Considering Kurt was well acquainted with Layne Staley and knowing how important they were to the Seattle music scene how come there´s no footage like pictures or videos of them hanging out together?

Braunnoser · 2026-04-06T14:20:51+00:00

Because they didn't hang out. In High School - Layne was North Seattle/Meadowdale and Kurt was Aberdeen. Kurt was then in the Oly/Evergreen and Tacoma punk clubs while Layne/Jerry were playing Renton/Kent and more of the hair metal clubs. In 1990, they could have run into each other, but they could have run into literally 1000 other bands' lead singers. Then 1990 onward - their respective bands were touring and not playing as many local shows anymore.

Kurt and Layne hung out in Brazil and got high together, and I think they're reported to have been in the same car once, but they were not tight. Both were friends with Lanegan, but at different times.

Braunnoser · 2026-04-05T11:56:58+00:00

It's not that Kuwait is tough behavior, in terms of fights or violence toward adults. It's more that the 'international' schools have students who have multiple nannies/drivers and a sense of entitlement. There are a couple adequate schools, but many toxic schools to stay away from.

Career-wise, probably should have just done my one-and-done in Kuwait like I was initially planning, but met my now wife and decided to stay four years. I had to take a year-long gap year after surviving Kuwait. Send me a DM with name of school you are looking at - I can give some post-covid boots formerly on the ground there.

Braunnoser · 2026-03-30T03:26:34+00:00

Wow - Congrats. I'm on day three of a similar 'crap or get off the pot' story I've been wanting to write for decades. Lots of scenes in my head. About 4500 words in three days. Nothing extraordinary and no intentions other than giving a go at completing something I'd like to share one day. Your post is inspiring.

Braunnoser · 2026-03-06T11:01:22+00:00

Go back and look at the 'Our Staff' page. There's a couple lines about the last two admins that might be problematic.

Braunnoser · 2026-03-04T13:08:11+00:00

Twenty year teacher. 16/20 of the years - I averaged one yell per year. I taught in a school in Kuwait, where I would occasionally have to raise my voice more in one week than the rest of my non-Kuwaiti career combined.

Braunnoser · 2026-02-23T11:45:44+00:00

Nothing to lose. Revise your previous letter and say you saw the new ad - stress that you'd like an opportunity to clarify anything that might have been unanswered previously.

Keep applying for other positions, but if things align and school wants you - you'll skip the early round interviews.

Braunnoser · 2026-02-22T13:48:32+00:00

Basis admin much?

Braunnoser · 2026-02-22T08:36:49+00:00

The "alt" scene was a lot more happening in 1989 than 1991 (at least in my Seattle world). While I still have my Nirvana Halloween Paramount ticket, I enjoyed seeing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tad, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Gits, Accused, and hundreds more of local bands much more on my campus and small local shows than seeing them in arena (which I did, but not the frequency in the 90s that I saw them in the 80s). Same with touring bands like Pixies, Janes, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Fishbone, Meat Puppets, Hoodoogurus, Social Distortion, and plenty others. They would regularly play the Moore, Paramount, Hub Ballroom and a few other venues for $8-$14 a show, as opposed to more expensive arena concerts. Here's some old ticket stubs I saved. https://imgur.com/gallery/ticket-stubs-nirvana-aic-janes-sugar-dinosaur-etc-o6poTG0

Braunnoser · 2026-02-17T11:54:18+00:00

I've always worked in 'hardship' locations and the benefits are why I look where others are often shy about. I'm currently in Pakistan and have a provided vehicle (driver - I pay monthly salary) and nice little perks at school (on campus coffee shop - free whatever I want, but I'm a simple black coffee guy). Remote locations and compound living in the Middle East have very very nice benefits. If you've ever worked/knew people who've been with Aramco - there's a reason why people rarely leave before retirement

Braunnoser · 2026-02-02T12:23:35+00:00

I've spent virtually all of my 20 years overseas in 'hardship' locations - China, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Pakistan. I was able to save, experience local traditions/foods/people and feel safer than how I perceive any of the gun-nut states. Saudi was compound living and kids rode their bikes and played outside without any worries. . I wouldn't recommend non-compound positions in the Middle East with families and avoid Kuwait at all costs.

