tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48784719716219013302024-02-07T01:00:22.245-05:00It's Simplicated.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-51193258408925511502014-02-01T10:42:00.001-05:002014-02-01T10:42:12.898-05:00Simplicity-is-Complicated has moved!<br />
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The decision for this move was fuelled purely by a feeling of wanting to start fresh, now that I have "become an adult", and focus on settling down with that constantly-changing writing style of mine.<br />
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Thank you all for the wonderful memories in the last 4 years!<br />
This little immature authoress has relocated to a certain <a href="http://cafesimplicated.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">cafè down the road</a>. If you're ever in need of a coffee or two, please stop by!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-55886275698031882412014-01-28T19:07:00.000-05:002014-01-29T12:32:20.494-05:00Memories of Tomorrow's Yesterday<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">(as the author of this dusty blog is currently unsure what to do with it, please accept my apologies and this awkward short piece)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The morning he called on her was full of promises, perfect in every way. It was the kind of morning poets consumed hungrily and romantics doted on; beautiful, crisp, and exuberant. He was wearing his Sunday</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> best. She, the cream one-piece with the embroidered flowers at the waist, the ones his fingertips once loved to flirt with; to trace the curves of the petals as he drew her close and melted in the golden fragrance of her hair. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They were sitting on a park bench under the hovering embrace of an ancient oak, eyes forward, feet tucked neatly together, taking in the peaceful din of noise surrounding them. Staggered sounds of laughter and play floated over from the nearby elementary school, playing hide-and-go-seek with the steady, low purring of the city streets hidden behind rows of well-kept trees. A trio of bikers rang merrily past on the path ahead, momentarily drowning the soft, metronomic footfalls of a lone jogger. Above their heads, a ballroom of birds, chirping the tune to their intricately simple waltz. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He was faintly aware of the butterflies in his stomach. And of her left hand, with its thin fingers and neatly shaped fingernails, less than an inch away from his own on the worn wooden surface of the seat. He swallowed drily, made an attempt to lift his fingers over hers, and found them glued to the wood. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Her red converses lightly scuffed the newly-green turf beneath their feet, teasingly, as if they knew what he wanted and was urging him on. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Another swallow. It was now or never. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Reaching desperately for his voice, he spoke. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"I have something to tell you. I-". She shushed him with a light wave of her hand.</span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Listen," she implored. Her whole body tensed slightly, eyes pointed upward as she searched for the invisible fragments of sound, as if, if she only tried hard enough, she'll be able to see the colourful notes floating through the air. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He listened. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The children were playing Double-Dutch now, the swish-swash of the cheap plastic ropes keeping time to the speeding lub-dub of his heart. He didn't need to look at her to know that she was smiling in the cool shade of the oak; she loved these innocent fancies. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Grasping at his courage, which was fast fading into the air around them, he tried again. "I've wanted to say this for a long time, but...I...well...". </span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"I know." She shifted slightly in her seat. "I know."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The butterflies in his stomach took flight with a powerful swoosh, up through his esophagus, and tickled the back of his throat. He let them out with a soft "aah"</span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So she knew. Of course she knew. She only waited for him to tell her because she knew he would want to be the one to say it. She knew that, too. </span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"How long have you known?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She smiled. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Since forever. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He felt better, calmer, as if her knowing made his feelings more true, more real. </span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The dam burst, spilling the words he had locked in. "We can go, fly, far away from here. I can give you everything, everything you want." He was gushing now, his words splashing on the asphalt around them. "We can have that cottage you've always dreamed of, with the whitewashed fences and flower gardens in the backyard. We can keep the cats you wanted. Please, Lydia. Let's leave all of this. You'll be so much happier with me than with hi-" </span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">He stopped, distracted, not yet realizing what was wrong. She had stood up suddenly, her back towards him, with the murky, turbulent pool of his words lapping at her ankles. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">He licked his lips. They were dry, cracking. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Slowly, she began to walk away from his puddle, towards the light. He watched, silently, defeatedly, as she stood with her sneakers toeing the solid boundary that marked the edge of the oak's shadow on the grass. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The park was silent now. The children must have gone back to their books. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A silent sigh escaped from the ground beneath their feet. Up it flowed, lifting playfully at the hem of her skirt and ruffling the leaves overhead as it passed. Encouraged by this distraction, beams of light jostled each other for the opportunity to dance at her feet. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He held his breath as she stepped into their welcoming embrace. </span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She turned to face him now, her of the light to him of the shadow. As she turned, something on her left hand caught the sunshine, sparkling brilliantly and momentarily reflecting a fragment of her world into his. He blinked and it was gone.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Thank you."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He watched as her form receded, blended, and was swallowed up by the city landscape beyond the park. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Goodbye."</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-35732338961913376232012-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:002012-12-21T00:00:04.778-05:00I'm Still Alive! Are You?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">T-Shirt Slogan: I survived the Great un-Disaster of 2012</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Is everyone still here? All assembled? Good</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So what did you all think? Too much ado for nothing, eh?</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Was there any changes? Did you wake up to find that your world was upside down? Did gravity disappear? Did you grow 2 extra eyes, an extra nose, and 14 more toes?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, I hope something would happen. Specifically, I hope I got smarter. Some extra good-quality brain cells might be just what I need for the next important part of my life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I never believed the 2012 stuff. Mostly because I didn't think anyone would be lucky enough. I mean, I graduate High School by mid 2013, so if the world ended at the end of 2012, that would spare my finding out that I failed all of my last exams and was declined from all possible universities and will have to live the rest of my life in a box.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Quite frankly, I don't think anyone is lucky enough to skip that part of life!</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Still, it was pretty interesting, don't you think?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And the irony of this is, this message is a scheduled post. I actually wrote this 2 years ago. If something actually did happen, then the only people left to see this would be aliens!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Are YOU an alien?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If you are, I leave you my last 3/4 of a pack of gum. My most prized possession! Take good care of it, and I'll leave it to you to make new favors, so make me Proud!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Oxygen</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Jars</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Feelings:</b> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Dull Gray</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Whats that? They timed it wrong? It was actually supposed to be December 27th 2012?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Oh dear, here we go again...</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-32993104992855816932012-11-19T19:49:00.000-05:002012-11-19T19:49:06.104-05:00Squirrels On Syrup<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the benefits in keeping a blog (excluding the obvious ones; laughing at <a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2009/12/silence-is-worth-thousand-pictures.html" target="_blank">old styles of writing</a>, reminiscing over the days when one's digital camera still took good pictures, practicing subtle <a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2011/01/creationism-or-evolution-or-are-they.html" target="_blank">a</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2010/12/and-that-is-why-you-should-not-floss.html" target="_blank">d</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2010/10/im-smarter-than-you-no-really-i-am.html" target="_blank">v</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2010/09/magic-of-zeros.html" target="_blank">e</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2011/02/private-information-on-internet.html" target="_blank">r</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2011/04/homo-sapien-fish.html" target="_blank">t</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2011/05/enunciation-difference-between.html" target="_blank">is</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2011/07/innocence-is-it-actually-possible.html" target="_blank">in</a><a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.ca/2011/08/no-im-not-dead-unfortunately.html" target="_blank">g</a>, etc etc), is the immense pleasure when one becomes abruptly aware of one's ownership to a blog, and comes back just in time to dust off before one's 3rd year Anniversary.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14F2a2mM4biZY_9yNhEa4o_mS7SkiqtOxABPiyS5ZK-xC0giMrdziRfcnPAL8mB9q-t3FhrAhb9SfZGBUPzIVzf_K2KTYsogRyZZxJ7-SIB2sRSaEUgy8F-su65PSDg1lWBXkpRlV1J3E/s1600/5263079730_005e9595be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14F2a2mM4biZY_9yNhEa4o_mS7SkiqtOxABPiyS5ZK-xC0giMrdziRfcnPAL8mB9q-t3FhrAhb9SfZGBUPzIVzf_K2KTYsogRyZZxJ7-SIB2sRSaEUgy8F-su65PSDg1lWBXkpRlV1J3E/s200/5263079730_005e9595be.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a pretty good representation<br />of me. The computer doesn't let me<br />sleep at all....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never figured out how to correctly use the term "one's" in writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">No fear, my English teacher is here (well, no, she's at school) and she's pretty awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I might learn it yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But today's post is not about the awesomeness of a certain Ms.EnglishTeacher. Neither is it about the immense pleasure in typing something semi-coherent after countless months of Googling short keywords. No no no.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's post, is a story. [cue the <i>dawwwww</i>]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, as numerous as the pleasures of blogging are, today's delight is one that will never be found through blogging. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allow me to set the stage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is on the street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCES61q5C9mBXKDmz_maXPuhpkAzjKYuF-PtvEW4C9-rsk80QErL31PeSRefYhZGsWxc2u6v2yzUP7HM6O9k8XupJWXYjVQ9Ak0ImSQND5pKOZozwNbIRHPOsU-k2M5EyqD3FGd6bKVue/s1600/2545068903_aa973e2ab0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCES61q5C9mBXKDmz_maXPuhpkAzjKYuF-PtvEW4C9-rsk80QErL31PeSRefYhZGsWxc2u6v2yzUP7HM6O9k8XupJWXYjVQ9Ak0ImSQND5pKOZozwNbIRHPOsU-k2M5EyqD3FGd6bKVue/s200/2545068903_aa973e2ab0.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is to say, I had the immediate satisfaction of catching the bus from school mere seconds before it closed its doors, being transported to the next bus stop (150 meters away), and then promptly deposited in the middle of nowhere to fend for myself.