Pat Yurick’s Blogfolio

I wish I was a Tanner today…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 2:23 pm, June 24, 2008.

Greeting of the Day:

What skin color do you feel like and why?

Wikipedia defines the word of the day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_%28classification_of_human_beings%29

Link to article of the day:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7470764.stm

Eugenics:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics

“Mad in America” by Robert Whitaker (Not Forrest Whitaker)

Music of the day:

“White Light” by Wilco

“Berlin” by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

“St Andrews” by Bedouin Soundclash

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Painfully EMO - 6/24/08

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 10:17 am, .

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This is the Dawning of the Age of Apparatus… (6/23/08)

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 10:46 am, June 23, 2008.

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Blogfolio Video Prompt “Noun” 62208

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 8:12 am, June 22, 2008.

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Magically Thinking Mormons

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 11:58 am, June 21, 2008.

6/21/08 12:54 PM

Where am I? I keep asking myself that question. The sun was nice. I was just outside finishing “Magical Thinking” by Augusten Burroughs. The sun is out and I decided to let it pour on me. Being sick I thought that this might help, and it did.

I have been working for two weeks now at the Lobster Pound. Working here has been making me very anxious and prone to panic attacks. A lot of the time I feel like I am being judged and declared as a royal screw-up and failure. But the first two weeks of any job sucks. This much I know. Last week I drove to meet my sister on a Saturday so I could work a Sunday shift. I road to my new little quaint apartment by motorcycle. Sunday I worked my first day back. I didn’t do SO well because I hadn’t studied my menu items at all and everything was kind of in a wing-it mode. After being lectured on my menu knowledge abilities by several sources I was told to study.

Study I did sparingly. I went kayaking on Monday with my sister. We fought out on the water and I was astonished by how this fight was such an acute metaphor for our entire relationship. We came back and napped and drove home. Tuesday morning I received an email regarding an interview and almost immediately following an interview for a position at another school. I had a shift to work Wednesday so Tuesday night I drove to Maine only to drive home again Wednesday night for a Thursday morning interview.

Friday after the interview at school B I drove to Maine. This would be the last voyage for a while and I knew this in my bones.

So after about 21 hours total on the road that week I went in for a Friday shift at this restaurant job. I failed the menu test again and in doing this encurred yet more wraith from my superiors. I was given a timeline to study and pass and that was within the following 12 hours.

Exhausted and full of feelings of failure I went home and vented and screamed myself to sleep. I woke up the next morning and for 2.5 solid hours I studied like I never had before and then I passed the test.

This week has been better. I have been offered the job at school B and I am going to take the position. I am getting better at work. Yesterday I had to call in because I am sick and while I am feeling a little better today, I am still sick.


I started watching Big Love last night. Weird show. I am disturbed by how much I am growingly judgmental of Mormons. After reading of the Mountin Meadows massacre conspiracy in the book “Oh, What a Slaughter” by Larry McMurtry I just have weird feelings about Mormons. This probably, most-definitly comes from my Irish Catholic upbringing paired with the huge amount of ignorance I have about Mormons and their practices. All of which is surprising because legally I am recognized as a Mormon in the state of Arizona. (A story for another day.)

All in all I am learning. I am becoming stronger each day, if not physically, than mentally. I have wanted to be on my own and out of school for a long long time and now I am. I hate it. I am uncomfortable, lonely, and prone to anxiety. It gets a little better sometimes though. I will tell you how much it has been better in about 10 weeks when this little adventure ceases and I have to move again.

I am really looking forward to seeing Lahnna next weeked.

Peace out home skillets ~ MisterY

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Teach New Orleans Interview Adventure Part 2…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 9:48 am, June 6, 2008.

6/6/08 9:43:26 AM


This is a poem I wrote in the museum while looking at the paintings of Luis Cruz Azaceta, the piece of his I really enjoyed is above it.

Wow. So its Friday AFTER I have been back for three days. I have good excuses, but I hate excuses. I seem to use them a lot for someone who hates them. My grandmother had another stroke Monday night. This week has been nuts. I do want to finish my entry regarding the New Orleans trip.

Sunday, I walked around for a long time. I just wanted to see the place. On my own I had quiet eyes just taking in everything. I walked from the museum to the aquarium/zoo/imax theatre. I decided I wanted to see the IMAX showing of the dolphins and whales. I had never seen an IMAX show so I was interested, and what the hell I was on vacation (or something that smelled like one anyway…)

The show didn’t start till two… Ok so I walk around for a bit. I was really sweating and needed a new shirt so I had my mission. Find a cheap t-shirt. As soon as I walked out of the museum I was on the waterfront and I stopped and drew to a guy playing guitar. That was awesome.

