Kraggh's Works ♫♪

School is starting
I'll be parting
Been having a lot of nightmares
Forgotten assignments and other affairs
Humiliation in science class
Makes me feel like I'm only trash
I hold my breath at the approaching storm
Where burdens like hail begin to form
But a ray of sun bathed me in my sleep
I remembered the darkness wasn't that deep
I dreamed a dream of special times
Talking with a girl between bell chimes
And though things were still tough in the end
It still brought comfort to see a friend
So be it that summer is done
I've packed my bags and here I come

G.I. Joe got in a report that a Cobra spy had been caught.  "We're gonna make him squeal", he thought.  He had close connections with the Cobra leader guy, and he had information that could save the world.

"Sir," one of his colleagues said.  "We've tried everything.  He won't talk."

Joa's eyes widened and he ran a bewildered hand through his hair.  He was hoping it wouldn't come to this.  He really was.  He was about to suggest completely inhuman measures that no man should have impressed upon them.  He pulled out of his pocket a sheet of paper with a list of last resort means of torture.  It read:

1. Play "Achy Breaky Heart" a million times.
2. Ask them to explain the ending to "The Matrix: Revolutions."
3. Take pictures of him in pink bunny pajamas and show all his friends.
4. Feed him school lunches.
5. Have Michael Phelps "shun" him.
6. Chuck Norris.
7. Threaten to hand him over to his mother-in-law.
8. Have an "Aunt Bertha" hug and kiss him.
9. Lock him up with Tom Cruise.
10. Have an opera singer named Groomhilda sit on him.
11. Force him to watch that stupid G.I. Joe movie.
12. Force him to watch the Teletubbies, too.
13. Try to teach him how to play "Rock, Papers, Scissors, Lizard, Spock."
14. Read the last Series of Unfortunate Events book to him.
15. Send him to Ferris Beuler's Government class.
16. Busy Server
17. Peeling Onions
18. Tickling
19. Unpoppable Bubble Wrap
20. Sudoku Rubik's Cube

Joe sighed.  "Trust me, he'll talk."

(no political statements intended)

Before you read any farther, listen to these songs, as perhaps they will speak more than the words I can use.  Go ahead, this is the Internet, there's nothing stopping you:

- The Sounds of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel)
- I Am...I Said (Neil Diamond)
- Mr. Roboto (Styx)

From each of these songs, I have found my own interpretations, and among those interpretations I have found a consistent theme.  I call this theme personal isolation.  As Simon and Garfunkel described their song, people have trouble communicating, especially emotionally.

It is more or less a common saying: "Even though I am in a crowd of people, I am alone."  The main characters in A Cinderella Story said this, but such feelings do not just belong to ideal fictional protagonists.  These feelings belong to everybody.  Every day, someone walks into an ocean of people splashing about.  Every day, someone drowns.  Every day, someone goes with the flow.

Once I felt that nothing was genuine, that everything was artificial, and that it all seemed wrong.  Being autistic, it is a feeling I have come to very often.  The one thing I knew for certain was that none of my relationships with friends were quite right, and there was nothing "special" to any of it.  As Anne Frank said in her first chapter, "nothing out of the common round".  What a brilliant mind at such a young age, despite what she thought of herself.

We don't always want everyone to see our true identity.  We don't put up a facade, but we only express certain parts of ourselves, and perhaps that is healthy.  Certain things need to be kept to ourselves, or at least to our selves and select people who we feel secure with.

Sometimes we need a friend who we can go to when we experience the death of a loved one, or if there are problems in the family, or if we are just stressed out, perhaps just for the silliest of reasons.  We also need to be the type of friends who can accept someone when they reveal that they too are merely human.  To give an example, the person whom I currently consider to be my best friend in school understood that I had jealousy problems, but he did not judge me.

