This was an email I sent out to family and other people...

__

The below video captures my thoughts, and sentiments, regarding the state of affairs in our country.
http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/ywc/

I complain to Alaina about sending me these types of messages all the time but I feel very strongly about this upcoming election and wanted to send this out. Do what you will with it, but remember…every 4 years the choice becomes ours to decide what direction we want our country to go in. We could continue to go in the same direction of the last 8 years or we could decide to have change, hopefully for the better. Obama’s plans for education alone make me want to vote for him.

Don’t believe the hype…both parties will smear the other for their own gain. Read the issues for yourself. Learn what they both stand for and choose to have an educated vote.
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

It’s probably too late to change any preconceived notions you might have regarding the candidates. Many of you already know who you will vote for, regardless of what I write. Especially about Barack Obama.

Just remember…in an ever changing world, we should strive to be better. At everything! Why strive to be mediocre, broke, disillusioned, at war and left behind in the world. Know what you want and make your decision wisely.

I want change!

MattOrrin

This video goes out to sui_generis and all others who have hope and feel change is in the air.

Someone send this to Hillary! We want change!

--update-- here is the video

This article helps remind me why organized religion can be bad. Well, maybe not all religions...maybe just Christianity. Somewhere along the way, after years or indocrination, this guy believes that he should have heard from someone...I don't know, say Jesus...who would answer his prayers and make his life better.
They forget to mention that it doesn't work that way. So he shoots a bunch of people then himself. They could have at least taught him the proper order. Always start with yourself!

This is the part that got to me...

Interviews and Murray's Internet postings depict him as a disturbed young man who was bitter about being an outcast, turned against charismatic Christianity and dabbled in other beliefs.


I never heard the term 'charismatic christian' before. I looked up charismatic and was definitely surprised. I had no idea thats what the word is associated with.

I also like the part where it said he dabbled in other beliefs. Something funny about that. Probably witchcraft and satanism.

I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I am going to ComicCon this summer in San Diego. I am getting increasingly excited as the summer draws closer. There are some artists & writers that I am looking forward to seeing (especially Ed Brubaker, Keith Giffen, J.G. Jones and Bryan Hitch) but right now there isn't a huge draw for me. I hope there is some big Batman profile, especially with the new movie coming out. Or maybe a sneak preview into some BIG for next year! Gosh I'm giddy!!!

The only thing I am wondering about is whether or not to dress up! :)

I've been reading a lot of really cool graphic novels lately. Both Marvel and DC have some highly intelligent stuff out, although they are probably not too new.

The _Justice_ series from DC has been making me drool. It is a 3-part series where the world's super villians all have a common dream of saving the world from destruction. They do lots of good things but also take out the Justice League. Very suspenseful.

DC also had 52, which started out all amazing but then tapered a bit at the end. The first book or two had really neat story lines, interesting twists and good art work. I feel the story got a little convoluted near the end and I felt like it wa a bit disconnected. Still worth reading.

Which brings me to the best thing I have been reading as of late. Marvel has an event called CIVIL WAR. They have multiple comic series falling into this story line. There are a couple of Civil War only comics, but otherwise there are crossovers into the X-Men, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Thunderbolts and a bunch of others.

The premise is after a major catastrophe, which involved hundreds of people (including many kids) getting blown up, a Superhero Registration Act is made into a law which requires all "capes" to register with the government and become part of Shield operations. Some heroes (such as Iron Man) support it while others (such as Captain America) vehemently oppose it. This creates an environment of superheroes fighting each other and the Pro-registration heroes having to capture and incarcerate heros that AREN'T registered.

This has to be one of the most intelligent, thought-provoking, story lines I have ever read in a graphic novel. Sure, there is some fluff but the connections to how things are going in our OWN country are astounding. The arguments, and discussions, of the implications regarding a law such as this are very inviting. I can't put this down when I get a new book.

Has anyone read any of this? I would LOVE to discuss this comic and all the happenings in it.
Things like...
- Are these things happening already in our country?
- Would people really allow a law like this if we had superheroes in our world? Why or why not?

