The Agrinautica

   Okay it's time to catch up on actual events before details get too fuzzy.

   We had a Christmas party at our place. It was actually really fun. Once again various friends from the latino community all ended up coming over, joint efforts were made to make a huge amount of food. Cristina (since I just added a bunch of people from the LJ Revival community I should note my wife, Cristina, is from Venezuela) had decorated our christmas tree (fake, but christmas being in summer here real trees die to fast) really beautifully. With presents for the White Elephant game and specific presents for various people there was quite the elegant pile of presents under the tree.



   The party went on till 2 or 3 am with dancing and revelry.

   In the ten years I've been here in Australia, especially at first I was often invited to people's houses for Christmas. I actually found it more sad/lonely/alienating than if I just stayed home -- this is another family deep in their family time, celebrating the most traditional cultural distillate there is, that they've been marinated in their entire lifetimes, and no matter how good of friends we are and well intentioned, I still feel like an outsider.
   This was the second Christmas since Cristina was here, last year we just had a quiet christmas just the two of us, and she made Venezuealan tamales (hallacas), apparently a Venezuelan christmas tradition. It seems I never posted or wrote about that so here's three pictures from Christmas 2024:





   But back to this Christmas. This party. Celebrating with a community of fellow immigrants, of my wife's culture, a combination of parents with kids and unrelated people, for the first time in ten years it genuinely felt like Christmas to me. We're all immigrants struggling together to find that sense of home. I never felt this with the groups of "Americans in Australia" because half them are always "I'm an ex-pat not an immigrant" and they are the must insufferably privileged people imaginable.


(This most recent Christmas)

   So today the landlord called and informed me that my roommate had not paid his share of the rent in September. Additionally the amount he gave me this month does not reflect the fact that we are down a roommate. So my roommate owes me $1,048.98. )=
   Additionally, the roommate we were supposed to lose at the end of August stayed here until about the end of September, and didn't pay rent. Being out of town I wasn't aware of this until I got here and found him here. We are certainly going to try to collect on him, but as he's moved back to the Bay area I'm not terribly optimistic. )=


   In more pleasant news, last night I was playing Civ III (no doubt patrolling for Portuguese with my battleship the HMS Gavel), when Allan Rae talked me into being sociable and I went with him and two other lads to a party that happened to be occuring at the old Pirate Ship House on Mulberry.
   There I found my good friend Justice Tim Coady to be among the current residents. Noteworthy people represented were too numerous to attempt to catalogue here, and awesome times were held by all. Eventually I left around 4am.


   Tonight C-Bunch, Olivia & co are having a party at their place. Should be piles of fun.


Picture of the Day

   On Thursday evening Kristy & I caught the tail of Jenn de la Vega's birthday pubcrawl at G Street Pub.

   On Friday Mara, my co-chair from AMPAC, happened to visit Davis. Her best friend Megan has been accepted into the graduate Art History department here, so they came up so Megan could meet the professors.
   It quickly became apparent that Davis is very different from USFCA*, when for example immediately upon reaching campus they exclaimed "there are DUCKS just randomly wandering around here?" and then saw a squirrel: "omg wildlife!"
   Anyway, I gave them a quick tour, that included such Davis must-sees as "the Deathstar," The M.U. Basement (with its newspaper HQ, radio station, bowling alley, & barbershop), ARC, & James Schwab.

   Kristy met us for dinner at Plutos, & then I left them to their own devices -- Megan had some friends from high school or junior high to see.

   Friday evening Kristy and I went to "pretentiousness" themed party hosted by our friend Liza (officially "Cafe Pretentieux"). I wore a suit-jacket with otherwise normal clothes (well my New Amsterdams shirt that says "New Fucking Amsterdams"). Kristy came up with a brilliant outfit to resemble some posh opera-goer. Sloshie wore denim. Coleman um ... wore digital camouflage (actually I think that was how he was dressed anyway, you have to understand the Coleman).

   On Saturday morning I took the Foreign Service Exam in Sacramento. That evening Sashie joined us at Kristy's place in watching the movie "Kids."

*Acronym from facebook. Univ. of SF, CA?

Completely Unrelated: I forgot to mention we saw the actor who plays Mini-Me while in Vegas. He was gambling.

