Breaking News!

Like people visit my site for news about anybody but me? Msnbc.com has an article detailing Saddam's likely demise.

Is Saddam dead?

I sure hope so. I can't find anything using google saying anything about the most recent news. Television says he may have been hit yet again though. This is the most recent story about Saddam being dead on the web. Daypop thinks this is the most relevant story about Saddam's death in the blogosphere. (Whatever happened to blogodex?) No article on the web has any of the most recent information, but the US acquired some intelligence placing Saddam in a building with his son and other top Iraqi officials and destroyed said building, rendering anybody still inside very dead. All anybody is willing to confirm at the moment is that the people inside the building are dead.

Schoolgirl Crush

I am to the point with certain girls in my gym class that kindness has reached the end of its usefulness and cruelty might be in order. I actually had one caress the back of my head and neck today. The girls all seem to think that they can get away with whatever they want to. I think I should paint some gray into my hair, stuff a pillow into my gut and slouch a little. All the teachers mistake me for a student and the kids seem to know most of the time but they don't treat me better. At this point I am beginning to feel like a student. I might go and sit in a class by mistake tomorrow.

Raining Cats and Dogs

Hail was coming down a few minutes ago in Richardson like the wrath of God. My roommate most likely has a ruined windshield on his car. Other than that, we sustained minimal damage. Extreme weather turns my roommates into children, which is fine really. A certain wonderment about the world should be encouraged. For whatever reason, half-inch hail has no mystery or excitement for me. I think it has something to do with being worried that the pelting hail will dent my tender flesh. I mean it only breaks windows...

Heavy Lifting

I am trying to get in shape for the military so I am stepping up my workouts and my lower body workout in particular. This comes at great calorie cost. Today I killed 1,900 calories in about 35 minutes of working out. I also lifted weights so there is no telling what my actual energy consumption was. My aim is too catch up my endurance and leg strength to the rest of my physique. I am hoping it works.

Crazy Kids

Middle school kids are crazy. Seventh and eight graders vary widely in size, have raging hormones, are just discovering the meaning of sex, and never think far enough ahead to see the consequences of their actions.
There is a little spanish girl who is in one of my gym classes who last time I was here inquired on a hypothetical basis whether I'd suck her toes. This week, she told me my legs looked sexy in shorts. (In fact, I have had three different girls comment on my legs. Maybe it's time for long pants?) Another girl ran into the boy's lockerroom; she also commented on my legs. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) Another girl who I had taught in a home economics (well now they call it "life skills") class I subbed for last semester whistled at me and commented on my legs as I walked the halls. Last time I was hear she told me she'd given another teacher a lapdance and always had something shocking to say or do as I passed her in the hall. And that's just the little (or not so little) hispanic girls. I had one girl (not hispanic) come into class with her pants pulled down way past what is normally considered decent so that her underwear showed. I immediately ordered her to pull up her pants. She immediately replied she had to keep them down because she had lost a bet to her cousin. And that is just the girls.
There is a young black kid in one of my gym classes who has received two referrals for fighting in the locker room in three days. His temper is bigger than he is, and he's not much bigger than a chihuahua. I teach boys who apparently believe that there is never a reason horseplay is not acceptable behavior. I work with boys whose behavior problems run so deep, and are so belligerent that I really expect to see their faces on a most-wanted poster some day. And that's just third period.

Another Day in the Life

I have had no less than two teachers mistake me for a middle school student. It doesn't help that I am wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes. I could argue that I am taller but all the jocks in my 7th period gym class are just as tall.
I am posting from the library of Thomas C. Marsh Middle School where I am going to be teaching gym for a little while. I feel a little guilty having this much fun on the job. I have a good time but the kids less so since I actually make them work out. They all complain that they were supposed to play in gym class. I am. :)

Fat and Happy

I am happy at the moment and mostly because I am well-fed. I also really like teaching physical education. This is one of those rare days that you sit back and say "Life is good."

Scenarios of Gloom and Doom

The current buzz in the media is that the war isn't going great now and is soon to be worse. I would like to believe differently but frankly I don't have enough real information to say otherwise. I can only think of past wars that the media and scattered voices in the defense community said similar things. At the same time these people only need to be right once. Josh Marshall has the most complete and frightening prediction of failure in Iraq yet. Even so, a close reading of his blog post reveals the prediction isn't for military defeat but failure to complete the war objectives. The scenarios are actually more frightening from an Iraqi perspective because all of them predict great suffering in Iraq and one predicts near complete devastation.

War Blogging

Where is Raed? He hasn't posted in a couple of days. Is the power out, the telephone lines down, or is he dead? Who knows. We'll have to wait.
By the way, if you are not getting at least some of your opinion coverage on the war from slate.com, you are missing out - especially if you are a &*$@ liberal.

Quick Link

Good stuff from Will Saletan at Slate about why staying out of Baghdad was the right thing to do.
I still wish that we had killed Saddam by "accident" the first time.

What would you do if you were God?

You know what nobody has said, (that I know of) is that the justification for war could be reduced to "Because we can". There exists a giant power vacuum and the United States is slowly realizing the implications. The US can use this moment in history to shape the future as it pleases. Honestly, given the power it is ridiculous to not expect America to use it. If you had the ability to make the world a better place could you resist the urge to try? If you were Superman could you resist becoming a vigilante? If you were Superman would you have any moral course of action other than vigilantism? What would you say if Superman sat idly by while evil men caused havok and destruction in the world? What have people said about God for allegedly doing the same?
The danger should be obvious by now. America is powerful but not invulnerable. America is intelligent but not all-knowing. America is well-intentioned but not infallible. How can we be sure that the US will always be guided by the better nature of its leaders, especially since America has been governed by convenience in the past. This is where international law should step in and provide guidance. Unfortunately, leadership at the international level has been lacking. Ask yourself why a powerful nation should trust an organization to protect it's interests and the interest of smaller nations - because it is effective, benevolent and fair. The United Nations is none of these things. The United Nations is powerless to govern its member nations (witness the number of nations with alleged civil rights violations on the Security Council for instance) and unwilling to enforce it own rules. The UN is the problem. War isn't the solution but I have yet to see a better alternative.

What do you do

When your down or a little depressed what do you do? Eat? Sleep? Watch TV? I do something you have to be 21 and older to do in most states. I have talked to other people about this and you would be surprised at the extreme things people do when they are depressed. I am just thankful that the vice I picked up doesn't result in immediate physical harm - well at least it shouldn't.
I was in a little bit of a tailspin from the conversation I had with my Dad the other day until my Dad called me and told me he loved me regardless of whether he agreed with me. I couldn't ask for more.

