Pizza is almost always tossed around as a possibility when trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. Think about it, it is easy, can be made to fit anyones taste, is filling, plates and utensils are optional and it is always an option for the following morning’s breakfast. Roma’s Pizzeria II makes pizza that easily satisfies each of these categories.
Driving up to Roma’s was a little shocking because of the strip-mall like exterior. Because of its reputation the images I conjured up in my head were a little less modern. Being the first of my group to arrive, and looking lost, the three employees behind the counter, all at once, came to my aid asking if assistance was needed.
The seat yourself restaurant has a rather open and spacious dining room that looks designed to cater to large families, groups of friends or as a post-game dining spot for sports teams like the girls youth soccer team that arrived shortly after us. However, being in a group of three was completely comfortable.
As soon as one is seated, the classic leather lined clear plastic menus are handed out, and water is promptly distributed with the waitress asking if anything other than water is wanted.
The menu is simple and to the point. A few appetizer and salad options, entrees that are mainly pasta dishes and finally the pizza choices. The selection of pizzas, by far, provides the most options taking up an entire page and a half of the menu.
Having a vegetarian in the group was not a problem as there were several options for her, and the “choose your own toppings” option allowed for more possibilities.
Each of us ordered a side salad that was a perfect single serving portion of lettuce, fresh tomatoes and a few slices of salami. The bleu cheese dressing was mild, but had big chunks of bleu cheese.
We decided to split a large pizza between the three of us, half being pesto, which was just pesto and cheese, and the other half was pepperoni and black olives. Though there were some communication problems with our server because of her accent, it was no problem ordering half and half.
Shortly after the salads were eaten, the pizza arrived. As our server was setting the pizza down on the table, she almost had one of my group members wearing the pesto, pepperoni and olives as the pizza slid partially off the pan. She was very apologetic, and it was really a non-issue.
The pizza was delicious, with a more than generous amount of pepperoni and olives. The pesto was not overpowered by garlic, which can sometimes be the case. The cheese was perfectly stringy and the crust was just right. Not too soft and not too hard. The only gripe about the pizza was that a few stray pepperonis made their way onto the pesto side, which would have only been a problem for the vegetarian in the group, but she did not complain.
The large pizza was more than enough for the three of us. There were four pieces left over and they were put into a to go box by our waitress. Her technique, or strategy, for putting the pieces in the box made me a little apprehensive as I was sure they were going to end up on the floor.
Overall, the dining experience was quite pleasant. For a small salad and four to five pieces of pizza, it was a little over ten dollars each. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, the service was good, and, at times, entertaining. The company, which can set the tone for any experience, was just as good as the food.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Mute the Silence
Twenty six miles to run and nothing but the sound of your feet on the ground, your own breathing and the voice in your head telling you to keep running. For some, these are not the sounds they want to hear when running.
On October 4th, minutes before the Cowtown Marathon was to begin, a man was desperately asking people for help with his iPod to no avail. Knowing how music can inspire, hype up and motivate people during exercise, I went after the gentleman to offer my help. When my idea worked, and his iPod was fixed, the relieved look on his face was so telling. A look of gratitude. That if he did not have his iPod, he would not make it through the run.
I then began to notice that the majority of runners participating in the Cowtown had iPods, or some form of mp3 players. Not using an iPod or mp3 player myself, because I was running with someone, I wondered how everyone would do without their music.
Some people find it impossible to, not only run, but exercise in general, without some kind of music. Whether that music is from a personal iPod or mp3 player or a stereo system at the gym you workout at, people need it.
Is it the emotional response music elicits, or is it simply the need for background noise that provides a distraction from ones own thoughts? Either way people need it to get through a workout.
As for it being just a distraction from ones own thoughts, I would equate that to driving in a car alone without music playing, or the radio playing. That silence is deafening.
In exercise however, ones own thoughts could be saying how much pain one is in and that he or she should stop. It is easy to listen to that voice in your head and stop running because your legs hurt, or to stop lifting weights because your muscles are too tired. Music can mute those thoughts. It has that power.
