“That’s poetic.  That’s pathetic!”

I’m sure you were all expecting some epic update after three weeks absence.  Nope.  I’ve been lazy and unmotivated for the past few weeks.  Seriously, I haven’t done any work since the break.  I have, however, spent endless nights listening to Rent, reading about the Broadway production and trying to find a copy of the movie online.  Someone has to stop me so that I can actually get some work done.

I’ve started a new “project”.  Everyday, I will pick one picture (that I’ve taken) and make it my picture for that day.  By the end of the year, I’ll have a visual collection of what’s happened over the past year.  Yesterday’s picture was a picture of my Rent wallpaper on my computer…because I spent all night on my computer obsessing over Rent.  Today’s picture is Katie Jernigan in a George W. Bush shirt!  She didn’t even know she was wearing it!  I think that’s what she gets for not dressing slutty for once.

So Joanna and I agree that people shouldn’t have to work if it’s below 40 degrees outside. You have to love the “Texas winters”…it will start out near freezing, then make its way back up to 75 by midday.

“Goodbye Love” should be on the Best of Rent CD.  They can replace Today 4 U, and no one will care.  Seriously.

Tomorrow is December 1st!!!  Without a doubt the greatest month of the year.  I’d make a December playlist, but I STILL don’t have my iPod back.  Why, you ask?  Because the idiots at Best Buy didn’t ever send it in!  I went by after a month to see what was up, and they realized that they had basically kept my iPod for a month without calling me.  I think they should’ve been forced to get me a brand new one, on the spot, but they didn’t feel the same way.  They over-nighted it to Apple, and if they don’t get it back to me before the 16th I should be getting a new one.  Regardless, I now hate Best Buy and will be buying all of my DVDs at Wal-Mart.  Not really, because Best Buy’s prices are too good, but I’m definitely upset.  I miss Gandalf more than my family.  If only they brought me half of the joy he does.

I had more to say, but I can’t remember it.  Oh well, this is a start.  Hopefully I’ll be motivated to write more tomorrow, or later this week.

November 9, 2005: 4:18 PM

Today is one of the saddest days in the last fifty years.  Two weeks after celebrating Rosa Parks for her opposition to bigotry and hatred, the state of Texas became the first state to include such rhetoric in their state Constitution.  I’ve never been more ashamed of my state.

“There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have stake in their society, protect that society. . .” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” - First Amendment in the Bill of Rights
“The use of “religion” as an excuse to repress the freedom of expression and to deny human rights is not confined to any country or time.” - Margaret Atwood

“Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry.” - Thomas Jefferson

“That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression.” – Alabama, Declaration of Rights Article I Section 35

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.” - Thomas Jefferson

“A people who extend civil liberties only to preferred groups start down the path either to dictatorship of the right or the left.” - Justice William O. Douglas

“The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.” - Justice Robert H. Jackson

“Bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.” – Thomas Jefferson
“We are not the first but I am sure we will not be the last. After us will come many other countries, driven, ladies and gentleman, by two unstoppable forces: freedom and equality” - Jose Luis Rodriguez, Prime Minister of Spain (after Spain approved gay marriages)

Just a short entry this time.  I hope you all enjoy the greatest movie moments page, because it took me much longer than I expected it to.  I also hope to keep messing with the homepage over the next few weeks, adding more pictures and such.  Today I slept in and missed class, because I didn’t get to bed until 5 AM.  When I woke up I started studying for a while, then watched Empire Strikes Back and worked on my website.  My life is really that boring.
I had hoped to see Jarhead,  but it sold out so that was a bust.  I’ll probably see it tomorrow or Sunday, however.

Brandon and I deserve and award for the Rent trailer.  I’ll leave you with that.  Seriously, get on it.  It’s just amazing.  I’ve seen it at least ten times today, and it never gets old…and I was there when it was made.

Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

November is here, which means less than a month until December, the greatest month of all time. I love the period from Thanksgiving until early January! The holiday season, lots of free time, Belgium, reading, amazing movies…I can’t wait.
So I’ve noticed a few things that annoy me over the last few days. I hate the printed bus schedules at every bus stop, because they’re NEVER right and it just gets your hopes up. I also hate how every time I sit down on the bus hoping a hot girl will sit next to me I get the fat smelly kid before there’s even a shot at it. It’s even worse when that fat smelly kid begins eating a sandwich in front of you. I also hate people who have conversations loud enough for the whole bus to listen in, because I really don’t care how many guys you’ve tricked into actually sleeping with you. Ok, maybe a little, but I have homework I should be focusing on! One of my biggest pet peeves, however, is when people pull the “Request Stop” cord more than four miles away from the actual stop. What’s the point of that? There’s not reason to pull the cord ever on my route, because there’s only three stops and he always stops at each one. Plus, whenever you pull the cord it makes the time disappear at the front of the bus, and that’s just annoying. People on the bus bother me so much that I’ve continued my ritual of putting in my earphones so that no one will talk to me…and I don’t even have my iPod with me.