I bought a 10 dollar new Orleans shirt and made my way back to the IMAX theatre.

The show was alright, but not as good as I would have hoped. I was expecting National Geographic quality of documentation and it was more like fluffy kids movie about the different kinds of dolphins and whales. I did like the 3D aspect of it though.

For the rest of the day I walked around and was heat stroked. I had my back with all the electronics in it because I knew they were cleaning the hotel room while I was gone. I met this female artist, I enjoyed her work I told her who I was and we talked for a while about composition and artwork. If I had money I might have bought a piece:

I talked to a guy on the street who was about my age and he was trying to get people to contribute to a community piece of art, a door, that he was letting people who walked by paint. I wish I had gotten a picture of the door, it was cool – I did get his information and the information of the organization.

I would be very interested in becoming part of something like this.

I walked around for a long time after that. I had a vegetarian burger at the same place I had one the day before. I stopped and watched a blues musician play by himself while hitting on these two tourist women. It was funny; I was more interested in his guitar.

I went back to the hotel and got dinner and took a shower. Chinese steamed vegetables and rice, YUM. I made myself go out again even though I was exhausted. I walked all the way through the French quarter again to get to a jazz bar THAT WAS CLOSED. I ended up listening to Jazz at another bar on Bourbon Street for an hour or so. I met this middle-aged couple from Ohio on their anniversary and talked to them for a bit.

Went home and slept.

Monday was a long day of waiting for flights. I did have an amazing subway vegetarian patty sub at the Washington/Dullies layover. Sister picked my up at 10 of 12 and I was in bed at 1 am.


Conclusions… Well I am not exactly excited to do the whole thing over again, although I did have a good time when I was with some people. I could see myself working down there and I think it would be a great opportunity. I want to help people and New Orleans seems like a great place to start, but I will also just be happy to teach next year.

I sent out some more applications as I have been home this week. Lahnna is coming up after work tonight. It has been raining since Wednesday and that’s no fun at all.

I did get a call this morning from an overseas job company I applied to, I am not sure if I am going to pursue it because I don’t have the ability to do it right now, but after a year or so of teaching I could see it in my future.

More from me as time progresses. I am leaving for Maine tomorrow and who knows what will happen while I am working this summer.

My goals are to get a job, finish my comic book, and get into shape. Oh, yeah, and make some money.

Talk later homies - MisterY

PS - I need to remember to find this artist’s name. I know I saw his pieces at the Gale Gallery. I HAVE to get more information I was absolutely entranced by his work on Saturday.

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Teach New Orleans Interview Adventure Part 1…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 8:34 am, June 5, 2008.

5/30/08 1:28 PM

On the plane. I did my last minute thing this morning, but alas I planned very well for the timing of my last minute panic and finished getting everything together with a few minutes to spare. I am getting better in my old age.

I love having this Mac book with all its easy-to-use built-in-for-dummies features. A year or two ago I was preaching a different sort of anti-MAC sentiments, but alas I have been crushed under the power of the superior quality and availability of the Mac laptop. I will even be buying full sized version when I have to reinvest in a home computer, although I am not seeing the need to unless I get involved again with my graphics software. I also finally caved after a yearlong battle with my beast-machine PC and seven crashes and reformats. It is a superior quality PC, but I am sick of tending to the workhorse’s wounds and upgraded so I could have a workhorse that actually worked. And hard.

Last night I ended up using both of the machines side by side. The PC for my graphics, as it houses my full version of Adobe CS2 as well as my Mac which just has all of my up-to-date software. I would like the have CS2 on this, but it is too small and puny to handle the load – but as an everyday computing needs being met device, it works at a spectacular level.

I need to ask Amanda about creating a mailing list and sign-up for here.

I really should be reading my pamphlet but the plane ride is making me a bit a nauseous so I might just watch some nip/tuck (terrible, but addictive show by-the-way) I have a two-hour lay-over at the Washington-Dullies Airport so I will probably just read it there.

I am nervous about this interview. I know, I know, I’ll be fine – but nerves are there for a reason right? I am very interested to find out how the next coupld days will turn out, I really have nothing planned at all after 3pm tomorrow night till 5pm Monday.

We will see…

5/30/08 3:43 PM

Airports suck. I am not leaving until 5:50. Shoot me. You would wonder why the seats in these places aren’t more comfortable.

I just took a giant bite of a mushroom burger only to find out that mushroom burger didn’t mean “burger made of mushroom” it meant “burger with mushrooms on top”

I am the best vegan EVER.

