NaNoWriMo

So, I'm writing for NaNoWriMo again. I shouldn't really say again, because the last time that I wrote for them my work didn't get beyond 3 pages, which is almost 2000 words. It didn't really go well. I'm in a writing mood, though, so let's hope it lasts long enough for me to kill another month on this. It's going to be adventure, with a novel twist to keep everyone on their toes. I do believe that everyone will enjoy it, but the ideas in my head are spun entirely from thin air, remember that. It's nothing really novel, so much as it is a collection of words vaguely resembling a large book at this point in my imagination. It's going to have swordplay and dragons and magic and stuff like that, politics (But I'm no George R. R. Martin.) and intrigue, etc. I do hope that everyone here gets to read it, and enjoy it for what it's worth. 

My friend does a thing with images when she writes her blog to show what she's talking about. I rather enjoy the idea, she posts the most incredible things... It's like viewing a photographer's works whenever I go to her site, she posts strange, intriguing images that most people don't think of. I'm more into videos, myself, I like to watch things. I'm an avid reader of failblog, and they post videos. 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=quick%2C+stop!+Your+ADD+is+showing.

I'm not bored, necessarily, I just woke up and I'm all alone stuck with myself. It's been a while since it's been just me and my thoughts, I don't often get the chance to do this. I suppose I should go start writing that novel before November, too, is over and I have to start UMUC classes. (University of Maryland University College... the name suggests that they're still trying to find out who they are. Also, does anyone remember the Redundancy Department of Redundancy?)

See all of you later. I'm out.

Hello Again

So I haven't posted in a while, I know. It's been an interesting turning of events on my end of this one-sided conversation, the world has literally been flipped upside down. I'm in Okinawa.
It's fantastic here. The culture is out of my world. The people are amazingly friendly to your face, I haven't actually had any person be rude or mean to me while I've been on island, and maybe that's just because the people here are really small (Hence the shirt that many Marines wear that says: I'm huge in Okinawa.) or just because they were brought up that way. I'd like to think that it's just because they were brought up that way, but I'll be realistic instead and say that I just haven't had the chance to meet an angry Asian here.
Speaking of Okinawa, Japanese sushi has so far been underwhelming. The delivery is alright, but the portions are small (everything is small over here... a large drink is a small in American.) the restaurants I've been to have the least spicy wasabi ever. (Except for the shoppette on base... but on base food is American. The sushi they sell on base is American, and it is better than the sushi in town. Go figure.)
The culture, as I said, is incredible, though. On top of the people being nice, the cleanliness and hygiene is superb, and the local nationals are impressively versed in a variety of English dialects (That I can barely understand still, but at least they know a little bit.) along with the traditions and history. I visited the Aquarium in the northwestern part of the island and it was absolutely amazing, better than most American museums by far. Also, 15 foot shark. Totally worth the cab fair there.

I signed up for nanowrimo, but I don't really have the time I want to devote to it. It takes me a good hour and a half to type out 1667 words a day for a month, and that's when I have an inkling of what I'm writing about. I might just do an adventure story... who knows. If I get around to it, it will be dark. Just trust me on that one.

I happen to have noticed that my intelligence level is declining while I've been in the Marine Corps. As a counter to that measure, I've begun to invest in culture, reading, and learning things again. I'm trying to devour the Japanese language; youtube has excellent contributions to that front. My greetings and common courtesies are very appropriate now, I believe. I have yet to actually hold a conversation longer than 3 volleys, but I'll keep trying and see what happens. I'm thinking about taking UMUC courses online and on base to get my bachelors, I'm very antsy about that one because I know what the standard for learning is now... My asvab, ACT and SAT may have been significantly better than average, but classes on expanding my thinking patterns may just take me over the brink mentally, what with my job. What with my being a technician, my mental capacity is called upon an awful lot to solve the logic problem: "Why isn't this POS working?" For the most part, the answer is: "Because it's operated by those fellows making a game of slapping each other in the head." I'm insufferably surrounded by them, by the way. I think it's safe to say that none of them will ever go to the bother of reading much this far down and still retain a semblance of attention span, but the only man on my floor that I have a semblance of intellectual respect for is my roommate, and he does twice as many MCI's a month than my shop. MCI's, for those of you out of the loop, are basically Marine Corp classes (Marine Corps Institute) that count towards your certifiable skill level in an area, many of which can be counted for college credits, which I find fascinating. I'm looking forward to completing one, but my sergeant hasn't gotten back with me yet to let me. I'm also re-reading First To Fight in an effort to glean enough of the material to make a satisfactory (to my mind) book report on it's contents. I should be done soon enough with that, but it is really quite incredibly dull for a book on war.