Kissing Halle

Adrien Brody is a smart man. His actions also mean beautiful women will be on their guard at award shows. Oh Well...

Father-Son Chats

Why can't I be like other people?
I had a chat with my Dad today about joining the Army. He was not pleased, and will remain ill-pleased with me quite some time. One of his protests was that I was throwing away my college education. I beg to differ but I also didn't feel like wasting my breath trying to convince him otherwise. My dad is an opinionated person and the best adjective to describe his disposition during an argument is "implacable". I just don't like the feeling that I am wasting my breath talking to somebody about as yielding as a brick wall.

War News

I continue to monitor the war with a kind of sick fascination. I actually hate hearing about it now but curiousity won't let me rest. The reports of Iraqi troops executing US POWS and using civillians to provide cover anger me. I found an excellent war blog called The Command Post. Very up to the minute and more than you could ever want to know about the new War in Iraq. I also found a link to further evidence that the French suck. I actually think we should let them have some role in post-war Iraq, despite my anger at them. At least that way, America doesn't have to pay for everything.

In a happier note, how about those Mavericks!

Racism and Sexism in Education

I was guilty of bigotry today in the classroom. A big athletic black kid walked into the classroom for the eighth period of the class I was substituting for. As a substitute, you learn to identify troublemakers and this boy fit the stereotype to a T. The children I have the most discipline problems with in the classroom are usually black, male, athletic or all three. At first he did nothing to allay my suspicions, talking and laughing fairly loudly. However, when class started, I forgot all about him. I got so tied up dealing with the other students that I didn't notice him, which is a good thing. (at least from my standpoint since I don't know what his grades are like) Toward the end of class I realized how well behaved he had been and was a little surprised. I even commended him on it. Of course, it could easily have been a fluke, and the kid could be a perfect monster.
The situation does illuminate certain things that have been said to me in the past and an opportunity that exists for me. People expect young black men to be irresponsible, disrespectful, and dumb. Any black male who is responsible, respectful, or intelligent is a rare find. I understand now why people have congratulated me for (apparently anyway) being all three. In fact, I am told the Army still operates according to a de facto quota system so I can expect to move up since my superiors will be desperately searching for qualified black men to fill positions. It is a little awkward but I intend to take advantage of it. I could be ashamed I gained advantage due to my race, but children of wealthy family gain advantage due to their social standing, so why not me? Oh well, whatever, race is always awkward for me to deal with.

Continued War Coverage!

I don't like watching the war on television. There is a surreal quality to watching explosions and realizing that unlike the movies, people actually die when you watch explosions on live television. Hearing the report of how the Iraqis executed several of our soldiers after taking them hostage nearly incited me to willful acts of violence. Only, I can't revenge myself against the perpetrators. War is a maddening thing and now it's closer to me than it has ever been before. Facing the reality of war is like staring at a horrible unblinking eye of death. I don't want to see but I can't look away and I keep getting closer and closer... Only when I get close I can see that the eye is really a gaping maw with curved, predatory teeth. Can't you imagine it - bloody gums and teeth dripping saliva, the remains of past victims, and present victims struggling to escape what cannot be escaped?
Did I ever mention that I have a vivid overactive imagination? I am sure that nothing can be as horrible as what I can conjure in my head and I am hoping that if I ever participate in combat that I'll be able to lose myself in the adrenalin rush and the chaos. I don't want time to think. I do however want time to sleep...

War what is it good for?

I read about the war in Iraq with special interest now. The "Shock and Awe" portion of the war has begun and I gather that the Iraqis are properly "shocked" and "awed". Saddam is either dead or injured and apparently exerting no control over his battered war machine. I look on soberly, knowing that soon I will begin training to join the attacking army that has unleashed this shockingly effective wave of destruction. I am joining an organization that exists to bring destruction and death to its enemies. My anxiety is slightly mitigated by the fact that I my job will be to provide emergency medical care. I am going to be protecting life in the valley of death. It's comfortingly contrary.
Did I say I was anxious? I am worried but I am also proud and excited. I have gone from being appalling unproductive to being a soldier, (beware! cliched marketing speech follows!) an army of one. Even better, I won't be an army of destruction, but an army of life and hope.
Somebody please stop me next time I wax poetic.

New Day

I have never felt as much urgency to live my life with purpose as I do now. I feel as if every action, even to what I watch on television, has a significant influence on my future. I feel as if up to this point I had been pretending, wasting my time and other people's money; I was just playing - having a good time at everyone elses expense. Now, I will be responsible for other people's safety - in fact responsible for the safety of the world. I have a grand purpose now and as a result my lesser goals feel less frivolous, less randomly chosen. I am proud to be in the Army.

In The Army Now!

I swore in to the Army yesterday around 3:30 pm.

Peace, Peace, But There Is ...

My biggest beef with those who oppose action in Iraq and cry for peace is that they have no alternative solutions. I'd willingly back any effective solution not involving war. Shoot, I'd even back the one proposed by Jonathan Alter. It's a little crazy but it is extremely bold. (I like that!) It won't happen because there isn't anyone in the UN or in the peace movement with the brains and boldness to actually carry out a real solution. The peace movement is irrelevant just like the UN.

One Hour, ten minutes and Counting down

It's my fifth day at Robert Hill Middle School and I am sure the kids are itchin to be gone on sprin break. I am itching to get home but not glad that sprin break is here, since I can't work when they are not in school. I am hot tired and harried. I have endured a litle over five hours of screaming children and juvenile cajoling for things a teacher wouldn't normally give them. The last class shall feel my wrath.
I was watching college hoops last night and I really feel for the kid on the Kansas St. team who traveled with 1.8 seconds to go to give Colorado the ball back in position to hit the winning basket. I am sure if I had played college ball something similar would have happened.
I am desperately thirsty. :-p

Day 4 of the Robert Hill Experiment

Yesterday I stayed late to prevent a school yard bully from pounding one of my students into a pulp when he disembarked from his bus. The principal eventually took pity on him and drove him home. I hope to have the issue resolved today.
This morning I got to school early, for only the second time in my teaching career. It was odd. I hung out briely in the teacher's lounge and eavesdropped on the conversation there: "A hundred ad sixty dollars a week for daycare! I am in the wrong business. If I didn't hate kids so much I'd start a daycare." Teachers have a interesting way of querying whose class a substitute is working in: "Who are you today?"; "He's been Ms. Soandso all week now." Subbing is nothing if not entertaining.

