and I am at a loss for words. Probably due to the way too festive happenings of the last 3-4 days. Too much food, fun, and friends (especially of the loopy liquid and smoky green kind). So I am a bit foggy still, even though I've had a day and a half to recover now. I played Risk yesterday for 4 hours or something. I haven't played for years and years so it was fun to get to do it again, especially with Trisha. Unfortunately at one critical point in the game I was forced to make the choice that all of us have to make at one time or another: the choice between friendship or world domination. I struggled for a while before choosing (at the urging of the other players including Trisha herself) world domination. Still, I think my soul may be slightly more stained than before I started playing the infernal game. As I played I realized just how ruthless a game it was, totally based upon our domineering, conquesting, conqeuring, subjugating, and marauding culture. We decided at the onset that we should identify with a specific race depending upon the color of our men. I was chin, paulnotpaul injun, trisha fightn' irish (who else is green, if not martian?), and Summer (well she didn't get one cause she was blue, wtf?). It was amusing seeing Summer beat the original injun out of america and then later to watch the injun's take it back. The irish stayed mostly in Europe until I had to make my fatalistic choice to eradicate them. The game never even ended in that time, I almost won but then Summer took my Asia-homefront away, and then we looked at the board, realized we all had about one man per country (awfully reminiscent of the game's initial setup), and called a truce; maybe there is a chance for world peace and it consists of boring the armies to death. So is life, eh? I will end here, and make no promises, but perhaps give a vague prediction that my next entry contain a little more substance.

we are going to eat some good italiano foodo at nonna's in a minute, it will be great. And then it will be next year. See ya then!
OK New Years is cool! I am having a great time, I love my boyfriends! They are the coolest. I like my friends. I am glad that i have them, and want to keep them around me. why can't we live on my mythical farm and grow all the veggies? I don't understand...I love them all, why can't we all coexist and love each other? I love you and you and you and you...cnat' you just trust me and love them too? They're worth it, trust me. No please, just trust me, I am a distinguished observer, I know who we should keep. Let me keep you...please...

Just finished watching a interview on Dem Now! with a young man recently returned from Iraq. The whole thing just confirms my belief that what the military relies on to recruit troops is heavy propaganda aimed at undereducated people. This young man is not evil, in fact he strongly beleives that serving in the army is a sacred obligation. This is a regular guy and now he's in, and the indoctrination only becomes stronger once you're in. He's being taught that what he's doing is what the country needs, and that there is no greater honor than serving your country. He hasn't seen any of his friends die yet, maybe some of his views will shift after he does. But he's not evil. I don't believe it.

Sidenote: Howard Zinn has written a speech for any of the potential '04 presidential candidates entitled, "The Logic of Withdrawal"

Anyone read/heard/seen it? We started watching the movie last night and it was maybe the worst adaptation ever. The graphics were so bad that it detracted from a quite good story. I read all the books and really liked them, and even Matt said he liked the witty british sarcasm, but couldn't deal with the pictures. Here is an example of a two-headed alien named Zaphod. It's a guy with a rubber head on next to his, and the head doesn't really move or anything it just sits there and looks like a rubber head. Sheesh.

Q) Where were you last night at 8:00 PM?
A) the downtown f train headed south

Q) Why did you do it?
A) at first i thought because it wasnt enough, then i figured who doesn't like it strong so i filled it up some more. and then it simply wasnt enough.

Q) No really, why?
A) sometimes i feel like a butt. bute. and because, it is really okay to dig out the middle of the loaf and leave the rest.

Q) This isn't funny?
A) whoever said that sucks giant watermelons and wears headgear.

Q) Really?
A) i believe the proper term is 'actually?'

Q) WH--whe-wh-wh-whwh-wher-wh-wh-where were you last night?
A) at the local noraebbang inspiring a storm. heart of glass. what a beautiful face i have found in this place that is circling around the sun. on a murphy bed.

Q) Don't laugh at my defect. It's not-n-no-n-n-no-ot funny.
A) poor you. mommas hung you up in the closet and youre feeling sad.

Q) Go away...
A) you go away...

Q) g-g-g-g-g-g-o-g---go awaaaaayy..
A) just for that i ll stay a little bit longer

Q) ahhahahahhhhhhhhhh-gonyyyyyyy...
A) don't fret my dear
A) *ding
A) who was that girl in the art hallway?
.
.
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... .. . .

the whispers underneath the sounds traversed
across the room into memories later forgotten
noises and sounds lit up their lives
until neglected pieces of puzzles lost set in

sensing the last days
lost opportunities
slipped and broken chances
words never spoken
the hands moved ahead

• you may choose to write separate answers or to add on to the choo-chooless**