Yay, More Purple Goo!

I had another dentist appointment today. They took more impressions of my mouth. It was the last one before the big surgery though.

For the first impression, about a month ago, the dental assistant assured me he was quick and it would be painless but strange and maybe a little messy. He didn't cover everything with that description. He started mixing and pouring and measuring out different powders and liquids, like an alchemist on speed, until he came up with a baby blue goo that looked like melted Laughy Taffy, spread it on to a dental tray and shoved it in my mouth. Luckily for me they had ordered the quick drying sea-weed derived variety of blue goo that week. The sensation is hard to describe but not too unpleasant. Really the taffy analogy may be the closest. Imagine eight or nine squares of taffy chewed up to that smooth consistency and pasted against your teeth on a dental retainer like tray until it hardened again and then yanked off with all of its suction-y prowess. Now imagine that four times in a row. He didn't account for my high palate the first time and had to take the lower impression too. Then try and imagine my bearded mouth coated with hardened blue taffy goo all up in my hairy business. I was given a wet paper towel and a handheld mirror to try and get it all. A tedious process you might have noticed in all that imagining I just made you do.

The second impression visit was last week and the worst of the three. Done this time by the dentist with a tad bit more finesse and care than the assistant had shown. The goo this trip was purple and it seemed like it was twice the amount of taffy. When it was shoved against my upper teeth the goo oozed down my throat coating my uvula (hangy down "punching bag" thing in the back of the throat that makes you gag. Yeah.) before I could block off the goo's pathway with my tongue and only after it was in place was I told that this was not the convenient "quick-dry" stuff but the "FOUR MINUTES to harden" stuff! I just concentrated on a cheesy musak song rationalizing that pop songs usually last about three and a half minutes and I need only get through a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus chain of simple melodies. It worked. There was less mess but when it was yanked out it left a horribly, minty, and numbing quality all over my mouth. (I don't know what my lunch tasted like that day.)

Today was easy. Today six trays were put in my mouth with a very minimal amount of pinkish purple goo and it measured my bite. Quick, no side effects and no mess. Yes!

Hopefully by January we will be able to put some money down on this crazy expensive endeavor and I can get some new teeth for the new year. Uh, Christmas present ideas?...buy the gift of love; gimme cash for teeth.

Now for the gruesome. I figured I should have before and after pictures as to document this properly.

These eight wounded soldiers are all I have left upstairs. They will be put out of their misery soon enough.
Here is a before smile for later comparison.

The same as a sweltering jungle. Blech!

I guess I should start with a run down of what is currently going on in my mouth. Like I said I have had 7 teeth extracted: #'s 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 15, & 19. I was also born without wisdom teeth. (I know. Luckily, right?) Below is a diagram of the teeth numbers and other info.

I have only learned the numbers and names of teeth by listening and paying attention to what my numerous dentists have talked about with their assistants. I feel it is important to know a good deal about the subject since it is a major part of my health concerns. I don't see how people can just go in and ignore all the information available about what's ailing them.

I don't really have any molars left. #'s 18 & 20 are almost non-existent from decay. However, 21 through 31 are doing just fine after my last session in the chair when I had seven cavities filled. #5 through 11 are falling apart slowly and are, in my opinion, not worth the effort. The only spot in my mouth where my teeth actually come together so I can chew food is between 10 &11 on top and 22 & 23 on bottom. I have had to adjust my mastication techniques throughout the years due to sensitivity, damage or missing teeth so my jaw is all out of whack too.

All for now...

Daddy needs a new set of teeth.

WARNING: Subject matter may be too much for the squeamish!



Over the 31 years of my life, I have endured many a hardship when it comes to my teeth. I cannot or will not put the blame on anyone or anything except fate because there are too many factors to why I have horribly rotting teeth to narrow it to just one culprit. I have had 7 teeth extracted (yanked out of my head) in the past 10 years and a majority of the rest of them are sharp crags, jutting from sore and sensitive gums. My mouth is a veritable graveyard with numerous stories of pain, circumstance and battles that individual teeth have lost when faced with a difficult job (crisp dill pickle, apple slice, crusty baguette, berry seeds, et al.).

For some reason I feel like I should chronicle my mouth developments on this here blog. There will be some major changes in the coming months. You may find it interesting and/or disgusting. You may feel ill or angry. Whatever you feel don't feel sorry for me because very soon thanks to a recent infection and some pretty good dental insurance I will be getting an immediate upper denture. Yes, I said denture. I am not 70 or a meth smoker. Just ready for some new teeth.


