So, this is my last venture into the school sponsored blogosphere. So here we go.
The team hurried down the tunnel, heading for Jericho's cave. I glanced at Dopple and raised my eyebrows. "You ready for this?" I asked. She nodded, her short brown hair swinging. "Of course." I glanced at Mirari and he shook his head before I could ask. "Of course I'm ready. We're more than a match for one terrakinetic." I nodded, my amplification suit clanking a little bit as we approached the chamber.
When we entered, the first thing I saw was Jericho. He was massive, as many terrakinetics are, at least six foot seven. He was wearing a shaolin priest's robe and his hair was spiky and dirty. His stern face was caked with mud and his brown eyes were bright with rage. "So, the Agency has sent you three." His deep voice echoed through the cave. "Come to apprehend me?"
I pursed my lips. "You were involved with the Anti-Agency. You, Echo and Blitz. We're taking you. Shiva, Balrog and Mixmaster and going after Echo. And Titan, 5 and Gainer are capturing Blitz."
He shook his head. "You have no idea what you're dealing with." Then he punched the air in front of him. Massive spires of rock shot out towards my team. I erected an energy shield, Dopple somersaulted out of the way and Mirari hid behind me, amplifying my powers to make my shield indestructible. Meanwhile, Jericho was on the move, charging towards me, since I was the biggest target. I blasted him with several kilowatts, but he had grounded himself before the battle had started and I was unable to make a dent. Suddenly, four Dopples catapulted in from the left and knocked Jericho flying. Judging by their undiminished strength, Dopple's powers were being amplified by Mirari's as well. The four Dopples circled around Jericho, trying to crack his armor and give me a clear shot. Jericho, however, had been trained well in martial arts and was easily holding his own. I didn't want to get directly involved, since my armor tended to get fragile around flying rocks and fists.
Finally, one of the Dopples landed a clean hit and cracked his armor. I channeled my amplified powers into a massive blast into the crack, in an attempt to overload Jericho's nervous system. It seemed to work as the large man collapsed to his knees. Suddenly, he looked at us and shook his head. "I told you, I refuse to be taken in again." He pressed his hands to the ground and the cave started to shake. "He's trying to cause a cave in! Run!" Mirari yelled, turning and heading for the exit. However, it was too late. Cracks spread across the ground at blinding speed, right beneath our feet. Before any of us could do anything, Mirari, Dopple, Jericho and I were all plunging into the abyss, the light of the cave disappearing as we fell...
TO BE CONTINUED....MAYBE.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Revision Essays
1. I remember….I don’t actually remember as much as I’d like. I can’t remember details from my childhood. I remember a couple of important events, but not much. What does tend to awaken my memories is sensory manifestations. The sound of a certain audioboook can awaken memories of what I was doing last while I was listening to that book. I can even recall specific moves I made in a game while listening to it. I can remember what emotions I had and what I was thinking about while eating certain foods. When I feel something, sometimes I remember another time when I felt the same thing. I sometimes get intense feelings of déjà vu, aware of the fact that I had dreamed the thing that was happening before, which is rather eerie. It’s never anything important though. Just random things. When I see something, I sometimes remember where I saw the thing before, such as when I’m driving, I’ll remember a certain landmark and that’ll tell me where I need to go. Smells can help me remember conversations and events, which is curious. When I smell something, I’ll sometimes have a flashback to a time when I smelled the thing before. A lot of my memories are sensory or sense linked, which can be really annoying when I’m trying to remember something and I can’t remember how. One time, I was trying to remember where I put my homework and I leaned my hand against a piece of wool fabric my sister had been working on. I suddenly remembered standing in the room, leaning down to examine the fabric, touch it and then…ah, yes. Putting my homework behind the computer so nobody moved it. Another time I was stuck on a level in a game, although I had beaten it before. In frustration, I put on the audiobook “The Golem’s Eye” and suddenly recalled how I had completed the level.
