Oh man! Hi! I haven't written an actual blog since BEDA. Which is terrible and depressing and entirely believable.
I mean, I say a blog's-worth of things on twitter every day (two words), for sure, but COME ONE I SHOULD DO THIS MORE OFTEN.
Unless maybe I don't because I don't have things to say, which seems to be the most probable and definite reason the more I type stuff.
Typing stuff in Notepad, because I LIKE NOTEPAD.
Soap operas are horrible.
Sometimes stream of consciousness things are cool, but no.
Skype keeps blooping it up; I've been using skype a lot more often lately, big chats going on pretty much 24/7, and I'm glad I'm in them because normally I feel and am entirely left out by things like this, totally of my own doing though. I just can't stand the possibility of bothering/inconveniencing people by talking to/messaging them, so I don't. All the time, it's like this. And I think and think and think of how fun and cool and excellent it would be to talk to people, but also at the same time I'm totally petrified and feeling entirely inadequate and infinitely boring.
So then! Get this! I DON'T DO ANYTHING EVER. I JUST DON'T FREAKING DO ANYTHING.
Like the Mountain Goats concert that was 10 minutes from my house! I DIDN'T BUY TICKETS IN TIME. Just because I didn't have a concrete way to get there and back and because no one else wanted to go and I just didn't make the effort or something I DON'T KNOW WHY. Well I DO BUT IT SUCKS AND STUFF.
I am lame.
BUT YES SO NOW YEAH.
Failing at Infinite Summer!
Failing at reading anything besides twitter, in general.
I originally ended that last sentence with an exclamation mark, for some reason. It's not that exciting! OH MAN!
Raocow is a serious, literal genius, in my opinion. He is ridiculously brilliant. I am in love with the way his mind works. He is adorable. The things he says and their context and flow and form is freaking art.
And yeah, whatever, he says he's not like that normally, which obviously, okay, yes, but still, the fact that his mind comes up with the things it does how it does when it does, seriously, I am in love with him.
Rachael Ray is one of if not the worst things ever.
This blog is a fail.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
not a blog
I wrote this for English yesterday. It was supposed to be a persuasive thing, but it did not turn out so much argumentative-like, which, oh well. Very much thanks to Sara who I talked to about stuff and also to everyone else who volunteered, you guys are lovely. It's on the theme of happiness and imagining people complexly, cause that is always good to talk about.
John Green is a New York Times bestselling author. He has tens of thousands of fans, and he interacts with them daily through youtube videos, blogs, live internet shows, twitter, and countless other websites. Many teens cite him as their inspiration for taking up writing; his books have opened up the door to reading for thousands of kids. Through the youtube videos he makes with his brother Hank, he has spawned an entire community of thoughtful, caring individuals. Personally, John has influenced me more than any teacher I’ve ever had, though I’ve never even met him. He is admired by multitudes and is able to do what he loves for a living, but yet John is not a happy person.
One’s initial train of thought upon learning this would probably go something along the lines of “Why not? His life sounds great. I’d love to be in his position. He’s financially stable, works his dream job, gets to interact with this amazing community of people daily. What else does he want?” As humans, we are severely limited in our ability to understand others, and this can make life pretty terrible, but happiness, or at the very least contentment and acceptance, can be found when we realize and keep in mind that we are not alone, that everyone goes through the same thoughts and feelings of loneliness, sadness, and inadequacy that we do.
Author David Foster Wallace addresses this issue in a commencement speech he gave at Kenyon College. After a lengthy monologue about how annoying and unfair and horrible the day to day grind is, during which the crowd actually cheers in understanding, in essence a collective applause acknowledging the unfairness of life, Wallace says that this is the exact opposite of how we should think (79). Instead, he says that the means to a better life lies within us, with how we choose to view the world. We must acknowledge that other people are as multifaceted and complex as we are, and that this choice “involves attention, and awareness, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day” (120). It is with this conscious choice to consider others and have compassion and to realize that they are just as real as we are that we will be able to be more happy, more understanding people.
A few months ago, John Green read David Foster Wallace’s speech during one of his live internet shows. After completing the speech, John discussed the meanings and implications of the text with his viewers:
Many times, we think in ‘if only’s: If only I could get that promotion, if only I had that car, I’d be completely happy with my life if I was in his position. This greed, this constant desire to obtain, will not be placated by obtaining. In an interview, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, said “[Greed] becomes sort of limitless, sort of bottomless, and that leads to trouble. One interesting thing about greed is that although the underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, the irony is that even after obtaining the object of your desire, you are still not satisfied. The true antidote of greed is contentment” (Cutler 968-969).
Being content with what we have and being comfortable with our lot in life is another factor in determining our happiness. These concepts are not new; the Greek philosopher Epictetus puts forth the proposition that life is like a banquet: “Is a dish brought to you? Put out your hand and take a moderate share. Does the dish pass you by? Do not grab for it. Has it not yet reached you? Don’t yearn for it, but wait until it reaches you” (964). It may sound too simple to be true, but do not be fooled into thinking that this constant mindset of complacency is not easy. It takes effort and an ever-present awareness of one’s position in relation to others to fully attain contentment.
