Housekeeping:



There is a new journal entry. There is an addition to the idols section (the pages I created for Spanish class about Rigoberta Menchú).



Also, I am a blonde again. More orange than golden, but, whatever...

I'm not really the kind of person who enjoys throwing himself into stranger situations. I don't going to parties when I don't know anyone there. I didn't like my first few weeks in the dorms because I'm not turbo-proative when it comes to starting conversations with random people. So, obviously, I'm going to a house party tonight in Hoboken where I will only know one person!

There's something new to your left...

Blogging is fun when you work on a computer all day long with no other form of entertainment! Now if I only I could write a fucking journal entry...

The Miami Police Chief who resigned is responding very maturely...I bet all of his quotes were forced down his throat...



``I know there's incredible anger and frustration in the (Cuban) exile community, and I want to tell you, if you're looking for a focal point for that frustration, here it is: I gave the orders,'' said O'Brien, 56.

I'm writing a story about the five women who will be inducted into the Women In Technology International's Hall of Fame and one of them is a former Rutgers professor of physics. She was the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics in the country. That is awesome.

Do you think maintenance people resent the people they clean up after? Am I the only person who thinks about this stuff? I'm sitting in an office on my laptop typing away and I'm practicially 12 years old, and this guy comes in to empty my trash. I said thanks and he barely acknowledged my existence. I think I would be really bitter, but that's obnoxious of me to presume that all "blue-collar" workers are unsatisfied. Whatever...

I saw a piece on this on Good Morning America. It's so bizarre that movie goers were supposed to think Brokovich's boyfriend is this amazing guy who breaks all stereotypes. I guess he's just a loser. And stupid. Like, yeah, let's try to fuck over the woman who brought down a corporate empire! That will be cake...

Anyone up this early? Send me email.

It's really embarrassing when you're at, say, your new internship, and you think you're computer headphones are working, but, in fact, cheesy disco-esque Paula Cole is blasting through the office. F.Y.I.

If I were Sarah, I be pissed too.

Wow. I better go see this before it goes.

Bright and early!!! I can't believe I'm doing this 8:30-5:30 thing every day this summer. Christ...

90210ver



By T.J. DeGroat



Ten years ago, the colossal amount of useless information in the heads of Americans increased with the addition of the zip code for Beverly Hills, California. Since 1990, when the Walshes left Minnesota for sunny, superficial Southern California, 90210 has become a part of our vernacular, much like 867-5309 or 411.

The current generation of college students literally grew up alongside Kelly Taylor and Brandon Walsh. The class of 2001 graduated 8th grade as the super clique drove to the Hollywood sign for a final high school hurrah. Current Rutgers juniors donned gowns a second time as California University's class of 1997 ended their college careers. During the 10-year run, the show spawned a breed of superfans who say they will be devastated when Beverly Hills, 90210 fades into re-run oblivion.

Rutgers College junior Buffy Weill-Greenberg, who began watching the show during the first season, said watching tapes of the show is difficult. "It's so hard to hit play. Every minute I watch I'm one minute closer to never watching 90210 again," she said.

Fox has been airing short retrospectives and publicizing the end of the show with a countdown, something that upsets ardent fans like Rutgers College junior Shane Smith. "One thing I think is kind of gross is the countdown. It's really upsetting."

The overall demise of the show is upsetting to creator Aaron Spelling. The cancellation "really hurt. We thought we were going to get another year. At first Fox was asking us to come back," Spelling said in an interview with Fox in March. "After a while, the whole cast agreed to come back, except Brian Austin Green - and I think he would have eventually agreed. The ratings were OK, but it was based on money. "

For the season to date, 90210 Number 81.

Regardless, the show has had a long ride and has become synonymous with 1990s popular culture. Smith began watching the show in 6th grade, during the first season. "Everybody was watching. It was what people talked about," he said. "Even though it became kind of cheesy I continued to watch it."

