Paint A Vulgar Picture

2009-02-10T17:27:00.004-05:00

New tattoo pics. His name is "Hoot." Inner left forearm.

Enjoy.

2009-02-01T16:21:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in forever. I really don't always have much to say anymore. I used to talk & have conversations with all sorts of folks all the time--pretty much non-stop. Now I get paid to talk--and I do it for at least 6 hours a day--everyday. Honestly after a while it just makes me want to not communicate with anyone when I don't have to. Teaching makes some really introverted people extroverts. On the flip side it sometimes make extroverted people introverts. I am in the later category. It is probably strange for the people who know me, but haven't been around me for a while, to hear that I often barely speak when I'm not at work. The strangest part is not only do I not hang out with people--I don't even really have the desire to do so. I don't even really miss it.

I do have a tattoo appointment next weekend so there will be pics of that coming soon.

Hope all is well.

2008-11-16T15:36:00.004-05:00

New tattoo pics:

An anchor and a rose:

Back of right arm with ship and anchor:

For no reason, other than the cute factor, my cat in a Halloween costume:

2008-10-19T12:02:00.001-04:00

New Tattoo. Ladie's head. Back of right forearm. Enjoy.

Hope all is well.

2008-09-14T13:02:00.002-04:00

New tattoo pics. Back of right forearm. Enjoy.

2008-08-15T15:54:00.003-04:00

As much as dislike television, I admit I watch a few shows on NBC Video Rewind and through Netflix. I am watching an episode of the office, well listening to it now, and they play some ads during the episode. Just a few; much less than on TV. One of the ads is for Southern Comfort. The ad features Against Me! I understand why the band signed to a major label and even though I don't like their new album; I respect their decision. However I am having a hard time watching a liquor ad featuring a supposedly "politically charged" band. I'm sure they were paid well, but I think they just lost all of their (remaining) artistic integrity. I don't mean that they used one of their songs in the ad, I mean they are IN the ad, being interviewed and playing. In a few short years they have gone from "Baby, I'm an Anarchist" to hawking whiskey on NBC's website. Wow. I realize they want to make a career out of this, and money, but even if they were selling organic yogurt or something I'd be OK with it, just not something like whiskey. What's next? Tom Gabel dressed up as the Marlboro Man? Teenagers (and many others) love that band and now their idols are telling them to go get shitfaced on over-priced booze. I am really disappointed. It shouldn't matter to me, but it does.

2008-07-30T13:05:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in a few months, and I'm not sure why. Oh yeah-I'm lazy.

The summer vacation from teaching is almost over and in some ways I am looking forward to getting back to work, in other ways-not so much. Next week I am doing this program for incoming freshmen. 6 hours a day for 5 days, and they're paying me $1200 so that's definitely sweet. I don't even have to really teach them for 2 of those days, and on the other 3 days we are doing relaxation exercises, yoga and meditation. Sweet.

Here's one story for ya'll. The other day I get Stop-Loss from Netflix and the disc is skipping and being all funky. Finally after the first 18 minutes of the film, which I was greatly enjoying as I felt the movie was accurately portraying the realities of the current Iraq conflict; I take the disc out to look at the scratches. I notice that the disc is really scratched up, so I report it as being scratched and go on with my day. A few hours later, I am thinking about the scratches and I realize that they looked intentional. I realize that since the movie has just been released on DVD, it looked as though an individual who perhaps supports the current war effort (who knows why) got the disc and INTENTIONALLY took a knife to the underside of the disc and put deep gouges both horizontally and vertically in an effort to make the disc unwatchable. I may be wrong it could be some sort of crazy DVD player malfunction or child-mishap that caused this, but the scratches looked surprisingly like what a knife would do. Makes you wonder.

Hope all is well. Stay cool. Drink plenty of fluids. Say your prayers. Take your vitamins. Listen to your parents.

2008-05-26T12:51:00.007-04:00

OK, so the school year is almost over and I decided that I was ready to get my forearms tattooed after-all. Hope all is well. Enjoy the pics. This is my right forearm, I will be starting on my left forearm sometime within the next few weeks.

2008-04-28T20:39:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone. Well I ended up skipping the tattoo appointment. I hate to say it but in part I wasn't ready for the "blue collar commitment." It is nice to have my tattoos but at the same time be able to keep them covered and not be relegated to long sleeves in the hot-humid Virginia summer. So I bought a motorcycle instead. It needs work,but that's what summer vacation is for. :) It is a 1983 Yamaha Virago XV750 Midnight Edition. It's pretty much all blacked out--even the engine and the pipes. Looks nice. Good deal too. Gotta re-build the carbs and maybe some electrical work then it should be straight.

The kids are getting crazy. About 5 weeks left in the year and I'm ready to kill a few of them, and most are probably ready to kill me, and all are ready to graduate.

I had my first (former) student killed in Iraq this past week. He graduated from the last district a couple of years ago. I almost failed him and if I had he wouldn't have been able to get into the Marines. Strange-I passed him because I felt the Marines could teach him more than any more time in high school could. I feel slightly guilty but I am comfortable with my choice. I actually didn't care for the kid, but I certainly didn't want him dead and I sure as hell didn't want him to die in a pointless war halfway around the world. Yes folks--the war is pretty much pointless. Most of you already know that. The rest will realize it eventually. Sounds like Vietnam doesn't it? Then again-it sounded that way pretty much from the start.

Hope all is well. Enjoy the Spring.

2008-03-26T16:22:00.003-04:00

It's 70 degrees today. You know what I am not going to miss? Winter. Not in the least. I will of course be saying the opposite when July arrives, but for now I am definitely glad to see the cold weather go away.

I have a tattoo appointment coming up in a little over a week. I am taking the big step and ...starting on my forearms. I am getting things like a devil having sex with a nun and naked women. You know-work appropriate stuff. ;) OK, it's really gonna be a dagger and a snake and stuff.

2008-03-04T21:57:00.003-05:00

Fresh tattoo pics. It's a zombie. Enjoy.

Found out tonight that Kat Von D charges a $1000 minimum. F*cking rip-off.

2008-02-29T07:15:00.002-05:00

My tattoo artist had to move my appointment. It was supposed to be tomorrow but now it's Tuesday. Not much else to report, it's Friday morning and this has been a long week complete with a student telling me something I said was the "stupidest thing [she] had ever heard." Boy teaching can be fun. ;)

Tomorrow is March and we are looking forward to our first winter in the mountains coming to an end.

Hope all is well.

2008-02-17T17:40:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago there was a strange series of events in F@rmville where I taught for 3 years and Kim taught for 2. Here goes. There were two physical altercations at the high school. Both of these were gang related. This in turn spilled out into the community. Last year I had a student that I suspected was involved in gang activity. I told the school resource officer that he was involved in illegal activity. He had knowledge of crimes that could only be known by a participant and was talking about his guns. A few days after the incidents at the high school, the student I just referred to (allegedly/probably) murdered another individual. He is in jail without bond on first degree murder charges. The victim might have also been a former student, but I have been unable to confirm that as of yet.

Obviously the police were called to the shooting. One of the police cars responding to the scene was involved in an accident. The other car involved was being driven by my former principal's husband and she was in the passenger seat. The husband died and my former principal was critically injured. At this point it looks like she will survive as will the police officer. There was another gang related shooting last week. I have a feeling that the whole town will explode as soon as the weather gets warm. Thank God we got out of there.

In completely unrelated news; I am getting tattooed in a few weeks. Still working on the upper right arm. This time I am getting a zombie on the inner arm. Pics will follow.

Work is good. The kids this semester are overall a much more enjoyable group to deal with. Less behavioral issues so far.

2008-01-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

New Tattoo Pics. Enjoy.

**Note the blood all over my neck in the second picture. I had just shaved. I had also just eaten, that's why I have a little gut. I still only weigh 152, I haven't gotten thick it just looks like it. ; )

The first semester is now over. I have 2 teacher workdays, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and I get new students on Wednesday.

2008-01-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

It sems like I have been meaning to post here for months and never get around to it. I still have a lot to say but amazingly enough both for me as an individual, and as someone who speaks all day long, I don't necessarily always know how to say it. I guess the older I get the harder I find it to convince myself that my thoughts and daily activities can be condensed into a short and readable post without bordering on banality. This coupled with the fact that I am usually fairly exhausted makes coming up with stuff to write for this blog all the more difficult. I still have things to say; but using this site as a forum in which to say them is becoming increasingly difficult. For those of you keeping track here goes nothing:

Christmas and the New Year were good. I got to see my niece and she is growing and developing at an unbelievably fast rate. She uses words correctly that many of the high school seniors I deal with could not even spell. She's 4 1/2. Kinda sad.

Work is OK. The first year in a new school district is always a bitch and this is certainly no exception. I am ready for summer. The first semester is almost over and I will get entirely new students in a couple of weeks. I am definitely ready to be done with the ones I have now. One thing about working in education; you realize all too quickly how deficient most high school seniors are with regard to basic skills and knowledge.

Kim is fine, and the cats are fine. The house is coming along, albeit very slowly.

Hope all is well.

2007-10-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

Long time no post so here goes:

1. Work is getting better. Slowly. I am adjusting and getting used to my surroundings.

2. The house is really coming along. The yards are looking better and they're are even (some) pictures on the walls.

2. I got a new tattoo this weekend. The pictures were taken just a few minutes ago, so 48 hours out. Lots of people try and act tough and say tattooing doesn't hurt or whatever. It does. Not terribly, but it hurts. Many people, myself included bruise afterward. This one starts on m,y inner bicep and goes around my arm. The inside of the arm is pretty-much always brutal. Here are some pics to demonstrate (note the bruising--picture an 8 inch by 8 inch bruise):

Cat's tail and a heck-of-a bruise.