No one will ever feel completely understood; we as humans are incapable of entirely inhabiting the mind of another, and while this is what makes each person unique and special, it can also be destructive. Failure to complexly imagine the other can lead to quick judgments, incorrect assumptions, and unnecessary pain. Accepting this fact, embracing it, and acting upon it is the most vital, necessary part of life. Many of John’s books center around this theme: the importance of imagining the other complexly, acknowledging that it is our duty to consider, to think, to analyze, to care about the world, and, as David Foster Wallace put it, “The only thing that’s capital-T True is that you get to decide how you’re going to try to see it” (94).
John Green is a New York Times bestselling author. He has tens of thousands of fans, and he interacts with them daily through youtube videos, blogs, live internet shows, twitter, and countless other websites. Many teens cite him as their inspiration for taking up writing; his books have opened up the door to reading for thousands of kids. Through the youtube videos he makes with his brother Hank, he has spawned an entire community of thoughtful, caring individuals. Personally, John has influenced me more than any teacher I’ve ever had, though I’ve never even met him. He is admired by multitudes and is able to do what he loves for a living, but yet John is not a happy person.
One’s initial train of thought upon learning this would probably go something along the lines of “Why not? His life sounds great. I’d love to be in his position. He’s financially stable, works his dream job, gets to interact with this amazing community of people daily. What else does he want?” As humans, we are severely limited in our ability to understand others, and this can make life pretty terrible, but happiness, or at the very least contentment and acceptance, can be found when we realize and keep in mind that we are not alone, that everyone goes through the same thoughts and feelings of loneliness, sadness, and inadequacy that we do.
Author David Foster Wallace addresses this issue in a commencement speech he gave at Kenyon College. After a lengthy monologue about how annoying and unfair and horrible the day to day grind is, during which the crowd actually cheers in understanding, in essence a collective applause acknowledging the unfairness of life, Wallace says that this is the exact opposite of how we should think (79). Instead, he says that the means to a better life lies within us, with how we choose to view the world. We must acknowledge that other people are as multifaceted and complex as we are, and that this choice “involves attention, and awareness, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day” (120). It is with this conscious choice to consider others and have compassion and to realize that they are just as real as we are that we will be able to be more happy, more understanding people.
A few months ago, John Green read David Foster Wallace’s speech during one of his live internet shows. After completing the speech, John discussed the meanings and implications of the text with his viewers:
We want people to acknowledge that we matter, that our griefs are real, that our joys are real, and we want that so much, and we think that being famous will get that, then famous people will care. So when you look at me, you might think, ‘Oh, it would be great to be John because people care about him, and they care if he does well, and they care if something terrible happens, and they like him, and therefore he’s going to like himself, he’s going to feel good on the inside.’ It’s not any different, really – and I promise – than it ever was. Because the truth is that no one is ever going to acknowledge the reality of you as completely as you would like them to. Even if your breakups are on the cover of US Weekly, they won’t feel the pain that you feel as completely as you want them to. (Green)Accruing physical things, gaining fame, notoriety, respect, etc will not satisfy these needs that so desperately require fulfilling. As John says, we may want to be in his position, as it seems much more desirable and better than our own situation, but no amount of recognition will ever fill that hole…we will never be entirely satisfied with what we have. When we realize this, when we, in the small way that we can, decide to keep this idea in the forefront of our minds and choose to think of things from this perspective, our view of the world will become much more optimistic, and, ideally, we will be more content with our position and surroundings. Recognizing that we are not alone in our aloneness is an important, vital step toward happiness.
Many times, we think in ‘if only’s: If only I could get that promotion, if only I had that car, I’d be completely happy with my life if I was in his position. This greed, this constant desire to obtain, will not be placated by obtaining. In an interview, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, said “[Greed] becomes sort of limitless, sort of bottomless, and that leads to trouble. One interesting thing about greed is that although the underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, the irony is that even after obtaining the object of your desire, you are still not satisfied. The true antidote of greed is contentment” (Cutler 968-969).
Being content with what we have and being comfortable with our lot in life is another factor in determining our happiness. These concepts are not new; the Greek philosopher Epictetus puts forth the proposition that life is like a banquet: “Is a dish brought to you? Put out your hand and take a moderate share. Does the dish pass you by? Do not grab for it. Has it not yet reached you? Don’t yearn for it, but wait until it reaches you” (964). It may sound too simple to be true, but do not be fooled into thinking that this constant mindset of complacency is not easy. It takes effort and an ever-present awareness of one’s position in relation to others to fully attain contentment.
No one will ever feel completely understood; we as humans are incapable of entirely inhabiting the mind of another, and while this is what makes each person unique and special, it can also be destructive. Failure to complexly imagine the other can lead to quick judgments, incorrect assumptions, and unnecessary pain. Accepting this fact, embracing it, and acting upon it is the most vital, necessary part of life. Many of John’s books center around this theme: the importance of imagining the other complexly, acknowledging that it is our duty to consider, to think, to analyze, to care about the world, and, as David Foster Wallace put it, “The only thing that’s capital-T True is that you get to decide how you’re going to try to see it” (94).
Sunday, June 28, 2009
no, still nothing of real stubstance, i suck so much!