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's right. The public transport vehicle went out of service.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With a bang.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, actually, the bus suddenly shook, people sitting in the back went "WOAH" as their bottom halves were transported meters above their seats, while the driver harmonized with a few well-chosen obscene vocabulary at equally obscene volumes. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, I don't know what happened either.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTBNNYyvWqrnAfX7ZvHNF7nd9emUvn_gv2hLG8ADnAIEgn0ZbyepdrHz77K8fo-EXTUPZ7o-xdtZlly-Eyu__B_U4QJcERJvrwfZlA6llO5jeCkoGkeyDW-EkUYXlRnH3eNShSPN5G79A/s1600/matsutake+squirrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTBNNYyvWqrnAfX7ZvHNF7nd9emUvn_gv2hLG8ADnAIEgn0ZbyepdrHz77K8fo-EXTUPZ7o-xdtZlly-Eyu__B_U4QJcERJvrwfZlA6llO5jeCkoGkeyDW-EkUYXlRnH3eNShSPN5G79A/s320/matsutake+squirrel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shout-out to all squirrels who lost themselves in wheels.<br />Fall is the season for squirrel murder D:</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, I am in very high spirits.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have reason to believe we scraped a truck that was coming off the freeway. There was indeed a truck that was pulled over to the side of the road behind our bus. However, common sense tells me that the driver may have (regrettably) made himself a squirrel pancake out of scratch with one of his wheels.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And (also regrettably) didn't have any syrup to consume it with.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing is certain: this was the most excitement I had since June, when a couple of friends pulled me into a roller coaster spree and watched, bored, as I screamed my voice into teeny-tiny pieces.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am not very fond of dropping at very high speeds.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am, however, extremely fond of walking from nowhere to the next bus-stop.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am also aware that I need a life.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or maybe just more squirrels.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Colour: <span style="color: #783f04;">Squirrel Brown</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object: </b>Popcorn</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS: No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PPS: I sincerely hope the same can be said for this post's inspiration.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-76001097145425856032011-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:002012-11-18T16:17:17.420-05:00An Anniversary of Magic<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ahh, it's that time of the year again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I think –– and my readers will probably agree with me when I say this –– that I'm not really the type to write sentimental thank-you notes on my blog. There are three main reasons for this, and they are as follows:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">One, I'm a teenager, and teenagers behind computers don't <i>thank</i>, we just take.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Two, I've been told many times that blog readers hate reading sentimental thank-yous, and</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Three, I can never figure out exactly how to word it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With my competencies aside, however, there is a forth, and fundamental, reason to it all: If I began, I'll never be able to finish. I owe my life, who I am today, who I will become tomorrow, to many, many people. Those who have met me, those who I have met. Those who have shared with me a mere fraction of their lifetime, in a fleeting glance as we cross paths on the street. Those who have given me their touch, their warmth, their voice.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If I had a penny for every person who I needed to thank, I would be rich, if only I could manage to thank them all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I've decided to collect some of those pennies today.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, a mere word of thanks is not enough.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Instead, let me tell you a story.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.tikkurila.com/files/2168/textsize/jouluntaikaa_kokoelma.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My first encounter with Santa Claus was during my sixth year in society, and it was nothing short of magical. It was a month after I moved continents and began my new life in a western country. Before that, St. Nicholas was unheard of. Christmas was unheard of. Snow was ... pretty rare too. We (my parents and I) had rented out a single room in the basement of a house. A temporary residence, like the many others we would have before we could save enough of this new currency to settle down. It was a week before Christmas, but it came –– <i>he</i> came –– all the same. From the pictures and decorations at school, and from the stories told by my parents, I had somehow managed to gain a loose understanding of Santa and his occupation: he comes to houses at night on the 24th and leaves presents under a tree or in a stocking, before disappearing with a few cookies and a cup of milk. Back then, I didn't expect anything from him. I was new to the country. Plus, he has too many children to look after already, he couldn't have noticed me. Never mind the goodness or badness, I probably wasn't even on his list of children! Even if I were, I had nowhere for him to leave presents. I wasn't ready.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But he <i>knew</i> I wasn't ready.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And that's all it took.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It was a fleeting moment. A tinkering of sleigh-bells, leaving behind naught but a Christmas stocking on the kitchen counter. It was addressed to me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, he came back later that week at the appointed time, with everything on my wish list (2 candy canes and a bouncy ball), but I was already sold.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">From then on, Santa and I had a love-hate, one-way relationship. Every once in a while, he would get my wish-list wrong (the toy was in the wrong colour, or it wasn't the exact model I wanted). Even with his occasional mess-ups, I still had full trust in him. He was my reason for trudging through the snow to school in sub-sub-zero degree temperatures, and he was my reason for doing my homework. Around December, I practically <i>lived</i> for him. I would be on my very best behaviour as I waited patiently for his arrival. Even as we grew and my classmates started falling out with the old man, I kept my belief of him firm and definite. He existed. He was magical. He had proven that to me, and to me alone.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"What goes up, must come down", and the higher up you go, the faster you'll fall.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I lost my trust for him the year Christmas failed to come to our house. I was 13.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Looking back, it wasn't really his fault. I never wrote him a letter that year. We were going through a "phase" that any family –– any household –– will undoubtedly live through. A turning point, if you will. The erupting of a volcano that had been long overdue. A family of personal crises.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I cried that night. It felt as if the world ended.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But the next morning, the sun still rose, and life continued.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And life, continued...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am now sixteen. Ten years have passed since my first magical encounter. Three years since its death.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am now sixteen, and as I write this, I have just finished wrapping Santa's presents for my six-year-old brother, fed a carrot to an imaginary reindeer, and returned the cookies and milk to their containers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As I marvel at how easily and quickly I have shifted from the receiving end to the giving end of things, I come to one, tremendous realization. My brother will never be able to experience the magic of Christmas the way it was meant to be experienced. He was born into this country and its culture. Not introduced. Miracles do not happen for those who already have them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My brother may never believe. Maybe he already doesn't.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But I still do. And I still will. No longer as a child, but as his helper. His Christmas elf.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So, today, I'd like to say thank you to the first person who's encounter was monumental enough to be forever etched into the memory of my six-year-old, extremely ditsy self:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thank You, Santa.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Wherever you are.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I've grown, Santa.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Have you been watching?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Merry Christmas, Santa.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Merry Christmas, a thousand times over.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-12304860394497075062011-08-22T18:44:00.001-04:002011-10-10T11:29:35.611-04:00No, I'm Not Dead ... Unfortunately<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Just here for some quick updates.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I know I don't blog about myself often, and I'm not planning to make this a regular thing in the future, but I just thought I'll pop in to give everyone an update.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I have (somewhat successfully) lived through my bout with cold, so it's alright, I'm still here. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Did you miss me? Probably not...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anyways.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The reason why I haven't be blogging lately (this bit is real) is because I feel completely un-inspiration-ized (is that a word?). You know the usual: School's out for summer, no one's teaching me anything, brain begins to rot. The good news is, school is starting soon, so I should be able to churn out some new stuff in the near future.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://images.business-opportunities.biz/storage/how%20to%20get%20rich%20by%20writing%20a%20book%20about%20how%20to%20get%20rich-04142009.PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">It's an important book.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">The only problem is,</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">will you ever finish reading it?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, just because I haven't been writing here doesn't mean I haven't be writing. I'm currently working on what is (hopefully) a book. Not the awesome kind, but the kind you do for fun. Chapter One came out today, and I'd love to be given the opportunity to push y'all into reading it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here's the thing about writing: If you're not constantly being criticized, you're not going to learn. If you're always given praises (not that I don't like them!) my head is going to get full of myself, until I eventually explode. So, I would love for all of you, fellow bloggers or lurking readers, to grab that whip and attack me with criticism. I'm in dire need of some of those. After all, it's the internet, you can do what you want. I don't know who you are, so I can't get you into trouble.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">...Or can I?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Just kidding. But yes, definitely do feel free to attack with criticism. I really am in need of them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxBXitL4787Qhm2q3ln0Lg8mmHQC3mkeEkYcHx9J5HmQ6PpnyK9NVk29rlUbPoYYCWXq9McUaxLeGZxiYN79NoXXd7QMS_hhMPoLaeFExRU04d-05nUTldBE4PB03uVuV1zuWkaVdtzg/s200/yellowbrickroad.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Yellow Bricks.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Hard to come by...</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Follow this <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3py4uq4">LINK</a> to the Yellow Brick Road, and then just keep going from there.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thanks!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PS: One last thing. If you've read the chapter and would like to leave a message from there, just highlight some words and click the comment button on the top. Write the word "Mudkips" into the message so I'll know you came from this blog!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-79098468021682220942011-07-05T20:49:00.006-04:002011-10-10T11:30:51.087-04:00Innocence. Is it Actually Possible?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" id=":current_picnik_image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNSfmC_aAZ_sCnXwBdmq0ZQDE9PWkpg_oHD2dUygwaSLCE6Y6Npod0085JanT24ubjayuL5ol_EyUbc-wTeq026cQ9EH94RaZE9L-E-FkRuLV_DfAIZ7qIIv4NZ36k4UowJnAWpdYkW4y/s200/Tissue+3.gif" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear God, I changed my mind. Thanks anyways though. Amen</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So the other day, I was feeling up for a bit of purity, so I decided to put pencil to paper (which is extremely unusual nowadays, I mean, who <i>writes</i> anymore?) and penned a letter to a particular higher-up. My writing went something like this:</div>
