The TRUE Story of Easter

Long Long ago, a tiny little bunny Named Ester caused a hillside dirt slide while hippity hopping on a hill, releasing the dirt from beneath a giant bolder and freeing this jesus dude from his cave that he accidentally got closed in when people thought he was sleeping. To show the little bunny his appreciation he granted Ester three wishes.
Ester's first wish was to be the size of a large man, she always wanted to be bigger than life. Her second wish was to be able to defy the natural biological laws of mammals and be given the ability to lay eggs because she had always envied the birds. Ester's last wish was that the eggs that she would be able to birth from her loins would be brightly colored and filled with surprises to really show the birds how to do it right.
Seeing as how Ester the bunny saved old christer's hide he agreed to grant her the wishes (he was jesus so he didn't judge the bunny on her unusual request).
Over the years the giant egg laying bunny begat many an offspring (painfully I might add) but as the DNA of her lineage decayed over time and mutated the great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandbunnies only retained the ability to lay brightly colored eggs once a year based on a complex mix of lunar and planetary menstrual cycles.
Thus every year this amazing biological event takes place across the world (much like sea turtles) in peoples living rooms and front yards. It is rather traumatic for Ester's ancestor bunnies to go through of course, and usually they feel so ashamed, confused and embarrassed of what they had done, that they frantically try to hide their peculiar offspring in unusual places so that no one will find them.
BUT FIND THEM WE DO!

Now if we could only understand peeps...

The Sixty Fifth Weekend Update: Spring Music Extravaganza (one day early)

As life works in waves, crests and troughs, so does new music in our lives. Every so often some sort of fateful even takes place where I am once again flooded with new music. In this case I just happen to have great friends that continually share with me new music. I would like to highlight some of the recent amazing artists that I have been turned onto through friends, with baseball opening days all around the country I'll use a batting line up to separate the artists.

MUSICAL ARTISTS OF THE WEEK:

Leading Off: ALBERTA CROSS from the short album "The Thief and a Heartbreaker." My good festival friend Matt S. of Seattle (more lovingly referred to as Space Cowboy) made a suggestion on facebook to check this band out. He was right in that the voice of the singer has that ethereal cosmic sound similar to My Morning Jacket but also a whining sustain like Blind Melon. But, they have a distinctly upbeat melancholy that is southern rock in luster. "Hard Breaks" is the clear favorite song but other more spacey cuts such as "Lucy Rider" are also very enjoyable.

On Deck: My favorite greek piece of larbage, Queen Larbs of Strumpet Valley, recommended the band HORSE FEATHERS on her website last week. I immediately went on iTunes and purchased "Words Are Dead," their 2006 effort (her opinion is one that has consistently been a solid one). At times I feel like they possess a Nick Drake feel capturing that sentimental heartshaking quiver, but at other times they really shine their bluegrassy tones inspiring the feeling of a serious need to be lying in a bed of moss in the olympic rainforest, either way it makes for a perfect sunday driving or walking soundtrack and would accompany any dinner with wine nicely. The more I listen to it the more I feel like this band will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

In the Hole: Thanks to Randy who told Sydney who told me I have been enjoying some cerebral massages in the form of an all instrumental band called EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY. Their album "How Strange, Innocence" definitely takes a page from Modest Mouse's broodiness in "Willful Suspension and Disbelief" but with out the Isaac Brock oddity lyrics. Instead they create 5 to 10 minute mini rock symphonies that build and crescendo with the best of emotions. A great band for cooking a serious dinner.

Batting Clean Up: My brother got me a Relix Magazine Subscription where I discovered these next two little gems, so the credit should go to him.

When I saw the cover of the new LES CLAYPOOL brand new album "Of Fungi and Foe" I knew that this album was going to be a big deal. Former and still part time Primus frontman has long been known as pretty much the most talented bass virtuoso of all time. There is just one problem when it comes to him getting more industry credit for it. He's a freaking scary ass hillbilly psycho. Often outfitting himself (and his band of freaks) in pig masks and various frightening outfits he's played with several band combinations backing him: Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, Les Claypool and his Fancy Band (with Skerik on sax), and Oysterhead (with the Police Drummer and Trey Anastasio of Phish). This time I don't know who's in the band because they are all wearing freaking masks. Last week I saw them on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show and they were absolutely terrifying, naturally I had to own the album. The song is a cross between kentucky holler stomp and a serious fungal psychedelic experience. Most of the songs are about mushrooms and the plucky plodding stomping sound is funky and freaky and fungal in every way. It still retains that Les Claypool essence but pushes boundaries to new levels previously unattained in his other efforts as the band takes on a more 4 string quartet feel. Cellos and violins as well as Claypool's 5 different types of bass instruments really make this a serious musical experience...check out "Red State Girl."

