Dancing Into Darkness, Part 7

You're probably noticing that there is a distinct lack of Part 7 here.
I'm taking some time to write a post about SOPA and PIPA to raise awareness.

I'm sure that this message won't reach nearly as many people as Google, reddit, Wikipedia, or other similar blackouts, but I felt that I should do my part.

SOPA and PIPA are two bills which are intended to enforce copyright mechanisms, centered around shutting down good counterfeiters and pirates, though they extend to all forms of copyright and IP infringement. The intentions of the bills are pure and good, but as with many movements, both have become warped, to the point where they cause far more damage than good.

The bills operate with a DNS blocking mechanism. Websites which infringe upon anyone's copyright would be shut down. They would not literally go offline, but the effect would be the same. Under the provisions of SOPA/PIPA, no traffic would be able to reach these websites, and search engines would be required by law not to list the infringing sites in their search results. This would create an internet "blacklist".

Why should you care?

First, censorship. Not only does it infringe upon the constitutional right for freedom of speech (I am only referring the US citizens here, as the bills only have legal jurisdiction within the USA) but censorship is a form of oppression as well. When you allow the government to start censoring any form of your speech, be it the Internet or something else entirely, that only creates precedent for your rights to be infringed upon further.

Second, the bills are too broad. Both have provisions not only for mass-offender sites, but also sites which have the slightest offense. While this may appear to be a good form of regulation to dissuade people from posting copyrighted content upon their sites, it is absolutely terrible for sites which are driven largely by user-generated content. These sites have absolutely too much content each day for all content to be monitored for copyright infringement. Doubtless, some will slip by, and suddenly, your favorite site is blacklisted. Examples of sites which would be hurt by this provision are Youtube and reddit. For those out there who cry that the government would never shut down so large a site - under the bills, they would be required to if the sites are found offending. Corporates would doubtless report such sites in order to drive more users to their own sites to raise more revenue and create an essential monopoly.

But I digress from the main point.

SOPA and PIPA are bills that are far too broad to be reasonable. Their intentions are good, but they attempt to remove an infection by pumping the host full of acid, instead of giving them a well-placed antibiotic.

Of course, one blog post is certainly not enough to cover the controversy surrounding SOPA and PIPA. If you'd like to learn more, see the following links:

Information on H.R.3261 Stop Online Piracy Act
Information on S.968 Protect IP
Even the White House has come out against major provisions present in SOPA and PIPA.
List of sites protesting SOPA/PIPA
Americancensorship.org

In addition, an agreement known as ACTA exists in the global community. It has provisions similar to those of SOPA and PIPA, and was passed largely in secret. To learn more about ACTA, click here. To find out how you can take action against ACTA, click here.

How can you take action against SOPA/PIPA?
Contact a representative. Call them. Email them. Perm, do both.
Tell everyone you know to raise awareness. The reason many bills such as SOPA/PIPA and agreements like ACTA ever pass is due to a lack of awareness. But please, for the love of all that is sacred, do not send out chain mail. I don't want to see an Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: THEIR SHUTTIG DOWN THE INTERNET in my inbox. You can post on Facebook, Google Plus, Live Messenger, and any number of social networking sites.

Thank you.
This blog will return to its normal content shortly.

Dancing Into Darkness, Part 6

Saturday, March 3rd

It was four days until the assignment was due, and everything seemed to be on track. I had already sent my part of the research to Rinna and Ellie, and written my part of the speech. Today, we were meeting to get a large part of the costumes done, and perhaps get a practice presentation in.

Ellie greeted me at the door. "Hey Bryan! Come on in; Rinna's already here, and we got started on the costumes." I stepped inside and slipped my sneakers off. They squeaked as they hit the polished wooden floor.

The workroom was a mess, especially compared to the rest of the house, which had an almost minimalist layout. Fabric and tools lay strewn about, and there were even strands of string hanging from the lights. It was a rather small room to begin with, and it seemed every available surface was covered by costume and clothing material or schema. There was a single sewing machine on the far side of the room, surrounded by multiple pieces of paper, presumably the costume details.

Rinna was already in the room, standing over a large piece of brown fabric, marker in one hand, fabric cutter in the other. "Hello Bryan." I barely caught a glint of her green eyes as she glanced over her shoulder before she went back to work.

Ellie strode past me, taking her spot at the sewing machine at the other end of the room. "We're going to work on the costumes for a while longer before revising the script. Go ahead and help Rinna with cutting fabric, unless you know how to work this machine?" She raised an eyebrow, as if issuing a challenge.

"I'll take over for you if you'll pay my medical bills." I moved to the table, and surveyed the landscape of projects in progress. "So Rinna, what exactly should I do here?"

Rinna held out the square of brown fabric she had been working on, balancing the fabric cutter atop it. "Take this, and cut the cloth along the lines I draw." My fingers briefly brushed her hand as I took the offered items; Rinna quickly jerked her arm back, going back to work wordlessly. I brushed this off, and set the fabric down onto the table.

I had barely begun to cut when I felt someone watching me. A glance to the side proved my suspicions correct. "I was making sure you were cutting the cloth right." She said hurriedly before turning back to her work.

Ellie laughed a little. "It's pretty hard to make sure he's cutting the cloth right, staring at his face." My heart sped up a little.

