Friday, November 30, 2001 :::

Films Directed and/or Written by David Lynch that I must see:
Eraserhead
Elephant Man
Dune
Blue Velvet
Twin Peaks
Wild at Heart
Lumiere and Company
Lost Highway
The Straight Story
Mulholland Drive

Films Directed and/or Written by Richard Linklater that I must also view:
Slacker
Dazed and Confused
Before Sunrise
Suburbia
The Newton Boys
Tape
Waking Life

::: posted by AJBrotz at 9:47 AM

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WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO "BLAH"?

::: posted by AJBrotz at 2:11 AM

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Brak. I love you. You never fail to bring a smile to my face. Thank you.

::: posted by AJBrotz at 1:44 AM

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keys

inspiration

authenticity

humor

honesty

modesty

If each of these qualities is possessed, I do not see how love and happiness can evade one's grasp. These, in my opinion, are the roots; everything else desirable comes afterwards.

::: posted by AJBrotz at 1:42 AM

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Thursday, November 29, 2001 :::

i'm really diggin' Garbage right now...spinnin' all three of their albums. i love shirley manson's voice...all aspects of it, especially her lows...and the electronic-rock-acoustic-programmed-sexy-groove that the other three musicians (who each look to be in their forties) provide is grand.

I must find the New End Original debut, Thriller.

watched American Graffiti tonight with drew...i wasn't swept away, but it was a decent flick. that's...all i really have to say about that.

i cannot WAIT until this semester is over. an end to stress. ability to hang with my o-town friends who i love and miss so much. CHRISTMAS. ahhhh...my favorite holiday. and then...a new semester, with courses that have all the signs of being QUITE interesting. also, i plan to say hello to everyone on the bus during my first week.

my enormously sexy cousin brian has a blog, and everyone should give it a lick. www.briansloft.blogspot.com, or just click on that link up there.

i think that it's impossible for me to unabashedly be myself here. if i include whatever passes through my head in this blog, someone will wind up feeling left out, or not as special as another, or whatever...so i think i'll primarily reserve messages and comments intended for others until i can personally deliver them.

i can watch Comedy Central indefinitely. it's hypnotic, and endlessly entertaining for me.

"i want a girl that's just like me, but not like me."

::: posted by AJBrotz at 1:12 AM

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Tuesday, November 27, 2001 :::

awake with a tinge of something...chaotic renegade with a hammer singing this one today, just like yesterday, and the day before. not caring what i think, or what anyone thinks. stomach alive for the first time in decades...feeding off of thoughts thrown its way. emotions received. the scent of new is in the air...surroundings no longer as comforting...the longing for adventure has triumphed over all else...need to get away....make a move...experiment...drive drive drive drive drive drive drive. and stop. and meet EVERYONE that will accept greetings. do whatever i want. sing as loud as i want.
someday i'll visit iceland and develop my own speak. i should do that anyway.

::: posted by AJBrotz at 8:42 PM

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www.1000journals.com

www.wakinglifemovie.com

www.pinkfloyd.com

::: posted by AJBrotz at 3:01 PM

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'-.ACTION.-'

::: posted by AJBrotz at 12:58 AM

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Thursday, November 22, 2001 :::

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

::: posted by AJBrotz at 12:54 PM

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Monday, November 19, 2001 :::

songs
Pink Floyd: Fletcher Memorial Home
Pink Floyd: Bike
Sevendust: Trust

i pity anyone who did not witness the meteor shower saturday night. absolutely amazing, once in a lifetime experience.

