Killer rainstorms are really becoming a problem.
This is my grill in my backyard.

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God's love be with you

Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff

This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
"This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do
Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles
I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows"
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you....
Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do

I just watched 'Le Cercle Rouge'.
It was good, but I just can't take a French action movie seriously.
I went down to an art gallery in midtown today and saw an interesting little show of drawings and several paintings.
My little sister called me from Jamaica yesterday. She confirmed that there are, in fact, a lot of black people there.
I've decided that I would like to run for congress one day.
I went to dinner with my friend Amy tonight. That was fun, even if the place we went was all hype.
I watched a significant portion of 'Point Break' the other day. That's a good one.
I want a .44 revolver. I actually want a lot of guns. I am essentially a pacifist, but i like guns. A lot.
Being alone in my house is sort of creepy at night.
My dog dug a big hole in the yard today; she doesn't normally do that.
My brother has had several dreams in the last few weeks in which he has stabbed people. To death.

Its just not the same without the photos...
I passed calculus! Hooray!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand Cal I is over. Cal II begins day after tommorrow and my parents and little sister are going on a 7 day cruise on sunday. I'm tempted to do a little entertaining during my week of solitude, but I dunno yet.
I'm reading 'Silence' by Shusaku Endo. It is a simple story of a Portuguese jesuit priest in Japan during the 1630's, a time of viscious persecution of the small christian population.
Blockbuster Online sucks royally, so we cancelled and have switched to netflix. I will get my own account next month when I move into my apartment. I think I will get a newspaper subscription as well as a monthly news mag like, say, The Atlantic. As for the newspaper, right now I'm thinking the Wall Street Journal, but today i thought it might be nice to get some local flavor; many of the articles in newspapers are taken from other papers and the AP, anyway...
So these, supplemented with the daily ROY REPORT emails, should keep me very well informed.
My dad has a terribly washed out [framed] Renoir print. The name eludes me now, but I did see it in person when it came to the MFAH a few years ago. No te preocupes, the pic is not on the wall; I'm not the only one who can tell when a framed print has reached the end of it's life.
I watched 'Blue Velvet' the other day, and I liked it. A lot. My new favorite movie quote of all time is: "baby wants to fuck"
I really want to go to Bora Bora.
Ken Lay died in the same town as Hunter S. Thompson.
My sister has adopted the habit of Boasting about the things that SHE feels are really cool. Yesterday she comes into my room and in this bitchy little voice tells me about how she is going to play frisbee and that because of this she is luckier than me. Needless to say, i threw a temper tantrum and made my dad play frisbee with me instead while my little sister sobbed on the sidelines. No, seriously. I find it hilarious and a little sad that my sister believes her petty 5 year old delights are equally as delightful to me, and that I am constantly disappointed because of my natural exclusion from such things. And dammit, she is too young to fully appreciate my sarcastic passive-aggressive way of handling things. For example: i once made the mistake of asking her if she "wanted a cookie" after she told me something she thought was cool. She, of course, did want a cookie.
I bought 8 1/2 today. huzzah.

http://www.mediaupload.com/flvplayer.swf?file=files/20060710/neburnoutopznafrikaans_0.wmv.flv



Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo.

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el oido que en todo su ancho
graba noche y dia grillos y canarios
martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el sonido y el abedecedario
con él las palabras que pienso y declaro
madre amigo hermano y luz alumbrando,
la ruta del alma del que estoy amando.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,
playas y desiertos montañas y llanos
y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio el corazón que agita su marco
cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano,
cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo,
cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto,
asi yo distingo dicha de quebranto
los dos materiales que forman mi canto
y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto.

Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida.