Monumentally Crushed

For those of you who have seen my status, you know I'm not doing so well right now.

But here's the kicker: I don't know why.

I was doing just great and then yesterday I just started being mopey. Then add to that my excitement (which would have led to me getting out of this slump) that Marie was coming to surprise me today. Now pull the rug out from under that when Marie called me this morning to inform me her ride was sick and now she's stuck in Nacogdoches. So basically right now I have zero motivation for anything. And I was able to pull myself together enough for work, but I don't know for how long. I'm just absolutely abysmal right now. Someone help me before I float away...

SupeRant II: The Quickening

Ho. Ly. Crap. There are so many things aggravating me right now:

-my iPod went kaput (it's stuck on hold, and restoring it did nothing except erase all my files) so I have to get it looked at next week when I go home, and they probably won't be able to do anything, and I'll probably have to get a new one, and I can't afford that at all
-less than 3 percent of UNT students voted in the student body presidential election
-I've got so many papers to write and I don't really want to do any of them
-the UNT network is a piece of crap
-my debit card didn't come in so I can't buy Death Cab tickets until Monday at the earliest
-since my debit card didn't come in, my dad didn't send Jimmy the other things I needed (a roll of quarters and a bar of soap)
-I miss Marie so much. I really hate this see each other for part of a weekend and then go a month without seeing each other stuff. It's not fun at all. Obviously, it's worth it, but it's been really hard the last 2 months because neither of us can afford a freaking car. Ugh.

I just want to see her and have my iPod fixed and everything to be sane again...

April Foolin'

So I really just want the weekend and Marie to be here.

I don't know what it is. Nothing is overly stressful, I just want a break where I don't have to worry about anything. Money, drama, school, nothing.

I just miss Marie so bad. And I don't know the next time I'd get to see her if it's not this weekend.

Anyways...

-I did finally get a hold of Jeremy Pittman, so my Journalism final should be OK.
-I think I might be able to pull an A in Spanish, which means I'd get to keep my GPA at a 3.8. It's impossible for me to get an A in Sexuality (unless I get a 103 on my final).
-I hope I can find 5 pages of stuff to write about that Dennis Lehane short story I read for Gerontology.
-I am going to be exempt from my Music Appreciation (which really sucks by the way, because now we're into the dreaded "avant-garde" phase of 20th century music. Ugh) final as long as I turn my paper in on time.
-I may get to make up these hours I missed a couple weeks ago at work, which is nice because I need the moolah.
-Marie and I are getting each other concert tickets for our respective birthdays: I'm getting her Death Cab tickets and she's getting me Rilo Kiley tickets. Yay!
-Which reminds me...

I. Just. Want. To. See. Her.

That's all.

Am I getting too old too quickly?

OK, so here I am, a week and a half before I turn 20 years old. That means I've been on this planet for two decades. And I'm beginning to wonder, am I getting too old too quickly?

I'm wondering this because:
-I now prefer collared shirts to t-shirts.
-I prefer "quieter" music now (both in volume and style).
-I want to be out of college and married.
-etc.

So I want to know your thoughts. Am I getting too old too quickly? In 20 years, am I going to be the guy who yells at youth to cut their hair and turn down their music? And is this a bad thing?

The (Last) Rite(s) of Spring (Break)

So, it's all over. That glorious spring break, which stretched across 10 days for me, is done with and now it's back to school. But here's what happened over those wonderful 10 days:

Thursday, Mar. 13:
Marie came to pick me up after my last class and dropped me off at my house to get my stuff together. We made it into Austin about 7 o'clock and headed straight for Spoon. The concert was pretty good, but it included two things that bring out the best in humanity: free events and alcohol {end sarcasm}. Then the car overheated (due to what we would later discover was a lack of coolant and thus a broken radiator), but it gave us no trouble the rest of the trip.