<blockquote style="color: #444444;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dear Heavenly Father, or GOD, or Allah, or whatever you're going by nowadays...</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oh dear...well, this isn't going too well.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Let's try again:</div>
<blockquote style="color: #444444;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To Whom it May Concern.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dear Mr Whom,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have a confession to make. I hope you will listen to this and clean out my conscience for me, since a normal, soapy bath didn't seem to work.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You see, starting last week, I went on a serial-killing spree. I would wake up and think only about killing. I couldn't get the evil thought out of my mind. When I was brushing my teeth, I killed. As I was eating breakfast (milk and cookies, the dunking kept causing the cookie to break, so I ended up with cookie porridge in milk - oh, don't laugh, I'm sure you've done it too), I killed. When I was in the loo, I killed (sorry, was that too much information?). The thing was, I couldn't stop, and I realized I enjoyed killing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So now, about a hundred dozen later, I decided to turn to you for help.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dearest Mr. Whom. What should I do?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Signed: I Can't stop Killing.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Life Complications ~ Part 23</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Now now, before you go off and call the police on me, hear me out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You see, just earlier this year, we were taught about what made up a "living creature". The scientific aspects of living things were drilled into our heads, the essence of which was: "all cells make up living things".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Simply speaking, if it's made of cells, it's a living thing. Or, as Frankenstein (the scientist, not the resultant monster) so aptly said: It's <i>ALIVE!</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, that's right.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to science (or the version of it that exists in our rather outdated textbooks), anything that is made up of any number of cells and can reproduce will be considered to be a living thing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
How does this explain my murderous intent and activity for the last few days?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Simple.<br />
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWzy3xg9_gsEMWZQiogA45j6zM-pF4Yl9FUzvc2G90Zk1nsWvVU72bgVweVnCUNqsdJ5kMAFyhpPDjlvd8yWZyTKwI5ZLEp5re5ROjVPnK9NWEbg2d0J-U6AlluOwKPNCyEgCrNIqLtHE/s320/Tissue+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Professional reenactment - via used tissue <i>plushies</i><br />NOTE: No tissues were harmed in the staging of this photo</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You see, I had the great luck to get sick on a sunny week. Apart from a brain-splitting headache and a sore throat, I also had what's commonly referred to as "the stuffy nose". In other words, I had a backlog of mucus camping out somewhere in my respiratory system, drinking and partying all night long. Now, generally speaking, I consider my respiratory system as an area where no loitering is allowed. You get in, do what needs doing, and you get out, yes sirree, all within 30 minutes, if possible. I would put up No Loitering signs along my windpipe, but I'm still not sure what language these buggers can read, so I haven't done that yet.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, if you've ever gotten the stuffy nose, you probably know what I'm talking about. There's this underlying psychological need to clear the runway for the sole purpose of inhaling, so you can probably imagine the tissues I've nosed my way through and the trumpeting noise the house has been putting up with for the last while. But no matter how many boxes of tissues I go through, I can't seem to get these offending buggers out of my system. It's a battle, with no end in sight.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, if you were to think about it (although I can understand why you probably won't want to, since it's sticky and icky and generally not pleasant), mucus is made out of cells. Horrible cells, but still cells nonetheless. The fact that I seem to have blown out more mucus than my lungs can house probably means that these guys had a little too much to drink and have been sleeping around. They reproduce faster than the time it takes for me to pull out another tissue from the box. So are they alive? Dr. Frankenstein would agree.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, I've been killing mucus for the last week. My weapon was 3 tissue boxes, used simultaneously. Guilty as charged. Although, since I've pleaded guilty (and even went to confession!), I should be able to secure a second-degree murder sentence, so don't worry guys, I'll still be back to blog when I'm done my 100 years in jail.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgQvfRp3fmpmfiq2T79Ml16FNZgVRnYFaskFsMzEm7bGGSaw-2KGROMCl9UUY6mirPBDbt11pPBWv72rU3A-8bYoTAb1pHpQSUBN3pMH3Ii02EkYmLPZ62dd-mAzSnxMLyLSo9O27ArpI/s200/Tissue+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>All together now! Ready, set, DAWWWWWWW<br />Used tissue plushie = cuter than the real thing</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I sit on my cell bed and munch jail food (which I've heard is actually pretty gourmet. I just hope they'll let me eat with chopsticks), allow me to leave y'all something to think about:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Is it actually possible to be innocent?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
If all children are born innocent, then they probably lose that innocence the first time they begin a killing spree on Earth: when your newborn first contract a cold and sneeze.<br />
<br />
It's confession time!<br />
What are you guilty of?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings: </b>Crumple Tissue Mountains<b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object: </b>Empty Tissue Boxes<b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Color: <span style="color: #6aa84f;">Mucus-Green</span></b></span></div>
<br />
Now I just gotta figure out where to send this letter to. Maybe I should have emailed him after all.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">PS: You asked for pictures, so I'm here to give you pictures! :) Thanks for taking part in the feedback poll!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-43020172643253947542011-05-25T17:27:00.002-04:002011-10-10T13:11:47.221-04:00Gardening?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Spring is well under-way in certain parts of the world, and some of the luckier folks are starting to see the little buds of summer in their gardens (Summer! Imagine that!). This post is, as you can see, geared towards those living in the northern hemisphere (for those living further south, I send you my condolences, and hope your weather (and your sanity) will recover soon. I hate the cold too!) but if you happen to be living down under, it's never too early to be pondering about spring.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's my question for you today:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Life Complications ~ Part 22</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs44/f/2009/124/3/d/Dandelions_by_kokia.jpg" width="320" /></a>What determines a weed? Depending on your geographic location, your general description of weeds may be different, but I'm sure you've seen them before. And among those weeds, I bet my chocolate cupcake that there's at least one that flowers. You know, not the green, leafy weeds, but the kinds that grow petals and act as landing pads to bees. I'm sure you've seen weeds like that <i>somewhere</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Take my neighborhood weed, for example. The ones we see most often up here are dandelions. Literally fields and fields of them (my geographic location also gives me a predisposition to see lots of empty grass fields). These little <b>yellow</b> buggers are actually quite nice, unless you're allergic to pollen or something similar. Halfway through the season, they change into their seeded counterparts, and its quite fun through the fields and scatter their fluffy seeds (again, not ideal for pollen allergists).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
The thing is, these harmless (and free!) plants are rather discriminated against. People will go to all lengths to remove them from their gardens. And then when the dandelions are gone, they drive down to the nearest garden greenhouse to buy half-dead, smaller <b>yellow</b> flowers (at a ridiculously high price) to plant.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" id=":current_picnik_image" src="http://www.canadianrockies.net/JEM_Photography/wild2a.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">[ Get off my lawn, you horrible thing, you! ]<br />[ ~omnomnomnom~ ]</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Seriously?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All that trouble simply because dandelions are <i>considered</i> to be weeds. But who considered them to begin with? People! Maybe one day we can consider them to be flowers, and we won't have to go though all the backbreaking work to replace flowers with other flowers. Who are we to choose which one's better, anyways?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I refuse to pick up gardening...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Utter lack of Microsoft Word 2007</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Glass cups<br />
<b>Today's Color: <span style="color: #38761d;">Green</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-83065126409548873932011-05-22T16:42:00.001-04:002011-10-10T11:39:14.680-04:00Enunciation. The Difference Between.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I do apologize for the lack of updates in the last long while. Blame end-of-school-year projects. I'll try to manage my time better though, so hopefully you'll see some more goings-ons in the near future.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Language Complications ~ Part 13</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So you know what annoys me? Bad pronunciation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Don't get it?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Allow me to explain.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So the other day, a group of people came to my school to celebrate the birthday of the famous person that my school was named after. They made this hugely long speech about how this person was kind, generous, and giving, and how, as a doctor, he saved the lives of many.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nothing wrong with that, right?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, every time he used the word "Selfless", what came out was "Selfish".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I mean, I understand the whole problem with accents (goodness, even I have one) and I give props to the speaker for trying, but no matter how much you try to keep these things from getting to you, it's really hard to ignore.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Especially since he kept repeating the phrase throughout his speech.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">For the record, the principal was wearing rather uncomfortable heels, and kept wincing throughout the ceremony, particularly whenever "Selfless" came up in the speech.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoWnoz0iOt59qMMT9OiN8UKOAZrbXwu-Btp_trUMiFEZTpM35H8jZt0a54c9AyOSYUWRiYTHMVADKD_dxZ-XmlGz6C-2d_aTelrVmSBYkIcnFzehM8LF485UNv7-U7s5sFs8pw1njaYon/s400/Alphabet+Magnets5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">26 letters in the english alphabet<br />Half a billion ways to get them wrong...<br />Intense, isn't it?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and the speaker was probably somewhat stressed as well (English wasn't his first language), so you can't blame the poor guy, but it did put him in a rather awkward spot and really brought down the temperature in the room. In the end, the only reason why the result was as bad as it was was because his mispronunciation gave way to an entirely different (and rather negative) word (this whole sentence is a grammar horror...to many "was"es).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What about you? Have you any words you're constantly mispronouncing? Did they ever cause you any trouble?<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have this thing was the "ch" sound. For example, instead of pronouncing "Chemical" the right way ("kenmecal') I use ("CHEN-mical"). Luckily for me, most of my friends seem to know what I'm talking about, and the only person who got confused was my science teacher. Still, it was somewhat embarrassing when I found out I was pronouncing it wrong all those years.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Sunlight. Lots and Lots of Sunlight</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Flower Petals</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Today's Color: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f9cb9c;">Cream</span></span></b></div>