Picture of the Day

Sashie, Liza & Kristy at the pretentiousness party

Previously on Emosnail
   04-03-24: Finals Two Years Ago - My brother Tobin comes to town, hangs out with Philip Neustrom.
   04-03-27: Spring Break Days 1-3 - My cousin Holly (bobolly) & her then-boyfriend Eric Shamay (shamster) randomly show up at Diedrichs. I meet Alex's friend Oi Kelly and we all have some shenanigans.
   04-03-28: Spring Break Day 4 - Went to a show in Corona with Alex & Oi Kelly. Fight breaks out there. Return.
   04-03-29: Spring Break Day 5 - AA meeting
   04-03-30: Spring Break Day 6 - I visit Tiffany Lee Woffington Zoumer, & the cobbler (& hang out at Diedrichs, which should be noted for each of these days). Lee Wofft has been in France fordays now.
   04-03-31: Spring Break Day 7 - Took Mike Kemp to jail, considered staffing AMPAC 2004. Kristy gets two rats, we brainstorm names.
   04-04-03: Spring Break Day 10 - Went to Laguna Beach, hung out with Jessie Lawson. Kristy's rats are officially named Leia & Delilah.
   04-04-05: Last Day of Spring Break - Made a brief appearance at AMPAC 2004, among other adventures.

   Someone stole the security camera from the computer lab in our complex! WTF.

Responding to Laughable Charges - Literally
   Also, I'd like to speak some more about my expected fourth impeachment this upcoming Thursday. I would like to issue the following statement: LOL
   I think I'll put that on a press release. The claims are so misplaced that I haven't got an ounce of fear about facing them. I'd bet money that I'm going to come out of this looking better than I went in, and it will have an inverse effect on those who called it. I'd say I'd actually be disappointed if it didn't occur, but it really is a lot of unnecessary drama and someone or other is going to unnecessarily look bad because of it (And as a matter of policy I am still going to exert the maximum pressure to prevent it from happening so don't expect my ambivalence to make it easy for you). I suppose scheduling an examination of the situation under "presentations," would still be acceptable to me and may spare Birdsall some of the shame of being utterly refuted during impeachment.
   But seriously, LOL impeachment. LOL Kristen Birdsall (this is not to be taken to imply any feelings on any matters unrelated to my impeachment; I by no means intend to imply Birdsall is lollable out of this context)


The Duality Bias
   Actually I think my biggest obstacle here is overcoming the media duality bias -- the urge to present both sides of a contention equally even if they're not equally valid. For example, as my media effects professor last quarter explained it, 99% of scientists agree that global warming is a fact and caused by people, but because the media feels they need to present "both sides," of the issue, the 1% of scientists (mostly on the payroll of the Evil industry) who contend global warming doesn't take place are given equal airtime.
   And so, I say to the campus media, considering that she hasn't given any reason to believe the Court ever had a closed meeting on the evening of the 12th, and that there are numerous witnesses that entry to the conference room was never interrupted, that Birdsall in this case is like the argument that global warming isn't taking place. Yes some people make the assertion, but the media would be more professional not to lend imagined credibility to fanciful ideas that fly in the face of overwhelming evidence.


In other news: Saturday night Chris Bunch had another party. I brought my new flatmate Vishal as well as Jason. We ended up staying until nearly 3am, at which point we rushed Jason's sickly ass back home, then raided Jack in the Box for season fries and stuffed jalepenos.

Picture of the Day

From the archives: Just North of the Grapevine. Yeah my camera is still broken. )=

   My flatmate¹, Ben, graduated yesterday. I think I may have been able to walk yesterday as well, as policy allows one to take part in commencement even if one has one more quarter to go, but I hadn't even looked into it. It would feel to weird to do that when I'm not yet done.
   Anyway, as its four years and a quarter since I entered this place, a lot of people from my class were graduating. I'd like to congradulate the other people I know who graduated: (in the order they appeared in the programme) International Relations Majors: former ASUCD Court plaintiff Almaz Ahmed-Falol; noted ASUCD rabblerouser Robert Baron; the last nonevil² UCDMUN Secretary-General, Nishan Baumik; ASUCD governmentcrat Liz Burrel; brief UCDMUN Secretary-General Veronica Frozen-Yuruoglu; Jordana Jusidman, whom I had english with every year from 7th grade through 12th; former ASUCD Comptroller Cameron Menezes; former ASUCD Senator Sapana Shende; and the only graduate in Medieval Studies, my flatmate from freshman year Mr Trenton McManus; in Political Science Kalen Gallagher; and former KDVS director, and friend from freshman year, Teresa Kinney (kilkenny); in Sociology, former executive office judicial liason and Senator, Janine Fiel; ASUCD Senator Caleb Hervey; ASUCD Ethnic & Cultural Affairs Chairperson, Pam Palpallatoc; and in Computer Science, Paul Ivanov (pavelthegeek). I'm sure I missed some people, these are only the names that I recognized while flipping through the hundreds listed in the programme during commencement.
   Of the above, I met Kalen, Teresa, and Ben on my very first night here in Davis.