Friday, Mar. 14:
Went to Book People (just the coolest bookstore ever) and Cheapo, where I only spent $4 (outrageous!). Marie and I ate at Kerbey Lane (my first time). That night we went to go see Assassination of a High School President, and there was a Q+A with the director, writers, and star afterwards. We took the bus to and from home because there is absolutely nowhere to park downtown, especially during SXSW. Amazingly, everyone in Mitch's apartment was asleep by 12:30 every night. That's really odd because whenever my dad and I go down there, we're always up til at least 2 in the morning.

Saturday, Mar. 15:
Ate "brekkie" at the always delicious Lone Star Kolache and then went to SoCo, where my search for a gift for Mal was fruitless, although I fell in love with Monkey See, Monkey Do, this great little toy store. Later, we ate at Chipotle only to later discover that there was a Freebirds over on 41st. D'oh! We decided to do a bit more shopping since neither of us spent anything at SoCo. We went to End of an Ear and there was a concert in the parking lot! This crazy band called Peach Tree (or peachtree) had all kinds of antics, including jumping off the roof of the store! There was this "classic rock" store behind End of an Ear and they had a "glass-blowing studio" in the back. Lemme tell ya: they weren't making trinkets. Later, we had "din-din" at EZ's, but I didn't eat much because I was saving up for ice cream at Amy's (Mexican Vanilla with Nutter Butters!!!). We went to the Village Drafthouse to see Rocky Horror at midnight (my second time, Marie's first). Always a great time.

Sunday, Mar. 16:
Got up super-early (7:30-ish) and ate "brekkie" at the amazing Omelettry and then had to head home so Marie could be back in time for her ride. It was hard to stay awake, but Marie helped a lot.

Monday, Mar. 17:
Woke up to...overwhelming nausea and sickness. Gross. Had to follow Mallory to Jaime's to get the car fixed and got sick on the way back. Ick. I just lay around all day after that. Watched Miller's Crossing that evening in honor of St. Patty's Day.

Tuesday, Mar. 18:
Didn't get sick but didn't do anything.

Wednesday, Mar. 19:
The whole fam went to Grand Prairie/Arlington. My dad and I to Forever Young (this fantastic record store) and Mal and my mom to the ultra-ghetto Six Flags Mall/Dillard's outlet.

Dad: "It says there's a food court. Go check it out."
{five minutes later}
Me: "Dad, the only thing that's open is Cozumel Seafood, and I don't think you want to try that."

I also spoke in church that night about my missions trip to South Africa. They're going to take up an offering for me soon, which is just incredible.

Thursday, Mar. 20:
Hung out with Calvin for awhile. We watched Van Wilder and Boy Meets World, which is more awesome than it sounds. Also went to Hollywood to scour the remaining DVDs. I got 13, at about a dollar apiece. (I know, I know. Overboard, but what a deal!) Later, I went with Mallory and KayLee to the thrift store, where we met up with Billy, Tyler, Matt, Richard and his girlfriend Anna. Good times. I got a sweet new dress shirt, a dop kit, Gone Baby Gone (the book), a vest, and a Hello Kitty skullcap for Marie!

Friday, Mar. 21:
Went to see Vantage Pointwith Daniel and it was pretty dern good. Then we just walked around the mall and I realized how truly worthless Firewheel Town Center is. Had lunch at Friday's (Daniel's pick) and grabbed some Dublin DPs at Popcorn Papa, which was surprisingly busy. Had to mow the lawn when I got back (fo' free!) but that evening I got to go over to Marie's and we watched Interview.

Saturday, Mar. 22:
Helped my dad with the siding and just waited til Marie came over. My parents and we went to see Run Fatboy Run and it was really funny. Then Marie and I went to get a sundae at Braum's, where we ran into her ex, which was not nearly as awkward as it could have been. I miss her already.

Sunday, Mar. 23:
Went to a very pretty Easter service (and dressed up!) and came home and had a wonderful feast of my dad's heavenly brisket, queso, and banana pudding. I got to take a nap and got The Simpsons Movie as a gift, so it was pretty much one of the best Sundays ever.

Why does it all have to end so quickly?

But I didn't even have any green beer!

So this second part of spring break is probably the worst ever. I've never been this sick in my life and I don't know why. I really hope I can keep food down. This is so not fun. I miss Marie.