The picture above is of my face when I had that nasty recent infection. It turns out I had an infection in two teeth this time not just one like all the other times. Pretty, Huh?

More to come....

Active Shooter! Ahhhh Shoot!

So yeah, I was in Psych class and there was some beeping in the hallway that nobody really paid any attention to. Turns out that means Active Shooter on campus. Anyway, we turned off the lights and locked the door and sat against a wall for like half an hour. Most people were giggling and suspecting each other. It was all rather ridiculous. I was the only one with a laptop and I kept checking the PCC website for news but they didn't post anything until like ten minutes before they let us out of lockdown. I guess (from all the second and third hand reports of the "cell reporters" in the class) there was a suicidal person in the building next to us threatening their life and the lives of anyone who stopped them. Fun.

The Story of Stuff

I think everyone should see this. It puts everything into perspective. If you know a little about the subject or a lot it is still a great way to see The Story of Stuff.

Social Impediment Complications

Lately I have realized as I get older I tend to shorten my salutations to passerbys and/or neighbors. The innocent wish of "Good Morning" has become "Mornin'", "Good Afternoon" becomes "Afternoon" and so on. Then there is the head nod. In a culture that thinks it is rude to look at other people needs an escape route. Enter the Nod. It can mean "Hey, what's up?", "I acknowledge your presence as we walk past each other in silence" or the most common "I was just staring at you and you looked at me too so now without having a conversation or any more awkward ogling we should both agree to an exit plan to get out of this contract we just initiated with our eyes".
I think I might have to get more creative and do a little jig as I go by or just hand out info cards telling all the basics about myself before any other inital contact. Wouldn't things be interesting if we were all blind and had to grope our way through greetings? What if we met like dogs? We could all just tattoo our names on our palms and just wave our introductions. That might cut down on handshake transmitted disease.

Another reason I should have gone to college a long time ago.

This post is dedicated to all my teachers in high school who thought I was just a lazy, dumb stoner. 1. My eyes were red because of seasonal allergies. 2. I did not get good grades in your class because you did not motivate me to care about your class. I may have found the material interesting, Mr. Dickson, but I did not respect you enough to show you my work. 3. I have a 4.0 in college now. Pthththththththtiiit!!! Nyah Nyah! Suck it.

Out damn carbon, out!

See what we're doing to the oceans here.
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/pubs/PDF/feel2899/feel2899.pdf

Read about the science of it all here.
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/

Another Diatribe.

I have been doing a lot of research for a paper in my Biology class on atmospheric carbon dioxide and it has been a big eye opener. I knew there were many scientists talking about the impending doom of global warming and climate change due to CO2 levels but I had no idea about some of the sources for these high levels. Part of the assignment was to write an op-ed piece for the Oregonian (our local newspaper) and when I was done I sent it to them even though I didn't have to because I felt like I had something to say to other people.
Some of you who know me may just think this is one of those things that Scott gets excited about because he just learned about it and his passion will fade. (i.e. when MySpace was bought by Rupert Murdoch) I don't think this is the case. This issue is not just something I can know about and tell you about. Everyone needs to know that it WILL affect them in one way or another in the next couple of decades and the severity of those effects can be greatly reduced if something is done now. It is a global issue that law makers and governments are not willing to put in the forefront because they would rather put money in their pockets and think that nothing can be done or they talk about it a lot and appoint this guy to do this and throw some money at the issue. Consciousness is the first step and doing our part to reduce our own personal emissions is a reality.
Below is my op-ed that I wrote. I had to leave out many things because it had to be under 500 words. In future posts I am going to add more on this thought and post links to sites I think are important. The new widget to the right is part of the story. If you don't know what the numbers mean look it up or ask me. I have a lot to say about this.

In My Opinion

What do you think it would take for Oregon companies to put a check on their Carbon Dioxide emissions? CO2 emission tax? State law for reduction of emissions? Knowing that their company may be under hundreds of feet of water by 2025?

What do you think it would take Oregonians to reduce their own personal emissions? Inexpensive fuel efficiency? Knowing that their children may be dealing with millions of refugees fleeing from catastrophic conditions in as little as 40 or 50 years?