Ellie had been extremely elaborate with the costumes. By the time Rinna and I finished, Ellie still had a veritable stack of materials to sew. Ellie eyed the pile with displeasure as I threw the last piece of fabric on. "I'll get the rest of this done later this week. Why don't we go over the scripts now?" She got up and began to walk out of the room without waiting for a response. "I've already got what we have printed in my room. Come on. One run through the script, and then we can watch something to wind down." I shivered - it was that feeling I got when Ellie was plotting something.

What was she planning?

I followed her out of the room, and into hers. Ellie's room was just as messy as the workshop; it was clear who the primary occupant of the workshop was now.

---

Ellie jumped onto the long couch as we entered the living room. The living room was as neatly decorated as the rest of the house - except Ellie's room and the workshop. A flatscreen TV hung on the wall above the fireplace, faced by a couch and a recliner. A small coffee table bridged the gap between them.

As I made a move to sit down on the couch, Ellie swatted at me, pointing at a bookshelf on the other side of the room. "Get a movie. Go." Rinna walked by me to take a seat on the recliner.

"Hey, you're the one who suggested we watch something. Why don't you pick something out and give me a seat?"

"Movie. Go."

I plucked a movie off the shelf at random. "Where's the DVD player?"

"Look next to you."

"Can I have a seat now?" I put the disc in and threw the remote to Ellie.

"No."

"Come on. You're taking an entire couch."

"I hardly ever get to. Live with it."

"Bryan, you can sit here. There's room." Rinna shifted herself over.

"Thanks." I squeezed into the small space. I was vaguely aware of Rinna's leg pressing up against mine as the movie started. The lights dimmed as the TV turned on.

The movie was a blur. It was movie set during World War II...something about retrieving soldiers from behind enemy lines. I stopped paying attention after the first battle scene. It was hard to concentrate with Rinna pressing into me.

The crack of gunfire snapped me out of my reverie. Not because the sudden noise startled me, but rather because Rinna suddenly grabbed my knee. At least someone was actually watching the movie. My mind was elsewhere, as was Ellie's. I could hear the tap-tap-tapping of her phone's keyboard if I strained to listen. Rinna left her hand on my leg, and her side was warm against me.

I was brought out of my daydreaming again as the warm pressure left my side. Rinna met my eyes as she lifted my arm, draping it around her shoulders wordlessly. She leaned back against me again, this time resting her head on my shoulder, her hair tickling at my arm. I half-closed my eyes, smiling. At the edge of my vision, I saw Ellie sitting up, sporting a satisfied expression.

---

When the credits rolled, Rinna made no move to get up. I stayed there, holding her to my side. We remained there a while longer.

No Updates

Due to unforeseen circumstances, there will be substantially fewer updates today than yesterday. As in 100%, unless you want to be a pedant and consider this an update in which case there is no change in the number of updates.

That aside, tomorrow will have no updates either, in all likelihood.

If you've been reading along, now's your chance to provide some commentary :D Critique me!

Dancing Into Darkness, Part 5

Wednesday, February 29th

I found Rinna at the same landing we ate at on Monday. She was seated in the same position, as well; body sitting on the window ledge, legs facing the stairs, and torso swiveled to the window. Her hair delicately contrasted the white snow beyond, and splayed downwards, fading into wisps on her dark green shirt. I stood there for a moment before coughing to make myself known. "Hey."

Rinna didn't turn. Not even the slightest head tilt.

I stood there, ignored, until I noticed what I had mistaken for a headband in her hair. Oh. Music. I strode up to her and gently tapped her shoulder.

Her eyes opened wide for a moment as she turned, extracting one earpiece from her nestle of hair, placing it behind her ear. She quickly adopted her neutral expression. "Oh, it's you. Why are you here?"

"I figured you could use the company."

She shrugged, and moved the earpiece back in place. I slipped my backpack off, slid it next to hers, and reclined on the wall by the window. I shuddered and crossed my legs as they hit the cold stone floor. I had just begun to pull my lunch from my pack when Rinna spoke up.

"Here."

I turned to find her facing me, hand outstretched. I cupped my hands together to receive the blueberries she offered. "Thanks."

"It'd be cruel to eat these in front of you without sharing." She shrugged my thanks off.

As I slowly popped the berries into my mouth, my eyes traced the shadow of my arm, around Rinna's shadow, and to the other side of the window. "I can see why you might prefer to eat here." I reclined my head against the wall. "It's peaceful. Away from the commotion of the commons. I'm not sure if I could stand this every day though."

Rinna laughed lightly in response. We sat in silence amiably a little longer. I finished off the blueberries, and pulled out my sandwich.

"I have a silly question."

"Ask. I'll laugh at you after."

"Are you in a cult?" I was remembering Tony's warnings. Silly as they seemed, I was a little worried.

"What?" Rinna was shocked. "Are you trying to recruit me?"

"Just rumors....sorry."

"I wouldn't believe any rumors you hear about me."

"Yeah." I hung my head, shame overcoming me suddenly. I shouldn't have asked that. Of course she's not in a cult. Of course she's not a cutter. I'm letting my fears get the best of me. She's just a normal girl. Well, maybe a little different. But not in a bad way. A hand splayed itself in my hair, and ruffled it. I looked up to see Rinna peering down. She quickly withdrew her hand. Her cheeks were tinged with pink.

"It's alright. I'm not offended." She said. "It's a silly rumor." She half-smiled, then turned back to stare out the window. I wondered what she thought about, day in and day out, staring outside at the field.