When I read about an interview with this next artist in Relix I was truly blown away with his coolness (his beard is what I imagine my brother growing someday...if he ever suddenly gains the ability to grow a beard). I saw him in a little known indi movie called "Old Joy" that says so much about what will probably happen to most of us aspiring hippies (this movie is amazing please find it and watch it). I didn't even know that he was also an extensively hard working folk/rock/whatever you call it musical artist recording under many names but most notably BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY. His newest effort "Beware" is apparently his strongest yet (I can't imagine him making something shitty). I hate entering into prolific artists careers this late in the game but the guy is very remarkable and I will definitely do some back tracking. His voice is strong and haunting as well as sweetly endearing at times. The melodies are unconventional and diverse and a lot of the folk and country undertones make it a peculiar listen the first time through. I has infected me however, and I find myself slowly learning the intracacies of this fantastic singer songwriter...whatever he goes by.

Should I keep going...

The Designated Hitter:

My new good friend Brian suggested I check out an awesome free music podcast. SO now I'm passing it on to you.

NPR's ALL SONGS CONSIDERED podcast and NPR'S LIVE CONCERTS FROM ALL SONGS CONSIDERED PODCAST (both are free and can be found on iTunes). Through these podcasts I have been able to enjoy free music, interviews and performances from amazing bands such as:

Bob Dylan, Bonnie Prince Billy, Franz Ferdinand, Bon Iver, Neil Young, Buena Vista Social Club, Tom Waits, Sigur Ros, Dr. Dog, Ratatat, Mates of State, Portishead, Billie Holiday, Vampire Weekend, Magnetic Fields, Iron and Wine, John Vanderslice, The Polyphonic Spree, Neko Case, Blitzen Trapper, Radiohead, Fleet Foxes, Kaki King, Doc Watson, Wilco, Bjork, and Fujiya and Miyagi, and so many more I haven't even been able to deal with.

Personally I would check out the Kaki King Live show and the Doc Watson Live show first because they are both amazing personal performances.

DOC WATSON at the age of 70 something (blind since the age of one) is a bluegrass legend and the stories in between songs is priceless, his old voice and young fingers are a real treat for people with a sweet tooth for pickers and grinners.

KAKI KING the hammering, looping, drumming female guitar virtuoso (saw once open for someone) puts on her first show with a band and kicks the shit out of it. This girl can destroy things.

THE POLYPHONIC SPREE sports near 25 members in the band recording and touring and often dons matching choral religious style robes. Their epic choral gospel rock sound just like a religious music revival but isn't exactly about anything traditionally religious, it is something you either love or hate. Either way they are worth checking out and I have known about them for a while, it just took hearing them live to force me to go back to their first album "The Beginning Stages of the Polyphonic Spree"


LASTLY BUT NOT LEASTLY: Its up to you as to what you do with all these musical suggestions, but for a reasonably cheep or free investment you can soak up the last remaining sentiments of winter and spring. Most of the music I have recommended will be seasonably out of fashion and favor when the hot summer waves and sunrays start to come around, as Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Buffet, Sublime and other summertime favorites start to take over as well.

I hope you all enjoy these suggestions as I have from the people who gave them to me.

I'm gonna forgo the other weekly novelties of the Weekend Update as I think you all have enough to digest.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!

Overalls Friday and Weekend Goals

We made it. State testing week is over. Enough said I think.

Again I do apologize for the week of bickering here on the blog, but I think that some things needed to be said.

This weekend I'm looking forward to some sleep time hopefully. I've been staying up late this week practicing ukulele, talking on the phone and eating Vanilla yogurt with hand picked tundra berries and granola. We are running out of propane (as a village we are out, but me and my neighbor still have a little left). This will put a dent in my tea drinking as I heat my water with a teapot (no microwave). I still have a buttload of berries that I picked left and I am trying to figure out how I will eat them all (and my trout too).

