Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Chris' LiveJournal:

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Thursday, July 9th, 2009
1:57 am	http://www.myspace.com/levelzeromusic (Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
10:01 pm	New Metallica The new Metallica CD is absolutely amazing. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 16th, 2008
1:17 pm	Musical Goals I have decided to start a list of things that I want to accomplish, especially this summer.  I do have some free time on my hands, and while now I usually am playing Grand Theft Auto IV when I have nothing else to do, perhaps I should divide time up with that and the following couple of things: Learn Funk drumming. I got my hands on an advanced funk drumming instructional book from Rick Latham.  The beats in this book are insane, and they get crazier and crazier.  Just looking at the music makes me want to play it.  It looks extremely difficult however, but hopefully I can get through it.  Learn some funky bass lines. Hopefully after listening and playing to more funk I can pick up some bass lines.  Just listening to any Billy Cobham song is making me aggravated that I can't come up with awesome bass lines like those. Learn how to play the piano.  Yeah I have always wanted to do this. And hopefully now I will.  I got my hands on some sheet music and exercises, so I'm going to teach myself.  Not anything crazy...Just so I can say I play the piano and not look confused when I sit down in front of one. Play more guitar.  My guitar hasn't had strings on it for a while.  I let a friend borrow it, and he said he would restring it for me.  When I get it back I need to start playing more.  For a while there I was picking it up everyday.  I miss that thing. Current Music: "Some Skunk Funk"---Billy Cobham (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
10:39 am	Do or Die So I started to get scared today.  I have applied to 20+ schools and have gotten one thing back from a school up north saying they are reviewing my resume and the stuff I sent in.  That being said, a lot of the openings for the 20+ schools were "Anticipated Openings."  Meaning that if a teacher puts in for retirement, or if the town passes the school budget to expand a department, there would be openings.  However, if those two things don't happen, instead of "Anticipated Opening", it will be "No Opening."  It is the end of May and I am running out of faith. I decided to do a little investigating and looked into what else I can do with a BA in History.  After some dead ends and going no where searches, I stumbled upon a job title that I have never heard before; Corporate Historian.  A Corporate Historian is someone who is hired by a company to research and write about it.  After researching a little bit more, I stumbled upon the average starting salary of a Corporate Historian. Like most salaries, it is highly based on what company you work for, and the average I found was around $65,000 to $75,000.  Now if a Corporate Historian goes for their Masters in a field related to business history, the salary can shoot up to $95,000 to $125,000.  Not too shabby.  On all of the sites I looked at about what a Corporate Historian does it always said something about how this is a growing field.  And how a large amount of companies are looking for these people to research and write about how great their company is.  So I decided to see what kind of Corporate Historian openings there are around the NY/NJ area.  I searched 4 sites.  I didn't find one goddamn thing about any type of Corporate Historian openings, nor did I find any openings related to having a BA in History.... ....Hence the subject of this post.  If I don't get a teaching job it is do or die.  I think it is time I start sending out resumes to every school district within a 30 mile radius of me. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
11:01 am	Man oh man... I was looking at pics of myself on facebook from a long time ago...like 4-5 years ago. I totally went downhill (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
11:17 pm	Remembering through music Here is a list of albums that when I listen to them, I can still remember what was going on in my life when I was listening to them.  Sure I associate people, places, events, feelings, emotions to music.  I mean who doesn't, but for some reason these albums stick out so much.  It is amazing what a simple chord, progression, lyric line, or even note can have you remember.  Some of these albums I haven't listened to through in their entirety in a while, some even a few years, and I still remember how I felt four, and even seven years ago. 311 - From Chaos Blink-182 - Take off Your Pants and Jacket Dave Matthews Band - Crash Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends Brand New - Your Favorite Weapon Brand New - Deja Entendu Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence Chiodos - All's Well That Ends Well Thursday - War All The Time Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane Counting Crows - August and Everything After mewithoutYou - Catch For Us The Foxes (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