<br />
PS: Today's title sounds like it could be a quality movie with deep thoughts about what goes on beyond normal everyday life (or something). Would you watch it?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-18038964644346066612011-04-14T19:27:00.000-04:002011-10-10T11:48:52.882-04:00The Arrival of Spring and the Loss of ... Well ...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Humans have always wanted what we didn't have. The same slice of pizza, on another person's dish, always seem more welcoming. The same grass, on another person's lawn, always looks greener (unless, of course, it has been <a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.com/2011/02/grass-is-always-greener.html">pooped on</a>, and thus has a more scientific reason for being green). Perhaps the one instance where we feel the most desire about is seasons and the outside temperature, especially if your current season is the one you most detest.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Life Complications ~ Part 21</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2079/2935437309_b10e6d6a44_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Winter: tire-swing hibernation season</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't particularly <i>hate</i> winter, I just don't love it. Actually, if I wasn't such a well-mannered and compassionate being, I would hate winter. A LOT. Snow? Winds? Foggy glasses? Colds and Flu? Who needs all of that anyways? I could do with less ice and puddles. I could do with less layers of clothing. I can even go to church and come clean about my annual serial killing event; the continued, concentrated use of 2-ply tissues. However, as unlucky as it may be, I happen to live close enough to the North Pole to allow for 6 months of winter every year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So you can imagine how much I look forward to sun, warmth, and the ability to see green under my feet again (even if it is a yellow-ed green).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>However, now that spring has arrived, I've realized how imperfect this season is.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If we look aside the required amount of cold winds, rains, mud, and slush that comes with this rather messy season, there is one thing I'm sure all mothers (and teens with younger siblings) dread.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have to <i>share</i>! The HORROR!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Share the little kids in our house, of course.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, I'm sure all mothers out there are hating the warmth the sun brings that lures out their children from their homes. Whether or not their intentions were evil, or even on purpose, spring has this sort of effect on little children (approx. under the age of 7) who have been pent up inside the house all during the cold winter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, we can add another sound to that infamous list: Spring, the bringer of birds and bees ... and rather loud children.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the other hand, the house is finally empty, which is something I've been wishing for during the last 6 months.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that it's quiet, I feel rather lonely...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oh dear, what is this feeling? Am I ...(god forbid)... <i>wishing</i> ... for winter?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Someone kill me. Now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lets not go though <i>that</i> roller coaster again, shall we?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Warped and Full of Numbers</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Bananas</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Colour: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Green</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
PS: Do you have a favorite season that always ends up letting you down? How?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-22025149756528652952011-04-01T22:05:00.002-04:002011-10-10T12:00:51.910-04:00The Homo Sapien ... Fish?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/212982/bowlsfrg.jpg" width="200" /></a>When we talk about understanding our own species, we don't <i>actually</i> understand our own species. I mean, we still haven't completely figured out our family tree yet. Chimps, Gorillas, Apes, and other such species are still under debate and has not yet been accepted by all citizens of the world. Before we start monkeying around, however, have I got news for you! It seems that our newest candidate for the DNA Tree Throne is in fact ... the common fish!</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Completely outrageous?</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Actually, they're more similar to us than you think.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Life Complications ~ Part 20</b></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Now, the one reason why fish have never been considered to be similar to humans is mostly because of their habitat and way of life. Fish-persons live in the water, 'nough said. They breathe air by consuming water through their mouth and filtering oxygen from the water using their gills. This "filtering" is considered to be a skill we humans cannot grasp, learn, and have no need for.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
...or do we?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e45/pala1220/palapic5/comi-fishbowl.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
When we breathe in, we actually breathe a combination of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Pollution, among other things. Now, I can't say about the pollution, but we certainly are able to filter out the other unnecessary substances, which allows us to only intake oxygen into the rest of our bodies, and discard of the Nitrogen + Argon + unidentifiable substances out with the Carbon Dioxide. We have gills too, except they're not on our necks in full view. Our early ancestors probably found them unfashionable and decided to grow these gill-like filters inside our bodies instead.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You gotta give it to our ancestors, that was a pretty good decision. Can you imagine how hideous accessories such as necklaces or ties would look if we had gills on the side of our necks? Can you imagine how much harder it would be for police officers to identify a death as a victim of a throat slashing (is he dead, or are those simply his gills?).<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<s>Can you imagine how much more interesting Twilight would have been if Edward had found Bella's gills unappetizing?<br />
"No, Bella, I'm not interested in you..."</s></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<s>"But Edward, without you, I won't be able to go on!"</s></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<s>"Oh bother..."</s></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So as you can see, we really do have a lot in common.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So the next time you see a fish, remember. You may be looking at your long lost 3872046164th times removed cousin from your dad's side. While you're at it, remember to invite them to the next family gathering., it's good manners.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have <acronym title="other things to do">other fish to fry</acronym>.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
...oh wait...is that considered cannibalism now?...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> April Clowns</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Fish Hook</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Today's Color: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Metallic</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;">Pinkish</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">Silver</span></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-82442873114166768872011-03-27T13:06:00.001-04:002011-10-10T12:11:49.161-04:00Little People + Innocence = A Whole Lotta Trouble<div style="text-align: justify;">
I apologize for my long absence here. Writer's Block has successfully taken over my brain. Plus the Earthquake/Tsunami/Nuclear stuff in Japan. It made me want to rethink some of the things I had in my mind to write about, because I suddenly felt less in control of my life and my world.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Ah geez...that was a very depressing way to begin...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyways, allow me to tell you a story today:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Life Complications ~ Part 19</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So some of you might know that I have a little brother. I've mentioned him a few times (although it was very rare and usually in my <a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-potuck.html">older posts</a>). For those of you who don't know, my brother is currently 6, which puts him in Grade 1 here where I live.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One thing about my brother that you should know is that he's unbelievably selfless. When he wants to be. He's the type who would give you part of his cookie when you walk over to him. He's the type who would help you clean your room when you call him over. Really nice kid, he is. Sometimes, I wonder if one of us was adopted...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My brother also has this thing with money. Not that he's constantly asking for it, but he enjoys having a few coins to call his own. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Does he use it? No he doesn't buy anything with it. Personally, I think he's attracted to the sound of coins dropping into his piggybank.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In order to supply himself with these extra pennies, my dad would take him to the Beer Store to return wine bottles (for 10 cents each). The problem is, my parents rarely drink, so this happens about once per year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a name='more'></a>Thus, a few weeks ago, my brother had to do this little assignment at school. The teacher had asked everyone in the class what they would buy if they had 100 dollars. All the other little kids used the money for toys, pets, games, entertainment (movies and theme parks), and houses (yes, houses...).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, my brother's response was something like this:</div>
<blockquote style="text-align: justify;">
"If I had $100, I would buy beer for Dad."</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Although it's apparent to us at home that my brother simply wanted to make the trip to the Beer Store more often to earn a few dimes, for people who does not know the initial story, this obviously looks very bad.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.diylife.com/media/2010/04/toddler-wall-crayons-590.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Shhhh~! Don't tell Mommy! It's a surprise!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course, you can imagine the reaction the teacher had after reading his entry.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can also probably imagine the reaction my father had after reading my brother's homework.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Due to my brother's apparent innocence, his teacher now feels awkward at parent-teacher interviews and my dad is now known as a serious alcoholic.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Score: Children:1, Dads:0</i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To all the Fathers around the world: Beware of the little thing running around in your house (if it's still little). You never know just how they might choose to word their thoughts and ideas for the whole wide neighborhood to see.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Rather Messy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Microphone</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Today's Color: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Sea Blue</span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-2815197948467511982011-03-22T21:06:00.000-04:002011-10-10T12:13:43.365-04:00The Land of the Rising Sun<div style="text-align: justify;">