Cat's back and more bruising.

Cat Face.

Cat's back, face, and front legs.

Pardon the glare, I'm covered in A & D ointment.

Hope all is well.

2007-09-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

The first two weeks with students are done, and overall things are much better in this district. The vast majority of students are respectful and there to learn. A couple of issues, but no big deal. Regardless, I am a bit burnt out on teaching and this might be my last year. It is so emotionally draining that I am amazed people can do it for 30 years. I'm not really sure what the point is anymore. The public education system for the most part is not preparing students for success. They are coddled and their negative behaviors are enabled, leading to difficulties after graduation. This is what happens in a good school, a bad school is much more disheartening.

My maternal grandmother passed away, and the funeral was early last week. I had to go all the way to northern Maine with my Mom. It sucked. She was 94, so it wasn't entirely unexpected, but it still kind of sucks. All of my grandparents are now deceased.

We have been getting the house and yard in order this weekend and it is coming along. The house is almost completely set up and the yard needs a ton of work, but it's getting there. The dude who lived here before us let the yard--both front and back, go to sh!t.

Might cruise up to Harrisonburg on Wednesday to see Modern Life Is War at a house show, but we'll see

Hope all is well.

2007-08-19T16:41:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow will be our first day with students. This past week went well; I met most of my colleagues, some parents, and some students. Other than 1 colleague, so far I like everyone.

The house is getting set up, it's taking awhile, but things are going well. The new furniture is all put together and things are finding their way into their appropriate places. With a little luck, everything will be in place by the end of the month and then we can start working on the yard which has been neglected for quite some time.

Reading a bunch of good books, listening to good music. The town and surrounding area is great. The people seem really nice. I have even more random conversations than usual.

There's a bad storm blowing in off the mountain, so it's my time to go.

Hope all is well.

Take Care.

2007-08-05T20:18:00.000-04:00

All right, we're in the new house. It's great. We went and bought a bunch of new furniture at IKEA and elsewhere (i.e. Target). I have spent the last 3 days building furniture and setting stuff up. I love my records and CDs, but at times like this I think I wish I collected stamps or something smaller (and lighter). But oh well, what are you gonna do? The books are also a major pain in the @ss. Hopefully we will not be moving again for a while.

The new teaching job starts this week. I have a week and a half of teacher workdays and then we get students on the 20th.

We bought a new computer too, so that won't make me post anymore or anything, but I felt like sharing and sh!t.

I never got around to getting tattooed. Sometime soon though.

2007-07-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

All right, here goes:

Got an A- in my Russian History class which means I am hopefully done with classes for a while.

I took a job with Augu$ta C0unty teaching US & VA G0vernment and US & VA History. I'll be at W00drow W!lson High School. Sorry for the characters instead of letters, but I have to make sure that students can't find the blog through a google search. The job pays a few grand a year more than I was getting here, and they pay for all of my health care premiums. Definitely sweet.

Saw Municipal Waste and Pink Razors in RVA this past weekend. Great show. The new Waste record is great by the way. It comes out this month.

Doing house buying stuff, and things are getting done. We should be closing at the end of the month. The house is in the city of Waynesb0ro, but basically on the far eastern part and almost in Augu$ta county. The house is about 5 miles from skyline drive. Beautiful area.

Hopefully getting tattooed later this month. Always a good time. I'm gonna get a third eye tattooed on my forhead and a tasmanian devil on my scrotum.

Hope all is well and what not.

2007-06-17T20:28:00.000-04:00

I took the final for my Russian History class on June 1. It needed to be sent to S.L.C. in Utah--the class is through Brigham Young University. They received it on June 15. It took two weeks to make it from Lynchburg, VA to Utah via "first class mail." WTF? I have had things make it to my house from Portland, OR via media mail in way less time than that. Of course the whole time I was thinking; what if my final is lost in the mail? What happens then? Do I have to retake it? In other words I was stressing the hell out. Hopefully they'll post my grade soon and I can apply for and receive my collegiate-professional teaching licensce.

Had a couple of interviews last week. One was horrible, the school that is, and the other was f*cking awesome. Hopefully I'll hear soon.

2007-06-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

Almost 2 months without a post. Of course there's been a ton of stuff going on. here goes:

The school year is done, we finished last week. Thank God. Kim has 2 job offers in the Shenendoah Valley and will be deciding between the 2 shortly.

I have an interview tomorrow, and another possibility out there as well.

Recently, I have spent hours fixing my ipod. It somehow became corrupted and I was finally able to restore the factory seetings and then reload it. Took a ton of time. As I was spending hours working on it, I thought all these modern "conveniences" are sometime amazingly inconvenient and more trouble than they're worth. Of course I love it again now that its working again.

I've already read like 25 books so far this year. I kick ass and stuff. ; )

Tim Barry (of Avail) has an album out called "Rivanna Junction"--it's available on CD and LP from Suburban Home Records. It is amazingly good. Honest country stuff. Highly recommended.

2007-04-10T18:08:00.000-04:00

About 5 years ago I began carrying a pocket knife. I've lived in some very sketchy parts of town and felt more comforable with a weapon, but don't really dig guns. You generally don't accidentally stab someone. ;) I chose a Spyderco, mainly based on recomendations from others and their sweet spider logo. The knife has served me well. I once pulled it on someone, with intent to use it in a bad situation, and have used it countless times around the house etc... There are 3 screws that hold on the pocket clip. I lost one of them years ago and another this weekend. I emailed the company about buying some more and they are sending me more for free, as well as being prompt and courteeous with their responses.

If you need a knife, go buy a Spyderco. I have the "Delica" model, but all models are excellent and their customer service is clearly outstanding. They're relatively expensive, as all quality knives are, but well worth the investment. They hold their sharpness very well, and are extremely durable.

I belive it's important to promote companies that provide excellent service and that's what this is all about. So if you're wondering WTF!? -That's why.

In other news, I have officially resigned and won't be at this school next year. Too much bad crap and nonsense. Same for Kim. The fallout from an incident before spring break has been so bad, that I have had both the superintendant and a school board member apologize to me multiple times in person. I told them I stood by my decision and that enough was enough. We'll be buying a house this summer and moving to the Shenendoah Valley area. We've already been applying for teaching jobs up there and what not.

Hope all is well.

2007-03-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

Just read a post on the Lungfish (as in the DC band) Myspace page from a few days ago, and a guy posted -said he ran into Dan Higgs in Glasgow and asked him about Lungfish. According to this guy, Higgs said something like: "Lungfish has gone as far is it go." implying they're finished. Kind of hearsay and no official announcement, but after almost 19 years, it's likely. Sucks if it's true, but inevitable. In other Dan higgs news, he has retired from tattooing. Sucks and this info. is certainly not new, but that is DEFINITELY true.

Work is sh*t. Looking for a new job. Finding a new job is easier than a murder spree, and in its own way equally gratifying.

Tom Waits is not sh*t. Not really looking for him, though I have been listening to a lot of his stuff lately.

Not much to say recently. Tons of stuff I could talk about, but using this as a place to bitch seems pointless.

Go read some Bukowski, or something.

2007-02-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

Man, yesterday I had a crazy meeting at work with two of the administrators and my department chaiman. Everything worked out fine in the end, but it was intense as hell. It was all about varying perceptions and stuff. After that, I had no idea how I was going to manage going into work today. God apparently took pity on me, and even though we were only suppossed to get rain last night, we got a bunch of ice. The ice caused widespread power outages, we still have power, and lots of downed trees. The end result is that we have the day off. I am in a great mood as a result. Drinking coffee and watching Arrested Development on DVD.

Happy Valentine's Day even though it's a bullsh*t fabricated holiday. Try not to spend ridiculous amounts of money of flowers and chocolate and stuff. Rent a movie and cook dinner together instead.

Hope all is well.

2007-01-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

Long time with no post, so here goes:

1. I finished the British History class I was taking, and I started the Russian history class that I signed up for. When I'm done with this class I will have all of credits I need to be endorsed in both Government and History/Social Science.

2. Work sucks. We can't wait to get out of here. I got a whole new group of kids this past week. Two of the classes are fine and one is full of @ssholes. Oh well.

3. Kim is fine. I'm fine. The cats are fine. Phoebe the lizard is fine.

4. I got tattooed yesterday. It's covering up some ugly sh!t that was on my leg. Here's some pics:

Close up:

Longer view:

Hoep all is well.

2006-10-23T20:14:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago I ordered a t-shirt from Neurosis' record label Neurot Recordings. I received an email right afterward from band member Steve Von Till confirming my order. So i know it's just an order confirmation, but I got a fucking email from Steve Von Till! I rule.

I am over half done with Destroy All Humans for the PS2. I know everyone was actively awaiting an update on my progress.

Kim is good. I'm good. Cats are good. Work sucks super bad. Oh well things could be worse.

2006-09-27T18:44:00.000-04:00

About a month ago, I ordered a bunch of records and there's a playing card randomly inserted in the package. I get it and think: "Wow, that's kind of strange." I keep it, just because, and basically foget about it. Today I receive a PS2 controller that I ordered, and in the package are 2 green poker chips. These items were purchased from 2 completely different business, quite far apart geographically speaking. This begs the question: why am I receiving gambling paraphenalia in the mail? Does it mean something? No note has accompanied either package explaining the additional contents. This is just a very strange coincidence.

