Such a student-riffic day.

I left work early, around 5, and got to the library to meet Angela and Ben R. around 5:30. We went through "A Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest, looking for quotes, until 7:15 when we hopped over to the ... gasp ... dining hall to meet Jes. It was Monopoly night. How horribeautiful.

After catching up with Jes and eating ice cream sandwiches, we went back to the library to go over the 6 possible essays on the final exam.

I am a smart, responsible boy!

Dude, at least they don't say "pop."

They also say "bloke" and "shag" though. Ech.

Working on a story about London's Metropolitan Police, aka Scotland Yard. I'm quite smitten with Miriam in the press office, simple because she's British. She said, "Right then, cheers." Melt.

I'm such a typical American.

I had a paper due Tuesday. Handed in a really poor effort Wednesday. Mind you, this is a difficult Spanish lit. class. My first comp. was a B+ and I actually spent time on it. But here's an email from my professor I got today...

Hola T.J.,

Has escrito un trabajo excelente! Tu nota de la composicion es A, y tu nota
en el curso es un A tambien.

Buenas vacaciones

Maybe I should rethink this school thing.

That is all.

Oh My God. I mean, it's quite a feat that has been able to survive, but, come on, this is a face that would frighten children ... and me.

I was split me yesterday - a day that began with my final Adv. Reporting class, continued with six hours of work and ended at my first Rutgersfest.

There, I realized I hate people and love them. I judge them, but can't help but adore them...

There, I was pushed 20 feet back within five seconds as an impromptu mosh pit formed, with muscled Frat boys flying at each other and almost knocking poor me on my ass a couple of times.

There, I realized I love Rutgers. And saying goodbye will be difficult...

I'm sitting in the Mac lab in the journalism building, having just sent my final project through the list serv. I'm lingering.

Last night, after my final Spanish class at Rutgers, as I hugged Telena and said goodbye to Blair, I became semi-sad. It's strange to have looked forward to this date for so long, the date of my liberation from the pressure and headache of school, but I'm more upset than I thought I'd be. I don't mean to sound like I've been up all night contemplating my fate or any such nonsense, it's just something to think about.

What's left?

I have a study (and ice cream sundae) session with the other cool kids in Media Law and then two finals next week, but after that, all I have to do is spend two weeks wrapping things up at work. Then I'm off to Ann Arbor (my ticket arrived today) and off to San Francisco, possibly forever.

It's bizarre.

I think I'm going to be walking around in a haze for the next month and a half.

Please, please, please hire me.

The Internet magazine Salon.com Wednesday launched a new subscription service that offers premium content, including what it calls ``erotic art and photography,'' for a $30 annual fee.

More here.

Seems pretty lame to me. Like an easy way to make some dough. But, what do I know? I whore myself on this here site...

Speaking of which, the site is two years old as of yesterday. I had planned on redesigning, but, well, you know. First I want to get tjdegroat.com off the ground. Ben? A little help, please.

The audio section of this website is sorely neglected. [Don't miss the first two files — they're out.]

A love ten-minute classes. I came in, talked to my professor about the final package of stories I'm handing in Friday (the last day of classes here) and I'm "ret ta go."

My package, on the Route 18 expansion project and how it effects the Rutgers Ecological Preserve, will consist of a main story featuring the misconception in how much land will be effected, a profile on an environmentalist whose actions, honestly, have been sort of tangential, and a series of graphics and photos.

Just so you know...

Anyway, I'm off to renew my driver's license. Pray for a decent photo.

Ben was sitting on the stone bench in front of Au Bon Pan, reading a book. He look up and smiled. I looked down and covered my grinning face with my hands.

He was here. He is gone.

All day Friday things were strange. I was getting weird, one-line emails every hour or so from Ben. His cell phone was off. At the end of the day, my editor ran over to my desk and said, "I can't let you go home! I wanna make sure you're paid for all of your hours." I just smiled and nodded, knowing I'm only schedule to work until 5:30 Fridays. I chalked that comment and the giggling in her office to temporary insanity.

During the drive home, Candice suddenly insisted that we stop for a cookie at the Student Center, practically kidnapping me. When we entered Au Bon Pan, she said she was going to the bathroom, but was back 10 seconds later, sayng she had to show me something.

And it was him. "Surprise! Happy Birthday."

We went to restaurants, sweated in the humid 80-degree heat, walked through campus, explored Princeton, sat on the beach at Ocean Grove, had brunch with Mom and Laura, hit the Targum party and a packed fiesta at Leslie's house.

It was comfortable and sweet and wonderful...

Thank you.

Oh my God. My face is red.

Barbara and Candice just gave me my birthday present - and it is absolutely hysterical.

.... A BOY SCOUT UNIFORM.

Since I've written about 12 stories about the Scouts' anti-gay policies, they thought it would be a cute idea. Apparently, this has been in the works since November. So, I have my very own hat, shirt with Boy Scout logo and flag patch, shorts and a Central New Jersey Council badge.

I refused to put it on, but I did don the cap for a few pictures. I'm thinking I'll come into work on my last day in the outfit.

Oh, and Ben, don't get any ideas.

Apparently, my guestbook has been broken since July. I wondered why no one loved me, but no everything is fixed, so go read some of the entries and add new ones.

Also, if you wrote in the book and I never responded/acknowledged your existence, well, my bad.

Frau Choi, why doth thou protest?

Hi. I'm T.J.

