Merry Christmas All!!! I had a grand old time today. Got some fun new toys for my 'puter like a scanner, a new mouse (external one for my laptop), and Railroad Tycoon II. Pretty damned cool. Got a cordless phone finally (welcome to the 90s, Kevin). I also got lots of new shirts, sweaters, and pajama pants. But the creme de la creme is the Fossil watch my girlfriend gave me the day before yesterday. Beautiful watch that I can't believe she bought for me. I just need to size it down a link or two. Thanks hon, I love you!

Hey, I got an early Christmas present from the Kane County Police while on the way to my girlfriend's place--a speeding ticket! Got nailed pretty harshly. But, the cop was cool about it as was the dispatcher at the Burlington P.D. He was willing to help me when I accidentally paid for it on the spot when I should've given him my license so I could get court supervision and avoid an insurance increase.

So, how do you all like the new look? I got a bit sick of the old Escher background and the same damn thing on the homepage all the time. With my online journal on the homepage, I'm forced to update it or it'll just look damned stupid. I've always dug this background anyway. If you have any other ideas for improvements on this site, you know how to contact me.

[editor's note: yes, my original static blog had a repeating background pattern using the black and blue interlocking M.C. Escher birds. Sickening to think back on that now.]

Hey, my webpage for Dr. Gary Burns is finally posted on its own URL. Check it out at www.niu.edu/popms!

[editor's note: the website no longer exists at that address.]

Happy anniversary, Katie!! For those of you who are confused about this one (I don't know how that's possible), my girlfriend Kate and I are celebrating our one year anniversary today. Really cool if I do say so myself. And for those of you who know me, you know I do say so quite often. This is the longest I've ever dated anyone and I plan to keep it going for a long time more. I love you hon!

[editor's note: I'm posting this in 2013 and it's still going!]

Woo-hoo!!! Classes are finally over for the semester!!! I am now in my final semester of grad school before heading out into the real world. Guess that means I'd better start applying for jobs and going out on interviews, eh? It'd probably help if I don't wanna be broke like I was about a year and a half ago. That kinda sucked and I really don't wanna go through it again. Trust me, it really does suck.

Hey, guess what? I just got my grade back on my Coms 553 class (minus the final exam grade). I've got a pretty damned solid A in there! This is my first A in a non-production based course. For those of you who have no idea what that means... this is a research-based class, very practical in its applications and I'm not creating some sort of project for my final grade. It was a term paper and I got an A on it!!! I have seen and done it all now.

Wow! I just got a copy of the new soundtrack for the film End of Days with Arnold Schwarzenegger and it's incredible. Lot of really heavy stuff on it from Limp Bizkit, Korn, Creed, and the like. However, Everlast (originally from House of Pain) cut an incredibly powerful song for the soundtrack called "So Long". It's a slower song and, if it wasn't intentionally done this way, it sure seems like it's dedicated to the victims of high school shootings. It talks about a kid raised to hunt and kill and how he was picked on at school and finally sought retribution. The chorus alone is really incredible...

I think I'm gonna die today
Everyone that hurt me's gonna pay
How could such a short time feel so long?
How could such a young life go so wrong?

Good, eh?

[editor's note: what the hell was wrong with me?]

Happy 25th Birthday to me! Happy 25th Birthday to me! Happy 25th Birthday dear me! Happy 15th Birthday to me! If you wanna send me a gift, e-mail me and if I feel that you're sincere in your intentions, I'll give you my real address. Not that anyone is gonna respond to this, but I can always hope, eh?

[editor's note: weird to see an old email address in use like that. Oh, and, no, no one responded with gifts, cards, or the like. *sniffle*]