2006-09-10T19:21:00.000-04:00

I knew that if I waited long enough, my patience would be rewarded. On Friday one of my students sold me a Playstation 2 for $50. Sweet. His mother was making him sell it to pay his car insurance. Apparently he was suppossed to get a job to pay for it but didn't. Sometimes life is pretty sweet. In other video game news, I picked up a used Nintendo 64 and that rocks too. Mario Kart is amazing. I've also been playing Dr. Mario and Puzzle League on my Gamboy Advance pretty much non-stop all weekend.

In other news, the new issue of Cometbus (#50) is out and is great. In other reading news; I've already read 45 books this year. I'm not saying that to be like: "Look how smart I am.!" , but more like I'm proud of it. Soon this number will be even higher --I'm almost done with a couple more. My mother-in-law just bought me a couple of great books on Charleston, SC. They are full of crazy stories about Charleston's history. For example, the first Anglican minister assigned to Charleston was dismissed from his post for attempting to baptize a bear while drunk. Apparently King Charles II, for whom the town is named, fathered up to 100 illegitimate children and was quite well-endowed. You get the idea. Funny and interesting.

First Day

2006-08-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day for students. We've been back for a week but didn't get kids until today. Turns out we have a large g@ng problem at the high school. Scary sh*t. We've got Bl00ds, Cr!p$, Wh!te P0wer and even some M$-!3 activity. Pardon the letter removal thing, but in the interest of safety and web-searches -it's important. There is currently a contract out on the life of a former colleague (and friend). He was doing his job as a resource off!cer (basicaly a c0p at the school). He tried to stop the g@ngs and now they want him dead. Lots of colors and drug-dealing, some mugging, store robberies, and home invasions. I've been in bad shape (mentally) ever since I got hurt breaking up that fight back in March and things are not getting better. I am actually frightened at work. I should've been a rock-star. I'm going to talk to somebody tomorrow (a trained mental-health professional) and I've decided that the first time something really violent happens again, where I feel threatened, I am breaking contract and quitting on the spot. Working here is not worth my life. Small-towns are not like they used to be, that's for sure.

Hope all is well.

2006-07-31T21:18:00.000-04:00

This here blog is 5 today. Happy Birthday to Paint A Vulgar Picture! Every July 31st I am amazed that I am still writing this.

2006-07-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

Major changes over here. It all started with me being tired and really fucking up some code without saving my pre-change code. Make sense? This means I also lost a bunch of my stuff so I'm in the process of learning how to modify the new template and making changes so be patient.

Oddly enough the accidental redesign comes the day before the 5 year anniversary of the site. 5 years of pure fucking joy.

2006-07-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Charleston was wonderful. What a cool town. The inn was nice and the ghost tours were a lot of fun. The aquarium was nice as well. We checked out a great imax movie called The Deep Sea narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslett. It had a very cool pro-conservation/anti-fishing (large-scale fishing of course) message. Had some strange experiences in both the jail and the dungeon. Took a bunch of pics and caught a few 'orbs.' These are balls of light thought by many to be a spirit manifesting itself on camera. Some really pronounced 'cold spots' in the dungeon despite the 100 degree heat. Also in the dungeon large chains moving by themselves and strange movement out of the corner of my eye. Very exhilirating.

At this point I've had more than a couple encounters that I believe to be of the ghostly variety and gone is the fear-now it's just exiting and interesting. I know somebody reading this is probably thinking 'bullshit' and that's fine by me. The only problem I have is when the same person believes that the son of god was placed on Earth in human form, was killed, then rose again, and then ascended into the sky and still thinks believing in ghosts is ridiculous. After all Jesus did perform exorcisms, which involved evil 'spirits' (aka ghosts). All-in-all definitely worth the trip. Can't wait to go back.

2006-07-19T16:22:00.000-04:00

It has been suggested that the reason the term "redneck" came about was because a certain demographic tended to work outside and get sunburned, therefore they had red necks. I have also heard that the name originates from these same individuals receiving a sunburn through the rear window of their pick-up trucks. What am I getting at, you ask? I'm having the rear window of my truck tinted next Monday. I've been meaning to do this since I bought the thing 2 years ago. I'm a mover and a shaker. I actually have to take my truck out to Lynchburg for the tint job. Nobody in town does tint work.

2006-07-16T14:12:00.000-04:00

I gotta say that one thing about teaching that really pisses me off is having to use my own money to buy supplies for the students. I just went out and spent $9 on writing utensils for the kids. How come nobody goes to school prepared anymore? No notebook, no pencil, in some cases no brain. I know someone out there is thinking: "but you teach in a poor district...they might not have the money for pencils or notebooks." In a few caes this is true, but in most cases it's just an example of misplaced priorities. $150 sneakers. $200 throwback jerseys. A new hairstyle every week. I know $9 is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it's the principle of the matter. I remeber one time in high school I lost all of my pens and I almost started crying because my teachers got so pissed off if you had to ask for a pen. How times have changed. Now the kids bitch at me if they want a blue pen and I only have a black one.

In completely unrelated news, Kim and I are going to Charleston, SC in a few weeks and it is gonna f*ckin' rock. Here's why:

We're staying in a haunted Bed and Breakfast.

Going on a Charleston Ghost & Dungeon Walking Tour.

Going on a Haunted Jail Tour.

and if that wasn't enough...

Going to the South Carolina Aquarium.

2006-06-19T14:34:00.000-04:00

Stephen--if you're reading this, I got you message last week but I don't have your number so call and leave it or email it to me.

Picked up a great road bike this weekend. A late 1980's Peugeot Tourmalet. Nice and super light. Great condition and a great ride. Need some toe-clips but other than that I'm good. Had it converted to a single-speed. So when you're in Farmville, Va and you see a guy riding a white Peaugeot single-speed road bike. That's me. Definitely.

Hope all is well.

2006-06-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

I had to share this. The quote comes from an email I received from England's Guardian newspaper. The author is discussing the USA's World Cup performance. Here goes:

"After all, soccer is by no means the most popular sport stateside: it trails miles behindgridiron, baseball, shooting sprees, insider trading, surfing for bongo, gorging on cheeseburger-flavoured gherkin ice-creams with 12 gallons of Pepsi and making 58,768 versions of the same action movie."

Though it's always worth reading the British press, I am especially fond of it at times like this.

2006-05-31T18:14:00.000-04:00

I am on summer vacation. One of the only benefits of teaching. Sweet.

Heard from a friend I made in Paris recently and I am also reading Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises, " needless to say: I miss Paris.

Read a great book on the French Revolution recently, it's called "Vive La Revolution" by Mark Steel. Steel is a British comedien and writer who has written probably the best book on European history I have ever read. Smart, Funny, and well-written. Highly recommened for anyone who wants to learn abouit history and have fun doing it.

Hope all is well.

2006-05-02T12:46:00.000-04:00

Things have been very quiet around this site recently, of course that's because I've hd a ton of stuff going on.

In late March I was injured breaking up a couple of student altercations. I was out of work for a couple of weeks and it was a mess all around. I hurt my back and neck. It sucked. I'll be in court for this for a few days coming up at the end of the month.

I chapperoned a student trip to France a couple of weeks ago. That country is amazing. It's incredible to walk down down cobblestone streets older than this country. Seeing monuments familiar from pictures but all the more impressive in person. One thing though, the French are not big on vegetarian food. You know you're out of place when there's a store devoted entirely to foie gras.

Trying to get everything set up for the graduating seniors and it's hard. Planning the senior class trip and graduation stuff. It's amazing that I don't get paid extra for doing any of this. I guess I do it bcause I love the kids. At least summer vacation begins in less than a month.

2006-03-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

Tattoo pics:

The koi named 'Roger'.

Front of the arm showcasing Roger's face:

Side of the arm:

Half Sleeve:

2006-03-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

The new tattoo came out great. It is a koi on my left arm. Lots of red and orange with black spots. Very cool, well-done and dare I say 'cute.' Kim took one look at him and named him 'Roger.' He's on the lower part of my bicep heading around to my inner arm stops at the crease of my inner arm (where the upper arm meats the forearm). I can move my arm to make it look like he's swimming or talking. Fun with tattoos. Here's an explanation of the symbolism associated with Koi tattoos:

"According to Japanese legend if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River it would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.

More generally, the Japanese associate koi (also known as carp) with perserverance in adversity and strength of purpose. Because of its strength and determination to overcome obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals.

Others say it means good fortune or luck.

More input:
The Koi Fish is symbolic in the Buddhist Religion, representing courage. Humans 'swim' through the 'ocean of suffering' without fear, just like a fish swims through water. " via FAQ Farm

No pics yet. I am bruised up pretty bad on my inner arm, next to the koi's head -so it looks ugly. I will post pics after I am healed up.

2006-03-13T09:12:00.000-05:00

Tattoo plans for this weekend have changed. After much thought and discussion I have decided that the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart that I mentioned previously will break up the cohession of the arm. I have contacted Josh at Absolute Art and asked him to draw up a Koi instead. This will finish off my upper left arm and make a half sleeve. The Koi will look better with the Asian-inspired theme of the arm. Here's a picture of a Koi that Josh did on someone else.

My chest has healed up nicely, but the hair growing back in is itching up a storm.

I'm approaching the 200 review mark over at ADD Reviews.

Hope all is well.

2006-02-25T17:51:00.001-05:00

Nearly a year after our wedding, Kim and I finally went a got our wedding tattoos. Both mine and Kim's were done by Josh Brown at Absolute Art in Richmond, VA. We think they came out phenomenally. Kim's is on the right side of her back near the shoulder, and mine are on my chest. Yes -- that hurt, so don't even ask. You gotta earn it.