1. What do your friends think of you?
Quetzalcoatal Comes Through - The Mountain Goats [yay Mayan deities]
2. If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
The Day I Knew You Wouldn't Ever Come Back - The Decemberists [apparently it wasn't]
3. How would you describe yourself?
Resonant Bell World - The Mountain Goats [sometimes I am a starling, sometimes I am a kite]
4. What do you like in a guy/girl?
Good Friend - Violent Femmes [cool]
5. How do you feel today?
Greasy Kid Stuff - They Might Be Giants [hmm]
6. What is your life’s purpose?
Book Eight - Hank Green [I HAVEN'T EVEN READ THEM; LEAVE ME ALONE]
7. What is your motto?
Lack of Knowledge - Violent Femmes [that is not nice]
8. What do you think about very often?
Green Typewriters III - The Olivia Tremor Control [lies. i have never once thought of them]
9. What do you think of your best friend?
get away from me - best fwends [THIS THING IS SO MEAN]
10. What do you think of the person you like?
Green Machine - The Apples in Stereo [i have no idea what this song means]
11. What is your life story?
I'm Your Villain - Franz Ferdinand [i am not]
12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sandy Face - The Aquabats [YEAH! tent of diapers! face covered in sand!]
13. What do you think of when you see the person you love?
32 Footsteps - They Might Be Giants [they're walkin away from meeee D:]
14. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Pictures of Pandas Painting - They Might Be Giants [WORST. WEDDING. EVER.]
15. What will they play at your funeral?
Adair - The Mountain Goats [this is kind of fantastically perfect]
16. What is your hobby/interest?
Saigon Shrunken Panorama - The Mountain Goats [okay]
17. What is your biggest fear?
Nova Scotia - The Mountain Goats [basically]
18. What is your biggest secret?
The Saga of You, Confused Destroyer of Planets - Lemon Demon [TRUTH]
19. What do you think of your friends?
Key of 2 - Violent Femmes [prison musicians!]
20. What will you post this as?
Living a Lie - Violent Femmes [no i will not]
Quetzalcoatal Comes Through - The Mountain Goats [yay Mayan deities]
2. If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
The Day I Knew You Wouldn't Ever Come Back - The Decemberists [apparently it wasn't]
3. How would you describe yourself?
Resonant Bell World - The Mountain Goats [sometimes I am a starling, sometimes I am a kite]
4. What do you like in a guy/girl?
Good Friend - Violent Femmes [cool]
5. How do you feel today?
Greasy Kid Stuff - They Might Be Giants [hmm]
6. What is your life’s purpose?
Book Eight - Hank Green [I HAVEN'T EVEN READ THEM; LEAVE ME ALONE]
7. What is your motto?
Lack of Knowledge - Violent Femmes [that is not nice]
8. What do you think about very often?
Green Typewriters III - The Olivia Tremor Control [lies. i have never once thought of them]
9. What do you think of your best friend?
get away from me - best fwends [THIS THING IS SO MEAN]
10. What do you think of the person you like?
Green Machine - The Apples in Stereo [i have no idea what this song means]
11. What is your life story?
I'm Your Villain - Franz Ferdinand [i am not]
12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sandy Face - The Aquabats [YEAH! tent of diapers! face covered in sand!]
13. What do you think of when you see the person you love?
32 Footsteps - They Might Be Giants [they're walkin away from meeee D:]
14. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Pictures of Pandas Painting - They Might Be Giants [WORST. WEDDING. EVER.]
15. What will they play at your funeral?
Adair - The Mountain Goats [this is kind of fantastically perfect]
16. What is your hobby/interest?
Saigon Shrunken Panorama - The Mountain Goats [okay]
17. What is your biggest fear?
Nova Scotia - The Mountain Goats [basically]
18. What is your biggest secret?
The Saga of You, Confused Destroyer of Planets - Lemon Demon [TRUTH]
19. What do you think of your friends?
Key of 2 - Violent Femmes [prison musicians!]
20. What will you post this as?
Living a Lie - Violent Femmes [no i will not]
Monday, June 15, 2009
oh dear
This is entirely terrible, I know I know I know. Written for some English class a long time ago.
Everyone knows what YouTube is; mention it to any teenager, and they’ll most likely give you a long list of videos you’ve gotta see. The popular video site is host to millions of videos, with tens of thousands more being uploaded every day. Though at first glance, the site may seem a repository of TV show clips and videos of drunk guys lighting firecrackers, YouTube fosters a sense of interaction and of community, giving anyone with internet access the ability not only to view the lives of others, but also to influence and participate in them. There is no better example of the utilization of YouTube to the ends of building a community than that of Nerdfighters, the group of people inspired, organized, and founded by brothers John and Hank Green.
In December of 2006, John proposed the idea of starting a video blog, or vlog, on YouTube as an alternate means of communicating. Because the two lived far from each other (at the time, John was living in New York and Hank in Montana), they relied mostly on textual forms of communication, and “because it was always done while they were doing other things,” their relationship was not strong, and they “never really connected.” They decided to stop all textual communication and to instead confer through daily video blogs for the whole of 2007, Hank uploading a video one day and John the next, Monday through Friday. They titled the project “Brotherhood 2.0”.
At first they talked back and forth mostly to themselves, but, as their viewership grew, the project evolved into an interactive society of John and Hank responding to their viewers’ comments and video responses. In mid-February, John named Brotherhood 2.0 followers Nerdfighters, a name he mistakenly took a video game’s title to be (it was actually called Aero Fighters).