With more than 300 episodes and so many characters zooming through the cast's revolving door it's difficult to choose favorites, but Smith and Weill-Greenberg are up to the challenge. Weill-Greenberg said a favorite early show is the infamous sleep over/skeletons in the closet show, during which Kelly admits her freshman year, pre-nose job sexual encounter with a jock and Brenda verbally bitchslaps Kelly's too cool for school friend with a catty remark.

"One of my favorite early episodes is the fashion show because it dealt with Jackie's drug abuse," Smith said.

The drug problems of the entire Taylor family (remember when Kelly suddenly became a crack whore?) were just one of the myriad social issues the 90210 producers tried to tackle. From date rape to interracial couplings, from pregnancy to virginity, each episode seemed like a glorified after-school special.

The issues weren't always handled well, though, Smith said. "In some ways it can be a little upsetting because it dealt with it in almost a ridiculous way. It was forgotten about next week — very artificial."

Weill-Greenberg agrees. "I actually think the politics and values of the show are totally vile. They sort of take all of these conservative values but then they put them in this liberal freedom of speech box," she said.

"Although I wouldn't call it a progressive show it does at least bring up issues, and that's something," Smith said.

Choosing favorite characters is equally as difficult as pinpointing a

best episode. Of all the characters who left the show, Smith said he was a big fan of Emily Valentine — one of many scary girlfriends who pined for the super stud himself, Brandon Walsh.

Weill-Greenberg said she has a difficult time choosing her favorite West Beverly High alumnus. "My favorite character is a tie between Brenda and Kelly. When I watch the summer episodes when Kelly steals Brenda's boyfriend I hate Kelly, but when I watch the episodes when she's a social worker, it's totally different," she said.

Donna Martin is also a beloved character in Weill-Greenberg's eyes. "She's my favorite for pure entertainment value. She's so fugly and it's so sad to watch her because she's so desperately trying to look like Kelly," she said.

The upcoming series finale, which will air on May 17, is the subject of much speculation. And although almost anything could happen, there's one thing most true fans want but will never get: the reunion of Brenda and Dylan. "I want Brenda to come back and I want Brenda, Kelly and Donna to finally have a talk about how each of them is so jealous of Kelly," she said. "I think it should actually end with Brenda shooting Kelly." There will be no closure if Brenda does not return, Weill-Greenberg said.

Closure or not, Beverly Hills, 90210 will end less than three weeks from now, on May 17, leaving fans with a plethora of ridiculous situations to laugh about. Brenda transforming herself into Laverne the waitress, Brandon dating everyone and their mother, Emily Valentine's flaming desire, Dylan's impromptu marriage to the mob and the Walshes' inexplicable departure are just a few of the less than brilliant, but hysterical, ideas the writers have seen to life.

Cast members will leave the show with fond memories as well. In a September interview with Entertainment Weekly Jennie Garth (Kelly) said, "It's a very comfortable environment. After working with the same people for ten years, they're like my family, really."

And the Walshes, the Taylors and the Martins are a part of our extended family — the warped, perverse, deranged cousins that make holiday celebrations so much fun.





WHERE ARE THEY NOW?



Some of the great 90210 alumni who left the show:



Jason Priestly, Brandon Walsh (1990-1998), is performing in Side Man in London. The 30-year-old star of Calendar Girl and Love and Death on Long Island will face a five day jail sentence driving under the influence.



Hilary Swank, Carly Reynolds (1997-1998), is a forgotten alumna. She won an Oscar this year for Boys Don't Cry. The 25-year-old who married Life Goes On star Chad Lowe will appear in The Gift with Keanu Reeves.



Tiffani Thiessen, Valerie Malone (1994-1998), dropped her middle name before guest-starring on ABC's Two Guys and a Girl.



Gabrielle Carteris, Andrea Zuckerman (1990-1994), pursued motherhood and a career as a talk show host in 1995. She is planning to return to acting.





QUOTES!!! SO FUNNY!!!