My chest, both sides:

My chest, my left side:

My chest, my right side:

Kim's back:

Kim's is a cover-up. Josh did an amazing job with it. He's a great guy and a truly amazing artist especially within the traditional tattooing sub-genre. He's doing some more work for me in a few weeks. Definitely looking foward to it. I'm finishing off my upper-left arm with a Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. It stays with the theme of the arm and I love the imagery.

Everything else is going well. Hope all is well with you.

2006-02-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here's some more Jack Control information via Profane Existence:

"As of our last contact, Jack is back in the hospital due to difficulties with breathing and severe pain. It is likely thathe will need additional surgery before this ordeal is over. Estimates for the total medicals bill are as much as $100,000, so every penny we can scrape together helps out.

There are also a number of benefit shows coming up in various cities, including the following:

Austin on Thursday Feb.9 @ Emo's: Signal Lost / Army Of Jesus / Iron Age / Modern Needs / Camp X-Ray Information on the story can be found here... http://www.metalwarfare.com/wb2d/

Saturday Feb. 11th in Memphis TN @ the Rally Point 8:00 Bury the living / Just another consumer / TBA $5.00 P;us more shows TBA in Memphis area...

Thursday, February 16th in Portland, OR @ SABALA's / TRAGEDY / DOG SOLDIER / HELLSHOCK (not 100% confirmed cuz Keith's in Brazil) more to be added.

Sat. Feb18th in Norman, OK @ Pwn House 1246 Columbia Cir SNOTROKITZ / SKULLHAMMER / KOBRAKOMMANDER / JUST ANOTHER CONSUMER donations taken at the the door...

Sun. Feb 26th in Philly @ name of venue ommited due to the issue at hand ( you know the place if you live there) show at 4:00 Witchhunt / Violation / TBA $6.00 Stockholm Sweden / TOTAL EGON (legendary trall by Mart Hllgren, ex - Crudity, Lyckliga Kompisarna etc) / THE BABOON SHOW (sweden's best kept punkrock secret, think X-ray spex!) / HORROR VAKUUM (up and coming grrls that fucking punkROCK!) Klubb Kross @ Krossen, Brygghuset ( norrtullsgatan 12N, T-Odenplan) All ages, 50 sek 19-22.

more shows TBA in Monterrey Mexico, Providence RI, Portland OR, Yuma AZ, Austin TX, Dallas TX, Minneapolis MN, San Francisco Bay area, Ottowa Canada etc... "

Please help this dude out. He's been around 'the scene' forever, and is in a bad place. Please see the last post for information on how to donate.

2006-02-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

Jack Conrow (a.k.a. Jack Control) of the band World Burns To Death was stabbed after a show this weekend. Jack had to undergo over 3 hours of surgery and lost 4 pints of blood. At this time Jack is still in ICU. Jack has no heal6th insurance and is basically fu*cked unless he gets help. A number of things are being done in an effort to help Jack including the following:

Profane Existence "We have decided to donate 30% of our total electronic sales (i.e. Paypal, credit & debit cards) to help cover Jack's medical bills. We will be doing this at least through the evening of Tuesday, February 8th and hope to help make a partial dent in hospital bills already reported to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. "

A Paypal account has been set up for donations at punkcontrol@hotmail.com .

Donations can also be sent via Paypal to the following address timmythetexasturd@gmail.com.

If you are in the area please note the following: A benefit show will be held in Austin on February 9th at Emo's 603 Red River http://www.emosaustin.com/ with Signal Lost, Camp X-Ray, Army Of Jesus, Iron Age and Modern Needs performing

Please help Jack. It is not his fault that we live in a country where health insurance is a luxury.

2006-01-25T09:35:00.000-05:00

I finally sucked it up and bought a moleskine pocket notebook. I figure how could picasso be wrong? I've been wanting one for a while, but it just fell really low on my list. I mean after all a limited edition 'Exhumed' LP is more important than something to aid my creativity right? I got it yesterday and wrote in it for thefirst time this morning. I'm hoping to use it to write down the ideas that flood my head on a daily basis which I promptly forget because I don't write them down.

I've been listening to a lot of great stuff recently. COC, Exhumed, Kyuss, Ted Nugent and the list goes on. I'm really amazed by Down's NOLA. Just an incredible piece of southern metal.

I've been going to the gym a lot recently. Looking to tone up. I've been going to the gym since August and I'm really happy with the results. I've seen a lot of changes in my shoulders and chest. Some in the arms. I've been riding the exercise bike for about 5 miles three times a week. I don't need to lose any weight - I'm just toning stuff up and improve my overall health. After all I am 30 and things were not as firm as they once were. I'm staying pretty steady at 155 - which is pretty much my ideal weight.

Not much else going on here. Kim's great. Living in the country's great. The cats are great. My desktop was infected with the W32.Alcra.B virus which sucked. It did all kinds of crap, but everything (mostly) is back to normal.

I sincerely hope everything is going well for you all out there.

2006-01-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

When my father was dying the doctor's took us on a roller coaster ride saying he was OK and then saying he was not. It was horrible. It happened a few times before they finally said he had cancer and it was terminal. It made the final diagnosis much more difficult to handle. There is something wrong with the media in the US. The fact that news organizations are so desperate to break a story that they published misinformation that has caused a significant amount of pain for the familys of the miners in West Virginia. Saying that 12 people survived and getting the hopes up of the family's of those individuals, and then telling them that 12 perished is horrible. Whoever is responsible for this should be punished. Severely.

Some days just suck. Yesterday I got in a semi-argument with some jock asshole at the gym. One of the other gyms in town closed so now we have all these jack-offs who think they own the place. Its not my fault this guy walked away from the machine he was "using" and started talking to his friend, so I naturally thought he was done and figured I would use the machine. He got pissed that I got on the machine he was "using" -- by using it he apparently meant standing 10 feet away from the device for an extended period of time carrying on a conversation. Then after I apologized (half-heartedly) he wouldn't let it drop he just kept saying "No, I was just talking." Last time I checked if you walk away from a machine like that - it's fair game. I guess he expected me to bow doen and beg for mercy. I wanted to kick him in the balls and walk away. At 4 am Kim woke up to discover that one of our cats had puked all over her blanket. I have a bad cold and feel like crap. I get to work put my laptop bag down on a desk. I take out a book and my laptop promptly falls to the friggin' floor. The catch that keeps the battery in broke, so now a piece of duct tape holds the battery in place. I lost a screw and another came loose. In addition I had to use a couple of small peices of tape to more tightly secure the keyboard because somehow it got loose. F*ck!!!!! Its early as hell and I already want to go back to bed.

Hope all is well. Happy New Year.

2005-12-16T10:32:00.000-05:00

via Jade Tree Records

"R.I.P. FROM ASHES RISE [1997-2005]We here at Jade Tree hate to be the bearers of bad news, but, sadly, FROM ASHES RISE has broken up. The thrash lords of Portland via Nashville had a good run lasting nearly eight years and left behind a legacy of great records... The band made a brief statement regarding the split earlier today:'It was a great ride for many years but all things pass [and] so do punk bands. So to all of you, know that the money you spent, the time and effort on this band was the drive and will for us to continue for many years and for that we give thanks. FROM ASHES RISE played all over and met some of the world’s best people and did some crazy ass shit along the way. You never realize that when you're doing it that it will ever end. But, we all wanted a change and are still doing bands and playing punk rock? As long as people listen to our records, keep memories and want or were part of our long walk on a short pier, then so be it. So now go start your own band!' "

2005-12-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of the murder of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. I truly believe that Dimebag was one of the greatest guitarists that the metal genre has ever produced. His riffs were wonderfully complex and heavy. Go listen to some Pantera or some Damageplan today. Think about him. Perhaps even spend some time thinking about the state of the world today and the violence that has become part of our daily lives. While Dimebag was extremely talented and is missed by millions, countless others are murdered everyday here and abroad; those lives are/were valuable too.

Hope all is well.

2005-12-01T08:19:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are interested, I am now reveiwing music over at ADD Reviews. As of this post, I have 85 reviews up. Check them out.

Thanksgiving break was cool but way too short. I went and saw Lamb of God with Confessor and The Tori on Sunday. All three bands were great. Lamb of God were incredible. I am mentioning this because Motley Crue will be playing Richmond in March. I was thinking of going until I found out that the cheapest tickets available are $45 plus service charge. I spent $46.50 at the Lamb of God show, but here's the difference - I got a LOG shirt, a Confessor shirt, a Confessor CD and entrance to the show for that amount. I mean Mick Marrs had his f*ckin' hip replaced last year, is that really worth $45? Is it any wonder, I would rather support "underground" bands?

I hope everything is going well out there. Get your holiday shopping done early - avaoid the rush. Remember if you are ordering things that need to be shipped, order them early so that them will get there in time. The USPS is usually very slow around this time of year.

2005-11-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

I just crossed the 200 Review mark over at addmovies.com. I am the greatest.

My 30th birthday was fun and mellow. It was probably the best birthday I have had in ten years. Many thanks to my wife for the gifts and the awesome R2-D2 shaped cake. It was vegan to boot! I received so many records and cds that its going to take me weeks to digest them all. We watched movies, ate good food and went bowling. It was great.

I am using a new comments section. I am still working out the bugs so bare with me. It's called Comment This!

Hope all is well.

2005-10-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

Some Richmond news, even though I don't live there anymore.

1. Lamb or God are playing the Canal Club November 27th. Early show. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door. They haven't played Richmond in a long time. Go see them. This will probably/hopefully sell out. Definitely worth the money.

