A Few Brief Items:

• In an unfortunate incident involving some potatoes, a chopping knife and my left thumb, I now have 9 and 7/8ths fingers. It happened as I was home waiting for the AT&T guy to come and hook up my internet. I was bleeding all over the place, but I had spent 3 hours on hold while navigating some Kafkaesque hell of voice-automated messaging in order to GET the guy to my apartment, AND I had been without internet access for almost 2 weeks so no way was I missing this appointment. Which made for an interesting scene when the guy showed up. "Uh... are you okay?" "YES I'M FINE GIVE ME INTERNET!"
• My new apartment is nice, but very loud. Between the Elephant Man tromping around above me (ooh, there he goes again! It's like he knows I'm talking about him!) and the guys next door who have every conversation at the top of their lungs, it can get annoying. Although at least the guys next door seem to be having a good time: apparently one of their friends had a jumpin' birthday party last week with lots of honeys. Plus they like to sing along to Whitney Houston.
• The Crazy-Ass Fundies are back in full force out on Library Mall. Last Friday I stopped to listen to the crowd of people argue with them. The first guy told everyone that "the Bible has done more for women than feminism ever has" because "the Bible tells women where their place is!" And then he quickly conceded the floor to an older, much angrier man who apparently decided that speaking calmly was for godless liberals and went with the good old-fashioned "DAMNATION!!!" approach. The highlight of the whole thing, though, was when some random old dude walking by interrupted the CAF telling a lesbian that her father is ashamed of her and said, "I'm a father, and I know your father loves you. Just be happy!" Everyone applauded and cheered while the CAF screamed about special layers of hell, handbaskets, brimstone, blah blah de blee. I left after that, but I'm pretty sure no one was converted that day.
• I went to the World Music Festival on campus, and saw this insanely good Gypsy band from India. One of the guys pulled out this Jew's-harp-type instrument and I swear to God it was like a Gypsy techno rave. It was amazing. After rocking out for a few crazy songs, a fakir came out and FREAKING ATE FIRE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! And then he stood on a bed of nails! While balancing a terra cotta jug full of water on top of two glasses on top of his head!!! See for yourself!
  
• So far the weather's holding out, but we did already have a frost. I'm enjoying the warm temperatures, but with a mounting dread. It's only a matter of time....