Well, i'd been thinking about an update post and just complaining to myself that nothing has changed since the last one, but then Rachel posted about my map in Facebook and i realized that there was something i could contribute. Namely, an update in future plans. I want to teach social studies, yes? But i'm not fully positive that i'm prepared to spend my life with teenagers (which everyone, it seems, is quick to ask me about), yes? So, logically, i ought to get a job where i can work with the "apathetic yet rebellious brats," yes? That's what i'm seeking to do. I had thought about a job with youth in Washington state, but came to find out that "youth" meant predominently elementary & middle school kids, plus other misgivings... i've changed my mind about that. Now i'm looking at the place in Utah where Lindsay is working. Get to work with teens, get to work outside, would not need a car, would be paid well, would get to see a new part of the country... anyway, i'm applying. So, yes Rachel, i do believe a visit would be in order :)

Drew, what is the article you read? I have been searching online for any news articles or more credible (fyi, snopes is a very reliable source) sites that talk about Mr. Rogers, and I am only finding more and more evidence showing that he never fought. For one thing, his biographical data doesn't leave room for it, and for another thing, he would have been fairly old to be in Vietnam. But whatever.

I'm hanging out in Philadelphia right now. I spent a good hour or so talking dance with Matt's little sister last night, and it was fabulous. I spent a fairly painful hour talking religion with his mom, too. But overall I'm having a good time. Next stop: Denver (to see my family). Then it's back to San Diego for the new year. I haven't been doing a lot of heavy thinking in the past week--I needed the break. I'm studying Catalan, but that's about it. I managed to get everything done and have gotten most of my grades back ... all good so far. Next quarter should be more fun. I'm signing off this scattered post and getting back to the socializing. Happy winter! (Did I mention that it was 80 degrees on the winter solstice in SD? Nice.)

I checked my sources again and it seems Lee Marvin only testified to Captain Kangaroo's military record, but the article about this information, given out over the Johnny Carson Show, also detailed Mr. Rogers's military record. Sorry about the mix up, but I stand by the article because it gives out a lot of circumstantial evidence that there is a conspiracy going on. I mean, why would Lee Marvin lie about Captain Kangaroo? The web says he is and I do not believe it, so I don't believe that Mr. Rogers wasn't in the military until someone shows me a non-Internet source saying otherwise. Pete caught me at a bad time with only five minutes of wakey wakey time under my belt and heavy wax build up in my ears. I thought he said his name was Steve, and I was freaking out trying to recall if I knew anybody of that name. All's well that ends well, though, I'm glad you're back home safe Pete. Take care and have a Happy Holiday all.

hi everybody. I'm finally done! That horrid semester is now only a memory. I finished my last take-home exam about four hours before the professors had to turn in grades, a really mean thing to do , i know, but what are you gonna do? I have no idea what any of my grades will be because they don't tell us anything about anything at U of I. Have i mentioned how much U of I sucks? I think i have.

I had a little adventure yesterday. I went to Adam's house two nights ago with the thought that Adam would be able to drive me to Chicago with Christina's car for my flight... because Michael told me he could. But Adam had a doctor's appointment that morning, so he couldn't, a fact i did not find out until about 11pm. So the next morning, i called Drew fresh in from West Virginny... about five minutes after he got out of bed. He was so groggy, he did not recognize my voice or my name and seemed suspicious that i was playing some sort of joke on him or trying to sell him something. Eventually, i won him over, and Drew and his dad kindly drove me to O'Hare.

From there, i foolishly flew to New York La Guardia Airport. Foolishly because LaGuardia is on the east side of NYC, and my parents' house is to the west of NYC. This is not normally a problem, and was not a problem when i bought the tickets, but if you have been listening to news recently, you have probably heard about the transit strike. So, long story short, i passed up the pricey cabs and private buses and decided to walk 7 miles with my heavy suitcase through Queens, The East Side, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Midtown to Penn Station where i could pick up the New Jersey Train to my parents' house. The walk took four hours, although i stopped for a slice of pizza in Queens and took lots of pictures from the Queensboro bridge which was, of course, flooded with pedestrians and bikers going the opposite way as me. The trip was surprisingly uneventful, but New York is pretty at Christmas time.