   The Day began with a few mishaps. Kristy and I had BOTH set our alarms and somehow BOTH failed to go off. Not sure how that happened. Anyway the occasion of getting up early was to drive Kristy's flatmate Chrissy to the airport so she can go to London for Christmas (she found $700 tickets five days ago?!), so Chrissy just woke us up. Then I got a call from Ben -- he had gotten a flat tire out in Dixon. So I piled out into my car and drove through the blasting rain to go help him with that.
   "'No man left behind,' thats the phrase of the day -- that guy got thrown across three lanes of traffic and hit by two cars, dammit he's coming home" - Ben reported when he got back, referring the lid of a large pot that had gotten blown out of his car during the flat tire adventure -- he apparently ran across the highway to go rescue it.
   His friend Jenny didn't make it to commencement because her car decided not to release the key from the lock AND rolled down the windows. wtf?

   Anyway, after the ceremonies we all came back to The Casbah, where Ben and I reside. His parents made delicious Indian food and along with a number of Ben's closest friends we set about making merry. Ben's parents are awesome. "Seriously, people sometimes invite them to parties just to ensure ensure the party isn't lame," Ben would later note. During the party one of his friends asked him about his lack of restraint in talking about anything and everything within earshot of his parents, to which he responded "You don't understand, I call my parents after I get laid!" to which I added "So yeah, he doesn't call his parents very often." But seriously, his dad was like the life of the party.
   And really, I think it was the best party I've been to in years, literally. Eventually I checked what time it was in hopes it wasn't 2am yet -- I was suprised to learn it was only 8pm. Eventually, around 9:30, we all decided we ought to go to The Graduate. I drove because I am of course the eternally sober one.
   Turns out the Grad was having "14-19 night." Wtf. I've heard of all-ages nights, but 14-19? And furthermore: THE GRADUATE isn't open to say, GRADUATES, on GRADUATION NIGHT??? They should have their name revoked. Anyway, discovering this we ran to the car again asap because it was raining like mad. We decided to head to The Cantina.
   Arriving at the Cantina we found it completely dead. Next it was resolved to go Sophia's. The other car drove the two blocks over there, but Raquel, whose car I was driving, drunkenly decided to start walking over there, so Ben and I had to follow suit (Raquel was Garian's roommate freshman year. They had a severe falling-out). The weather at this time I can only describe as a blizzard of rain. I hadn't even brought a coat or jacket of any kind because I'd assumed we'd be going straight into the grad, so I'm wearing short sleeves and I couldn't have been wetter if I'd jumped in a pool. Meanwhile Raquelle is wearing a coat and complaining about hypothermia.
   Anyway we get to Sophia's, and its the first time I've ever been into the bar there. It looked quaint and pleasant in there. On the subject though, I must note that the attached thai restaurant is from my experience an insult to thai food. When someone says they like the food there I literally feel insulted. For example Kristy ordered a dish with peanut sauce last time, a staple of Thai cuisine, and it clearly tasted like peanut butter. Everything else I've tried is similarly terrible. Fuck that shit.
   But I digress. At Sophia's they said they were closing in ten minutes, at 10:00. They said we should go to the G Street Pub. We decided to retreat back to our place, but first Raquel wanted a drink. But she couldn't find her ID. There followed a half hour of her panicking and trying to figure out what happened to it. It turned out to be in her back pocket.
   We once again trekked through the torrential rain to the car, returned to The Casbah. Upon our return we discovered that Jenny's car had been towed. Recall she was the one with the previous trouble involving her car not releasing the key.
   Anyway, we continued to have a lot of fun for several more hours after that. I'm probably forgetting more important details but the bottem line is I'm not sure I've ever been to a party that lasted so long, and man it was fun, and holy crap it was actually at my own place!