Yesterday, I got an amazing care package from my baby Sydney in the mail complete with some great mix cd's, honey sticks, gourmet milk chocolate mix, a cool leather wrist wallet thing that I love, and two guided meditation cd's (one I did twice last night, so amazing!) a letter and photos. Despite both of us having rather frustrating weeks I'm still feeling great due mostly to her positivity. She picks me up when I'm feeling low.

I also got to skype with my best bud Randall on Oly. We shot the shit good and dead. We talked about music and summer and stupid stuff. It was great, I can't wait to be hangin out again.

Other goals for this weekend are to talk to my mom and dad tonight and hopefully talk to my brother soon. He's been in Germany and Austria (getting Austriacized hehe) and I have only caught fleeting glimpses of him. I MISS YOU BROTHER!

Also, it dawned on me that I will be gone from this northern experience in almost a month.

35 days...whoa. I need to start packing. Tomorrow, sleep in, pack, eat berries, love life.

I've been overwhelmed with amazing new music so expect a music centric Weekend Update on Sunday. So much good free tunes out there (thanks to Brian's advice, you rule brother).

I hope you all had a good week and aren't soured on Radiate Warmth, I haven't really lived up to my blog name this week. I'm not perfect, people piss me off too. Let's all get some rest and try again on monday ok?

Love y'all.

Enough Already AC

AC the anonymous commenter has graced us with yet another one of their wildly insightful comments... I can't help but feel responsible for egging this poor misguided individual on. So I will respond to this last comment because this is MY blog and I get the last say. Then I will get back to more positive reflections on life.

I will not however apologize for standing on a soap box and damning the outrageous and incomprehensibly inappropriate American practice of High Stakes testing for graduation from high school. I do and always will feel it is completely wrong.

Now the Radiate Warmth readers seem to be on my side here AC, you haven't won many people over with your illuminating remarks. So you've taken a new approach...lets see how you've put your foot in your mouth today...

For reference, I will put AC's comments in italics and my own in bold. If you would like you read this comment in its ridiculous entirety you can find it on the last post.

AC: "In your rush to hate on America you've apparently assumed I am an American and that I work in the United States. I suppose it fits in with your world view that since America is the source of everything bad it's the only country that uses standardized testing.

Still, it's amusing when those who spend so much time criticizing others for being culturally insensitive turn around and do the very same thing themselves."

Dear AC, I had to assume that you are American you raving nincompoop. You've commented anonymously !!! What the fark are you thinking? If you are anonymous you will get lumped in with the most frequent readership group of my blog, americans. If you had a profile with personal information maybe I could have been more culturally sensitive when I bashed moronic American Educational practice...oh wait white people control the universe so excuse me if I'm not going to be sensitive to their decisions. And for the record, America is probably the source of everything bad...by the way...

Where ever you come from doesn't change the fact that you are part of the problem and not the solution. Additionally, I don't care if you call me culturally insensitive. I live and teach in an ESKIMO village. Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? I have been given an ESKIMO name. I don't need an anonymous person's approval of weather or not I am sensitive. Unlike most white people in society I know (and am embarrassed by) what privileges I get simply because of the color of my skin.

I left teaching not because it was particularly hard (it's not) but because it did not pay enough. I've since done well enough for myself financially that I need not worry about money matters now. So when I read the yearly rants about standardized testing, I'm tempted to return to the "profession" just to show all the whingers that, when done properly, it's not nearly as difficult as they make it out to be.

blah blah blah, yes we get it already you are a money grubber and now you've struck it rich, nice work. Anyways, some of us have to put that monetary pursuit aside to try and help someone out besides ourselves. If you were in teaching for the money then your are even worse than an incompetent teacher, you were a severely misguided teacher. On top of that, you must be unsatisfied with all your millions of dollars now that you make a yearly devotion to consider going back to teaching to prove everyone wrong. Please don't, however, act on your desires, as a teacher I would be alarmed to have you as a colleague and you'd probably be one of those people that goes around calling others names like "Whingers" as you put it, (oops even you made a mistake).

