Last night, when I returned home after driving to Savoy for food, dropping my brother off at the Centennial/Central football game, and checking two bookstores before finding "The Age of Lincoln" for my American History Seminar class, I was pretty tired.

Driving down an old country road to my piano teacher's house, I was averaging at about 40 mph. OK, I hit 50 mph at times, but that’s still quite an improvement from chugging along a busy road at 15 mph.

I really like TV, most of the time. It gives me a chance to learn something if I want to, or just learn absolutely nothing for an hour or so. Most of us watch television, whether it be for several hours a day or just occasionally on the weekends.

We often don't realize it, but TV has a pretty big effect on us. We see commercials for things we want to buy. We see social and political commentaries that affect our views of the world. We see examples of
how we could be living our lives.

Recently, on my way home, I’ve been noticing many construction sites for new businesses. These businesses are being built on land that was previously unoccupied. Along the same street that I see all of these construction sites are also many empty buildings that once housed stores that are now out of business.

“BRING BACK THE OLD FACEBOOK,” a recently created Facebook group, explains it all. These days Facebook just isn’t the same.

You’re shivering, but sweating. Your whole body is stiff. If you move at all, you just know you’ll be sick. You’re hyperventilating. A whisper from across the room sounds like an opera singer screaming at you.

Either you’ve caught the plague, or you’re having a panic attack.

Over the past two days I, due to being sick in bed and tired of sleeping, watched the first and second seasons of "Sex in the City" for the first time. I have a newfound sense of relief that tells me to thank goodness I do not read advice columns religiously.

Over the past two days I have watched most of the first and second seasons of "Sex in the City," for the first time, due to being sick in bed and tired of sleeping. I have a newfound sense of relief. It goes like this: Thank goodness I do not read advice columns religiously.

It seems that nowadays there is a lot to complain about. Our education system is a joke, the persistent issue of poverty remains unsolved, racism and prejudice flare like red flags, and our political system is speeding to hell in a fast car. In the broad scope of things, we are living and breathing in utter chaos.

Is there a remedy?

If trade-union Web sites or CNBC specials haven’t got you avoiding Wal-Mart, I have a much more selfish reason.

Today in the Intro to Radio class, there was food. We consumed large amounts of whipped cream and nearly an entire huge bag of Fritos (which are quite frighteningly addicting).

A few days ago I encountered one of my classmates reading an installment of the "Gossip Girl" series.

Today at midnight, "Halo 3" was released. Later at school, I was not surprised to see my classmates and friends discussing the highly anticipated game.

In three games, the Illinois Fighting Illini football team won more games than they did in their previous 22.

Now, instead of dreading playing No. 21 Penn State on Saturday, the Illini and their fans have something to look forward to.

As my classmate and fellow Gargoyle reporter Chris Yoder once so brilliantly pointed out to me, “The three things coveted most at Uni are pencils, pizza, and chairs.”