Throughout the project, John and Hank initiated ideas or challenges that the whole community latched onto and fully participated in. This is one of the interesting, innovative sides of virtual communities. The instant adoration of and dedication to any suggestion put forth by the brothers reveal an interesting aspect of community: that people are much more apt to participate and fully engage in something when someone else takes initiative first. People like to be led and are happy to go along with someone they admire or respect. It has been frequently brought up in discussions that the Nerdfighter community is strikingly similar to a cult in many ways. Many Nerdfighters pledge their undying allegiance to the brothers and community and adopt a whole way of life according to what Hank and John deem important.
John and Hank have definitely realized and harnessed the power that they have acquired through their fans. They have set up a PayPal account to accept donations for charities; they have organized a “secret project for awesome” in which hundreds of viewers created videos promoting their favorite charities. When one viewer decided to quit college and fly to Bangladesh to use his saved up money to buy food and supplies for the people there, John and Hank spotlighted his efforts and donated money themselves, spurring the Nerdfighters to do the same. When the brothers see another Nerdfighter doing something awesome, they mention and support their efforts on their vlog, thus spurring other Nerdfighters to get involved in their projects. Hank and John have inspired dozens of similar channels which have also gained large viewerships, creating communities within communities.
It is wonderful that the brothers have used the opportunities they’ve acquired for good; they could have just as easily made the project all about themselves, for their own gain. Instead, they have created a community in which other people have been inspired to do something to make the world a better place. They’ve inspired to be more accepting of others, to be more generous, and to have pride in who they are.
The community the Green brothers have created has continued to grow. Nerdfighters are sincere, inspiring, dedicated, and driven viewers. Yet they are not merely viewers, but participants, members of an online family who support and help those in need, who band together to do awesome things, who share a common ideology that the world has the potential to be a great place and that it is up to them to make it that way.
Two Brothers, One Video Blog: A Whole New Kind of Society
Everyone knows what YouTube is; mention it to any teenager, and they’ll most likely give you a long list of videos you’ve gotta see. The popular video site is host to millions of videos, with tens of thousands more being uploaded every day. Though at first glance, the site may seem a repository of TV show clips and videos of drunk guys lighting firecrackers, YouTube fosters a sense of interaction and of community, giving anyone with internet access the ability not only to view the lives of others, but also to influence and participate in them. There is no better example of the utilization of YouTube to the ends of building a community than that of Nerdfighters, the group of people inspired, organized, and founded by brothers John and Hank Green.
In December of 2006, John proposed the idea of starting a video blog, or vlog, on YouTube as an alternate means of communicating. Because the two lived far from each other (at the time, John was living in New York and Hank in Montana), they relied mostly on textual forms of communication, and “because it was always done while they were doing other things,” their relationship was not strong, and they “never really connected.” They decided to stop all textual communication and to instead confer through daily video blogs for the whole of 2007, Hank uploading a video one day and John the next, Monday through Friday. They titled the project “Brotherhood 2.0”.
At first they talked back and forth mostly to themselves, but, as their viewership grew, the project evolved into an interactive society of John and Hank responding to their viewers’ comments and video responses. In mid-February, John named Brotherhood 2.0 followers Nerdfighters, a name he mistakenly took a video game’s title to be (it was actually called Aero Fighters).
Throughout the project, John and Hank initiated ideas or challenges that the whole community latched onto and fully participated in. This is one of the interesting, innovative sides of virtual communities. The instant adoration of and dedication to any suggestion put forth by the brothers reveal an interesting aspect of community: that people are much more apt to participate and fully engage in something when someone else takes initiative first. People like to be led and are happy to go along with someone they admire or respect. It has been frequently brought up in discussions that the Nerdfighter community is strikingly similar to a cult in many ways. Many Nerdfighters pledge their undying allegiance to the brothers and community and adopt a whole way of life according to what Hank and John deem important.
John and Hank have definitely realized and harnessed the power that they have acquired through their fans. They have set up a PayPal account to accept donations for charities; they have organized a “secret project for awesome” in which hundreds of viewers created videos promoting their favorite charities. When one viewer decided to quit college and fly to Bangladesh to use his saved up money to buy food and supplies for the people there, John and Hank spotlighted his efforts and donated money themselves, spurring the Nerdfighters to do the same. When the brothers see another Nerdfighter doing something awesome, they mention and support their efforts on their vlog, thus spurring other Nerdfighters to get involved in their projects. Hank and John have inspired dozens of similar channels which have also gained large viewerships, creating communities within communities.
It is wonderful that the brothers have used the opportunities they’ve acquired for good; they could have just as easily made the project all about themselves, for their own gain. Instead, they have created a community in which other people have been inspired to do something to make the world a better place. They’ve inspired to be more accepting of others, to be more generous, and to have pride in who they are.
The community the Green brothers have created has continued to grow. Nerdfighters are sincere, inspiring, dedicated, and driven viewers. Yet they are not merely viewers, but participants, members of an online family who support and help those in need, who band together to do awesome things, who share a common ideology that the world has the potential to be a great place and that it is up to them to make it that way.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
PEEP STORY
A long long time ago, some nerdfighters from the nerdfighter aim chat, or maybe the dftba chat, can't remember, wrote a story using etherpad.com, which lets you edit text and see others' edits in real time.
