DP--In your opinion does America’s education system completely suck?
Glen--I am not too sure, I was educated in Australia. Not so bad here, not so
many
schools with metal detectors anyway, if thats any indication. If films
such
as Higher Education are anything to go on, it can't be good haha. I
think
the gun issue is the bigger problem, it seems many americans also have
a
secret dream to be G.I. Sam.
DP--Have you ever had a teacher in any subject that wasn’t a total
asshole or
who gave off even the slightest impression that he/she knew what he/she
was
talking about?
Glen--Oh yeah, temp teachers are the worst. I had a science teacher that fit
that
profile perfect, he sang at church services at my school, I went to
catholic
schools you see - science teacher at a catholic school? MERCY!. His
name was
Mr. Sanchez, he quickly developed the title "Billy Ray Sanchez".
DP--Does it bother you that now, during our "enlightened age," people
get all
pissed off if you use what has been declared as the gender indifferent
"he"
rather than the clumsy "he/she" or "s/he" while these same people go
quiet
as a bug if you mention real problems like world hunger or the fact
that
America holds many nations of the Earth in an inescapable fist of
economic
strangulation?
Glen--Not really, I mean the brutal ignorance of people in that regard is
just
astounding. Even laughable to some extent. Although it may be shallow
of me
to say so. I keep my head down and look at my own goals most of the
time. In
summation, I think it is possibly even scary to some extent (Australia
being
one of the nations under America's thumb inparticular).
DP--America is the only industrialized nation without some form of
public
health care. America is also the richest nation in the world. Do you
think
it is indicative of a social sickness that many groups in America
absolutely
refuse to even consider that our culture enact a program that is
designed to
do nothing more than ensure the health of its very citizens?
Glen--I think it is disgusting. They were thinking of abolishing free health
care
in Australia at one stage..man did the public react! So now they are
giving
it an overhaul, giving incentives to people with the money to go
private
with their medical care.
DP--Which do you prefer, grapes or mangos? Why?
Glen--Hard question, fair question. Grapes. I like to peel the skin off.
DP--If a train leaves city A at 9:00 at one half the speed of light
(1/2C)
and another train leaves city B at 8:00 at twice the speed of light
(2C) and
the cities are separated by a distance of 4C miles. At what time will
the
trains meet? You must show work to get full credit.
Glen--eeek, runs for the hills. I've heard of this, maths? Right?
DP--Do you think that problems such as the above are demeaning?
Glen--Nope, makes the egg heads look good. I mean, besides Star Trek and
George
Lucas fantasies they have little else.
DP--Do you think it is ironic that a recent teacher’s union demanded it
was
demeaning that they themselves should have to take a test to prove that
they
knew the subject they were teaching, while at the same time they no
doubt
had administered thousands of tests to their own students?
Glen--I think teachers have problems, their has been some social stigma that
they
are almost super intelligent, know all beings from Zorgon or something
installed since the teacher pupil relation farted itself into being.
They
now have this reputation to live up to, must be hard for them. I think
most
teachers are only in it to feed their families though....there are
asshole
teachers in abundance all the same. It is ironic.
DP--If you could take only one book with you to a desert island, which
book
would it be?
Glen--A desert island would be monotonous wouldn't it. I'd have to take 2: I
would
take James Joyce's Ulysses (long, would keep the boredom at bay for
sometime), for my own real enjoyment and to get out of Ireland it would
be a
Pan compliation of Lovecraft stories called "Dagon and other macabre
tales".
DP--Well, here’s hoping that all that messy business will be promptly
cleared up. In the meantime, would you like to share a little
information
with us about your web-site?
Glen--Yeah, I've horrid sunburn from that island and an american with a
semi-automatic weapon has mistaken me for a muslim! haha.. Chaomics is
a
site that has broken out of the online comic mould. To the best of my
knowledge it is purely experimental horror and black comedy, offence at
the
content is taken often at worst. I think we are putting our attention
into a
niche market with it. It is run with my fiance, Megan Rogers, whos
family
were kind enough to sponsor a large portion of webspace for it. Mainly
revolves around my ideas and art which do their best to make people
leave
either confused, disgusted, horrified or excited. The address for those
interested is www.chaomic.com. Updated more often than not too.
Glen Papenburg and Chaomics gives permission for this interview to be
used
by Death Pestilence and no others.
Yeah, did you hear that, Death Pestilence and no others!
The End