I discovered long ago that I have a problem with tact. And by problem, what I really mean is a DISTINCT LACK OF IT. I suspect that my brain-to-mouth filter has been clogged by hormone-lint or some other such nonsense.
Granted, this isn't as much of a problem as it used to be. That was why I used to be horribly mean, actually--I'd speak without thinking, and it turns out that the stuff I said on the fly was a lot crueler than anything I actually had to think about. So that sort of explains why Narvel used to hate my guts (part of it, of course, was that I hated her guts, and it's hard to not indulge in mutual hate-fests when you're in middle school).
Anyways, basically I have finally decided that the best solution to this problem is to take an anger management course and practice spiritual, holistic yoga to cleanse both body and mind.
....
......
Yeah, I was lying.
In reality, the best solution is to adopt (in part) the philosophy of the skeptics.
No, really. I'm serious this time. Because their philosophy basically goes something like this: Never pass judgment. Ever.
Turns out if I don't pass judgment on the people I care about (no matter how hard or how easy that task may be), I can't actually piss any of them off enough to start another hate-fest a la 6th grade. And, yeah, this is probably going to be harder than it appears at first, but I have other outlets for anger and frustration with my friends and family--I just need to make more use of them. Taking it out on the people themselves actually does nothing, and I KNOW I never manage to do anything other than make the situation worse. Which, obviously, leads to a whole bunch of bad stuff.
Additionally, in a moment of sap--forgive me--I've sort of come to terms with the fact that I've only got a year and a half left with you guys, and then we'll all be going off to various corners of the globe doing our own stuff, and I am TERRIBLE at keeping in touch with people. Like, horrendously, notoriously bad at it. So I should probably make the most of you all--you're the most spectacular group of people I've had the "playsure" of meeting, as the Epicureans would remind me. Better not to screw that up by being my usual tactless self.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Knights, turtles, my ancestry (of sorts)
I was looking up the definition of "vambrance" to make sure it meant what I thought it meant (I was right and yes, I am a great big nerd, how ever did you guess?), and I came across a webpage--British, of course--that had listed the different parts of plate armour and where they were meant to go. And I sort of felt a small amount of glee when I realized that I knew some of these already. And no, I'm not getting excited over the fact that I know what "helmet" means. But anyways, mostly I just wanted to share some of my favorites. Like besagew. Which, and I quote, "block blows to the vulnerable armpit area". Or sabaton, which is a "foot protector" (read: pointy metal shoes).
Also, I think I reached new, dog-whistle pitches today when I discovered that my favorite cop show once mentioned one of the Bollywood movies I love to hate. This. It just pushes all the buttons of win and fail to make me spontaneously combust and at the same time wake all the little yippers in the neighborhood.
Which we have a lot of. Though really, it seems on Mercer you can categorize people by what kind of dog they have. There are the people with yappy, obnoxious little rats--they're older folks, and they simper and coo a lot. There are people with labradors or Golden Retrievers. These are the people who jog, walk the trails, and bike (they're not the Hardcore Bikers, though--that's an entirely different subgroup). And then there are the people with mutts and ridiculously rare dogs. I actually knew a guy who had a dog from Africa. These people...are the weirdos, but they're also the folks who will smile and not cross the road to save poor Fluffy-kins a heart attack.
Or maybe I'm just wrong. Still, I remain convinced that there are totally weird people on Mercer, and it's not just because we're all senior citizens and ex-Microsoft and send-their-kids-to-Kumon-Asians.
No, wait. That's exactly why.
That's sort of why if I come back after college, I'm not living here. You don't find hobos on Mercer, but neither is it the sort of place that produces intelligent, moderate, social human beings. It produces people like me. And I'm a hermit. And a turtle. And possibly just a distant relative of Hugh Laurie, waiting to blossom.
....
.......
..........
Or at least, a distant relative assuming all turtles are descended from a single African man-turtle:
See? Case in point. 