Tomorrow, Tony would be bound to chew me out. Oh boy.

But it didn't matter. Not right now.

Dancing Into Darkness, Part 4

Monday, February 27th

A hand clamped down on my arm as I left Mr. Randell's class. I turned to my right, looking up, expecting to see Tony there. I was ready to joke about this being an unnatural move. But there was nobody there. I shifted my gaze down, and my eyes fell upon a swath of black hair, turned away from me. "Come on." Rinna started down the hall, pulling me with her. Turning my head back, I saw Tony just exiting the room. The question formed in his eyes before it reached his mouth - What is going on?


I shook my head at him, hoping he wouldn't intervene. It would only cause a needless scene. I mouthed "I'll explain." to him before allowing myself to be pulled down the hall. Rinna was stronger than her slim arms let on. This definitely wasn't about the project, since otherwise Ellie would have come. We had already worked everything out Saturday, already, and had plans to meet at Ellie's house to work the next weekend. So what was this about?

I kept silent, knowing there would be a more opportune time to ask. It couldn't hurt to follow. I'd be lying if I said my interest wasn't piqued.

It was only when we walked by a group of freshman girls talking about who-knows-what when I realized the potential consequence of following Rinna. I caught a few taking furtive glances as I passed by, and I definitely recognized one of them. This would not do any good for my reputation. I was known as a tennis player who kept to his studies and friends, not some kid to be dragged around the school. I shook my swath of brown hair, annoyed at myself for letting this happen. It was a bit late to turn around now without drawing more unwanted attention to myself, and I didn't want to offend Rinna, either.

A faint set of giggles followed me as Rinna led me up a set of stairs, to the second floor. Where the hell was I being led?

I almost ran into Rinna when she halted at the intermediate landing, between the first and second floors. "So, uh, what's this about?" Rinna let go of my arm, and turned to stare at me.

"What?" She sounded as confused as I felt.

"Why did you drag me from history, through the halls, to here, without saying a word?" My arms flew up from my sides into the air.

"I thought I was making things easy for you..." Rinna trailed off. She grabbed her left arm at the elbow, and shifted her gaze down. "You can leave now."

My arms dropped down. "Oh." Shit shit shit. How did she even get that vibe from me?


"Umm..." No words came to me. It probably would hurt my rep more if I just left now.....Rinna would probably feel bad too. "I'll stay." I put on my best fake smile, shrugged my backpack off, and took a seat on the steps. "That is, as long as you promise not to go silent on me." I joked as I pulled my lunch out. I might as well make the best of this.


Rinna sat down on the windowsill. The landing overlooked the field, a vast expanse of white. It had snowed that morning - not much, but enough to make the world a pure, white slate. She stared out the window for a moment before speaking up. "Silence isn't always bad, you know."

"I guess." I looked up from my sandwich; Rinna still had her head turned from me. It...irritated me. I could not put a finger on quite why, however. Rinna seemed so calm here, and it was clear that her seat was a familiar one. "You don't...." I spoke without thinking.

Rinna's gaze turned to me, searching my face as I grabbed for words. "You don't...eat here every day, do you?"

"Mostly. Yeah. What's wrong?" Rinna fluttered her eyes, not understanding. I'm not sure if shock or concern was more apparent on my face.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

Silence.

Rinna opened her eyes with understanding. "Oh! You feel bad for me, don't you? Don't. I prefer it this way. People are stupid."

"Oh." Why did I say that? I searched for some way to undo the depressing turn this conversation had taken. After a few moments' pause, I spoke again. "Hey, do you think Ellie's a vampire?"

"What?" I was taken aback by the surprise in Rinna's tone. She sounded genuinely shocked.

"You know, avoiding Olive Garden and all. She kept dodging my questions as to why she didn't want to go."

"How does that connect with being a vampire at all?" Rinna's tone was flat. Does she not see that I'm joking? I wouldn't put it past her. She doesn't know me well, either.


"Vampires don't like garlic, right? And Olive Garden has a lot of garlic in its dishes. Why are you being so defensive? Are you a vampire too? Gah! I'm surrounded!" I continued to joke. Rinna finally seemed to get it; she laughed.

I swear that the world stopped that moment. Then, it was gone, the sound fading away like chimes on the wind.

"You should lighten up a little. Laugh a little more."

"I don't have much reason to."

"Do you need a reason?"

"Yes."

"Fine." What was it with this girl? "So there was this one time..."

---

Tuesday, February 28th

"What happened yesterday man?" Tony had gone into overprotective mode again.

"Uhh, what? Nothing. I'm fine." I held my arms up, palms open. I gave him a skeptical look.

"She didn't do anything to you?"

"What? Rinna? No!"

"She looked pissed."

"That was your imagination run wild."

"Then what did she want you for? You were gone all lunch."

"She just wanted to talk. It was enjoyable."

"Watch out, she's moving in..."

"So?"

"Watch out for her."

"She's not as weird or dangerous as you think she is."

"What has she done to you?" He gasped in mock horror. I chuckled, glad that, as always, he realized when his efforts were unappreciated, if only a little late.

Dancing Into Darkness, Part 3

A shorter piece today. I promise I'll get around to making Bryan into more than just a name tomorrow!
I still dislike the name of this series.