So that's what's up with me, HOW HAS YOUR BLOODY DAY BEEN? I'LL TELL YOU HOW IT SHOULD BE,

Have a Dan Daly Day, Goddammit.

Yours in thought,

BRASEL, STEPHEN J., BITE MARK, BLOOD SAMPLE, OO'RAH.

Chase Whiteside — Read This, Not That: The Psychology of the UK Riots

Chase Whiteside — Read This, Not That: The Psychology of the UK Riots

Alex Hiller, a marketing and consumer expert at Nottingham Business School, points out that there is no conflict between anomie and consumption: "If you look at Baudrillard and other people writing in sociology about consumption, it's a falsification of social life. Adverts promote a fantasy land. Consumerism relies upon people feeling disconnected from the world."

This brings to light more evidence for my growing support of the Brian Jacques/Redwall theory of economics, i.e., socialism among tight-nit groups of people. Personally, I like the idea.

When did everyone become so subservient? How did creativity die? Where did all the originality go?
We think that just because we're spoonfed reality every now and then, we're always seeing the big picture.
This could not be further from the truth. We've become so used to simply getting our way, we let Corporations block the way with ads, sales, and collectible miniatures. Maybe it's always been this way, but increasingly it's taking a higher and higher intellect to realize that EVERYBODY IS BEING USED, SCREWED, AND GENERALLY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. No good, people. We used to riot in the streets if government raised taxes, we used to tear down buildings and flip cars when the news reported our rights being violated. Now we bitch and complain in WoW forums, troll 4chan and cheer on groups like LoLSec and Anon, when they're increasing the problem, not helping the solution. Granted, I'm all for the freedom of information and healthcare for everybody, but socialism, as it is so often pointed out to me, DOES NOT WORK. Let me repeat myself.
SOCIALISM.
DOES.
NOT. (has not ever)
WORK. (somebody's going to be the lazy bum who mooches off of everyone else.)
Everybody, and I mean everybody, has their price. As Bill Waterson puts it, the most disturbing thing about this fact (and it is a fact,) is that the price is generally set too low. Far too low. Maybe if we got off of our butts every now and then to kick some ass, we'd be more inclined to be sure we were on A SIDE, let alone the right one. So many brainwashed, self-deluded asswipes thinking they know the answers to life are out there right now with more important problems then spreading the good ole' word. Their freedoms to do anything are being throttled. Their way of life is being limited. And these people are too close-minded and narrow-viewed to see what's going on.

We are in a crisis here, people. We're running out of fuel to continue our bloated, earth-killing traffic snarl-ups while green-hip soccer dads and moms preach pineapple recipes and recycling plastic as the way to push forward. How about a way out? How about we all focus on first stopping the wars by educating everybody in why religion is bullshit and ending the fundamental terrorist jihad-for-virgins/Christian Supremacy problem. How about we all become a little more kind to our elders, thus strengthening family bonds. (and maybe, just maybe... getting FRIENDS. Friends that are OLD. Ha, betcha never thought about that. It's POSSIBLE!) In the meantime we can get out of debt by not spending taxes (stop calling it tax-payers money. We don't pay taxes anymore. We are bled taxes. That's another thing to work on, though.) on the bureaucratic bullshit, pork-filled bills of bust.

Get a grip on reality, people. Geez.
Grab your flashlights and garden tools!

Memorial Day

MEMORIAL DAY










































Keep it
moving, please, even if you've seen it before.


It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.


It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.


It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.



It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.










It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,











It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,



ETERNAL
REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.