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Viva myself!
Someone (I can't remember who) told me that my blog posts are incredibly random and I have a chronic inability to stay on one topic for more than a few sentences. This is true. But at the same time, it's really hard to do unless I wish to rant on a single subject--and to be honest, I did that for a while, and now I have actually RUN OUT OF THINGS TO RANT ABOUT. I never thought the day would come, but it did, and that's why I stopped posting for a while.
Anyways. Basically, the purpose of having a blog has stopped being "entertain other people" and is instead "ramble about life". And life, unfortunately, is so dull that I have to glean little bits and pieces from all over the place. Also, most of you guys spend too many waking hours with me, which means there's a pretty large number of things I can't write about because you were all THERE. This is clearly an epic failure on your part.
And hey, that was two paragraphs on the same subject! Viva myself!
Also, we are starting a new novel in Spanish and it's about Cuba and I am already upset because someone is named Pilar, which is just not an attractive name. I think of it as the Spanish equivalent of Bertha. And it's about Cuba. We've already watched a fatty documentary on Cuba and it is not that important and I really think the US needs to stop having spasms of sulky rage over it.
Clearly, what I have spasms of sulky rage over is so much more mature. I've started throwing tantrums over Arthurian legend, which in case you didn't know or care is fucking depressing. It's all roses and sparkles and shiny swords, and then FOR NO APPARENT REASON everything goes to hell. Merlin goes and gets himself stuck in a cave for all eternity, Arthur goes and gets himself stuck asleep for all eternity, and basically the rest of the poor schmucks are left with the small hope that Arthur will come back when Britain needs him most. Which won't be before they're all dead. As for Merlin, we have to assume that he eats crabs for the rest of his life and is responsible for global warming.
Speaking of global warming, I'm really glad the fuss over An Inconvenient Truth has died down, because when I finally saw it, it was actually a letdown and the fact that it won an Oscar...Well. I remember back in 2000 the only reason I supported Al Gore over Bush was because he was better looking. Sad how much things can change in 8 years.
I somehow got to Youtube videos of the American Idol Davids singing their respective Andrew Lloyd Webber songs. It was more depressing than An Inconvenient Truth. Actually, I'd sort of expected more from the David who won, but his rendition of "Music of the Night" was TERRIBLE.
So of course, to cleanse my brain I went directly to....Village People. And. Well. You guys need to all see "In the Navy". It is more magical than I could have possibly imagined. Not that it tops JPop, but it's still pretty damn magical.
Anyways. Basically, the purpose of having a blog has stopped being "entertain other people" and is instead "ramble about life". And life, unfortunately, is so dull that I have to glean little bits and pieces from all over the place. Also, most of you guys spend too many waking hours with me, which means there's a pretty large number of things I can't write about because you were all THERE. This is clearly an epic failure on your part.
And hey, that was two paragraphs on the same subject! Viva myself!
Also, we are starting a new novel in Spanish and it's about Cuba and I am already upset because someone is named Pilar, which is just not an attractive name. I think of it as the Spanish equivalent of Bertha. And it's about Cuba. We've already watched a fatty documentary on Cuba and it is not that important and I really think the US needs to stop having spasms of sulky rage over it.
Clearly, what I have spasms of sulky rage over is so much more mature. I've started throwing tantrums over Arthurian legend, which in case you didn't know or care is fucking depressing. It's all roses and sparkles and shiny swords, and then FOR NO APPARENT REASON everything goes to hell. Merlin goes and gets himself stuck in a cave for all eternity, Arthur goes and gets himself stuck asleep for all eternity, and basically the rest of the poor schmucks are left with the small hope that Arthur will come back when Britain needs him most. Which won't be before they're all dead. As for Merlin, we have to assume that he eats crabs for the rest of his life and is responsible for global warming.