There were maybe five or six of us who collaborated on this. Good times.
There were maybe five or six of us who collaborated on this. Good times.
There once was a Nerdfighter named Pablo. He was a solitary boy. On a particularly damp and lonely Easter Eve, he went to the JohnJacobJingleHymerShmit Grocery Store (JJJSGS, or Triple-J SGS) to buy some yellow peeps, which Pablo enjoyed cooking in the microwave.
BUT! These were no normal peeps. These peeps were really ALIENS!!!
Alien Ostrich Peeps!(AOP)
He bought two packages of the INFERNAL sugar blobs and took them home.
When Pablo microwaved the peeps, they bloated to an unfathomable size, their enormous, accusing, slightly melted eyes staring at him as if to say "WHY!? Why have you betrayed us?"
Pablo loved roasted peeps though, and desperately wanted a snack. Pablo stared at the peeps in the microwave as they continued to swell. They let out a strange growling noise. He began to struggle with his conflicting emotions. Should he give in to his desires for peeps, or give them a chance at life?
Just as they reached maximal size, he hit POWER OFF. He wondered if it was too late to save them.
As he opened the microwave door, a nasty, burnt odor wafted out, permeating the entire house, the smell saturating his jeans and "DFTBA" hoodie.
He turned away, searching the space around him for uncontaminated air to breathe. After waiting a few seconds, he turned back to find an empty microwave.
He examined the inside of the microwave more closely and found nothing but a few spots of sticky marshmallow and a green Post-It. The peeps were gone.
"AARGHH! This is tragedies!" Pablo exclaimed in the manner of a man-zombie who had a hunger, and the only thing that could cure that hunger was more Peeps (and not the alien kind). "I'M HUUUNGRY!"
He picked up the Post-It and read the mysterious note they had left. It said..."we can haz cheezburger? -peeps"
Pablo stood there in disbelief. He thought disbelievingly, "I don't believe this." He made a face. And on that face was a look of disbelief. He had a face, once. The fumes from cooking the peeps had melted it away. Pablo the Faceless Man was still hungry, regardless of whether he had lips or not.
He decided to search for the peeps. He looked high, he looked low, he looked to, he looked fro, but couldn't find even a molecule of marshmallow. "IT JUST ISN'T FAIR!" Pablo burst into tears and slumped down in the corner of the kitchen, utterly distraught.
He glanced up in the mirror. The sight of his face made him cry even harder. But then he noticed a tiny bit of yellow in his hood.
"Golly gee willikers!" he mumbled with his lipless mouth, shrinking in fright. He then grabbed his nearest weapon- a DEADLY spatula- and flipped the little bugger off his precious hood with a manly flick of the wrist.
"GTFO!!!" he yelped with his vocal chords. Thinking quickly, he thrust his hand upon a conveniently placed bottle of Strawberry Hill and commenced to pour it upon the heathen Peep. It let out a moan of peepy pain, then shrunk to its original not-so-intimidating size.
"Eureka!" Pablo shouted with joy. "I have found the cure!"
His elation was broken by the memory of the 4 other peeps that he had not found. They were definitely not in the house, so where could they be? "If I were a giant yellow alien peep on the night before Easter, where would I go?" he wondered. He thought back to the note. He remembered how wonderfully green it was and sighed with contentment.
Pablo locked himself in his room, shamed at his horrid facelessness. The Peeps had not returned, leaving Pablo alone, stricken by guilt. He had not known the Peeps were alive, and wished he had never gone to the Triple-J SGS on that fateful day.
Pablo had no mouth to eat with. He found himself desperately craving Cheez-its and and egg McMuffins. Three days passed. Then a knock came at Pablo's door.
"Yes...?" Pablo mumbled. "Who is it?"
"I am PeepMaster, Lord of the Ostrich Peeps, from planet AOP. You have comitted an atrocity by murdering my subjects. You must pay."
"But...but...I have no face...isn't that punishment enough???"
"NO!!" the Peepmaster boomed. "You must do us a favor. And this favor might be your downfall.." (duuu DUUUUUUUNNNNNNN)
"Wha?" Pablo stammered "Buh, huh?"
"We have been watching your 'vlogbrothers' via verizon broadband wireless for many months now. You must shave off John Green's left eyebrow!!!" the peep laughed manically.
"NOOOOO NEVERRRR!!" Pablo screamed...at least as much as he could with no mouth.
"That is not all." the Peep smirked,"You must buy ten catfish, let them rot for a bit, and then stuff them in Hank's guitar!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Pablo cried. "Why would you do this, you decepticon!"
"NEED I REMIND YOU...Hank is responsible for the murder of many of my brethren. And John covered his face in Peanut Butter, which is STRONGLY against Peep law!!"
Pablo cried. He did not want to shave off John's eyebrow, or stuff rotted catfish in Hank's guitar.
"I refuse." Pablo said bluntly.
"If you do as we say...you will get your face back. If not, you will be chained to a gorilla named Poindexter Snuffalufagus for all eternity. In a room where you can smell Cheez-its and egg Mcmuffins, but never can eat them! The will be just out of reach...right where 3 billion peeps will be watching you FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Mandark laugh*<---(Dexter's Laboratory refrence)"
Pablo stood up. "Okay, I'll do it."
