Reptilae’s ChangeLog

It shocks me that someone that I’ve never even met can be missed so much in their passing away. Today I had the pleasure of being a 9th grade English teacher at Mariner High School in Cape Coral, FL. The assignment I had to discuss with the students was about books that we especially liked, that had an impact on our lives or in just some way were significant to us. I told them some anecdotes about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, about how I’d first read the series when I was about their age and how it had appealed to me so greatly that I’ve read through the series at least once a year ever since. I then scanned the rest of the worksheet that I had given them to fill in with some general comments about the great reads in their lives and found that most of the answers I had to fill in the blanks would have been from one of Douglas Adam’s works. I’d have to say that the best book I’ve ever had the pleasure to read was one of his, Last Chance to See. I also have had the opportunity to read through several times the memoirs his family and friends recovered from his computer following his death. It sorrows me greatly to think that nothing more will be published from such a talented mind. Strange or not, my life is somewhat empty from this loss—someone that I’ve never had the chance to greet or chat with or even stand in his presence—the person who made me think, who made me laugh out loud, who even now is able to steal away a perfectly good Sunday evening to dip into a fantastically absurd universe where the answer to life the universe and everything will always be 42.

I don’t travel as often as I’d like, but when I happen to drift away from the city that I like to call "home" one of the highlights of each trip to a new city is the food that I eat. I am, of course, one of the slightly overweight American statistics that we hear so much about on the news. The plague of the 21st century, they can all go to hell…and by the way, I’ll have my steak medium-rare.
Not only do I eat more than I should, I also tend to think more than I eat, from which came my own special theory of evolution. The theory is this. An assessment of the level of evolution of a particular city can be easily determined by taking a look at the restaurants within said area.

A budding town, one that has more horses than traffic lights will have a Hardee’s. It’s infallible. Go to the smallest, least developed town you can imagine and there will be a Hardee’s (or the remains of one recently burned down). As time moves on, as civilization develops some of the more upscale fast food restaurants will follow. Soon there will be a McDonalds, a Taco Bell, a Wendy’s and quite possibly even a Pizza Hut.

Around the time a city earns a highway exit the more advanced restaurants will begin to move in. There will be TGIF, Carrabbas and Applebee’s. They will obtain Romano’s, Smokey Bones and Lone Star. The major restaurant chains will pop up all over, and life will seem good, but there is always more to come.

Eventually will rise the middle-upscale district, and no longer is Subway or Blimpie’s and acceptable location to partake of a sandwich. The idea of someplace as common as a Chili’s or Ruby Tuesday does not suit the discerning dinner palate. The bourgeoisies require a Jason’s Deli for lunch and a Bahama Breeze to carry them into the evening hours. The city is growing, and suddenly the grass roots from which all society has come is an embarrassment. The McDonalds, the Hardee’s may still exist, but no one really eats there anymore, do they?

Finally the city has blossomed into maturity, and thus moves in the final pieces of the upscale puzzle. The Panera Bread, the Starbucks on every corner (once one moves in, they breed like rabbits). Soon the rash of over-priced, individually-owned bistros give rise, a bad example for independent businesses everywhere, for they are the few that cater to the few.

As I write this my city currently sits in the beginning stages of the third level. Cape Coral, FL has an Applebee’s and an Outback, with more of the chain restaurants on the way. Ft. Myers, the city just across the river, is beginning fourth level development and steamrolling towards the fifth and final level. Within five years every major city will be just like every other, constantly evolving and thus reshaping what is acceptable to eat. As much I love Panera Bread, and often seek them out whenever I visit a Tampa, a Jacksonville, an Orlando it seems like restaurants such as those will be the new face of America. A land with coffee houses on every corner and very little sense of what made the area unique.

The bright side? High quality, no unwelcome surprises and as much as the world may become cookie cutter, at least we’ll be well fed.

Pay no attention to what the media call "artistic" or "dynamic"—the question on everyone’s mind is, "Is the music any good?", "Do I want to listen to this over and over again?", "Will this CD be in my player more than any other CD ever has?" My ultimate top ten albums for this year is all of that: a list of the albums I wanted to listen to, albums that constantly seemed to jump into my mind whenever I went looking for something to have in the car or at home. They are CD’s that made me run out to my car in the middle of the night because I couldn’t live without them for the evening.