5/31/08 7:06 AM

Ok so this is not the best room ever. I arrived here at about 9pm last night and was COMPLETELY sketched out. I think this has to do with the excess of coffee on the last flight and virtually no hydration. Unfortunately I couldn’t get something to eat because the only take-out was domino’s and Chinese. The lady at the counter didn’t think it would be a good idea for me to go wandering around this area alone. (EEEK) So I went online and found a pretty decent-er hotel, hotel le cirque, it is in a better neighborhood and has some OK reviews from hotels.com and yelp.com. I am really in need of coffee and breakfast before this interview. I also need to arrange travel to the hotel after the interview, which should end around 3.

Ok so no one stay at the Midtown Hotel in New Orleans, sketchy to the max factor!

I am all dressed and ready to go. Here is hoping. I have NO IDEA what to expect.

6/1/08 5:51 PM

I am tired and sore and in no mood to write. So I won’t, but I am still here.

6/2/08 11:17 AM

So, no update in two days? What kind of blogger am I? I am a Pat Yurick blogger, I do things my way and if you can’t handle it. Well… Please handle it… (I had a very big urge right there to be like Spider Jerusalem and tell you all to do something nasty if your couldn’t handle it. As much as I adore Spider behaving in a cool way has never been my suit.)

I’ll start where I left off.

The sketchy hotel, the midtown hotel. Not dirty but in a not-so-friendly part of town. (The hotel clerk told me not to go outside after dark!) So this was my first impression of NOLA and it really freaked me out. When you are alone the mental shadow game can reek some havoc on your senses.

Saturday morning I left Midtown for good. Ironed my clothes and called a cab to take me to the interview. The clerk downstairs actually did this for me. When I asked him if there was anywhere I could get a cup of coffee he told me there was a burger king around the corner. When I said is there anything like a starbucks or a dunkin donuts he laughed and said “This is not that kind of area”. Wow did I feel like a spoiled honky from NH hanging out in the ghetto.

So off to my interview I went. I had the cabbie stop at a gas station. I was STARVING. No dinner Friday night and no coffee upon waking up caused my caffeine addictive back-monkey to scratch like no-ones business. I got a bag of peanuts, chex-mix, coffee, water, something else and was on my way. I got the the school a little early and ate on the front steps as everyone else who was interviewing arrived. One person stopped and said hello. Her name was Kim.
The interview process was OK. I won’t give the step-by-step but I will say that the best part was that I met a bunch of people who were very very cool. There was this guy from Yonkers named George and I ended up finding out that Kim taught Art in Massachusetts. I met some other really cool people exchanged numbers in between sections of the interview event.

I realized something during a group discussion that I had not realized before, or at least hadn’t been acutely pointed out to me, I have leadership urges but I am afraid to act them out. We sat in a group and were given a problem to solve having to do with a common student body. This group consisted of twelve individuals, applicants, teachers, and the people interviewing us read the problem and gave us the objectives. We had twenty minutes to answer two questions and everyone had to contribute.

Immediately I had the urge to say things, as I saw everyone did. But do to my fear of rejection, just a little gut feeling, I held back. Not a lot, but I wanted to see who would emerge as a leader because I didn’t want to. This is what I like to call my student syndrome. After being a student for so long I have been conditioned to look to others for permission to act as a leader. I did this again. As the discussion went on we all decided that the problem class in question, the fictional one presented to us, needed direction and clear organized management where everyone contributed, which was also what we were directed to do as a group.

We didn’t do it. I saw this immediately. I was afraid of being torn down of being disagreed with, of being told I was wrong, and because of this the group suffered. Later I told Lahnna (GF) that a team is like a boat and the leader is the rudder that provides direction. The boat is useless without the rudder and the rudder is useless without the boat. I needed to be the rudder and I failed at that. In failing I learned something very valuable though which was that I want to be the rudder and to do that I am going to have to change my reactions to this fear I have. I am going to have to start giving myself permission to be a leader and I am going to have to practice this in a way that allows me to do it without fear. Of course the way to do this is to become a leader that is ok with being rejected and denying this as a personal problem and sees the big picture.

So the rest of the interview went pretty good. I didn’t receive a lot of feedback from the interviewers so I honestly don’t know what they thought. They asked me a lot of questions regarding personal challenges I feel I will face. I actually think that the decision will come down to them deciding whether or not they want to give a first year teacher a chance. I am without experience and a solid teaching curriculum simply because I haven’t had a chance to teach one. Placing someone like me into a high needs school is a big risk.

I agreed to meet Kim around 2:30 at the Bourbon House on Bourbon. She had a friend who worked there. George and I shared a cab across town to St. Charles ave, he was staying on a hotel on the same street. We decided to meet up after we got settled in and changed. I headed over to my new hotel, Hotel Le Cirque at the lee circle.


(view outside of my hotel window)
2:30 came around and George hadn’t called. I called Kim and told her I was waiting for him to call and then we would be on our way. She told me to cross the circle and walk sevn or so blocks and we would hit Canal street and take a left and then hit Bourbon. George called I told him to come down and we would walk from my hotel, because from those directions it seemed as if Bourbon street was closer to me than him.

