing, as I see no reason to; I've done nothing wrong in my opinion. Rather, this is a peace offering, and only that. I don't really want to be your personal friend, but if we're in the same place, I promise not to be a cold, distant asshole to you and no one else. I will actually say hi to you and if I'm feeling squirlly, I may even ask how you're doing and engage in brief periods of small-talk type conversation. That's where it ends, though. I've taken too much guff from you over the years and believe I've seen your true colors (fuck, another cliche, I'm on a friggin role here!), and have concluded that we're either miles apart in personality or mere millimeters apart. Either of which make for a good friendship match. That being said, let's shake on it never to be assholes to each other again. Practice tolerance, and I shall do the same. Good day to you, Jaque."
There, that should do it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
X's and O's
Some interesting tidbits from discussions with people have triggered some thoughts on my part.
These discussions were centered around sports, hence the "X's and O's" title; has nothing to do with smooching...
As a "stat geek" I've generally rated things based on the numbers. "This team is good because they hit .280 collectively." Or, "this product performs well because it's always near the specification target."
What I'm discovering statistics to be missing, however, is the human factor in all this.
Like, just because "this product" performs well in a controlled environment does not always mean it will perform well in an uncontrolled one.
If a baseball team collectively hits .280, they do hit pretty well, but does that mean they're winners? The stat geek in me would want to seek out additional stats to try and predict this, but without actually watching them play, we don't know if they're going to be winners or not.
The point is, life doesn't always go to plan. Stats can't always predict outcomes. The human brain has sophistication the modern computer will never have, and vice versa. The problem is, we're really starting to ignore this brain of ours.
Can stats predict the cohesiveness of a baseball team? No.
Can stats predict locker room chemistry of a football team? Of course not! Look at the numbers T.O. put up over his career. The most important one, number of super bowl rings, is zero. I bet he'd trade all of those TD catches for just one piece of bling that says he won the big one.
Compared to a silicone microchip, our brain seems even more powerful. If you take a 2GHz dual core processor, you're essentially moving zeros and ones through the each circuit at a rate of one billion units per second. Circuits in the human brain can only move thousands of bits of data per second (however, the human brain probably doesn't work with binary code, this "code" is yet undetermined). Chincy, right? Wrong. There are billions of circuits in the brain that work like this in harmonious synchronization. That means that billions of connections are moving thousands of bits per second, all at the same time! A thousand billion is a trillion. Even the most powerful computer chips can't match that kind of power...
A brain can recognize a face by the time you snap your fingers. A computer? It may not be able to do it at all, and if it can, it's only an estimate based on imaging techniques that are very complicated programs to write and maintain.
A computer can "do math" much faster than a human can. But, humans have to teach it how. Additionally, computers can't recognize a screwy result very fast, but a human can!
So, my message today is to never forget your natural intuition and don't ignore your instincts. They served our ancestors well, whom we are all descended from, that lived in a very difficult and harsh environment that you or I can only imagine.
Computers are a tool, nothing more. The human element is more important. Don't forget to realize your potential and don't put too much stock in computer generated statistics and other tools.
This has been a random rumbling from a grumbling fool.
These discussions were centered around sports, hence the "X's and O's" title; has nothing to do with smooching...
As a "stat geek" I've generally rated things based on the numbers. "This team is good because they hit .280 collectively." Or, "this product performs well because it's always near the specification target."
What I'm discovering statistics to be missing, however, is the human factor in all this.
Like, just because "this product" performs well in a controlled environment does not always mean it will perform well in an uncontrolled one.
If a baseball team collectively hits .280, they do hit pretty well, but does that mean they're winners? The stat geek in me would want to seek out additional stats to try and predict this, but without actually watching them play, we don't know if they're going to be winners or not.
The point is, life doesn't always go to plan. Stats can't always predict outcomes. The human brain has sophistication the modern computer will never have, and vice versa. The problem is, we're really starting to ignore this brain of ours.
Can stats predict the cohesiveness of a baseball team? No.
Can stats predict locker room chemistry of a football team? Of course not! Look at the numbers T.O. put up over his career. The most important one, number of super bowl rings, is zero. I bet he'd trade all of those TD catches for just one piece of bling that says he won the big one.
Compared to a silicone microchip, our brain seems even more powerful. If you take a 2GHz dual core processor, you're essentially moving zeros and ones through the each circuit at a rate of one billion units per second. Circuits in the human brain can only move thousands of bits of data per second (however, the human brain probably doesn't work with binary code, this "code" is yet undetermined). Chincy, right? Wrong. There are billions of circuits in the brain that work like this in harmonious synchronization. That means that billions of connections are moving thousands of bits per second, all at the same time! A thousand billion is a trillion. Even the most powerful computer chips can't match that kind of power...
A brain can recognize a face by the time you snap your fingers. A computer? It may not be able to do it at all, and if it can, it's only an estimate based on imaging techniques that are very complicated programs to write and maintain.
A computer can "do math" much faster than a human can. But, humans have to teach it how. Additionally, computers can't recognize a screwy result very fast, but a human can!
So, my message today is to never forget your natural intuition and don't ignore your instincts. They served our ancestors well, whom we are all descended from, that lived in a very difficult and harsh environment that you or I can only imagine.
Computers are a tool, nothing more. The human element is more important. Don't forget to realize your potential and don't put too much stock in computer generated statistics and other tools.
This has been a random rumbling from a grumbling fool.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Anxiety and the game of life.
