Last week the school dedicated a memorial to Mr. Laguerre, Jonathan Krix, and Mr. Allstaedt, who all died during the last school year. Over the weekend I got word that another student died, although no one seemed to furnish more details than a name and dates. The principal confirmed it today: I think she was a senior, and she had cancer. Sorry if I sound like an insensitive clod, but I didn't know her at all. Apparently her name was Chalon Keen.

You may think you're desensitized to death -- reading about it in the newspaper, seeing it on TV -- but reevaluate your condition when someone you know or might have known dies. It really puts things into perspective for you. I don't really have much more to say than that. I can't think of anything deep or reflective to say, but I'm sure you can think of deep and reflective things to think, so let's just pretend that I said them and that they're resonating in your brain, heart, and other bodily organs.

Yesterday I finalized my schedule for next year. I decided to take AP Spanish. Why? Because I need to take more AP classes than just AP Calculus. I get a lot of flak for having taken only one AP class this year, mainly from people younger than me who are taking more AP classes than me. Well, maybe it's not a lot of criticism, but it's more than I can take. Anyway, I didn't really have many other choices for AP classes, other than going for paired classes and having to take three AP classes. I might be able to handle two, but not three. On top of all that, I feel bad if I don't take all serious, straightforward classes. People "expect" more of me, so I make myself do it. I've tormented myself with ten years of Spanish classes (three of them optional), so why not go for an eleventh and possibly get college credit?

Anyway, AP Spanish is paired with Spanish IV Honors, which (I'm almost certain) means that it will be a year-long class. It turns out I was able to register for Spanish IV, but I hadn't been "approved" to take AP Spanish. So this morning I had my Spanish III teacher, Ms. Bourns, write a quick note saying that I could be in AP Spanish. Today happened to be the day when they rounded up the sluggish people to get their schedules in (something we all should have done last week). I managed to flag down a guidance counselor who could enter my schedule properly, and so it was done. I am taking AP Spanish. I am going to hate it. I am going to . But I'm going to have to get used to taking classes I don't like and doing things I don't want to do because the world wants me to do it. Kicking yourself around is part of Growing Up®.

Anyway, here are the classes I picked, sorted from coolest to least cool.

1. Programming III
2. English IV Honors
3. American Government Honors (that includes Economics, right?)
4. Anatomy and Physiology Honors
5. AP Calculus
6. AP Spanish

For alternates I picked TV Production I (always a good backup) and Guitar II (although I don't think I'd do well in the class -- and I would know, wouldn't I?). So if they screw up and can't put me in a certain class, I get a break. It all works out, you see. It sort of works out.

This sounds like a serious issue: Save the Internet. From their site:

You can also check out a handy map to see how your representatives have voted on the issue.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, here's something trivial and weird: The Nothing for Sale Site. This guy is selling nothing... and he's making money. Well, I guess he's providing publicity for whoever gives him money.

One year ago: "Hey, if you're a Skype user, let me know and maybe we can talk."