2. I sit trying to remember….Not as many memories come to my mind as I'd like. I can’t remember details from my childhood. I remember a couple of important events, but not much. I think about what does tend to awaken my memories: sensory manifestations. The sound of certain audioboooks can awaken memories of what I was doing last while I was listening to that book. I can even recall specific moves I made in a game while listening to it. I can remember what emotions I had and what I was thinking about while eating certain foods. When I feel something, sometimes I remember another time when I felt the same thing. I sometimes get intense feelings of déjà vu, aware of the fact that I had dreamed the thing that was happening before, which is rather eerie. It’s never anything important though. Just random things. When I see something, I sometimes remember where I saw the thing before, such as when I’m driving, I’ll remember a certain landmark and that’ll tell me where I need to go. Smells can help me remember conversations and events, which is curious. When I smell something, I’ll sometimes have a flashback to a time when I smelled the thing before. A lot of my memories are sensory or sense linked, which can be really annoying when I’m trying to remember something and I can’t remember how. I fondly remember a time when I was trying to remember where I put my homework and I leaned my hand against a piece of wool fabric my sister had been working on. I suddenly remembered standing in the room, leaning down to examine the fabric, touch it and then…ah, yes. Putting my homework behind the computer so nobody moved it. Another time I was stuck on a level in a game, although I had beaten it before. In frustration, I put on the audiobook “The Golem’s Eye” and suddenly recalled how I had completed the level. I smiled. This memory of mine is sometimes frustrating...but also often quite useful.
2. I sit trying to remember….Not as many memories come to my mind as I'd like. I can’t remember details from my childhood. I remember a couple of important events, but not much. I think about what does tend to awaken my memories: sensory manifestations. The sound of certain audioboooks can awaken memories of what I was doing last while I was listening to that book. I can even recall specific moves I made in a game while listening to it. I can remember what emotions I had and what I was thinking about while eating certain foods. When I feel something, sometimes I remember another time when I felt the same thing. I sometimes get intense feelings of déjà vu, aware of the fact that I had dreamed the thing that was happening before, which is rather eerie. It’s never anything important though. Just random things. When I see something, I sometimes remember where I saw the thing before, such as when I’m driving, I’ll remember a certain landmark and that’ll tell me where I need to go. Smells can help me remember conversations and events, which is curious. When I smell something, I’ll sometimes have a flashback to a time when I smelled the thing before. A lot of my memories are sensory or sense linked, which can be really annoying when I’m trying to remember something and I can’t remember how. I fondly remember a time when I was trying to remember where I put my homework and I leaned my hand against a piece of wool fabric my sister had been working on. I suddenly remembered standing in the room, leaning down to examine the fabric, touch it and then…ah, yes. Putting my homework behind the computer so nobody moved it. Another time I was stuck on a level in a game, although I had beaten it before. In frustration, I put on the audiobook “The Golem’s Eye” and suddenly recalled how I had completed the level. I smiled. This memory of mine is sometimes frustrating...but also often quite useful.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Answer Key
1. Narration
2. Description
3. Definition
4. Compare/Contrast
5. Example
6. Process Analysis
7. Division of Analysis
8. Classification
9. Cause/Effect
10. Argumentative/Persuasive
2. Description
3. Definition
4. Compare/Contrast
5. Example
6. Process Analysis
7. Division of Analysis
8. Classification
9. Cause/Effect
10. Argumentative/Persuasive
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Rhetorical Modes
I once met a wise man. He lived up the street in a tiny cottage, completely bare except for the light in the ceiling, a bed, a chair, a table, and shelves and shelves of books. I asked him one day if I could read one that looked fresh. He nodded and said I could. I asked if he had read it. He told me he had read them all a hundred times.
Wisdom comes from many sources, but particularly from experience. One must smell rain and paper, touch stone and plastic, hear birdsong and lecture, see sunshine and words, taste gourmet cuisine and home cooked food before wisdom can be achieved. And those aren’t even the only way.
Wisdom is not just knowledge, not just experience and not just common sense. It’s a little bit (or a big bit) of all of those. That’s why there’s no such thing as being as wise as you can be. You would need to live until the sun went out and the universe imploded, and even then you’d still need to learn about what comes next. So wisdom is easy to begin, but difficult to complete.
