Era of the moment: 1997-1998

[Norah]

What are you talking about? There was a perfectly good reason.

[Norah]

platypi*

[Jorge]

Platyponies.

[Lament]

I'd like a formal apology from both of you for assaulting my dick for absolutely no reason.

Dev says I don't have to apologize.

[Norah]

Now we're fucked.

[stip]

Don't you have a goatee, stip?

I do. I had a full beard for a while but I accidentally shaved part of it off in the bleary first month of kid 2, and then I kept it off because my wife prefers just the goatee. I'm hoping this encourages her to dye her hair red or cut hers shorter, but so far no luck

Ahh, ok. So it was unintentional and now you're using it for leverage? I can get behind that. I was worried you were gonna say "Yes. Goatees are awesome."

My first job out of college was teaching history at a k-8 private school. I was 22 years old, bright eyed, bushy tailed, and clean shaven. I had just learned to tie a tie without my dad's help. I was ready to make a difference! The first day on the job a parent asked me if I was a new student. That night I started growing a goatee. I wasn't ready to leap into a beard just yet.

[Jorge]

I'd like a formal apology from both of you for assaulting my dick for absolutely no reason.

Dev says I don't have to apologize.

Dev has apologized to me, I'm sure he'll understand.

[Lament]

I was ready to make a difference!

Howw muuuuuuuch diff-er-ence?

[stip]

I couldn't wait to burn that place down and see what rose from the ashes

[Lament]

I couldn't wait to burn that place down and see what rose from the ashes

But you messed up and held the candle till it burned up your arm, didn't you stip?

[Norah]

Stop it, right now.

[stip]

Within a year I had one small group of parents trying to get me fired and a larger group of parents telling the headmaster I was the best teacher their kids ever had. Then I took my 7th graders to medieval times, brought along my friend Dave and Hilary (we had just started dating). When the Queen appeared Dave yelled for her to show her tits, and then Hilary told our Knight that he throws like a pussy. Then i decided it was time for me to go to grad school.

[Norah]

Why did they want you fired?

[Lament]

Hilary told our Knight that he throws like a pussy

Was that when you just knew?

[stip]

Why did they want you fired?

I brought up abortion politics in the 2000 election. I was doing a 3 month unit on the election that was culminating in a school wide election. I had the kids divided into 4 teams, one for each candidate (this was when I was into 3rd parties). The NY times had a long interactive quiz on all sorts of foreign and domestic policy issues and where the 4 candidates stood. So I read each question and had them record their answer to place them with the candidate they most agreed with (which fell into a pretty even split between the 4). One of the questions was about abortion, and I had to explain the differences between their positions. That was too much for one mom, so she enlisted some of her friends to get me fired, called some of the other parents whose kids really liked me, who then started building a counter movement. Exciting times.

Also I probably cursed a few times. And I supported Ralph Nader and some of these kids had VERY conservative parents.

[stip]

Hilary told our Knight that he throws like a pussy

Was that when you just knew?

she's pretty great

[Jorge]

Why did they want you fired?

I brought up abortion politics in the 2000 election. I was doing a 3 month unit on the election that was culminating in a school wide election. I had the kids divided into 4 teams, one for each candidate (this was when I was into 3rd parties). The NY times had a long interactive quiz on all sorts of foreign and domestic policy issues and where the 4 candidates stood. So I read each question and had them record their answer to place them with the candidate they most agreed with (which fell into a pretty even split between the 4). One of the questions was about abortion, and I had to explain the differences between their positions. That was too much for one mom, so she enlisted some of her friends to get me fired, called some of the other parents whose kids really liked me, who then started building a counter movement. Exciting times.

Also I probably cursed a few times. And I supported Ralph Nader and some of these kids had VERY conservative parents.

O captain, my captain.

[stip]

really I should move all this stuff into the 2000-2001 thread. But that's what the newer mods are for.

[Biff Pocoroba]

1997, let's see. I was fresh out of college. I had a degree and a job with a small marketing company. I thought I was on the track to being a real adult. Then that company got bought by a larger one and I was let go. I worked at KMart for the next six months or so. I had put in applications with Delta before but this time I got a postcard in the email for an interview. Eventually come November I was hired.
I had already established Pearl Jam as my favorite band even though the grunge days were over and rock bands in general started getting less radio play. I had a few live & comp boots and had found the aol forum & 5H. I remember when Given to Fly started playing sporatically on the local alternative radio station but I only had only heard snippets of it. There was a bit of controversy about it being leaked and on the way in to work one day the morning show said their legal department told them to quit playing it but they were going to play it one more time first. I didn't get to hear it and posted my disappointment in a forum. Someone there asked why didn't I listen to it on napster? So I did, and it became the first song I heard online.
Thoughts on '98 & Yield to follow.