alexalgebra

I'm Alex. I live in Portland. I save lives during the day and am a rock star by night ;) I'm also one of the few dudes on here. I'm queer as fuck, say what's on my mind, and can be crass at times. I also have a strange and sometimes dark and/or dirty sense of humor.

UPDATE 5/2/13 - I'm in the middle of a HUGE fundraiser for my nonprofit, Equalize. Please read about us here: http://igg.me/at/EqualizeWarped2013

UPDATE 1/25/13 - I just started up a new blog! If you want to read about my life, please check it out at http://www.alexalgebra.com and say hi!!

UPDATE 3/22/12 - The 1s that I have will remain...I have learned the lesson that I should never sign up for anything remotely art journal like because I just can't do it. I spoke with my 2 partners for the month of comics swap and have sent them other things to make up for not doing the swap. I will ONLY be signing up for swaps that I know I can complete, and if it's anything big, I will have it at least halfway done before I sign up for it.

I like the sun, fresh air, riding my bike, playing music, singing, KARAOKE, going to shows, making stuff, video games, wandering my neighborhood, saying hello to strangers, wearing outfits of my own design, and attempting to speak languages I don't know very well. I also travel as much as I can and I love old books with awesome illustrations (esp. medical or nature).

I'm a big nerd. I like science, geography, and history. I like to learn things, but on my own time - not a fan of "school," even though I'm well-educated. I love languages and speak English (fluent), Spanish (okay), Japanese (rusty), Norwegian (beginner), Swedish (beginner), and Mandarin (just a little bit). I also love trivia and puzzles (mostly paint-by-number/nongrams/griddlers and anything put out by Games magazine). I go to the library at least two-three times a week.

I'm a big activist. I spent a month occupying Philly in 2011. I run my own LGBTQ organization that outreaches to youth and young adults. I'm also a very vocal vegan (don't get me started unless you want an education on why you should be vegan) and animal rights advocate. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME ANYTHING MADE OF ANIMALS OR ANIMAL PRODUCTS (this includes WOOL). Thanks :)

I love kawaii, especially food with faces. I'm just into Japanese things in general. I studied the language throughout school and traveled there in 2007. It was amazing. Specifically, I love Harajuku style, Visual Kei, and Decora. I also love GIANT NECKLACES, especially with some kind of food charm or plushie hanging off of them.

I love pen pals and although sometimes I go months without writing, I will get back to eventually, I promise!! I enjoy pen pals for the letters, not just for swapping stuff. I like to have friends across the country and world and hear about other people's lives.

I also love art that you made, like hand-drawn/painted/printed ATCs and the like that can go up on my walls. I have a "small art wall" that is all things from Swap-Botters :)

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME ANY FOOD, TEA, OR COFFEE. I am on a very strict diet and there is a 99.9% chance I can't eat whatever you sent me. Please send it to someone who will enjoy it. Thank you!

Harvey Danger is my number one favorite band ever of all time ever ever ever! After that, I listen to a lot of stuff 16 year olds like, and then stuff that jaded 29 year olds like. I'm into pop-punk, old emo, old screamo, old Seattle indie stuff, and things that sound like all of the above but aren't defunct. I also like schlager and pop music from other countries.

If you need a list - Harvey Danger, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Circa Survive, Get Up Kids, Saves the Day, New Found Glory, Broadway Calls, The Promise Ring, Juno, 764-HERO, Choke Up, A Loss for Words, Four Year Strong, The Swellers, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance

Youth in Revolt, Naive. Super., old books about medical stuff, old encyclopedias, young adult lit, anything coming of age (esp. queer), books about queer things in general, encyclopedias, science books, puzzles, books about linguistics/languages/grammar/syntax/other sexy word-like things. I also like manga and I love love love love love light novels!

Right now I'm kind of obsessed with Scott Westerfeld. He wrote the Uglies series, Leviathan, and a bunch of other amazing things. Read him.

Wet Hot American Summer, Hackers, Office Space, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Spiderman, Lost in Translation, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, I Love You Man, Cloud Atlas, Cabin in the Woods, documentaries about religious fanatics and other interesting people, gay gay gay

Queer as Folk, some random anime, Hoarders, Intervention, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, True Blood, Dexter, The State, X-Files, Kyle XY, United States of Tara, DOCTOR WHO (current obsession: David Tennant in glasses), Torchwood, Supernatural, Buffy, Firefly

I'm super into making jewelry with plushies right now. I also like reconstructed clothes, anything anatomical or science-y, 8-bit stuff, Japanese/kawaii stuff, things that are fantastical!!

• Cute food with faces
• Felt food
• Medical history and anatomy (I have a Gray's Anatomy tattoo from the original 1860 version ;) )
• Religious - like old Watchtower books, etc...I also have a weird thing with cults
• Retro cartoons ('80s-'90s)
• Retro video games (NES)
• Curio/wonder cabinet stuff & natural history
• Museums
• Harajuku (boys)/Visual Kei/Decora/Dark Decora
• My favorite colors right now are pink/turquoise/yellow together, glittery pastels rainbows (gayyyy), neon...going through a fairy phase
• Line drawing tattoos
• "Emo"
• Queer
• History of oppressed people and activism
• Alternative healing and naturopathy, crystals
• Clowns
• Activism

Things I can offer:

• I'm doing a big purge right now so I have a lot of random ephemera
• Plushies
• Handmade magnets
• Postcards (homemade or not)
• ATCs/inchies
• Comics
• Letters
• Drawings
• Stories
• Advice
• Original songs
• Zines
• Tea
• Vegan propaganda

Things I'd like to receive:

• Plushies/amigurmi/things that are crocheted (no wool)
• Anything that has to do with any of my favorite stuff
• Letters in languages I may or may not speak
• Stories
• Cute food things
• Giant necklaces, especially with parfaits or stuffed animals - see my Etsy faves
• Anything from my janetstore or Etsy wishlist
• DIY skill shares
• Clown makeup or anything fun and MAC...
• Neat writing utensils/markers (I love anything Prismacolor or Copic)
• Goggles, steam-punky accessories
• Kawaii stuff
• Fairy Kei/Pop Kei/Lolita accessories
• Good vibes :)
• Queerness
• Off-color humor type things
• Rement
• Handmade items!! I love it a lot more if you made what you send, even if you don't think you're a good artist

Please do NOT send me the following...I appreciate the thoughts, but it will go in the trash/recycle/compost or get passed on:

• Non-vegan items (this includes food, products tested on animals, or anything made of wool, leather, feathers, or fur)
• Anything racist, sexist, heterosexist, cissexist, etc.
• Girly/overly-feminine items such as things that are pastel pink or have flowers or hearts on them (I do not consider kawaii feminine)
• Scrapbooking items
• Ephemera, unless it's something really special or it's kawaii...I have too much as it is, but thank you!!
• Please don't call me she or a girl. I am not female.
• NO FOOD. NO TEA. NO COFFEE. I am allergic to everything ever. Thank you!
• Dollar Tree items
• Tchotchkes, unless they are something in my "...and Stuff Goes Out" list; I don't have a lot of room to display things that have no purpose, unless it can go up on the wall

Thank you!!