While running in the Cowtown, I realized that the power music has, is almost common knowledge, and not just by people who exercise, but by everyone. This may sound like an obvious statement, but when there are people (musicians) playing on the streets for the runners it really hits you.
Musicians taking time out of their own days, waking up early (the Cowtown, and most charitable runs for that matter, all start around 7:30 am) to play for thousands of complete strangers because they know it motivates them, really drives it home.
I began to think about the other runs I have participated in, the Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving and the Miners Ravine Fun Run in Roseville; they both had music playing on a PA system or bands set up playing for the runners.
Music inspires, motivates and connects with people. Most musicians get into writing and playing music for that exact purpose, not for the possibility of fame and fortune. As an aspiring musician, who wants to make music that inspires, motivates and connects with people, witnessing its power first hand, inspires and motivates me even more to write music that connects with people.
I hope someday I can be one of the musicians runners want to listen to for twenty six miles. Who can block out that voice in their heads and mute the silence.
On October 4th, minutes before the Cowtown Marathon was to begin, a man was desperately asking people for help with his iPod to no avail. Knowing how music can inspire, hype up and motivate people during exercise, I went after the gentleman to offer my help. When my idea worked, and his iPod was fixed, the relieved look on his face was so telling. A look of gratitude. That if he did not have his iPod, he would not make it through the run.
I then began to notice that the majority of runners participating in the Cowtown had iPods, or some form of mp3 players. Not using an iPod or mp3 player myself, because I was running with someone, I wondered how everyone would do without their music.
Some people find it impossible to, not only run, but exercise in general, without some kind of music. Whether that music is from a personal iPod or mp3 player or a stereo system at the gym you workout at, people need it.
Is it the emotional response music elicits, or is it simply the need for background noise that provides a distraction from ones own thoughts? Either way people need it to get through a workout.
As for it being just a distraction from ones own thoughts, I would equate that to driving in a car alone without music playing, or the radio playing. That silence is deafening.
In exercise however, ones own thoughts could be saying how much pain one is in and that he or she should stop. It is easy to listen to that voice in your head and stop running because your legs hurt, or to stop lifting weights because your muscles are too tired. Music can mute those thoughts. It has that power.
While running in the Cowtown, I realized that the power music has, is almost common knowledge, and not just by people who exercise, but by everyone. This may sound like an obvious statement, but when there are people (musicians) playing on the streets for the runners it really hits you.
Musicians taking time out of their own days, waking up early (the Cowtown, and most charitable runs for that matter, all start around 7:30 am) to play for thousands of complete strangers because they know it motivates them, really drives it home.
I began to think about the other runs I have participated in, the Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving and the Miners Ravine Fun Run in Roseville; they both had music playing on a PA system or bands set up playing for the runners.
Music inspires, motivates and connects with people. Most musicians get into writing and playing music for that exact purpose, not for the possibility of fame and fortune. As an aspiring musician, who wants to make music that inspires, motivates and connects with people, witnessing its power first hand, inspires and motivates me even more to write music that connects with people.
I hope someday I can be one of the musicians runners want to listen to for twenty six miles. Who can block out that voice in their heads and mute the silence.
Monday, October 12, 2009
California State University of Phoenix, Sacramento
University of Phoenix, Sacramento. Sacramento State University of Phoenix. California State University of Phoenix, Sacramento None of these really have that ring to it. And neither does the idea of the Apollo Group taking over the California State University system.
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit university with the largest student body of all for-profit universities. William Tierney, a higher education professor at the University of Southern California, recently wrote an article saying the University of Phoenix could potentially buy the CSU system for a price of $2.3 billion.
I do not really see the benefits, or reasons for the University of Phoenix buying the CSU system. Sure, the $2.3 billion would help the state’s financial crisis, but how much would it really help? In the long run the state could potentially lose money because there would never be money seen again from the 23 state universities.
Of all the state university systems in the nation, the CSU system is the largest; so, selling it off to a corporation would be a major loss when the economic crisis subsides.