Ignorance and wisdom aren’t mutually exclusive, as some may think. In fact, ignorance can lead to as many insights as wisdom. If we have all wise people, then no one will ever do anything. All they’ll ever do is think. We need ignorant people to get done what needs to be done.
I have met many wise people in this world who have claims to wisdom. Some claimed their wisdom from books and long study. Some claimed it from experience, wandering the world and meeting people of all shapes and sizes. Some claim wisdom from common sense, a claim that I take with a raised eyebrow. However, I find that the men and women with true wisdom do not claim as such, but simply are. They don't need to tell me, since I know wisdom when I see it.
Wisdom has steps...in a way. There are hundreds upon thousands of ways to go about wisdom and an equal number of ways not to achieve it at all. I can't give you anything other than my personal thoughts on the path. The first step is deciding to become wise. This decision may not be essential, but I felt it was to me.
Wisdom is innate for some, hard work for others and for still others, impossible. It is a journey, of both the mind and the soul. For some, the path is much harder than it is for others.
Wisdom is thought of in terms of knowledge, experience, innate understanding, a certain amount of windmilling in the dark and time. It's true, wisdom can be all these things and also none of them. That's confusing and unclear, but then, that's wisdom for you.
When one becomes wise, the effect can be startling. Though it isn't a sudden change, changes will definitely be noticed. The person may become more thoughtful, or more active, more determined or simply quieter. You don't get many rowdy wise people, but you certainly do get wise activists and rabble rousers. Martin Luther King Jr. was a good example.
Wisdom can be a hard path to take, but it is a path certainly worth taking. Wisdom is a worthy goal and one that should be worked towards, regardless of who you are. Even if you choose not to complete the journey, the steps down the path you have taken will serve you well, perhaps providing guidance or comfort later in life.
Wisdom comes from many sources, but particularly from experience. One must smell rain and paper, touch stone and plastic, hear birdsong and lecture, see sunshine and words, taste gourmet cuisine and home cooked food before wisdom can be achieved. And those aren’t even the only way.
Wisdom is not just knowledge, not just experience and not just common sense. It’s a little bit (or a big bit) of all of those. That’s why there’s no such thing as being as wise as you can be. You would need to live until the sun went out and the universe imploded, and even then you’d still need to learn about what comes next. So wisdom is easy to begin, but difficult to complete.
Ignorance and wisdom aren’t mutually exclusive, as some may think. In fact, ignorance can lead to as many insights as wisdom. If we have all wise people, then no one will ever do anything. All they’ll ever do is think. We need ignorant people to get done what needs to be done.
I have met many wise people in this world who have claims to wisdom. Some claimed their wisdom from books and long study. Some claimed it from experience, wandering the world and meeting people of all shapes and sizes. Some claim wisdom from common sense, a claim that I take with a raised eyebrow. However, I find that the men and women with true wisdom do not claim as such, but simply are. They don't need to tell me, since I know wisdom when I see it.
Wisdom has steps...in a way. There are hundreds upon thousands of ways to go about wisdom and an equal number of ways not to achieve it at all. I can't give you anything other than my personal thoughts on the path. The first step is deciding to become wise. This decision may not be essential, but I felt it was to me.
Wisdom is innate for some, hard work for others and for still others, impossible. It is a journey, of both the mind and the soul. For some, the path is much harder than it is for others.
Wisdom is thought of in terms of knowledge, experience, innate understanding, a certain amount of windmilling in the dark and time. It's true, wisdom can be all these things and also none of them. That's confusing and unclear, but then, that's wisdom for you.
When one becomes wise, the effect can be startling. Though it isn't a sudden change, changes will definitely be noticed. The person may become more thoughtful, or more active, more determined or simply quieter. You don't get many rowdy wise people, but you certainly do get wise activists and rabble rousers. Martin Luther King Jr. was a good example.