"Brandon, I'm a spring princess. I can't exactly show up in a Melvin, or whatever your calling your car these days."

- Kelly Taylor from Season 1, "Spring Dance"

`

"Well I have fundamental ideological problems with teenage social rituals that basically do nothing but exacerbate fear of total insecurity and inferiority over one's appearance while frenetically exploiting and I must add, distorting, the feminine ideal."

- Andrea Zuckerman from Season 1, "Spring Dance"



"High school guys, college guys, grad school guys, drop-out guys. You can not dress the same for all guys."

- Donna Martin from Season 1, "A Fling in Palm Springs"



"When I got to school they should have given me a score card instead of a class schedule, so I can keep track of everyone's boyfriends."

- Emily Valentine from Season 2, "Wildfire"



That's OK, this is California. Nobody knows what they're doing, they just smile and fake it."

- Steve Sanders from Season 5, "What I Did On My Summer Vacation And Other Stories"

It's like 1:40 or something and I'm leaving Targum. On the one night when I don't need to be up before 2:30. Figures.

Um, have I mentioned, recently, that Tony Vincent is a GOD? I really have to take some singing lessons...

I can almost see the light. Just a few more days...

Just a few years ago this never would have been able to happen...



At Easter dinner I was talking to Kim, my soon-to-be Aunt who went to Africa last summer as a Fullbright Scholar. She said the situation in Zimbabwe is mind-boggling because there was absolutely no talk about this even being a possiblity. She spoke to a lot of farmers and no one thought anything really negative was forthcoming...

I'm just so freaking tired, is what it is.



But, I'm down to three days of classes, freaking out about my three quizzes tomorrow, working on final papers, making new, hysterical friends and working on a conver story for the inside beat about 90210. Laugh-o-riffic.



Also, thamks for the birthday voicemail Tim. You are a *horrible* email buddy, but, you know, that's okay. Because you're such a pop culture whore and that makes up for anything.



... yo!

The party was fun. Drunk + Lauren = Ridiculous! But funny nonetheless. Terri was asleep in Linda's bed when she came home. She was not pleased. Things should get messy when Lauren, Ben and I get back to NB (home for Eatser). I love my high school friends. Alli and Terri came to the party. I drank with Mike, matt, Tim, Steph and Kim last night. It's been a long time... And now, Easter at Grandpa's. Potential for disaster!!!



Also, the Elian thing: Bad bad bad. What a bad decision! Things are quiet now in Miami, but they will get worse, I think. This issue never should have been as political as it is, but things are peaceful in the world and the US needs its enemies! Add that to the Miami Cubans manipulation of Elian to make some sort of point that we all already understand, and things get very complicated.

Update: still disgusting in New Jersey!

I'm glad (hee hee, GLAAD) Matthew Shepard's parents were honored. Still, wenever I see that commercial about him on MTV, with his mom sayingm "There better not be a next time," I get chills. And, hey, Lauren, read the part about Citigroup. You're dad's company is going to be boycotted one day, I swear.

It is fucking POURING and the skies are black in New Jersey, and most of the Northeast right now. I'm angry...



I'm also sitting by myself in a sales associate's office because a web intern, Surya, always needs my freaking computer (well, it was his first) because of some unknown reason. I'm usng a Winbook FX. Hmmm....



Email me and keep me entertained!

Oh, with the LA Times ad, I found out the goal: to contrast SoCal with othe rparts of the world. Um, how about a picture of the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower next time? That's total shock advertising.

I just wrote a really interesting story for the coportate responsibility zine. Here's the lead:



Within the next four years about 315 million computers will become “e-junk,” but only 10 percent of high-tech machines are recycled. The Pax World Fund Family and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) are working together to develop a recycling plan and to raise awareness of the problem among computer companies and investors.



Who knew? With the increased turnover rate of computers and all of the toxins inside these machines this could be a big problem. Also, TVs wil change to flat screen within the next few years, so all of thse catharay tubes that have mercryu ad lead in them will have to be disposed of as well...