¹_{one may have noticed I recently started using the word "flatmate" in place of "apartmentmate" or a broad interpretation of "roommate." This is not a malikian attempt to sound gratuitously british; rather the word is a lot more clear and concise than either of the two alternatives.}
²_{Actually the current Sec-Gen, Michael White does not appear to be evil. The legacy of institutional disfunctionality and evil left by Sec-Gen Myung still haunts us however.}

Picture of the Day

Jason, Billy Zane Ben, and I -- the residents of The Casbah

   Thursday morning at the bus stop there were, among other people, these two guys that looked cartoonishly jock-like. They were practically square, like Strong Mad. As they're getting on the bus, one of them says in a voice everyone can hear "so the tests came back and they weren't positive for herpes but the doctor says I still might have it.. I think its gonna be okay though" to which the other one, who had a white guy with a completely shaved head, responded "no, its NOT okay. Its not okay until I know I'm not gonna get that shit from you!" Uh, you're not gonna get it from talkign to me" "Whatever, that shit is contagious..." and basically the entire ride to school it went around with the skinheaded guy being convinced he was gonna get it, and the other guy casually playing it down. Within a short time everyone else in the bus was whispering to whomever was next to them about it.


   On Friday evening Kristy, her flatmates and I went to The Grad again for their dollar drinks before ten. As before we got as many as we could before the price went up at ten, creating a veritable horde. Their former flatmate Joe even took a break from brewing beer to join us again. Then the flatmates all rocked out, and there was general craziness.


   Saturday during the day was our little practice MUN conference -- the mock model United Nations conference that we replaced the actual conference of CalMUN Anaheim with a few years ago. Last time we went Jordan Smart spoke in a russian accent for the entire eight hour drive back -- no wonder we don't do it anymore. Anyway our fake fake UN conference was boring as expected, and when not justifying the Saudi Arabian policy on capital punishment I was guiding my viking people in Civilazation III on my computer.

   Friday evening Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) had our "little sib revealing" where the incoming pledges get to find out which member has been assigned to guide them through the pledge process and egg them on for their own amusement. My little sib didn't show up so my evil plot for world dominion will be slightly delayed. The event was at the corn maze in Woodland, which was pretty cool. I'd always wanted to go to a corn maze but never gotten around to it before. I think Michelle & I (& her pledgling) finished first, a clear testament to our awesomeness.

   From there I went back home only to return a few hours later with Ben for this big costume party in Woodland, one of the hosts of which was in PAD. Ben went as Johnny Bravo, which was pretty cool. I couldn't think of anything creative so I donned my black cloak and was an evil jedi with a mohawk, or something (or the grim reaper with a mohawk and no scyth).
   Around 1:00 Ben & I departed that place caught up with Kristy at another costume party in the Temescal apartment complex in North Davis. This was a "C" themed party, everyone had to be something starting with a C. Kristy was a cat. It looked like it was a really strongsauce party, Ben and I wished we'd gotten there sooner.

Related: See all the pictures, on flickr.

Picture of the Day

   So yesterday there was a rather belated St Patrick's Day party at the house occupied by slosha, colleeniebeenie, and Coleman Stecyk. This party was remarkable in that it ran for literally around ten hours straight.
   Drinking officially began at 5pm, and continued on into the night with the last person passing out around 3am. Many people came and went, several even came and went and came again, or even in a few confirmed cases, came, took a nap, and came back!! The party for a long time maintained a steady number of people without ever being too crowded or too undercrowded. In addition to the interior of the apartment that was lit entirely with green lighting, there was a fire outside in the bbq and for awhile people were playing beer pong at the neighbouring pool area of the complex. In addition to the ample jello shots, keg, and jungle juice, some marshmellows were making their way around and at one point some pizza inexplicably showed up.

   Despite having already passed out, Coleman got up at two to change all the clocks for daylight savings time. Upon coming down in the morning he observed "drunk quotes are legible, Sargeant Major is still here, and we have four digitial cameras, looks like the party was a success." He then went outside to fix the gate, which someone else had damaged while drunkenly trying to "fix" it during the party (drunk quotes get written on a whiteboard, often illegibly).




Picture of the Day

   Turned off the flash to capture the green-ness accurately, set camera to half-second exposure. Green lighting effect had been gotten by wrapping all the lights in green plastic-wrap.

