My Grandmother gave me some cash for Christmas and with said Bucks I picked myself up a Boss RC-20XL Phrase Recorder. Plenty of people have reviewed it, so I'm not gonna do that here (though it is pretty awesome).
Why I really like it is that I'm finally teaching myself some friggin' scales and it's allowing me to tool around with those over my own self playing. I've got a couple of CDs and one tape that have tracks you can play over, but I've never been too interested in that. But the ability to riff over my own stuff has been really liberating. I'm having a lot of fun with this guy. I looped a simple song (Spoon's Infinite Pet - after an idea from Nick) and have spent at least thirty minutes playing over it.
What fun!
Also, I cleaned up my room and have finally utilized the shelving Mum got me for my birthday so the room looks less hovelesque and more like a respectable place. If only I could clean up the rest of this crap, I'd be golden.
So that's my Saturday so far. I got up late. I'm about to shower, then go cash in on Dad's gift of $40 to RSVP. Then I'll have some dinner and it sounds like we're going to a party in Bridgton.
A good day, all in all.
5.1.08
4.1.08
Contraception
I know you've all been waiting for a Holiday update. Here goes:
It was good. I ate a lot. I was really happy to see friends and family. Lovely time of year. And it was a White Christmas! I had a lot of fun making my christmas cards.
Now on to other stuff.
As you no doubt recall, King Middle School here in Portland approved a decision to provide birth control pills to sexually active middle school students. King Middle School happens to have students from as young as 11 all the way up to the ages 14 and 15.
People were pissed off when they found out. The most logical (in my mind) were the ones mad that the kids wouldn't even have to tell their parents. The least were assuming all the kids would start receiving it automatically. King already provided condoms, it's worth noting.
It seemed like a reasonable plan to me. They're not providing anything that's not already available to the kids. All it takes is a trip to the medic and any kid can have a completely confidential meeting with the doctor to talk about whatever. The parent has to leave. So the school confidentiality issue isn't an issue. Other people were concerned that 11 year olds taking the pill would suffer hormonal problems. Well, they probably would. But seeing as how you still have to get doctor approval and a doctor's prescription to get the pill, I doubt a lot of them will be getting it. And the five students (last I checked) who are receiving the pill are all 14 or 15.
There were, of course, knee jerk reactions. But as people started paying attention to the information that was already readily available they calmed down. For the most part. There was still a movement, however, to recall three of the school board members who voted for the pill.
It failed miserably.
And that makes me really happy. They needed 3,000 signatures for all three school board members and got under 300.
What makes me happiest about it is that I think it proves that most people are reasonable and in the face of all the good evidence that this program will do good things, they accept that. The petition has been available for signatures for quite a while, and it still got fewer people than a Shaker Meeting.
BAM!
EDIT: I corrected some figures at the end.
It was good. I ate a lot. I was really happy to see friends and family. Lovely time of year. And it was a White Christmas! I had a lot of fun making my christmas cards.
Now on to other stuff.
As you no doubt recall, King Middle School here in Portland approved a decision to provide birth control pills to sexually active middle school students. King Middle School happens to have students from as young as 11 all the way up to the ages 14 and 15.
People were pissed off when they found out. The most logical (in my mind) were the ones mad that the kids wouldn't even have to tell their parents. The least were assuming all the kids would start receiving it automatically. King already provided condoms, it's worth noting.
It seemed like a reasonable plan to me. They're not providing anything that's not already available to the kids. All it takes is a trip to the medic and any kid can have a completely confidential meeting with the doctor to talk about whatever. The parent has to leave. So the school confidentiality issue isn't an issue. Other people were concerned that 11 year olds taking the pill would suffer hormonal problems. Well, they probably would. But seeing as how you still have to get doctor approval and a doctor's prescription to get the pill, I doubt a lot of them will be getting it. And the five students (last I checked) who are receiving the pill are all 14 or 15.
There were, of course, knee jerk reactions. But as people started paying attention to the information that was already readily available they calmed down. For the most part. There was still a movement, however, to recall three of the school board members who voted for the pill.
It failed miserably.
And that makes me really happy. They needed 3,000 signatures for all three school board members and got under 300.