Please feel free to discuss

I know its been a while but this has been one crazy year!! Between work, school, my budding relationship and WoW I just havent found the time, nor the inclination, to post here. Well that is (hopefully) gonna change. As of 6:47pm MST today, I have officially completed all the necessary Competencies to obtain my Masters degree. Sure, I have one more class to go to on Saturday but that is merely a technicality. You may now call me Master. Woohoo!!
If you want to see my portfolio, check out http://www.squidnet.com/orrin/portfolio/
It shows the work that I have done in the program...not ALL of it, but the ones that count. What a relief!

On another note, my GF and I will be gracing NYC with our presences in December. We fly in December 13, and plan on staying in the city till Saturday morning. We have a room at the Grand Central Hyatt (thanks Seth!!) and I plan on seeing friends on Friday night. So, if you want to hang out on Friday (plans not yet determined) then hit me up. I will only have that night to hang out with people so please please plan in advance. :)

Things with the GF are going well. We've mostly been spending time on the weekends, especially with our schedules and my lack of car. We take full advantage of that time though, which is cool. We also take advantage of holidays. She will be meeting the family...cousins, etc...during our NY visit. I'm not worried, she is.

Was watching ComiCon on the G4 channel. Lots of exciting things on the horizon...Iron Man movie, Rob Zombie's Halloween, Watchmen announcements (they won't say who this guy is playing but he is in the movie)...and the Dark Knight teaser.

someone give me the strength to make it to Summer 08 to see this movie.

I'll tell you, it could suck. It could be the best movie ever made. And you nay sayers could be as negative as you want about it (Christian Bale has a lisp, Jack was the best Joker, Heath Ledger is too brokeback, etc...) but I am extremely excited about it!

They just showed a still of Joker with Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) and it looked like Joker's smile is scarred raised skin...not really sure. However, they had audio in the trailer and he sounded pretty good. Part of a laugh.
I got hard just listening to it all.

---
In less exciting news, they are making an Iron Man movie. Robert Downey jr. as the man himself...i'll remain open minded. Sam Jackson as Nick Fury though, which could be pretty sweet.

All of this shit happening with our government, including the Supreme Court, is starting to really scare me. It doesn't take much to get my conspiracy theory juices flowing as it is, but with these people in power my juices are flooding!

- The Supreme court almost effectively overturned Brown v. Board of Ed. This in itself isn't the bad part. The fact is that the conservative majority of the Supreme Court is interpreting the law through their own ideology. This should not be happening.

- Cheney, after claiming Executive privelage to avoid giving up information, is now claiming that he isn't part of the Executive branch but rather the Legislative branch allowing him to avoid giving up other information.

- Bush spits in the face of the law, and jury of the Libby trial, and removes the "prison" sentence given to Libby.

the list goes on...


My predictions for next year as a result of things that have happened in the last 7 years...

- We will have an attack on US soil during the Summer of 2008, or into September, that will lead our current leadership to take full control over our country in a State of Emergency. This will be done by either Bush, or Cheney...depending on whether or not Cheney wants the top spot bad enough.

- There will be NO presidential election next year as a result of all of this. Our leadership will say it is not prudent right now and that we need to come together to fight the "evils" of foreigners attacking us on our soil.

It is the first set of steps toward a full on police state with a relative dictator. I wouldn't be surprised if Rupert Murdoch was put in charge of spreading information through the numerous media outlets he owns.

I hope I am wrong about all of this and just paranoid. I guess we'll see in a year.

Tomorrow is technically the last day of school, and I can't express how happy I will be (when it finally hits me!) to be done. Me and some guys I work with are going camping right from work for a couple of days...some are spending only 1 night. I love my first camping trip of the season...I get giddy.

This has been a rough year for me...physically, emotionally, and professionally. I am also at a crossroads right now because I have an offer for a new job at another school and I don't know if I want to take it. There are lots of good things about this new school and, in fact, I will write about it at a later time.
Upon reflection, some things that have been gnawing at me lately are becoming increasingly clearer to me now. I am going to have to make some big decisions pretty soon, which is a good thing. I think I have realized that no matter how badly I WANT someone, it doesn't mean they are what I NEED. I hope I am strong enough to make the right decision if that situation occurs shortly.