Suddenly, in a brilliant flash of light, Pablo found himself standing on a spaceship..or that is what it looked like at least.
"This is Peep Space 9." A small peep shaped like a rabbit said, "Welcome aboard."
"And I am Jean Peep Picmarshmallow, Captain of this vessel," a bald peep said.
Pablo was confused, partly because he had no idea how a peep could be bald, as peeps have no hair--but mostly because Picard, who he assumed this Peep was named after, was not captain of Deep Space 9, which was actually a space station, not a space ship, anyway. He decided to ignore these facts because the situation was confusing enough. Just going with the flow was probably the best idea for now, seeing as he had just been kidnapped by Peeps. Which, according to all previous knowledge, was a very un-peeplike thing to do.
A hole opened up in the floor and a platform raised up with Hank Green.
"What are you doing here Hank?!?"
Hank didn't answer. He just started playing the party blower solo in real time. Do, do do do, do do do, do do do , do do do, do do do, do do do do do.
do, do do, do do do do do, do do do do do do do, do do do.
Pablo rolled over, and hit his iPhone alarm. "Ughh....." He looked over at 2 and half empty bottles of strawberry hill wine, and 5 empty packages of peeps. He then jumped out of bed and proceeded to call Ralph Culver, his best friend and handy-dandy dream expert, on the big white phone.
AND THEN THE WORLD EXPLODED THE END.Thursday, June 4, 2009
this is water
This was my final project for graphic design. We had to make something with 16 pages or elements, chronicling an epiphany we've had. Originally, I was going to make it about when I first started to appreciate the English Stuff elements of literature, and the text was going to be bits of Catcher in the Rye, Paper Towns, Song of Myself, and the Mountain Goats' Tallahassee, but a few weeks before it was due, John read the speech that David Foster Wallace gave at a Kenyon commencement ceremony. And it kinda totally changed the way I look at and think of the world. Completely. Andbutso I switched to that speech and John's comments on it instead.
It means a lot to me, and I wouldn't share it with my physically present type friends, because they may/might not understand. But I trust you. I trust you, internet, because this kind of stuff is entirely what our relationship is based on. Words and thinking and connecting.
So here:
[click to be able to actually read things]
It means a lot to me, and I wouldn't share it with my physically present type friends, because they may/might not understand. But I trust you. I trust you, internet, because this kind of stuff is entirely what our relationship is based on. Words and thinking and connecting.
So here:
[click to be able to actually read things]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Everything is always about John Green.
1. First thing you wash in the shower?
My hair.
2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Don't like hoodies very much, but I have one with The Cheat in it, and that is pretty cool. It is black.
3. Do you plan outfits?
Nope. This often results in navy/brown/black combos :/
4. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
My eye itches.
5. What’s the closest thing to you that's red?
My wriststrong bracelet. Stephen Colbert is lovely.
6. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I cannot remember; I haven't had any vivid dreams in months, but it probably had to do with thisisnottom.com.
7. Did you meet anybody new today?
An oral surgeon.
8. What are you craving right now?
Chipotle. I am always craving Chipotle. Haven't had it since that time in Mr. Tanner's class for some econ party last year.
9. Do you floss?
No. I have sensitive gums.
10. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Sabotage. Also sauerkraut. And then of course Weird Al. And then twitter. And then Ben Folds.
11. Are you emotional?
no. *icy stare*
12. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Probably not.
13. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Depends if it is soft serve or regular.
14. Do you like your hair?
No, it is full of split ends which is entirely my fault; I AM SO LAZY.
15. Do you like yourself?
I like the things I get to do and the people I know and the things I have access to; I only like myself when I think of clever witty things.
16. Would you go out to eat with George W.Bush?
If it was to Chipotle.
17. Would you throw potatoes at him?
Stupid choice of ammunition.
18. What are you listening to right now?
An Icy Hot commercial, and now something about laxatives, now I have turned off the tv and now John Green is reading the prologue of Paper Towns to me. (which you should buy [and also listen to/watch him read...an old revision...over a year before the book was published. I love youtube so much. Seriously it is so good.]) So yeah, I like John Green.
19. Are your parents strict?
I don't do anything; they don't need to be.
20. Would you go sky diving?
No. Not that I am terrified of it, but it just seems like there are a plethora of safer, easier ways to achieve the same end result, which is fear and also exhilaration. Like you could be chased by a dog, for instance. Or skype chat with Hank Green which I am still kind of freaking out about and fangirl a little every time the box pops up that says he's online.
21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Not at all.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Not in real life, that I can remember. But through twitter hecks YES. Rainn Wilson favorited one of my tweets ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN GOATS NO LESS. And Brent Spiner replied to me. And Paul Feig sent me a DM which I couldn't stop smiling about for hours.
23. Do you rent movies often?
Never ever pay money to temporarily acquire things. I use the library. Or, lately, torrents. Which kind of makes me hate myself.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
blah blah Edward-bashing joke blah blah blah
25. How many countries have you visited?
2 - America and also Canada. But it was only Niagara Falls Canada which is not Canada at all.