Also, it's shitty here. Like insanely gross out. And I'm paranoid as it is about turnout for my party, so this is not cool.



I think this is kind of weird.



We discussed this at this monring's news meeting. It's so bizarre. The ad does not make sense at all. Like, how is seeing Muslim ldies and bikini-clad chicks going to make you buy the Times? View the ad here.

I had a great day!



Um, Latin American Woman was fun, and I ran into Marchel, from my old a cappella group, outside of the building. I gave her my number so we can get together this summer. Spanish was awesome: Boris is the bomb and still didn't really talk about the award he won in Spain, and I got a 97 on my last paper. He wrote "Two thumbs up!" in English. Ha! It's only cute if you have heard him speak. I went from 82 to 94 to 95 to 97, which is great since it's consistent improvement. (hmmm, I feel like Laurie talking about grades and shit) But yay! So, yeah, Spanish rules. He thinks my writing style is great and when the grammar is perfected I will be coasting. And that means a lot coming from someone with his knowledge and writing skills. He might be my Melissa, eh Andrea? But not really.



Then there was the concert on Cook. I met Nicole and Dennis, then met Jes at the field. While I was talking to them Leslie ran up to me. That's bizarre because I haven't seen the girl (who I had that crush on last year) in months. I randomly called her yesterday, though, to invite her to my party. So, anyway, she ran up and we caught up, traded hellish school stories for a while. Then there was the adorable Juliana Hatfield, who makes Calista Flockhart look pretty chunky. That didn't take away from her kick-ass performance though. Sh eplayed Big Sister and Spin the Bottle, which apparently she vowed not to play some time ago.



So, journal? What journal?

So, I'm having a party on (good) Friday. 10 p.m. at my apartment, the addy is on my contact page. Do you live near me or have means to road trip? If so, you should come to my party. It would be funny. Fly to Newark Airport and I'll pick you up! Seriously...



Juliana Hatfield is tomorrow!



And Eileen bought me Passion, a Christian CD, for my birthday. She is forever preaching the gospel, but it's very cute.

Links like this make me love the net.



And by the by, who knew that my Spanish professor is such a respected writer and journalist in Latin America? Hello? He's only in Spain this week exceting an award for his reporting in El Universal. I am going to be his best friend.

This day sucks. Sucks, I tell you! I woke up at 11:30. But don't you have your internship Tuesdays? Why, yes I do. Don't you have to be there by 8:30? Why, yes I do. So that was bad. Then I lost my Spanish homework and will deal with that shit in class. Also I spent the last 80 minutes in Latin American Women discussing Rigoberta Menchú and all of the atrocities in Latin America. ...which leads me to:



The utter sadness I feel when the topic of Latin American injustice comes up. Do you realize how much torture and horror goes on to this day? Go to desaparecidos and read about the routine disappearances of people, as young as 10, or go search Yahoo for background info. on Augusto Pinochet and find out about just how important it is that he be brought to trial. Or better yet, take a visit to any Spanish department at any University and chat with a professor who's been tortured or knows someone who has. It's very easy to find them. Come to Rutgers and talk to my Latin American Woman professor who read in the newspaper about one of her friends being shot and killed just weeks after visiting him with her son or talk to last semester's Spanish lit. professor who's childhood best friend vanished, never to be heard from again. This shit is sick and it happens all the time - especially because many socialist governments that commit the most offenses are backed by the U.S.







Um, also, I got a 98 on my Lat. Am. Wom. mid term.

There's a real audio thingie up in the - real audio - section. Enjoy. But know that I don't really sound like that when I sing.



It's really really really bizarre. I was talking to Ben about a site I had been to in the past, one I steal a design idea from like a year and a half ago, a.cappella.org. Then the next day I find a link to my site from the latest incarnation of a.cappella, amaebi. Insanely weird.