---

Saturday, February 25th

I found Rinna already seated at a table for three at Olive Garden. Her stark black hair blended into - surprise - a black shirt which hugged at her slim figure. She was bowed over a writing pad, one arm placed around it protectively, shielding her writing from onlookers. I took the seat opposite her. "Hey."

"Hello." Her pencil kept moving, and her head remained down.

"By the way, Ellie's not coming. She said she'd meet us afterwards at the Barnes and Noble."

"Oh. Why isn't she coming?"

"Something about the food not being to her taste."

That got Rinna to look up. "Hmph. There's nothing wrong with Olive Garden." Her hair half-formed a veil around her face for a moment; she quickly tucked it behind one ear. "Well, I'm staying here for lunch. Leave if you like." She paused for a moment, furrowing her brow as if trying to recall something, before turning her attention back to her writing. That last statement normally might have offended me, but...it didn't. It was said with such a lack of tone, as opposed to indifference, that it caught me off-guard.

"I'll eat here."

I was met with silence.

Did she catch that? Maybe she just doesn't care. She certainly didn't seem to.

Why is she so quiet? I glanced around the room, trying to find something to occupy myself with. Maybe I should just leave. It would be less awkward that way.


"May I take your orders?"

Too late.


Click. Rinna's notebook snapped shut, and it disappeared in a flash. She looked to the waiter. "I'll have the Fettucine Alfredo."

"Would you like extra garlic sauce on that?"

"Just the normal amount is fine."

The waiter scribbled Rinna's order down, and I gave him my order when prompted. As he headed back to the kitchens, Rinna spoke up. "Do you have any thoughts on this project, so far?" I breathed an inward sigh of relief. She wouldn't be writing the entire time.

I also hadn't given the project a second thought since it was assigned. "Let's discuss that later. It wouldn't be fair if Ellie didn't do any work today. I'm sure she'd complain." I remarked a tad sarcastically. "So what were you writing, just then?" I wasn't actually interested.

"Nothing you would care about."

"I wonder what you've got to hide..." I mused aloud jokingly.

"Why are you so persistent?" She snapped back.

"I'm just trying to keep the conversation going."

"Then stop prying and tell me something about yourself. I hardly know you."

"It seems that you hardly know anyone." I blurted. There was a pause. "Sorry. I didn't-"

"It's alright. I don't seek out other people." Rinna fell silent. That was the most I'd ever heard her say in one go.

After a long pause, Rinna spoke again. "I-"

"Your order is ready." Two plates of pasta slid onto the table. "Enjoy."

"What were you going to say?" Rinna shook her head.

I ate in uncomfortable silence.

Dancing Into Darkness, Part 2

Well, Rinna's name will stay the same, but I changed the title a little bit (I'm still not satisfied with it). Also I promise this isn't some rule 63'd Twilight. Or, hopefully it isn't. I haven't read the series, soooo...

Also yes, this is based in Seattle. Because referring to "the mall" would get on my nerves so much.

---

Friday, February 24th

"Class, the paper I am handing out right now is your project, due two weeks from now. That's March 9th. Write that date down. There's always that one group that gets a zero because they misheard the deadline. Don't be that group." Mr. Randell chuckled with part of the class. "You laugh now, but there will be that group. It is always this project, every year."

"Go ahead and read along with me." Mr. Randell returned to the front of the room. "You'll be working in groups of three to advocate for one government and its actions, as a representative of that government."

"Yes, you will be required to act in character. Except please," He put extra emphasis on these words. "Please, speak English." The class snickered. "If I can't understand what you are saying, you get a zero. Now then, let's look at the specifics of this project, and then I'll assign you groups and governments."

My world exploded with sound. My head jolted up from its comfortable seat in the crook of my arm, and the room came into focus. "Shit!" I shouted. Mr. Randell stood before me, smiling as the rest of the class held back laughter. I glanced around the room. Textbooks were strewn about the floor. It took a moment to piece everything together. I must have dozed off, and the class gave me a wake-up call by dropping their textbooks to the floor. "Err, ignore what I just said." Heat rose to my face. "Sorry about that. It won't happen again."

"I'm glad to hear that, Bryan. You've been paired with Rinna and Eleanor. They can fill you in on what you missed." Mr. Randell turned to the rest of the class. "You have the rest of the period to meet with your partners and get started." He turned his back to the class to clean off the whiteboard.

Phew. Lucky for me, Mr. Randell was a laid-back teacher. Swearing wouldn't get you detention in his class - that policy was stupid, anyway. I had also gotten lucky with my group members. Both Rinna and Ellie (Mr. Randell called everyone by their full names) were intelligent, and Ellie was a spirited actor. It would be an easy project....whatever it was. I rose and headed to the back of the room, where Rinna and Ellie were already seated around a table.

"So what did I miss?"

"You mean while you were snoozing?" Ellie responded, grinning mischievously. She brushed a wisp of blond hair behind her ear while waiting for a reply.

"I was taking a well-deserved break!" I protested with false indignation. I took a seat. "Well? Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Well..." She stretched her reply out, leaning back and crossing one long leg over the other. "Later. We're probably not going to get anything done in ten minutes. But let's meet sometime this weekend to figure things out. How about over lunch?"

"I still have no clue what we're doing."

"You're smart, you'll figure it out. Figure out where we're eating, and let me know, alright? Somewhere around Northgate would be great. Ciao." Ellie launched herself out of her chair, across the room, and into her friends, easily slipping into the conversation.