Happy St. Patty's Day to everyone else though.

F'n'Amazing! (and the F stands for Fellowship)

So I finally got a hold of the ResNet people, and they apologized for being so unprofessional, something I referred to them as in my angry voicemail. But my ethernet cable was bad AND the port wasn't working. And right before the guy left he spewed some B.S. about my connection possibly being discontinued because of having LimeWire on my computer, which I never use on campus. Oh well, I may have a landline working as early as tomorrow, but as unreliable as this organization is, I wouldn't count on it. Luckily, my wireless connection is strong again, so hopefully it won't be a big deal.

Had our Hupomone fellowship night at (drumroll please...) CiCi's Pizza! Woot-woot! But of course it was super-awesome, but sometimes I feel like I'm always the only one with a Y chromosome, but it still rocks.

I think my journalism midterm went well, but that story was a little difficult because the topic was stupid (middle school soccer team crashes bus to avoid a deer, no one hurt), so we'll see.

I wonder if the guys on my wing realize how disgusting they are. Holy cow, you should've seen how terrible the bathrooms got when no one cleaned them for three days. Even today, just about 12 hours after it was last cleaned, it's already awful. Geez, people. Do you treat your host's bathroom like this? Ugh.

I'm watching The Daily Show right now, and I was just reminded how much I love it because Rob Riggle had a segment about all these people protesting a Marine recruitment station in Berkeley, California.

Code Pink lady: "We're all about free speech."
Rob Riggle: "If only there was an organization sworn to uphold that freedom..."

That's what I love about them. They get both sides. Keep up the good work.

That's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

Don't look back in anger

So it's only been a few hours since Marie left, and I'm already angry. Not at her, or anything that happened this weekend, mind you. It's the stupid internet. Well, the connection really. See, I'm not supposed to be able to get wireless in my room, yet I have been all year long. Well, now it's stopped working so I've called and called and submitted work orders for the land-line connection and haven't heard from anyone. Their business hours, according to their voicemail, are 8am-6pm Monday-Friday. Well, guess what? I called today at 10am only to get their voicemail AGAIN! So I walked all the way to their office at the College Inn and NO ONE IS IN THE FREAKING OFFICE and there's no explanation as to why. It's just very frustrating when people aren't helpful, especially those who have been hired to help. I just want this problem resolved so I don't have to keep walking across campus to get access and then walk back to my room with my laptop open just so I can keep the connection going. They have no idea how aggravating they're being. Oy.

/END RANT

I guess I just wasn't made for these times

So I don't know why I'm like this lately.

But it's just I get into these funks when things don't go according to plan.

When people cancel things I'm looking forward to, I feel like they're bailing on me.
When I'm not having a good time at something, I feel like it's my fault.
When I don't have my own vehicle, I feel trapped.
When Marie's not here, I feel lost.
When I'm bored, I feel lazy and prone to do something stupid.

And when I complain about this stuff, I feel like a baby.

So I'm open to suggestions: what should I do? What can I do?

The battle rages on

So Barack Obama did not win Texas, but he didn't lose by much. The Clintons are notorious for their low tactics and win-at-all-costs mentality. So here's what I think this all means now:

-Obama's still leading in pledged delagates, and it's nearly impossible for Hillary to overtake him.
-Obama's still going to take the high road and not resort to negative campaigning, even though Hillary's campaign gets more aggressive.
-Obama's still going to raise more money than Hillary, and won't take any money from lobbyists or PACs.
-Obama's still in this race, but so is Hillary. This baby's going all the way to the convention in August.

Don't give up, Obamaniacs and Barackstars!

Obama represents change we can STILL believe in!

It's just emotions taking me over

So yesterday I cried and I have no idea why.

Sob Session #1: OK, so I didn't cry that much, but I did tear up during the sermon, which I never do. It was Right-to-Life Sunday and Bro. Gary shared a story about a girl in the church who got pregnant and her parents encouraged her to get an abortion and he pleaded with them to let the baby live and they kept the baby and he graduated from high school last year.

