Before we begin, fair warning, you might be here a while so, go grab a glass of wine or a bowl of Cherry-Garcia (hands down the greatest ice cream know to humankind)…put on some Leonard Cohen or David Bowie in the background…and settle in.

Ready?

At the heart of this I’m just a man, sitting in a prison, trying desperately to hold onto what’s left of his sanity.  I trapped myself in this little cage where there’s room for only so much happiness (so much so that every time I smile here I imagine some poor little unicorn gets punched in the face off in Never-Never Land; you know, for balance).

So here I am, trying to convince a stranger to get to know me; earn a connection to the world beyond what I’ve come to think of as the “10th concentric circle” of Dante’s E-Z Bake Oven.  (I know there are only 9 circles, but surely there should be a 10th circle for “living among ignorant n00bs”?)  I just want to connect before I detach completely; to find people open-minded enough to suspend disbelief long enough to see past the subterfuge of my reprehensible choices…and see me.

Where does one start describing a life that has taken so many twists and turns as to strain credulity?  I started normally enough…but then everything went slightly askew…and kept getting more and more misaligned; now it’s this tangle of tightly woven, yet slightly frayed cords.

I am many things to many people…not all of it particularly warming, but we all have our pasts.  Right now I’m more concerned about the future; with evolution.

I’m trying to figure out how best to paint a picture for you; offer a taste of who I really am.  Music and dance are probably my greatest passions.  I studied ballet, tap and jazz until I was in college.  My background (before crime) was the performing arts and activism.  I was in a Ska band for 6 years.  Before my arrest I was working as a DJ (mostly: Dubstep, Chillwave and Industrial).  Honestly, it doesn’t matter what the medium is…I just adore the creative process/creative people.

I’m drawn to odd things...the fringe.  I’m a geek, a Fanboy, an analog pirate trapped in a digital world.  My family are either deceased or estranged.  My social circle always became my family and always spun in subculture…fetish, punk, Goth, geek, Fanboy, Burly-Q, the Burner Community, on and on.

I am an open-minded, free thinking, far left leaning, tattooed, eco-friendly, polyamorous, social conscious, DIY, anarcho-syndicalist.

But wait, there’s more to this bizarre picture.  I’m obsessed with Irish Trad music, swing dancing and rock climbing.  I do yoga daily, studied Aikido and Kendo and have been a competitive fencer since I was 8.  I love rugby, hurling, boxing and soccer.  I also love Glee, cry at the end of every John Hughes film and think Journey is one of the greatest bands in history.  What can I say, I’m a complex individual.

Before you decide I’m just some caged gorilla puffing out his chest to look intimidating, know this: Yes, I’m a bit of an ass but I’m sincere.  I know who I am.  I’m a walking dichotomy…a highly flawed human being but I’m trying to do better.

So…if you know why Wednesdays are the best day of the week…if you know why 42 is the answer to everything, if you’ve heard of Crass or The Pogues…then you should write.  If not you should still write because these are things I can show you; it means there are things you can teach me.

Whoever you are, wherever you are…no judgment, no expectations.  Last thing, without too much trouble you can find less flattering stories of my past.  Sadly much of it is true, but not all, not by half.  My past is far more peculiar.  Ask; don’t presume.