I assume the majority of people in America that saw An Inconvenient Truth, like me, took that truth with a grain of salt and said to themselves, “Al Gore sure spins a good yarn about possible effects yet he is shown flying and driving to his destination emitting CO2 every step of the way.” We know there are freedoms and comforts at stake when it comes to doing our part to reduce our own CO2 emissions but they do not have to be inconvenient. If one voice is heard by thousands and those voices are heard by millions could we not decide to choose survival of our expansive species on this tiny planet? When a majority gets together and demands change because they are fed up or they know it is the right thing to do their audience can do nothing except listen. Where would we be if Jefferson and his compatriots did not demand their audience to listen?

The facts are out there and America is the leading cause of atmospheric carbon. The “American Dream” has done our psyches well yet it has had a detrimental impact on our environment. The personal automobile, cement production and consumer product waste are the highest reasons we lead the globe in CO2 emissions. If you think about it, the freedom you feel from having your own car comes with many evils. I have been car-free for over 7 years now, by choice, and I say free because there are so many freedoms associated with not having a vehicle. I pay no insurance, fuel or maintenance costs. I have the freedom of actually knowing the ins and outs of my environment on the street level. How many of you have seen a piece of public art or park while you are driving by and thought, “Why have I never known that was there before?” How far are you willing to go to deny yourself the pleasure of knowing the city you live in, not just the path to drive from A to B? Portland has a great transit system and if more people use it, and also pay their fare, the system will only get better.

EcoFoot.org and EPA.gov have informative calculators to find how you personally affect your environment.

In a state established by pioneers I feel the spirit still lives on. Followers can only follow if a leader is willing to lead. Since America is the leading country in CO2 emissions isn’t it our responsibility to lead the change to a self-sustaining future?

Scott Farley
Portland, OR
(Student)

Distractions

I'm sitting in Jackson Hall of the Pcc Cascade campus on the second floor in a nice secluded corner by two massive windows and I CANNOT concentrate. I'm funkin' out to Bootleggin' by Simtec and Wylie on my iPod and watching the rapidly moving multi-colored clouds morphing and the comings and goings of busy students and it is very nice. It is VERY distracting. I have to go into a stinky lab now and deal with some annoying rudimentary BIO concepts. I doan wanna!! Wah! Poopy. Whatever. Almost done with the term and then I can relax for a minute again. Wish me luck.

For some reason last night I thought it was really funny to take pictures of Soren's blocks spelling out geometric and algebraic equations.
<---Volume of a cube and slope-intercept form of a line-->









I also had a curiosity about who was written-in for the 2008 presidential election. I wrote someone in for a certain office because I could not choose between the two candidates. I just wanted to see if I could find some write-in names. Turns out Santa Claus would have won in West Virginia if it was based on write-ins.

Crappy Days

So, my Wednesday turned out to be not so pleasant. I got my first quiz back in math class and I got a 45%. It was reminiscent of high school but that was when I wasn't trying at all. My last math teacher made it really easy for me to ace his class but for some reason this teacher has an agenda to try and trick her students by putting things on her tests that are the uncommon methods of doing things, not what we have been practicing in the homework.
I was going to try and do some of my Spanish homework in the online workbook between classes but my teacher had closed the section not letting me finish. Poop.
I went to stand in line for my student loan refund check because I had nothing else to do. Little did I know that everyone else had that same exact thought that day. The line was ridiculous. It took 45+ min. to reach the crowd control barriers (where you zigzag back and forth) then I was where the line usually starts. Groan!
Between Spanish and BIO I walked 15 blocks up to the bank and found another line of people who had just picked up their PCC refund check and waited for them too. They all had to open accounts to cash the check so it took even longer.
BIO went well. We finally got our hands on the microscopes. Everyone was having a lot of problems figuring them out but I took to it like it was second nature. That seems like a good thing because I will be staring into one of those things everyday in the career I'm pursuing.
I headed home and ran for the Max train that was just pulling into the station, hopping on just in time. Three stops later I hear the transit police asking for proof of fare. The train was just pulling into another station so I was gonna hop out to avoid being caught. I had not bought a ticket because I had to run for the train and didn't want to wait 20 min. for the next one. The doors opened and I was about to step off when one of the transit police stepped in front of me and asked for my fare. I was busted. It only took five or so minutes to write me a ticket for $115! I left the platform and looked for the nearest pub 'cause daddy needed a shot of whiskey. Didn't find one. So I started walking home. I was in a neighborhood unfamiliar to me toting valuables and pissed as hell for being stupid. So I walked home from Albina/Mississippi which is probably 3 miles. Not that big of a deal except when I got to the transit center where our beautiful Rose Garden Arena is, there were people everywhere trying to cram into the parking garages to see the Blazers game, and every car was driving like they needed to fill their quota of killing pedestrians before the night ended. I almost got hit like six times and every time the driver thought it was my fault. I do tend to jaywalk but I obey traffic laws and crosswalk signs when there are lots of cars present, so I was in the right in every situation. Assholes! Now it was time for that shot. I went to Joey Rose and Aztec Willie's (our local taqueria and cantina) and had a stiff shot of whiskey before plodding home to give Chosephine the bad news. I came home to hear all about Soren's bad day. Poor guy had a bad day too. I'm sure she will write about it and since she was there you should read what she says.