The sky was completely clear above Paines Prairie. Tens, possibly hundreds of cars lined the sides of the roads. Upon discovery of a suitable place to park, Drew allowed White Trash to join the ranks. We exited the warm interior of old reliable (which, by the way, reaked of cat urine), and my bare feet were greeted by the night's frigid embrace. 5:30 AM.
Hendrix's Purple Haze initiated an impeccable soundtrack for our movie-esque experience. Every single surrounding element created an ideal scenario for early-eighties cinema. Once Drew and I were lying atop W.T.'s hood, bliss ensued (and no, I do not mean we engaged in sexual activity; there were simply too many people around for that brand of fiasco). In all seriousness, five seconds did not pass between streaks of stellar radiance. It was unreal, witnessing such incredible beauty that existed so far beyond my reach and comprehension. We could have stayed there forever, and should have; extravagance this pure and inspirational should never cease. How wonderful it would be if Paines Prairie held on to that night's divine atmosphere without end, so that one could visit at ANY time to witness the cosmic wonders that Haiku Drew and Munky Junky cherished from 5:30 to 6:45 AM on November 18th, 2001.

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast
How can I escape this irresistable grasp
Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earthbound mistfit, I

::: posted by AJBrotz at 10:22 AM

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Thursday, November 15, 2001 :::

ECHOES. THE BEST OF PINK FLOYD.

These 2 CDs are exactly what i needed. i'm in love. Melo, you have to get this...and anyone who has ever been interested at all in Pink Floyd should pick this one up. it is the perfect way to get into this amazing band. there is not a single track that i dislike. so...wonderful. i totally lose myself.


DEPECHE MODE. THE SINGLES. 86>98.

A refreshing change in speaker output. Tasteful techno with strong vocals and wonderful lyrics. Favorite tracks include "Walking In My Shoes" (which was recently covered by Finger Eleven), "In Your Room," and "Stripped." Definitely worth some quality listening time.


Along with these CDs, i picked up Aerosmith's "Just Push Play" for a little over 8 bucks, and TONS of free posters. all of my dawgs back home will be receiving at least one. The bands include Linkin Park, Deftones, Bjork, Coldplay, Gorillaz, P.O.D., Built to Spill, Bush, Staind, Tori Amos, and maybe a few others. Most are in surplus quantities, so if you'd like one, chances are you'll get it. Just lemme know.

pigs in blankets are fabulous.

some awesome recent pix of Absent will soon be up on the site (www.absent1.com), so be on the lookout.

Why can't i manage to talk to strangers? I always intend to...but it never happens. this will change, though. oh yes. i find it amazing that i could potentially be completely ignoring someone who could very possibly have the most profound impact on my life, if i'd only manage a mere "hello," or some sort of compliment to initiate conversation.

The Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary special was wonderful for me...and hopefully for anyone else that watched it. i thought it was done extremely well...and it was really something to see the original Jackson 5 up there, performing classics like "ABC" and "Dancing Machine." The modern artists' interpretations of Michael's old songs were entertaining, as well; i especially enjoyed Liza Mannelli (sp?) and Whitney Houston. Michael Jackson is just...i dunno. I'll always be a HUGE fan of his stage show and music. anyway...if anyone wanted to catch it and missed it, i have most of it on tape.

P.O.D. and Fenix TX tomorrow night! Crystal and I are gonna rock out to that shiznit. If anyone would like to come, tickets are like, 25 bux (including service charge), and if you meet me here in G-ville, we can go up to Jacksonville together. show starts at 8, i believe.

To everyone that i wanted to visit with this past weekend, but was unable to: I'm going to do my best to at least spend a few minutes with you over Thanksgiving break. Conflicting schedules suck the big one. Let me know which days you will be available, and when, por favor.

i'm off to eat some FISH sticks and Macaroni and Cheese. mmmmmm...

-pink mode

::: posted by AJBrotz at 6:59 PM

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Tuesday, November 13, 2001 :::

Circulation
Sevendust
Sevendust: Home
Sevendust: Animosity

what a rockin' band.

i damaged my foot. shades of red and purple do not go well with my right-sided walking mechanism.

drew and i washed our cars today while rockin' out to the new 7dust...and i was damn proud of the end result. RABIA is one sexy car when he's clean...and although QuiRAH (brian's new blazer, pronounced "kee-rah") is newer and has a sweet sound system, RABIA will always be my baby. oh...and drew's car...white trash...is...nice, as well...yeah...