I sat there in silence for a moment before someone spoke softly from behind me. "Victorian England." I swiveled my head toward the voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"We're covering Victorian England. The main concern will be legitimizing maintaining the English colonies." I had nearly forgotten that Rinna was in my group. Hopefully it my face did not show it.

"Ah, thanks. So, what else did Mr. Randell cover while I was out?" I turned towards her.

"Not very much." Rinna spoke slowly. "He went over the rubric, and assigned groups and governments."

"Err, what rubric?"

Rinna grabbed the paper I held with the project details, and flipped it over. "Check the other side."

"So what's a good place for a group to eat in Northgate?"

"Is Olive Garden alright with you?"

"Sure. Let's meet at noon. I'll pass the word on to Ellie."

The lunch bell rang as I picked myself up to fetch my backpack, and I started out of the room. A hand fell on my shoulder, the pressure familiar. "What's up, Tony?"

"Not much man, not much." Tony was one of my closest friends. He had a tendency to be overprotective, something which had gotten me out of more than a few potential disasters in the past. However, on a day-to-day basis, it could be a hassle to deal with.

"What's on your mind? Did you get paired with a bad group?" The crowd of students on their way to the Commons pushed us along, steering us in the direction of our lunch haunt.

"Be careful with Rinna."

"What?" I glanced over my shoulder, to make sure she wasn't behind us to overhear. "Why?"

"I know it's just rumors, but don't get swept up into any cult or any other weird stuff, alright?"

"Uhhh...this is a group project. It's not exactly the same as prying into her private life. There's a slight difference, you see. Would you like me to explain it to you?" I joked.

"You can never be too careful."

"Ellie will be there too. If Rinna tries anything funny, the two of us can take her, easy. She looks pretty frail. Hey look, there's Rami!" I made my way through the crowd to the familiar Indian face, glad for an excuse to change the conversation topic.

Dancing Into Darkness, Part 1

I'm trying something new in terms of writing, both style and content. I have no clue how it will turn out. Critiques are appreciated! I've only written a short introduction today since today was more about plotting things out. The rest of the posts will definitely lean more on the 1k - 1.5k word side than today's paltry 150.

Let's see, what else is there to say? Well, both the title and Rinna's name are subject to change. I'm terrible at names of all sorts, and wonderful with cliched titles. I'll see if I can fix both...

---

vam•pire [văm'pīr'] - Undead which drink the blood of the living for sustenance. Vampires appear just as they did in life, and do not age. However, vampires are easily recognized, for they do not appear in photos, and throw no reflections in mirrors. It is common knowledge that they cast no shadows and shirk the stench of garlic, among other apotropaics.

---

So there's this girl, Rinna. She's the quiet, reserved type, who could go through a school day without saying anything at all. The type who could disappear off the face of the earth, without anyone noticing for weeks or months. Nobody really knows her, though there are some old rumors that everyone knows. That she's a cutter. That she's a cultist. It doesn't help that she always comes to school in dark colors and long-sleeved shirts. But nobody actually knows the truth. It's a bit of a shame, really. She seems like a sweet girl. She's not unattractive either; there's something entrancing about her green eyes. I think I might have a crush on her. Just a little one. Maybe.

No Post Today!

This post is paradoxical, pay it no mind.

I spent my day sitting in front a computer hitting F5 to get into a class I want to get into instead of writing blog posts and participating in winter break debauchery. I imagine your day was a tad more interesting than mine. Now go read something else. There is no more post to read.



None.

Zero.

Stop reading.

What do you not understand about "there is no more post to read"?

Perhaps you thought by post, I meant your mail. No. That's a misconception. I meant this blog post. There is no further blog post to read, so go check your mail.

Or perhaps you thought that I was using a dialectical form of English in which "there is no more post to read" is slang for "there is lots more post to read keep on going and enrich yourself with this stimulating material". Incorrect. I am using proper English.

Go away. I am busy refreshing pages.

In Which Pedantry and Intolerance Abound

....or should that be "In which pedantry and intolerance abound"?

Anyways, over the past few days, I've been looking over old posts and cringing. A lot. I suppose that's a sign of improvement. Among those posts was the "Dead Phrases" post...I cringed at that one too. But I do have a few additions...

"Needless to say..."
No. Stop. I agree with you, you don't need to say it, so skip it.

"5evr" or any variation thereof
Yes, you made a funny, oh yes you did. Aren't you proud of yourself? Oh yes you are. Oh you're so funny. I just laugh so much whenever I see that. You can stop now. This horse died far before you started beating it. Stop flailing at it! The chunks of rotting flesh flying off are staining the base of my ivory tower.

"like dis if u cry everytiem"

-ass appended to adjectives (e.g. "That's a sweet-ass ride you've got there.")

I do not understand the rationale behind this. Please, expand your vocabulary beyond vulgarities, and then we'll talk. XKCD has a little to say on this matter as well.

"No offense, but..."

Nice try, person trying to get away with an insult. Learn to create constructive criticism.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but..."

No, no, go ahead. I usually wear this intense look of concentration on my face when I'm thinking of unimportant things that you can disturb with your inane babble.

"X, but....Y" (Where Y is contradictory to or mutually exclusive with X)

Stop dancing around the message and say it. Mincing your words won't mince the meaning. Mince mince mince mince semantic satiation mince.