I was wrong. George and I walked about 2.5 miles in the wrong direction. It was really ok though because George was really a cool guy. We talked about literature, teaching, and television. I really started to like George. When we realized we had gone the wrong way we jumped on a streetcar and made our way to bourbon. On the way we talked about U.S. history and religion. Turns out we were both Catholic and Irish. It was a good time.

We reached Kim and had a couple drinks. The rest of the day was filled with drinking in the streets talking about random things, artwork, the Mississippi river, the search for vegan food and lots of laughing. Kim was a really cool girl to get to know and within a couple of hours I felt like I was hanging out with friends I had known for years. I even got called the “professor” a couple of times. I smiling as I think about it.

I got back to my hotel at about 9:30 tired and a little drunk. Watched some “Wire: Season 4” and passed out.

Sunday was a day of wandering. I made my firstly the the New Orleans museum of contemporary art. I was very inspired. The heat caused me to become drenched in sweat very quickly.

I am tired of typing, I’ll finish the story momentarily ☺

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It’s a cricket! No, it’s a duck! I am seriously considering… NO IT’S A Super-BLOG!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 5:46 pm, May 19, 2008.


An excerpt from one of the lesson plans I was working on today:

“The hero is a definite figure in all of our lives. We identify the hero in order to set a standard for which we wish to measure ourselves by. This could be my Grandfather, Martin Luther King Jr, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All of which are Heroes. Acknowledging and understanding why we have selected our Heroes and what that says about who we are and what we value as right and wrong is a basic function of human life.’

‘In correlation to the topic of Hero dissection and identification, it can also draw on the logic that these tools which we easily can dissect the role of our own personal heroes, we may also use to examine the role of heroes in another’s estimation. Superman and his ability to fuse science and mythology started a popularization that has yet to cease within popular culture. Why? What is the draw to the American Superhero? Why is it that the American Superhero was part of a sub-culture, or cult following, for almost 60 years and then followed by an explosion over the past few years of the superhero fanaticism in popular movie and television culture? Why now? How did we go from a society that would burn comic books identifying them as evil to a society that recognizes the superhero as a valuable form of measurement in the battle of right and wrong?”

I found this awesome blog that has a ton of history and research directly discussing the craft in which I have always been forthcoming with my love for COMIC BOOKS. So check it out at :

dialbforblog.com

I need to briefly vent because I am very tired and hate weather. Thats right weather. When it is grey outside I am grey inside. (No I did not say that, my alter-ego EMO-PAT briefly reared his tear stained head.) But seriously come on summer make up your mind. I am SO stressed but I know I will be able to make it.

I’ve got a question to throw to the bloggerspace dimension of the world-wide-web: How do I generate an audience? Anyone who answers this seemingly simple question will be judged. Based upon my arbitrary judgment I will deem some lucky responder worthy of a prize. (Also some sort of prize should and may be awarded to the first person to ever comment on the Headgraphics.net Blog)

In the dialect and tone of Marvel Comic’s Thor: “Have At Ye!”

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Thank You Amanda

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 8:19 am, May 18, 2008.

As everyone can see I have a brand-spanking new website that will serve to chronicle my ever-growing tendencies as a artistic changeling. I have my long time friend Amanda MacArthur to that for that.


Amanda is amazing and has put up with me through many artistic inspired ventures, and hopefully many more to come. (This site being one of them.)

Give her and I feedback we want to know what you think.

So the whole point of reformatting my website was to be able to constantly update, so I guess I should do so:

I have about two days to hand in my material in order to finish my Master’s Program - I am the little steam engine dag-nabbit!

So although I did walk during the gradjamacation ceremony I will not get my official diploma (aka bill for my soul) until I pass in my final work. Which will be awesome… once its done…

I am going to a teaching interview in New Orleans by the TeachNOLA program from Friday May 30th to June 2nd.
The TeachNOLA Program

So that should be interesting.

After that I will be starting work (slash=moving to temporarily) in Lincolnsville, ME. I will be waiting tables alongside my sister.

So now that I can - I will keep updating. This is SO COOL.

Oh and on the artistic front. I do not have anymore live painting shows planned, but I have a feeling some will come up. I am working though. To those of you who do not know for two years I have remained dedicated to writing an actual comic book story arc. I have just finished issue six and I am very happy with the progress of this book. It feels amazing to be following through on a childhood dream. I will update more as it comes up.

Thank you again Amanda, and thank you my loyal readers :) ~ Mister Y (Patrick)

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New Youtube.com Painting Vid

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patrick @ 7:07 pm, May 14, 2008.

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