My Spring Semester is planned out, finally. it would appear as though i have a death wish, scheduling 15 credit hours, INCLUDING A MATH CLASS...but i think i'll make it out of it all in okay shape. tuesdays will be "fatal," though; i'll be on campus for nearly 12 hours STRAIGHT (eight of those hours will be spent in classes). SO. Here's the skinny:

Film as a Narrative Art
Human Sexuality
Astronomy
Astronomy Lab
Pre-Calculus/Algebra
Concert Band

Madness, eh? It's a hell of a load... but at least all of those classes seem interesting, save for Pre-Calc. still can't believe that i'm taking a MATH CLASS...but at least i'll be finished with that shit when summer arrives. On with the schooling...

Absent has an extremely important show coming up on the 23rd of this month at the FBI (Fairbanks Inn) in Winter Park, AND ALL OF YOU ARE INVITED, along with ALL of your friends! the show IS 18 and up, though, so you youngin's will have to make fake IDs. if you need help, just ask my good friend Drew over here. Seriously, though, it will be an important event...Will's first performance as an official member of Absent.
No definite decision has been made as to whether or not Frank will be playing at all with us on that upcoming show. He has expressed a desire to, and we've all considered it, but differening opinions amongst the current lineup make this issue a difficult debate. All of us were hurt and angered by the comments Frank made in the past two weeks in reference to myself and the band; hell, at first, he told us right out that he didn't even care about ever playing a final show with us. of course, that's different now, and he has apologized for all of the comments he made...but it doesn't seem like our wounds have completely healed; some members are taking longer to recover, and others just don't care anymore. However, i think brock, john, brian, and i all agree that Will DESERVES to play this show exclusively...and not "share the spotlight," so to speak. He has been working damn hard, driving up here just to learn the parts, spending HOURS and HOURS straight, learning all the riffs, suggesting new ones...and he attended a practice that basically lasted an entire day...and let's not forget that he spent over 1,000 dollars on new equipment for the band. He basically learned 6 songs in 2 days. I realize that not allowing Frank a final performance with us might seem harsh...but if the entire band isn't down with it, it can't happen. If i felt like maybe Will wasn't ready to perform with us, i might reconsider...but the thing is that he IS. Will has surpassed my expectations thus far...and the vibe i felt at practice was...awesome. We are all really, REALLY excited about the future of Absent. As always, comments are welcome.

"I could be the one who would die to feel you breathe" -X-Mas Day, SEVENDUST

Michael Jackson on TV in 3 minutes! With his bros! JACKSON 5 REUNION! Rock on...

I've run out of things to say. Time to watch MJ.

"I could break into a million peaces so just run as fast as you can for me...you mean everything..."

-7

::: posted by AJBrotz at 9:16 PM

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ALBUM OF THE DAY (possibly year)
SEVENDUST: ANIMOSITY

I only have three gripes regarding this record.
1) The first track, entitled "Tits on a Boar." Unnecessarily heavy, simplistic, unmelodious, and angry. It doesn't fit the mood of the rest of the record.
2) The drums don't sound as crisp as they should. Snare should be louder and more distinguished...cymbals sound too much like paper (static-like)...overall, it's average, the drum track is average...which is a shame, cuz Morgan is a bad-ass drummer.
3) The booklet. It's just... weird. The strangest part is a fat slob of a man that is revealed when you take the CD out of the case. He's holding money, and has a nasty grin...lookin' like a circus master or something. It makes me feel like I shouldn't have bought the CD, you know? The whole "corruption through monetary and material consumption" thing. Maybe that's what they were goin' for. Sevendust has always been odd when it comes to visual representation...their videos have never made too much sense. But...yeah. Very odd pictures inside. Not very professional-looking.

Other than those 3 comments, the 3rd release from Sevendust is an enormous success. Lajon has a fantastic voice...and the guitars/drums provide the perfect atmosphere for it. The lyrical content is fairly simplistic, but quite emotional, and Lajon delivers it so well that he could be expressing a metaphor for a toilet flushing, and I'd love it. Rock on, 7...