I'm 21.
I'm moving to San Francisco.
I own a Palm VIIx.
I'm happy.

Read about it.

Anyone find the idea of "Good Friday the 13th" a little scary/funny?

What about this? I was on the F bus, heading down College Ave., when I spotted police cars in front of Scott Hall. As we approached, I realized it was about 100 Christians marching behind a huge, wooden cross! Another part of Jesus Awareness Week, I guess. Kind of freaky, though, to randomly see a giant cross on the street on my way to work.

Very ... social/political/empowering vibe on campus today.

Take Back the Night participants will convene at the steps of Brower Commons for the open-mic portion of the event, when women share stories of abuse and how they overcame the negative incidents. And just down College Ave., the campus ministries are holding an event - part of Jesus Awareness Week - during which some random kid named make "testifies" to God. Eileen is actually part of the whole, crazy schpeel, so I'm gonna check it out. Then I'll go to Take Back the Night.

Very different.

One more card waiting at my apartment yesterday...

Three cards from the Ben sitting on my desk at work...

Total cards as of 10 a.m., April 11 = 16

Yesterday, after I came back from another lunch exploration (this time it was Indian food - eh), the office manager bounced over to my desk to deliver my copy of Time magazine. She also handed over four cards and said, "Who is stalking you from Oakland???"

Four funny, lovely, sweet birthday cards from Ben.

Later that night, I was watching "Truth or Dare" and trying to finish up a ten-page paper about the media's contributions to eating disorders through lackluster content and impossible imagery when it started pouring. I went downstairs and stood on the porch for a few minutes. It was the kind of warm rain (70 was the high yesterday) that smells so clean and unmistakably like spring.

I came back upstairs and noticed new mail in our collective bin. Eight more cards from Ben.

Made my night.

About an hour ago, Cathleen came to my room with another card from the boy. Should I be expecting 21 by the time the week is through? We'll see...

If anyone else wants to send my a teejaymas card, hit the contact page. You have until Sunday! Gimme gimme gimme.

I feel ... disconnected.

I feel ... selfish.

I feel ... frazzled.

I feel ... like I'm going to cry.

I feel ... like I should. Just. Stop.

Stop.

Check out the new news syndicate for Yahoo! (You're looking for the "gay chorus" headline)

Not an amazing story, but it's actually up there...the first of many!

It's gorgeous here today. Low 60s, sunny skies. Amazing. Three classes were meeting on the grass at Vorhees Mall as I walked by...

Not so amazing was the Shakespeare exam I just found out I had yesterday. Yeah, I've missed a few classes. Even without reading any of the three plays completely (and I didn't touch one of them at all), I actually could have pulled a decent grade.

Crush Link isn't cute.

So, who is it?

At work. Just had a fire drill. Could not believe it. Felt like high school, except did not have to walk down 7 flights of stairs and through catacomb-like passage way to get to safety in high school.

(Yes, have been re-reading Bridget Jones in preparation for film version - should be v. funny.)

[randomata]

When I began making phone calls for a story about the financial
repercussions of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to allow the Boy Scouts of
America to continue its policy of excluding gays, among other people,
I realized that the issue was much more than a blow for the plaintiff,
James Dale. It was an important story for the entire gay community and,
indeed, spread beyond gays and lesbians, proving how far this country
has come in recent years.

Less than two weeks after the nation's highest court ruled that the Boy
Scouts were justified in kicking out Dale, a former Eagle Scout and
a gay-rights activist at Rutgers University, the community
refocused its efforts. It argued that corporate America and governmental
agencies should face serious backlash if they continued supporting an
openly anti-gay organization.

The efforts caused school districts such as San Francisco, Chicago, New
York City and Broward County, Fla. to question their relationships with
the Scouts. Los Angeles and New York City also debated cutting city
ties with the organization, which would negatively impact vital programs
such as Explorers, which trains underprivileged youth to become police
officers. Sending the message that homophobia is OK was strong enough to
risk ending beneficial programs for minorities, according to activists.
Moreover, corporate donations have dwindled and United Way support has
decreased.

The 37 amicus briefs filed by groups such as the American Federation of
Teachers, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and
National Council of Jewish Women made up one of the most diverse
coalitions to come before the Supreme Court on a gay-rights case. This is an
issue that divided and united Americans.

Many think this is a lose-lose situation. Is it better to drive
minority-youth programs into the ground or save them by allowing an anti-gay
group to control them? I think the story's continued presence in newspapers
and news Web sites since the June Supreme Court decision proves that the
gay-rights and, simply, equal-rights voice is loud and authoritative. The
youth of America is growing up during a time of inequality, but a time
when their voice counts more than ever and divisions between race, gender,
sexuality disability, et al. are falling down. The Boy Scouts decision is an
important one because the decision-making process didn't end with the
Supreme Court. It continues every day with the gay scouts who decide to hide or
speak out and the heterosexual scouts who fight for or against the national
organization. Youth may not be the policy makers, but their actions directly
impact the future.

Although I think David Horowitz is pretty lame, slapping Hillary and Bill Clinton (power reversal) is much fun, even for someone who supports the country's most infamous former first family.

Real quote from Frau Choi:

"Do people in Puerto Rico speak Spanish or Puerto Rican?"

And people wonder why I love her.

(Rabbit, rabbit)

I had the most bizarre dream. It involved a dead dog, my family, Long Beach Island, South Beach, running from the law, g-strings and eating bagels with Jennifer Lopez.