Here's a poem I wrote:
Soldier's Requiem
By Daniel R. Marx

"It all returns to nothing, it all comes
tumbling down, tumbling down,
tumbling down"
Komm Susser Todd
"It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country"
Quintus Horatius Flaccus

Patrolling Baghdad
I see something in the corner of my eye
A grenade
It explodes
I fall
I see blood
Is it mine?
Yes.
Lifeblood leaking out of me
As water from a leaky bucket
My friend holds me in his arms
I look to the sky
I see my life flash
My father, my mother, my sister
A surge of pain travels through my body
It feels unbearable at first
Then it dulls
Everything starts to fade
The street, the city, the sky, the embrace of my friend
All turns to nothingness
A void creeps over me
Where is the sweetness and honor in this?
My final thought as I succumb to the void.

I've been thinking-I've been on the Internet since about 1994, and I've noticed a distressing trend-people have been abusing the resources. I mean, people will, for example, join a message board, then proceed to post messages on everything but the topic! This has led to a trend towards decreased access to these resources. I've created a little parable about this situation.
A rich man owned a large pasture. He let all the farmers in the area let their cows graze there for free. Usually, no one brought more than three cows. But then a new farmer moved into the area. He decided to let all 20 of his cows graze in the rich man's pasture. Some other farmers got the same idea. "If he can do it, so can we", they reasoned. The pasture started to become overgrazed. To curtail this, the rich man decided to charge a fee of $100 per cow. This worked for awhile. People started to respect the three cow limit, because that's all they could afford. However, a few farmers hit the lottery. They brought all of their cows to the pasture. Overgrazing was becoming a problem again. So the rich man decided to set a one cow per farmer limit. Everyone was pretty upset at this new regulation, but most understood that 1) it was necessary, and 2)It was the rich man's pasture, and he could do what he wanted with it. However, some people did not accept this. They started sneaking cows in when the rich man's guards weren't looking. The pasture was again being overgrazed. So the rich man said, "I've had it. The pasture is no longer open to the public under any circumstances. Only me and my friends can use it". The rich man erected a barbed wire fence around his pasture. And a great resource was lost.
The moral of the story? DO NOT ABUSE INTERNET RESOURCES!!!

Well, the Valium and EMLA did not work. If you're considering this treatment, don't waste your money on it.

I have to get two shots tommorow. :-( I am a huge needle phobe. I will try EMLA plus 10-20mg Valium. Suggestions and prayers would be appriacated.

You know that task I mentioned awhile ago. I failed at it. But that's OK. High school's almost over for me, I will probably get excempt from all my finals, and the worst case scenario is me taking one. I have, in the grand scheme of things, nothing to be discontent about. Life is good! :-D
PS: Sorry for the late update.

I want to ask any visitors to this little corner of cyberspase to pray for me. There is a task that I have been putting off. Now, I am going to try to do it-if it is not too late for me to "force the moment to its crisis", as Eliot would say. So please pray that this goes well for me!
Until now, I have been like a one legged man balancing on a high fence. I have been searching in vain for a place where I can make an easy landing. Tommorow, I will jump and take my bruises.

Just wanted to wish you all a happy Easter!

Sometimes, I write poetry (yes, you can all stop laughing now). Here is a poem I just wrote.

Thantos
Outside the sun shines brightly
But in my soul, the rain is pouring
Awful day
Awful life
Loneliness bites at my soul
One thousand enemies conspire against me
My life is in a downward spirle
No one knows; No one cares.
I go to the kitchen and decide to have some cheese and crackers.
I stare at the knife, nice and sharp
Shall I sheeth it in my stomach?

Well, what do you think? Feel free to leave comments! (No, I am not contemplating suicide.)

Well...
This is my first slashdot journal entry. I guess I'll start by telling a bit about myself.
My name is Dan Marx. I am currently a high school senior in New Jersey. In a few months, hard to believe as it may be, I will be attending college at Desales University.
My politics are libertarian. I am not a member of the Libertarian Party itself. I believe that the government has no other job than to defend the right to life, liberty, and property. It should not, for exampe, be a charity institution.
My interests are anime, manga, video/computer games, philosophy, politics, and, of course, technology.
This journal will be updated sporadicly as events warrent! :-)