and now, an update:

time elapsed: 3.5 hours
approximate time paper actually started: 11:30pm
approximate time actually worked on paper: 1.5 hours
paper due in: 13.5 hours
actual pages written: 2.5 single spaced, 5 double spaced
length requested by professor: 6-8 pages
current capacity for coherant thought: marginal... was high but has since subsided
other things accomplished in elapsed time: shower, goobery activities that shall go unmentioned
current plan: go to sleep, get up (relatively early), get paper into good enough order to constitute "solid rough draft" for in class presentation
rate overall productivity demonstrated this evening: 6
panic meter reading: confident apathy