10:57 pm	My new addiction I am addicted to the Mountain Goats. Current Music: "Game Shows Touch Our Lives"---The Mountain Goats (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
11:20 am	Best Album of 2008 Yes I'll say it with still 8 months left in the year. Album of the Year:  The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely Current Music: The Raconteurs (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
6:53 pm	Bad ass I forgot how bad ass Max Cavalera was Current Music: "Inflikted"---The Cavalera Conspiracy (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 10th, 2008
4:21 pm	It was kind of a funny feeling to open up the envelope last week that displayed information about graduation.  It was just a really weird feeling looking at the packet and information while thinking "I am graduating."  I mean I knew that I would, but it was pretty hard to believe.  Mainly because I dont have a teaching job yet and I am still at Pharmagistics.  In reality this just feels like a long break for me, kind of like a winter break between semesters.  The only difference now is that I am applying to every school that I see has an opening.  Needless to say, it did creep me out reading all the information about graduation.  I guess you can say it actually feels official now.  Current Music: "Empire" --- Kaddisfly (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
11:28 pm	What I Hate... I hate when I hear a band, two years after they released an awesome CD.  I got my hands on a CD that was released in 2006...and it is by far the most original, experimental album I have ever came across in my life.  I hate the fact that I got the CD two years after it was released because that was two more years I could have had appreciated this remarkable album. Current Music: "Genessaret: Going Out Over 30,000 Fathoms Of Water" --- Anathallo (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 18th, 2008
10:36 pm	Update So I decided to accept a full time job at Pharmagistics.  Actually, its a temporary full time position.  I was working there part time and was asked if I would like the position.  I took it for a number of reasons.  The first being is that I still have not found a teaching job.  I have sent in resumes and that stuff but have not heard anything back.  And as the weeks go on, the number of postings online and in the paper have went down to about 0. Another reason is that I get full benefits if I accept the job.  And that beats the hell out of paying $400 a month for insurance.  Another reason, not really the first is the fact that I will be making double of what I am making now.  So basically it is pretty good money for a temporary full time position.  My boss knows that I am trying to become a teacher, but asked if I could give my commitment until June.  That way I can look for a job for the 2008-2009 school year, and hopefully get one. The job has to do with writing government regulations and how the company should go about sop's (standard order processes).  To be honest, I don't even know the details of it.  I start tomorrow.  Hopefully it makes the time move fast. > I bought this book Friday night with Katie called <u>This is Your Brain On Music</u>.  The author is a record producer and neuroscientist named Daniel J. Levitin.  The book is basically about the connection between music and the brain.  The book draws on the latest research and on musical examples from different genres and reveals how composers exploit and manipulate the way our brains make sense of the world, why we emotionally attach to music we listen to as teenagers, why 10,000 of practice (not talent) makes virtuosos, and how songs get stuck in our head.  What made me really buy this book was one of the lines from the summary. <i>"Levitin argues that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language."</i> Should be a good read. Current Music: "The Augurs of Spring - Dances of the Young Girls"---Igor Stravinsky (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008
5:36 pm	New Demos For all you people out there in LiveJournal land... We (Level Zero) posted TWO new demos of songs we have been playing live for a while. These demos were recorded in Nov 2007. They are by no means done...actually these tracks are going to be recorded again from scratch. However, before we start recording again we are asking for help. We want some feedback about the two new demos we posted. The demos are "Finding Audrey Hepburn" and "Death of a Salesman." Let us know what you think! Whether you like them, or dont, let us know!!! So take ten minutes to listen to them, and let us know what you think. COMMENT OR MESSAGE US on the myspace, or leave comments here. WE WILL GET THEM. WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT EVERYONE OUT THERE THINKS!  http://www.myspace.com/levelzeromusic (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