That's all the condescension and snobbishness I have for today. I think I've gotten worse at it. Oh dear.

About page updated.

The Most Glorious Leader....Dead?

Many news sources have reported the death of Kim Jong Il, the Most Glorious Leader of Best Korea. Truly, the world has lost someone unlike any other. His death will be mourned by the masses, and a space shuttle will be launched into the sun in his honor. (Well, probably not, but one can always hope.) Kim Jong Il leaves a wake behind him that will rock the world. While the honorable course of action would be to mourn, we must also look to the future, to what lays in store for the rest of us.

First, US politics are about to be shocked to the core. With Kim Jong Il dead, the US has lost its main source of crazy imports, meaning politicians everywhere will have to be more rational in order to conserve a rapidly dwindling supply of crazy. With Palin and Cain out of politics, our crazy supplies will last a lot longer, but an era of crazy conservatism is ahead of us. Perhaps the logic sector could use this as a chance to jump the market void and increase informed voter decisions.

Second, we now know that Kim Jong Il, in his dying moments, has managed to create a time machine to report his death from the future. It is clear that such technology now exists since, Kim Jong Il died on Monday, December 19th, 2011. It even says so here! Look at the publishing date....that's Sunday, December 18th, 2011. The only way we can account for this discrepancy is that North Korean officials came back to the past to report Kim Jong Il's death a day early, in order to prevent catastrophe. Clearly, sending this information into the past cleared the 1% divergence barrier, preventing a big brother dystopia in the future! Our Savior saves us even from beyond the shroud of death. The world will have to handle this new technology with care.

Third, the world will reel from losing such a talented person. In losing Kim Jong Il, we have lost a self-proclaimed internet expert, something there is a clear shortage of.  We have lost his impeccable fashion sense, and now lobsters all over the world ready to be air-shipped to him no longer have a stomach to call home! In addition, the world will suffer from amazing love deficits. All the love the world has sent him no longer has anywhere to go, and the love economy will suffer accordingly!

It is with great sadness that I bid you goodbye, oh His Excellency the Highest Incarnation of the Revolutionary Comradely Love, Mastermind of the Revolution, Savior and Great Defender, oh Beloved and Respected Father of the People and of the Nation, Fate of the Nation, World Leader, Great Marshal, Amazing Politician, Guiding Shining Star of the 21st Century and Paektu Mountain, Guiding Sun Ray, Guarantee and Symbol of the Fatherland's Unification, Ever-Victorious, Iron-Willed Commander-in-Chief, Bright Great Sun of Juche Life the Nation Socialism and of the Communist Future, Great Man, Who Is a Man of Deeds, Beloved Ever-triumphant Glorious Great Invincible Respected General who descended from Heaven, Party Center, Beloved Brilliant Dear Great Peerless Respected Supreme Unique Wise Leader of our Party the Country the Army and of our Nation who is a perfect incarnation of the appearance that a leader should have of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and all around Superior Person. Farewell.

Back With A Pseduo-vengeance

Winter break is here, and with it, more amateur writing! I can hear your gasps of delight from here, and I can tell you that you're doing it wrong. Gasps of delight are not supposed to resemble screams of agony. It's a good thing my ear is well-tuned to these subtleties.

Anyways, since I have nothing better to do to revive this blog, I'll make a quick detour into pedantry. Apparently, "anyways" is both the informal and dialectical form of correct "anyway". That is not to say anyway, that any way anyways is used is wrong.

....it is completely unimaginable that that paragraph was leadup in any way for "anyway that any way anyways". I'll stop now, I promise. Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

It's a little late now, so I'll end this here. Longer post incoming tomorrow.

Postponed

Err, as the title. Turns out I have homework today, tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday and Saturday are looking like no-gos. So Sunday will be the next post. Damn it.

Resolution One: College Funding

Inherency: College now more than ever is a requisite for success in the United States. Without a college degree, finding a well-paying job which can sustain the American lifestyle is hard and frustrating, if not downright impossible. The demand for excellency of work is ever-increasing, and employers are of one mind; college makes for better workers. More and more high schoolers are being driven to college in order to secure a job.

Colleges are responding to this demand with tuition hikes. Students see their tuitions rise by up to 30% a year, and means of meeting these increases are not becoming any more widespread. As of 2010, only 20% of students were able to pay their tuition upfront. 80% had to take out student loans in order to make their way through the ever-more necessary college. The number of students who opt to skip college due to the financial strain each year is increasing.

Harms: Students now have little choice but to face crippling debt upon exiting high school if they wish to enter college. They must become frugal spenders throughout college and for the next decade thereafter, restricted by their debts and unable to afford anything but the basic necessities of life, lest they face bankruptcy. Our future is one of less and less spending as post-grads fight to pay off loans.

The economy is still recovering from the shock of the housing bubble burst. This recovery will be slow, and requires more spending in order to ensure it continues to recover. If the USFG becomes any more conservative with its spending, we will doubtless see another collapse.

Our current future is one of economic collapse. In the vital years to come, we will see an entire generation failing to spend anything but the bare minimum as they pour their earnings into repaying student loans. There will be an entire generation's worth of spending lost. This will push the economy over the brink and we will fall back into recession.

Resolved: The USFG should substantially increase federal aid to students in college. We reserve the right to clarify.

