4th of july in mick's backyard, a fine mist peppers everyone, and a punk rock kid goes nuts at everyone's behest. egged on by the double dare of "well, henry rollins would do it" and "you've got my vote," he sprays his penis with fireworks, swims naked in a kiddie pool, eats mud and drinks urine, and generally performs a lot of non-rollinsesque antics. leon and niki and dan and heather show up, and niki just won't stop talking about uncircumcised penis. i watch gift of goats play a few songs, but it's too hot. they're good, but it's too hot. so i go home and watch fireworks from my window. "hahahahah. that was great. especially the ones shaped like smiley faces." yeah. is there anything that could possibly make you feel your independence, more than smiley faces exploding in the sky? if there is anything that is precisely the inverse of picking up a ringing payphone at 3am in the morning and receiving a warning that nuclear war is coming within the hour, it's smiley faces in the sky.

16th of july at bottom of the hill. dear a.r.e. weapons. you assholes. stop touring!! your album is good, but you need to never tour again until you learn to play a halfway decent live show. just because a couple of shirtless skanks in front row are really into you, it doesn't mean "this show is sold out." the room isn't even half full. also, notice how all of the african-americans left after you played two songs.

21st of july on instant messenger.
eggstone2000: what's the best john hughes movie?
bboy throwdown: i never really liked any of them
bboy throwdown: but i guess pretty in pink
eggstone2000: wrong! the best john hughes movie is "weird science." thank you for playing Name The Best John Hughes Movie.
bboy throwdown: oh yeah. you are right

late july in my desk. i find a stack of letters, think "god!! fuck off!!" and throw them all away. for a week, i subsist almost entirely on cloves, margaritas, and apple juice.