Wisdom can be a hard path to take, but it is a path certainly worth taking. Wisdom is a worthy goal and one that should be worked towards, regardless of who you are. Even if you choose not to complete the journey, the steps down the path you have taken will serve you well, perhaps providing guidance or comfort later in life.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Raleigh's tips for successful villains
Hello and welcome. If you're reading this, you're probably a villain aiming for the big leagues or a hero aiming to take out a big-leaguer. If you're the latter, please stop reading. Frankly, it's cheating. And no one likes a cheater.
So now that we've gotten rid of anyone who shouldn't be reading this, let's begin. A lot of villains make mistakes. Even big league villains, like Doctor Doom and Magneto, make mistakes. In fact, they make them all the time. I make them all the time. And I'm the greatest technology based villain ever to walk this planet, not to toot my own horn. So I've compiled this little guide to help you guys become more successful and hopefully move on to major success. These aren't arranged in order of importance, so take them all with equal weight.
1. NO MERCY. This is very important! Heroes may show a villain mercy, but as a villain you can't afford that impulse. If you give a hero a second of slack, they will jump on you, knock you out and drag you off to prison. And that's not an enjoyable experience.
2. Always have a backup plan. No plan is foolproof. Even if you've considered every possible angle, always remember, there's always room for luck in every equation. Sudden gusts of wind, unexpected passersby, random power developments, you've gotta be ready for anything and everything. Heck, one of my master plans was ruined just because I didn't notice a tomato sauce stain on Chimera's pants and my cyborg death machine had developed a tomato allergy. These weird things happen and you've gotta be ready for them. Always have an escape plan, at the very least, if not a full-blown secondary plan to achieve your goal.
3. If you're just coming up on the villaining thing, do not draw attention to yourself, unless that's part of some big master plan. Villaining is a very competitive business. If you draw attention to yourself too early and try to make too big of a splash, you may make some big names nervous and that results in hero/villain team ups. And those NEVER end well for the person they're teaming up against. Start small. Bank robberies are a good starting point. They build up a decent supply of cash, as well as giving you excellent practice for later in your career. More importantly, they generally only tend to draw smaller class heroes. However, if you're screwing around in New York, watch your back. Even big name heroes like Spiderman watch for bank robberies. And if you think you can beat Spiderman, I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken.
4. Try to arrange your nemesis. Every villain has one. The Green Goblin has Spiderman. Lex Luthor has Superman. Brother Blood has Cyborg. Loki has Thor. Try to make yours convenient and don't just let it happen. This is why care is of the utmost importance. If you crush someone's science project by accident, don't just ignore it and walk away. Apologize. Who knows if the nerd who's project you destroyed will devote their life to making yours miserable. Remember, behind those pimply exteriors can lie dangerous intellects. Nemeses can be very useful at times. They will always try to claim fights with you, pushing more big name heroes out of the way to grapple with their nemesis. Also remember to have fun with your nemesis. Frame them for ridiculous crimes. Dump them in septic tanks. If you find out their secret identities, fill their house with mice or legos. Prank call their loved ones. But remember, never kill their loved ones, since this will always send them into a blind rage which will result in your spine being pull out through your kidneys. In fact, try not to kill people at all, if you can avoid it.
5. Try to cut gloating down to a minimum. Exercise some common sense here. I know that many of you will have king-sized egos, but try to keep them under control. Gloating can give a hero critical information or that crucial moment that heroes always seem to find in which they kick you from here to New Jersey. So watch your mouths.
6. Please, please try for competent help. So many plans have been ruined by cruddy henchmen. Yes, I know that many of you are strapped of cash. But shell out for some minions with above room temperature IQ. If they can't figure out how to fire the death laser, fire the laser at them before they accidentally fire it at you. Here're some tips for handling your minions. Treat your minions well. Give them proper equipment and health benefits. Remember, a happy minion is an attentive minion. However, don't give them maps, or make the minion who carries keys very conspicuous. This is just making things easier for the heroes to find their way around your base. And finally, encourage them to join the minion's union. It provides a lot of good minion classes and will make your minions happier.