Going to be in NYC from the 10th-17th of July. Mainly visiting the family, but I plan on seeing friends on the 13th, at least.

Thinking of going to Seattle at the end of July to visit Dr. Chow. Want to go to Vancouver and then possibly a road trip south.

I need to look seriously for an international teaching job. Something.

First off, I will be making an appearance in NYC between July 10-17. Ideally, I will be heading in to the city on Friday, July 13th to hang out with friends. If you can make it then, and I hope you can, that would be great. Unfortunately, the rest of my time will be with family. I might also be able to do Thursday, the 12th. Hit me up...


Secondly, when did Godzilla develop such destructive, evil powers? I was just watching a 2001 movie where the big green guy had to face King Ghidorah, Mothra and some other wacky monsters, all of whom were considered guardians to take him down. However, Godzilla wasn't going out like that, ya dig? He was doing some crazy suck-in-air move, where his back spikes would light up, and he would shoot out a concentrated beam of electric fire. He cremated one of the guardians (literally!) and in another shot, he caused an explosion that was reminiscent for a school teacher of the atom bomb. Whatever happened to the protective Godzilla? He also seemed real smart and evil when he killed different people, destroyed structures and basically made the island of Japan his stomping ground.
Why Godzilla...why?

That was a Morrissey quote from last night. I saw him at the Fillmore, here in Denver. He was awesome! I didn't know what to expect but it definitely wasn't what I got. They rocked...he was definitely on point. I had hoped he would play Boy Racer but apparently, it wasn't on the agenda. Some dude showed me the setlist prior to the show so I knew it wasn't going to happen. Too bad really cause I like that song a lot.

I am done with work in 20 days...12 actual school days and 1 half-no-contact-with-students day. I find it harder and harder to get there cause of some of the "adults" I work with. There is a lot of negativity and pettiness in my school from the staff and it is sometimes sickening. Its a shame cause my school used to be awesome...lots of creativity & positivity. People used to find solutions to problems. Now they just point out the problems...its kind of pathetic actually. Either way, on the last day me and 7 other dudes are gonna go on a camping trip straight from school. Thats what I am looking forward to right now.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

So I havent posted here very much. When you work close to 60 hour weeks, go to school on alternating saturdays, participate in committees and professional developments, and play WoW its hard to do much of anything else. However, I want to thank the people out there who try to keep me encouraged from a blog perspective...especially j_lbabyblog and sui_generis. You guys are always supportive and I appreciate that.

Lets put things in perspective to see how good things truly are:
- 21 more days with students, some of which are half days and school activities
- 16 more works days of night school
- 2 more saturdays of my Masters program until summer session which is only gonna be a week long
- Around $600-$700 in this paycheck for night school, and about the same for ELA classes I had to take
- Around $800-900 in the next month paycheck for my participation in a Math-CTE program, as well as another night school check.
- I payed my summer tuition already with my tax returns and plan to use the rest to pay for fall semester (which is my last!!) as well as a rental car for my summer conference
- My internship for my Masters has been started and a bunch of work done already. I will finish it over the summer so come fall, I wont have much to do for one of my classes. This Masters was an easy program for me....thanks again Joel!

These are all good things. Despite the crappy year I have had at work, things are starting to pick up. I have big plans for this summer, including an annual conference, sweet camping trips, a trip to NYC and maybe somewhere exotic. I also hope some private matters that some of you know about work out for me.

On an unrelated note, I had to go to court the other day to testify in a case that involved me getting a restraing order against someone. Long story, but the point is I had never been to a court before. Now, I not only went to one but I got to sit on the stand and testify. It was freakin cool! I was part of the process. I enjoyed it. And I got my PRO which was cool.

I feel like I missed something...not sure. However, WTF was up with Jimmie Walker posing with Ann Coulter at the TV Land awards. There were a few pictures of them together. Are they scientologists now and no one told me?

So its been a LOOOONG time since I have posted, publicly or privately. Things are going I suppose. I did have something going on in my life (as some of you know) but that is done. I think its a good thing but it has its sucky moments. que sera sera.