We made a Fruit Pizza for Soren's 2nd Birthday. Isn't it yummy looking. OOOH! It is tasty too.

Personal Duties

Recently I have been served a heaping pile of responsibility in a number of ways. When chosephine and I had Soren I chose to become a dutiful father and be around him as much as I possibly could. The responsibilities of fatherhood are heavy with a newborn in the household but as he is growing older that heavy load seemed to multiply significantly in areas I never expected. The simple act of being there at the right time to be rambunctious and rowdy or just simply snuggle while you explain the events of a movie to your toddler has a great effect on a developing psyche. These are the moments that are important in my fatherly duties, not being there to tell him NO or to discipline him when I think he knows better. Those lessons come with time and are difficult for a two year old to understand. The act of caring for one another and being there are definitively imperative at a young age if I ever expect an open and understanding relationship with my child as he grows older.

We have also had to redefine our terms of marriage as one intelligent spouse to another should do when a significant change comes to a relationship. I feel like I have more to give to my wife in the manner of support and time than I ever really have. I don't always have the energy to give those things but I try. Usually a back massage is all she asks for. My excuse used to be that my wrists were sore from work and I would put it off until the next time it came up but I can’t use that excuse any more. (Whaa-whaaaa).

I am also going through 3 years of school to, if all goes as planned, become a Medical Lab Technician. This calls for an enormous amount of focus on my part to even get on the train and go to my classes. I have been against institutional learning for some time now. Maybe because of my experiences in high school or maybe because I don't learn very well in such an environment. Whatever the case may be I have made it through 1 term of college education and am maintaining a 4.0 GPA as best I can. I was working weekends last term but through trial and error we found that it was not possible to arrange that this term. It has been hard to juggle my mindset mode for each situation but since I am a Gemini it is probably easier for me than most. (HA!) I do NEED breaks for some ME-time weekly though. If that means one hour away from my duties, one game of pool with a buddy and two cheap beers, I'll take it. It is very hard to make time for these outings though. Last night while I was out studying a friend wanted me to come to a bar that would have taken a train ride to get there and I only had an hour to be out so I would have had to get right back on the train and come home as soon as I got off. I tried to explain this but it was hard to understand on his end. I have a self-allotted amount of time to take care of certain things and if the hour gets late I can't just go and neglect my numerous chosen duties. If I get off my sleeping schedule I will miss classes, do poorly in them, and/or not be able to function as I would like to with my wife and child. My "encumbrances" of having a wife, a child and an ambition to better myself with an education could be looked at negatively from an outside point of view but I know that in choosing to respect myself enough to make these decisions I am giving myself a chance at success in these areas. However much I enjoy the company of my friends, I have to be selfish right now and focus on the things that make me better. I hope everyone can understand and meet me on my terms until everything calms down in my life. If that means a quick cup of coffee and or an accompaniment on an errand I have to make, so be it. Enjoy the time that is possible to hang out with me until there is more time for me to give.

Well we can see from two visual examples that Soren shares traits from both chosephine and I.

He gets his joy of eating from me. ( I call this pic: I will CRUSH your bones for my dinner!).

And his dramatic flair comes from his mother. ( I call this one: To Whine or Not To Whine, That is the Question).

Okay I did start a new blog and I have dedicated it to my music musings and recommendations.
I Heard It. Let Me Tell You.

Maybe I should just start a music blog too. I seem to have alot to say in that vein and I'm constantly pursuing and listening to music from every genre. (Except opera. Sorry, just not my thing.) We'll see.