Finally, it seems to me your long rants about the "racist" system and standardized testing are a way to justify leaving the field without feeling guilty about it. If you're not happy teaching, you really don't need to pump yourself up into a frenzy of liberal white guilt. Just leave."

First of all I am not a liberal, liberals are pansies. Second, this country WAS founded on racism, our presidents were racist, our government didn't even let people of color vote until the second half of the last century and to this day people experience prejudice daily in thousands of manifestations. America is racist, you digg brotha? The standardized testing system is just another nuanced megalomaniac money making scheme to continue to exclude people of color/other languages from accessing the basic rights of american citizenship. I'm so sick of everyone thinking that America is the pinnacle of civilization.

Our country has a sick bloody past just like our father's the English. The minority populations, the women, the homosexuals, the children, and the disabled and elderly are the empirical strength of this country, yet they are continually shit on daily.

Also, I am happy being a teacher. I am a great teacher. I will assume that your continued lack of basic comprehension led you to think that I wanted to leave. I don't, I am a teacher, forever, in a classroom and outside of one.

I teach because I love opening young people's minds to the possibilities and power of their own hopes and dreams. I do this because this precious gift was given to me by school teachers, but more often people in my life. And obviously people like you don't help. People like you who chase paper and exist as a turning gear in the toxic machine of modern society won't help make the changes needed to make human existence on earth a harmonious and homeostatic one.

Also, I work all year long to try repair the damage previously done by the "system" so that my kids won't become another depressed, apathetic, TV watching, McDonald's cyborg. So excuse me if once a year I am slightly upset when I get reminded as to how no matter how good of a job I do there are always going to be millions of other kids that will have their hopes, dreams, and livelihood eliminated by these high stakes tests.

I will not continue this conversation through this blog forum any longer. I'm sorry to everyone else for puting you through this experience.

My readers don't deserve it and although its been fun, I would like to move on. I let it go on for a whole week for a reason though. I just wanted everyone who reads this blog to see how deep the negativity and warped sense of reality runs in the minds of people.

I don't exactly know how to close this...

I guess...Good Luck in life AC. I hope you use all that money that isn't an issue for you for something positive instead of a brand new jetski or something...please tell me you didn't get a jetski.

If you would like to continue this conversation you may email me. The address is on my PROFILE!!! EVER HEARD OF ONE?

Don't comment again.

The Anonymous Commenter Strikes again.

Can you smell it? sniff. sniff. yep you guessed it, another cowardly offering.

Here is the latest cup of frothing cliche American attitude vomited up by the Anonymous Commenter or (AC) for short.

"First, as to the anonymous posting issue, if you don't like it, you should disable the option. It's silly to open your blog up to anonymous comments and then complain when someone uses it.

Second, I used to work in the field before I left for greener pastures years ago. Having made some money, I sometimes think about returning to the "profession" -- if only long enough to stick my head in the teachers' lounge and point out a) what a hard time most would have in the real world were performance standards are the norm and b) that if they spent half as much time preparing their lessons as they do whinging about how terrible they think it is to actually have someone check up on their students' progress, nobody would ever have to ask why little Johnny can't read."

Let me field this in two initial parts, a first, a second, and then a spastic ramble caused by the utter ridiculousness of these statements.

First, the really silly thing is commenting on people's blogs when you can't even comprehend what is being said. I think the teaching profession is lucky you moved on to greener pastures seeing as how you show repeated inability to address the important underlying meaning of written text.

Second, teachers who don't plan their instruction are incompetent, as are the ones that complain in the teacher's lounge. But what you have just done by saying this is identified yourself as someone who has no idea what it is like to teach in a non traditional setting. My school doesn't even have a teachers lounge, my school has 29 impoverished eskimo kids who don't speak english and have no comprehension of all the societal norms that a big school with a teachers lounge would. Dude, have you ever been outside of suburbia?

But you already demonstrated that you have no idea what you are talking about because you have repeated yourself and continue to make comments without going back, re reading what I wrote and realizing that you aren't even commenting on the basic opinions of the conversation.

In fact, you sound like someone who probably didn't listen to there students.