My Masters program is still going strong. Doing fairly well in it this semester even though I have recently started to slack a bit. Its all good as I will get done what I need. The good news is that as a result of doing my taxes, I have enough money to pay Summer and Fall tuition. It feels good to not go into deeper debt. I should be done in December. 1 class in the Summer and 2 in the Fall, one of which is my internship. I am currently working on that at my school and should be done by end of Summer. Pretty sweet.

On the work front, I have moments of not being able to stand my job. the atmosphere at my school or horrible. Morale is low, a lot of good people are leaving for other buildings and we have lots of changes happening next year. Many of these things could have been avoided, or can be remedied, if one person were to leave but I am not sure if they are or not. Its amazing how one person can affect an entire work environment. Supports an argument for a strong leader...its a shame really. I passed on the opportunity to apply for a job somewhere cool where I think I had a good chance so that I could stay and see some of these changes occur. However, I might need to consider going elsewhere.

7 more weeks till Summer break. I need to find a job for the summer, something with maybe 20 hours. I have some prospects but who knows.

anyways, thats that. I will try to be more vocal on here...I might as well. I pay for it! :)

Woo hoo!! This test confirmed everything I already knew.

Modern, Cool Nerd 60 % Nerd, 69% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd. Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)! Congratulations! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Professional Wrestling Love & Sexuality America/Politics Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 62% on nerdiness You scored higher than 92% on geekosity You scored higher than 31% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

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Well, as many of you might already know, Denver (or the whole freakin state!!) got covered in snow. It snowed for almost 2 days straight, which was sweet! Spent most of the time playing WoW, reading, and I took a nap yesterday. We played in the snow last night which was fun...we went tubing.

So, i am looking forward to this end of year and the start of a new year. This was a really rough year for me, especially this last semester. I had a lot of things going on in my life and had a hard time dealing with them. Most of them were little things but they all built up and I felt like I lost control for a while. I was experiencing bouts of depression but didn't realize it until this past month. Now that I recognize it, I plan to do whatever is necessary to avoid it happening again. I need to dive into the important things. My grad program, the gym, potentially finding a new job in May.

Change is inevitable and I think its time has come.

So...today, December 20th, 2006 they cancelled school due to weather. This is bizarre because when I look outside, there is nothing on the ground.
I mean, it IS snowing but it hasnt really accumulated yet...what looks like a dusting. DPS never closes unless shit isn't running. Apparently, they are up to 47 closings on the DenverChannel closings page.

What kind of sucks about this glorious snow day is that today was Finals day...the last day for students. What does this mean? I have no idea. Do we freeze (no pun intended!!) grades? Do they come in tomorrow (if possible) to take their Finals? I bought all this food for class and we were having a pot luck in my morning class. Ah well...guess I gotta enjoy this gift late in the Chanukah week. I might just have to enter grades today...that could be fun. :)

I am kind of happy about this as I have been burnt out from work...badly. I was SO over my class about 2 weeks ago.

I wonder if it is snowing in the world...of warcraft! might have to go find out.

The Mets just lost the NLCS against the St. Louid Cardinals, but not due to a lack of effort. Endy Chavez made a spectacular catch to keep the game tight until the very end. What I saw was the Mets of old, as opposed to the dominant force they were all season long. I saw a team give it up in the end innings of a most important game. Despite the 2 run homer, they tried to tie it up. First two batters get on base. Then they get another batter on base, bases loaded. Floyd strikes out. Beltran is up and he goes 0-2 pretty quickly. Then, after fouling a ball, he watches the Met's last chance go right past him. I HATE watching my team lose on a no-swing strikeout. Its kind of like blueballs...painful and unnecessary. I dont blame Beltran, because these guys should have put more runs throughout the game...hell, they should have won it a lot sooner. Nothing against the Cardinals, but the Mets are the better team. Were the better team. Now they gotta wait till next year to prove it.

I can't necessarily count on the Jets, so thank goodness for Hockey season. Go Av's!!

On a brighter note, today was my last day of working 7-7, with night school. I will now be doing night school till 5, which means I will be working 7-5. Should be a huge improvement, especially in my WoW time.