Day 3 of The Robert Hill Experiment

On my morning stroll from the bus stop this morning I saw a middle school girl pursued through a residential neighborhood by a police officer. I kept right on truckin'. I have since learned to ignore the protestations of young children. I am wondrously well fed today, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed. I want to say because certain of my readers feel slighted (my roommate) that my hunger this week has bee a result of poor planning on my part. I could eat better if I'd just think ahead.
I think I am beginning to really understand how to control a classroom, which now that I have said that guarantees my seventh period class will be an absolute madhouse. Teachers in Dallas public schools displine children with threats, detention, extra homework, and referrals to the principals office. I used to write lots of referrals but I understand that referrals are like a police officer's gun. One is doing a ood job when he doesn't need to use it.

Robert Hill Middle School Day 2

If I was any more tired and hungry I think I would die. I ate sumptuously at my paren't house last night, but didn't sleep till round 2 AM this morning. I got up at 7:00 AM (late as usual) and rushed out the door. I did manage to eat a bowl of cereal in the 35 minutes it took me to shower and dress, but I feel just the same as if I had skipped breakfast. I think next time I'l have to find something higher calorie. Lunch will be worse. I didn't have the foresight to check what was available last night and all I could find in the freezer this morning were frozen non-microwavable beef pot pies. Not good at all. I can see I have a looong day ahead of me.

Bobby Knight

He's an ornery cuss, but I think one has to respect him.

Back to School

It's an odd time to be going back to school (it is the week before spring break) but I haven't substituted since Thanksgiving and it actually feels good to be doing it again. I had reams of substantive writing to do but for the life of me I can't remember what about.
My biggest worry currently is vanity. This whole model thing is going to my head. It is increasingly difficult to be objective about how I look when the job entails people constantly telling me how good I look. I must say however that I am drop dead gorgeous.
My next biggest worry is food. It would be a little easier if had money and other people weren't always buying my food but alas, I dine on my roommates supply of Snack Ramen which is very nutritious indeed. (70% of the recommended daily value for cholestrol and no protein or vitamins!) I ate a granola bar for breakfast and for lunch I grabbed a Michelina's brand microwave dinner. YUM! Maintaining a healthy diet is going to be a challenge to say the least.
This blog post was brought to you courtesy of Jesse D. Barnes who provided me with transportation to this substituting assignment.

Sudden Insight

I came to the realization the other day that I am completely for the death penalty in principle but I would have great difficulty ever administering it in our current legal system. I belive that no one should ever be convicted of a crime and punished unless there is no doubt that he is guilty. The people or person deciding should be certain that he and no one else commited the crime. Yet we not only send people who are innocent to jail, we also execute them. Obviously, something is fundamentally wrong with our system. I believe what is wrong is that the courts have passed the point of information saturation and reached a point of information irrelevance and disinformation. Technology has advanced so far that we are able to collect thousands of pieces of data, but sadly the ability of the decision makers to parse the data has not kept stride. Courts often call in experts but usually in the form of expert witnesses. These witnesses have been called because they will support one side of the case. In the end judges and jurors are left to choose not based on evidence but on credibilty or from the preponderance of data presented by one side which is really a function of resources. That is to say, the side with the most money wins.
The adversarial system of law is broken. It is engineered to produce justice from competion. Two sides compete and it is hoped that justice will prevail. Justice cannot prevail unless the competitors are competing to ensure justice. Lawyers now compete only to win. This leaves judges and jurors to sort out the mess wiht fewer resources than the lawyers. What is needed is limits for expenditure by either side in civil and criminal preceedings and no limits on what can be spent by judges to illuminate the case using impartial expertise. Power needs to be taken from the combatants and given to the referee. Bingo! Justice is served.

My Plan for my Life

I am very carefully considering various career options and my problem is that too many paths lie before me and no impetus pushing me toward one or the other.
• I could teach. It would be hugely rewarding; I’d be giving back to the community and I like dealing with children. The downside is that I don’t want to teach very long (two years at most).
• I could join the military. It would be cool in that I could have a job title that included the word “badass”. I could learn Mandarin Chinese, practice kung fu, shoot big guns, learn covert ops, wear a uniform, pick up chicks, get money to go back to school, and travel the world. The fine print is that any job title that included the word “badass” in it would also have an increased likelihood of getting shot by a guy named “Fahd” who hates all American bastards (maybe I could tell him I’m Nigerian?) or I could just suffer one of any number of horrible fates like the ones we see in the movies (getting vaporized, tortured, dismembered, maimed, poisoned, stabbed, crushed, or beaten). All the while, I’d live by strict rules with people who (by many accounts) are mostly idiots and answer to men who tell me that my name is “Maggot”.
• I could continue to look for a job programming. The upside is that I really like programming. So much so, that on several occasions I ended up doing other people’s school programming projects for the sheer hell of it. (I used to lock myself in my bedroom and write code into the wee hours of the morning, decide the code wasn’t good enough, throw it away and start over the next day.) The downside is that the market is tight and employers are only hiring people with Masters degrees, years of experience, or perfect 4.0 GPA’s to go along with their undergraduate Computer Science degrees. I have none of those things. (I do have a degree but it turns out all the job applicants do and I am not special. I want to be special!)
• I could go back to school. I like hanging out there and everybody’s doing it. I could get a degree in literature and try for a higher GPA this time around. I could try out again for soccer, (the very thought makes my feet itch) prepare for grad school, get a teaching certificate, maybe even brush up on my Spanish. The downside is that I am already approaching 24 in June. I would be in danger of becoming a career student.
So there you have it. I’d say that I am at a fork in the road but really I think it looks like spokes on a wheel. All of them lead in completely different paths and I keep trying to do all of them. It’s enough to make a guy crazy.
P.S. if You're reading this Jen, Yes, I stole the last two posts from an email I wrote you. It's a bad habit which I promise to quit when I stop writing email at 4 am.

