As you can clearly see, I'm not yet a master of HTML. But this is my first attempt at designing a Web site so cut me some slack.
Well since you're here, you might as well learn more about my favorite subject ... me.
Welcome to the Mark Ward Web site.
As you can clearly see, I'm not yet a master of HTML. But this is my first attempt at designing a Web site so cut me some slack.
Well since you're here, you might as well learn more about my favorite subject ... me.
I was born on May 3, 1971 in Portsmouth, NH.
This makes me older than most of my friends and schoolmates, a fact they rarely let me forget.
I lived in Portsmouth until I was 19, braving the harsh New England winters and living it up during the week-long New England summers.
After attending the University of New Hampshire for one semester (well "attend" is too strong a word in this context, let's just say I received a 0.75 GPA on 16 hours of coursework), I decided there was no future in my career as a Taco Bell "frymaster" so I took a bold step.
I joined the U.S. Navy.
The choice seemed obvious, after all Pirates of the Caribbean had been my favorite Disney ride as a kid.
But what I thought would be a cutthroat life filled with booty, plunder and pirate talk ("Arggg maties, make the scalawag walk the plank!" "Avast ye, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.") turned out to be a relatively tame gig.
I spent five pirate-free years in the Navy repairing electronic components on nuclear submarines. I even got a medal for serving in the Gulf War.
I learned a lot from my time in the service, met a few great friends and got the funds necessary for my second stab at becoming a college grad.
After I was discharged, I made my way to the Sunshine State (Mom and Dad had moved down while I was in the service).
I spent two years at Daytona Beach Community College (or High School version 2.0) before coming to the University of Florida in August of 1998. My major is journalism.
I have worked for the Independent Florida Alligator student newspaper for the past year and a half. During that time I've gone from a lowly stringer pumping out one badly written story a week, to managing editor, the second highest ranking position on the staff. In between I was the city beat reporter, Detours editor and editorial page editor.
Probably one of my favorite jobs was as editor of Detours, the paper's weekly entertainment section.
There I got to put to use my extensive knowledge of cartoon, music and movie trivia, the only other place it's ever come in handy was during my short-lived Blockbuster Video clerk career.
I'm currently enrolled in JOU 4946 where I hope to learn more about HTML and Web site design.
After graduating in the Fall, I plan on entering either grad school or law school a year from now.
History has always been my passion and I hope to someday teach at the community college level, but failing that I hope to become Jacksonville's premier ambulance-chasing lawyer.
I also hope to continue entertainment writing for a local newspaper or magazine.
Oh, and I also plan to avoid living anywhere cold for the rest of my life.
Contact me at grimsmurf@aol.com
Visit my other Web pages
Here's my guide to the World's Ugliest Rock Bands
Ever wanted to know what Elvis weighed on other planets?
Here's some links to my favorite Web sites
Check out the Independent Florida Alligator where I spent a majority of my time in college
Want some info on my hometown Portsmouth, NH