28. Have you made a prank phone call?
No, telephones are horrible.
27. Ever been on a train?
Yes, but not out of necessity or as a means of transportation. It was some kind of fun cool thing, to take a 30 minute train ride. What a waste of everything.
28. Brown or white eggs?
White. The brown ones make me nervous. I don't know them and am not familiar with them. Mysterious eggs.
29.Do you have a cell-phone?
Yes, but it is not connected to the World Wide Web, or Internet. What is this hyphen malarkey?
30. Do you use chap stick?
No, it's counterproductive; it just makes me lick my lips all the time.
31. Do you own a gun?
I have a cap gun. Or had. And also a toy gun that you think is just a laser pointer but then shocks you and then you knee the glass display case out of fear and stuff and you think you've broken it but oh good you haven't. And then you feel stupid and hope no one saw. They didn't. MLIA.
32. Can you use chop sticks?
THIS IS AMERICA.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight?
No one, but the newspaper person just threw a newspaper at our house, so that's something.
34. Are you too forgiving?
No one's done anything to me that was so horrible that I've forgiven them and they've hurt me again.
35. Ever been in love?
I fall hard for the ideas of things. But I don't know. I kind of love John Green. And I really love Chipotle.
36. What is(are) your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
I don't have best friends.
37. Ever have cream puffs?
Lots and lots of expired ones.
38. Last time you cried?
Not sure, it might have been when I reread Looking for Alaska. Or when I came to terms with the fact that it was only my stupidity and idiocy that prevented me from seeing the Mountain Goats. I can't believe me. I am so dumb.
39. What was the last question you asked?
"OH HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. REALLY?"
40. Favorite time of the year?
Winter.
41. Do you have any tattoos?
No, but if I ever get one, it'll be just text, on the inside of my wrist, facing so I can read it, either a Mountain Goats lyric or John Green quote or DFW or Vonnegut. Maybe 'so it goes'. Or Walt Whitman or e. e. cummings, I don't know.
42. Are you sarcastic?
Yes.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
No.
44. Ever walked into a wall?
Not straight on, though I have literally run into a sliding glass door. It was night, and it had just been cleaned, and it was painful.
45. Favorite color?
Blue.
46. Have you ever slapped someone?
Yes, but I've never used all my strength in hurting someone.
47. Is your hair curly?
It was when I was younger, and it would be somewhat curly now if it wasn't so long.
48. What was the last CD you bought?
The last music purchase I made was vinyl, yes I am that cool, but before that I bought John Vanderslice's Romanian Names.
49. Do looks matter?
Unfortunately.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
Depends on the kind of cheating.
51. Is your phone bill sky high?
No, I hate telephones, and also SKYPE is FREE.
52. Do you like your life right now?
Too general! Too broad! Impossible to answer unless specific.
53. Do you sleep with the T.V. on?
Only if I fall asleep with the tv on.
54. Can you handle the truth?
I don't know why someone would rather be fed easy lies, knowing that they're lies, than accept the truth. 'for your own good' is idiotic.
55. Do you have good vision?
Of course not, I am a nerd.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
I try not to hate. Imagine the other complexly. That is kind of a mantra.
57. How often do you talk on the phone?
Why are there so many questions about phones?
58. How do you feel about holding hands?
I am for it.
59. What are you wearing?
My Movies: Ruining the book since 1920 shirt which is unfortunate because I am going to see Star Trek again tomorrow, and I like to wear this one when I go to the movies. And also pants and stuff. Sorry Maureen. I'm #nopants in spirit though. Always.
60.What is your favorite animal?
For some reason the first thing that came to mind was beards?
61. Where was your default picture taken?
Five feet to the left.
62. Can you hula hoop?
To an extent.
63. Do you have a job?
No. I work for ChaCha. But I don't. They are not fun. I could, but I haven't logged in for six months or something. The questions are depressing and make me lose faith in humanity.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
A dozen books from an estate sale. Only a dollar. I am very excited.
65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
No, I am not a John Green character.
My hair.
2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Don't like hoodies very much, but I have one with The Cheat in it, and that is pretty cool. It is black.
3. Do you plan outfits?
Nope. This often results in navy/brown/black combos :/
4. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
My eye itches.
5. What’s the closest thing to you that's red?
My wriststrong bracelet. Stephen Colbert is lovely.
6. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I cannot remember; I haven't had any vivid dreams in months, but it probably had to do with thisisnottom.com.
7. Did you meet anybody new today?
An oral surgeon.
8. What are you craving right now?
Chipotle. I am always craving Chipotle. Haven't had it since that time in Mr. Tanner's class for some econ party last year.
9. Do you floss?
No. I have sensitive gums.
10. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Sabotage. Also sauerkraut. And then of course Weird Al. And then twitter. And then Ben Folds.
11. Are you emotional?
no. *icy stare*
12. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Probably not.
13. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Depends if it is soft serve or regular.
14. Do you like your hair?
No, it is full of split ends which is entirely my fault; I AM SO LAZY.
15. Do you like yourself?
I like the things I get to do and the people I know and the things I have access to; I only like myself when I think of clever witty things.
16. Would you go out to eat with George W.Bush?
If it was to Chipotle.
17. Would you throw potatoes at him?
Stupid choice of ammunition.
