There is nothing weirder than researching old teachers

Instead of finishing up a story that I was technically supposed to have filed by today, I was distracted by the thought of searching my old schools online.

I found my fifth grade teacher, who looks much different now than he does in my mind, and have discovered that some of the most memorable teachers I've had are no longer working for the school district.

It really goes to show how much I've grown, even if it hasn't always felt that way.

Rock 'n' Roll hall of fame -- wtf?

I can't believe it took so long to induct Iggy Pop into the Rock 'n' Roll hall of fame. It seems pretty obvious (to me, at least) that Iggy has been one of the most influential artists from the 1970s punk scene.

There must have been some pretty big names to beat out the Stooges six previous times. I'm on a mission to find out who they are ...

Read this article and enjoy this really shitty video:

simple pleasures

Here are a few simple things in life that I very much enjoy:

1. Free downloads. Lately, I've gotten about 15 free songs, thanks to the great folks at NPR music and the weekly downloads from iTunes. Absolutely lovely, I say...

2. Good coffee. I've been trying to brew my own cuppa java each morning before I head off to work (I mean, if I have the coffee maker why not use it, right?) but I can't seem to master the proper measurements between water and beans. And maybe it's the fact that I use skim milk instead of the creamer available at the coffee shops, but I can't make my coffee taste as good as the stuff they sell. Maybe they put something special in it to make it addicting.

3. Charles Bukowski. He's so crazy, I just love him. I finished reading Pulp and I'm itching to go to the bookstore so I can find another of his novels.

4. Listening/drinking/reading one of the above on a sunny porch. Now that the sunshine has finally decided to roll over to my end of the country, I'm really excited to be able to sit on my front porch and enjoy the sun while doing one of the other things above. I think the positioning of our porch in comparison to the way the sun moves, plus the bushes that block the early morning sunrise might make this porch sitting complicated. I mean, the porch will be warm and sunny but I might not be able to sit in the sunshine for a long time. It's complicated, I'm nonsensical.

I'm trying to write a short story just for kicks, but I don't know what to write about. No wonder writers have such a hard job.