And trust me students performance standards are much higher. Unlike a mattress or a car door, they look back at you with human tears in their eyes. Teachers don't make "stuff" they make people, and as soon as parents get "performance" standards as they spend the other 6 hours of waking life with the kid, then you can start sticking that argument to teachers. We can't control the emotional baggage these kids bring with them to school.

But, I refuse to get checked up on by the white ruling anarchy of American thought for teaching a kid something pointless when on top of it the students often show up to the test malnourished, under slept, mentally and physically abused and living in a toxic environment of alcoholism or drug abuse at home (family conditions brought about by your industry standards no doubt). You tell me how someone who works in industry has to work with stoned machinery or parts that show up to work and punch a wall because they were punched by their alcoholic machine father.

I don't think you know what you are talking about.

How long ago did you leave teaching ? How long ago has it been since you tried to teach someone in the bullshit environment of this american school system?

REMEMBER, you left teaching, probably because it was too hard.

But hey I'm glad you made money, because that's the most important thing in the world right? I'd like to leave for greener pastures too, but mine would be actual pastures with soil and grass and life, not a plump bank account.

...and lastly, I have comment moderation on this blog, my blog by the way, which allows me the choice to include your comments or not, I have allowed it the last couple days because you serve as a perfect counterpoint to my arguments as you are of the mindset of the same thinking that has created an entire nation of depressed, robot, prozac popping, chemically dependent, keeping up with the jones', lemmings. So thank you for being you, and proving my point by simply talking.

I will continue to allow your comments as long as they stay as pointless as they have been so far because it doesn't hurt me and it gives me more entry points into dissecting exactly what it is that is fundamentally wrong with the world, or you could try opening yourself up to the possibility of trying to comment something other then drivel.

This is Radiate Warmth, but I think you're getting burned.

STATE TESTING Comment Response

Yesterday during my state testing rant someone (anonymously how brave of you) commented this plebeian little turd nugget:

"It's funny to read about teachers hyperventilating about standardized tests. You'd think if they were doing their jobs properly there wouldn't be anything to worry about. But nothing really seems to wind them up more than the thought of having someone check to make sure they're actually doing what taxpayers are paying them to do. I wonder why that is?"

I take offense to this comment on so many levels. This comment represents so much that is wrong with America and American mentality that I have to respond to it.

First the comment states that if teachers were "doing their jobs properly there wouldn't be anything to worry about." This is such a fucked up thing to say. Mostly because if teachers were doing their jobs "properly" to the states letter, following the state standards exactly, doing exactly what the government wanted them to, then we would have a nation of commercialistic, materialistic, anglo-saxon, white ethnocentric, robotic, android, non freethinking, non creative, non common sense having idiots, cheeseburger eating, boners the likes of which have run our country into the ground. (oh yeah the people who made up this whole effing idea really did a great job with the whole Iraq thing, oh yeah and the economy is great too thanks politicians).

Then this"the thought of having someone check to make sure they're actually doing what taxpayers are paying them to doI think" if the taxpayers even read the "standards" that these "state tests" are assessing (which I guarantee you they don't and even in the smallest chance that they did wouldn't understand them anyway because they themselves are the product of moron america) then they might not be so happy about what the government wants to require teachers to teach.

Furthermore, if I was a English as a second language speaker or a minority of any ethnicity (and a taxpayer ) I would be pissed because the standards and the test are written in an elitist white academic language that culturally excludes everyone of non middle class caucasian descent. Having just administered this test to Native Alaskan Eskimo teenagers I think I can safely say that these tests are not culturally responsible and exclude certain populations simply by race alone.

Unfortunately I think that whoever made this comment severely miss read what I was saying. In fact when I went back to re read what I wrote yesterday every paragraph made me feel as if the comment and the thought behind it didn't even really comprehend the paragraphs and what they were saying.

Now, that being said, I'm not "hyperventilating" or "wound" up because someone/the government is checking in on me. I know some good teachers out there, but there are far more by lazy, union hours only working, staff and pedagogy development refusing, outdated practice having teachers. Trust me, teachers need to be monitored, especially in Bush Alaska.

The thing is I'm not one of those. I am a kick ass teacher. I know this.