7. Make your goals achievable. Don't just go straight for world conquest. The jump's too big and you'll probably take a big fall. Be realistic. Understand that you won't be able to take on the world right away. Start small. I suggest stealing some minor artifact to get started. My first job was stealing a sealed box for a small time crime boss in San Francisco. Needless to say, it all went downhill when I found out that the guy was a Luddite and the box contained a metal eating virus...I didn't get paid, but I didn't get my armor eaten off. So I'd say it was a win-win situation.
So that's all I've got for today. I may publish a new edition if this one goes over well enough. And by well enough I mean you netophiles actually buy it and don't just download it illegally. Or scan it and send it to your friend. Regardless, go do some evil, people!
So now that we've gotten rid of anyone who shouldn't be reading this, let's begin. A lot of villains make mistakes. Even big league villains, like Doctor Doom and Magneto, make mistakes. In fact, they make them all the time. I make them all the time. And I'm the greatest technology based villain ever to walk this planet, not to toot my own horn. So I've compiled this little guide to help you guys become more successful and hopefully move on to major success. These aren't arranged in order of importance, so take them all with equal weight.
1. NO MERCY. This is very important! Heroes may show a villain mercy, but as a villain you can't afford that impulse. If you give a hero a second of slack, they will jump on you, knock you out and drag you off to prison. And that's not an enjoyable experience.
2. Always have a backup plan. No plan is foolproof. Even if you've considered every possible angle, always remember, there's always room for luck in every equation. Sudden gusts of wind, unexpected passersby, random power developments, you've gotta be ready for anything and everything. Heck, one of my master plans was ruined just because I didn't notice a tomato sauce stain on Chimera's pants and my cyborg death machine had developed a tomato allergy. These weird things happen and you've gotta be ready for them. Always have an escape plan, at the very least, if not a full-blown secondary plan to achieve your goal.
3. If you're just coming up on the villaining thing, do not draw attention to yourself, unless that's part of some big master plan. Villaining is a very competitive business. If you draw attention to yourself too early and try to make too big of a splash, you may make some big names nervous and that results in hero/villain team ups. And those NEVER end well for the person they're teaming up against. Start small. Bank robberies are a good starting point. They build up a decent supply of cash, as well as giving you excellent practice for later in your career. More importantly, they generally only tend to draw smaller class heroes. However, if you're screwing around in New York, watch your back. Even big name heroes like Spiderman watch for bank robberies. And if you think you can beat Spiderman, I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken.
4. Try to arrange your nemesis. Every villain has one. The Green Goblin has Spiderman. Lex Luthor has Superman. Brother Blood has Cyborg. Loki has Thor. Try to make yours convenient and don't just let it happen. This is why care is of the utmost importance. If you crush someone's science project by accident, don't just ignore it and walk away. Apologize. Who knows if the nerd who's project you destroyed will devote their life to making yours miserable. Remember, behind those pimply exteriors can lie dangerous intellects. Nemeses can be very useful at times. They will always try to claim fights with you, pushing more big name heroes out of the way to grapple with their nemesis. Also remember to have fun with your nemesis. Frame them for ridiculous crimes. Dump them in septic tanks. If you find out their secret identities, fill their house with mice or legos. Prank call their loved ones. But remember, never kill their loved ones, since this will always send them into a blind rage which will result in your spine being pull out through your kidneys. In fact, try not to kill people at all, if you can avoid it.
5. Try to cut gloating down to a minimum. Exercise some common sense here. I know that many of you will have king-sized egos, but try to keep them under control. Gloating can give a hero critical information or that crucial moment that heroes always seem to find in which they kick you from here to New Jersey. So watch your mouths.
6. Please, please try for competent help. So many plans have been ruined by cruddy henchmen. Yes, I know that many of you are strapped of cash. But shell out for some minions with above room temperature IQ. If they can't figure out how to fire the death laser, fire the laser at them before they accidentally fire it at you. Here're some tips for handling your minions. Treat your minions well. Give them proper equipment and health benefits. Remember, a happy minion is an attentive minion. However, don't give them maps, or make the minion who carries keys very conspicuous. This is just making things easier for the heroes to find their way around your base. And finally, encourage them to join the minion's union. It provides a lot of good minion classes and will make your minions happier.