2. Against Me! are playing Alley Katz on November 26th. Early show. Tickets are on sale. This will probably sell out.

3. The long-running Richmond punk zine Slug & Lettuce is having financial difficulties. The zine is free and always has been. It has always been chock full of reviews and excellent columns. Chris(tine) is currently doing benefit patches. They are $3 and available in 5 different colors. They are available directly from her, email me for the info. or through Profane Existence. Please support this zine. It is one of the longest running punk zines and Chris needs your help. Seriously.

4. Alabama Thunderpussy is playing Alley Katz on October 22. Go see them. The recently re-formed Confessor is on the bill too.

In other news, I have been reviewing a lot of movies over at ADD Movies, you can browse through them here.

The 2006 Slingshot! Organizer is now available. You can buy them here. Definitely worth it.

2005-09-26T09:46:00.000-04:00

I found this article on Lookout Records recently. It is very long, but an interesting read. They ar in major financial trouble even with Green Day's bavck catalog. Highly detailed accounts of budgets and marketing expenses. The article includes similar information for Fat and Epitaph records. The amount Epitaph spends on promotion is astounding - $9 per cd sold. Holy crap!

2005-09-23T16:27:00.000-04:00

I want to say that for the first time I am posting from my new laptop. After weeks of trying to get the wireless network set-up - it is finally set-up. I am totally stoked. I am watching "Another State of Mind" on DVD with the Mike Ness commentary. God, he's an idiot. Viva my laptop. I even use it to teach too. The kids could give a fuck, but it makes me happy. Hope all is well.

2005-09-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first time I used the laptop as a teaching tool. It went well - from my point of view at least. The kids didn't seem to care much, but oh well. A friend of mine is coming over tonight to help me setup a wireless network in my house. Fun. I am paying him with a bottle of Southern Comfort and some Sprite. I did however just install a nice Dawn of the Dead screensaver. Exciting. I have always found myself strangely attracted to Gaylen Ross. I don't really think she's attractive but she has some sort of late 1970's thing going on. Then again maybe its just because she stars in DOTD.

In Netflix news I am still getting screwed but haven't made a change because my options are limited at best. The video stores in a town called Farmville are surprisingly kind of crappy. If you want to watch "The Ten Commandments" you are all set. It is fact that the stores in town do not even have "Army of Darkness." Wghat I am trying to say is that I'm kind of stuck. Oh well. I still manage to watch about three movies a week. I should be able to watch more, but oh well.

2005-08-26T11:03:00.000-04:00

I finally sucked it up and bought a laptop. I bought a Dell c600 off of ebay. 1000 mhz P3 processor aith 256 mb of Ram, Windows XP Pro as the OS, DVD drive. I got for $361 plus shipping. I am damn stoked about. Its a few years old but has better specs than my desktop and I will be able to use it for teaching which is nice. This is my geekiest post ever. Dig it. A friend is hooking me up with some additional software, and I think I'm going to buy a carrying case from Timbuk 2.

In other news, I am at war with Netflix. When we moved out to Farmville they changed my nearest shipping facility to Gaithersburg, MD. Farmville is 70 miles from downtown richmond but 200 from Gaithersburg, MD. Somebody dropped the ball and I am f*cking pissed. I have not been able to take full advantage of my membership because they messed up. I basivcally emailed them yesterday and said that I am cancelling if this is not rectified in a satisfactory manner. Its a good company to deal with when they're not screwing you over. The best part is that my shipping facility was the facility in Richmond when we lived there. It only changed after the move. In my email to them I suggested they check Mapquest if they don't believe it, and that perhaps someone should have done this sooner. I haven't heard back yet. Doesn't anyone there check this crap?

2005-08-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Pat Roberts*n has called for the assasination of the leader of Venezuela. Now I am pretty sure one of the anti-abortion arguments is that humans do not have the right to decide when something should live or die. Isn't it hipocritical to call for the assasination of someone while simultaneously condemning those individuals who have abortions? Just a question.

I am not putting Robertson's full name in the post because my comments section will end up full of people defending him.

Anew look for a new year. I realized last night that this site turned 4 last month. Its crazy to think that I worked at Circuit Sh!tty when I started this.

2005-08-18T14:01:00.000-04:00

We started back to school on August 3rd, and students started coming on August 10th. We will be done next year by Memorial Day which will be cool, but right now this sucks. I am having one of those days today where I am so sick of being surrounded by teenagers and listening to them say everything in a yell. I have a headache the size of Montana. My classes are cool but they are fairly large. Hope all is well.

2005-07-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

I have been having kind of a shitty time of things recently, so I was totally stoked when I realized that Plan 9 was having their anniversary sale. The anniversary sale means everything not on sale already is 20% off. I couldn't find anything except a Beatles poster, until I happened to walk by the box sets. Wow. I found a used copy of the Misfits box set ($36 after discount) and a used copy of the Samhain box set ($40 after discount). The Samhain box set is missing the comic book that originally came with the set. However this is no great loss because all the fans say the comic was fucking stupid. I meant to spend like $10 and ended up spending $85 but that's actually half price from what the items would cost new. Oh well. Did I mention the Samhain box set is out of print? No? Well it is. Just thought you should know that.

2005-06-23T13:06:00.000-04:00

Last night I came to the realization that everything of the last 6 weeks or so has not been some bad dream. I'm not going to wake up and things will be different or back to normal. Things are fucked up and things are going to stay fucked up until I heal or whatever you want to call it. I hope that each day will be better, but its not. Each day the pain is as bad as it was the day before. I'm not suicidal, I'm just fucking sad. I miss my Dad. When I see a good horror movie or hear about one, I want to tell him about it, so he can see it and then we can talk about it. Its finally sinking in that we will never have a conversation like that again. I try and think about death as Buddha taught, and I just can't fucking do it. The Buddha said that mourning for a lost loved one is selfish, dying is part of life, the deceased has been reincarnated in a higher form etc... The problem is that I don't think it is my nature to think about things this way. I have been trying hard for almost a year to move toward this line of thinking, and I jus tcan't get there, not yet anyway.

I'm reading a book about Charles Manson right now and I think why is this crazy, horrible person still alive, yet millions of good people die each year. That's the ultimate question isn't it? What is the grand-plan, if there is one? What if it all stops tomorrow and there's nothing else. What if my Dad is simply gone? What if there is nothing after we die? I think I'm terrified that the last-time we saw each other at my wedding will truly be the last time. How's that for a bummer, the last time you saw your Father alive was on your wedding day? I just want all of this pain to stop. It seems like no one can help, I've got to figure this out on my own.

2005-06-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

It turns out my Grandmother passed away 14 days before my Father. We found out about this two weeks after his death. On the night mey Dad died we attempted to call my Great Aunt in Florida to tell her and my Grandmother. My Great Aunt asked if it was my Mother calling and promptly slamed down the phone. I called back and let the phone continue to ring. Eventually she picked up the phone and let it sit someplace, with me still on the line. Needless to say we were not very happy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for never contacting my Father after his diagnosis and for making a very difficult time for us a bit harder. The fact that my own Grandmother would not even call my Father, his mother, when he was dying is really fucking shitty. My Grandmother made my Grandfather's life difficult when he was dying of cancer, and she really fucking hurt her son. I swear, if I get to heaven and St. Peter says she's inside, I'm fucking leaving. God can assign me to purgatory instead. I have never loathed someone as I have come to loathe my Grandmother. My Father put her first, often even above my Mother and I, he did everyuthing he could for her while she treated him like shit his whole life. Anyone deserves better than how she treated the family. I hear Hell sucks pretty bad.

On a much lighter note; the school year is over. That means I am on vacation. Sweet!

Hope all is well.

2005-05-31T18:07:00.000-04:00

Though I follow the news very closely, particularly in relation to American government, I very rarely comment on anything. The Washington Post has just released a confirmation by reporter Bob Woodward regarding the identity of "Deep Throat," the individual who helped Woodward and Bernstein break the Watergate scandal which led to President Nixon's resignation. The individual's name is W. Mark Felt, a former employee of the FBI. For a government teacher who just showed the movie "All the President's Men" about the Woodward and Bernstein investigation, this is gigantic news. This is amazing, after 30+ years the identity of Deep Throat has finally been released. I never thought it would happen.

2005-05-21T19:42:00.000-04:00

My father had been battling lung cancer since last October. A few weeks ago we discovered that the cancer had spread to his brain. On may 8th Kim and I were married. My father died in his sleep this past Wedesday (May 18th). He had a great time at our wedding and at the dinner afterward he truly seemed to be having a great time, that was the last time I saw him alive. We drank pints of Guiness and Newcastle and everyone just hung out. The day before his passing my Mother told me that he could not remember our wedding, did not know where his mother was nor if she was alive or dead. While I will miss him, I am glad that he is not suffering any longer. Watching him deteriorate was much more difficult than dealing with the loss has been. I was trying to get him to go see the new Star Wars movie when it came out. Obviously, he did not make it to the film. Yesterday I went and saw it for both of us and even left a seat open for him, in case he wanted to come down and join me. Afterward I went and had the Rebel Alliance symbol from Star Wars tattooed on my lower back in his honor. The tattoo looks great and I know he would like it. We didn't always see eye to eye, but in the last few years we became close. Part of what drew us together was our love of Sci-fi and horror. I hope they show kick-ass movies in heaven non-stop, and I am confident there is no suffering. Someday we will meet again.

2005-05-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

I was browsing the web a little while ago and discovered an article that has greatly disturbed me. Here's the link:

http://www.local6.com/news/4480144/detail.html

The story involves a live dog being dissected in a Utah high school. The article is not for the faint of heart. I have located the information for the high school, here goes:

PO BOX 460 35 East 600 South Gunnison, Utah 84634
Phone: (435) 528-7256 Fax: (435) 528-3556

The Biology teacher's name is Doug Bjerregaard.