Have you ever experienced this? Smelling something that isn't just the scent of an object, like a flower or a wet dog or something. It encompasses an experience, a feeling, a time. That just happened when I got into my car to drive to Targum. It was something so familiar, something that just represented my entire Rutgers experience. Weird.

Oh. My. Lord.



I despise Macs. As I was halfway done with a journal entry I got the big BOMB and had to restart. I refuse to write it over, so here are the pictures for now:



http://www.vignette.org/images/cam/41600/

I'm listening to No Doubt's new CD. Through song 11, my favorites are Bathwater and Suspension Without Suspense, which for some reason reminds me of older Liz Phair.



Birthday highlights:

1. My grandfather and uncle singing horribly on my answering machine, along with my grandfather saying, "Is he there? Oh, I hope it's recording!"

2. The biggie birthday card from Lauren - pictures up in a few minutes.

3. The loud bitch out after Lauren found Linda's latest white board message to the house.

4. Seeing John, the kid who vowed, with Lauren, never to drink, totally plastered at his party.

5. Talking with Sally for a long while at Justin's party.

6. Lauren and Sally requesting Crazy by Britney for me at the Banquet.

7. The entire banquet singing Happy Birthday to me and Kelly.



All the above with be expanded in a jounral entry...I'm working on it.

I'm 20. It's weird. I have nothing profound or hysterical to say about entering the weirdest decade of someone's life. I'm actually kind of excited.



When I opened my door this morning I was literally hit with the first part of my "apartment-sized" birthday card. So cute. I took pictures, hopefully they'll be up later...



My mom wrote something in the guestbook. God, she is uber cheesy sometimes, but I love it!

At the internship. Excitement. I wrote four stories today including one that will be featured in the email of the top stories. But, 8:30-5:30 sure does suck a big one!



Wow. I'm surprised it took so long.

Fucking people!

Um, also, I'm sleepy and bored, so entertain me! IM = ubiex

Why can't I find a free copy of realproducer???

Blogger is silly sometimes.



I'm about to hit the MALL to drain my bank account further, but I wanted to tell you beautiful people two things:



1. The webcam will soon have a cute little page of it's own, but for now it's still at http://www.vignette.org/images/webcam/ and is most often on between the hours of 6 and 10 p.m. and sporadically during the afternoon and on weekends. Um. But not tonight.



2. Lauren was so sick yesterday that she actually said this: When I move my eyes it feel like my whole brain is moving too.

I totally forgot the New Jersey Press Association was today. Yikes. I had to go because I won some awards, but I also had class and a paper was due. I actually took the responsible route and got my paper over to my prof.'s office before I left, and then drove to the really scary Dow Jones Building on route 1. Getting awards was fun but, again, I realized how dorky journalists are. Also, this guy from Dow Jones Interactive basically sat down at the Targum table and offered us all jobs in the company, a start up that will go IPO within a few months. Since I'm online editor he really pressed me. But when I told him I was only a sophomore he calmed down. He didn't go to any other tables though....the power of the Targum.



Came home and finally registered. I have lame classes. Everything I want to take is M/W at 2:40 next semester. I'm nto even kidding. So I'm stuck with these classes (including my first ever recitation! ah!):



Writing and editting for print

Mass communication and the American image

Literature of Spain

Computer Science and Applications

Intro. to Music Theory



Decent considering how late I had to register, and I continue my streak of no Friday classes and no classes before 1. Eh.

I conquered the RU Screw! But, it took a awhile.



Yesterday when I tried to register for classes online a little message popped up that said I needed to go to my dean's office. What the fuck?



I figured it was parking, so this morning I went to Parking and Transportation services to pay off my tickets. $145 worth. The lovely cashier who took away my hard-earned cash, Gargi, told me I had to go to the ASB building on Busch campus to have the hold removed. This is the RU Screw, wandering from office to office when you have no idea exactly what the problem is.