What makes me happiest about it is that I think it proves that most people are reasonable and in the face of all the good evidence that this program will do good things, they accept that. The petition has been available for signatures for quite a while, and it still got fewer people than a Shaker Meeting.
BAM!
EDIT: I corrected some figures at the end.
21.12.07
Thugs
- Krister
- Thugs
- Krister, are you awake?
- One.
- Krister, wake up.
- There are thugs in here.
This is an excerpt, I think, from a conversation Nick and I had. It was his duty to wake me up so I could drive us to work. It is, of course, important to note that this was after Jeremy's last night in town. And actually, I don't think I'd be hungover at all if it weren't for that fucking Scorpion Bowl.
God damn, that Scorpion Bowl was a lot of liquor in a short amount of time.
A good night, though. Jeremy and I went out and brought out his younger brother, Justin, who is recently 21. It was his first real bar experience. Accordingly, we brought him to Bull Feenys - where J. Biddy (of course) was playing. We then swung by Gritty's. I had the Christmas Ale. If any of y'all can tell me what that tastes like, I'll give you a high five. It was delicious. After we ordered our beers at the secondary bar and returned to the main floor, we discovered a horn band had moved in and was playing Christmas Jingles and everyone was drunkenly singing along, including the house band. After that "Fa la la la la, La la la la" song and Jingle Bells, they left and t'other band continued doing their blues/stoned rock thang.
Jess and Courtney met up with us there, accompanied us to Ri Ra's and then we went up to The Iguana Lounge where she bought us that dastardly Scorpion Bowl.
We made it home. I passed out. Nick woke me up and the conversation at the beginning of this post took place.
Then I came to work. Then I wrote this blog. After that, I don't know what happened.
- Thugs
- Krister, are you awake?
- One.
- Krister, wake up.
- There are thugs in here.
This is an excerpt, I think, from a conversation Nick and I had. It was his duty to wake me up so I could drive us to work. It is, of course, important to note that this was after Jeremy's last night in town. And actually, I don't think I'd be hungover at all if it weren't for that fucking Scorpion Bowl.
God damn, that Scorpion Bowl was a lot of liquor in a short amount of time.
A good night, though. Jeremy and I went out and brought out his younger brother, Justin, who is recently 21. It was his first real bar experience. Accordingly, we brought him to Bull Feenys - where J. Biddy (of course) was playing. We then swung by Gritty's. I had the Christmas Ale. If any of y'all can tell me what that tastes like, I'll give you a high five. It was delicious. After we ordered our beers at the secondary bar and returned to the main floor, we discovered a horn band had moved in and was playing Christmas Jingles and everyone was drunkenly singing along, including the house band. After that "Fa la la la la, La la la la" song and Jingle Bells, they left and t'other band continued doing their blues/stoned rock thang.
Jess and Courtney met up with us there, accompanied us to Ri Ra's and then we went up to The Iguana Lounge where she bought us that dastardly Scorpion Bowl.
We made it home. I passed out. Nick woke me up and the conversation at the beginning of this post took place.
Then I came to work. Then I wrote this blog. After that, I don't know what happened.
18.12.07
Sex Sells
I was watching the commercials during the show today and noticed one for Saddleback. When the Saddleback logo came up I thought, "Huh, that's an... interesting choice."
If you want to have a look, the website has a copy of it. It's up at the top. It mostly looks like a mountain. But it also would make Hokusai proud, I think.
If you want to have a look, the website has a copy of it. It's up at the top. It mostly looks like a mountain. But it also would make Hokusai proud, I think.
17.12.07
16.12.07
A Review
So, the parts of today that weren't at work were, in all actuality, pretty neat! And even work wasn't that bad.
So I got up at four and showered and changed and put on my new shirt(which actually doesn't look much like that comic), and Nick and I took separate vehicles to work for some reason. I guess he'd thought about it and figured we might need to. Turns out we didn't. Sorry, Mother Nature!