6:18 pm	Plans for Winter to Spring 08 I didnt get the position in Edison. I applied in Marlboro, so hopefully I'll hear back. I am getting material together to apply to Chatham, Montgomery, Verona, and possibly West Long Branch. I am also keeping a watchful eye for job postings and openings. Hopefully if these schools dont work out something will open up in the next couple of months. I am not going to be some loser who is sitting on my ass and not going anywhere with my college degree. My hopeful plans 1. Get re-hired at Pharmagistics to make some money (hopefully just unitl March, but possibly a long term thing if #2 doesnt work.) 2. Find an opening in a school district and teach by March 3. Continue to help out at my mom's office 4. Continue giving drum lessons and maybe find more kids I can teach 5. Record our songs (Yes it is happening, and this time I am serious. We will have songs recorded and hopefully 12-13 songs done by April.) Current Music: Kaddisfly (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
12:27 pm	OOPS I MADE A MISTAKE. HERE IS THE RIGHT LIST! 10. Vanessa Carlton - "Heroes and Thieves" 9. Maroon 5 - "It Wont' Be Soon Before Long" 8. God is an Astronaut - "Far From Refuge" 7. A Skylit Drive - "She Watched the Sky" 6. Chiodos - "Bone Palace Ballet" 5. Kaddisfly - "Set Sail The Prairie" 4. Across the Universe Soundtrack 3. Kings of Leon - "Because of the Times" 2. Band of Horses - "Cease to Begin" 1. Envy On the Coast - "Lucy Gray" I thought this list was gonna be easy to make, but in the end it did turn out quite hard. Some CDs that could have made this list were Nile, Radiohead, Dark Tranquility, Jimmy Eat World, Avenged Sevenfold, Anberlin, The Starting Line, Shadows Fall, On Watership Down, Port-Royal, Yo-Yo Ma, Bright Eyes, Alabama Thunderpussy, Receiving End of Sirens, Foo Fighters, and Sigur Ros. In my opinion there were a lot of disappointments of 2007. Surprisingly enough Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, and Symphony X are on that list. While I could not wait for these CDs to come out I was just bored by Porcupine Tree's newest CD, PoS was...well a p.o.s., and Symphony X's left me saying that something was lost on this album, and it was not paradise. I guess I can also put Dream Theater in this list as well. Systematic Chaos is a CD that I just can't get into. I mean there are 2 songs that I like, but usually when it comes to DT I can blast the whole CD from start to finish. This CD just didnt do it for me. Other bands that could make the disappointment list were Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and possibly Collective Soul. I hate saying Collective Soul would be on there, but the new CD did nothing for me, and the single they released just annoyed me. I thought that Kaddisfly's CD was released in 2006. Oooops (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007
10:07 pm	Badass http://www.cloverfieldmovie.com/ (Comment on this)
Monday, December 17th, 2007
5:47 pm	First interview So today I had my first interview at another middle school in Edison. I thought it went pretty well. For it being my first interview I wasnt that nervous. I met with the principal and the environment was just very friendly. He asked a lot of questions about my teaching style and student teaching in general. I felt like I was saying "um" a lot, but I was thinking on my feet. Hopefully I threw some things in there that he liked. I made sure to bring up some of the good things I did this semester with the students. The only problem is that my subtitute certification might not be in by the time the they would need me to start. The position I applied for is a teacher who is going on maternity leave. The bad thing is since she is still getting paid for her time out and not leaving, there technically isn't a full time position available. Needless to say when the students heard I was at an interview at the other middle school they weren't too happy about it. Current Music: Band of Horses - "Oh to the LRC" (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
8:54 pm	You know the Grammys are a joke when Paramore is nominated for one (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, December 10th, 2007