First up, before anything else happens:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm sure we've all heard the disasters in Japan. Having said that, I'm not entirely sure how to begin...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://redesignblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/jameswhitesignalnoise.jpg" width="240" /></a>The earthquake+tsunami+nuclear mix was quite horrifying to watch and follow on the news, but throughout their trying experiences, the citizens of Japan seems to have handled it very well. On the news and in pictures documenting the events, I saw strangers helping each other, hanging onto each other, escaping the tragedies together. Surrounded by the rather sudden horrors that fell upon them, I think it was really brave for the Japanese to be able to stay together and stay calm. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course, one can never be perfectly ready for such natural disasters, but I'm proud of how prepared the citizens of Japan were, and how orderly they went about their businesses. I'm sure, that even now, with the hurt still lingering in Japan, new friendships are being made, and new heroes are being born.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, although my messages are quite late: Japan, please continue to stay united! We're behind you all the way!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That is all.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-11202620761950462012011-02-24T22:13:00.002-05:002011-02-24T22:42:47.581-05:00I'm "Versatile"! What do You Say to That?<div style="text-align: justify;">The great and awesome Pink Scarf from <a href="http://splendiloquent.blogspot.com/"><b>Splendiloquent</b></a> (say Splehn-DILL-uh-kwent) has sent me my very first blog award!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">EDIT: Immediately after she sent me it, I got the same award from <a href="http://www.theoutspokenintrovert.com/"><b>The Outspoken Introvert</b></a>. Thank you both! I think the Versatile flu is going around today!<br />
<br />
</div>Thus, go love both of them to many pieces <u>now</u> (remember to bring glue so you can stick her back together again later)!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5tZGGUj65RzD2zii9-pTX5seGG7U4u1u6twbIRLVG1Q8QxEbRyHlovpUTPzsHuJ0va9xKT08TCIDS2y2WH6998HbD2ysN0h_G32Wi9EhYstO1g-aZH-bywsvb4oDcwTqCTHA9ZBJwwI/s1600/Versatile+Blogger+Award.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5tZGGUj65RzD2zii9-pTX5seGG7U4u1u6twbIRLVG1Q8QxEbRyHlovpUTPzsHuJ0va9xKT08TCIDS2y2WH6998HbD2ysN0h_G32Wi9EhYstO1g-aZH-bywsvb4oDcwTqCTHA9ZBJwwI/s1600/Versatile+Blogger+Award.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Versatile</b>: (say Ver-SUR-tahyl) someone who is capable of or adapted to turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Yeah, I'm special, I am :)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, every award comes with responsibilities!<br />
In this case, you'll just have to excuse me for executing my responsibilities once, not twice!<br />
They are:</div><ol><li style="text-align: justify;">Thank and link back to the person that awarded you (done!)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Share 7 things about yourself</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award</li>
</ol><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Alright...here goes!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Take a deep breath here. Ready?</div><br />
<ol><li><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm very very bad at math. That is why I don't blog about math-related questions.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">I get brain-farts all the time. I would be in the middle of a conversation, and I'll suddenly forget what I was going to say. Or I would be writing something, and I'll suddenly forget which word to use.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm completely hopeless when writing the traditional way (paper-pencil). I'm an absolute wreak without spell-check. And I write too light, which has resulted in teachers failing me because they couldn't see my writing (and thus thought I didn't do my homework).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">I can control my dreams (at least the one's I'm aware of). That is, I can dream about what I want to (usually Harry Potter scenarios or similar). I also sleep on my homework. I figure out what to write often by dreaming up stories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm really bad at socializing (both online and in real life). Thankfully there are people out there who don't mind letting me tag along with them =D</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">I never forget bad memories, and sometimes I would suddenly recall a bad/embarrassing moment, and then it all goes downhill from there...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">My eyes move when I sleep. Actually, everyone's eyes moves (rapidly) as they sleep. It's scientifically proven (yes, I cheated, but shhhh~!).</li>
</ol><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, now the hard part...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>15</i> bloggers? I know like...maybe 5? I know a lot of great new bloggers, but most of them start drifting away after the first few weeks. It's a pity, really, but not all bloggers make it through the semi-depression period that hits about 2-3 weeks in. The poor, orphaned blogs...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thus, I will like to send this awesome award to the following peoples (all of whom are hopefully still going!):</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Starburst-chan at <a href="http://runninglikethewind.wordpress.com/">Running Like the Wind</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">AimxAim at <a href="http://janakyamottainai.blogspot.com/">Janakya Mottainai</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fatuous Anility at...well... <a href="http://fatuousanility.blogspot.com/">Fatuous Anility</a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Hey, what can I say? Going to school = highly skilled in cheating.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now go spread some love!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Icky, Melt-y Snow</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Mug of hot Tea</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Today's Color: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;">Lavender</span></span></b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">PS: I learnt how to correctly pronounce two words today: Splendiloquent and Versatile. I must say, I learn more on Blogger than I do in English class. Maybe I should just skip school from now on and spend my days online?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-49371104951711431052011-02-20T21:27:00.003-05:002011-10-10T12:36:22.315-04:00The Grass is Always Greener...<div style="text-align: right;">
...on the other side of the fence.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3248156506_bf984b66d4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Oh, woe.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Life Complications ~ Part 18</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
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<br />
Because the dog <i>poops</i> there...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Mirrored</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Strawberries</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Today's Color: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Red</span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-12036309827027416962011-02-17T21:30:00.002-05:002011-10-10T12:38:16.533-04:00It's a Bird!...no, It's a Plane!...<div style="text-align: justify;">
...actually, no, it IS a bird! A Twitty-Bird!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just a quick update to document the important things I've done today, which includes (and only includes..) making a Twitter Account!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So back on January 1st, I asked my readers on this blog for possible suggestions/improvements, etc etc. I did get a commenter suggesting the use of Facebook in order to connect more to my readers (you!).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://media02.hongkiat.com/twitter_mosaic_wallpapers/twitter-logo.jpg" width="320" /></a>However, since I have spent most of last week and this week <s>murdering</s> criticizing Facebook and it's privacy problems, I feel that making an account on the Big Blue F might be just a <i>teensy</i> bit hypocritical.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, I thought I would move over to the next biggest (and coincidentally, also blue) thing: Twitter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, I don't know about expressing my ideas in 140 words (I can barely get anything published here that is less than 500!) but I would be very happy to share my half-born ideas with the Twitty. Of course, discussions about topics/posts of interest will also be rather welcomed! If you feel like reaching me about something, drop me a line (which can be done by scrolling through my sidebar).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to feed a very hungry baby bird.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone knows what it eats?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.twitter.com/SweetFunshine"><img alt="Follow SweetFunshine on Twitter" src="http://twitter-badges.s3.amazonaws.com/t_logo-a.png" /></a></center></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
PS: Blue = the non-appetizing, but very sociable color. What does that tell you about being popular and eating yummy foods? The world is full of dangerous influences, if you just know where to look...</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-4665832884764497092011-02-08T20:45:00.003-05:002011-10-10T12:27:19.333-04:00Private information on the Internet?<div style="text-align: justify;">
I apologize for being so quiet in the last few weeks. Midterm exams, the setting up of a new team-blog, and some other life things got in the way. So for now, here's a little something for you to chew:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: x-small;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Language Complications ~ Part 12</b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So we've all seen the problem about privacy issues over the internet, especially with social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and such. Users of such online programs worry about their "private" information, and are consistently complaining about how the information they put online, including addresses, cell-phone numbers, pictures, etc, are/can be seen by potential strangers which increase the chance of getting stalked, either online or in real life.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, this is all normal and good, but let’s take a step backwards and look at a somewhat bigger picture:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2CvmAtpCF2Y/TVRvJDCEXpI/AAAAAAAADN0/IuG_F_uOaAY/s320/ears.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">I'mma tell you a sekret, kays?<br />Now you be mum about this, and don't tell anyone else!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Say I have a secret. Like..."I don't consume Oxygen". Obviously, this is a huge secret for me. If this gets out to the general public, it could be dangerous because 1: News agencies and talk shows would all come for me, and 2: Scientists would be interested in cutting me open for scientific research. So we can all agree that this is a <i>huge</i> secret, no?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, say I was living 500 years ago. I had no internet, but I did have a best friend. So I go up to this friend of mine one day and I say: "Hey listen, I have this huge secret, but because you're my friend, I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone else," and he/she/it goes like: "Oh yeah? Well, you can trust me for sure. I won't tell anyone, even if my life depended on it!" So I tell this friend about my lack of oxygen consumption, and then life continues.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, say that my friend and I had an argument, and in anger, he/she/it decided to broadcast my secret to his/her/it's friends. They, in turn, spread this information to <i>their</i> friends. All of a sudden, my situation is out of control, my social rankings drop, my boyfriend hates me, my teachers refuse to accept me, my parents kick me out of the house, and I get captured by evil scientists planning to cut me open for research.</div>