18. What are you listening to right now?
An Icy Hot commercial, and now something about laxatives, now I have turned off the tv and now John Green is reading the prologue of Paper Towns to me. (which you should buy [and also listen to/watch him read...an old revision...over a year before the book was published. I love youtube so much. Seriously it is so good.]) So yeah, I like John Green.
19. Are your parents strict?
I don't do anything; they don't need to be.
20. Would you go sky diving?
No. Not that I am terrified of it, but it just seems like there are a plethora of safer, easier ways to achieve the same end result, which is fear and also exhilaration. Like you could be chased by a dog, for instance. Or skype chat with Hank Green which I am still kind of freaking out about and fangirl a little every time the box pops up that says he's online.
21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Not at all.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Not in real life, that I can remember. But through twitter hecks YES. Rainn Wilson favorited one of my tweets ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN GOATS NO LESS. And Brent Spiner replied to me. And Paul Feig sent me a DM which I couldn't stop smiling about for hours.
23. Do you rent movies often?
Never ever pay money to temporarily acquire things. I use the library. Or, lately, torrents. Which kind of makes me hate myself.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
blah blah Edward-bashing joke blah blah blah
25. How many countries have you visited?
2 - America and also Canada. But it was only Niagara Falls Canada which is not Canada at all.
28. Have you made a prank phone call?
No, telephones are horrible.
27. Ever been on a train?
Yes, but not out of necessity or as a means of transportation. It was some kind of fun cool thing, to take a 30 minute train ride. What a waste of everything.
28. Brown or white eggs?
White. The brown ones make me nervous. I don't know them and am not familiar with them. Mysterious eggs.
29.Do you have a cell-phone?
Yes, but it is not connected to the World Wide Web, or Internet. What is this hyphen malarkey?
30. Do you use chap stick?
No, it's counterproductive; it just makes me lick my lips all the time.
31. Do you own a gun?
I have a cap gun. Or had. And also a toy gun that you think is just a laser pointer but then shocks you and then you knee the glass display case out of fear and stuff and you think you've broken it but oh good you haven't. And then you feel stupid and hope no one saw. They didn't. MLIA.
32. Can you use chop sticks?
THIS IS AMERICA.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight?
No one, but the newspaper person just threw a newspaper at our house, so that's something.
34. Are you too forgiving?
No one's done anything to me that was so horrible that I've forgiven them and they've hurt me again.
35. Ever been in love?
I fall hard for the ideas of things. But I don't know. I kind of love John Green. And I really love Chipotle.
36. What is(are) your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
I don't have best friends.
37. Ever have cream puffs?
Lots and lots of expired ones.
38. Last time you cried?
Not sure, it might have been when I reread Looking for Alaska. Or when I came to terms with the fact that it was only my stupidity and idiocy that prevented me from seeing the Mountain Goats. I can't believe me. I am so dumb.
39. What was the last question you asked?
"OH HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. REALLY?"
40. Favorite time of the year?
Winter.
41. Do you have any tattoos?
No, but if I ever get one, it'll be just text, on the inside of my wrist, facing so I can read it, either a Mountain Goats lyric or John Green quote or DFW or Vonnegut. Maybe 'so it goes'. Or Walt Whitman or e. e. cummings, I don't know.
42. Are you sarcastic?
Yes.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
No.
44. Ever walked into a wall?
Not straight on, though I have literally run into a sliding glass door. It was night, and it had just been cleaned, and it was painful.
45. Favorite color?
Blue.
46. Have you ever slapped someone?
Yes, but I've never used all my strength in hurting someone.
47. Is your hair curly?
It was when I was younger, and it would be somewhat curly now if it wasn't so long.
48. What was the last CD you bought?
The last music purchase I made was vinyl, yes I am that cool, but before that I bought John Vanderslice's Romanian Names.
49. Do looks matter?
Unfortunately.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
Depends on the kind of cheating.
51. Is your phone bill sky high?
No, I hate telephones, and also SKYPE is FREE.
52. Do you like your life right now?
Too general! Too broad! Impossible to answer unless specific.
53. Do you sleep with the T.V. on?
Only if I fall asleep with the tv on.
54. Can you handle the truth?
I don't know why someone would rather be fed easy lies, knowing that they're lies, than accept the truth. 'for your own good' is idiotic.
55. Do you have good vision?
Of course not, I am a nerd.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
I try not to hate. Imagine the other complexly. That is kind of a mantra.
57. How often do you talk on the phone?
Why are there so many questions about phones?
58. How do you feel about holding hands?
I am for it.
59. What are you wearing?
My Movies: Ruining the book since 1920 shirt which is unfortunate because I am going to see Star Trek again tomorrow, and I like to wear this one when I go to the movies. And also pants and stuff. Sorry Maureen. I'm #nopants in spirit though. Always.
60.What is your favorite animal?
For some reason the first thing that came to mind was beards?
61. Where was your default picture taken?
Five feet to the left.
62. Can you hula hoop?
To an extent.
63. Do you have a job?
No. I work for ChaCha. But I don't. They are not fun. I could, but I haven't logged in for six months or something. The questions are depressing and make me lose faith in humanity.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
A dozen books from an estate sale. Only a dollar. I am very excited.
65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
No, I am not a John Green character.
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