What I am is: upset. After having to read through an entire State Graduating Test on Reading yesterday because of Special Education Accommodations/Modifications of my test takers I am disgusted and ashamed to even be part of the system of education. If this test, these tests, are what the state and the taxpayers and the educators of the state of Alaska deem is the pinnacle of knowledge and thinking necessary to receive a high school diploma (the mark of a person ready to be a citizen, person, and worker in America) then I am in the wrong profession. It was culturally insensitive, pointless, completely impractical and did not address any of the real literacy skills that teen agers actually possess. Yesterday I was embarrassed to be a teacher, not because of my lack of instruction or quality of job execution, but because of the umbrella of racism and elitism that I operate under as an educator in America.

If you would like to continue commenting on my blog and making comments such as the one highlighted above I would suggest you slap a name on the end of the comment otherwise I will take offense to it seeing as how I have provided my name and you the reader come here of your own free will.

You wouldn't go into someones home with a mask on, and make fun of their family photos and values so don't come into my home anonymously and make comments about my beliefs unless you yourself would like to be identified.

Thank You for reading.

No Child Left Standing

I'm giving the HSGQE today. (High School Grade Qualifying Exam). Not only is this entire experience foreign, uncomfortable and forced for many students, its excruciatingly long and boring. It has a Reading, Writing, and Math component and this year they are trial running the Science portion.

On one side of the coin I think it is important that people know certain things for them to rightfully earn a high school diploma and be a functioning adult. No Child Left Behind has devoloped standards and fail safes to check and make sure that not only to students know their stuff but that teachers are qualified and are actually teaching these skills and content.

The other side of the issue is where I tend to sit. I don't think its wrong to have standards for our kids. I just want to know who's writing these standards, who chooses and deems what is worthwhile knowledge, and who is making all the buttload of cash off of giving tests like the HSGQE, WASL, ACT, SAT, and others.

When I see a state that writes standards on how to grow your own garden, recycle, conserve energy, express creativity, stay physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally fit, and communicate with others peacefully and treat people fairly, then I'll support that state test. I will get behind that one and be strict about it. But this piece meal, unimportant assesement makes me sick. My kids can read, my kids can write, my kids can do math, but no one wants to do this kind of reading/writing/math sitting in silence writing on a peace of paper(and lord knows, science is falling under this too).

I have very high standards for my kids (and I recognize that others might not thus needing a check and balance system like state testing) but I think that these test are totally bogus. At least if they are gonna ask our kids about mostly useless mumbo jumbo they should do it online and let the kids type their answers and click the right ones. I mean, that is how our kids read and write, on the computer. I'm so sick of old ways and people fearing the new people will always know how to write, but we rarely do anymore, I'm not saying abandon it, but seriously let the kids be assessed in a forum they are comfortable with you elitist old curmudgeon assholes!

I got into a little debate with a colleague a week or so ago about this very topic. Parents want their kids to succeed in life, and apparently graduating high school is really important, it gives you a nice piece of paper that basically stamps you on the forehead with the other cattle as another American who has been socialized the same way as everyone else, Home Room, homecoming, prom, jocks, cheerleaders, science fairs, cafeterias, bullies, we all went through these experiences. Rarely do schools actually teach the skills, attitudes and real needs of people transitioning toward adult hood.

SO if school isn't actually a place to learn stuff (because most people don't remember what they learned in school, more so how they felt about it when they 'learned' it), but rather a place to get initiated into the national populace's consciousness, then why do we test our kids on stuff. Why aren't our standards about how to fill out a job application, or how to balance a bank account, or how to budget your money, or how to raise a baby, or how to get a home loan or apply to college, or how to vote, or how to actually do something useful for a change.

Its madness. What we test our students on says a lot about where our nations values lie. And after one day of testing I think our nations values in what people should know in order to graduate is seriously off kilter.

That doesn't mean I don't prepare my kids, it does mean that I prepare my kids harder, because...

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, so that you can earn the freedom to do what ever you want.

1 day of testing down, 3 to go. BLEH!!!

No Weekend Update

No update today. Sorry.

I think the 400th post was incredible enough, it took a week to make all the links, and until I get more than 2 comments about it (thanks to those who did) I am gonna take a short break. If you are feeling cheated then go to the post below and reread some of the amazing content from the last 399 posts to hold ya over till I regain my strength.

Have a great week!

