So, I just finished listening to the final episode of the Extremist Angst Forum that Pete gave me on tape. Until today I could not find a tape player on which to listen to it. All I can say is that I laughed so hard I was crying. It made me miss you guys a ton. I mean damn, that was funny. I also forgot how freeking nuts you are Drew. Anyways, it just made me think about all you folks and how awesome you are in your own ways. I hope everyone is doing well on their respective paths and I look forward to that moment in the future when we can all be together in the same place again and muse about the world that was and the one that will be.

love to all you nuts.

Quote: How the times have changed....sort of.

"When democracy granted democratic methods to us in times of opposition, this was bound to happen in a democratic system. However, we Nationalist Socialists never asserted that we represented a democratic point of view, but we have declared openly that we used the democratic methods only in order to gain power and that, after assuming the power, we would deny to our adversaries without any consideration the means which were granted to us in times of our opposition"

-Joseph Goebbels

Then my work is done :) I miss you guys a lot, not many people know how to put up with me.

Drew Drew Drew,
I didn't think that you could still irk me while I was a continent away but man some of the blind rhetoric you repeat so often just makes me want to grab the computer screen throw it out of the internet cafe and then jump off the cliff that the town in built on. I just deleted a pointless rant so here is the point. Who are you to judge?
So as mentioned I'm in an internet cafe in Montepulciano and it is built on a hill like all the other town built on hills. it's hot and nobody seems to have heard of fans so I think I am constantly sweaty. The countryside is amazingly beautifull and I have been trying to send postcards. maybe some of you will get some. I miss everyone and my brother is an ass. when I have more time I will tell you all about it. Gelato is amazing!
peace all,
sorry for my brevity and rambling. ) :
Christina

Sooo.... seems like the political banter/rhetoric has begun to heat up! God I miss college...
Let's see, since the last time I posted, I have done some pretty interesting things, like seeing none other than... Deerhoof! No, actually it's blasphemy to mention them before the Decemberists. Truthfully, it was the most amazing show I've been to, hands down. Two guys nearly bulldozed me and my three companions, and then started "dancing" (i.e. jumping drunkenly up and down out of rhythm, pushing each other around, and cursing at people next to them who weren't doing the same) in front of us. They were and maybe still are assholes. The fact that I still found the performance great is a testament to the Decemberists' musicality and showmanship. And the previous day my future roomie Mitch Haug, one of his friends, and I went to go see Mason Jennings, which was equally as awesome. I am amazed that one man can pour himself into every syllable and note so completely and fashion it into something simple, beautiful, and soulful. Hopefully this doesn't sound like a big Nah nah nah nah nah to anyone, although it is you bitches. speaking of bitches, my mom called me downstairs to eat the food she just cooked for me. (P.S. I hope everybody remembers a little Pete house standard humor in this instance...) I miss you all dearly,
Adam

Point well taken, Drew, but the guy who bolted in the tube got spooked and ran because he didn't know the language very well. We're talking about a Brazilian national who'd lived in London for four years. The accounts are that he ran onto the train pursued by three guys in street clothes, ran so fast that he half tripped, and as he sort of went down two of the guys dropped onto him and held him down while the other fired five shots into his head at point blank range. Couldn't they have just disarmed him at that point? Not that he had any kind of weapon anyway; he was an electrician on the way to work. How many rights and liberties are we going to take away from people out of fear of these maniacs? It's a tragedy, no one's arguing that, but to just say whoops, that's the state of our world today, sorry, like I said, it chaps my ass. Sure, you and I would have the same advice: when the cops tell you to stop- don't run and leap over turnstiles wearing big coats on warm days. And you sure as hell shouldn't do it while everyone is freaking out about psychos blowing up the subways, but to blame Osame bin Jerkhead in this incident is bullshit. The police regret the tragedy big time and well they should. The shit happens excuse just doesn't fly.

So yeah, in place of all my ramblings on solutions to worldwide terrorism... I think it's safe to say that drama and chaos are one of humanity's favorite pastimes; I'm frustrated and confused lately for a number of reasons, had trouble clearing my mind, so I prob shouldn't be talking politics ;)

The pictures from the Space Shuttle Discovery this morning, looking back on our little planet spinning through space, help put a lot in perspective I think. And yeah, no offense to NASA or whatever, but shouldn’t making sure that the shuttle will likely stay together upon lift-off be right up there on the list of priorities?

There are no easy answers, apparently nothing comes easy... and I need to get back to Harry Potter.

Best of luck to you Drew as you begin Law school at WVU.

AAAAHHHHHH! I have homework already! They gave me a case to brief via the internet at WVU Law. I will be briefing my first legal case for classroom discussion and I'm not even at the freaking law school yet! Actually I'm more than happy to comply because I'm BORED! Seriously, Saint Francis of Asisi had more fun than me out in the woods, yeesh. I must say wow to your message Ben for a number of reasons. Wow to Tom Bazan's recent marriage, may they both find happiness. Wow to your thoughts on the recent London shooting. I agree that it was a tragedy, but must contest your conclusion. It wasn't like the plainclothes cops were saying, "Give me your money!" before they shot him. They were probably shouting, "Stop, Police!" If I were to hear that statement I would certainly do as instructed unless I had done something to justify run from the police. I'm not saying the guy deserved what he got, but consider the state the people of London are in. Psychos are blowing up their trains left and right. If a certain someone comes across a person's lawn and shot his mom dead, and then another person the next day of who looks a lot like the first shoots the homeowner's dad dead. I don't think it's evil that that homeowner grabs his gun and blasts the next suspicous looking character who wanders across his lawn even if that person is innocent. I call that fear not hate, tragedy not murder. Murder is what these terrorist assholes are doing everyday all over the world, PURPOSEFULLY killing innocent men, women, and children without provacation. It will not stop until security is increased, more people are searched, and guns are aimed straight at anybody who dares blow up innocence in the name of hate.

Well, Tom and Elizabeth are now Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bazan. Much love and congratulations went out to them on Saturday. You all would have been proud of Tom. He really laid one on her. The ceremony was enjoyable and it was good to see familiar faces. I'm not sure how I feel about the institution of marriage, as a whole it erks me a bit I think, but I hope their years together are full of joy and passion.

This here, this really chaps my ass [insert sarcasm]:

Mayor Ken Livingstone said the killing was a "human tragedy" that was a consequence of the attacks. "The police acted to do what they believed necessary to protect the lives of the public," he said. "This tragedy has added another victim to the toll of deaths for which the terrorists bear responsibility."

Okay, that’s right. Mr. Osama bin Jerkhead is responsible.

The man was shot at point blank, five times, by plain clothed officers. In this time of heightened fear, when men waving guns scream at me to stop, I would run, I think. I would not think, I would run. The proponents of this war on terror miss, in their silly righeous anger, that evil done in response to evil, is still evil. To shoot an innocent man and blame him or blame the terrorists is unacceptable. It is evil. It is evil to kill an innocent man, even worse to do so because of carelessness and fear.

On a lighter note, the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery was an awesome and thankfully successful spectacle this morning. I wish more resources were being put toward the space program--the possibilities of space travel are sooo cool. Why isn't our civilization more spacefaring? Why didn't I go into engineering? Everyone knows the dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program.

It's down to the wire here for me, in another few weeks I'll be in my apartment in Morgantown, West Virginia. As soon as I get settled, I'll post my address here so you guys can write me (if you dare). I assure you that I will not let the busy schedule of law school deprive me of a few moments to respond to letters so send them if you have time to write them. I think about you guys and miss you all a lot. I hope all your new adventures turn out great.