Thu, Jan 04, 2001 01:29 pm -0600

A bunch of stuff backlogged since before Christmas break, since I accidentally left my bookmarks back here in North Chicago. Oh where to start? We'll do it a little at a time, so hopefully I'll have integrated all of it by February. Here we go.

Did you know that eating enough banana peels can simulate some of the effects of taking amphetamines? (Please read my disclaimer!!!) It's all because of a molecule called tyramine, which is a naturally occurring breakdown product of the amino acid tyrosine (in case you ever cared about biochemistry) There is also a list of other foods that contain tyramine.

The story so far: the holidays just flew by (I'm reaching for a simile and thought of fighter jets, but it's too worn down at this point) and I'm feeling a bit mentally rearranged. It could be the fact that I've been in four different cities within the past week, and I've had some good conversations and good para-conversations. Some of which were inspiring, but most of which keeps me wondering what the hell I'm going to do with my sad lonely self.

An interesting tidbit, given to me from what I thought was an unlikely source: my friend Ben who was my roommate my last two years in college. It concerns a couple whom I knew from high school. The guy went to Loyola High School in Los Angeles like I did; the girl went to Flintridge-Sacred Heart Academy like my ex-girlfriend did. Our respective relationships had begun around the same time, but while mine had ended calamitously after less than two and a half years (a sad, sorry tale from which I draw much inspiration from), theirs had extended for around seven years. They had become some sort of touchstone for me and others I knew from high school, some archetype of romantic love.

Well, I said it before and I say it again, nothing last forever. Not mountains or stars and definitely not the universe as we know it. Certainly not friendships, although I do hope that the friendships I do have will end only after some catastrophe, like death, sundering by FTL starships or time travel, Armageddon, or some such. I've made the mistake of using the word "forever" before and I'm not about to do it again.

That about wraps it up for today. I'm sure I'll think of more crap tomorrow.

l i n k s