<div style="font-size: x-small;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(…and this is why aliens can't coexist with humans.)</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, coming back to present day, say I have that same secret, but this time my friend is someone who goes by the name "Facebook". So one day I'm at the store with Facebook, and I decide, since I think Facebook is a good friend, that I'll tell him/her/it my secret (oh god, if Facebook doesn't go to the washroom, it’s impossible to find out what gender it is...). So I go: "Hey man, I've got this highly important piece of secretive information, but I think you're an important friend to me, so I think you have the right to know.", and then Facebook goes: "Well, if you're comfortable with saying it, by all means, I'll love to hear. Just sign here and here and remember that I'm only human." So I tell him/her/it my information and life continues.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The next day, I wake up to the sound of the FBI and scientists breaking into my house.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In all seriousness, if I had a choice, I would rather talk to Facebook than the friend in my first example. I mean, I fully trusted my friend, but they still betrayed me nevertheless. Facebook actually told me (The Terms and Conditions) that my information might not be too safe if I told him/her/it. Yes, no one actually reads <i>all</i> of that stuff, it’s really simply there to remind you that the internet isn't perfect or airtight or 100% secretive (aka, it's not quite as awesome as you may think it is).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The problem here, however, still goes back to the definition of the word "private". When I told my friend that I lacked oxygen, was my secret still "private" information? Once someone other than me knows this information, I'm completely at the mercy of others. My secret is no longer private, so when my friend tells this information to someone else, that's not an invasion of privacy. Granted, I should probably go find a better friend, but he/she/it wasn't invading my privacy, simply because the information is no longer private! She doesn't have a right to keep that information private because I’m the one who began spreading it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The same thing happens over the internet. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, rely on you giving it information. Kind of like a friend. When you enter anything (date of birth, contact information, etc) you are technically telling Facebook this information. It's no longer private information. When Facebook in turn broadcasts this information to the general public, they're not invading your privacy, they're just playing a very accurate version of broken telephone.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think the main reason why people have problems with this so-called "privacy" infringement online is because of the sheer size of it. If my friends told their friends about me, my information still won't get very far. When Facebook tells other users about me, however, this information is available worldwide (of course, it probably still won't get very far simply because no one cares).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So the next time you see someone complaining about the lack of "privacy" over the internet, remember: what they're actually saying is:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Oh My Gawd! You know my friend? She told everyone about what I told her about my plastic surgery! And I told her to keep it a secret! I mean, yeah, I told like, 7 of my other friends, my neighbor, the old lady down the street, and my boss about it too, but I told <i>them</i> to not tell anyone, so it's still a secret!! What a B@%#$ she is!"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><s>Seriously? Go find a better friend.</s></span><br />
See what I mean?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Credits: Came off something I noticed while listening to a debate earlier today at school. Yes, my mind wanders around. Can't tell you any more though, since that's <i>really</i> secretive stuff. Unless you promise not to tell anyone else?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-66602342105824103952011-01-09T15:06:00.001-05:002011-10-10T12:40:40.618-04:00Creationism or Evolution? Or are they the Same?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Life Complications ~ Part 17</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A while ago in science class, we had a very interesting conversation about the Creationism and the Evolution theory of mankind (and womenkind). Our teacher told us that although both theories are polar opposites of each other, he personally believed that a little bit of both were at work at the same time, simply because both theories are right in their own way.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.templeton-cambridge.org/lib/img/articles/manier_bible.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">NOTE:</span> Mr.ScienceTeacher and I are both atheists, however, we both regard religion highly (my teacher comes from a religious background, and I myself was brought up to keep an open mind, plus, I love to read different "holy books" or bibles if you will) and thus, this post is in no way trying to brainwash or disagree with those who strongly believe in only Creationism or Evolution. Please accept our sincere apologies beforehand if this post offends you (or your religion) in any way.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>Picture this:<br />
<blockquote style="text-align: justify;">
God created something, which he named "man". From the something, God created something else, which he named "woman". God puts this "man" and this "woman" together in this place which he calls a "garden", and tells them to get along with each other. God also created many other things to keep "man" and "woman" company, and one of them He named "snake". While God wasn't looking, "snake" tricked "man" and "women" into thinking that "snake" was nice and innocent, and as a result both "man" and "woman" were banned from the "garden".</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Agreed? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now picture this.</div>
<blockquote style="text-align: justify;">
Time created something, which he named "cell1". From the something, Time created something else, which he named "cell2". Time puts this "cell1" and this "cell2" together in this place which he calls a "planet", and tells them to get along with each other (split into more cells). Time also created many other things to keep "cell1" and "cell2" company, and one of them He named "virus". While Time wasn't looking, "virus" tricked "cell1" and "cell2" into thinking that "virus" was nice and innocent, and as a result both "cell1" and "cell2" were banned from the "planet" (cell1 and cell2 disappeared from the Earth because they changed into cell3 and cell4, and evolution continues).</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sounds familiar?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Both Creation and Evolution can be roughly touched upon by changing the names of those involved. The name is not important, but by simply changing this name, we get a history full of endless fights and debates over something that technically can possibly be the exact same thing. All of a sudden, these heated arguments between the church and the science professors become loving bickering between the parents of a newborn regarding if the child in question should be named Lucy or Lucie. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course, this is just one example with one religion, but if you care to try it with your own, I'm sure results will be similar.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you think about it, both Creationism and Evolutionism has their loopholes and unanswered questions. Its possible that both the Theory of Creation and the Theory of Evolution meant one huge thing. For example, take some time to think about this:</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<u><b>How Long does it Take to Create the World?</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In one religion, it is believed to have taken God 6 days to <i>create</i> the world and everything in it. However, is that six 24hour days? Even on Earth, the length of a day has changed from around 8 hours (in dinosaur time) to our current 24 hours, and will doubtlessly continue to change. Is God following our time, or is God using a differently timed watch? Is it possible that, to God, a day is the equivalent of millions of our years? Is it possible that the "creation time" isn't over yet? Are we still being created? Is that why our climate is changing, our species evolving, our astronauts finding new stars and planets? Is that why we're <i>evolving</i>?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<u><b>God / Evolution Created Man?</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What IS Man? There's been many different types of "man" that have already been found by scientists and historians, and there are doubtlessly many more to be found. Which one did God <i>create</i>? Perhaps, back in the old days, "man" = atom, and then <i>evolution</i> turned us into what we currently look like, over millions of years?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<u><b>How do we Explain...?</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Big Bang theory? The evolution of mankind? Ice Ages? Climate Change? Some of our questions about our world can be "explained" by things we think we understand. Climate change is due to the Sun's radiation change, and it happens regularly every few million years. <i>Evolution</i> happens because we realize the old needs to be changed for us to become better. Do we REALLY know the answer? Why does the Sun change? Why do we need to change ourselves? And how did the Big Bang start? What's the reason? Is there a <i>higher power</i>?</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you think long enough, maybe you'll start to realize that somewhere in the back, hidden in the shadows of Mankind's "theories" and "knowledge", there was someone there all along, nudging us along the path of life. Neither theory can explain fully how we come to be. Both theories are vague, can be interpreted in many ways, and makes great Debating topics. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Personally, I think a little of both was involved.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And who knows, maybe our silent prayers never are heard and acknowledged. Just like the tree falling in the forest. If no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Or maybe...God is watching us, laughing silently at the Comedy Show of life, with a bowl of freshly popped Popcorn.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Isn't life exciting?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What do you think? Which theory do you lean more towards?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Roaring River</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object: </b>Half-broken Canoe</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Feelings: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Murky Green</span></b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
PS: I realized that while writing this, I have (accidentally) made both God and Time males...are they boys or girls? Or neither?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
PPS: Yesterday, my brother asked me what a church was. I tried to explain to him and started talking about gods and religions and different types of religions, etc. When I finished, he asked if one God would go to another God if the first God received a prayer to help the sick, but the first God wasn't strong/powerful enough to help them...<br />
<br />
PPPS: I understand that both Religion and Evolution are huge topics that should not be joked around with, and I've probably stepped on many toes while writing this, but I wanted to try and show a different perspective into an very old and somewhat overused topic, so please forgive me!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-24990384918966406672011-01-01T00:00:00.007-05:002011-10-10T12:43:53.614-04:00Two Thousand and Ten+One (and a Request)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Happy New Years!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">[Insert fireworks here]</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.webhostingcs.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/2011-new-year.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Year of the Rabbit!<br />Here's to a lot of carrots in your future!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today is the 1st day of the New Year! (<a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-new-years.html">again</a>) and so, today's post is a shout-out to all of the awesome people who have helped me through a year of Blogging!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thus, from the bottom of my heart to the tops of yours, Thank You all Very Much for 2010!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks to all of you who have subscribed! (I've passed the 100 mark! So Happy!). Thanks to all of you who take the time to drop by to read! Thanks to everyone who commented! Thanks to YOU!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I know I am a rather boring/quiet/non-existent writer (I do not post regularly, I do not connect Facebook/Twitter with my blog(I don't have Facebook/Twitter), I do not regularly comment on other blogs, do not host chats with you, my readers, and I'm rarely seen in the Coffee Shop), so thank you all for staying with me and Simplistic Complicity every step of the way, and I hope you will continue to do so! This way, both this blog and I can live to a ripe old age!</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Having gone back to read some of my earlier posts when I've started out, I was surprised at how immature and crazed my writing used to be (its probably still like that now!). I think, although I may not have gotten any better, I certainly have changed in the writing-style department. I also went back and ran every post under spell-check. Apparently, "thats" is not a word. Who knew?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I also learned that I can't spell "especially", or "thereof", or even "complicated".</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However, we learn from our mistakes right? I learned to always use spell-check before posting!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What are some of the other things you think I should be learning? You, as my readers, have the right to voice your opinions!