I Hate The UN Because

1. Every country in the world is a member. Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic murdered thousands of their countrymen yet neither Iraq nor Yugoslavia had its membership suspended. These countries were allowed to send representatives despite obvious despotism and corruption.
2. America pays for everything. This is bad because other countries have no incentive to cooperate and no stake in the outcome. People always learn to resent those who give them the most money. People DO bite the hand that feeds them.
3. The UN never acts. The solution is always more conversation, diplomacy, treaties, and inaction disguised as international cooperation. The organization is a SHAM. People died in Africa because Kofi Annan wouldn’t intervene in Angola. (Ironic, since he is African.) People died in Yugoslavia. People are dying in Iraq and will die in large numbers if Saddam is not eliminated. I have no confidence in the UN to stand up and act when action is necessary. Justice has no friends at the UN. Other countries use the UN as an extended platform for national politics and a forum to shout down the “ugly Americans”. The UN is an organ of ridicule, a “whited sepulcher”, an anachronism. I hate the UN.

Weekend

Weekends, weekdays - they are all the same to me now. Well, other than the fact that on the weekends my roommates are home. Friday night I suffered great embarassment in the name of friendship. I am hoping that my experience strenghtens my hand in the ongoing friendly verbal skirmish. I have the sneaking suspicion that it won't as much as I had hoped. Certain people refused to be ashamed.
I am a little ashamed. Someone gave Walt and me expensive tickets to the Stars game last night, featuring no less than a hockey demi-god, Mario Lemiuex. I had the temerity to doze off. I thought it was a wonderful game and I am a Stars fan. I just find it difficult to get worked up over anything less than playoff hockey. It just doesn't seem to mean a lot and I barely understand the game to begin with. :-p
About those pictures, I should post them sooner or later. I know ya'll are just dying to see them.

Get your Idaho Posters!

I just got this CD delivered to my doorstep. On it are 10 high resolutions photographs of me. These pictures are literally big enough to make posters from. At the same time I have three envelopes full of prints from another photo shoot done with me as the subject. I am very quickly piling up a lot of pictures of me. I think I am going to decorate my next apartment with photographs of me. It will be the ultimate statement in narcissism. I know what you are saying... that you want to see. (Oh wait, you're also asking me how I could be that conceited. It's easy you should try sometime.) The pictures that I really like are also really huge. I need webspace to post them. The others are smaller and I could post them but I am lazy and it's time for me to workout and it's approaching 12:30 AM. So I am going to leave you in suspense and I am going to go lift some weights.

I am back for the first time

Is it actually required that the titles I put on these posts actually have anything to do with what I write? I am very quickly running out of title ideas, nearly as quickly as the school children and workplace malingerers are running out of "snow day" excuses. The beautiful white ice on the ground is turning to an unattractive brown slush (well I suppose parents and frustrated managers might think that brown is a wonderful color) while children and frustrated workers weep that their unexpected winter holiday comes to an end. I have a definite job interview Friday and another Saturday. I saw Trent from the soccer team today at Express. The man was only the linchpin of the UTD defense and maybe the best player. Living where I do is actually comforting because I see UTD people quite often. I don't feel so out of my element or off balance when I am seeing familiar faces. What bothers me though are the people who I remember well enough to clearly identify as UTD students but can't remember their names. The problem is that I literally never forget a face but can't always match a name to that face because I never learned it the first time. People whose names I remember get the "glad reunion" treatment - name yelled at the top of my lungs, "How you doing? Graduated yet? No, I am looking for a job now...". People usually look startled, quickly glance around, smile, speak the customary chit-chat, and sometimes girls hug. (While I am on the subject of hugs, I have to say that I really miss getting hugs everyday. I got into the habit because one can never feel anything but better after a good hug. I think I have had maybe five hugs in a year since. I am experiencing serious withdrawal.) Sometimes you exchange phone numbers, (I never remember to ask for one. I think people feel insulted and never call for that reason, or maybe people think I am lame and really don't want to hang out with me but don't want to hurt my feelings. Take your pick.) and then you leave and try not to bump into them again. At least I do, because I really have nothing to say after the first time and I don't want to look like a stalker. Maybe, if I could get a pen and a pad and just write my conversations with people in awkward situations I'd feel more at ease. Actually speaking the words I write in my head to someone I haven't spoekn to in a year is uncomfortable.
You know, this has been a Seinfield post. A lot of verbiage produced with no significant topic in mind. I just sat down and recored for posterity a big fat jumble of words with the nutritional benefit of a cinammon bun. I'd say more about politics and world events but I am about tapped out on the issues of the moment. I have Iraq fatigue and Korea ennui. The endless babble of European diplomats demanding more time for a peaceful solution has exhausted my capacity for patience and attention. I could go on about the amazing feats of Michael Jordan's apparent successor in the hearts and minds of basketball fans everywhere, but what I could I really add that hasn't already been said. It's times like these that make you think, "Wow I just rambled on for an hour writing a post that six people will read for ten minutes, and it is now nearly midnight and you wanted to watch that simply shocking movie From Hell (warrants the adjective 'ill') so maybe it's time for people like me to actually try to get some sleep at night."

Sudden Insight

My beef with movie critics specifically and critics of the arts in general is that the criticism is unworthy. It is one thing to be criticized by a teacher of the art or someone who at the very least is capable of doing similar work, but to see something criticized by someone who is merely a lover of the form leaves me cold. Music critics should be musicians; film critics, film makers; and art critics, artists. Literary critics in general are writers themselves, (especially since writing a coherent critique requires writing skill) so on the whole I find literary reviews to be more relevant. The problem is that film makers are supposedly very bad at critiquing another filmmaker's work, even musicians have albums they are ashamed to admit to owning, and every artist I have ever heard talk about any supposed work of art is relentlessly and stultifyingly positive about even the most uninspired works. Literary criticism has the curious advantage of being a critique in the same medium as the work delivered. Not possible with say... a review of the latest Shania Twain album.