POST NUMBER 400: BLOG INDEX

On August 8th 2007 I wrote my first blog post "Holy Isht Batman I'm in Alaska" now over a year and half later I'm writing my 400th post. On that day I wrote:

"I just set up this blog so keep checking in or subscribe or whatever so you can see my spiral towards bearded hermit freakout."

Truer words could not have been said. A bearded hermit freakout indeed.

This blog has featured many evolutionary adaptations.

Of course there has been Poetry and song lyrics.
Yes I know
Thank God for KEXP
Sunset
Untitled #1
Where Did I Go (song)
The Next Big Show (song)
I Need Life (song)
That Would Be Impossible (song)
Can You Please Tell Me (song/freestyle)
Mostly Freely
Love
Untitled #2
The Bill (song)
Butterscotch Morsels
In the Flow
Run To Make a Difference (Poem/Song)
Orbitals
Loosen This Load A Little
We Sigh Along
Its You Who Waits
Electrified Virtues
We Shall Overcome (song)
Don't Cry For a Ramblin' Man (song)
Undertow (song)
Into the Wild
Its Been a Long Time (song)
Souls Will Find a Release
Awkwardly Simple
Salty Symphony
A Feeling Out Loud
Standin Still
Grids And Gods
Love Overgrown
Christmas Eve
Its What You Been Made For

I can't believe how much music and poetry I have been able to share on this blog!

There have been "Readers Choice Topics"
Reader's Choice #1: Cheese
Reader's Choice #2: Gnomes, Triceratops and Kevin Costner
Reader's Choice #3a: The Neverending Story
Reader's Choice #3b: Subaru Story
Reader's Choice #4: Bowl Cuts
Reader's Choice #5: Aberchrombie and Fitch
Reader's Choice #6: Trustafarians
Reader's Choice #7: The Drive to WSU

Hopefully these were as fun to read as they were to write.

There have been moments of great comedy and joy
Fig Newton's Law
Fridaysia and Ogres
Grand Awesomus (my invented holiday)
Why University of Washington Sucks SO MUCH!!!
Wild Mekoryuk Saturday Night
Overalls Friday
I'm a Nerd/Alaskan Dress Code
Iversonius Great White Wizard of the North
An Arctic Home Supplement: The News From Nunivak Island "Spring Mud Love"
An Arctic Home Supplement: The News From Nunivak Island "The Fear Of Falling Through"
Spring Weather The Upside Downside
An Arctic Home Supplement: The News From Nunivak Island "Let's Get Real"
Sasquatch Band Review!
Fishing With Dirk
Nuniwaarmiut School Student Art Show 2008.

Summer 2008 PART 1
Summer 2008 PART 2
Summer 2008 PART 3

A Short Story: Cabernet Play-Doe Spectacular
Darwin's Birthday Breakdown
My Trip To Anchorage
Not a TheraFlu Drinking Cranky Pants McGee Anymore
Random Shit "Teacher Kale Vs. Free Kale"
Taxi Cab Confessions: Bethel


And sometimes there were moments when the planets aligned and I simply wrote from the heart with no idea of where it would go and something amazing happened. Like a 19 minute jam in a live version of "Wild Eyes" I just hit a cosmic moment in introspection and reflection.

Here Are some of my favorite and most important posts:
Heartstrings
Radiate Warmth
Random List of Pointless Things
Comments on Education "Things Not Looking So Good Indeed"
Sunday Morning Sunrise (amazing photos)
Glimpses of Light
Rhythms of the Heart
Awaken The Goodness Inside
RadWarm101: A Toolkit for Loneliness
!!!RADIATE WARMTH's ULTIMATE EXPLANATION OF RELIGION!!!
Boom! Zap! Splat!
Che Guevara and Massu Iverson
Desolation Angel "Desolation Alaska"
Notes on a Generation of Weaklings and My first free summer in a decade
Stayers and Goers
Grassroots Iverson
Snow Day and Free Thoughts "Wavelengths and Frequency"
Oops, False Start Monday "improvisational teaching"
Freedom and Being Free

Also We have witnessed the evolution of the "Weekend Updates"

