dude. they're totally putting self-checkouts in wal-mart. I don't know if I can handle this.

warning: semi-pessimistic discussion ahead. some lucky souls in the world are referred to as "born to do great things." often this phrase is used erroneously; the lifetime of a person is examined and the illogical conclusion is reached that their good deeds were "meant to be." in other, more esoteric circumstances, an elder (usually a religous person or one of the psychic bent) will insist that a young person--could be a newborn, one with a caul perhaps, heh--has a lofty destiny.

if people truly are born to do great things, it's only logical to assume that some others are born to do terrible things. but what if some people are just born into mediocrity? living life in a middle of the road, middle class (okay, I'll say it, bourgeois) fashion. doing well but not remarkably so. living a cookie cutter life that millions have led before.

accepting mediocrity is lazy. accepting ordained greatness is egotistical. I say screw fate or die trying.

(disclaimer: if political rants bore you, stop here.)

since that's out of the way, I feel the need to speak up about the recent flurry of gay marriages. lynch me if you like, but I'm with barney frank on this one. I am in favor of gay marriage and you'd better believe it. but not this way. the situation in san francisco is coming across as more of a hostile spit in the eye of tradition than a rational chain of events. and it's one that's leaving a bad taste in legislative mouths.

people, the fma is nipping at our heels, and homosexuals are working against themselves by moving full speed ahead. it's all fine and good and idealistic to want to change the system through revolution. but in reality, in order to enact true and lasting change, the smart idea is to play it cool and go through the proper channels--at least in this situation.

now, anyone with any sense could challenge me by saying, "well, what about the civil rights movement? would african-americans have achieved their ends by lying around and allowing beaurocratic red tape to tie them down? there were sit-ins, boycotts, protests, all flying in the face of the white majority. are you saying that those were bad ideas?"

in answer: of course not. but what we have to realize is that we're not just challenging social norms here, we're going up against religious traditionalists to boot. think of the times that we live in. we have a largely conservative administration that led us through the wake of 9-11, an event that brought Christianity to the forefront of many american minds (not to mention many american leaders' mouths). during the clinton years this business would have ruffled fewer feathers, methinks, and I'd probably have been right there on the "pro-marriage-now" side of things.

for now, we can only hope that the days of dubya are numbered. and until such time as he bids the white house farewell, I cannot be in favor of any action that could force a decision on gay marriage. because that's what's happening, folks. the more we revel now, the more we push the fma toward reality. gather ye rosebuds while ye may...before the powers that be come along with their pruning shears.

finally my new ATM card came. bout friggin time. of course I'm too lazy to just go to the bank and cash a check, so I've been living off pocket change for a week.

although poverty drove me to create a fantastic culinary delight that I call frog stew (there are no frogs in it, and it's not stew; nevertheless it's called frog stew). add a little salsa to a can of hormel turkey chili with beans and start heating it. meanwhile, boil two blocks of ramen, but put the seasoning packets in the water first thing--I used chicken, but I doubt if it makes a helluva lot of difference. once done, drain it completely. get the biggest bowl you can find, dump chili and noodles in and mix well. and I kid you not, it is sooooooo good. and a ton of food for quite little cash.

today was thursday, and that's always a good thing. it's payday. the knowledge that I have only one day of work before a reprieve is nice. most importantly, though, the weekend is just around the corner--but I haven't yet fully realized that I don't have jack shit planned for the weekend. that always sinks in on friday.

speaking of work, at long last my madness has begun to wear off on my co-workers. I now have them shouting at a ceiling vent in the breakroom on a regular basis, they have become more prone to "losing all muscular control," and they completely understood my comparison of the office to a pac-man game.

new at petrified fountain: a couple thoughts on the baftas and reviews of the triplets of belleville and hollywood ending.

[here was typed a rant about snow making greensboro shut down, but what's the use in complaining anymore? at least it's pretty outside. hmmph.]

ali, you mentioned needing "a plan." I almost have one formulated. brace yourself...I'll get back to you with specifics soon.

I'm starting to become concerned that I have a lot of repressed anger. it's become common for me to have these upsetting dreams in which I blow up at someone over nothing. I just start yelling at everyone around me like a madman. better that than actually doing it, I suppose.

I've taken some of my speedy pills and am washing them down with some of Gate's finest brewage. objective: to wear myself out by cleaning frantically, relax in a hot tub, get up early to go to Tate Street and do character sketches for a few hours before work.