Trekking in a Wintry Texan Landscape

Anyone driving north on Interstate 75 around 11:40 PM might have noticed three men running on the icy field toward the underpass. Had you seen them you might have murmured to yourself under your breath, "What idiots!". I was one of those "idiots". The two idiots accompanying me were my roommates, Walt and Jesse.
We woke up fairy early this morning, considering the hijinks of the night before, and decided that the depravations of the previous night were not enough. Work was forsaken, (Well for the most part, I don't actually have a job and one roomie did go to work after discovering he was the only one of his colleagues not already in attendance; however, he rarely ever accompanies us) and we began to cast about for what we should do. Walt, that ever flowing fount of mischief, discovered that public transportation in our native metropolis was free. Immediately, he and I decided to go as far away as we could for free. Going far entailed going to Fort Worth again.
We quickly threw together some supplies and very nearly skated over the icy roads (the experience was exactly like skating for me since I was in fear of falling nearly every step of the way) to the nearest mall, Collin Creek. I proceeded to hand-deliver nine job applications I had toiled over the previous day while the others bought food. We caught the trolley to the train station and first rode north away from our destination after watching the train headed south leave as we disembarked from the trolley. (It is a rule carved in stone that any long journey invloving we three must involve some backtracking.)
The journey south got off to an inauspicious start when a DART employee stopped the train just shy of the station and attempted to pry the doors open. They didn't budge at all. Several attempts were made until finally were told to switch trains two stops down from our starting point. We spent the rest of the time reading magazines and playing card games that Walt attempted to teach us. I say "attempted" since it appears that Walt never properly learned them himself.
In Fort Worh, we boarded a bus headed toward TCU only to be delayed when we witnessed the bus - in suuuuuuuuuuper slow motion - hit a parked vehicle. In the minute it took the bus to slide sideways toward the Mitsubishi Montero on the side of the road, the general consensus on the bus was: barring a miracle, the owner of the Montero would soon be the proud owner of two and a half tons of scrap. Do you believe in miracles? A miracle saved the Montero from serious damage. As if by magic,the driver was able to straighten a bus that had been sliding sideways toward the disabled vehicle so that it was parallel. It was only nearly parallel. The accident was significant enough to warrant a police report, so we were delayed at least another forty-five minutes. We got off the bus on the TCU campus and actually ate the simply wonderful cafeteria offal catered by Marriot with a few friendly coeds. We even made time for a short campus tour.
The highlights of the rest of the journey were my victory over Walt at chess at a coffee shop (while Jesse explained I should have beaten him within the first four moves), Our frenzied search for an entrance to the train station as the last train from Fort Worth for the entire day made ready to leave, and the aforementioned romp through the snow by the idiots three.

Snow in Dallas!

There is something about seeing the world covered in an inch of white stuff that does things to the mind of children everywhere - especially children over the age of 21. Kids might throw some snowballs or build a snowman. An apartment full of young men is a hotbed of dangerous machismo, overflowing testosterone, and outrageous pranks. Men my age tend to have guns, alcohol, fireworks, gadgets, and silly ideas in abundance. It's not that small children don't have silly ideas, they just lack the means to carry them out. My roommates and I on the other hand...
I wanted to say something about this Iraq mess. Please can we invade them soon and just get it over with for crying out loud? Prolonging the process is cruel and dangerous. We are not helping the Iraqi people with our sanctions or by leaving the cruel meglomaniac in charge. War would almost be a mercy at this point. In fact, I think that sanctions are cruel and war is merciful by comparison for the same reason I think it is better to spank a child than it is to ground him. Prolonged punishment doesn't do more to correct the fault but it does cause the person punished to hate you. The shortest possible punishment is always the most merciful. I'd like all the peaceniks out there to ask themselves how many children have died as a result of sanctions compared to how many would die in a war? (With America's precise weaponry the numbers are actually comparable if Sadaam doesn't use the human shield strategy.)

Sundaaay Mooooorning!

Ok so it's actually Sunday afternoon, but I wanted to make the reference for those who would understand it. I need to find somebody to write a letter of recommendation for my Teach For America application should my letter of intent or my essay impress them enough. (which is doubtful and my academic record will definitely not impress them)
You know I had a Sudden Insight I wanted to post but I can't remember it anymore. The world will just have to do with that particular nugget of wisdom.

A Beautiful Saturday Morning

What do I have planned? I dunno. But somehow I think that is ok today.

What's a Rack Daddy?

A country that America may start bombing soon.
There are those who say we should take care of Bin Laden first. These people are absolutely right. There are those who say we should address North Korea first. These people will get no argument from me on that point. The problem is we can't. The government knows about as much about Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts as I know about the new Levi Jeans that I haven't been able to find since I moved. (If you find a pair of low rise 34x34 Levis I will give you 5 bucks to bring them back, seriously...) North Korea either has nukes or is close enough that, civillians in Seoul, South Korea would glow green at night should we even threaten retailation. A fight in North Korea would be a civillian blood bath of the worst kind that the United States is desperately trying to avoid, especially since the kiddies would be upset when the electronic goodies for their Playstations and Walkmans burn to a crisp in the mortar fire.
We can stop Iraq from reaching North Korea's postion of power. I am surprised that no one else has noticed that North Korea has by the family jewels. The media should be having a field day with this.

STILL ILL

This whole extended bed rest thing is for the birds. I think I am the victim of a nasty sinus infection. My head and not just my nasal passages are full of ugly, yellow mucus. YUM!!

I am Ill

I would like to think that I am "ILL" in the same sense of the word used by Kid Rock, The Beastie Boys, and their ilk; but I know I am "ill" in the other sense of the word. I have been that way since Thursday night I think. It's funny - not exactly sure when.
I need help chosing what to watch next from my roommates' DVD collection. I have actually watched most of the movies that I care to see already. I am stumped.
I think that since I am home now I should take advantage and get back to work on my movie scripts. I even have new ideas for one I started a while ago and never finished. (Not like I have finished any of them....)

European Impotence

I think Americans and Third World citizens should view European diplomats, polititicians, and foreign policy the same way a women might view a small man driving a powerful sports car. He appears rich and powerful but there is no real power there. There is no powerful European army despite the combined economic might of the European Union. Europe is not approaching irrelevance. Europe is irrelevant. America - speaking in military terms - is free to act how they choose how they act in Iraq. It is possible that China or Russia could oppose America but in this case unlikely. America consults with Europe only out of courtesy. Someone else agrees... Kinda anyway. Europe should grow some.... (No that is going to far. I don't want anybody who hasn't already gotten the joke to get it now.)

Sudden Insight

We are slowly approaching a point that the common man will be able to believe nothing. Society's ability to fake evidence could soon surpass society's ability to detect faked evidence. Any crime could be perfect given sufficiently advanced technology. I call it The Edokpayi Principle of Unknowability Due to Technology.

Did I say something about a Drug Test?

I am inclined to deny all knowledge of any drug tests. To say that no such thing ever happened, that there was never a job offered, that there wasn't even an interview. Don't dare ask me what happened. I might cry. I don't ever cry.
I am home alone tonight again and it Saturday night. I am doing something very wrong.
For the love of all that is good and holy go and see The Guru now!