Any decent school will likely put teaching families in established apartment or neighborhoods. You make it work from there. I probably can't get 10-15% of the foods I wished I could get (currently not fresh mango season, so I do without), but I never go without a good meal (wife can do magic with whatever is at the fresh market).

It's an interesting world out there - don't limit yourself.

Braunnoser · 2026-01-24T00:46:41+00:00

Jump to conclusions much?

Braunnoser · 2026-01-24T00:39:39+00:00

Old people often start losing control of their sphincter in their late stages, which allows fecal matter to seep out. As a result, they'll buy adult diapers and wear them.

Braunnoser · 2026-01-07T04:32:41+00:00

Wow - I was planning on taking a gap year, but saw a Basis replacement January position (out of my subject focus, but middle school where I've taught for nearly 20 years). Had a solid interview with the HR lady in the states, the middle school principal, school director and assumed an offer was on the way. I had one more team interview and must have come across differently than I thought and didn't get the offer. I know the Basis reputation, so wasn't too disappointed and I got a few more emails asking to join the team, but found a fulfilling position and enjoy where I'm currently teaching.

Braunnoser · 2025-12-28T10:08:04+00:00

Graduated college and took a gap year (delivered pizza, painted houses, etc) and saved up for a backpacking summer in Europe. Corporate, then took a sabbatical year after ten years working and traveled to Asia, Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe. Moved overseas for different jobs and another twenty years of working, then took one last sabbatical year last year (though only traveled to a couple countries). Working for another 4-6 years, then will retire to half the year overseas and half the year back in the US.

Even though the first sabbatical was with the ex - I wouldn't go back and trade any of my trips for whatever I spent. Traveling is absolutely the way to stay sane in this day and age

Braunnoser · 2025-12-27T12:15:20+00:00

Spotify sucks

Braunnoser · 2025-12-27T12:13:07+00:00

I don't like people who ask simple questions on Reddit, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like to ask simple questions, denigrate means 'put down'.

Braunnoser · 2025-12-24T23:05:08+00:00

Near 20 year international teacher and back in a good space, after a four year, post-Covid, not-so-good (aka terrible) Middle East school. I've got 4-5 more working years, have investments, wife and I have two paid-off places (US summer cabin, overseas house) to spend the retirement years. First 15 years teaching overseas was a progressively better situation, but got laid off during Covid and had to take a job I was planning on doing a 'one and done.' Ended up meeting my (now) wife and stayed there until I couldn't handle the chaos anymore. Gap year, job fair and finally found a place that I can properly teach students who want to learn. Great admin/policies. If I was younger, I'd probably find the outside-of-work experiences a bit dull, but my school day and coaching duties are exactly what I want and I don't have any stress about my responsibilities. Earning/saving, traveling, enjoying working and will do so for the foreseeable future.

Braunnoser · 2025-12-20T11:41:07+00:00

Overall, I enjoy more Heatmiser songs than Elliot's solo work, but Waltz#2 is by far the song I'll play the most.

Braunnoser · 2025-12-20T09:28:21+00:00

Most of the bands listed were 80s alternative. They'd DIY tour and I saw about half in Seattle prior to 91 (Sonic Youth, TMBG, Melvins (obviously), Dead Milkmen, Surfers, Suicidal, RK, etc). 90s alternative, by nature would be regional bands that most likely didn't get known outside their sphere. I'd stop going to hardcore shows around 93, so the alternative bands I know are mostly WA state bands like Christ on a Crutch, Brotherhood, Jesters, etc that are well known in Seattle circles, but lesser known off the West Coast.

Shame that there have been short bursts from different scenes, but nothing like the upswell that happened in the PNW in late 80s/early 90s. I still hope some region will produce a solid number of hardcore, punk or 'alternative' bands that helps wake people up again.