Sob Session #2: I got the parentals to leave a little early so I could go see Marie off but I called her and she had already left and there was no way for her to let me know ahead of time because her text messages wouldn't activate.

Sob Session #3: After I got in a fight with Mallory over using her car for Spring Break. It's just a frustrating situation because hers is the only car I can use because our other vehicles suck and I have to pay her to use it and I got really stressed because if I have to pay for two fill-ups and $10 a day to borrow it, I won't have any money to do anything in Austin once Marie and I get there.

But then I got back to Denton just in time so Bryan was able to pick me up and go to OverFlow, and boy did I need that message. It was one of those messages you here all the time (about how God's blessings are just that: God's, not yours), but the way it was conveyed made it feel fresh and tailor-made for me to hear. I don't need to worry about paying for Austin; it'll be taken care of. I may not get to do everything I WANT to, but the expenses will be taken care of.

I already miss Marie but she'll be here on Saturday and I am so so excited, especially because she gets to stay longer and go to OverFlow with me and meet all my friends.

And super-exciting news: I don't have the dreaded Journalism Lab today, so if I'm studious, I can get another paper or two written, which means less time I have to stress about them this week, which is less time I have to stress about them this weekend.

Home, James

So today was semi-interesting...

Stayed up late last night watching Spike Lee's Bamboozled. It doesn't all work, but it's very thought-provoking (i.e. Would a TV network broadcast a live execution for the sake of ratings?)

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT


Ate lunch with Lea. Only the second time I've seen her all semester, which is pretty ridiculous considering we ate together all the time last semester, but it was good to catch up with her. We mostly talked movies, which I of course could've discussed for hours.

Went to Spanish. Worthless as always.

Went to work. Did about 2 hours of manual labor, and an hour and a half of sitting around. Works for me, eh?

Got home. Had to go grocery shopping. Ugh.

But later I got to see Marie which was the highlight of my month because it's been that long since I've seen her. I love you so much, baby!

Finally, this was really weird: my parents didn't give me a curfew. I know, huh? I was gonna hang out with Cal after Marie and I exchanged our belated Valentine's gifts, but he couldn't for whatever reason, which was a slight bummer, because I really could've stayed out for awhile. C'est la vie.

Well, that's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

Rantastic!

Strap yourself in and hold on...

It's...

a SupeRant!

-I hate that I can't stop procrastinating.
-I hate that this week is going to be hell at work.
-I hate that I don't have my own car.
-I hate that I won't get to see Marie until Friday (or maybe not even until Saturday).
-I hate that I've got absolutely nothing to cover for this major story for Journalism, and even if I did, I really don't know how to go about covering it.
-I hate that I never have enough money.
-I hate that I have no idea what I'm going to do when I get back from Africa (assuming I still go).
-I hate that I have to write so many papers soon.
-I HATE being sick.

-I love Marie so much.
-I love my friends from OverFlow.
-I love Queen. Seriously, I don't know if there's ever been a better rock band.
-I love my iPod.
-I love the way Donald Miller writes.
-I love going to /Film and reading all the latest movie news.
-I love leading Hupomone.
-I love that Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová won the Oscar for Best Song.


So basically, to quote Ellen DeGeneres, "My life is perfect, even when it's not."

Thanks to everyone who makes my life bearable. Really, you have no idea how much you mean to me.

This one goes out to the one I love

So it's been awhile since I've updated. I know you're all just DYING to hear what's going on in my life. Ha!

But yeah, things are going quite well. I'm hoping that with a little more effort, I can keep my GPA the same for this semester. It'll take some more work on my part, but I hope I can stay committed.

I finished applying for scholarships today. Some of it was a big waste of time because even my "recommended" scholarships including criteria like "attending the College of Business Administration," but hopefully I'll get a lot more money than I did this year. I really want Mallory to focus on applying, because I really want us both to take more of the burden off our grandparents and parents.

We didn't have Journalism lab today (praise the Lord), but we still had a stupid assignment. Man, I really hope my idea for covering a speech or meeting goes over well. I really don't want to do this project, but hopefully I'll be able to cover something I want.