The number one and two albums earned their spots because I love every song on each of those albums and that fact alone kept me wanting to hear them all the time. All-American Rejects was in my car CD wallet every week since its release day in the beginning of the year. The three CD’s that received honorable mentions were all on the top ten list until newer selections pushed them off. So, if you find yourself in the music store wondering what to buy, none of the albums on this list will disappoint…

Top 10 Records of 2003

1. All-American Rejects, All-American Rejects (Power-Pop)
2. The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow (Indy/Folk Rock)
3. Grandaddy, Sumday (Alternative)
4. Lagwagon, Blaze (Punk)
5. NOFX, War on Errorism (Punk)
6. A Perfect Circle, Thirteenth Step (Alternative)
7. Blink-182, Blink-182 (Power-Pop)
8. The Network, Money Money 2020 (New Wave/Punk)
9. Zwan, Mary Star of the Sea (Alternative)
10. Radiohead, Hail to the Thief (Alternative)

Honorable Mentions

MxPx, Before Everything and After (Power-Pop)
Raveonettes, Chain Gang of Love (Alternative)
Hot Hot Heat, Make Up the Breakdown (Alternative)

Top 10 Songs of 2003

Same rules apply for the top songs of the year as did the top albums. Which songs stuck in my head? Which ones nagged at me until I couldn’t help but put in the albums from which they came from? The number one song on the list is so good it almost earned that entire album the number one spot. I relented to the sheer quality of the other two albums, but "Its On" will always be one of my all-time favorite songs.

1. "Its On", Grandaddy
2. "2 + 2 = 5", Radiohead
3. "Last Song", All-American Rejects
4. "Lullaby", Lagwagon
5. "Mediocore", NOFX
6. "Pink Bullets", The Shins
7. "Lyric", Zwan
8. "Roshambo", The Network
9. "Bandages", Hot Hot Heat
10. "13:51", The Strokes

t-minus two weeks or so til I leave my present job and start out my new life as a teacher on the bottom of the ladder—a substitute. Shelley is a bit nervous about the change, worried about whether or not we can afford to add myself onto her insurance policy. It had me doubting my decision to leave Target, even though being there is a massive weight on my soul. Tonight reaffirmed my decision, however. I can’t believe how savage people are in stores, where they don’t own any of the stuff they’re messing with. I shudder at the thought of how little respect the world has for other people’s property and sense of order. I’m anxious to become a teacher, just to try to drive home the idea of respect to some of the masses out there in the world.

It may be an impossible dream—but it is a dream, and one I will strive to achieve.

So, I was on the marcy playground web site as I so often am lately. The web site itself never gets updated, but there is a bulletin board set up where members can post whatever they’re thinking about the band, or life, or anything else for that matter. I’m not a member, I just like logging on and reading what people have to say. I guess its strange the way everyone copes with having to wait for something that they’re truly looking forward to, like a new CD from a favorite band. Some people like to post their feelings, others just like to be a voyeur into those feelings without sharing their own.

The lead singer and songwriter for Marcy Playground has been making a lot of posts to the site as of late, and posed the question to the other members regarding the music that they all liked, but feel sinful for liking. Be it shallow or pop or whatever. In thinking about the question I realized today that I have become an utter snob when it comes to music. I am not ashamed of what I listen to, because what I listen to (In my own mind’s eye) is great and meaningful. I think back, however, to types of music that I may be interested in but because of the fear of comprimising my snobbishness I just abandon altogether. It kind of disgusted me in some way to think that I’d drop something because its too popular or not meaningful enough. I suppose its just something that got me thinking.

On a dreary note, I realized today that I can’t stand my job and dread ever going back again. I’m beginning the massive amount of paperwork required to begin substitute teaching, but the process cannot go quickly enough. Thinking about my work makes me want to cry.

Two things I would change about my life:
1) How far I am from my friends
2) My job

Hello. This is a test and only a test. Should this test fail, whoever chooses to read this will in fact be reading nothing. Should it succeed, however, then the person reading this has managed to waste approximately thirty seconds of his or her life. Wonderful stuff, huh?