4:46 pm	Ughh Two more weeks of student teaching and I am done....resume #1 is out...Thats the first of...well first so far. There are no schools within 45 minutes of me that are looking for Social Studies teachers. I applied to Princeton Regional School District today. Hopefully I hear back from them about the opening. I was going to apply to Boonton, but after some research, realized that Boonton and that whole area is very hilly. If it snows or ices over...my car is not going to make it up, or down any hills without crashing into something. Not to mention the commute would be terrible and disastrous. Other schools that had openings were more then an hour and a half away, and that would be on a good day. And that would be suicide knowing the amount of work I would have to do, plus the amount of time I would be commuting. I know I shouldnt be picky at this point in time, but like I said, it would be suicide. So I sent of the resume with some hope of hearing back. Current Music: "Jesus Christ"---Brand New (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, November 5th, 2007
11:36 am	...don't tell me that your scared... In case you people in LJ world wonder where I have been...I have neglected this thing for a while, mostly because I just don't have the time to sit here and write about things. But I have some time on my hands this week so I figured why not? Student teaching was kicking my ass a month ago, but now I feel like I have a good grasp on it. I couldn't ask for better students. I mean I have some pain in the asses, but overall they are all really good kids. I just hope I can find a job somewhere with students like these. Hopefully the next month and a half goes smoothly. Edison has this whole week off, so I am looking at some free time. Actually I lied...I have lesson planning and grading to do. Ugh. SO HOW ABOUT THEM RED SOX!??!?! SUCK IT! Oh yeah, I really hope A-Rod does not go to Boston. He is a disease. A $350 million disease. So we played a show at the Galaxy last Saturday. I might have to vote on not playing there again. Its no offense to the place at all, but I just dont think its fair for the people who come out to see us. The stage is about a half inch off the ground, and the sound is pretty much the SAME thing we have in Danny's basement. I got to thinking about it and I just don't think its fair for the people who come out to see us to pay $10 when they can just come to Danny's and watch us for free, basically seeing the same exact thing. I mean if we are asked to play there last second then fine, but that is one reason that I really didnt promote this show. I felt bad for the people going and spending the money. Especially our older fans. That place just isn't the type of place I want to play. I attended the Saints and Sinners Festival yesterday. It was a pretty good show. Some of the bands were having sound problems cause they set up the main stage really weird, but as their sets went on they seemed to work out all of the bugs. Met Ryan from Envy on the Coast as well. Really nice guy. I saw what was considered "Deathcore", which is just a genre to put lame Brutal Death Metal bands in. The music was pretty solid, but now I see why the "core" was added to death when the dude started to scream. Nevertheless it got my attention and they were pretty entertaining. Bless the Fall was good. Envy on the Coast was awesome. Suicide Silence was entertaining. A Skylit Drive was really good. From Autumn to Ashes was surprisingly good. Alexisonfire was good. Between the Buried and Me was boring. Norma Jean was boring. Silverstein was boring. Saosin was boring. Glassjaw owned everybody. Maybe the other bands were so boring because I just couldnt wait to see Glassjaw. I have been waiting 7 years to see them and they were amazing. Daryl is the man. The new songs are awesome. I find it funny how a lot of the bands that got me into the whole punk/whatever you want to call is genre I just dont care for anymore. Bands like Taking Back Sunday, The Used, Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, Fall Out Boy, Poison the Well, Atreyu, and Thursday just don't do it for me. I mean the old stuff that got me into them is still killer and I can still listen to that, but the new stuff I can't even sit thru. Actually a band that I used to like, then hated, has redeemed themselves. Avenged Sevenfold's new album is pretty sick. I have been having wierd dreams lately, and it is starting to creep me out. In these dreams I am proposed into a situation. In real life, there are usually two outcomes of a situation, good and bad. Well the dream is the same way. I am tempted by something and I don't give in. I am pretty surprised too because afterall it is a dream. But I guess it just shows that my mind knows what is right and what is wrong. It's vague I know, but it is one of those situations when you kind of know what the dream is about, but you forget more then 90% of it. I'm going to try to update this thing more. Ahhh I have not listened to Glassjaw in a looooong time. These songs bring me back. I said love Or so she'll say Immature love You breed immature lust So died the virgin I have told you before You're nothing special to him And that's nothing new for Nothing new for you Nothing new for you Current Music: "Tell Them That She's Not Scared"---Envy on the Coast (Comment on this)