I wasn't needed at work. I made one cut and posted a couple of things to the web. Most monkeys are too smart to do that sorta bullshit. But it was OK. Sarah and I got in crazy snow fights. I don't wanna say "snowball" because the snow wouldn't clump, but she won once (sorta, she got lucky) and I won once. I think I won betterly. After all, when she "won" I didn't have to reapply my make-up AND I didn't ruin a starting advantage. She got Nick to trick me to come outside, smacked me with a snowball and tried to knock me over. I still beat her.
So. In the end, I'm better. That's what we all decided. Then we drank toasts to my awesomeness.
After work I walked down to L.L. Bean and bought me some new boots (which are INDEED made for walkin') and some gloves. It was a lot of fun walking around the city in the Nor'Easter. Portland sorta took on this desolate, post-apocalyptic feel. There was virtually no traffic and very few people were out on the streets. I discovered, however, there is one bad thing about beards.
Snotcicles. Yep. Gross.
And it was really only a problem on the walk to L.L. Bean as the wind was right in my face the whole time. But the boots were 70% off! They wound up costing me $18. If you can believe that. And they are a marked improvement over my last pair which was swiftly losing it's sole/soul.
And I ate and caught some of The Eiger Sanction. It wasn't as good as the book. And while I hate that comparison typically, I feel my reasons are sound. In the book, Hemlock is dry, witty and charmingly sociopathic. Clint Eastwood, as Hemlock in the movie, is dry, witless and charmlessly flat. Although, the movie was still somewhat compelling. Hemlock should read more like House. I think the problem is Clint Eastwood has a natural warmth which works against the character of Hemlock. Or maybe Hemlock just isn't supposed to be that likeable. Even as distant and dry and Eastwood is in The Man With No Name trilogy, for instance, there's still something about him that's compelling.
Anyway, I took a nap and went back in to work and proceeded to be primarily useless again. The notable exception being when there was no camera person at all for the first half hour of the show. Then I came in handy.
Then I came home and parked at King Middle School and marched home and ate some chinese food. Now it's 8:30ish and I think I'm gonna chill out for an hour or so and then go to sleep.
1. On my trip back from L. L. Bean I saw a chap walking around the city in snowshoes. Unnecessary? Yes, probably. Cool and fun just the same? Most definitely.
2. Not one, not two but THREE people cruisin' the streets of Portland on cross-country skis. And I think they were all the classical style. No herringbone for them!
A pretty decent day.
So I got up at four and showered and changed and put on my new shirt(which actually doesn't look much like that comic), and Nick and I took separate vehicles to work for some reason. I guess he'd thought about it and figured we might need to. Turns out we didn't. Sorry, Mother Nature!
I wasn't needed at work. I made one cut and posted a couple of things to the web. Most monkeys are too smart to do that sorta bullshit. But it was OK. Sarah and I got in crazy snow fights. I don't wanna say "snowball" because the snow wouldn't clump, but she won once (sorta, she got lucky) and I won once. I think I won betterly. After all, when she "won" I didn't have to reapply my make-up AND I didn't ruin a starting advantage. She got Nick to trick me to come outside, smacked me with a snowball and tried to knock me over. I still beat her.
So. In the end, I'm better. That's what we all decided. Then we drank toasts to my awesomeness.
After work I walked down to L.L. Bean and bought me some new boots (which are INDEED made for walkin') and some gloves. It was a lot of fun walking around the city in the Nor'Easter. Portland sorta took on this desolate, post-apocalyptic feel. There was virtually no traffic and very few people were out on the streets. I discovered, however, there is one bad thing about beards.
Snotcicles. Yep. Gross.
And it was really only a problem on the walk to L.L. Bean as the wind was right in my face the whole time. But the boots were 70% off! They wound up costing me $18. If you can believe that. And they are a marked improvement over my last pair which was swiftly losing it's sole/soul.
And I ate and caught some of The Eiger Sanction. It wasn't as good as the book. And while I hate that comparison typically, I feel my reasons are sound. In the book, Hemlock is dry, witty and charmingly sociopathic. Clint Eastwood, as Hemlock in the movie, is dry, witless and charmlessly flat. Although, the movie was still somewhat compelling. Hemlock should read more like House. I think the problem is Clint Eastwood has a natural warmth which works against the character of Hemlock. Or maybe Hemlock just isn't supposed to be that likeable. Even as distant and dry and Eastwood is in The Man With No Name trilogy, for instance, there's still something about him that's compelling.