After i finally got to Plainfield, i got off the train, met my dad, and he informed me that i forgotten my suitcase on the train just as the doors closed. I called New Jersey Transit as soon as i got home to make sure they knew it wasn't a bomb, because abandoned luggage in public places has usually been treated as a bomb in New Jersey since 2001. Hopefully, the message got through and they didn't detonate my suitcase with robots in an open field.

As a reslt, I'm not wearing any underwear right now just in case you wanted to know.

None of you have school right now. Ya'll have time. Post! Tell me about your life. Tell me about your inner ruminations, Tell me about your studies, tell me about politics. i don't care much about tv celebrities though. I miss you all. Merry KKKristmas.

Sorry Rachel, but I'm going to have to contest your source. You got it off the internet whereas I have a person's testimony. All the stories I told about Mr. Rogers were from the actor Lee Marvin, repeated on the Johnny Carson show. I don't know this website of yours or its founder's political agenda, all I know is that info coming directly from the internet tends to be less reliable than stuff that comes from other sources. Anybody can post anything on the internet. In case you all are doubting the credibility of Lee Marvin I will just say that he is a geniune war hero who recieved the Navy Cross for his actions on D-Day. I also have one question about this debate that we're in. If I am right, then what is so bad about Mr. Rogers being a veteran? If I am wrong, then at least you all know how I felt when some wack job (played by me in the Mr. Rogers case) tried to say Lincoln was gay and he wasn't. One more thing about Lee Marvin, it seems that my fears about the internet are well founded. I was trying to find the website Rachel gave out as a source so I could find out about the founder of it and see it he was credible or not. I found another article saying Mr. Rogers was never in the armed forces and that Captain Kangaroo was never in the military either. Lee Marvin also testified to this on the Johnny Carson Show. So either Lee Marvin is lying or there are a lot of anti-military liberals waging a campaign of disinformation on the internet. Wow, that's a creepy thought either way. Why do people need to wage conspiracies? Thanks for the kicking off the debate Rachel this ought to be a good one.

Sorry to burst your bubble, Drew, but Mr. Rogers never served in the military.

Adam, speaking of gorillas ... the new King Kong rocks. Sucks that your snow sculpture was destroyed, though.

Everyone enjoy their holidays and travel safely.

Cool Drew hopefully I'll see you in a few days.

And my snow sculpture was of a fuckin' huge gorilla (his head was at least 5 and 1/2 feet from the ground, and he was crouched) so he wasn't depicted any smarmy, cutesy, trite folk art in the front yard. He was a testament to his dwindling race, poor gorilla, and his eyes were bugging out of his head, a la Popeye when he sees spinach or Olive Oil. So there Barlog.

Thanks Adam, I left a message with your Dad about my being home for three weeks on Christmas break. Give me a wring if you dare bwhahaha! I just read an article about famous movie star war heroes. I'm sure we all know that Mr. Rogers was in the shit in Vietnam, but this article gave his stats. A combat veteran, Navy SEAL, with twenty five kills to his record. Also the man was an expert in hand-to-hand combat as well as small arms. After the war he became a pacificist Presybitirian minister and the loveable T.V. show host. This is something that shocked even me, Mr. Rogers wore those sweaters to cover all the tattoes on his arms! I applaud his life and all its works of both performing honorable acts of duty and sending philanthropic messages of peace. But ask yourselves, wouldn't it have been cool if Mr. Rogers had said one day, "Now boys and girls, you be good and practice all the things I've taught you or else," rolls up his sleeve to reveal the marks of a SEAL, "Mr. Rogers will have to declare that it's a beautiful day to kick your ASS!" Then again, maybe not. Hahar, seriously though I think he was a good man who made all the right moves in life. Merry Christmas everbody, and Happy Hannukah as well.

Drew to view pete's image click on view blog at the top of the page

And sadly, our friendly spiky critter Arnold Chewbacca Chucklenuts has died. We buried him in the backyard today in his magic castle Puffs tissue box, and well under the layer of frost so he could have the solitude, warmth, and darkness he so loved.

In other news, people who smash snow sculptures are bastards.