7. Make your goals achievable. Don't just go straight for world conquest. The jump's too big and you'll probably take a big fall. Be realistic. Understand that you won't be able to take on the world right away. Start small. I suggest stealing some minor artifact to get started. My first job was stealing a sealed box for a small time crime boss in San Francisco. Needless to say, it all went downhill when I found out that the guy was a Luddite and the box contained a metal eating virus...I didn't get paid, but I didn't get my armor eaten off. So I'd say it was a win-win situation.
So that's all I've got for today. I may publish a new edition if this one goes over well enough. And by well enough I mean you netophiles actually buy it and don't just download it illegally. Or scan it and send it to your friend. Regardless, go do some evil, people!
Those Guys with Silly Hats
There are many nerd stereotypes. Here’re the ones I fill:
Gamer (video games, card games, board games, etc.)
Wears glasses
No fashion sense
Fondness for odd clothing, such as capes, fedoras and unusual trousers
Reads constantly
Doesn’t go out on Friday or Saturday nights
Lacking social skills
Intelligent
A lot of computer time
Fascination with gadgets
Ragbag of random knowledge
Deep love of cartoons
A lot of people think that being a nerd is a bad thing. “No one except nerd girls will date me.” They whine. “I won’t get invited to parties. I won’t play any sports. Wah wah wah.” Whiners. Being a nerd can be a very good thing.
First of all, grades. You don’t get a lot of stupid nerds. Nerds tend to care about their grades and success in school and life more than jocks or “popular” kids do. We think about our future and our options, rather than limiting ourselves to one thing, like sports. I’m not going to knock the jocks that can actually succeed doing that kind of thing. But too many guys (and maybe too many girls) hitch their wagons to that star and end up getting set on fire and crashing when it goes nova. That’s why nerds tend to be a lot more successful in life. I’m not going to list the successful nerds. Hundreds of nerds before me have done that.
Next is chemical health. You don’t see many abuser nerds, at least in high school. We tend to not get invited to the parties where that stuff goes on. Not to mention too aware of what that stuff does to your body. Sure it makes you feel good in the short term, but when all your organs are gone, I’ll be the one laughing. Nerds also tend not to be heavy drinkers, in some cases because of the aforementioned awareness, or shyness, or simply fear of what our parents would think. But it’s pretty much the same. I can’t speak for nerds later in life, but in school nerds tend towards the clean. I mean in terms of chemicals, not hygiene. There’s a reason there’s a sign at the front of my card store warning people to use deodorant or get out.
And finally, fun. Nerds have as much or more fun than “popular” people. I refuse to say jocks, because they seem to have buckets of fun playing sports and I’m not sure I can match that. “Popular” people apparently are busy worrying about being stabbed in the back, maintaining their reputation, setting up parties and trying to keep up with fashion, in addition to grades. Nerds, on the other hand, just worry about the grades and having fun with our friends. Honestly, I’d rather be sitting in my basement, at the table, playing Magic the Gathering with my friends than be at a party, feeling awkward and pressured. My friends never pressure me to do anything, except to get a new game or go into a new deck archetype.
All in all, I’m proud to be a nerd. We have the best hats (hence the title), the best games and the best movies. The jocks can keep their blood sports, their masculine rituals and their copious quantities of sweat. The “popular” people can keep their social paranoia, their expensive clothes and their loud parties. I’m a nerd and proud of it!
Gamer (video games, card games, board games, etc.)
Wears glasses
No fashion sense
Fondness for odd clothing, such as capes, fedoras and unusual trousers
Reads constantly
Doesn’t go out on Friday or Saturday nights
Lacking social skills
Intelligent
A lot of computer time
Fascination with gadgets
Ragbag of random knowledge
Deep love of cartoons
A lot of people think that being a nerd is a bad thing. “No one except nerd girls will date me.” They whine. “I won’t get invited to parties. I won’t play any sports. Wah wah wah.” Whiners. Being a nerd can be a very good thing.