Anyway, I took a nap and went back in to work and proceeded to be primarily useless again. The notable exception being when there was no camera person at all for the first half hour of the show. Then I came in handy.
Then I came home and parked at King Middle School and marched home and ate some chinese food. Now it's 8:30ish and I think I'm gonna chill out for an hour or so and then go to sleep.
IMPORTANT THINGS I SAW TOD
aY,
1. On my trip back from L. L. Bean I saw a chap walking around the city in snowshoes. Unnecessary? Yes, probably. Cool and fun just the same? Most definitely.
2. Not one, not two but THREE people cruisin' the streets of Portland on cross-country skis. And I think they were all the classical style. No herringbone for them!
A pretty decent day.
Good Morning
One of the great things about working in The News for a borderline Yellow Journalist station is that some days you get called into work at five in the morning to report on something that's not new.
Like a Nor'easter in Maine. Not really news.
The drinking game is to take a shot every time you (at home) hear any of the following: "this just in," "breaking news," "here's something you need to know about." Take a shot every other time they say, "this morning" and take two shots for "allegedly" and "massive."
There's more, I'm sure, but I'm tired and have to get up in four hours.
Anyway, I'm sure we'll do a good job pumping up this storm and letting you know that, yep, shitty weather in the middle of this storm.
There you go.
Like a Nor'easter in Maine. Not really news.
The drinking game is to take a shot every time you (at home) hear any of the following: "this just in," "breaking news," "here's something you need to know about." Take a shot every other time they say, "this morning" and take two shots for "allegedly" and "massive."
There's more, I'm sure, but I'm tired and have to get up in four hours.
Anyway, I'm sure we'll do a good job pumping up this storm and letting you know that, yep, shitty weather in the middle of this storm.
There you go.
13.12.07
Oh, the memories!
Eh heh heh heh heh heh
Definitely worth checking out the Resume. There's also a link to some pictures from one of Randall's film shoots.
It's all pretty funny. Freshmen year! Ha, those guys were tools.
Definitely worth checking out the Resume. There's also a link to some pictures from one of Randall's film shoots.
It's all pretty funny. Freshmen year! Ha, those guys were tools.
12.12.07
Dear Anonymous
Anonymous Student Blogger,
Thanks for the comment! It was quite enjoyable to read it, despite my having basically zero clue who you are. As time wears on, you forget the bad parts (and students, even idiotic ones, were not the bad part of being a teacher) and remember the good. I have a lot of fond memories of teaching. It was an important choice for me to make, I think. Maybe even the right one! Which is crazy.
Absolutely crazy.
But what I enjoyed about teaching was the students. It was all you guys that made it worth getting up fucking early and/or (only twice) hung over. It was you guys that made it worth sitting through completely boring and often pointless meetings about meeting state criteria on such and such learning results. It was you guys that made it worth staying late and parents night and all the myriad bullshit and detritus you have to sift through as a teacher.
I wish to express, right here in front of you and whoever is over your shoulder and whatever godhead you might believe in, that all of my students were awesome people. I loved each and every one of my kids. As students, a larger percentage than I wanted were kinda shitty, but as kids you guys were awesome.
The actual in class time was by and large fun. I'll admit I'm horrible at the whole "disciplining" thing and thus a couple of classes were a little wild. A lot wild. Um. A bit ridiculous, really, especially toward the end of the year. BUT when y'all actually shut up for the fifteen seconds it took to explain something it was pretty cool. And I must admit it was part of the wildness that was fun. Only part of it, though.
In the end, the reason I left teaching had nothing to do with any misdeeds or evil enacted by the student population. Even with the meetings and bullshit I was considering teaching for another year. My decision to leave was mine and mine alone. I decided I'm young and have too many irresponsibilities on my shoulders. Reckless shit needs gettin' done, and I feel like I'm the one for it. At least for some of it.
Don't worry, mum, it's nothing too bad. Just road trips and that European thing over the summer and late night painting and spending time working on drawing/writing/guitar instead of grading/lesson planning.
