urn:wd:wdlabs.com:atom1:twilight Your Home For Snappy Repartee 應龍 urn:wd:wdlabs.com:atom1:twilight:20041231.0813 2004-12-31T13:13:00 2004-12-31T13:13:00 2004-12-31T13:13:00 What was 2004? It was a year of stolen and disputed elections in Georgia and the Ukraine, the rise and fall of Howard Dean and John Kerry, the first private space flight and the end of the "X-Prize," disaster in Darfur, prisoner abuse in Iraq, expansion of the European Union, the death of Ronald Regan and a month of flags at half mast, the return of Greek Olympics and a very smug presidential victory. In less political but tragic terms, the worst natural disaster in my memory has occurred in Asia as Tsunami death tolls top 135,000 according to CNN.com. <BR><BR> For me, the year started out as a bleak one in the coldest New York winter I have ever experienced. My mother came to visit me for her birthday. We stayed in Manhattan and it was bitterly cold. <BR><BR> <CENTER> <TABLE > <TR><TD><A HREF=http://www.whitedactyl.com/wdp/color/portrait/lowell_and_johanna.epl><IMG SRC=http://www.whitedactyl.com/wdp/color/portrait/lowell_and_johanna.jpg BORDER=0 ></A></TD></TR> <TR><TH><A HREF=http://www.whitedactyl.com/wdp/color/portrait/lowell_and_johanna.epl>Lowel and Johanna</A></TH></TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> I took a lighting class at <A HREF="http://www.sunydutchess.edu">Dutchess</A> which was a blast. Some of my friends from Black and White II were taking the class and I met some other cool people. It was so much fun working with those people, including the teacher, <A HREF=http://www6.sunydutchess.edu/pvac/handler/>Lowel Handler</A>. <BR><BR> <A NAME=A00></A> <b>(</b><a href="http://www.wdlabs.com/twilight/entry/20041231.0813#cutid1">Read more...</a><b>)</b> <BR><BR> In Short, 2004 was <B>A Great Year</B> and I have high hopes that 2005 will be even better. urn:wd:wdlabs.com:atom1:twilight:20041205.1127 2004-12-05T16:27:00 2004-12-05T16:27:00 2004-12-05T16:27:00 So, Brad hosted Festivus this year. We had airing of grievances when Rachel threatened us with a long rusty pole while complaining about lazy students. Brad carped about Teachers. Then we opened presents and spitefully stole the good gifts from each other. There was some alcohol and the punching of a pi&ntilde;ata involved. Those two may have been related in some causal way. Not sure. <BR><BR> <CENTER> <TABLE > <TR><TD><A HREF=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04/pict0063.epl><IMG SRC=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04/pict0063.jpg BORDER=0 ></A></TD></TR> <TR><TH>Raining Candy</TH></TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> Then it started raining candy... somebody said "It's a Festivus Miricle!" I think Brian was in rapture. <BR><BR> <CENTER> <TABLE > <TR><TD><A HREF=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04/pict0084.epl><IMG SRC=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04/pict0084.jpg BORDER=0 ></A></TD></TR> <TR><TH>Pi&ntilde;ata Hat</TH></TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> Next we passed around the pi&ntilde;ata hat while I took pictures. This is what I do. I take pictures. <BR><BR> <CENTER> <TABLE > <TR><TD><A HREF=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04/pict0019.epl><IMG SRC=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04/pict0019.jpg BORDER=0 ></A></TD></TR> <TR><TH>On The Couch</TH></TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> Oh yeah, Paul and the two women he brought were about this close to having a threesome right there on Brad's couch. They left early. There was absolutely no speculation when they left. About anything. Why are you looking at me like that? <BR><BR> There are some more pictures here:<BR> <A HREF=http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04> http://www.wdlabs.com/gnr/public/festivus04</A>