Going back to this weekend: Friday night was a blast. It was just one of those great nights where you don't really know what's going to happen, but it all just turns out great. Seriously, I could not have a better group of friends here. You guys are amazing.

Saturday was semi-important. The whole family went and voted in the primaries. I felt so independent, going against the grain and voting Democrat. I didn't really mean to vote against Kay Bailey Hutchison, but she'll probably be re-elected anyways.

It was also great to hear missionary Jeremy Pittman speak on Sunday. He's a personal hero of mine, especially after hearing what happened to him last year. Afterwards, I stayed chatting with Derek as usual, but this time we missed the ENTIRE FREAKING SERVICE because we were busy yammering away, but what a great time. We ran the whole gamut, from politics to movies to religion, with the Craziest Man Alive (I'm using this apt nickname because I don't wish to use the guy's real name, and I also don't know his name for sure; but rest assured, he's insane) interjecting his opinions about all of these things.

Sunday night's Oscar telecast, while the lowest-rated in history, was probably the best ceremony ever. Really, Jon Stewart was a class act and there were some real surprises. I got all but two of the major nominees correct.

Boy, do I miss Marie. Luckily, I'll get to see her either Friday or Saturday so it's very soon. And I'll get to see her the weekend after that, and then the following Thursday we're leaving for Austin!!! It sounds like some other people may be tagging along (just for the trip down there), but I'm ok with it if she is! I'm so excited, you have no idea.

Tonight's Bible study was really interesting. Lots of heated (never out-of-control) discussion about if a person is habitually sinning without remorse, is he really a Christian? It's a tough topic to tackle, but hopefully I'll be able to continue to give biblical insight in the coming weeks.

Well, that's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

On your machine I slur a plea for you to come home

Like every Tuesday and Thursday, I find Music Appreciation to be way too long and Human Sexuality to be way too short. Luckily, I'm doing well in both. I got B's on all my tests from last week (pending my grade on my Gerontology exam, which I'll find out tomorrow), so things are going well. Need to do a bit better, but it looks like I won't have to kill myself for the rest of the semester, which is good.

I really hope Marie can come home this weekend. It's our anniversary and I miss her so much. I really want to see her at least once before our trip to Austin. She's so amazing and I'm so lucky to have her. I know I don't deserve her at all. I'm so blessed.

Work was good for once today. I felt like I had just enough to do. Not too much, not too little, but just right. I hope that this trend continues.

Sometimes I wonder just how ignorant people can be. Yet again the maniacs of the Westboro Baptist Church are protesting innocents' funerals. This time it's the poor victims of the Northern Illinois University tragedy. What's really sad though is it seems we're powerless to stop these cowards. They're definitely covered by the First Amendment, and we have to keep the First Amendment if we're to remain a free country. I just wish we could silence these goons. It's so terrible and they're perverting the Christian faith just like terrorists pervert the name of Islam. We need to unite to stop these monsters.

And speaking of ignorance, I wish people would just wake up and realize that America can't afford four more years of the status quo. We can't afford to have a leader who's beholden to special interests and lobbyists. We can't afford to have a leader who will keep us in Iraq. We can't have a leader who's going to talk a good game about immigration and health care. We need someone who will actually deliver change, instead of use it as a buzzword. And the only candidate who offers that is Barack Obama. He's the only one who can unite the country and get Washington to actually start working again. (Feel free to comment on this section.)

Well, I'm off to shower and start writing my ridiculous outline for Spanish. How stupid is this? I have to have a detailed outline or transcript for a Spanish presentation on Friday, but my actual presentation isn't until April. Ugh.

I can't believe class schedules are out for Fall 2008 already. I can't even register until April, but I do have a rough schedule already. And I hope I can take this Mythic Rhetoric of the American Superhero class, but it's only on Wednesday nights. We'll see. Everything else will be required stuff for me (Spanish, Journalism, Science, etc.) so it'll be nice to do something fun.

