Rants:

Aeries Gradebook: User friendly? Nope. Intuitive? Certainly not. Communicates well with Google Classroom? You wish. Full of glitches and random things that make your grades disappear? Absolutely! The new Aeries gradebook is a bit of a disaster. Teachers are struggling to use it because of a lack of training and the lack of usability of the program. Students are struggling to see their grades because of glitches in the system and the app always being down. Now, don’t get me wrong, we needed a change in “Learning Management System” (LMS) because School Loop was reaching its expiry date, but are you telling me there is nothing better out there than this?!

Car Trouble: I am sick and tired of having to take my car to the garage for repairs. Seriously though, I know that trouble always comes in threes but surely not car trouble. I have had to take my car to the shop three times in the last three weeks! The first trip was planned routine maintenance because I needed to get my brake fluid flushed. Fine. No problem. Then the next week the car doesn’t start leaving me stranded and in need of a jump start in Burlingame. Oh, and also the rear break light was busted. I got that all fixed the following week. Then the rear passenger window malfunctions and I have to drive around with cardboard covering the open gap for a whole week! What are cars so expensive to repair 🙁

The San Jose Earthquakes: Why are we (I say “we” because I am an avid fan of the team and a season ticket holder) so bad every…single…season. It is starting, wait, correction, continuing to be really depressing being a Quakes fan. The stadium is empty, the football on the field is rubbish, the coaches don’t seem to have a clue, there is little to no investment in the team, and we never make the playoffs. We never even have a sniff of the playoffs! If American sports had promotion and relegation (as is the norm in the rest of the world) then the Quakes would be in the Fourth Division. The irony is that without the danger of being relegated to a lower division the Quakes owners have zero impetus to invest in the team as they make the same revenue no matter what. It is just really annoying that they care so little about the fan base that they are willing to sit on their hands and literally do nothing to improve the situation.

Raves:

Stan’s Donuts: House prices in Santa Clara are astronomical! However, the close proximity to the Santa Clara institution that is Stan’s Donut Shop makes that million dollar plus mortgage worthwhile. These sensationally sweet and a touch salty cloud like pillows of warm and airy deliciousness are literally amazing. If you live in Santa Clara and have never had a Stan’s Donut then what are you even doing with your life?! All varieties of stan’s Donuts are magic but go for the simple yet superior glazed donut and I assure you that you will not be disappointed. The only problem is that I can’t even consider any other brands of donut anymore. If it ain’t Stan’s then it ain’t worth it.

Lo-fi Beats: Studying, grading, in need of some background noise but you also need to concentrate, then listen to some Lo-fi. A student in my journalism class introduced me to this genre of music several years ago and I have never looked back. Piles of papers melt away into the “graded” pile as I float away on the sultry sax and percussion of Lo-fi Jazz. Or maybe I need the upbeat rhythm of Lo-fi Hip Hop beats to power through those last pesky persistent papers. Whatever the need and whatever my mood, if I need to concentrate then let’s get the Lo-fi going. I’m actually listening to it as I type this article six days late.

Erling Braut Haaland: Manchester City and Norway striker Haaland is an absolute monster! In a good way I assure you. This 22 year old striking sensation signed for the English Premier League’s Manchester City this year and has gotten off to a sensational start. Shrugging off defenders like pesky fleas on a Lion’s mane, Haaland has already bagged 20 goals in all competitions for City. He has a ridiculous 15 goals in nine matches in the Prem and has already scored three hat-tricks! As a lifelong City fan whose father played for the club as well, Haaland has passion for the team and to succeed for the fans because he is a fan himself. Honestly, the sky’s the limit for this kid and he is going to leave many records and defenders shattered in his wake.