This article pisses me off. Yes, I think the game is too violent and I don't play it, but to blame it for some abused teenager shooting up his family? I think not.
No where in this article does it mention how the kid got the gun. They do mention the following though:

"But for Posey's use of these products ... he would not have killed," the lawsuit claims.

The game trained him "how to point and shoot a gun in a fashion making him an extraordinarily effective killer without teaching him any of the constraints or responsibilities needed to inhibit such a killing capacity,"

How the fuck did he get the gun?? And yes, I know you can probably get it from a friend or someone else...my point is, the game isn't the problem. The parents probably are. They don't know whats going on with their kids. Society is the problem because this kid was able to get the gun that his video game apparently trained him to use. His family is supposed to teach him the constraints and responsibilities, not entertainment.

I'm rooting for the big guys on this one...

First off, a buddy posted a bulleting in MySpace. You know the type, "repost and pass it on or someone dies..."
It was the zodiac signs and descriptions of each one. Here was mine (Pisces)
...PISCES...
1. Caring and kind
2. Smart
3. Center of attention
4. Too Sexy, DAMN IT
5. Very high sex appeal
6. Has the last word
7. The best to find, hardest to keep
8. Fun to be around
9. Freak in the sheets
10. Extremely weird but in a good way
11. Super good in bed
12. Good Sense of Humor!!!
13. Thoughtful
14. Fighter
15. A partner for life

I feel some of these DO describe me well, but not all. 1, 2, 3(sometimes), 6, 7 (like to think), 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 (not physically though) and 15 (although I haven't proved it yet). I can't say the others because I really haven't had too much opportunity to prove/show it. I haven't been with anyone in a WHILE...too long it feels. The ones I listed, though, do a good job of describing me...especially #10. Which brings me to the original intent of this post.

I took the #16 bus today, which isn't one of my favorite buses. I had a weird, uncomfortable experience on this bus the last time I took it. But anyway, I took it today and looked around on it. I tend to reflect a lot on the bus due to the great people watching. As I looked around, I felt like I was looking at the dregs of society (mostly) and I thought, "normal people don't ride the bus, do they?" Then I wondered, "Am I as weird as the people around me?" I've always noticed that sometimes people won't sit next to me. Could be coincidence, could be paranoia but I have definitely noticed it. I've seen attractive, "normal" looking, women sit next to drunks and freaks rather than me. I don't think I look intimidating, or scary but who knows.

Why do you think everyday people don't like riding the bus?
1. the Drunks
2. Freaks and weirdos
3. Socially unacceptable
4. Takes too long to get places
5. Other (explain)

I started a new schedule last week. As if teaching all day wasn't enough, I decided to take on night school as well. My schedule is as follows:
Monday thru Friday: 7-3 (day school) then 5-7(night school)
Saturday: 8:30-5:30 This isn't EVERY Saturday, but most until Dec. 2
Also, on Wednesday nights I will be tutoring my friend Byron in Calculus from 7-8.
See, I can barely afford tuition this semester so I needed to work Night school in order to do it. I get about 9 hours a week @ about $30 an hour so that should hopefully cover me next month. This schedule is gonna seriously impede my WoW (World of Warcraft) time...

...which brings me to this past weekend. Because I am broke (hence the above story) I am trying not to go out and spend money. I faciliatated that this weekend by getting more out of the money I already spent. WoW costs around $13/month to play. I played a few hours on Friday night, 7 hours Saturday night (9pm-4am) and a couple of hours last night. My roommate Elan (notice the unique name) and I are progressing nicely through our quests, etc. In fact, last night I became an expert at First Aid. Things are looking up...I might even hit lvl 30 tonight after this post.

On an unrelated note, there is a bar in Denver called the Front Porch. Each month they release a calendar where if your name appears on a day of the month, you drink all night for free. Well, mine is on Sept. 12, but there is someone else that night. The other name is Elan (remember the name?)
On Sept 12, both Elan and Matt drink for free. Is this a weird coincidence? I'm gonna find out that night I guess. I'm thinking someone submitted our names, but who knows...weirder stuff has happened. Anyway, come out and see for yourself. Either way, I drink for free. :)