I've recently been realizing how lucky I am, in almost every aspect of my life. The gift of music is an amazing blessing...I am grateful beyond words. To have the ability to MAKE MUSIC with four wonderful friends is...out of this world. When we were practicing on Sunday, sometimes, I'd just stop, and take time to realize what was going on...and understand that none of it should be taken for granted. Simply put, I have the best friends that I could ever ask for (you know who you are. if you are questioning it, then that should be enough to tell you that you are one of them). My family...my gratitude is beyond explanation. I am blessed beyond...beyond.

John's party was pretty damn crazy...if you weren't there, you missed out on a rad time. and NO, i didn't drink. i had 2 sips of beer, and a Smirnoff later that night, which is NOTHING. I just...didn't have the urge to drink, and the beer was AWFUL. I don't think i'll ever be able to attain the status of a drinker, as i straight-up dislike the taste of alcohol. after one wine cooler, i'm satisfied...and it takes quite a while for me to finish that. same goes for Smirnoff, and i don't enjoy it as much. so...yeah. there's that. but mad props to john for pullin' off an overall successful 18th b-day party. I still wish your cats would move out, though...

IF YOU STOLE JOHN'S KEG, YOU WILL DIE, COURTESY OF A FLAMING BUS.

I think i'm going to borrow frank's idea and attempt to sell some baseball/basketball cards on the net, or elsewhere. i have SO MANY, and all they do is collect dust. pretty old stuff, too. I am in dire need of better equipment for Absent. any donations would be greatly appreciated...

many thank-you's to Anne for revitalizing my blog's appearance...it looks awesome, and i promise to help with the rest of it!

"There was a rumor that Jesse Jackson was going to go over there to talk with the Taliban. Apparently, they were having trouble rhyming the word Jihad." -Jay Leno

::: posted by AJBrotz at 3:25 PM

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Thursday, November 08, 2001 :::

Song of the Day
Foo Fighters: Walking After You

well, today seemed to be completely against Blogger AND ReBlogger...but BlogBack was working!...but no one commented on my most recent lengthy post. "you make me sad."

melo: i don't have the words...just wanting to give you a hug. seriously. for several minutes.

brock: i love you, man...go make a ridiculous face in the mirror and say "googleymesh pancake man" 5 times...each time louder than the one before.

laur: I tried posting comments several times today, but...ReBlogger was an asshole, and only accepted part of what i wanted to say. to finish it: "SALADFISHMAN FOREVER! oh, by the way...we both know that i'm sexier than that drew guy. much love and anticipation..." speaking of drew...

drew: love u, buddy...even if you are one of the strangest persons i know while you're waking up. thanks for everything

anne: your blog rocks HARDCORE. i'd love for you to teach me your ways. also...if you could go look at Orion's Belt for a little while, and reflect on all the great things in life, i'd love that.

ax/jen: don't forget to keep me up to date with the partays...we'll try to do something again this monday night!

jr: Happy Birthday again, my adult friend...lookin' forward to having a BLAST saturday night...

brian: i wish you read this stuff...but anyway, on the off-chance that you might get severely bored and check this out: miss ya', cuz. good luck with 13.

so...i'll be planning my 2nd semester of schooling this coming tuesday (the same day ANIMOSITY from SEVENDUST is being released!!!), and i'm nowhere near knowing what classes i'm going to schedule. i want to stay in English...and i'd like to continue an emphasis on film, since i enjoy it...but i'm not certain on which direction i should take, exactly. also, i'd like to incorporate some music classes, as i'm definite in wanting Music as a Minor...i just hope that the classes are offered this coming semester, and that i haven't missed the auditions. GOD time flew by. maybe i'll take astronomy...or human sex...or both...blah. i need to talk with someone in the know...but time is like, GONE. stress stress stress...but stress is SO much easier to deal with when i'm in possession of an adequate amount of sleep.

watched Halloween tonight at drew's film screening...typical "slasher" movie, but done much better than anything that's coming out these days. i say this in part because i watched Thirteen Ghosts the other night. it was BAD. reminded me of how horrible The Haunting was. FX were awesome, and the idea of having thirteen separate ghosts with their own identities was cool...but...very poorly done, overall. started watching Joy Ride...seems to have potential. we'll have to see... also watched Rushmore again this past Monday night. GREAT movie. i love Bill Murray...gotta download Ghostbusters 1 and 2.