Related:
   More Pictures
   Kristy's entry on the same


Previously on Emosnail
   April Fool's Day 2003: I have a girlfriend now! - like anyone would have believed that one.
   Two Years Ago Today: $20 an hour to watch AFI - what can I say, my time is precious.
   Year Ago Today: Last Day of Spring Break

Friday
   Friday afternoon I scampered around delivering subpoenas. Well actually the more accurate term would be service of processes. By this I mean I had to deliver notification to defendants and plaintiffs of our upcoming ASUCD Court cases of their rights and responsibilities and the hearing date, etcitera.
   Incidentally, as the method of notification as written in the codes currently is not possible, it is entirely up to my discretion to perform the task as best as possible. Ironically if clause three of my legislation on Thursday had been passed there would be a feasible method I would be forced to follow. Fret not however, eager detractors of my position, for I do have justice's best interest in mind and am currently following the procedure that would have been in clause three (incidentally also the method laid out in Standing Rule Eight for senate removal hearings).

   Friday evening Kristy and I saw Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. It was Kristy's second time seeing it. Good movie. Sand is overrated.


Saturday
   Saturday morning I got a call from another reporter. I hadn't been expecting this one, and unexpected interviews are always a bit of trouble.

   Saturday night we went to Jenn (tingsquared's wedding-themed birthday party. I hadn't been at a party with the indie kids in forever so that was for awesome. Damany didn't have a shirt on when we got there, and Azver danced with Kristy, and there was a lot of craziness going on.


Sunday
   Kristy and I had Easter dinner with my aunt's parents (is there a word for this relationship?). It was mad good, I just wish I hadn't still been kinda full from my huge breakfast/lunch at 1pm.


Related
   Pictures from Jenn's Party: Kim's Pictures
   Year Ago Saturday: Two Stories
      Story A:Dialogue Exercise - Interrogation - Something Concrete
      Story B:Short Story I - Life as a Scenester
         It was my intention to rewrite all the stories on their one-year anniversery. Well obviously I haven't gotten around to it yet but I'm still hopeful I'll be able to rewrite these soon; they don't need to be changed completely.
   Year Ago Sunday: Industrial Evil at IHOP
   Year Ago Today: Picnic Day 2003
      On that note, Picnic Day this year is this upcoming Saturday I believe (the 17th?). As I said last year: "For you nondavisites, that means the whole town's population will drunkenly stumble about ALL day, attend weinerdog races and suchlike, raging block parties will ensue..."

Three Months
   So today (the eighth) was our three month anniversery. It being a Sunday night, Kristy and I went out for dinner last night instead (Saturday), to Thai2k.
   We set out on a quest for food tonight as well however, craving specifically Subway. We arrived at the Subway at the U-Mall just as they were locking the door however.
   After much deliberation (it being 10pm, most places were closed) we decided just to stop by Wendys. Despite the establishment's claim to be "open late" every light, this apparently was the one night they decided to close at 10pm for remodelling. Weak Sauce. We ended up getting food at Jack n the Box.
   Then we went to Starbucks, because we were craving the CAC (Caramel Apple Cider). We arrived there right at 10:30, right as THEY were closing. Forunately we managed to get some free coffee off them though. I still crave the CAC though and plan on going on an expedition tomorrow evening.


Saturday Parties
   Saturday my next-door neighbors had a party. Now see, the apartment next door to me is one of I believe four ten-bedroom (10!) apartments in Davis. Among the people living there this year is Yael, who lived below me freshman year, and Beta ("Bee-ta"), a girl I had actually become friends with after meeting in 11th grade at an MUN conference.

   After a somewhat short appearance there Kristy and I proceeded to her complex, Sterling, where Amie Gutierrez was having a raging party. And indeed it was raging. I have heard nothing but raving reviews of it. Everyone was rocking out. Pavel and Codetoad were quite abundant.
   It eventually got broken up, and as I was going past the cop I heard him say "...this guys hair." I missed the first part but by the way he was saying it I don't think it was all bad.


