До свидания, профессор.

If you’re lucky in life, a handful of people change your perspective on the world. Just a handful. For me, those people were mostly professors when I first ventured out into the world and moved 1200 miles away for college…alone. On the surface, that first academic venture failed miserably, as I dropped out after two years. But it was still paramount to making me who I am now.

Those few professors opened up the world for me, to many topics, ideas, and ideologies. Dr. Donna Budani opened my mind to cultural studies after I took a few of her mid-level anthropology courses in the 1991/1992 year. (I hadn’t even been sure what “anthropology” was until then!) She also gave me my first college “A,” at a time when so many other courses were pushing me toward disenchantment, if not misery. Thanks to her, I went on to add a second major in anthropology when I returned to school. Another of those inspiring professors was Dr. Alexander Lehrman… Read More ➤

Sticks and Stones…

I’ve always been the type that showed little emotion. I pretended, often quite well, that nothing bothered me. But I was pretending. As much as we’ve all heard the old saying, words can hurt. Words aren’t just empty sounds floating through the air—they have power and meaning that become impressed in our minds and in our souls, sometimes for life.

When I was entering second grade, we moved to the other side of town, away from our friends and to a new school bus route. I became brunt of about 90% of the joking on that new bus—often by high school kids. Yes, I was 7 or 8, and they were 17 and 18. Life certainly isn’t fair, and I never expect it to be. But come on!?

The torment I endured on that bus certainly…
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Gewgaw

Just a tidbit to let the world know I’m alive.

Spring semester just ended, and the graphic arts/book arts/literary show was Thursday. Good times for all! Summer session begins on Tuesday, so I had only a bit of rest. This summer I’ll be taking “Advanced Digital Foundations” and “Flash Animation.” I’m excited about those. I love the digital stuff! But in fall, I have to hunker down with…
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Terror and Excitement

Okay. So lately I’ve been rather excited about grad school, mostly because the degree is right up my alley: English and Publishing with a concentration in digital design. I love digital design, online publishing, and publishing in general.

I’m also terrified because it’s all new, and attending won’t exactly be easy or cheap. It’s an hour’s drive away, and I’m still working at… Read More ➤

Grrr!

It seems taking sick-time is the latest source of gripe/ridicule? “You’re always sick!” Hmm.

Well, I don’t have the luxury of living three miles, much less three blocks from work/class. I don’t even get paid enough to afford to live in the same TOWN! No, I have to live 13 miles away where $1000 a month gets you a safe/quiet apartment and not just a room with a hole to pee in. So right there I have… Read More ➤

Burnout and Change

Okay. So yeah, I only have two classes. Yeah, one of them is pretty much a joke other than exams which I hate. Yes, the other is in one of my majors and on a subject I like. But working full-time and having a life on top of that, I honestly don’t have the time to write a 6+ page RESEARCH paper every week.

I had all day Sunday, Monday night, and lunch/breaks today to… Read More ➤