So, I walked back to my apartment, trekked to my car and drove to Busch. I blindly slid through the halls in the ASB building and finally found the Registrar's office, where a mean lady took my pink slip. She told me my parking hold was gone, but there was another hold from the dean's office. Awesome!



So, I drove back to College Ave. and stood on the surprisingly long line at the receptionist's office where I was told I had to declare my major. Easy enough. I'm now officially a Journalism & mass media and Spanish major. But, I probably won't be able to register until tomorrow. Screw. You. R. U.

Oh, great. I can't register because of my fucking parking tickets. Looks like I'll be making a stop at the Parking office tomorrow to drain my bank account.



Fucker!!!

11 a.m. I just wrote my first brief and am about to start another, this one about efforts to create a strong network of business women. I didn't know how I'd like working on stories geared toward business, but what I've been reading through on the news wires seems really interesting. I'm especially glad to be focusing on the Diversity zine here.



Tired, I am. Send me email to entertain me!



Oh, and excuse the lame updates - my comp. is in the open and I have to type this fast. I don't want everyone to know I have a site...esp. since vignete.com is a big business site (I found out today). God! It's so easy to type org instead of com. How funny would that be? "Hey, isn't that...?"

My first day at the old internship. Weird! I got to bed at around 3 and was up by 7:30. I've already had a little talk with the Business Manager, went to the news meeting, and I found a story on PR Newswire that I'm going to re-write for the site. Fun! Writing on my first day.



More later...

I'm Online-ing at the Targum while a random girl is writing a story for tomorrow. We started talking and she literally picked my brain for 30 minutes about career goals and asked me for advice about how to get a journalism job. The weird thing is she's a junior and I'm a sophomore.



Only 6 hours until I have to wake up. Luckily it looks like I'll be home in time to get 5 hours of sleep! Wow. That sucks.

Theater Apprec. = Improv group from Harvard = amazing.



I have this webcam thing online now. The link is http://www.vignette.org/images/webcam I'm just playing around for now, testing it out.

Reminder to myself: A free Earth Day concert will be held on April 20 at Skelley Field at 6 p.m. on the Cook campus. Headliners include Ween and Juliana Hatfield. Woo!

Cute is the word of the millenium.



Let's put it into use: My Aunts are very cute. Liz and Laura came over for ice cream cake today and gave me presents (clothes from Gap and Banana Republic), and they also gave me the obligatory birthday crown. It's a family tradition Liz began years ago. This year's was a weird Easter-colored one with question marks all over it. Upside down question marks in honor of my Spanish studies (how cute!). And there were 20...for my age and for the game we were gonna play, 20 questions. How ... cute are they?



My mom was kind of upset because I refused any singing or candles with the cake. It just felt wrong because my birthday is still five days away. She made me bring candles home though so the roommies would have them...the special music playing candle and the magic you-can't-blow-them-out candles. Fun.



On my shit list: The Loud One (who's also hated by all of Targum now for antics she pulls when she hands in stories) and Ben Jenkiebaby for uninstalling AIM. What is that about?

Right now it's 34 degrees and it has been snowing all morning. Um, it's April! Yesterday was 70 degrees and gorgeous. Another sign of the apocalypse?



The beautiful weather was only one of the reasons way yesterday was so kick-ass. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway with Lauren and her family. It was amazing. I never cared for the movie or even the music, but I am in love with this show. Maya Days, who I saw as Mimi in Rent, was a great Mary and to my utter delight, Tony Vincent went on as Judas, making me love that role for the first time. Tony is incredible. I also saw him in Rent, as Mark, and I feel in love with his voice. Spectacular! I can't even find the adjective. But, now I'm obsessed with him...in a good Britney kind of way.



So, family birthday time (I so don't want the cake they got...it feels wrong to have singing/cake time a week before my birthday) this afternoon and then I'm off to NB.

I always change my mind about presents. Without fail. So, it was no surprise to my mother tonight when, as we pulled into the parking lot at Paramus Park mall, I said, "Maybe I don't want a bike anymore."