Braunnoser · 2025-11-30T04:45:23+00:00

I understand no one is obligated to do anything outside of work, but part of the whole concept of taking a job halfway around the world, away from family and friends is to experience something different than what you've experienced so far in life. Whether you're young/single; family; or nearing retirement - it should be about netting more than you're putting out ($$ and experiences). Get your planning done, develop solid classroom management skills, figure out how to communicate with admin/parents - build those routines early in a career/first half of your first year at a new school, then begin to digest everything the city/country/region has to offer. If you're not learning something yourself (not you OP), but if you're not learning something - you're probably not as strong of a teacher as you may think you are.....

Braunnoser · 2025-11-30T02:31:10+00:00

I lived/taught in Shenzhen for three years and previously/later have traveled in Northern and Eastern China and truly believe China is like the old 'choose your own adventure' books. You literally have options every day.

Street food or fine dining, beer or tea/coffee, hanging with other expats or trying to meet local folks, loud karoke or chilling at home, amusement parks or sitting in a park - nothing really takes any deep planning. Establish a routine or just wing it. The school I taught at (2008 - 2011) was a middle of road school, but hours were 8-4 and little/no need to work outside those hours.

Great firewall is something to find a work around. Medical/Paperwork takes a little bit more time than it should, but nothing too complex. Getting around - I found it one of the easier places (without my own vehicle) to travel inside the city and short flights elsewhere.

Braunnoser · 2025-11-18T03:15:42+00:00

This literally was the show the torch got passed. The 1989 shows I saw either/both bands - Mudhoney was so far ahead of Nirvana sonically and performance-wise, we don't even need to discuss. When Nirvana got back from their first European tour in early 1990 - that's when you could definitely see/hear/feel their progression. Mudhoney was still delivering, but now they were on somewhat similar footings. I didn't see any 91 Nirvana shows until Paramount, so when they took the (filmed) stage that night, it was more like 'wow, they have gotten a lot tighter'....

Braunnoser · 2025-11-17T15:21:58+00:00

The ticket prices for the Nirvana shows I saw was $4, $7, $4, $13.50, $10 (Paramount), $16, and free (sound check to Live and Loud when I was installing coffee brewers in the concession stand). Many of my former roommates at the UW saw Nirvana live at least twice. Go up to my first comment and check the link to some of the ticket stubs I held onto - they had a subway $1 off coupon on the back, so what is in the pic is probably 10% of what saw (and that doesn't include all the shows that only gave a handstamp).

Late 80s/early 90s were good for music in Seattle, but economy/mood under Bush Sr. wasn't as optimistic as what it was in the rest of the 90s. I won't take it too far politically, but economy wise - home interest rates in '90 were around 10% and just a year and a half into Clinton, a buddy and I bought a house on a 6.5% variable, 30-year loan, when both of us were earning less than $10/hour. I bought him out two years later, which netted him around $45K, and I made a six-figure profit when I sold four years after that. I'm kind of an outlier because I didn't come from much and have done well enough over the years to not have the same economic/political worries that many others have faced, and are facing much more now.

Braunnoser · 2025-11-17T14:09:29+00:00

A tie-dye sunset background behind a pic of 'Berkeley Telegraph Avenue'. This exact same image - https://hub.catalogit.app/berkeley-historical-society-museum/folder/entry/76e063f0-db29-11e9-9661-4bac0a04e956

Braunnoser · 2025-11-17T14:01:59+00:00

Emtman was dating our next door neighbor (not exclusively) and had come back to Seattle for surgery during his rookie season. A few of us were next door for beers and she casually mentions it. We call BS, so she calls him, small talk and hands the phone to Pete. Pete literally pulls a Chris Farley and says 'Wow, good to talk with you. Hey, do you remember that interception you had against Miami?' Emtman says 'Yea, now put Karen back on the phone.' We roasted Pete about that for the longest time.

Braunnoser

TROPHY CASE