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Brian's Journal

Created on 2002-12-06 12:55:52 (#803230), last updated 2009-10-07

6,545 comments received, 7,843 comments posted

Basic Account [Gift]

1,697 Journal Entries, 2 Tags, 45 Memories, 0 Virtual Gifts, 6 Userpics

Basic Info

Name:	Brian Christopher
Birthdate:	1978-09-10
Location:	Brick, New Jersey, United States
Website:	MySpace

Contact:

SnoopHuntyHunt@gmail.com

Bio

This user info page has been in need of at least an update, if not a major overhaul, for a long time. Since I'm feeling motivated at the moment, I'm going to shoot for the major overhaul.

I'm 31 and a lifelong New Jersey resident. A journalism major in college, I've worked for the Bridgeton/Millville News, the Ocean County Observer and the Newark Star-Ledger, and I'm currently a writer and copy editor for NHL.com in New York City.

Generally I think I come across as a quiet and reserved person, but I'm passionate about a number of things. Among them:

Volunteering/Teaching
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
-- Jackie Robinson

In high school I was part of Interact and Key Club, and during college I helped with Habitat for Humanity. My favorite place to volunteer in recent years has been with the Ocean, Inc. Head Start program, which provides free preschool for the children of lower-income families. This is my fifth year serving as a teacher's aide with the program. Other organizations I have been privileged to assist include the Glassboro Child Development Centers, Ronald McDonald House in New Brunswick and the United Way of Central Jersey.

During 2007, I passed the Praxis II exam and received my certificate of eligibility (K-5). I also completed Stage I of the New Pathways to Teaching in New Jersey (NPTNJ) program, through Ocean County College. I spent some time substituting at various elementary schools in the Manchester Township district, in the hopes of eventually landing a full-time teaching job, but those plans are currently on hold while I discover what the NHL and life in the city have in store for me.

Sports
I'm a big fan of the New Jersey Devils, New York Mets and New York Giants, and you'll see their logos accompanying many of my entries throughout their respective seasons. I usually get to at least a handful of hockey games per season. I've only been to a couple football games and I haven't seen a ton of Mets games in recent years, but I did see my first playoff game in 2006 -- my father and I attended the opener of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Music
I just purchased my first iPod and am eagerly anticipating filling it with my favorite artists and songs. In the past few years, artists and bands I've seen in concert include Gin Blossoms, Counting Crows, Live, Collective Soul, Vanessa Carlton, Anna Nalick (see below), Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel, U2 and Sarah McLachlan.

Reading
Several years ago, a friend and I set a challenge that we would each read 30 books for the year. We both succeeded, and despite a busy schedule I've kept that goal in the years since. Favorite authors include Jodi Picoult, Michael Crichton, Nick Hornby and J.K. Rowling, but I try to vary what I read and sprinkle in some non-fiction as well.

One of the more rewarding aspects of working with young children is watching them develop a love for books. Reading to kids has always been my favorite Head Start activity. When I buy Christmas gifts for my co-worker's two small children, they always receive age-appropriate books.

I keep a list of what I've read each year on this page. I have saved past lists from 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, often with commentary on favorite selections, in case anyone's looking for suggestions.

Books I've read so far in 2009:

Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson, Jann S. Wenner & Corey Seymour (non-fiction)
Waiting to Surface, Emily Listfield
Miles from Nowhere, Nami Mun
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
Isabella Moon, Laura Benedict
Mercy, Jodi Picoult
Handle With Care, Jodi Picoult
Sarah's Key, Tatiana de Rosnay
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer
Rush Home Road, Lori Lansens
The Cure For Modern Life, Lisa Tucker
Hope's Boy, Andrew Bridge (non-fiction)
The Soloist, Steve Lopez (non-fiction)
Perfect Family, Pam Lewis
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Labrador Pact, Matt Haig
Columbine, Dave Cullen (non-fiction)
Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi (non-fiction)
Straight Man, Richard Russo
Dog Years, Mark Doty (non-fiction)
Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking, Aoibheann Sweeney
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Candy Girl, Diablo Cody (non-fiction)
The Last Summer of Her Other Life, Jean Reynolds Page
Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
The Traveler's Gift, Andy Andrews
The Blind Side, Michael Lewis (non-fiction)

I'm always open to making new friends and meeting new people via this site -- there are several people whom I value in my life and wouldn't know if I hadn't found them on here or they hadn't found me.

I'll usually post four or five times a week, but the majority of my entries over the past few years have been "friends only" -- feel free to add me, I just ask that you send me a quick e-mail at the address above and let me know. Chances are I'll add you back.

That's about it. If you're new to my journal, welcome! If we're already friends, well you finally have an update from me. Who knows when that will happen again!