Untitled

I suppose I could go with "It's almost 2 am and I am tired" as today's title but "Untitled" is short and sweet. I am taking my drug test tomorrow, come rain, come snow, come hellfire, come smoldering Rosie O'Donnell clones falling from the sky.
My roommate, Walt, roped my other roommate's girlfriend (she is his girlfriend right? I can call her that, I think.) into assisting with his law school essay. I ended up helping even though I intended to work out and watch X-Files. All three of us crowded into her one bedroom apartment and kept her awake later than is her normal habit. She was a remarkably good sport about the whole thing and Walt made remarkable progress on the essay.
Shoot! pills...

Mav Maniac

I went to the Mavericks game last night. I went all out. Painted my face in blue and white, wrote the the big three's number on my hands (Michael Finley #4, Steve Nash #13, and Dirk Nowitzki #44) and even wrote "Go" on one arm and "Mavs" on the other. The Mavericks lost.

Sudden Insights

I am starting something on my blog that I'll call "Sudden Insights". Anytime I have a (you guessed it) a sudden insight, or more descriptively an epiphany; I'll post it on the blog and title it "Sudden Insights". Tonight's epiphany is that everything is data. There is nothing real that cannot be represented as information or computation. The world is the sum of a countless computations. In fact, people are data - each individual is only the sum of his thoughts. If you don't think you are little better than dead. Your body and intelligence is only a cage for the essential you - your data.

Why Don't You Get A Job?

I did. Time to celebrate.

You can't go Home Again

Except when you can. I went home today and spoke to my father in person for the first time in almost three months. It was actually good. I got the expected lecture, but I think the change did everyone good.

Dateless in Dallas

It's saturday night and once again I have no date. There is something wrong with this picture. Two of my roommates are out with their women and I am going to be hanging out with my other roomie, his sister, and his mother. And I dare not even look at the sister crosswise. Would be most unwise. I'd tell you there are easier ways to die then to date that girl since all three of my roommates would kill me - as I would them if they tried to date my sister.
We committed four acts of reckless daring late last night. We bungee jumped from a crane, swung in about a 300 foot arc from a gigantic swingset strapped togehter like three logs, rode in a contraption that looked like a very large slingshot with two seats strapped to it, and then fell from a tower with nothing between us and death but a net and four inflatable safety pads. Good fun, I swear. We failed to get any pictures of me doing anything silly and dangerous but we have one of another roomie that might suffice.

Late Night Sweat

Just got back from a light night iron pumping session, and I have to say BET shows some freaky videos late at night. Some dude had a low budget video shot for a song called "White Girls". The song featured the lyric:

Do you have any black in you? Would you like some?

I need to sleep. this roommate of mine and I are making a habit of staying up till the wee hours of the morning. Not healthy...

Extended campaigns of lunacy and madness

Living with these three guys has been too much fun. To be honest that is why I don't post as often now. I am either not home, or I am busy doing something. A man's natural tendency when he has the least bit of disposable income is to buy toys. Quickly, his home becomes his playground. I live in a fairly well-equipped playground with three like minded individuals. Bad behavior is the order of the day. For example, this weekend I believe we are going to jump off something high and dangerous. We will be photographing our efforts, and should I survive, I'll send them to my mom. HI MOM!

I hate it when I lose long posts.....

Cultureshocked

That's what I was today in church. I went at least though. I was more dressed up than the pastor. I was one of maybe 5 men in a congregation of hundreds wearing a suit, I was also one of two black men there. I stood out like a sore thumb. I am also going to be going there for a long time since I live across the street from the church. Church was good for me.

Still Sleepy

I should become a rap star and release an album. I'd call it "ILL". Then I'd release the requisite sequel, "STILL ILL".
This is all to say that today's title should have been "I need more sleep". I am exhausted, and I don't even have a woman calling me every night at midnight like my roommate does.
I had a job interview today. It went well. That isn't enough anymore. I've decided it isn't enough anymore unless you leave and the hiring managers are screaming your name from the window; the receptionist must grab you by the knees and swear her life means nothing unless she can have your children; the CEO must offer you a corner office, a company car, and a chance to marry into his family. Laugh but that is the job market in Dallas. Only exceptional candidates need apply.

Good Writing and New Media

I am now officially an X-Files fanatic.
Watching television and movies lately has convinced me that novels aren't dead or dying or even in danger and that reading isn't really going away. A text is still a text when it is acted out or read aloud and illustrated. The best texts are now written for movies and televison.Good books are still being written, but often books are most useful as source works for TV, Film, and even games. Watching a textually driven visual work or even playing it is a form of reading. More expensive, but still reading. The same information can be transferred sometimes in more detail as a film, or television show. I don't have time to finish this thought to my satisfaction. But I'd like to say Jonathan Franzen would do well to recognize the shift and adapt. What is important is the content, the storytelling. There is no need to shorten or dumb down a story to make it suitable for visual media, just an expansion of the vocabulary.

I need sleep.

I really get around for somebody with no job, car, or money. I was in Iriving all day today and I went downtown for the Mavericks game with Walt.
I would work more at injecting more narrative style and witty prose into the blog but I am not sleeping enough. I sleep in the living room of the apartment (temporary condition I hope) and I go to bed after one everyone else does and wake up when they do due to the noise. I am a zombie. I need to figure out a time to work out tomorrow.

What was I so sad about?

I am having a little too much fun right now. I am using a friend's computer at the moment so this webspace is going to be a little slow. Especially since I can't see what I am typing.

Moving...

It's bitterly cold in Dallas today. The majority of my worldly goods have been stuffed into a duffel bag, a canvas travel bag, and an old army surplus knapsack. Sadly, my world possessions consist mostly of clothes. I am taking no furniture, no vehicle, and no home electronics. I don't even have a car to sleep in. I also have exactly $115.51 to my name. $100 of that money will be automatically removed from my account on the 28th by Citigroup. It's sad. :(

Never sign up for free business cards. My brother and I did and we just discovered that they had been charging his credit card 6 bucks a month for being in some "savings club".

Apology Retracted

On the 13th I issued an apology and I retracted a statment that I made. The pastor denied ever protecting the child molester and I believed him. Well I was wrong, and unless he has an extremely good explanation and proof to the contrary, he was wrong. Youth, ignorance, etc is no excuse to me. I don't care. I regret involving innocent people but I apologize to no one else. I defy anyone to tell me one thing I wrote that was untrue. Name it and I'll apologize. I wrote harshly and I used dramatic, accusing language, but there is truth to every word. I will probably never be able to speak to certain people again. I don't care. I said it. It was true. I don't apologize.