Instead, she paid for the (expensive) webcam I got at CompUSA (look out for live TJ, ha!) and bought me a cool Fossil watch, as well as clothes from the Gap. After we had made all the purchases I found a perfect black leather jacket for only $99!!!!! I was ready to return the watch because this was such a great deal, but the shitty thing about buying things offseason is that you have to wait 6 months to use them. But, I think my mom is going to go back to buy it to save for Christmas, which would be awesome.



Birthdays are fun, especially for materialistic people like me (hey, you are too, at least i admit it). :) And tomorrow is Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway. Joy.

What a funny way to wake up. Two DJ's are bantering and as my alarm clock turns on they say:

Guy: She is the most talented singer out there. And beautiful.

Girl: What? She's disgusting.

Guy: Christina Aguilera gorgeous.

Girl. She's a PIG. I'll give you the other one.

Guy: Britney Spears?

Girl: Yeah, she's pretty. She's like a young Heather Locklear.

Guy: Christina Aguilera is the most beautiful.

Girl: She's deformed.



Wow, pretty harsh, eh? Off to Allendale for a busy busy weekend, getting a new license, shopping for work clothes, Jesus Christ Superstar, writing papers, birthday celebrations.

I had a dream. All of my roommates (which reminds me - the one I hadn't met, Stan, turns out to be the Stan who was a new writer under me last year. Cathleen and I both editted his stories at targum) and I were cleaning the kitchen. I found this plastic mustard container just sitting in some random cabinet, so I removed it and accidentally squeezed mustard into my mouth. I hate mustard, it's evil and tastes like ass. So, I wasn't happy, and I like tried not to taste it as I went over to the sink to spit it out. But the funny thing is I started waking up at this point and actually spit onto my sheets! God, what if I had been doing something else?!

Like Mark said, it would be *really hot* if some more people would call my free voicemail. 1.888.387.7901 x 7860 and harrass me. That is all.

April 4. The funny things is, I have gotten lots of vignette.com email in the past. You're fingers are doing totally different things when they're typing com and org, though. Come on!

The Theater Appreciation lecture about commedia del arte and Shakespearean theater was mindnumbing. I was in a bad mood because of the morning's encounter with the Loud One. So when class ended and I headed toward College Ave I was like a zombie, tired, slow and lethargic. A girl from my dorm last year walked past and we did the smile and nod thing, and as soon as she passed I brightened. I walked twice as fast and had a smile on my face. It's really strange how the smallest things can turn your day around.

Last night, as Lauren and I were walking from my car to our apartment, we went past a pile of garbage bags near the curb. She decided to be a bad ass, because that rebellious streak really takes her over sometimes (ha), and ran toward a trash bad prepared to kick it. Everything from this point on happened in slow motion ... her right leg went back and then forward toward the black bag. She kicked into the trash and as she tried to then step over it her foot got caught and she stumbled onto the concrete, ass and back first and bruised her kneee big time. (aside: I slammed me arm into the radiator last night, giving me a freaking painful bruise) To make it even funnier, as she hit the ground she farted. It was really loud.



Enough said.

Things I dislike:

1. Waking up.

2. Doing reserach.

3. Writing papers

4. Going to Targum

5. Dealing with roommates.



Things I did or have to do today.

1. Wake up.

2. Do reserach.

3. Write a paper.

4. Go to Targum, twice.

5. Deal with roommates.

Also, Ben is gonna create a buy projectile.org and create a blog about pissing at work and we're gonna have conversations about small stainless steal rods. "It's like masturbating from the inside out."

We walked into his bedroom and my eyes darted directly to the amazing image on the wall: a framed poster of Britney Spears. I glanced at the computer screen and saw a Britney Spears screen saver. I smiled widely and looked at Jeremy and said, "YOU like Britney Spears?!" Turns out we're going to the same concert this summer. "See ya there," he said.