I don't feel that the lifestyle I (currently) want to live coexists peacefully with that of a teacher. Not that teachers don't have fun and aren't great, wonderful people. Many of my favorite people on the planet have been teachers of some stripe. That includes you, Mum. My Dad teaches, albeit in a different context, but I think it counts, Mr. Glennon and Señora Hubka remain heroes of mine. And some day after I've settled down a bit (but not too much, teachers shouldn't be completely lame) maybe I'll teach again.
Who knows?
Teaching is a huge job. Between the actual class time, grading, lesson plans, meetings and sundry you wind up working for most of your life. At least if you're as scattered as I am, you do. Not what I needed. I need a job that doesn't follow me home. I don't want to be as responsible as a teacher needs to be. I'm not a great role model right now. But, I feel like that's a pretty mature decision for myself. Instead of slogging through misery, I'll step into the life I want to live for the time being and embrace it.
But school was an enriching experience. Thanks, former student, for reminding me that even under a pile of shit, there can be nuggets of gold.
Yours,
Señor Rollins
Thanks for the comment! It was quite enjoyable to read it, despite my having basically zero clue who you are. As time wears on, you forget the bad parts (and students, even idiotic ones, were not the bad part of being a teacher) and remember the good. I have a lot of fond memories of teaching. It was an important choice for me to make, I think. Maybe even the right one! Which is crazy.
Absolutely crazy.
But what I enjoyed about teaching was the students. It was all you guys that made it worth getting up fucking early and/or (only twice) hung over. It was you guys that made it worth sitting through completely boring and often pointless meetings about meeting state criteria on such and such learning results. It was you guys that made it worth staying late and parents night and all the myriad bullshit and detritus you have to sift through as a teacher.
I wish to express, right here in front of you and whoever is over your shoulder and whatever godhead you might believe in, that all of my students were awesome people. I loved each and every one of my kids. As students, a larger percentage than I wanted were kinda shitty, but as kids you guys were awesome.
The actual in class time was by and large fun. I'll admit I'm horrible at the whole "disciplining" thing and thus a couple of classes were a little wild. A lot wild. Um. A bit ridiculous, really, especially toward the end of the year. BUT when y'all actually shut up for the fifteen seconds it took to explain something it was pretty cool. And I must admit it was part of the wildness that was fun. Only part of it, though.
In the end, the reason I left teaching had nothing to do with any misdeeds or evil enacted by the student population. Even with the meetings and bullshit I was considering teaching for another year. My decision to leave was mine and mine alone. I decided I'm young and have too many irresponsibilities on my shoulders. Reckless shit needs gettin' done, and I feel like I'm the one for it. At least for some of it.
Don't worry, mum, it's nothing too bad. Just road trips and that European thing over the summer and late night painting and spending time working on drawing/writing/guitar instead of grading/lesson planning.
I don't feel that the lifestyle I (currently) want to live coexists peacefully with that of a teacher. Not that teachers don't have fun and aren't great, wonderful people. Many of my favorite people on the planet have been teachers of some stripe. That includes you, Mum. My Dad teaches, albeit in a different context, but I think it counts, Mr. Glennon and Señora Hubka remain heroes of mine. And some day after I've settled down a bit (but not too much, teachers shouldn't be completely lame) maybe I'll teach again.
Who knows?
Teaching is a huge job. Between the actual class time, grading, lesson plans, meetings and sundry you wind up working for most of your life. At least if you're as scattered as I am, you do. Not what I needed. I need a job that doesn't follow me home. I don't want to be as responsible as a teacher needs to be. I'm not a great role model right now. But, I feel like that's a pretty mature decision for myself. Instead of slogging through misery, I'll step into the life I want to live for the time being and embrace it.
But school was an enriching experience. Thanks, former student, for reminding me that even under a pile of shit, there can be nuggets of gold.
Yours,
Señor Rollins
10.12.07
The True Source
So, life imitates art. The "art" in question being those Gatorade ads where people sweat gatorade, of course. I wanted to add an "imitates life" to the end of that first sentence, but I don't think it really happened all that much before
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