Solvency: With substantial increases in federal funding of higher education, students will be able to go through college with far less debt, if any at all. 50% more students will be able to exit college with no debt, while the remaining 70% of all students exiting with debt will see that number reduced by more than 40%. In years following graduation, spending will see increases as students are able to pursue housing or other goods. This will keep the economy's recovery stable. The plan prevents a recession which would lead to economic collapse as the student problem would have no end in sight.

Second, with federal funding, an additional 5% of the population which would otherwise make the choice to not attend college would attend, allowing for further expenditures. This means that in the wake of the plan, the United States would have an even stronger economy. The increase in college graduates in society would also lead to improved innovation within the United States. Innovation is directly linked to a stronger economy and greater world presence.

Assume I've got a Hedge good argument here, linked to Advantage 2.

Thoughts: I think I overdid this one in terms of impacts. I also excluded the snowball of impacts from each advantage just because they'd be kinda boring to type out. This topic was kinda boring in general since all the advantages led to the same impact and the extrapolation was pretty clear. Also, I should note now that a lot of these pre-research setups are going to be vague and unintelligible, or have clearly false numbers; they're ballparked. I just don't know enough hard facts. But then again, that's the point of this...learning.

Also, these definitely are not going to be 7 minute long speeches. No way.

Making Cases

If you don't do debate, the rest of this will probably make less sense than promising to sign all pro-life constitutional amendments if elected president. But that's no excuse to be Herman Cain!

Anyways, as what appears to be a rigorous year in debate approaches, I figure I might as well give myself some practice with improv arguments given a random resolution to make myself better at forming 1AC and off-case arguments - but probably just DA. I might throw in the occasional CP or K or T, but those are all rather short things, except K, which is just complex. Of course, without a prior 1AC, I won't be able to do case for these random resolutions. Oh well.

So, the plan is that I'll give myself say, an hour, (time due to change) to write up a convincing argument for/against the resolution, depending if I feel like Aff/Neg that day. Over the next two to three days I'll go look stuff up on the subject, since I probably won't know guano about it, and come back with a coherent case, with sources cited! This will probably mean 2-4 updates per week, all of which will make sense to you debate folks! The rest of you will see rampant hyperbole and a very pessimistic view of the world, huzzah!

Reading this again, this probably doesn't even make sense to debaters. Tomorrow. Tomorrow it will make sense. Once I get some sleep. Delicious delicious sleep.

Also, I'll likely be pulling resolutions from here, among other sources. Maybe some old CX ones as well, but those are far less varied, and there are far fewer of them, too.

Sunset, to be continued...

So, if you didn't get it already, Sunset was Minecraft-based fiction. It was also based around a neat little mod I found called Solar Apocalypse. I'm currently at a loss for what to do next, though I have an idea of the end; I may continue this as a sort of diary-based thing as Garret needs someone/thing to talk to or he'll go raving mad.

As the start of school approaches, I'm also not sure how much time I'll have for this blog. Likely, there won't be any posts until Winter quarter, but perhaps I'll find time.

I suppose that's all for now. I'm sure you'll find out pretty quickly when I make a post and get this blog running again by means of constant nagging and/or airhorns.

Sunset, Part 7

Garret awoke to a sweltering sun. His back was raw, sunburned. There was the faint smell of smoke in the air, reminiscent of a camp fire. The faintest breeze blew over him, causing him to cringe. His back stung.
He picked himself up, rubbing at his eyes. He smirked at how similar this was to not but two days ago.

Am I condemned to repeat this forever?


The sun was painful, and larger in the sky than ever. It hung in the sky, looking fat enough to collapse onto the ground at any moment. As Garret averted his eyes from the sun, he caught sight of a plume of smoke on the horizon. It covered a vast expanse, and was carried lazily towards the mountains by the slight wind. He walked toward it. I bet I'll catch sight of whatever's making that smoke on the way to the forest. Damn, I'm hungry. He rubbed his stomach absentmindedly, then jerked his hand away; his stomach too, was burnt. It seemed only his scalp had evaded that fate, but his hair was brittle, and stiff.

Garret continued to walk, though the sand was painful on his feet. What else could he do?

Garret had barely caught sight of the forest when he realized where the smoke was coming from. A forest fire raged though the region, tearing through tree and shrub and animal alike. He could only stare at the destruction. A charred pig, skin burning, burst from a fiery conflagration, and ran onto the sand. It ran helplessly in circles before passing out. The smell of roast pork accompanied the smoke, and it was all Garret could do to tear his eyes away. He didn't want to watch the forest burn but he felt the inexorable urge pulling him back, forcing him to watch the blaze.

It was then that something snapped. Garret felt an itching on his skin, like that of a mosquito bite, or the death throes of a sunburn, but it was from neither of those - his sunburns were too new to be anything but raw to the touch. It came from deeper inside him, almost as if his bones were rebelling against his body.

And then he screamed. His skin charred in front of his eyes, and his hair burnt, wisps of it falling off, and blowing to the ground. He screamed, throat parched from the dry atmosphere, and he ran. Something possessed him to take the pig, which weighed heavily in his arms as he ran. He needed shelter. Shade. The forest was gone. The ocean was far away. Where could he-

The cave. That dark, ominous thing. That was probably where the spiders lived. And that man. That strange, primal man. Should he go there? Could he afford not to?