Speaking of global warming, I'm really glad the fuss over An Inconvenient Truth has died down, because when I finally saw it, it was actually a letdown and the fact that it won an Oscar...Well. I remember back in 2000 the only reason I supported Al Gore over Bush was because he was better looking. Sad how much things can change in 8 years.
I somehow got to Youtube videos of the American Idol Davids singing their respective Andrew Lloyd Webber songs. It was more depressing than An Inconvenient Truth. Actually, I'd sort of expected more from the David who won, but his rendition of "Music of the Night" was TERRIBLE.
So of course, to cleanse my brain I went directly to....Village People. And. Well. You guys need to all see "In the Navy". It is more magical than I could have possibly imagined. Not that it tops JPop, but it's still pretty damn magical.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
On Life, Love, and Derk
Life: sort of sucks right now, but IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE. I am expecting giant fireball-comet-aliens any day now.
Love: exists only for Arthurian legend, Youtube, my dog, and Derk. And possibly my friends, though stupid Facebook has eaten all their brains.
Derk: is possibly the cutest platydragon (platydrapus? dragopus? dragypugon?) I've ever seen. I am eternally envious of hir stunning good looks and ability to balance on two legs, a tail, and a flipper.
And some other stuff, obviously of less consequence:
1) I am super excited to see the musical, because I used to watch Thoroughly Modern Millie a lot when I was younger and it was one of my favorite things ever. And okay, even if they're not doing the Tapioca number, I'm STILL excited.
2) Cutest 10th grade couple=Treeboy and Tree=OTP FOREVER.
3) Mail Jug told us today how awesome he thought we were (exact words: "This class was a ball!") and I was both happy and sad. I am going to miss Ancient Med like a thousand suns or like Ari when she goes off to college.
4) Bad, foreign music videos are almost as awesome as parodies of those music videos where they sing about what's actually happening in the video. This leads to gems like this. And I know nobody ever clicks links off of blogger, but pretend I'm talking to you on Gtalk or Facebook or your drug of choice and I'm making you click it, okay?
5) It has only just struck me that when I go off to college and have to act normally (aka I can't write "slug aphrodisiac" on other people's papers) I will wind up finding other outlets to express that craziness. Expect me to send you all videos of karaoke bars. I promise I will not be drunk.
Love: exists only for Arthurian legend, Youtube, my dog, and Derk. And possibly my friends, though stupid Facebook has eaten all their brains.
Derk: is possibly the cutest platydragon (platydrapus? dragopus? dragypugon?) I've ever seen. I am eternally envious of hir stunning good looks and ability to balance on two legs, a tail, and a flipper.
And some other stuff, obviously of less consequence:
1) I am super excited to see the musical, because I used to watch Thoroughly Modern Millie a lot when I was younger and it was one of my favorite things ever. And okay, even if they're not doing the Tapioca number, I'm STILL excited.
2) Cutest 10th grade couple=Treeboy and Tree=OTP FOREVER.
3) Mail Jug told us today how awesome he thought we were (exact words: "This class was a ball!") and I was both happy and sad. I am going to miss Ancient Med like a thousand suns or like Ari when she goes off to college.
4) Bad, foreign music videos are almost as awesome as parodies of those music videos where they sing about what's actually happening in the video. This leads to gems like this. And I know nobody ever clicks links off of blogger, but pretend I'm talking to you on Gtalk or Facebook or your drug of choice and I'm making you click it, okay?
5) It has only just struck me that when I go off to college and have to act normally (aka I can't write "slug aphrodisiac" on other people's papers) I will wind up finding other outlets to express that craziness. Expect me to send you all videos of karaoke bars. I promise I will not be drunk.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Boom-dee-a-da
I love when the written lyrics for a song include either: "Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da, Boom-dee-a-da." or "da da da (da da da) da da da (da da da) da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da da da da da da da (da da da) da da da (da da da) da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da". It just. It looks so stupid, and yet.