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Should I colour my posts? Should I add more photos? Should I write more logically, more matured? Should I grow taller? Should I write in Italics, or even in Italian? Should I post more often? Should I write shorter posts or long-winded ones? Should I put more widgets on my page? Should I breathe? Should I use more sophisticated language? Should I write more about my personal life? Should I fix my labels? Should I use smiley-faces in my posts? Should I? Should I? Should I? The possibilities are endless, and as I am in need of a New Year's resolution, please don't hesitate to send critiques my way! Tell me how I've been doing, what I should work on, and what I should change!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lets all work together for a better 2011!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings: </b>Sparkles</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> Glasses<b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Today's Feelings: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Gold</span></span></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PS: Two Thousand and Eleven? Two O Eleven? Two O One One? Twenty Eleven? Which one is it?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-46613796012616290832010-12-29T20:04:00.003-05:002011-10-10T12:46:17.932-04:00And THAT is Why You Should NOT Floss...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Life Complications ~ Part 16</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and cats, (and you too, in case you don't fall under any of these categories). It seems that the timeless tradition of flossing when you brush your teeth may actually be BAD for you!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Well, maybe not for you, to be exact, but it most definitely is Bad!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">According to this piece of <a href="http://news.discovery.com/human/food-stuck-between-neanderthal-teeth-reveals-diet.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1">News</a> here, Neanderthals (background check: Homo Neanderthalensis, sub-branch of the Homo Sapiens (NOT the Homo Sapiens, Sapiens, if you still <a href="http://simplicity-is-complicated.blogspot.com/2010/10/im-smarter-than-you-no-really-i-am.html">remember</a>) were characterized by their robust build, mighty muscles, short limbs, and apparently had <em>larger</em> brains than us! Sadly, they are believed to have died out and did not make any contributions to the human genes pool - except, maybe, for Albert Einstein's and Newton's.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Once again, then:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">According to this piece of <a href="http://news.discovery.com/human/food-stuck-between-neanderthal-teeth-reveals-diet.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1">News</a> here, Neanderthals (now you know about them!) loved sweet foods and bean/nut products.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How do we know this? Because the Neanderthals never flossed!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.lindenlakesdental.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/why-floss-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Don't be fooled by the smile.<br />Flossing is actually bad for you!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It seems that trace evidence of such foods have been found in between the teeth of many skeletal Neanderthal individuals. After careful analyzing, scientists now believe that Neanderthals consumed a wide variety of foods (dates and barley, among other examples shown. Cooked/boiled barley too!). Scientists are now adding this extra diet find to previous knowledge of plants and game animals (from clues of bones and fossils found around Neanderthal remains) to reconstruct their eating patterns.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, here's where we come in.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As you all know (unless you were living under n a Earth-sized rock) in the year 2012, on December 21st, the world (as we know it) will magically come to an end. Here's the problem. In another few million years, when our neighboring aliens arrive, it is important for them to know about us. Once they've established what we looked like, how many heads we had, and how many eyes we had on each head, they would, naturally, want to know about what we like to eat. And once they figure out that we don't eat aliens, they would perhaps be curious to find out what we DO consume, and perhaps also reconstruct our foods.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How do they plan to do that?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">By finding clues, of course!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. There will be no more humans.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. There will be no more recipe books -or- they can't read our language.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. There will be no more potatoes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. Providing that humans have died, there will be no more chickens.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5. Since there will be no more chickens or potatoes, there will be no more McDonalds.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5. We floss, so sadly, there will also be no more food residue between our teeth.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ahh, a lost civilization is a crude, sad thing!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So please, for me, for you, for our civilization, for our world, please do not floss on the 21st! And remember to eat lots of good food by then too. We might not have as big a brain as the aliens that will eventually find us, but we will definitely outshine them in the food department! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Or at least prove to them that we don't just consume mint-tasting toothpaste!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Surroundings: </strong>xyz</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Object: </strong>Red Pen</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Feelings: <span style="color: white;">White</span></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PS: And yes, I was kidding (or was I?)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-51120792648068295442010-12-24T23:59:00.004-05:002011-10-10T12:49:30.174-04:00<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">December is the season of joy and giving...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLnmk6jwf547FbNRtjpmMYBEU-xxvlXgVC1IC3XPkffgN3yczX_Q" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Merry Christmas Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Happy (mostly belated) Holidays!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">By reading this, you have now signed a non-existing contract (ah, the magic of Christmas can do strange things) forcing you to smile at the next person you meet/see/pass and compliment/greet them. If you do not comply, I will be very sad and may flood the world with my tears (which will be very salty and may also drown a few polar bears).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Best Wishes to you, wherever you are!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-59264929023330635662010-12-02T21:53:00.007-05:002011-10-10T12:55:31.305-04:00Lets get Back to our Roots...<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">...our African roots, that is</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Life Complications ~ Part 15</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I've never been to Africa before, but from the documentaries I've seen, it seems like a pretty awesome place (that is, if you ignore the lack of water and food and shelter that probably more than half the population must face). Giraffes in your backyard sounds...pretty fun!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But apparently...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We're all Africans!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(not that there's anything wrong with that of course. It feels nice to belong to more than one country, doesn't it?)</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs19/f/2007/240/0/c/Mini_Lion_Plushie_by_Mimi_Mushroom.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Remember this one?<br />It's the really loud basement tenant</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And yes, there's a theory behind all of this.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It goes roughly like thus:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. Humans lived in Africa</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. Lion lived in Africa</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Lion RAWRed</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. Humans were terrified!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5. Humans moved OUT of Africa</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6. Humans migrated into Asia and Europe</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">7. Humans lived!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">8. Lion starved...at least until they met the zebra.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All of that took place roughly 2 million years ago.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, of course, the humans who lived in Africa had rather dark skin, which was to be expected, since living in such harsh sunlight would have caused their skin to turn darker (skin pigmentation) which would then protect these humans from the harmful UV rays and still allow enough light to penetrate through in order for them to "absorb" vitamin D from the sun (om nom nom, very tasty!). </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However, with the dark skin suitable for living in Africa, these humans, after moving to other parts of the world, could no longer get enough vitamin D into their diets because their skin was too dark for them to absorb the sunlight in colder/less sunny areas. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And one can only eat so much meat and eggs...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(and no, vitamin pills were not yet invented)</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thus, to fix this dilemma, these humans had an awesome idea. They will simply...turn lighter!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As you can imagine, getting one's skin to turn lighter is easier said than done. It took the better half of the next few thousand (million) years.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But still, it was quite successful.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With the lighter skin, these humans who have moved to other parts of the world with less sunlight (aka: Europe and Asia) evolved to become beings of lighter skin tones which allowed them to take in all the vitamin D they needed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Yay humans!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhteqk3jTk1qajhpuo1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">They used to be your next-door neighbours.<br />You should go back and visit sometime soon.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Its somewhat ironic though, especially since mankind has such long histories of racism, and the feeling of superiority over other beings of other skin tones. Apparently, those with darker skin tones were regarded as workers and "un-elegant" people because their more tanned skin reminded society of working under the sun in harsh weather, like farming. Until quite recently, it was very attractive (and it still is) to be pale in skin tone. Although nowadays, people are starting to understand more and racism is slowly on the decline.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(the amount of people wanting to be tanned, either naturally or artificially, is also growing. <em>Go</em> <em>figure</em>.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