Steel Reserve
   No less than three people this weekend have informed me that they drank steel reserve recently because I am always raving about it. This makes me quite proud. One of the people (codetoad) described it as "the shitiest beer I've ever tasted," but all three reported having become quite wasted by it, and even Codetoad seemed to have had considered it a pleasant experience. He was pretty drunk when I talked to him though. (=


Sunday, MUN
   Today we had a mock conference. Unlike the last one, which was suprisingly serious, this one was completely silly. I was in Security Council. I hear World Health Organization actually stayed more serious.
   It started out with the women in committee dominating debate by discussion a eugenics program whereupon such British male specimins as Jude Law, Ewan McSomething, and someotherfamouspeople would be bred foraciously. Eventually we managed to get off this topic, and in an effort to feel more serious, discussed drug trafficking. "Illegal trafficking of drugs is a problem which has plagued humanity ever since mankind learned how to traffick things, and developed the technological innovation of making things 'illegal'" -me. Then somehow we erupted into WWIII.
   Initially I was representing Rome(eania). At the start of WWIII however, I also began representing the Sovreign Republic of California. We seceded from the US and pledged our support to North Korea (who had started the war). The US retaliated by sending all the mormons into California.

   There was some debate over whether double-commenting to speeches was allowed. The main partisan of double-comment prohibition, Catherine Myung argued that it must be forbidden because it never happens. I argued that there clearly is no rule against it, and "because something never happens by no means means that it is not possible..." I found the whole debate to be remarkably suited to my essay of last entry on the subject of policy.


Unrelated - Security
   Apparently my little brother's Marine Corps squad was called on to provide security at Linkin Park concerts. The second concert was cancelled, so security was actually increased.


Picture of the Day

A Castle
Central Slovakia
© Kris Fricke 1999

Related
   Amie's Party:
         Terra's Report (ensuing comment conversations)
         xjefex - Mad Photos From the Party
         Kristy: Same Events
         (feel free to bring other entries about the party to my attention anyone)
   A Year Ago Saturday: WWIII
   A Year Ago Sunday: Random Adventures and The Scarf Party
   The parallels between events a year ago and currently are suprising. In the three days above, I mention one of the girls who at the time lived next-door, WWIII, a night of random adventures (a quest for food actually, as was the random adventure this evening), and a party in which many of the people present at Amie's most recent party were also present (though not named here, some are listed in Terra's entry).

   So Friday morning I had my last class of the year (the calender year anyway), an hour of Russian 4. I then rendezvoused with Miss Garian Cika, whom I dated for three months or so freshman year, and currently lives in Eugene Oregon. She is in town till Sunday.
   Then Cika and I are back at my place and I happen to need to call her ex Tom ("Sex-in-the-Eyes," S.I.T.E.) to arrange for the double-date he is supposed to go on with Courtney and Kristy and I this evening. Then I put him on the phone with Garian without warning him and he later expressed great loathing of me for that action.


   We went to Thai2k for dinner, SITE, Courtbutt, Kristy and I. I'm on this mission to try all the Thai food in town, and so far I've eaten at three of the four restaurants I know of (Thai Nakorn is the unvisited one). Of the other two, Sophia's earned mad points for their free refills on Thai Iced Tea, but had the least tasty thai food I've ever eaten. Thai Recipes was better, but the portions were extremely small. Now our most recent destination, Thai2k, I must say was without a doubt the BEST Thai food I've had in town. mmmmmmmm. I had some bamboo & basil thing (uh, #33 on the menu), soooo good mmmmm.

   Tom nearly went insane on account of the constant saying of "such sauce," "weak sauce," "strong sauce" and other saucy variations that the other three of us constantly employ. Such sauce.


   Next destination was the "James Bond" themed party that the "Pirates of the Pentagram" were hosting at their pirate stronghold in suburban central Davis. Kristy and Courtbutt both went as bond girls, Tom borrowed one of my dress shirts (which I BETTER get back!) and made a nametage that said "henchman # 4," which was later missplaced. I wore my soviet ushanka, the usual pea-coat and black dickies, and my spiked collar. I therefore was an ambiguous crazy soviet villian, or something. There were people at the party actually wearing tuxedos and things. Kristy loathes my beautiful Soviet ushanka. )=

   In addition to ourselves (basicallyasap, lilmisscourty, and emosnail), we saw our friends pavelthegeek, daisycat99 & saprophyte, I met stillsheryl, and no doubt a great many other ljers that I don't know, but I could sense their unholy presence. (=

   At one point I saw a can of steel reserve sitting on a table. It made me happy. I don't think I've ever seen 211 in a regular 16oz can, but there it was. I have no idea who was responsible for bringing this sacred object to the party.

   Courtbutt and Tom, not so much hitting it off.