The University of Phoenix’s student body, as of now, is mainly adults with families and have part-time jobs. They are returning college students who do not need, or necessarily want the “college life” experience because maybe they have already had it, or do not have time for it anymore.
However, many of the students in the CSU system currently have part time jobs, and some have families as well. So there is not a big advantage, or gain in having older, maybe more mature students making up the student body. And I do not understand how that makes the University of Phoenix a viable option in taking over the CSU system.
The CSU system has been established for quite some time and just because of this current economic crisis the state has been in, I think this would be a mistake that will make the college going experience less attractive. It seems like one of those decisions that felt necessary and appropriate at the time, but in hindsight was completely wrong, and is now too late. A panicked decision.
Tierney mentions that the University of Phoenix produces graduates who are ready for the work force. It may in fact do that; however, does the CSU system not? What makes them so much more ready for the work force? Is it because they are mainly adult students? If that is the case then that is a moot point because they have been in the working world longer than those in the CSU system.
The University of Phoenix buying the CSU system would not suddenly make the average college student fresh out of high school more prepared for the professional working world. There is nothing in their curriculum that could possibly make that drastic of a change in that area of development. If the University of Phoenix was so much better in preparing its students for the working world, then why don’t more high schoolers apply?
California State University, Sacramento. Sacramento State University. University of Phoenix. These have a nice ring to them, separately. Lets keep them that way.
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit university with the largest student body of all for-profit universities. William Tierney, a higher education professor at the University of Southern California, recently wrote an article saying the University of Phoenix could potentially buy the CSU system for a price of $2.3 billion.
I do not really see the benefits, or reasons for the University of Phoenix buying the CSU system. Sure, the $2.3 billion would help the state’s financial crisis, but how much would it really help? In the long run the state could potentially lose money because there would never be money seen again from the 23 state universities.
Of all the state university systems in the nation, the CSU system is the largest; so, selling it off to a corporation would be a major loss when the economic crisis subsides.
The University of Phoenix’s student body, as of now, is mainly adults with families and have part-time jobs. They are returning college students who do not need, or necessarily want the “college life” experience because maybe they have already had it, or do not have time for it anymore.
However, many of the students in the CSU system currently have part time jobs, and some have families as well. So there is not a big advantage, or gain in having older, maybe more mature students making up the student body. And I do not understand how that makes the University of Phoenix a viable option in taking over the CSU system.
The CSU system has been established for quite some time and just because of this current economic crisis the state has been in, I think this would be a mistake that will make the college going experience less attractive. It seems like one of those decisions that felt necessary and appropriate at the time, but in hindsight was completely wrong, and is now too late. A panicked decision.
Tierney mentions that the University of Phoenix produces graduates who are ready for the work force. It may in fact do that; however, does the CSU system not? What makes them so much more ready for the work force? Is it because they are mainly adult students? If that is the case then that is a moot point because they have been in the working world longer than those in the CSU system.
The University of Phoenix buying the CSU system would not suddenly make the average college student fresh out of high school more prepared for the professional working world. There is nothing in their curriculum that could possibly make that drastic of a change in that area of development. If the University of Phoenix was so much better in preparing its students for the working world, then why don’t more high schoolers apply?
California State University, Sacramento. Sacramento State University. University of Phoenix. These have a nice ring to them, separately. Lets keep them that way.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Divorce Petition
Around fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. That means fifty percent of all marriages are dysfunctional, whether it be abusive (either physically and/or verbally) or are polygamous in a non practicing sense. So if we simply ban divorce, all those problems will go away right? Wrong.
John Marcotte, a writer, filed a petition recently to ban divorce in what some consider to be a way to mock the Proposition 8 supporters who wanted to protect marriage by making sure it remained between a man and a woman. Marcotte believes this is the best, and most obvious way to protect marriage.
It seems obvious enough. What really ruins marriage is not who is getting married, but the people getting divorces. You cannot ruin a marriage any more than by ending one.