But as you can see, different skin tones only shows that the people came from different parts of the world and lived under different levels of UV light. We're really all the same, inside and out! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So next time something even slightly racist pops into your mind. Take a moment and consider what you're saying. By insulting others, you're really insulting yourself.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Now, if only the world was flat...then we wouldn't have such a problem!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Surroundings:</strong> Shakespeare...lots and lots of Shakespeare</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Object:</strong> Glass Jar</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Feelings: <span style="color: lime;">Alien Green</span></strong></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PS: should "vitamin" be capitalized?</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">NOTE: A theory, being a theory, is not 100% proven and may be completely imaginary for all we know.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But on the other hand, you may be completely imaginary too...</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Do you trust your existence?</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-86964710651692497102010-10-18T21:23:00.005-04:002011-10-10T12:58:22.840-04:00I'm Smarter Than You. No Really, I Am!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I can count by two's and tie my shoes,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I can also type, and I have teeth.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">(Ha, Franklin! Your turtleness is no match for my evolutionary brain!)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Language Complications ~ Part 11</strong></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Life Complications ~ Part 14</strong></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(should I change my labels? These 2 seem to always appear together...)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Humans have always been wonderful with names. At one point, there were so many names that everyone had a different one (although that might also have been because back then, there were only 3 farms within 500km of where you lived...) and names are continuously popping up. Simply stating, we humans are amazingly, magically, awesomely wonderful at the invention of a name.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCC6rA1hwNDSjR_qlx0dnvS_ACZOV3AEioFjDXZiMJwx3gvTzYUWHvl4mhBhV7ceiI73bgE6O_ue9wzrq_zAPB42H-Eu4ZL0OL9LKWbmLe5XVhG1wQwXHMXdLjAvyPpGGJZhC1RGmNIs/s320/evolution3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Well, it's slightly more complicated than that...</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This beautiful gift did not stop at naming people, oh no sire, it did not. The most original of names were given to species. You know those super-long names that all living things apparently have? Well then, now you know who to blame when your biology teacher has you memorize 3 pages of them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">DATE: Octoberology 18ology 2010logy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">NAME: Serenology Linology</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Quite a mouthful isn't it? The one Golden Rule of the class? Don't read too fast when the teacher asks you to read from the textbook/handout. Read too fast, and you may break a tongue.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">One of the handouts we received a few days ago focused on Anthropology (the study of ancient civilizations and their relations with the current society...ology) and we learned about the evolution of mankind. The handout was overflowing with originality!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Why, you ask?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Well, here's what happened:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4.4 million years ago, we were called Ardipithecus Ramidus. We walked on 2 feet</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4.2 million years ago, we were the Australopithecus Anamesis.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3.9 million years ago, we became the Australopithecus Africanus. We could HOLD things!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 million years ago, we were the Australopithecus Africanus. The brain increased in size.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here I shall pause for a moment. Apparently in 1974, a very complete skeleton was found of an Australopithecus Africanus in Ethiopia. This skeleton was named "Lucy". Now, naming it Lucie would have been somewhat more creative, and naming it Serené would have been even better...but hey, not everyone can be THIS awesome.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anyways, going back:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2.5 million years ago, we were called the Homo Habilis. Tools and languages were used.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1.8 million years ago, were were the Homo Erectus. We started cooking! Yum!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">0.5 million years ago, we named ourselves the Homo Sapiens (that's you!). After that, we've not really changed too much, so this version of us stayed for quite a while.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Pretty entertaining eh? I mean, if we didn't have to memorize all of these for a quiz, I think we can all agree that we are QUITE good with naming. All these beautifully original (and ridiculously long) names for US! I think we will all agree that we're quite special indeed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Scientists believe, that starting from 5000 years ago, the Homo Sapiens of the past and the us of the present underwent one other change. A change big enough to be given a new name. Apparently, the newer us became SMARTER than the older us.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So obviously, us, being smarter, are going to give ourselves one of those fashionably new and snazzy names, right?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You ready for our new (and most current) name?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Drumroll*</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The humans of the 21st century,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Drumroll*</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Have evolved to become smarter,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Drumroll*</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And have gone from being the Homo Sapien,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Drumroll*</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">To the Homo Sapien Sapien!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Drumroll*</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">...wait, what?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I kid you not. Maybe increased smartness (logically) results in decreased creativity?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Seriously though. We're smarter? Why Homo Sapiens Sapiens? Why not...I donno... Butterflies?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But the good news? If your English Teacher ever asks you to write a letter to the future, you no longer have the dilemma of trying to figure out WHO to send that letter to:</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Dear Mr/Ms Homo Sapien Sapien Sapien,</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This letter is from a Homo Sapien Sapien of the 21st century. Please do not laugh at my horrible writing and uneducated-sounding small words, since obviously you guys will be smarter than us. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">By the way, have you dug up my bones yet? If I can ask for such a selfish wish, please display my bones (or what's left of it) at the Louvre. I've always wanted to be famous! Also please remember to dust me every year or so. Mom's always been telling me how important it is to keep myself clean. Remember to wash behind my ear(hole)s!</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Thank you very much!</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Surroundings:</b> Blackboard Walls</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Object:</b> A Feather Pen</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>Today's Feelings: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Red</span></b>-ish<b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Green</span></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PS: Mr.SteveJobs, if you ever pass by my blog, do consider naming your next awesome creation the iAPS. Pretty please? And if you do, please have it out where I live on my birthday. I'll be very happy if you can do that!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-65796852351713399642010-09-19T09:02:00.005-04:002011-10-10T13:06:29.594-04:00The Magic of Zeros<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Life Complications ~ Part 13</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><em>(le Gasp!)</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever noticed that life is getting harder the older you get? Not because you are getting smarter, or duller, nor is it because you now have 10 more kids to take care of compared to 5 years ago (Thats right, 5 sets of twins, one pair per year. Get yourself a TV series). Yes, that's right, stop blaming those talkative co-workers, or that really attractive/handsome person across the street. Stop blaming the traffic jam blocking you from getting to your workplace, and stop blaming the traffic jam blocking you from getting AWAY from the workplace. Stop blaming life, because its really not life that's giving you the trouble, but rather, its the circles around the boxes of your humanity.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Think about this:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every morning, you wake up in a box to the sound of the loud beeping coming from another box. You sleepily attack the noisy box and slowly sit up in your box, rubbing your eyes (which hopefully are not boxes as well...). You sleepwalk into another box, hit the lights, and spend about 10 minutes washing your face and brushing your teeth with the help of another box. Then you walk to yet another box, and find your clothes. When you're done with that box, you go downstairs and open a box to find objects of interest for your breakfast. You use another box to heat the objects you found in the box, and then you sit down at a box to eat. When you're done, you clean up and put all the dirty dishes in a box, then walk out your door. You go outside and get into a box, and spend the next 3 and a half hours stuck in a stream of boxes, where you exercise your complete vocabulary of rude and un-innocent words.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sound familiar?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Aha ha ha I just had you read a whole paragraph that isn't really related to the actual topic</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Isn't that what life is about?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now before you start blaming the boxes, and picking up the phone to get yourself a personal architect to design your house and car from a box into a triangle, do realize that there is nothing wrong with boxes. What you SHOULD blame, like I said before, are the circles.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/SorryItWasNotMeantToBe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2L8gFBx_4HMxdQuCFWIjw8QQ44CPaxAybyN61qIFqh55lD0q1-4iAzo8nysCYsRmy51ZSodTSCs_b5mTrLr2p_OEmVnr72DH33tbTuclI_iI4vdP-3byhEBBLBYVufToZZLz7d7G-Fg/s320/IMG_3990.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Look out! It's a evil <strike>donut</strike> zero!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Think about it. The amount of money you earn SHOULD have increased over the last few years. Perhaps it is because you kept getting promoted. Perhaps it was because you were earning the minimum possible wage, and THAT increased. Either way, you should feel richer right? Minimum wage a few years ago (where I live) was roughly about 6 dollars per hour. Now, it is about 11 dollars per hour. If you were earning minimum wage, you would feel pretty good in yourself right? "I used to earn 6 dollars, and without having to work hard, I now get 5 more dollars per hour! Huzzah! God save the Queen!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Not really.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Whenever minimum wage doubles, the cost of life triples. Technically speaking, you just got poorer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So what was the use of all that?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I mean, all we did was increase the printing of bills, and kill more trees in the process.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps the president of a country keeps in touch with all the therapists within that country, and whenever these therapists witness a huge increase of depression due to lack of money, the president prints out a few more bills, and increases the cost for ordinary life objects? This way, the economy won't suddenly go weird, and the depressants will feel a lot better if they earn more, even if it doesn't make them richer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lets face it, earning $11/hour IS better sounding than earning $6/hour.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On the other hand:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Japan has (as far as I know) the most zeros in their currency. They have coins for 100s, and one of those coins can get you a candy bar...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When you hear the Japanese talk about everyday things, most of the costs involves 1000s, not because they spend a lot, but rather because of their money value. A drink at a coffee shop could be 8000, and that is, apparently, rather normal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However, if you think of it this way, if their everyday items cost by thousands, then they must be earning MILLIONS!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Must be great for their self-esteem, eh?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I should get a job in Japan...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">DISCLAMER: I am rather bad at business and currancy related stuff, so please don't quote me around the place, because that will get you in trouble with the surrounding people!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Surroundings:</strong> Trees</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Today's Object:</strong> Tissues</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Today's Feelings: <span style="color: #bf9000;">Murky Yellow</span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">PS: If zeros are so magical, why does Japan have the highest suicide rate?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4878471971621901330.post-71868741304515983432010-09-11T00:16:00.002-04:002010-12-29T20:31:54.784-05:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rest in Peace</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08994595233257097160noreply@blogger.com0