To further my thought, we have seen artists reinvent themselves numerous times in the history of modern music. Taking a look @ a jazz legend gives us some insight on why. Miles Davis had a long career with multiple albums, not all of them with high critical acclaim, and each of them had their own feel that cohesively flowed as an individual album concept. Just looking @ three of his most popular albums, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain and On the Corner, you can see how the overall feel and mood of each is inherently diverse. Herbie Hancock had a wide range of diversity in his work as well. Davis was known for paving the way, publicly at least, for other jazz artists and for his troubling heroin habit. I can see how and why the shifting tide of musical genres changes throughout the decades and I understand how the influence of drugs can alter your perception of inner thought and then effect your creative output. I can also see how an artist that sticks around and stands the test of time would want to reinvent themselves.
Back to Animal Collective. Finally you say. I don't know much about the personal lives of the members of the Collective but I do hear some hints to their musical influences in their body of work. Personally I hear the Beach Boys, Slint and the occasional solid hoedown beat coming through when I give Sung Tongs and Feels a listen. In some of their more "noise" based albums like Hollindagain and Here Comes the Indian and even in the melodic percussives of Strawberry Jam it sounds as if every utencil, appliance and common household item comes alive for a few minutes to attempt a conversation that sometimes ends in an argument where there is no winner. That is if your house is filled with disembodied hands clapping at will and vocal chords that take drifting canoe rides at sea not caring if there is a storm a blowin'. All in all I feel like their music has a purpose and a story to tell me. I find it very listenable (mood dependent of course) and have liked 90% of their work.
Okay, in the time it took me to write this tangent I have listened to Merriweather a second time and it is very approachable. I'm sure I will start to enjoy it as much if not more than the other albums. I don't know what my problem was this morning. I hadn't had any coffee yet and I was in a linear equation mode of thinking. Animal Collective is not really congruent with math class. Maybe I'll listen to it before BIO next time.

Anyway, check it out. I like it. Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Click their name above or click the album cover for a kooky page.---------->

I just got the latest album from Animal Collective (Merriweather Post Pavilion) last night and listened to it on the way to and from my math test this morning. I wasn't too sure that I liked it. I only got through about 3/4 of it though and I always give music a second or third chance because I tend to like at least one thing about an album if I've liked another album by the same artist. However, there is something about how a band progresses that has always intrigued me.
I've noticed that some artists change their vibe consciously or subconsciously after they become a parent. For example: after Liz Phair released an album post-natally it was glossy pop still obtaining her lyrical creativity but lacking in the creative vibe department. I was disappointed. The same goes for Pj Harvey. This phenomenon carries over to other arts too. I've noticed that when some actors come back to their work after having a child they start taking roles that I couldn't see them agreeing to; i.e., some awful kids comedy starring The Rock or Ice Cube.

.......I'm gonna continue this diatribe later because Soren (almost 2yrs old!!!) is in need of attention...

I have recently started furthering my education after not giving a shit for over 11 years. While chosephine and I were in our previous city of inhabitance I half-assedly studied for and passed my GED test with flying colors. (Yes, thank-you little piece of paper for telling me I'm smarter than a high school student). Now in my second term @ PCC I have come to an understanding with my fears and anxiety associated with institutional learning. I did have to herbally supplement myself for a short period during my first term. No silly, not that kind of herb. I started taking St. John's Wart per request of my buddy Raz. It did actually work for me. I am not one to advocate a certain drug or herb for everyone but it certainly helped me. I took it 3x daily, once before each class, for about a month and I had fewer episodes of anxiety. Anyway, I don't know where I'm going with this but I guess it gives my reader a little 411 on my sitch, Bra! Can me and my bra get a sessh bra? Michelobs,...Ultras Bra!. <---(that one's for Austin) Check out his awesome site by clicking his name. Now. No really he's good. Hire him.

So, here I am hitching my line to the everpresent bandwagon and gettin' myself abloggin'. Never really fancied myself as a blogger but I do tend to say things a bit more eloquently without using my mouth. I honestly don't know how much time I will devote to this or how much time will pass before I tire of blogging or think it has become too...something. We'll see. That's why I got rid of my MySpace account. I felt there was some disconnection that wasn't being fulfilled between distant relationships and the people I saw everyday at work knew everything I had done the night before already and we would have nothing to talk about during the day. Then Rupert Murdoch vicariously (through his evil empire of 34% of the media) bought MySpace. I was done with it after I found that out. Whatever..the battles I choose seem to only have purpose to me...dems da berries.

Coming soon.... must grocery now.