For some reason I knew this would be a cool apartment as soon as soon as Lauren and I left to look at it. Everything was wrong with the situation. Linda had left to go to Princeton, offhandedly mentioning she called about a house that needed 4 roommates. The guy sounded weird on the phone and the prospect of living with strangers was horrifyingly first-year. The has housed six guys for the past year, so it's not very clean or even nice. But, it has six singles, two living rooms, a bar room, two bathrooms and a yard. Also, it's ONE block from college ave. and ONE block from the park. Do you know how amazingly close that is to Targum and classes? It's like .1 miles compared to .8 miles. Craziness! Another conincidence is that Jeremy was up for the Business Manager's position at Targum last week. Insanity, I tell you.

Unless something horrific happens I have an apartment next year. An amazingly large apartment one block from College ave and one block from the park. Oh my God, my life is amazing. But so so random. I'm writing a journal entry about the apartment in a bit ...

Have you ever seen any Oprah episodes when the topic is the gross bacteria on movie theater seats or bathroom door knobs or something? I'm sitting here in journalism, typing on the good old Gateway, and wondering how much fecal matter is on these dirty, nasty, keys.

Note to self: He had a great link to an article on hacktevism. I should use the idea for the inside beat cover story I have to write later in the month.

Ever heard of a Cum Tree? Neither have I, but they exist. Come to New Brunswick. For the past three days whenever I walk down my street I smell a foul, tart odor. I realized today it's coming from the fucking prettty, blooming flowers on the trees along our street. They smell like cum!!!

Stadium Pal scares me. What happens when you puncture the pouch?

I'm so all about the photos. Today was no exception.

So, I'm at Targum and Jes just mentioned something I hadn't heard yet, which is surprising considering the blogs I read. On the 30th, same-sex marriages were sanctoned by a major rabbis group. One said, "It's no honor to be heterosexual, no sin to be homosexual," he said. "It's just who we are."



That's something.

Every once in a while this boy says something that blows me away because it's so honest and real and captures an emotion I've felt...

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they

arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

-Anais Nin

I'm all about abusing the digital camera. A trip to the supermarket? Why, take the camera, of course!



Anyone wanna analyze my fingers?

New journal entry.

First Snickers-induced traumatic incident:



UbiEx: omg

UbiEx: stupid linda!

UbiEx: she left both doors to our house open and snickers got away!!!!

ben: ugh. dumb linda.

UbiEx: what a douche bag

UbiEx: we all split up and seareched and lauren and i found him a few minutes ago

ben: that's good.

UbiEx: weird thing: the people who ofund him used to live in our house...

UbiEx: linda is getting a beat down!

ben: SPOOOOOKY!!!!!!!!!!

UbiEx: life is spooky to the nenth degree.

UbiEx: snickers used to be such a pussy, too. like, when did he grow balls? he used to be afraid to even climb the stairs and now he's crossing streets. silly puppy.

Oh. My absolute favorite ever! Direct your attention to the guestbook! Or if you'd rather not do the work of clicking, I'll paste the text in here for you:



"pathetic ramblings now all about Tim [what?!] and yourself and you don't even hear your own Echo. you claim myth and you are wrong. it's all about you. your voice has changed and now it's all about feeding into what other people will think of you. you are not who you portray yourself to be i can tell. patheticism, not narcissim. or perhaps both."



Isn't it beautiful? Just one question. How can it be all about me, but also all about feeding into what other people will think of me? Also, blog is not a journal. A blog is for snippets of thoughts the pop into my head. And, of course, for trying to make netizens like and accept me!



But, afterall, it is the first really negative comment I've gotten during the 21 months I've had a website. I fee as though I've come of age [you know, my voice *has* changed, according to the writer]...

This week Monica Seles had her worst defeat of her career at the hands of Hingis and Michelle Kwan finished second in qualifying and the short program at the World Championships in Nice. It reaffirmed the fact that I am a fan of losers. But Michelle same through today. defeating her two Russian rivals in the free skate and winning her third world championship. Yeah, girl! :)