I am a big, rugged, righteous man. I give respect where respect is deserved and I don't put up with bullshit and/or drama and/or douchebaggery.. I like fires...they smell good. I'm a lover, not a fighter - though I will never hesitate to throw down for good cause. I have a deep appreciation and respect for all living things - even bugs. People have described me as stoic...but I'm really not - it just might appear that way sometimes.

I generally like people before I dislike them...if you take my meaning. I like to mix juice and water at a ratio of 2:3 - its too sweet otherwise - and I really like tea. I spent my early years on a farm growing up with my mom and grandparents, and there are lots of good memories from that farm.

I'm Ho-Chunk and Irish, which is weird. I love both of my heritages, though tend to lean more to my Native side in terms of insight, perspective, and general close-to-the-earthness. I have lots of awesome people in my life who are happy to be my avenue into Native culture and traditions and such - and I'm very thankful for them because it's really the only spirituality I can identify with. I'm also very thankful for all of my other friends and family.

I'm a musician/teacher trained in instrumental music education, middle level education, cultural diversity and even environmental education...because they are all very important to me. I can also grow fields of corn, sing sea chanteys, row currachs across the seas, and be home in time to prepare a hearty stew.

My favourite dinosaur is Ankylosaurus because they're huge, armored, and badass as needed. I enjoy tea, lamb, cheese, fishing, yurts, chapotekes, maheej, trout fishing, jazz music, opera, pluralistic society, Yeats, ships, Stephen Dunn and countless other things. I like to spell things in the olde English style, not because I like the British (historically, they're assholes), but because I harbour an affinity for classic literature. People have told me I'm a renaissance man. I like the sound of that.

I enjoy the beauty of the world and everyday life...I relish it. Too many people miss the simple things that make this life beautiful. Don't be one of them. Slow down every now and again. Go walk in the woods, sit someplace up high, or be by water. Let the surrounding life enfold you...and listen. If you listen closely enough, you just may hear yourself.

That's me.
wa'ini ginup shin'a

I'm doing lots of things with my life, most of which make rent hard to afford. I'm a classically and jazzically trained musician, and can play pretty much all instruments decently, but only a few very well...and that's okay.

I teach children. They're awesome. Teaching is a great passion of mine, mostly because I genuinely care about creating positive lasting relationships with young people (and people in general) and instilling in them the that desire to enact positive change in this world. This means I'm intolerant of the intolerance (how ironic), bias, stereotypes, and prejudices. Progress is being made, slowly but surely!

In the summer seasons I am a simple farmer. I grow crops that are thousands of years old, crops of my ancestors entrusted to me via local elders. It's a great method of cultural preservation, to be close to the Earth and to work/respect it as one's ancestors have. I cultivate, plant, maintain, and harvest fields by hand. Naturally, organically, manually...backbreakingly. In Autumn I harvest wild rice, as is tradition, in Springtime I harvest fish. I harbor a deep respect and appreciation for all living things. I like to share this perspective with as many people as are willing to open themselves. You don't have to be Native to want to be good stewards of this land.

I play lots of music; orchestral, jazz, and folk. Folk is actually my favourite because it's roots come from my other homeland: Ireland. I play drums and sing in a trad/pub-rock flavored Celtic band. I can sing a mean sea chantey, followed by a ballade and pint of porter and swill of whisky! Yarrrgh! You will swoon! Continuing that tradition, I'm also on an Irish Currach rowing team. If you don't know what a currach is, you should probably look it up. I built one. Real men can row. I also like to canoe, camp, fish, and hunt in my spare time. Things that connect me to the Earth are things that I appreciate the most.

I like to read a lot and try my hand at writing occasionally, too. My favourite writer (Sherman Alexie) once said that in order to be a great writer, one should read 1,000 pages for every 1 that you write. I'm on the way!

OH! And I just got PADI certified - I'm an open water diver and I enjoy scuba related activities! I went diving in some sinkholes/cave systems in Florida and it was creepy and cool with large catfish...like underwater spelunking. I think I like open spaces more though.

Editors

• glamourrrrrrrs

Making a mockery of ridiculous people, practices, and institutions. I'm never really that mean about it though, I just don't put up with bullshit, and tell things the way they are.

I'm also really good at wanting to throw a brick at Rush Limbaugh's head...and right-winged extremists in general.

Another thing I'm good at is hearty, knee-slapping laughter, enjoying good beer, being cheerful, telling stories, making you feel welcome, and singing sea songs...as aforementioned.

Deciphering how and why things work, including people and social practices...I'm outgoing, and I don't let assholes get away with being assholes and thinking they're clever little wunderkinds.

I'm always ready for crazy hijinks, capers, and adventures in general! Semper Paratus...yeah!