Still a Soccer junkie

Juggled the ball 44 times this morning. My focus and ball control are improving. I wish I had known what I know now before I ever tried out for the team. I could have at least embarassed myself less.

I need a JOB!

Either meaning of the homonym would suit. His patience would help me wait and keep from doing something that could be rash - join the military - and a job would provide me money. Americorps and Teach For America look like interesting alternatives to real jobs too. An actual 9-to-5 would work too, but I need no less than $11/hour if the cost of living is equivalent to that of Dallas. I would need $11.92/hr to live in LA, $10.75/hr to live in Austin, $12.48/hr to live in the Bronx, $11.72/hr to live in Brooklyn, $16.51/hr to live in Manhattan, $12.31/hr to live in Queens, $11.51/hr to live in Staten Island, and only $9.39/hr to live in Norman, Oklahoma. Before I'd move there you'd have to pay me a lot more than that.

I am

A snake, a liar, male, medium height, black, african, athletic, determined, rebellious, underachieving, broke, naive, a college graduate, a potty mouth, a blogger, a bit of a nerd, contrarian, in trouble, a dreamer, hard to fathom, a little vindictive, dangerous, not imposing, a troublemaker, rash, bold, resilient, outgoing, a riddle, a Republican, lonely, an alien, disappointing, secretive, Nigerian, selfish, athletic, alive, obervant, under-employed, trouble, a stranger in my father's house, a reject, an outsider, a punk, angry, young, opportunistic, crusading, itching to travel, crazy, sarcastic, caustic, uncaring, intolerant, impatient, materialistic, Idaho.

What will I be when I grow up?

Definitely not a financial planner. I am actively looking for a job now. (Nothing like moving out at the end of the week for motivation) I could definitely teach but not right away. First I need to pay my fees at UTD so they can release my transcript. Then I need to either weasel out of taking the TASP (I didn't take it coming out of high school because I was a freak. Really, I swear that's what it has in my transcript instead of a TASP - a blank sheet of paper with my name and "FREAK" scrawled across it in red ink.) or take it. This will take at least a month. Until then I'll have to find other employment. DOH! Maybe Burger King is hiring...

A website by someone in even more hot water than me. He's getting 6,000 hits a day. Maybe if threatened to build nukes...

I am finishing a thought about Trent Lott that I began on December 12th. I can see that what I said bothered a few people. (Along with exactly 341 other things. I am working through the list.) I don't know if Trent Lott is a racist and I don't know if a few other southern Republicans are racists. I do know that the Klu Klux Klan votes Republican and David Duke (credibly reported to be a member of the Klu Klux Klan) nearly won the race for governor in Louisiana a few years back as a Republican. I don't want Klan members or any bigots in the party because it discredits the non-bigoted Republicans. I can't argue with Democrats and black people in particular about this issue because they can quickly shoot back: "but what about David Duke?; What about Klan members voting Republican?" Trent Lott got was forced out not because they believed he was a racist but because he was a liability. Racists in the party are liabilities.

You ever have a job interview that you knew was a mistake almost as soon as you walked in? I just did. I would have gotten up and left early but that would be rude. Everybody knows how wrong it is to be rude!

Last night I re-read every post I have made on this website, and in light of recent events I almost wish that I had been anonymous but I believe personally that anonyminity is a crutch. I am also not sure if I really should explain anything. Any explanation would be seen as an excuse and I don't believe in excuses.
The one thing that struck me is the number of spelling errors that pervade my writing. Also, I am struck by how many things I wrote that the Preacher could possibly see as objectionable. Every post seems engineered to inflame the church. It is worse than if I had used strong profanity because I chose subject matter sure to get a reaction from the Preacher time and time again. The Preacher even mentioned the post I made about Trent Lott.

Multiculturalism doesn't work! I am not surprised.

I am not in the business of excuses. I've never had any really good ones anyway. I didn't say that I don't give them. Just that, I didn't give very good ones. My pastor (from henceforth he will be "the Preacher", he's been that type of figure in my life that he deserves a one word name prefixed with a "the") pilloried me from the pulpit last night and promised to name names unless I apologized. As far as I know, unless somebody else has a website discussing the church's dirty secrets, the Preacher means to name mine. Certainly, the Preacher wouldn't name any of the people I mention since well not everybody knows and it is the Preacher's stated policy to not expose people unneccessarily. I am not sure it matters if the Preacher mentions my name. Who doesn't know? I don't know who, since I am not a part of the gossip mill anymore, (I made my last major contribution to gossip on September 2, 2002) but I operate on the assumption of full coverage gossip. I assume everyone who shakes my hand in church knows all of my dirty secrets already. My assumption is not entirely true, but it is a useful assumption for me. I don't really have any friends in the church. I know that I called a few people my friends, but I use the term loosely. They are more like acquaintances really. I'd recommend that everybody in the church I speak with on a regular basis disassociate themselves from me - don't worry, it won't hurt my feelings.
The Preacher told me that he's known for a while and hasn't treated me any different since he knew. Anybody who reads my blog can tell that recently I got wind that something was up, but the Preacher is right he hasn't treated me any differently since he's known. He made a comment to two people I speak with about not wanting to get involved with any business that I would start which I could have taken as hint but even that I attributed to other sins I had committed and it very well could have been I am not disputing the Preacher's claim of fair treatment. The Preacher's been making veiled references to my website for at least a week now, apparently hoping that I would come and talk to him. If he had spoken to my Mom first he would know that I would never ever do that.

I didn't sleep well last night. Angering thirty to forty people at once, has a way of making your heart race that renders sleep nearly impossible. Knowing the character of the church I go to I am a little afraid to go back. Someone might shoot me.
Apparently, somebody has been reading my blog in detail, and reporting the juiciest bits back to people in the church. I am not angry since I did provide them with material. Assuming that people who leave have really left was a mistake.

Apology

On September 2, 2002, I was in an impossibly nasty mood and depressed as I am wont to be from time to time. I wrote some things that I regret but one thing in particular is chief among them :

I could tell you that the pastor once protected a man in the church from prosecution for molesting his step-daughter. That the man did it repeatedly and that his sons picked up on his behavior before the step-daughter reported him for doing it again.