Also--why are the Boom-dee-a-das capitalized, but da da das aren't? A question to bring up in Intro to Philosophy, no doubt.
And we've had assigned, proper, real math homework for the first time in MONTHS. Sort of. Assigning it over email is still better than no assignment, I guess. At the same time, it's a little late because the wheels of fate and parental intervention have been set in motion.
Apparently, even when white people try and be conscientious about race, they screw it up by focusing on what being white has done to cause racial tension instead of looking at the, and I quote, "critical and very powerful roles people of color play in coaltions and struggles for justice and equality".
Gag me with a spoon. What we're clearly supposed to take away from American Cultural Studies is that if you're white, you're guilty. Of everything. Even when you have good intentions, you will be racist. ALWAYS. And of course this logic is not flawed at all because we are enlightened, politically correct beings who understand that so long as your skin color is darker than that of the average redneck Arkansas hick, you can do no wrong. I'll let you all ponder that for a minute.
I realize that though I love psychology and can't think of another field that is both financially appealing (aka NOT acting, riding, etc.) and something I'd enjoy--I am terrible at comforting people. I never know what to say, and it's always really awkward, and nobody winds up feeling any better. In fact, more often than not it seems the Mope Total goes up instead of down after I try and offer some kind words.
Basically, I'm DOOMED. But I don't have any other choices right now. So I'm doomed.
That is all.
Also--why are the Boom-dee-a-das capitalized, but da da das aren't? A question to bring up in Intro to Philosophy, no doubt.
And we've had assigned, proper, real math homework for the first time in MONTHS. Sort of. Assigning it over email is still better than no assignment, I guess. At the same time, it's a little late because the wheels of fate and parental intervention have been set in motion.
Apparently, even when white people try and be conscientious about race, they screw it up by focusing on what being white has done to cause racial tension instead of looking at the, and I quote, "critical and very powerful roles people of color play in coaltions and struggles for justice and equality".
Gag me with a spoon. What we're clearly supposed to take away from American Cultural Studies is that if you're white, you're guilty. Of everything. Even when you have good intentions, you will be racist. ALWAYS. And of course this logic is not flawed at all because we are enlightened, politically correct beings who understand that so long as your skin color is darker than that of the average redneck Arkansas hick, you can do no wrong. I'll let you all ponder that for a minute.
I realize that though I love psychology and can't think of another field that is both financially appealing (aka NOT acting, riding, etc.) and something I'd enjoy--I am terrible at comforting people. I never know what to say, and it's always really awkward, and nobody winds up feeling any better. In fact, more often than not it seems the Mope Total goes up instead of down after I try and offer some kind words.
Basically, I'm DOOMED. But I don't have any other choices right now. So I'm doomed.
That is all.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Two sides of the same coin
I've realized something amazing. Even if I do badly in Intensive Precal, so long as I keep my other grades up, it can't sabotage me so badly that I won't get into a school with a good psychology program--even if that school is UW. And better still, I can try my hardest during my first four years of college, get good grades, be successful, and then apply to my dream college for graduate school--and NOT get screwed over by a pathetic excuse for a math teacher. Stanford may be a stretch, but I'm not going to let myself think that my whole future is ruined because of one stupid high school precalculus class. In fact, for what I want to do with my life, I will need calculus exactly 0% of the time.
Hallelujah.
In other news, I love finding that people actually write well outside the few LJ authors I stalk. It gives me hope for humanity. I also love old British men who make funny faces on national TV. And I love people who spend their time screencapping old British men making funny faces on national TV, because then I can save said screencaps and worship them forever. I'm also starting a new Tale of Epic (this is probably my ten billionth attempt) which will no doubt soon be discontinued, but for now I'm having fun writing, reading, watching, and generally enjoying all forms of Arthurian-esque legend. Actually, Arthurian legend is one of my favorites. Probably because it is basically a lot like every fantasy epic I've ever loved. It may not be deep, meaningful stuff, but it sure is fun.