The school is located in rural Utah and has a student population of 349. Here's a link with more info about the school including an actual street address.

I sent out this information to a number of websites, and I would like to think both Ryan and his Veg Blog, as well as the folks at Vegsource.com for helping get the word out and for linking back to this post and the contact information.

2005-04-13T20:13:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I don't post because I feel like I have nothing to say, other times I don't post because I am occupied with other matters. This is one of the latter times. The reason the posts have been scarce is beacsue Kim and I are actually planning our weding. After nearly six years of being together and three years of being engaged we are finally going to go legit. My dreams of commonlaw marriage are over. But seriously, the wedding will be very small, only immediate family, and will take place on May 8th. Yes that's Mother's day, but no Kim is not pregnant so it isn't symbolic. There will be a large wedding reception in NY state on July 23. Some of you who are reading this will be invited, others possibly not, but you will all be with me in spirit whether you choose to attend or not. Its a bit of a drive to get there, but if you've never been to Western NY state in summer, you are missing out. Beautiful weather and scenery. The reception will even take place in a room where Sammy Davis Jr. once played. That is very cool even if you don't like the Rat Pack, but for me its amazing.

Hope all is well.

2005-03-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

I have been working pretty hard on writing things for my paper zine that I would like to have out by the end of March or early April. Tentatively the title of the project is "Hot for Teacher." I will using a pseudonymn since most of my writing will rbe related to my experiences teaching. The xine will probably be 28 1/2 size pages. This means if you take a regular 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and fold it down the middle, it will be 28 of thopse size pages. The cost should be around $2, or a postage donation if you read this site / are a friend. I'll keep this updated as things develop. I am still gathering stuff for teh layout and getting things ready. It is a surprisingly large undertaking.

2005-01-25T16:44:00.000-05:00

School was indeed cancelled today. We are even running on a two hour delay tomorrow. I am nervous because the new semester starts tomorrow that means a whole new bunch of kids. I am doing three government classes and one of the classes is quite large (27 kids). I had to go get more desks and a table for the morbidly obese kid (410 lbs at age 17). The obese kid is the assistant principal's son. In addition to the weight problem he has a number of learning disabilities and is my ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S SON!! No pressure there or anything. Supposedly he falls asleep sitting up all the time because that is the only time he can breathe correctly. What a shame, at this rate he won't see his 40th birthday. In situations like this I am forced to realize that some of my students need assistance that I cannot possibly provide.

2005-01-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

I signed up for the Revelation Records email newsletter the other day and soon after received an email with the following note:

"Did you know that the Vandals just returned from playing in Iraq?It's true. They were flown around Baghdad in Blackhawk helicopters,they wore full body armor and stayed in former royal palaces. They were scheduled to stay in one of Saddam's fancy palaces on ChristmasEve, but Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visitand the Vandals had to be housed elsewhere. Speaking of Rumsfeld, Vandals' guitarist Warren Fitzgerald was widely quoted in the U.S.press after riffing on him. When a reporter asked the Vandals what itwas like playing for entertainment-starved soldiers -- many of whomprobably didn't know who the Vandals were -- Warren shrugged it off:"You rock out to the band you have, not the band you wish you had," he said, mimicking Rumsfeld's response to questions about why the troopsdon't have proper equipment."

What a strange band to pick to play for the troops. Cool, but still strange.

I haven't had to work since noon last Wednesday. The winter weather is keeping me at home. Considering I like teaching and go stir crazy when I don't work-it kind of sucks. Plus after today we have to start making up the days (i.e. no President's Day etc...). It looks like some of the surrounding counties have already closed for tomorrow. Great.

My Dad is undergoing chemo and radiation therapy. He'd not getting sick, but he is extremely tired all of the time. It sucks, but hopefully it will cure the cancer. What a mess.

I bought a new (used) record player at Plan 9 the other day. A nice direct-drive vintage Sony turntable with a super nice cartridge and needle. It sounds great. This leaves me free to hook my old player up to the computer so I can burn my records onto cd. Sweet.

We had our first band practice last week. It went well though rather disorganized. Geraldo is a great drummer. He's mainly into jazz, so he definitely incorporates some cool stuff into his playing. Danny and I of course are now trying to figure out how to play metal with a jazz drummer. Should be great once we get that figured out. I told Danny we should give Geraldo a copy of a Carcass cd and tell hime to learn it. In semi-related news Kim made me turn off the Assuck cd I was listening to yesterday because it was giving her a bad headache. Wow that's cool.

Hope all is well.

2004-12-23T21:10:00.000-05:00

Not too many posts from me recently. What I lack in numbers I make up for in content, or at least that's what I tell myself. Lots going on around these parts here are some updates:

1. My principal is long gone. There is not a replacement as of yet. Not even any rumors going around. Strange. I have broken up 2 fights since my last post. I was accidently punched in the face during one and minorly injured my hand during the other. Both long stories.

2. My Dad's lung cancer is inoperable as a result of his health problems. They are going to try chemotherapy and radiation therapy. That might kill the cancer, if not he's got about 2 years.

3. My friend Danny is starting a band and has asked me to play bass in it. Any excuse to break out the B.C. Rich Warlock. It should be fun. We are thinking of doing punk with a lot of metal mixed in. Our singer's name is Damien. That's his real name. How fucking cool is that?

4. Heading down to my folks tomorrow. Kim and I will be at home on Saturday, and then we are heading up to NY to visit Kim's folks on Sunday.

5. Have recenly read a few of Roald Dahl's books. It definitely says something that these "children's books" hold up even to an adult reader. Easy to read, incredibly creative, and just plain fun. Check them out if you're in the mood for something lighter.

6. Today I received my grade for that education test I took last month. Virginia has a high passing score on the test. The test grading is strange- a passing score in VA is 161. I received a 175. This means that since I passed my school district will pay the $130 it cost me to take the test. It also means I am done with everything I needed to do to be certified to teach Government. Two more undergraduate History classes and I will also be endorsed in History/Social Science. That means I have realized my life-long dream of being underpaid after a ton of hard work. Seriously though- it feels good. I'm going to take those classes, but I don't have to. I have already met the state endorsement requirements.

Kim's fine, the cats are fine, other than my Dad everyone is doing just fine. Enjoy your holiday. Hugs and kisses.

2004-11-29T13:47:00.000-05:00

The posts have been scarce here recently. When this happens to me generally it is because there is not much going on worth writing about. This time I have had so much going on and for a variety of reasons I have been unwilling or unable to post about them. Here goes:

1. My principal has resigned. In the wake of 18 fights and a staff which hates her, she was told to hang it up. She has taken a position in the central office in Lanc@ster,PA.

2. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer. We found out this morning that though the cancer is agressive, it was discovered in the earlier stages and is treateable. They are going to operate next week removing the tumor, some of the lymph nodes, and approximately 1/2 of his lung. He will be in the hospital for 4-7 days and the recupperation period will last about 6 weeks. While all of this sucks, its definitely better than death.

3. I ordered some stuff from No Idea Records. Two old issues of Cometbus and a Planes Mistaken for Stars record. They say that they give free stuff for amusing stories so I sent them a couple of my funnier teaching stories with my order. They gave me so much free stuff. A bunch of stickers, a couple of posters, a zine, and the new Cometbus collection. Wow. Needless to say I was surprised and grateful. Go give them some of your money. They have great releases and an even better distro catalogue.

4. I am planning on doing my own print zine, since I have free access to paper and a copier. I have been writing stuff for it and am working on it in my spare. I am aiming for January 2005 for release. I'll mention more when I have finally decided on the name etc...

5. I hope that all is well in your life. Enjoy the holidays. Posts might be a bit scarce for a bit.

6. Some things I have read recently that are worth checking out, they are all zines: Doris #21, Doris #22, Cometbus #45, Cometbus #46, Cometbus "Double Duece," The Heart Star by Cristoph Meyer, 28 Pages Lovingly Bound With Twine #10, The Zine Yearbook Volume 8. All of the previosly mentioned items are worth checking out they can be ordered from microcosmpublishing.com or No Idea Records.

2004-10-29T09:07:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I was driving home when I was suddenly struck with the urge to vommit. Now I still vommit more than most people, but way less than I used to. I fortunately had a plastic bag in which to regurgitate as oppossed to ruining the upholstry on my brand new truck. During the course of throwing-up I managed to get some on my sweatshirt. This is a blue hooded sweatshirt I had bought 10 days prior to the "puking on route 460" event. This made me reaffirm the way I look at my possesions. Its not truly mine until I get throw-up on it. My shoes, shirts, pants, jackets etc... have almost without exception all had puke on them at one time or another. Enjoy the visual. Remember when are visualizing this that since I puked almost everyday for years, the muscles involved are extremely powerful. When I puke, it is almost exclusively of the projectile variety. I believe my record is about 6 feet.

In other news my father needs bypass surgery but cannot have it because he is having problems with his lungs. He went to a specialist yesterday and though we feared the worst, it was not cancer or amphezema. He will be on oxygen for the rest of his life and he can't have the surgery but at least its not cancer. The worst part is that we had to wait 2 weeks for the doctor's appointment. Two whole weeks of fearing that he had cancer. Everyone involved has a been a total wreck for the last few weeks.

If you are interested in purchasing a Slingshot! organizer they are now available in two sizes and can be purchased from Microcosm Publishing. They also have lots of cool shirts, stickers, patches, pins, and zines. Cheap prices, but they are not that good about shipping stuff out in a timely manner, though definitely worth the wait.

Have a Happy Halloween!