Religious groups should be behind this petition one hundred percent because they are such strong proponents for the sanctity of marriage. Marcotte believes that every supporter of Proposition 8 should also support his petition. He wants to protect marriage in the most obvious way so there is no reason why they would not.
Whether Marcotte is serious or kidding he has made an interesting point. But if he is serious, does he really have a point?
Divorce obviously has its ripple effect on a family and may have long term effects on the children who become the collateral damage of it all, but they are already being affected by the unhealthy marriage.
If the petition passes and divorce does in fact get banned, then it will make people and couples think more thoroughly about whether or not they want to get married. The same way divorce has a ripple effect, banning it will have its own ripple effect on choices people make outside of wedlock.
Shotgun weddings and eloping will most likely decline, causing those wedding chapels in Las Vegas’ business to suffer. Also, marrying the girl you just knocked up will probably not be as common. Single parent households will probably increase as well.
When children are involved it makes this whole petition about banning divorce much more complicated because they are going to be affect negatively either way. It is a catch-22.
If a couple is truly unhappy with each other and were not allowed to get a divorce, then it will be evident to the kids, and could possibly cause them to have unhealthy relationships in the future. If that is all they are familiar with the possibility of them recreating that kind of relationship is much higher. Some children who grew up with dysfunctional parents will realize relationships do not have to be that way, and in turn, benefit from it.
The catch-22 is that allowing divorce can prevent children from witnessing an abusive or resentful relationship. Killing the petition and keeping divorce as an option also allows for a spouse to take his or her children away from an alcoholic, drug addicted or abusive parent, and into a better situation. This goes for the spouse as well; being able to remove his or herself from an abusive relationship instead of being trapped, by law.
If fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, that means fifty percent of all marriages last. For every one marriage that ends, one lasts. Is the marriage cup half empty or half full? That is the question needed to be answered.
John Marcotte, a writer, filed a petition recently to ban divorce in what some consider to be a way to mock the Proposition 8 supporters who wanted to protect marriage by making sure it remained between a man and a woman. Marcotte believes this is the best, and most obvious way to protect marriage.
It seems obvious enough. What really ruins marriage is not who is getting married, but the people getting divorces. You cannot ruin a marriage any more than by ending one.
Religious groups should be behind this petition one hundred percent because they are such strong proponents for the sanctity of marriage. Marcotte believes that every supporter of Proposition 8 should also support his petition. He wants to protect marriage in the most obvious way so there is no reason why they would not.
Whether Marcotte is serious or kidding he has made an interesting point. But if he is serious, does he really have a point?
Divorce obviously has its ripple effect on a family and may have long term effects on the children who become the collateral damage of it all, but they are already being affected by the unhealthy marriage.
If the petition passes and divorce does in fact get banned, then it will make people and couples think more thoroughly about whether or not they want to get married. The same way divorce has a ripple effect, banning it will have its own ripple effect on choices people make outside of wedlock.
Shotgun weddings and eloping will most likely decline, causing those wedding chapels in Las Vegas’ business to suffer. Also, marrying the girl you just knocked up will probably not be as common. Single parent households will probably increase as well.
When children are involved it makes this whole petition about banning divorce much more complicated because they are going to be affect negatively either way. It is a catch-22.
If a couple is truly unhappy with each other and were not allowed to get a divorce, then it will be evident to the kids, and could possibly cause them to have unhealthy relationships in the future. If that is all they are familiar with the possibility of them recreating that kind of relationship is much higher. Some children who grew up with dysfunctional parents will realize relationships do not have to be that way, and in turn, benefit from it.
The catch-22 is that allowing divorce can prevent children from witnessing an abusive or resentful relationship. Killing the petition and keeping divorce as an option also allows for a spouse to take his or her children away from an alcoholic, drug addicted or abusive parent, and into a better situation. This goes for the spouse as well; being able to remove his or herself from an abusive relationship instead of being trapped, by law.
If fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, that means fifty percent of all marriages last. For every one marriage that ends, one lasts. Is the marriage cup half empty or half full? That is the question needed to be answered.
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