Does Everyone Realize That It Is Almost Christmas? I am seriously having a difficult time comprehending this...

downloaded The Colour and the Shape...Great Foo Fighters stuff, but i may prefer There is Nothing Left to Lose. not sure yet. i definitely enjoy their softer stuff more than their up-tempo stuff...Walking After You is such a wonderful song.

if some of you could go back and read my post that starts with musical recommendations and words of the day...and leave a comment of some sort...i'd really, really appreciate that. sorry to beg...but...it's important to me.

"the only thing i'll ever ask of you: you gotta' promise not to stop when i say 'when'."

::: posted by AJBrotz at 1:36 AM

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Tuesday, November 06, 2001 :::

please read the previous post...

::: posted by AJBrotz at 10:14 PM

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__________________________________________________________________
musical recommendations
sevendust: x-mas day
far: nestle
-----waiting for sunday
lifehouse: simon (except for the "ladadadada" part)

words of the day
linger
cartilage
multitudinous
authenticity
__________________________________________________________________

all that we really see is skin, cartilage, hair, calcium, and bone.

this sickens me...that we humans draw judgement and conclusion from this. definitely one of the behaviors i wish that i could change...but no matter how i fight it, i am - we all are - animals. there is no getting around it. and everything is attitude; you can view the state of man as a curse, or a blessing. there is obvious and neverending conflict between free will, free thought, and animal instinct. no matter how hard one tries, one cannot erase the natural tendencies he or she is born with; will and thought are flexible and changing, while basic inborn drive, desire and need are constant and unbending. i have come to the realization that there are three levels of existence, and although i know that this is already established, or may be incorrect due to previous scientific study, or whatever, my little theory here satisfies me for the time-being. the three plains of being seem to be Animal (basic), Hybrid (human), and Independent (divine). Animals are purely associative, Independents are truly free from any biological/physical restraint, and Hybrids are the middle-ground.

this raises a few questions for me...such as, are Independents among us all the time; Independents being ghosts, angels, spirits...whatever...? my answer: sure, why not. there is no way for us to be certain, according to the above theory, since we Hybrids are restrained by biological and physical means, and Independents are not. this leads me to believe that Independents have no outward appearance. GOD, how beautiful that must be...that's utopia, right there-or at least a component that would undoubtedly exist in a utopian setting. I say "sure, why not" in a somewhat apathetic tone because there is no way to know the answer for sure...so there shouldn't even be any attempt from our end to discover the truth here. of course, this is where faith comes in, because given the theory, it is absolutely possible that Independents are here...hell, maybe one is right next to you, watching you read this. who knows...but i find it extremely comforting to believe in this possibility. i guess i have a need for something beyond comprehension. without this, everything seems so used to me. nothing sacred...except through my own personal experience, which is, of course, wonderful in its own right...but...bah, i think you all know what i'm trying to get across here. i just hope that I will remember what it is when i next read this entry.

I'm reading all of this over, and it seems that some of it may be out of order, and might flow better if i rearrange some of the sentences...but i'm typing all of it as it comes to mind...so...maybe i think in an unorderly fashion. either way, i'm leaving it unchanged, for the sake of authenticity.

i have multitudinous assignments due tomorrow, and because i have finally realized that some sort of schedule or routine is necessary for me to get along with decent grades and health, i am going to end this post with reluctance...and confidence, as well, with the thought that i may accomplish a respectable amount of rest tonight.

thank you for your forgiveness...