As far as I know, that is not true. I was wrong for saying it, even with the caveat that it was gossip. I had no right to publish it and I besmirched his character. I could offer excuses but I have none. My assumption of anonyminity was false.
I am only beginning to deal with this situation. I can see that I have a lot of explaining to do.

A site that every young man should know about. One of the most common ways to get in trouble if you are young and single.

How did I miss this the first time around? I am positive I would have written the best letter to Anna. I wouldn't have been able to keep the calendar though.

Bored?

Bored at work? Need something to do? Got some time on your hands? Read a book. For free. Online.

The world is coming to an end as I know it.

And I am kinda perplexed about what to do about it. There are other people with dire situations, I know; but to me my impending doom is all consuming.

I can't decide if this is inspired art or sacrilege. It is a little frightening. The book of Revelations always trips me out.

My theory on weight loss

I have been trying to slim down a little lately. I am going for the lean, hungry look. The problem is that my appetite usually gets the better of me. While my brain is busy counting calories and gauging the nutritional benefit of each meal, my empty stomach usually succumbs to the siren call of the worst possible food item available. I am so hungry at meals I can't think straight long enough to figure out what to eat. Obviously this is a problem. While eating my most recent meal, I got to thinking about how God engineered the human body. The human body was built to withstand extreme privation. Even now the majority of the world does not live in the abundance found in a typical American household. WIth privation in mind, the foods that would sustain the body for the longest time for the least amount of effort are the most desirable for survival. The foods that deliver the most calories for the least amount of effort are fats, sugars, and to a lesser degree carbohydrates. Naturally, these foods are what our body craves of us. In a survival situation, when every meal is won by sweat and blood and food is chosen with maximum calorie return in mind, eating a juicy steak, baked potatoes, salad with ranch dressing, iced tea, corn on the cob, baked rolls, and a hot apple pie with ice cream for dessert is a wise choice. (Assuming you could find such a meal.) The natural God-mandated tendency is that human beings (and animals) should gorge themselves when they are hungry. This is a problem when you are trying to lose weight since most diets rely on cutting down portions and eating less. Humans are hunter-gatherers by nature and the easy aboundance we have now has perverted us. Our bodies are designed to eat continuously, when you wait too long in between meals the body's natural mechanisms go haywire and demand that the brain allow the body to indulge. You can never allow yourself to get hungry.
Now, if you eat continuously, it cannot be junk. Eating ice cream and potato chips on a 24/7 basis would result in a physique similar to that of the Blob character from Marvel Comics' X-Men comic book. So that said, hopefully tomorrow I am going to snack a lot. The problem will be keeping food handy.

Hey look at my other blog! This is a project near and dear to my heart and I am funding it out of my own pocket thus far. I hope to get it up and running very soon.

Juggled the soccer ball 33 times and then 36 times in a row this morning. For non-soccer players who don't understand the terminology, juggling is using your a part of your body other than your hands to keep the ball airborne. I used my feet. (I may have cheated and used a thigh to save it once or twice.) Skilled players should be able to juggle the ball using only their feet for long periods of time keeping the ball below knee-level. Requires a lot of ball control, or touch. it's a good drill for improving your touch too.

The music industry is sweating the mass expiration of their European copyrights. They even want to block the import of cheaper European copies of their music. A music industry executive claimed in the article that 9 out of 10 recordings failed to make money. As sophisticated and long-lived as the music industry is, I am shocked they haven't been able to do better. I am perturbed anytime someone seeks to use law to maintain an advantage they could not get by their own effort.

You can't do great things until you aspire to great things.

Is this what the world is coming to? The article argues that abortion and cloning is all part of a slippery slope that leads to (God! This is almost too horrible to even talk about.) eating babies!

V10! On a motorcycle! Good God...

Quote of the Day

This was in the LA Times, spoken by a woman forced to evacuate her home in a brush fire -

I have an extra leash for my dog, and I have my bikini.

If that is all she wears, imagine how much money she saves on laundry!

V16! Good God...

You know the problem with having close friends read your blog is that occasionally they want to discuss what you wrote in the blog. Suddenly your mind reels: "What did I say? What incriminating fact did I reveal? Is he going to tell everyone what a freak I am?". I still think that anonymity is a crutch, a screen. I also know that I am not brave enough to reveal everything. I am not ready to be completely naked and bare before the world.

The Cowboys aren't in the playoffs but they're still entertaining. Who knew the Niners and the Steelers had it in them? Who knew that Lambeau Field isn't magical after all? Wow.
In other news, my good friend Ed, made me an offer that I couldn't refuse, so I am not teaching today after all. Oh well. I bought all those shirts for nothing.

Whoa... I have been away at a friend's house since Friday night. I am bushed. I'll tell you about it later.

For all you nerdy programmer folk out there, I thought I'd pass a long this link. I love C++ programming (if I were to ever meet a woman who was cute and knew how to code I think I'd have to marry her) and I am a huge fan of the STL. So a library that provides STL style templates for manipulating ODBC databases has to be a good thing.

What has your government done for your breasts lately?

This shirt was probably a bad idea and the average person would think it hideous. Strangely enough, I want it and may buy it if it sticks around long enough. I am drawn to the extravagance of red velvet.

How do these weight loss companies persuade people to pose for before and after pictures? Maybe there is money involved. Notice that while the improvement is usually dramatic, it usually isn't of extremely obese individuals. My question is this, if you are that out of shape, why would you even own a bikini?

New Year's Eve and early morning New Years Day was interesting. I met a large number of folks from Louisana in town for the Louisana State Univeristy versus University of Texas game in the Cotton Bowl. We were subjected to semi-hourly chants of "LSU, LSU!" and LSU fans/students in purple and gold clothes, with LSU stickers on their cheeks. One guy I spoke to as I stood in line waiting to get in was obviously already drunk. He spoke of trying hard to meet women on New Year's Eve and giving "210 percent." He also told the occasional passing woman that he wanted to see her "nekkid". Charming. But I was equally as charming - I implored strange women to kiss me at midnight, and I was sober. You see I just wanted the complete "New Years" experience. Next year I am going to Times Square.

Happy New Year!

Working with Ed again today. After shopping on the weekend, I have to earn back the money I spent on the weekend. For the first time this weekend, I saw people standing in the store display pretending to be mannequins.

Judging by the lack of public lamentation Nic Cage must be alive.

Is Nic Cage dead?

The Mall

Went to the mall today. Fun.