I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war, if you can tell me something worth fighting for

I'm sitting in my pajamas, blasting Coldplay to drown out the incessant barking of my neighbor's dog. I would never bring a big dog to an apartment complex and expect happy smiles all around. I'm sure big dogs hate the confinement, and -- speaking from experience -- neighbors hate barking dogs. Ferrets are perfect apartment pets. They're silent and if you take care of them they don't ruin carpet or rip-roar around the place and break things.

Here's a quick rundown of how the semester looks to be shaping up:

+ Advanced Media Design
This course has all the potential in the world to be really cool. It seems to be pretty laid back, and we get to choose a lot of our own projects, but there is a big group assignment I'm not too crazy about. I feel like I work well with others, but it's frustrating doing a class project in a group. I end up being really bossy or either really quiet and frustrated because I'm used to taking the reigns to get things done. We'll see how that goes.

+The Philosophy of Language
This class looks to be really interesting. And really hard. We have to lead three class discussions and write three analytical essays. I'm fine with that, but it's on subject matter that is pretty dense and difficult. Lots of reading.

+The Films of Stanley Kubrick
The professor seems really cool and really funny. And the subject matter is, of course, going to be amazing and -- at times -- frustrating. But I'm really excited about this course. I am such an ass, though, because I misread my own chickenscratch today and sat in the wrong room until the professor announced that we were in a public administration class. So I had to get up and leave in the middle of his spiel. Eeeergh. What a high school moment. I haven't done that the entire time I've been in college.

I have my fourth and final class Thursday. It's Symposium on Lesbian Studies. Should be interesting.

Production at the paper went well today. I'm back in the news department, trying to get my bearings back. I got shaken up big-time in 2001, and am just now ready to face my fear. Kristin and I make a pretty good pair, though. We got done before 8, and everything seemed to look good. I was so nervous that my first front page since the summer would suck so bad, but it actually looks pretty good. The challenge is to make it good every day.

I had a really odd dream last night. I was hanging out in a high-school-style gym (why, I don't know) at MTSU when I notice Tori Amos talking to some people. All of a sudden she starts singing. And then all these people gather around and it becomes apparent that she's putting on a surprise show. I think she was raising money for youth literacy or something. So I decide I've got to do a story on her visit to MTSU, because it's a big deal and all. But first I call Amber to tell her to haul ass so she doesn't miss Tori. I never could get in touch with her. And I was having a hard time tracking the story down. It seems no one really knew who booked Tori. So then I realize my super-sleuthing has caused me to miss the first day of some of my classes, so I start freaking out. And then I try to call Bob Glenn to do an interview for another story, and I end up pissing him off for whatever reason, and he vows to never speak to me again.

Funny that when I actually did interview Bob Glenn today for an enrollment story, it was almost as excruciating as the dream. I am so not meant to be a reporter. As evidenced by my ridiculous dream.