-munkyjunky

::: posted by AJBrotz at 9:34 PM

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alright...i guess something was conflicting with my attempt at maintaining two comment services...so i got rid of ReBlogger (due to it's frequent instability) and am solely relying on BlogBack now. i think this is the way to go...we'll see.

::: posted by AJBrotz at 5:19 PM

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dammit. blogback is the bitch now, and reblogger is working. what the hell.

we had a BLAST tonight! Juan, Jen, Axel, Rob, Drew, Chris, Mr. Cuervo and I all had our own little party...dancin'...partial nudity...jumping into a pool in 50-degree weather...good old-fashioned family fun. and it was all caught on tape.

gotta go...more later...

::: posted by AJBrotz at 3:20 AM

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Saturday, November 03, 2001 :::

2-way points = 1,568 6/11 points, +311 3/7 points from yesterday. Good Job, Drew! TWO-WAY FOREVA

okay...i know that the comment thingy at the bottom of each post now looks like "Commentcomment comment" or whatever. the "Commentcomment" part is for ReBlogger-the comment engine that i have been using exclusively up until now. the second part, the "comment" with the space and/or number in front of it, is for another comment engine called "BlogBack." my reasoning for this is that ReBlogger can be an asshole...and i don't feel like having all of my comments erased again...so...this is where the ball is passed to you. you can comment in either of the 2 comment things...but it might be better to start posting most comments on blogback. whateva...the power is in your hands. the only drawback of all of this is that i'll no longer be able to see how many comments have been made with Re-Blogger...but now it'll be a surprise each time i check it. rock.

I am abandoning my previous statement that any quote without a credit belongs to me. i will be posting quotes that appropriately express my feelings...and i'll leave them without a statement of who the owner is...so...yeah. there's that. also...grammar rules shall be bent for a while to come. i've stopped caring as much.

Gator Growl was extremely disappointing...but Dave Attel is a pretty funny guy. check him out on his show, Insomniac, on Comedy Central. Jim Bruer (the guy from Half-Baked, and "Goatboy" from SNL) was horrible. not funny at all. i'm pretty sure that he was stoned...fitting, yes, but man...i might have laughed twice. the rest of the time, i was just terribly annoyed.

new Sevendust arrives soon...11/13/01

Crys...you rock...it's awesome having you over so often. come anytime you like! i'll be picking up our P.O.D. tix monday (!!!)...the show is gonna rock our asses off. can't wait...

drew, juan, and i reviewed the footage from the infamous Island trip. GOD, that whole experience was so wonderful...i can't wait to go back, because i know that i'll be able to appreciate all of it more this time around. i'd really like for the entire original crew to come along again...and possibly a few more special individuals (we'll see)...but i know for a fact that drew, john (woodward), and i would go tomorrow if we could. good times...good times and noodle salad...sitting on the shore...escaping everything with the inifinite calm of the tide.

it seems that i have a pretty serious regret...while still believing that everything happens for a reason...so there's my opinion on that subject (found in my last post).

keep talking about regret? okay. sex drive, while still apparent, is nowhere near as strong as it used to be. it's like...i enjoy victoria's secret commercials...but i'm not...excited by them. yyyyeeeahhh. i'm forcing these thoughts out of my mind whenever they arrise...unless they're in correlation with true, undeniable feeling. this happens in...one scenario. *pause for stomach*

GlassJaw is raw as hell...just wish that the lyrics were more accessible.

Absent needs to get busy, dammit. an idle band is never a good thing. never.

"These things that we too soon forget...collecting dust...spiderwebs that grow and grow 'till there's nothing left, except for shreds that you can't quite call evidence that i had a life before today; see, i forget things i associate with pain. I think it's time that i start to look back on my life..."

dum y rob eres muy comicos y...burritos...? baristas in tus pantelones!

Far was a glorious band. go buy their second cd, "Water and Solutions."

hope wshs rocked it hardcore at FBA...

i cannot get u out of my mind. my stomach is turbulent. i'm sorry...i'm sorry.

"Demons in, demons out..."

::: posted by AJBrotz at 9:48 PM

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