The Weekend Update Index:
The First Old Person Phrase of the Week
The First Actual Weekend Update
The Second Weekend Update
The Third Weekend Update
The Fourth Weekend Update
The First Weather Update
The Fifth Weekend Update
The Sixth Weekend Update (with new art progress feature)
The Seventh Weekend Update or "Weekly Information"
The Eighth Weekend Update or "Weekly Update and Info"
The Ninth Weekend Update "My Birthday"
The Tenth Weekend Update
The Eleventh Weekend Update (w/ Weblink and Book of the Week)
The Twelfth Weekend Update
The Thirteenth Weekend Update
The Fourteenth Weekend Update (with the first lastly but leastly/final thoughts)
The Fifteenth Weekend Update
The Sixteenth Weekend Update
The Seventeenth Weekend Update "My Brother's Birthday"
The Coffee Shop Update
The Eighteenth Weekend Update
The Nineteenth Weekend Update
The Twentieth Weekend Update
The Twenty First Weekend Update
The Twenty Second Weekend Update
The Extra Umph Humpday Updatacular
Humpday Umptacualar Updaterific Update
The Twenty Third Weekend Update
The Twenty Fourth Weekend Update
The Twenty Fifth Weekend Update
Thursday From Hell Update
The Twenty Sixth Weekend Update
The Twenty Seventh Weekend Update
The Twenty Eighth Weekend Update
THE Twenty Ninth Weekend Update "THE LAST ONE OF THE YEAR" (with summary)
The Thirtieth Weekend Update
The Fortieth Weekend Update
The Forty First Weekend Update
The Forty Second Weekend Update
The Forty Third Weekend Update
The Forty Fourth Weekend Update
The Forty Fifth Weeked Update
The Forty Sixth Weekend Update
The Forty Seventh Weekend Update
The Forty Eighth Weekend Update
The Forty Ninth Weekend Update
The Fiftieth Weekend Update (Cougs win the Apple Cup Edition)
The Fifty First Weekend Update
The Fifty Second Weekend Update (Christmas #1)
The Fifty Third Weekend Update (Hal Graduates College)
The Fifty Fourth Weekend Update
The Fifty Fifth Weekend Update
The Fifty Sixth Weekend Update
The Fifty Seventh Weekend Update (Monday Update)
The Fifty Eighth Weekend Update (Early Edition)
The Fifty Ninth Weekend Update
The Sixtieth Weekend Update (LITE)
The Sixty First Weekend Update
The Sixty Second Weekend Update
The Sixty Third Weekend Update
The Sixty Fourth Weekend Update

Please enjoy this index of all the best Radiate Warmth has provided over the last 400 posts!

Welcome back Mr. Whateveryournameis.

Today was great...APRIL FOOLS !!!! It totally blew donkey nuggets.

Everytime I leave the island its the same story:

So happy you're back mr. iverson!!!! Whoa we really missed you...smiles, hugs, rainbows...followed by:

NOW WE WILL CRUSH YOUR SOUL AND FEAST ON YOUR BLOOD WEAKLING BABY!
FEEL THE WRATH OF TEENAGE SCORN MUHAHAHAHAHA!
FEEL THE BURNING GLARE OF OUR DISCONTENT FOR LIFE IN GENERAL!
BUCKLE UNDER THE OVERWHELMING PRESSURE OF OUR DEPRESSION AND APATHY!
YOU WILL OBEY OUR WILL TO ....UM...NOT HAVE A WILL !!!
OR ELSE WE'LL SPRAY YOU WITH AXE BODY SPRAY AND SEND YOU LOTS OF SURVEY'S ON MYSPACE MUHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
YOU'LL RUE THE DAY YOU CROSSED US WITH YOUR TRYING TO HELP US SUCCEED TACTICS AND GENUINE CARE FOR OUR FUTURE!!!
HOW DARE YOU TRY TO DO A GOOD JOB!!!
CAN'T YOU SEE YOUR PUNY EFFORTS ARE FUTILE!!!

The plight of the teenager has lost its luster. I now officially do not care if "she looked at me" or if you "don't want to play soccer in PE."

All I have to say is...

"give me summer or give me death."

I'm going to opt out of a lengthy and mostly likely negative post about the three thousand things wrong with this back asswards place in hopes that I will come up with something worthy and positive to write about for my 400th Radiate Warmth blog post tomorrow.

Hope your hump day didn't suck as much ass as mine.

Peace