My mom says she hates change. My dad slowly has embraced it the past 5 years or so. Ha, another proof that environment is stronger than genetics in personalities and attitudes.
Is the reason I'm looking for a new job after just 3+ years because I crave change so much?
Think about it:
Anxiety.
I want out of my job badly. Sooooo boring, I'm nothing but a paper pusher and I really have no desire to "try hard" and "move up" from this job. So many folks here are content with pushing paper and just moving up the T-scale while having essentially the same job - I don't get it. I was good at helping the international locations. I was good at mentoring the young quality engineers. Yet, they yank me from it and don't even offer the chance to interview. Pretty bush league. I don't really want to leave 3M, but I feel like I'm being pushed out the door. I like my boss a TON, but I'll admit that when I leave, there will be some satisfaction in telling him that I'm leaving. Gladly, I'll hand over my laptop, sign the paper work that I pledge never to share 3M secrets, roll my benefits over to the next company, and get going on a new stage in life!
Family.
Gotta go see mom. Haven't talked to her in awhile. The ranting really took the luster off the prospects of seeing this medal my gramps brought back from the Marines. Question is, how do I communicate to her that I don't care about all the family squabbling and conspiracy theories on why/who/what took place between Jerome and Joanne? Is there a way to do this without hurting feelings? Methinks not.
I like Rachel, and of course the new Andy is probably an improvement as he seems more grounded and settled. Not sure about this "you should be here" nonsense, though. If they really gave two shits, I'd hear about stuff that people have planned. Like my "birthday dinner" that was scheduled around their free time, not mine. It was my birthday! Another thing I have to talk with Mom about. Things on the dad front are cool as usual, though, and big-T can do no wrong!
Friends.
What the fuck's up with this bachelor party? Should I call Johnners or just say "fuck it" and let him do the legwork? Since he excludes me due to that wife of his, I owe him no help in planning this thing. Let him, er, uh, her do the planning and he can relay it to the rest of us. It had better not be the night of the 15th, though, or Carolina will be pissed! And rightfully so, I have her mother all nervous about making dinner for us that night and I can't cancel. Worst case scenario, I'll meet up with them after the dinner ends. Gotta go get fitted this week, though, maybe later today!
Life's game.
So, how to play this one, eh? So many things going on at once in people's lives. I'll admit that mis-communication is a constant and getting worse with a key person. How do I break that down and figure this out? Gawd, here I am, blogging while at work. I have plenty to do, and could have more but I have no initiative. Need. New. Job. Now!!!!!
That's it and that's all, folks!
Is the reason I'm looking for a new job after just 3+ years because I crave change so much?
Think about it:
- I've owned, let's see (I have to count them up) eight cars now. A couple of them were perfectly fine but I sold them off and got into something else, anyway. I'm also always looking at what's out there for sale.
- I have not eaten at the same place or even been to the same place or done the same thing with my gf since we met.
- I routinely get rid of my phones before the "new in two" plan takes over.
- Generally, I read part of a book or chapter before switching to work on another one, then I come back to it later.
- I get bored so easily at some things (like my current job) but stay engaged in others just as easily. What the hell?
Anxiety.
I want out of my job badly. Sooooo boring, I'm nothing but a paper pusher and I really have no desire to "try hard" and "move up" from this job. So many folks here are content with pushing paper and just moving up the T-scale while having essentially the same job - I don't get it. I was good at helping the international locations. I was good at mentoring the young quality engineers. Yet, they yank me from it and don't even offer the chance to interview. Pretty bush league. I don't really want to leave 3M, but I feel like I'm being pushed out the door. I like my boss a TON, but I'll admit that when I leave, there will be some satisfaction in telling him that I'm leaving. Gladly, I'll hand over my laptop, sign the paper work that I pledge never to share 3M secrets, roll my benefits over to the next company, and get going on a new stage in life!
Family.
Gotta go see mom. Haven't talked to her in awhile. The ranting really took the luster off the prospects of seeing this medal my gramps brought back from the Marines. Question is, how do I communicate to her that I don't care about all the family squabbling and conspiracy theories on why/who/what took place between Jerome and Joanne? Is there a way to do this without hurting feelings? Methinks not.
I like Rachel, and of course the new Andy is probably an improvement as he seems more grounded and settled. Not sure about this "you should be here" nonsense, though. If they really gave two shits, I'd hear about stuff that people have planned. Like my "birthday dinner" that was scheduled around their free time, not mine. It was my birthday! Another thing I have to talk with Mom about. Things on the dad front are cool as usual, though, and big-T can do no wrong!
Friends.
What the fuck's up with this bachelor party? Should I call Johnners or just say "fuck it" and let him do the legwork? Since he excludes me due to that wife of his, I owe him no help in planning this thing. Let him, er, uh, her do the planning and he can relay it to the rest of us. It had better not be the night of the 15th, though, or Carolina will be pissed! And rightfully so, I have her mother all nervous about making dinner for us that night and I can't cancel. Worst case scenario, I'll meet up with them after the dinner ends. Gotta go get fitted this week, though, maybe later today!
Life's game.
So, how to play this one, eh? So many things going on at once in people's lives. I'll admit that mis-communication is a constant and getting worse with a key person. How do I break that down and figure this out? Gawd, here I am, blogging while at work. I have plenty to do, and could have more but I have no initiative. Need. New. Job. Now!!!!!
That's it and that's all, folks!
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