He ran, ran for ages it seemed, and screamed in victory when he found solace in the cave, rolling on the floor, rolling in agony, in joy, and to extinguish the fire that ate at him.

Sunset, Part 6

When Garret awoke, four pairs of glowing red eyes stared at him from the dark. They were ravenous, and sitting not fifteen feet away from him. His fire had burned out again, leaving him with only moonlight to make out the silhouette of the eyes' bearer.

A spider.

A huge spider.

Its body was monstrous, bulbous in shape, swelled far too large to be harmless. It was as large as a cow. Its sheer black body blended well with the darkness. And it was just watching him.

It sat there, clinging on a branch, looking at Garret as if he were an overly large bug to be sucked dry. He suppressed a shiver at that thought.

Why isn't it doing anything? Does it think I'm dead? I need to get away from here. It doesn't seem hostile, but there's no way I'm sleeping with that around, and no way I can kill it, either.


No doubt in it's amplification in size, the exoskeleton had been hardened by a similar amount. It'd take a fucking chainsaw to rip through its body, if not something stronger. Maybe a large slab of cement.

Maybe I could throw one of these branches to distract it? Garret still had an array of branches in his lap, weighing him down, though the berries in his hands had found their way into his stomach hours ago. They were threatening to make their way back up, however. I can't just sit here, and I'm sure that if I move, it'll-


The sticks clattered to the ground, followed soon after by Garret, tumbling to soften his impact. He was off at a run, when the spider lunged for him. Every footfall, every new sprint forward, was an instinctive reaction, centered around self-preservation. He leapt over a fallen tree without thinking, slid under a low-hanging branch, and continued to run. The monster of a spider was keeping its pace with him - no, it was gaining on him.

Adrenaline drove him to run faster than he had before, faster than even the previous night. He didn't care where he ran to, just as long as it was further away from this spider.


By the time he reached the beach he washed ashore upon, his breath was ragged, his every footfall was heavy from exhaustion, and his adrenaline was gone. He was almost in tears from fright.

Sand flew into the still night as he collapsed, resigned to his fate.

The fangs never came. Somehow, he had lost the spiders. But what now? What could he do?

Sunset, Part 5

Garret halted when he got to the river's edge. The moans hadn't gotten any closer for the past few minutes; Garret took that as a good sign. Perhaps the person had decided not to pursue him. The river's water felt cool on his face, and helped to calm him down. He swallowed it quickly, still panting a little from his flight.

Garret got no more sleep that night. Try as he might, laying by the river's bank, he could not slumber. A spear of fear shot through him whenever he heard a moan. Most were faint, off in the distance. Garret couldn't be sure if he was hearing them for real, or if his mind was creating these figments itself. The night was oppressive, and seized in on Garret from all sides.

Garret welcomed the sunrise. He considered sleeping with the sun's arrival, but he knew he couldn't forage by night. He'd have to collect enough wood to last him the night.

The sun was hotter that day. It seemed even larger in the sky than it had previously been. The river water, lukewarm the day before, now almost burned Garret as he drank from it, in between firewood collecting trips. More grass was dying, more leaves decaying. Perhaps autumn was coming. Extremely quickly.

The night too came quickly. It found Garret sitting atop the bough of a tree, squeezed in with several large branches which could easily be broken into sections, and a multitude of berries and roots in his hand. He remained up there as the night passed, throwing a new section of tree into the fire whenever it showed signs of waning.

Clunk.


Clunk.


Clunk.


Zzzzz. Sleep enveloped Garret.

Sunset, Part 4

Night had fallen before Garret's fire had finally started. It cost him a chipped fingernail, two raw palms, and hours collecting fallen branches small enough to burn. He took another trip to the river once the fire was in no danger of going out.

The river was not far from his camp - it wound through a clearing in the forest, going on out of sight on either end. The water was warm in his mouth, heated by the sun, but it was fresh, and clean. He cupped one last refreshing handful into his mouth, not minding that some dripped onto his shirt. It would help cool him in the night. He welcomed any source of cold; it was humid here, and the forest trapped the sun's warmth in it, even now.

Somewhere, a wolf howled. He's probably complaining about the heat, too.

Wolves shouldn't be here. This is a jungle. Wolves don't...are there mountains nearby? I'll have to look for those tomorrow. Perhaps they'll be colder.

He laid down in the center of his campground, a small grove where the night sky poked through the foliage. Here he could gather a night's rest without worrying about being crushed in his sleep. But being crushed was at the back of Garret's mind as he struggled for sleep. His bed of leaves did little to cushion the ground, and it seemed as if the air around him was heating by the second. It was a while before sleep overtook him.

Urrrrrrrr....

Garret's slumber was short-lived; he awoke to a resonating groan. Still in the throes of sleep, he shut his eyelids and willed unconsciousness to come back.

Urrrrrrrrrrr....

The groaning wouldn't stop.

Urrrrrrrrrrrrr......

It was getting....closer?

Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......

No, just his mind playing tricks.

URRRRR!

Garret jumped up as a hand clutched at his shoulder. He spun in surprise, and saw a figure in the darkness.

"Hello there." He couldn't make out the face of the man with only starlight to guide him. His fire had long since burnt out. "Who are you?"

The figure balled up its hand in a fist, and lashed out. The hand was cold, and clammy on Garret's skin. 

"The fuck are you doing?"

The figure got closer, and swung again. Garret ducked, and began to run.