My presence. It's weird. If I walk into an establishment, people I know will be all like "Heeyyyyyyyy!" and those who do not will be all slyly looking my way. I'm just a warm friendly guy and I like to have fun!

I acknowledge everyone, at all times. If I pass people I do not know, I may smile and nod, I may say hello, or I may say something completely ridiculous like, "...So I says to the guy...rectum...damn near killed 'em!" People remember those kinds of things, and the joy is spread throughout the world. Spread some love, people!

When I'm sick of people and the world, I tend to retreat and hang around those closest to me, doing things that I think matter; being stewards of the land, reconnecting with the beauty of this Earth, making music, making slow food, calling old friends...centering myself in general. I guess I'm either very extroverted, or very introverted - there's not much of an in between. I'm okay with that.

***I'm going to try to narrow these down to a top-5***

Novels: A River Runs Through It, Reservation Blues, Northern Lights, Peace Like a River, Fools Crow, Moby Dick (Melville is awesome)

Poets: Stephen Dunn, Anna Barbauld, W.B. Yeats, Wendell Berry, Emma Obata, James Welch, Sherman Alexie, Momaday, Adrian C. Louis

Movies: Smoke Signals, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Off the Map, Big Fish, A River Runs Through It, Shaun of the Dead,

Classic Composers: Saint-Saens, Sibelius, Schumann, Wagner, Mahler

Folk: Stan Rogers, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, Greg Brown, John Denver, Norman Blake, Doc Watson, Yonder Mountain String Band

Jazz: Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Charles Mingus, Shoeless Revolution, MMW, T. Sphere Monk, Sonny Rollins

Indie/Alt: Bon Iver, Chris and Thomas, Regina Spektor, Ray LaMontagne, Dan Reeder, MGMT

Rap/RB: Bluestone Moon, Leela James, Spearhead, Roots, Nappy Roots

Irish/Celtic: Christy Moore, Planxty/Andy Irvine, Great Big Sea, Old Blind Dogs, 9 Yards, Pogues/Popes

Others: Metallica, Green Day, good punk, and Leon Redbone.

Native: Northern Cree, Ulali/Pura Fe, Bearheart, Brule, Bill Miller

Food: maheej, Ho-Chunk corn soup, venison, wild rice, berries, fish, squash...AND DONER KEBABS!

1. Fish to catch
2. Clean waters to drink/travel upon/swim in/commune with
3. Clean air to breathe
4. Raw, undeveloped land
5. Communication in all its endeavors: music, art, language, touch, etc.
6. Good beer
7. Loves.

My future. How I can best influence the world. How I can best teach/help my students and those close to me to strive to be the best people possible. How I can be the best me possible.

I think about what medicines are good. I think about how I want to be some great orator and composer and famous conductor and writer and philosopher all at the same time.

I think about how I just want to go live in the woods and say to hell with society...and have the knowledge and ability to do so.

I think about the beauty that is bestowed upon our kind that goes largely unappreciated.

I daydream crazy scenarios too. I used to work at an airport, refueling jets and towing them around and such, and when it was slow, to pass time I would imagine my course of action if there were velociraptors coming after me. True story. It's pretty fun. You should probably try it.

Those are some of the things I think about.

Worn out from the week. Drinking some good drinks, cooking some good food, hanging out with good people and/or listening to good music. La Crosse is a great place for local live music, and there are lots of truly talented musicians in the area with a variety of repertoire...so there's always something enjoyable being played.

In the summertime I'm probably camping, fishing, or working the fields, if during school, probably just taking it easy.

Oh, if we're talking Autumn, then I am going for long evening strolls through the forests, enjoying the smells of cold decay, and delighting in the brisk wind that makes my nose cold and blows my hair all in my face. Eagerly awaiting the fresh squash and tea that I will have for dinner.

Editors

• glamourrrrrrrs

I'm very guarded and kind of senile, but once you gain my trust, you have it forever. I will also respect you until you give me reason not to, even if we share different beliefs.

I think Peewee Herman is/was funny.

Every once in a while, I watch Ernest Goes to Camp and/or Ernest Saves Christmas...they were some of my favs from my childhood days.

I've always had this fantasy of being one of those knights that does all the fighting and jousting at Renaissance fairs or places like Medieval Times...haha.

A) You don't like to wear sunglasses that are 50 times bigger than your face.

B) You like the arts and would like to swap cool info on music, art, and writing

C) You're real, and don't let 'the man' get you down!

D) You dislike consumerism

E) You're funny

F) You have adventurous tales you'd like to exchange

G) You like any of the following: sailing, knight-ish things, cannon, Adolphie Sax, video games, bourbon, ogiichidah, trees, water, barges, 12-string guitars, trout, trombones, flame, ice, snow, dead leaves, the smell of diesel fuel, cartwheels, or improv

H) You want to