Though no doubt I should stop having fun and get back to the dreary task of studying for the upcoming Chemistry test. Which I DO need to do well on. Drat.
Hallelujah.
In other news, I love finding that people actually write well outside the few LJ authors I stalk. It gives me hope for humanity. I also love old British men who make funny faces on national TV. And I love people who spend their time screencapping old British men making funny faces on national TV, because then I can save said screencaps and worship them forever. I'm also starting a new Tale of Epic (this is probably my ten billionth attempt) which will no doubt soon be discontinued, but for now I'm having fun writing, reading, watching, and generally enjoying all forms of Arthurian-esque legend. Actually, Arthurian legend is one of my favorites. Probably because it is basically a lot like every fantasy epic I've ever loved. It may not be deep, meaningful stuff, but it sure is fun.
Though no doubt I should stop having fun and get back to the dreary task of studying for the upcoming Chemistry test. Which I DO need to do well on. Drat.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A post-script, of sorts
I cannot even express how happy it makes me to have fallen in love with something again. I've missed being able to grin like an idiot and just feel so overwhelmingly gleeful, even in the face of something as horrendous as the upcoming few days.
Stop! He has right of way!
Two things have brightened my day.
Number one comes in parts. First is that among the internet crowd I sort of stalk on LJ, the BBC is known as the Beeb. I have no words for this.
Second is that the BBC has decided to totally and completely pander to the crowds of nerdy fandom-whores (read: people like me) and create a show known as Merlin. Which involves British accents, dragons, swords, British accents, tweedy British men, tons of subtext, cute British men, and a whole whopping BARREL of DESTINY. It's like the baby I never had but would totally adopt. Oh yes, and did I mention that Merlin is a snarky, skinny little wiseass and Arthur is an arrogant, swaggering prat and they are MEANT TO BE TOGETHER AND IT'S TOTALLY CANON, OKAY.
Um.
So clearly I get a bit carried away sometimes, especially when it comes to fandom, and this is a badly-hidden side that I tend to keep hidden except not so much anymore because I must share my love for Merlin with the world.
But that's not the only thing that's made me happy. I also realized today that if ever I have major issues with math, I can go to my dad and he can take about 30 seconds to explain basic integrals in a way that I UNDERSTAND. Kruges has spent at least a few periods on integrals, and I haven't gotten anything from it. So this is a little surreal. But awesome.
As a little sidenote to this, I think I'm going to take Statistics next year, which is not only easy but will probably give me a head start in college. And maybe even make me like math again. Intensive Precal just happens to be an epic failure.
Number one comes in parts. First is that among the internet crowd I sort of stalk on LJ, the BBC is known as the Beeb. I have no words for this.
Second is that the BBC has decided to totally and completely pander to the crowds of nerdy fandom-whores (read: people like me) and create a show known as Merlin. Which involves British accents, dragons, swords, British accents, tweedy British men, tons of subtext, cute British men, and a whole whopping BARREL of DESTINY. It's like the baby I never had but would totally adopt. Oh yes, and did I mention that Merlin is a snarky, skinny little wiseass and Arthur is an arrogant, swaggering prat and they are MEANT TO BE TOGETHER AND IT'S TOTALLY CANON, OKAY.
Um.
So clearly I get a bit carried away sometimes, especially when it comes to fandom, and this is a badly-hidden side that I tend to keep hidden except not so much anymore because I must share my love for Merlin with the world.
But that's not the only thing that's made me happy. I also realized today that if ever I have major issues with math, I can go to my dad and he can take about 30 seconds to explain basic integrals in a way that I UNDERSTAND. Kruges has spent at least a few periods on integrals, and I haven't gotten anything from it. So this is a little surreal. But awesome.
As a little sidenote to this, I think I'm going to take Statistics next year, which is not only easy but will probably give me a head start in college. And maybe even make me like math again. Intensive Precal just happens to be an epic failure.
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