http://www.ericsmithrocks.com Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:02:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Two weeks ago, Heather and I celebrated our two year anniversary. Two years! Two years of traveling on the rails from Albany to Philadelphia, reading books, playing portable gaming systems, and trying to sleep next to obese people. We are living proof that long distance, with a little love and ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/06/17/two-years-on-long-beach-island/ What the ****!? Thanks Google. Go ahead, hop over to Google and start typing in "liberal arts doctorate..." and see what happens. Jerks. Now that I've almost been out of school for a year, and teaching just as long, I think I'm finally ready to start applying for PhD programs. Specifically, doctorate ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/05/26/education-the-quest-for-knowledge-continues/ I don't know what it is, but there's something about beaten up, worn out, vintage film cameras that weighs heavy on my heart. I can't help but purchase one whenever I see one up for grabs. I've been seeing a lot of them lately, now that the weather is warm ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/05/07/collecting-vintage-cameras/ Here's the deal. I am artistically challenged. I can't draw, paint, etch... nothing. However, I can take sprites from classic NES games, blow them up in Photoshop, print them as 5x7's at the local camera shop, and put them in Ikea frames. My choice party while playing Final Fantasy 1, and my ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/04/21/sometimes-i-try-to-make-art-framing-pixels/ 1. Heart of Darkness Mango Juice from Trader Joe's? Check. 2. Dark Chocolate Cookies? Check. 3. Actual Heart of Darkness text? Check. 4. A Classroom of college students who feel like they're in sixth grade again? Check. Seriously, I love teaching. And yes, they actually do make Heart of Darkness juice at Trader Joe's. ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/04/06/teaching-heart-of-darkness-neccesary-supplies/ Not much going on over here lately. Just busy with teaching, writing, working, and playing with Rory, the new bun. Look how cute he is, exploring everything. Rory is, of course, short for Rorschach. What can I say? I adore Watchmen. The graphic novel, the movie, everything. And Jackie Earle Hayle's performance ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/03/23/a-bun-named-rory/ Meet the new bun. I adopted him from my pal Amanda. I'm still trying to think of a name. He is heart meltingly cute and I am all kinds of happy right now. Couple more shots after the jump. Videos forthcoming. http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/03/08/happiness-is-a-new-bun/ ... and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. Lately, I've been asked to speak and attend a lot of fun, blogging-related events, and I've got to say, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. This past Tuesday, Philadelphia's Public Relations Association invited me to have a little chat with their members here in ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/02/26/im-very-important-i-have-many-leather-bound-books/ I hope my girlfriend didn't expect anything less. Purchased this cute gem off of Etsy. It's hand-stitched and in a lovely frame. There's just something about handmade gifts that makes them extra special, considering only one of these exists. Kudos to crafter Isilian, who in knits in her free time... when she ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/02/17/geekiest-valentine-ever/ The other day I was flipping through my phone's calendar, when I spotted "Ship Out!" written on a date in February. That's when it hit me. Had I continued down a path I chose in the Spring of last year, I'd be shipping off to Europe in ten days, working ... http://www.ericsmithrocks.com/2009/01/28/choose-love/