My throat hurts, and I’m debating next block. Perhaps my rasping will be taken as some kind of rhetorical device.

You know whom I love? I love Lea. She’s turning me gay and grammatically conscientious.

I have resolved to make this thing more personal. I think ranting is cathartic and good for my skin, so I’m going to start ranting more. This is going to happen later, however, because now I have to highlight stuff for debate. I’m loving debate. We’re so very, very pretentious.

Weird, stressful day. Stressful enough for me to use the word ’stressful,’ which is usually an overstatement. I found out I’m debating varsity in the coming tournament, which is a cause for panic because I’ve never debated. So that’s what I did today. Now I am exhausted and going to sleep.

Saw The Life of David Gale yesterday, with Kevin Spacey in. It’s an okay movie, but altogether too thriller-ish. Still, they mentioned The New Yorker.

My English presentation on El Cid (a Spanish epic) is going to be awesome. The Cid keeps smiting people with God-power. I love it when they do that.

Went to Al Franken thing at Barnes&Noble yesterday. It was like a liberal revival. We hit all the stereotypes. Down with the president.

Austin weather is finally shaping up.

Writing now, a B-grade sci-fi object. I’ve made the mistake of falling madly in love with my characters, which means I actually think the story is somehow worthy. Which it isn’t. It is crap. This is okay, however, because I do enjoy my characters. It’s like daydreaming — that gratifying and self-centered.

I’ve become lax with people again. It’ll go away, I promise.

Yesterday was a really good day. Today — less so. Still, Friday. How was your day? What’s your favorite color, and why? Did you pick that color to augment the image you’ve built for yourself? Is it attached to some pastel childhood memory no one cares about but you and, possibly, your parents? If you could make one person adore you unquestioningly, who would it be? Are you going to be clever and say Bill Gates, so he can give you all his money? Do you think you’re clever? Do you think I’m clever? Do you think cleverness is overrated? Do you think you’re overrated? Do you think you’re pretty? Are you insecure? Is that society’s fault, or yours?

I enjoyed that too much. And I try so hard to be self-sufficient. So right now I’m writing a mainstream sci-fi thingy, which I’m really enjoying. It’s fun because I’m living vicariously through my characters. I’m playing God.

Fnally Pollock-ed my wall. Missed a few times, and still have paint flecks in my hair. My room is so beautiful now. Pictures forthcoming.

If you don’t get this, you’re probably not Arman or me.

I’m part Armenian; did you know that? I have the unibrow to prove it. Atom (pronounced ah-tome) Egoyat directs Ararat, about the Armenian Genocide, and you must watch it immediately. It’s such a convoluted movie. Usually I resent serious movies for manipulating my emotions, but this one was too complex and too subtle for me to resent it. I’m going to stop talking about it before I become kitschy. I can’t articulate this at all. I don’t usually like movies this much.

Why isn’t anyone awake so I can wax lyrical to them?

I have always wanted a wasabi-colored KitchenAid mixer.

Creative writing is my newest aberration. I can’t do it at all. Very frustrating. I think I can debate, though, and that’s pretty happy. Man, I love debate. I love the way things are always about to end in nuclear war.

Finally, finally restored fanatical correspondence with Merle. The rest of you don’t know what you’re missing. Nor will you know, because we have a special bond.

Track5 has been updated pathetically.