Well, that's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

Wedded bliss?

So Holly and Bill's wedding was pretty great, and I loved when Chance caught the garter and turned to his new stepdad and asked, "What's it for?"

And it was so wonderful to see Gran and Grandad and Mitch. Alas, tensions were high because they were there. To quote the great poets War, "Why can't we be friends?" Seriously, everything escalates when family's around, which is not at all how it should be.

Boy, I tell ya, it wasn't fun to get up at 6:30 to ride with Jimmy back to school. Apparently, my dad doesn't like taking me. I can't blame him, but I hope this doesn't happen every time I come home.

And is there are more useless holiday than Presidents' Day (OK, besides Columbus Day)? Seriously, all the stuff we need (like the post office, bank, and courthouses for passports) are closed at the most inconvenient time. So I'm hoping to get my passport on Friday.

Finally, is it weak to miss Marie this much? It's only been a little over 2 weeks, but I miss her like crazy and I really hope she gets to come home this weekend, because I don't know how much longer I can go! (Obviously, I won't break up with her. But I feel like I'm gonna lose it if I can't see her and hold her soon.)

SONG OF THE DAY:
Mates of State's "Goods (All in Your Head)"


Well, that's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

Not quite the same

And so, for the second time ever, I've had a meaningful Valentine's Day. And yet, it doesn't quite feel like it should, because she's not by my side. I don't love her any less; on the contrary, I love her more and more. I just wish she could've been here for this day that's so important to so many others, and is finally important to us.

Anyways, my sexuality test was much harder than I predicted, but just like my gerontology exam, I think I did well enough.

About an hour after I got back from work, I was looking in my pocket for my keys, and I found another set: the keys to one of the cars at work. Whoops! So I gotta go back first thing in the morning and turn 'em in. I can't believe I still had 'em!

Saw Y Tu Mamá También tonight at the Union, along with, oh, a dozen other people, and I must I'm impressed. Alfonso Cuarón can do absolutely any genre: this (an erotic dramedy), a children's movie (A Little Princess), bleak future sci-fi (Children of Men), ballsy literary adaptation (Great Expectations), and Harry Potter (The Prisoner of Azkaban). I can't wait to see what he does next.

Did you hear Jane Fonda said the c-word on The Today Show? Yikes!

Last item: Gotta love John Hodgman's "The 5 Habits of Highly Explosive People" on The Daily Show...
1. Make your resume a resu-ME!
2. Make the interview an interv-YOU!
3. Always dress for the job you want.
4. Be creative.*
5. Accept rejection.
It used to be all you needed was a hatred for America and your own car...

*I don't think this is the right #4, but I'll post the link to the video later.

That's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

Rough

Gotta admit it was a pretty rough day today.

I found out that I owe $200 by March 9 for a deposit on my Africa mission trip, and if I don't get enough donations by then and I'll have to pay for it myself, which puts my Spring Break trip to Austin in serious jeopardy. And of course, me getting upset about did nothing to solve the problem. Only trusting in God (which is what I should've done from the beginning) will get me through this.

(Marie also helped. A lot.)

Speaking of the love of my life, it's looking less and less likely that she will be able to accompany me to my cousin's wedding this weekend. This is the first time I've realized how much it really sucks to not have a vehicle. I really want her to be there this weekend and I miss her so much. And if I don't see her this weekend, it might be quite awhile before I get to see her. And if I can't go to Austin, it'd be even longer. Thus, you see my cause for getting upset.

But I'm much better now. I just can't figure it out on my own, so I have to let Someone who can do it for me. I give up, and it's the best thing I could've done.

Anyways, my gerontology exam went pretty well today, but it was a little harder than I expected. We watched Harry and Tonto, which reminded me of Little Miss Sunshine, only not quite as clever. But that Art Carney sure deserved his Oscar.

I also had to go to a concert night for Music Appreciation. It was pretty good, but I feel very uncultured because classical still isn't my "thing."

Anyways, I just watched The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, both with writers back and still as funny as ever.