2004-10-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

Last night was the high school homecoming game. We found out on Manday that teachers are required to work either the game of the dance. I chose the game. My assignment was to sit behind the school with my department chair and make sure that no one tried to sneak in. Fortunately there was a gate with a ticket-taker and a cop further down so we didn't do anything. As I am a consumate professional, I did what any professional would do prior to returning to work; I drank 3 beers and a shot of whiskey. Needless to say the game went by quickly and all I did was sit in the passengers sheet of my boss's 89 Jimmy. Damn that truck is comfortable, and really big.

At the pep rally yesterday my students decided to dress me up in a purple sparkly shawl, a long gold glitter wig, a purple tiarra and a stuffed eagle on my shoulder. Our colors are purple and gold and our team is called the Eagles. The character known as "Spirit Man" was invented and attended the pep-rally, he used a large purple foam hand making the "number one sign" to instill spirit in passers-by. He even handed the "spirit-stick" to the winner of the fundraising campaign. The kids loved it.

Yesterday a student of mine used me as an example of a good teacher in his senior english class. It made me feel pretty darn proud when I was told that.

Not much else going on. Hope all is well.

2004-09-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

I've been too busy to post recently so here's a catch-up post for you.

1. The administration at the school sucks very bad, but my students are awesome. Been really busy with the commute, meetings, planning etc... The sad news is that I found out Friday that one of my students got a 13 year old girl pregnant (he's 17), a few months ago he got some other girl pregnant (at least she was 20). Why do kids I like always seem to f*ck up their lives? I already signed up for a job fair in a district closer to home - which of course pays more.

2. My Honda was giving me trouble so I bought a new car, actually a truck. I got a black 2004 Toyota Tacome Pick-up truck, 2wd standard cab. My insurance company raised my rates by $60/month, so I found another company that is charging me less than I was paying on my Honda. Always shop around folks, cause you neverknow what else is out there.

3. A friend of mine burned me the new Elliott Smith CD which isn't coming out until next month. I hear its great, but I won't be able to listen to it until tomorrow.

4. My Dad is having a test tomorrow to see if he needs a heart-bypass operation or if an alternative is possible.

5. I've been studying Buddhism recently and I feel like it is changing my life for the better. If you need help finding out about yourself or calming down, its definitely a good way to go. And no, I'm not becoming a buddhist, I'm merely using the teachings to help me through the stress of daily life.

Hope all is well out there.

2004-08-31T18:01:00.000-04:00

Two people from the school newspaper came and interviewed me today and took my picture. I asked when the issue will be coming out and they said the deadline is not until 9-22 and then the paper will come out sometime after that. Most school newspapers are published weekly, but not ours. It will come out on Halloween and have the caption "Happy Labor Day."

2004-08-22T20:17:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the first official day of school, that means that I will actually have students. This is quite different from the last two weeks which I have spent almost exclusively attending meetings. I f*cking hate meetings! The best part is that since I am involved with a 2 departments, I have been attending meetings for both, all of the required meetings, and all of the meetings exclusively for teachers new to the district. I am not exaggerating when I say that most of these meetings were back to back. I basically told my assistant principal that I thought the number of meetings I was forced to attend was ridiculous, and quite different from what is done in other districts. The highlight was definitely the 5 hour open-house this past Thursday. At least it lasted from 2-7 PM.

I have a faculty meeting tomorrow afternoon. I wish I was kidding. After work we are going to buy a new printer since this one died. I will update sometime this week, when I have a free minute, and let everyone know how the kids are to deal with. I figure they cannot be any worse than Richmond City, of course the administration is so terrible out there it more than makes up for it. I have to arrive at 7:30 AM tomorrow to "welcome the kids." My principal is retarded. She's white, but I have been told that during African History Month she wears traditional African garb (a dashiki). Very inappropriate, but I still can't wait to watch her embarrass herself.

2004-08-13T17:24:00.000-04:00

The district I am teaching in is so radically conservative it's ridiculous. They require male teachers to wear ties, told me that I was not allowed to use a number of table lamps instead of the fluorescent lights, and they actually pray before every fucking meeting begins. You're probably saying to yourself: "That is totally illegal!" Of course you are right. No one gets my sense of humor. I was kidding with my mentor this morning at my own expense and she told me how much she dislikes being teased. The other day I joked about showing Fahrenheit 9/11 to my Government class to my department chair and immediately said I was kidding and would never do that. Amazingly enough I still received a lecture on the political demographics of the region, and how I would be fired for showing that film.

Everyone appears to hate the principal, today my mentor referred to her as the "worst thing that has ever happened to the school." The turnover is ridiculously high and the level of intelligence amongst the staff is ridiculous. One of the members of my department did not know the meaning of the word "lecherous." The principal has also demonstrated her lack of vocabulary by asking the meaning of words that someone with a doctorate should definitely know. I don't mean to sound negative but I already feel oppressed by the right-wing Christian shit. My department chair went so far as to suggest that I join a church. In addition, I am amazed by the amount of comments lobbied against people from the north, referred to Pr!nce Edw@rd County schools exclusively as "Yankees." Its just the end of the first week and I already want out.

2004-08-03T17:20:00.000-04:00

Some things to note:

*This site turned 3 years old on July 31st.

*I received A's in both of the classes I took this summer. That maintains my 4.0. Sweet.

*I was forced to build a second set of shelves for my record collection. I didn't need all the space I ended up creating but it enabled me to make room on my bookshelf by moving my books about music into the stacks with the records. Which looks very cool.

*My next door neighbors need to replace the battery in their smoke alarm. I know this, because every few minutes for the last week, the smoke detector has emitted a high-pitch beep. I am not sure if they recognize the problem or even notice it. Perhaps it is an attempt to drive me crazy.

&I have been working on my syallabus/semester guide for the last couple of days. It is looking pretty good, but taking much longer than I expected. At least by doing it now it gives me plenty of time for revision and enables me to look at the larger picture. It is somewhat comforting to know that I already have planned out the material I will be teaching each week until mid-January. Now the big problem: how the hell am I going to teach all of this?

2004-07-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

I just stopped at Plan 9 on a whim and found 3 out-of-print Elliott Smith 7" singles. I am so happy about it, I could burst. Two of them cost $6 and one was $5- good prices. A couple of the employees were actually jelous that I found them before they did. All of them very hard to find. They are:

Elliott Smith "Ballad of a Big Nothing" b/w "Some Song" & "Division Day" on the Domino label
Elliott Smith "Baby Britain" b/w "Walyz #1 (demo) on Dreamworks
Elliott Smith "Division Day" b/w "No Name #6 on Suicide Squeeze (not the re-issue)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was very cool. Lots of great stuff, actually too much to take it all in. I am not going to list all of the cool stuff, but my favorite piece was the bass that Paul Simmonon of the Clash is smashing on the cover of "London Calling." They also had tons of awesome guitars, stage outfits, and two very cool cars - Janis Joplin's psychadelic porshe and the car from the ZZ-Top videos. If you are ever in Cleveland you should definitely check it out, especially if you are a music-geek.

2004-07-21T11:14:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the last night of class for the semester. I am taking a few semesters off, since after tonight I will have the classes I need to teach, then its juct 5 more classes for my masters.

This weeekend Kim and I are goinmg up to visit her family in NY and we are all going to take a road-trip over to Cleveland. I am going to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and I am pretty damn excited about it. It will be really cool to see all of the Memorobelia they have. I am particularly looking foward to their collection of guitars, to be that close to the instruments that some truly amazing musicians played will be awesome.

I had other stuff to say but I forgot what it was. Guess you'll just have to spend the rest of the day wondering.

2004-07-14T11:04:00.000-04:00

Here are some random posts from the past

1

2

3

4 (A Crowd Favorite.)

5

Almost done with my classes for the semester. Next week is the last week.

2004-07-12T18:41:00.000-04:00

At the end of the month, Paint A Vulgar Picture will turn 3. Here's a link to my very first post. Three years of pure joy. Just think, when I started this thing I was working for C!rcuit C!ty and pretending that I didn't have a voice so I didn't have to answer the incoming customer service calls, now I will be starting my first year under contract to teach govenment.

In completely unrelated news, there has recently been a great deal of discussion regarding the possibility of another terrorist attack. I think we should all learn to view a future attack as inevitable. The US was not liked in the middle east region prior to the Bush presidency, and the administration has consistently made very large mistakes with regard to regional foreign policy. There will more than likely be an attack near election day if not before. The incumbent was voted-out in Spain after the Madrid bombing and al-queda will more than likely attempt a similar feat. There are definitely al-queda cells operating in this country, and they are definitely planning something. The news has glossed-over this issue, but some of our allies have recently warned us of an impending attack, just like before 9-11. Hopefully this time we'll listen. For those of you who doubt what I am saying; I accurately predicted that a massive terrorist attack was imminent long before 9-11. I am no genius, I simply have a background in the study of politics and I am able to read the writing on the wall.

2004-07-09T17:25:00.000-04:00

I have so many problems with my genitalia it is ridiculous. Everyone knows about the hernia and the epididymitis, but here's the catch. Basically the EP is now considered a chronic condition. The doctor's offer no help, except of course antibiotics that have little effect and are extremely pricey. I found an on-line support group that has given me some good advice and the herbs it recommended alleviated most of the pain, but of course it comes right back once I discontinue the herbs. At least I am only using herbs to combat the condition, so I am running little risk or permanent damage. It would be nice if I could get the condition to go away for more than a couple of days though, since I have been dealing with this for over a year and a half now. The best part is that no one knows what causes it, of course there is some common ground amongst those who suffer with it. I think it started for me as a result of my hernia surgery, catheters have been known to cause it, at least that's what us lay-people think. The doctors tell us we're crazy, and refuse to believe that these herbs help which are:

echinacea - boosts the immune system
goldenseal - a natural anti-biotic
bromelain - a natural anti-inflamatory
fenugreek - a supplement which thins the body's fluids
fennel - also helps thin the fluids and keep them moving
Also helpful though I don't take it is Saw Palmetto

If you suffer from Epididymitis give these herbs a try. Unfortuantely, I am basically taking them continuosly with appropriate breaks of about a week after I have completed a cycle, but I have hope. These herbs combined are much cheaper than a visit to a urologist and a course of cipro, and they work better. If you want to know about dosages and where to purchase these herbs, please email me (there's a link on the right).