First of all, grades. You don’t get a lot of stupid nerds. Nerds tend to care about their grades and success in school and life more than jocks or “popular” kids do. We think about our future and our options, rather than limiting ourselves to one thing, like sports. I’m not going to knock the jocks that can actually succeed doing that kind of thing. But too many guys (and maybe too many girls) hitch their wagons to that star and end up getting set on fire and crashing when it goes nova. That’s why nerds tend to be a lot more successful in life. I’m not going to list the successful nerds. Hundreds of nerds before me have done that.
Next is chemical health. You don’t see many abuser nerds, at least in high school. We tend to not get invited to the parties where that stuff goes on. Not to mention too aware of what that stuff does to your body. Sure it makes you feel good in the short term, but when all your organs are gone, I’ll be the one laughing. Nerds also tend not to be heavy drinkers, in some cases because of the aforementioned awareness, or shyness, or simply fear of what our parents would think. But it’s pretty much the same. I can’t speak for nerds later in life, but in school nerds tend towards the clean. I mean in terms of chemicals, not hygiene. There’s a reason there’s a sign at the front of my card store warning people to use deodorant or get out.
And finally, fun. Nerds have as much or more fun than “popular” people. I refuse to say jocks, because they seem to have buckets of fun playing sports and I’m not sure I can match that. “Popular” people apparently are busy worrying about being stabbed in the back, maintaining their reputation, setting up parties and trying to keep up with fashion, in addition to grades. Nerds, on the other hand, just worry about the grades and having fun with our friends. Honestly, I’d rather be sitting in my basement, at the table, playing Magic the Gathering with my friends than be at a party, feeling awkward and pressured. My friends never pressure me to do anything, except to get a new game or go into a new deck archetype.
All in all, I’m proud to be a nerd. We have the best hats (hence the title), the best games and the best movies. The jocks can keep their blood sports, their masculine rituals and their copious quantities of sweat. The “popular” people can keep their social paranoia, their expensive clothes and their loud parties. I’m a nerd and proud of it!
Friday, December 18, 2009
The inner ring? More like the dinner ring!
Yes, I know, lame title. But I was bored.
Anyway, I was fascinated by this essay. Everyone knows about inner rings. That they're inescapable and we're always trying to get inside of them. I actually disagree with his claim that it's possible to escape trying to get inside of them. I think by trying to stay outside of them, you create your own "inner ring" of people who try to stay outside of inner rings. In other words, they're as inevitable as death. Especially with the internet. The net has created all sorts of new inner rings and desires to get inside of them. World of Warcraft, for instance, has clans. These clans can be considered inner rings, the more prestigious and famous ones being more desirable than the awkward, small ones no one has heard of. Internet forums are inner rings. Even recognition of your name on the internet in and of itself can be an inner ring, one I'm working on getting into. It's coming along well, if you're interested.
He also talks of becoming a scoundrel. And I don't think that one has to be trying to get into an inner ring to be a scoundrel. I think some people are just scoundrels because they can be. I, for instance, am a scoundrel because I enjoy the distress and irritation I can inspire by simply being a scoundrel and doing scoundrelly things.
Anyway, I was fascinated by this essay. Everyone knows about inner rings. That they're inescapable and we're always trying to get inside of them. I actually disagree with his claim that it's possible to escape trying to get inside of them. I think by trying to stay outside of them, you create your own "inner ring" of people who try to stay outside of inner rings. In other words, they're as inevitable as death. Especially with the internet. The net has created all sorts of new inner rings and desires to get inside of them. World of Warcraft, for instance, has clans. These clans can be considered inner rings, the more prestigious and famous ones being more desirable than the awkward, small ones no one has heard of. Internet forums are inner rings. Even recognition of your name on the internet in and of itself can be an inner ring, one I'm working on getting into. It's coming along well, if you're interested.
He also talks of becoming a scoundrel. And I don't think that one has to be trying to get into an inner ring to be a scoundrel. I think some people are just scoundrels because they can be. I, for instance, am a scoundrel because I enjoy the distress and irritation I can inspire by simply being a scoundrel and doing scoundrelly things.
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