So I'll be headed to bed soon, because I've got a huge test in Sexuality tomorrow and I don't really know what to study because there's just so much. I hope I do well.

That's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

Attention! Pay attention!

Yesterday:
So last night's Bible study went very well, even without a real plan. It's nice to have such a close-knit group where people open up.

Today:
Man, 6:45 came mighty early today. Actually, I was fine until I got to Sexuality and I had real trouble staying awake. But it was definitely worth it for free IHOP pancakes though. What is it about them that makes them so great? They're pretty much perfect every time you order them.

My Music Appreciation test went pretty well. There were a few questions here or there I was uncertain about, but I can't tell you the last time I got 100% on a quiz or test. And man, I really wish Rite of Spring was playing somewhere. That Stravinsky's a BAMF. Unfortunately, though, I'll have to settle for seeing Strauss tomorrow for my required concert. Ugh. Someone text me to remind me I have to go to the ATM.

So I went to the Health Center today at my mother's behest to get another flu shot since flu season is still in full swing, but they weren't giving them out anymore. And the weirdest thing happened: I got all indignant (not extremely rude or anything) at the nurse, even though I didn't think I needed another shot in the first place. Mother's influence or latent anger over something else? Maybe a little of both...

Yeah, it turns out the Board of Regents has decided to raise our tuition. Oh great. Just what we need. Hey, Board, just because something's easy doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. And the editorial in the Daily was exactly right: You guys barely publicized your meeting about this. You send us multiple alerts when there's a grassfire or a highway closing, but how about some forewarning about getting priced out of our own school. And the paper alleges that our President Dr. Bataille got both a raise and bonus last year, while we're in the midst of a salary freeze for faculty, which makes things even more suspicious. All I gotta say is, if we're bending over for you, you guys better give us some better parking because of this.

And speaking of the newspaper, some boring grad student's ranting about how McCain and/or Huckabee are/is the only hope for America was pretty ridiculous. True, Hillary and Ron Paul are terrible choices for the reasons he listed, but when it came to Obama, he couldn't really come up with anything, other than being Kennedy-esque, and then talking about how many problems Kennedy had. And also that he's not a "centrist," which I guess makes all his supporters superliberals. Geez.

Oh, great. Quia's due tonight. Ick. I hate that online workbook with the fire of 10,000 suns.

Finally, it appears I may have been wrong before...
I initially dissed the Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and My Chemical Romance's Black Parade, but upon multiple listens in Bryan's Isuzu, they're actually pretty darn good. I'd upgrade the Foos to 3.5 out of 5 stars, and MCR to 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Man, just listen to that intro...


That's all for now.

Good night, and good luck.

First things first

So at the behest of Marie and Alex, I've started a personal blog. So we'll see how it goes. Let me know if you think my life is boring, because I happen to think it is.

Last night:
I really can't tell you how awesome late night Whataburger discussions are. I got to tell the story of how Marie and I met, which always makes me happy. And then Haley, Bryan, and I just sat in her car for what seemed like two (not nearly long enough) hours, listening to the Once soundtrack, quoting comedians, and discussing why Bryan is actually a jerk. Haha. Seriously, it was utterly fantastic. I think Haley might be a Nazi. A Nazi you say? To quote Walter in The Big Lebowski: "She was threatening castration! Are we gonna split hairs here?"

Today:
It seems I forgot to set my alarm this morning. Luckily, I woke up right at 8am. But, fool that I am, I thought I could sleep just 10 more minutes and be just fine. Well, when I did actually wake up, it was 9:15, the room was still dark, and Dave was still fast asleep across the room. Whoops! I threw on some clothes and rushed to my first class, News Writing. But I got all the way to the GAB to discover a locked door. D'oh! We were supposed to be in the library today! So I strolled in only 35 minutes late to class. Luckily, our AP style quiz was postponed until Wednesday, so I didn't miss anything major.

Well, Bible study's tonight and I hope it goes well and we have more people than we did last week. Not that last week's group was bad, but still, some more people would be great. So I've got to go. And change this music. If I listen to anymore Savage Garden, I may have to turn in my man card.