Speaking of which, I sent Gandalf the White in for some refurbishing. I hope to get him a sweet new cane, some more stamina and bleach his robes so that he impresses the ladies. If they can’t fix him, however, I’ll just have to settle for one of the sweet new iPods that plays video and has a screen that is the size of my face. Either way I’m excited…it’s just going to be hard waiting another two weeks before I can listen to music at school. I miss my Ryan Adams, Ben Folds, Death Cab, Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Fall Out Boy! Seriously, I don’t know why I have a 40 GB iPod when I only really listen to 1 GB of music on it. Whatever, size matters and my 39 unused GB impress the ladies. I can’t believe I just went there. Even I feel like throwing up.

I just got my ticket to Michelle’s wedding in the mail! There was only one ticket, so I don’t know if we’ll be able to bring any guests. That’s sad, but at least I’ll get to go. We all have to go buy her something, btw. Also, I just got the new issue of Wired and it has a huge section on King Kong. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m excited. I really need to catch up on all of the production diaries. I’ve seen all of them through January…but that’s like 10 months of Kong that I’m missing out on.

I’ve actually started watching movies again, which is fun. Who needs to do work, anyway? I saw Proof last night, which was awesome! I put it on to check the quality and ended up watching it all the way through. The four main actors were all outstanding, but Gwyneth Paltrow really stole the movie. She’s never been even close to this good. She was playing a character much younger than she actually is, but it was so believable. Jake Gyllenhall was also great, and noticeably buffer in preparation for his role in Jarhead…which I can’t wait to see tomorrow! I think it’s going to be one of my favorite movies of the fall, just from the preview. I also want to see Capote this weekend, because it’s playing in select Austin theaters. I also downloaded Cinderella Man and Revenge of the Sith, which I hope to watch this weekend.

I doubt I’ll have time for much besides Jarhead, however, because I have two tests next week. Not a huge deal, but I need a good grade in one of the classes. Plus, I really should catch up on my other work this weekend. I also need to find time to finish Atlas Shrugged.

The O.C. comes on tonight, which is glorious. I don’t think I’m going to watch it live, however. I want to do some studying, and then download it this evening when I’m in the library. This way I can feel productive and then watch it later without commercials. I’ve discovered that the library is really the only place that I can study without being distracted, so I’ve started going there 3-4 times a week. I don’t know why I’m telling you that, but I have nothing else to write about so it’s staying.

Death Cab this weekend!! I’m totally stoked, because I’ve never seen them before! Also, on Audioscrobler (this plugin for iTunes that records what you listen to) it says I’ve played Death Cab 1200 times since February 25, 2005. That’s almost 300 times more than the next artist, Radiohead. I’ve only listened to 6313 tracks on my computer since that date, so nearly every fifth song I play is Death Cab. This is starting to sound like Anthony Hopkins’ mathematical work in Proof. Let X equal my love for Death Cab for Cutie. I like Death Cab for Cutie. As I listen to Death Cab my happiness approaches infinity. As infinity approaches happiness it sees Death Cab. I’m crazy.

So the Astros lost the World Series. It was sad, but I’m over it. Even though we didn’t win we had one of the best comebacks in the history of the sport, and that’s really awesome. Plus, our team is not going to change much over the next year, which could mean another trip to the Series! In the meantime UT is going to dominate in every sport known to man. UT Football seems unstoppable, with Vince Young in the lead for the Heisman trophy, and UT basketball starts soon with a preseason ranking of #3. Baseball and swimming are defending champs, and in softball we have the best female athlete in the universe (Kat Osterman). And because I go to the same school as these people, I am somehow a cooler person.

Speaking of cool people, Joanna asked out one of her TAs from last year…and he said yes! She’s pretty much the most baller person in the world, and deserves at least 100 Damn-Damns. Leahanne also gets 15 Damn-Damns for finally updating her website, and Brandon gets 6 for losing in “Never Have I Ever”. Jose also gets 20 Damn-Damns for getting on the news today! He’s helping out with the Habitat for Humanity campout this week, and he’s been there longer than anyone else. I went by and saw his shelter today, and it’s pretty sweet. If I’m ever homeless, I’ll be getting him to design my box. He also was able to collect over $30 (and my AMEX) in donations today. Needless to say, my friends are all badasses, and I feel like my life is insignificant.

So Aaron, Veronica, Armando, Joanna, Steph and William (anyone else?) are going camping tomorrow, which should be awesome.  After proposing the event, I was a loser and backed out because “I want to succeed in life” Ryan took over and told me to study for my ethics test.  They need to do the following things while they are there, however:

Take loads of pictures
Steal something
Light something on fire
Race to the top
Find an awesome place that we can camp next time when I go too!
Lay on your backs, look up at the stars and wonder if anyone is doing the exact same thing at the exact same moment…
Take a moment to realize how amazing Ben Affleck is.
Listen to Ryan Adams on the way over there.
Take more pictures.

Ok, well I’ll leave ya’ll with that.  Hook ‘em horns, go Miami, fuck USC.  Get some! Uwrah.