Month: February 2008

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Cal Poly brings in the Clowns & Warren Baker

just us happy guys!

Ok…. didn’t you just hear where Cal Poly refused to add to the agenda of the Academic Senate a resolution opposing the Cal Poly-Saudi deal even though it included support from 5 prior Faculty Academic Senate Chairs? The reason? They didn’t have enough time to consider it?

Well… it appears as though they really can place on the agenda some things and not others! As a last minute addition… the Grand Mufti himself, the ever popular President of Cal Poly will come down from the mountain to speak to the masses on the virtues of dealing with Saudi Arabia, how women are really not missing anything and that this was one big misunderstanding by the ignorant masses. At least that’s how I think it will go.

Here’s the plan so far from a broadly distributed email:

“As previously noticed, next Tuesday’s Academic Senate meeting (3:00 – 5:00, UU220) will be a open forum discussion with President Baker on Budget and Budget Advocacy. An additional discussion item has been added beginning at 4:30: the proposed collaboration between CENG and Jubail University College in Saudi Arabia.

No printed agenda will be sent. This message is the formal notice for the
meeting.

If you have any questions regarding these discussion items, please feel free to contact the Academic Senate office at 756.1258, or I can be reached directly at bgiberti@calpoly.edu.”

Although Cal Poly may disagree, this meeting is more than likely subject to the ‘Brown Act” (a public Meeting)… so hopefully the press will show up, too!

Life’s never boring at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Roger Freberg

So… I guess what we are hearing is that Cal Poly makes up the rules as they go along… why am I not surprised?

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Mama Mia Meatsa Lasagna! Fantastico!

Some of the ingredients to a great lasagna!

Part of the joy of cooking is in finding the best way to please yourself and those important to you!

A real meat lasagna is one way to appease the carnivore as well as the pasta lover. My daughters always loved a lasagna chock full of: olives, mushrooms, sausage in a lovely modified Marinara sauce with ground beef! Of course, plenty of cheese all around including Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan, Ricotta and a few surprises!

Our secret to a great lasagna cheese layer is just the right mixture: 7 eggs, 2 lb. Ricotta, 1/2 cup, Parmesan, 1/2 cup Romano, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and fresh herbs: parsley &/or dill. Chef Kristin has this mastered! (She’s probably smiling now because Kristin knows we add much more cheese than we show in our recipe).

However, it helps if you start with a great tomato based sauce… like our our “5 Chefs Marinara!” You can always build around something great! We also like to add a dollup or so of sour cream to smooth it out! (sssshhh… that’s a secret!)
So, are you curious?

Here’s our Recipe for our delicious “Meatsa Lasagna!”

Roger Freberg

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Cal Poly: doesn’t pass the smell test!

Cal Polys Proud Supporter A great Blog on the Los Angeles Times by Karen Klein said it all:

“If it appears to be so legal, why does it flunk the smell test so badly? ….But Cal Poly is a public institution of higher learning, a place with the highest sort of obligation to uphold noble standards of anti-discrimination.”

For those of us who have been watching the Cal Poly administration over the years, realize that we’ve seen only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ in their recurring lapses of judgement. We can only wonder what else they have been up to? What do they do on a day-to-day level that would raise eyebrows that has yet to make it to the national news?

My guess? Well, no one would be happy…. and ‘changes’ would be in the wind starting at the top!

Roger Freberg

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Building a Cookbook Library

Building any library is fun... it reflect who you are
As any cook will tell you, having a library of cookbooks makes fun reading!

One of the first cookbooks to buy — after you break out of the basic — is “Larousse Gastronomique”… the classic text of French Cuisine (cuisine means ‘kitchen’). Most people know ‘Larousse’ only for the cookbook, but the truth is that they prepare books on a variety of subjects, including an illustrated medical book.

The first American edition of “Larousse Gastronomique” appeared in 1962 and instantly became an American favorite… however, the first French edition was in 1938 which is also a fun read. The fact that it is in color adds to the charm and it’s over 1000 pages long!
So, where do you start your child? Personally, I have always presented the ‘Better Homes and Garden Cookbook’ as the first cookbook for a young person’s collection. It’s simple ( it actually tells a novice how to boil an egg!) and offers a few variations that are likely to be impressive to others… which is key.

Next, I encourage a young cook to add books of personal interest: books on cookies, candies, crab cakes, cheese, bread and more exotic and fun items like ‘Paella’. After all, the library should be built around what you like — and those around you — might enjoy!

other fun books include:

Great American Cookbook ( an easy cookbook utilizing manufacturer’s packaged products)

The Silver Spoon ( a great Italian Cookbook now printed in America)

New York Times cookbook

and any PTA cookbook can be fun and easy. (I even own one from Jo’berg , South Africa!… a favorite!)
Here’s a great listing of some of the great cookbooks! (The listing is far from complete. No mention of the St Francis Cookbook, Luchow’s, or any of Helen Corbitt’s… but still a great list!)

Remember, excellent cooking is to be shared and enjoyed with others… prepare something for someone you love!

Roger Freberg

Someday, buy the Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer … so many wonderful ideas! Careful! Many of the recipes are designed for groups of 20! But then… the eclairs are marvelous!

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Cal Poly selling OUR soul to Saudi Arabia

Pres. Warren Baker, Provost William Durgin, Senate Chair Bruno Giberti and their bud
You gotta know there must be big money behind this! I hope it’s not just for a few pieces of silver.
Today, Warren Baker and his buds blocked a full discussion by the academic senate at Cal Poly on the issue of Cal Poly and Saudi Arabia’s joint educational venture. Let’s not gloss over the fact that this issue ignores a bunch of stuff… no women need apply for starters. If this was apartheid South Africa, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

What are they afraid of?

Talk about a PR nightmare!
In my last post, I had predicted this would happen! Fortunately, you can always depend on Cal Poly administrators to behave badly.

Cal Poly is so used to being a law unto themselves that they really don’t know how their inappropriate actions look to others. The Provost “Bill” Durgan appears to have spent a disproportionate amount of time on yours truly. I heard a lot about what he said… including this excerpt from a private email:

“The Provost also gave a fiery speech addressed to the all the critics of the Saudi proposal, including uncalled for attacks on a faculty spouse (without mentioning Roger by name) who is printing material on the web and said this is not how folks with Ph.D.s should be behaving. It shows a complete lack of respect for academic freedom, etc, etc………”

It is amusing to see Cal Poly’s administration quoting ‘academic freedom’ and ‘free speech’… when they have acted like the ‘bad guys’ in the Nation’s eyes! It doesn’t work the way they think it does.

So, what was the resolution? What is Cal Poly’s Administration so afraid of?

Check this out!

The only other interesting statement came from the Academic Senate Chair Bruno Giberti who referred to the resolution by many many former Faculty Academic Senate Chairs by dissing:

“I am not impressed with them! (5 former Faculty Senate Chairs).”

Spoken like a true company man. By the way, I know you are all sooo interested in who the academic senate is…. here’s a fun link!

Stay Tuned, This issue has traction!
Roger Freberg

UPDATE: It appears — according to some attending the meeting — that the Provost was complaining that some Cal Poly Faculty were not using their official Cal Poly email and that this was a BAD thing! I know that the ’employer’ has the right to read employees emails… but Bill wouldn’t do THAT??!!!  Nah!