2004-07-06T18:51:00.000-04:00

I am really glad to hear that John Kerry chose John Edwards as his running-mate. I think that is a winning ticket. In other related political news, I was listening to NPR and a White House representative was saying that Edwards is a bad choice for VP since he will be thinking of his future in politics and will have an "agenda" other than the position. The spokesperson went on to add that since Cheney is a great VP because he has no other agenda. It amazes me that the White House refuses to recognize Cheney's business interests as an agenda. Hopefully we only have to look at another 5 months of this administration.

If your voter regisration information needs to be updated, do it ASAP. It takes months for it to go through and you will want it straightened out by November.

2004-06-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

Not much to say, but here are some links:

The new Alien Vs. Predator trailer.

The Metallica:Some Kind of Monster trailer. Those guys seem like comlete d!cks who despise each other. You have to see this - Lars barks in Hetfield's face.

The website for my Instructional technology class. All the links to my other projects are working. Dig the PowerPoint.

An amazing crop cirle formation in the UK. I think a lot of the circles are haoxes, but this one is almost too complex to be faked. Dig the reference to Tesla (the inventor not the band).

2004-06-21T15:44:00.000-04:00

After two years of working in some of the worst schools this town has to offer, often working 2 jobs and taking classes, I was contaced by Pr!nce Edw@rd C*unty earlier today and offered a full-time postion teaching Social tudies for the fall. The commute will probably wear thin after a while, but it is worth it. The district is very small, has excellent test scores and places a strong emphasis on technology. I am so happy right now I could burst. I will actually have health benefits and sick time. That will be a refreshing change.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way, and reassured me that everything would work out.

2004-06-15T19:25:00.000-04:00

I had my interview today with Pr!nce Edward c*unty. I don't want to jinx myself, but I think it went well. They told me that I should hear by the end of the week. I am very impressed with the district itself-they place a strong emphasis on technology and a sense of community. The building itself was fairly new and I really liked the principal, very polite and complimentary. Everyone was very friendly. Cross your fingers for me.

I can honestly say that I did my best.

2004-06-13T20:57:00.000-04:00

Last week I posted that if you wanted you could buy me this. I couldn't resist the urge and bought it for myself. You can still buy me a game if you want.

Here's a great site. You generally cannot go wrong with Biblical stories etc... reenacted using Legos.

My interview is Tuesday. I already pressed the clothes, shined the shoes, cut my nails etc... I'm ready damnit. Tomorrow I will compile a list of questions I intend to ask and review the education interviewing tips I have received.

2004-06-09T15:31:00.000-04:00

I posted on Monkeys Throwing Poo, that I sent in an application to Pr!nce Edward County yesterday. They called me today and I have an interview next week. Cross your fingers.

Nintendo for Free

2004-06-08T19:57:00.001-04:00

I found out that by using the Limewire file sharing program and a Nintendo emulator you can download lots of Nintendo games for free. It is amazing how small the games are, they are about 1/30th the size of your average song. Even with a dial-up connection, you could download a game in a couple of minutes.

In other Nintendo news, if you are feeling generous you could buy me this.

2004-06-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

There is this stupid high school girl that works in Kim's office after school. About 2 weeks ago she was really sick but came to work anyway, of course she managed to get everyone else sick too. Kim brought the sickness home to me and I have been sick since last Wednesday. Summer colds are the worst - I can't ever seem to shake them. I want this high school girl dead, her time is up.

In other news thanks to the wonders of the internet and our DSL conection I have able to procure lots of music, movie clips etc... This makes me happy.

2004-05-31T14:21:00.000-04:00

I have been really depressed for about two weeks now. See this is the kind of depression brought on by life's sh!ttiness, so my medication is only but so effective. The medecine keeps away the feelings of hopelessness and it dampens the utter crappy feeling a bit, but it doesn't make it better. I don't really feel like mentioning the reasons for the depression, but they are valid and fairly serious. It sucks when you are sad and realize that your outlook has nothing to do with it; things just suck.

The past is haunting me.

2004-05-27T15:21:00.000-04:00

An email was just forwarded to me from a mutual "friend" regarding the new contact information for a former roommate of mine. He now lives in Richmond, and his address indicates that he lives really close to me. The problem is this; I am really not sure if I want to contact him or not. We got along fairly well, but I realize that judging from the people he sent his information to, he is still in contact with people that I don't like. At first I thought: "I should totally contact him." After a few minutes I am thiking I should keep my mouth shut and figure that our paths will cross at some point and I will worry about things then.

Git Yo Grub On

2004-05-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

Today I was driving through the east-end here in Richmond, when I saw a new restaurant. The restaurant is located near the ever-suspicious "Black Tie Social Club." The restaurant is located in an abandoned gas station and has no windows. The name of the establishment is "Git Yo Grub On!" The signs for the place consist of spray paint on plywood, one sign on either side of the door. Sounds like a great place to eat.

Re-design

2004-05-24T09:59:00.000-04:00

You have probably realized by now that the site looks different than it used to. The header graphic will be changing as soon as I can get into the free web space that Verizon has promised me as part of our DSL service. I hope you like it.

2004-05-18T19:23:00.000-04:00

I am at my first class of the summer and it is horribly boring. It is a required instructional technology course and I really don't need to be taught how to use the Microsoft Office suite. They're going to teach me how to save a file as a jpeg!!

In completely unrelated news, the new Morrissey album is really good. Not great, but definitely a very solid record. His voice is very strong, and the lyrics are amazing as always. I do want to mention that this record seems more overtly political than much of his previous work. Well Morrissey, I'm here to tell you that many of us that live here don't like this country very much either right now.

2004-05-15T11:59:00.000-04:00

We now have DSL, but it is running at a fraction of where it should be speed-wise. I have spent 8 hours working with verizon in an effort to fix the problem, and we have determined that there is a problem on my end. I have 194000+ K or RAM but I only have 80000 available. Verizon thinks that this is the problem and it makes sense. Does anyone have any ideas? I have done scans for adware and spyware which helped a bit. My current connection speed is about 369 kb/s.

2004-05-11T16:40:00.000-04:00

I went on-line earlier today at school and placed my order with Verizon for DSL. They say I should have my "installation kit" and be operational by 5-17-04. I stopped at Comp USA on the way home and purchased the cheapest Ethernet card they had ($18) and just completed installing that. I am so excited about having a fast internet connection it is ridiculous. I am going to download so many songs.

I submitted my teaching application for Henr!co last week, and today I told the administrator who wanted to hook me up that it had been submitted. Cross your fingers. Say your prayers. Kill a puppy as tribute to ST. Thomas Equinas. Do whatever you need to do.

In semi-related news, I received my grade for this past semester today--yet another A. I know I'm bragging, but I damn proud that I have a 4.0 GPA (so far) in graduate school. Classes for the summer start next week. I will be taking the last 2 classes I need for my certification, then its only 5 more classes to receive my Masters. Of course one of those classes is actually my "thesis." Note thesis is in quotes because its called something different but is basically the same thing.

2004-05-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

Here's the letter I worte to the headhunter. I think that it is fairly self-explanatory.

Mr. K*lly,

Thank you for offering to reschedule the phone interview. However, I do not wish to do so. To be frank, your company has left me with a very negative impression. To begin with, after I sent in my application, it was not acknowledged for nearly four weeks, although the application only was mailed from Richmond to Charlottesville. When it was acknowledged that your company had received the application, it was in the form of a letter stating that the company had not received a signed ST@ contract. This is not true. I have a photocopy of the signed contract that was in the envelope. I have heard nothing else about the signed contract.

Next, I received an email from you to schedule the interview, which we did, but something came up on your end. Unfortunately, I had made plans to call you from a location other than my home, and was inconvenienced by the cancellation on such short notice. Also, when I called to speak with you, the secretary made reference to everyone leaving early for a graduation party. I sincerely hope this was not the reason the interview was cancelled.

Today I received an email telling me that my application is incomplete. But since we were continuing with the interview process, the application must have been complete. Why did I receive that email? It is for these reasons that I do not wish to continue the application process. I do not wish to align myself with an organization that consistently makes mistakes and acts in an unprofessional manner.

As our relationship is being discontinued, please return my application packet, transcripts, test scores and all letters of reference to me via USPS. Since it does not indicate on your website or on the application that these are your property, I do not anticipate a problem. Please send these items to the address you have on file.

Sincerely,
Sc*tt D. W!se

I love telling someone to f*ck off without saying "f*ck off."

2004-05-05T16:00:00.000-04:00

A) The beach was lots of fun. Now I only have a 2 day work week.

B) We are going to get DSL. I know cabel is faster, but we don't have cable TV service so they want twice the cost of DSL. Forget that.

C) I just had to tell an education headhunter to get f*cked. If someone says they want to see it, I will post it here for your viewing pleasure.

D) The Weeping Radish Brewery in North Carolina makes excellent beer.

2004-04-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

Go over to Monkeys Throwing Poo to hear about the fight I narrowly avoided. Note, the last time I was in a fight I was in Fourth Grade.