Much more important than defining ourselves, we must understand others.  The main reason I felt as lonely as I did was not because of anything I did, but because nobody wanted to take the time to get to know me.  Many times, we make assumptions of other people and make over-simplified images of their character, not wanting to bother understanding the human complexities, the dreams, desires, fears, problems, and feelings that are the ingredients to identity.  We should pay attention to other people and get to know better who they are, making a less vague image of who they are.  Don't put others under a microscope; you don't need to know everything, just what you need to know.

When I talk of personal isolation, I speak not just of communication, but again of another thing that Simon and Garfunkel addressed, and the issue is certainly more important: we fail to care for and love each other.  Perhaps some people might be queasy to use the word "love".  I am not.  Love is a very strong, and very paramount, concept.  Personal isolation does not just prevent us from communicating and from revealing our identity, it prevents us from truly caring.

In fact, the reason why communication should be encouraged in the first place is because it will make it easier to love, and make it easier for us to do good.  How does caring make a difference?  If a friend is hurt, being there for them only amounts to a hill of beans if you don't do so because you care, and most people can tell.  What would guarantee that you would be there to help others anyways if you didn't even care?  Even when someone wasn't in trouble, would you go out of the way to be the best person for them you could?  You can do good for others even when there aren't huge problems to tackle.  There are always things that you can do for others.  You can even help them by leaving them alone if that's what needs to be done.  Whatever your do, however, do it because you care.

(Special thanks to Snoopy82 and bonesiii, without whom this entry might have never made it this far)

Inside the Enterprise it's slick and clean
The crew is about as classic as it's ever been
Yeah but Kirk can get too bold
And anyone can make Bones fold
But there's one who's made of gold
He's enough for me, yeah me
He's the one who's made of gold
He's good enough for me, yeah for me!

Singing

I love Spock the most!
He's from another time in the galaxy, baby
I love Spock the most!
He's a logical mind of clarity

Ow!

He his logic's based on facts unlike Captain James
Who's impulsive acts will only go up in flames
Though Spock can be a drone
His brain cannot be thrown

And his actions, always sound
Obey probability
There are problems all around
And you know that logic is key

Singing

I love Spock the most!
He's from another time in the galaxy, baby
I love Spock the most!
He's a logical mind of clarity

Ow!

Though Spock can be a drone
His brain cannot be thrown

But he is still half human
He's anomaly
It complexifies his character
So he's different as can be
Yeah, you'll see!

Singing

I love Spock the most!
He's from another time in the galaxy, baby
I love Spock the most!
He's a logical mind of clari-
I love Spock the most!
He's from another time in the galaxy, baby
I love Spock the most!
He's a logical mind of clari-
I love Spock the most!
He's from another time in the galaxy, baby
I love Spock the most!
So live long and prosper now with me!

I now have three new business suits.  They were purchased at a dollar each.  They are all shades of gray, and one of them is double-breasted with a pair of pants that came with it.  I also recently bought a plain black tie, which is very universal.

The total sum of my business outfits is now at eight.  Although I am missing one that is plain black and one that is plain white, I shall now start a search for dress vests.

I should explain, this is good news for me.  With school coming up, I needed a full wardrobe.  According to my personal tastes, a preppy wardrobe is most desirable.

Live long and prosper.

Since Robo apparently needs me to spell it out for him, I am going to define reality by breaking up the word into separate parts.  "Reality" contains the root word "real" and the suffix "ity".  Here is how the dictionary defines the word "real".

QUOTE
existing as a fact; not imagined or made up; actual;true


The suffix "ity" is defined as:

(suffix forming nouns from adjectives) The condition, quality, or fact of being

Thus, the logical conclusion defining the amalgam of these two units of language is "the condition of existing as a fact".

To explain where Robo misused the world "reality" is in his RPG, Reality.  First of all, the name of the RPG itself is a misnomer.  It would not be out of place on a self-help book, but this title is attached to an RPG about a fictional world, which is imagined and made up.  The second flaw is where he formally introduces the incorrect meaning of reality in the first post:

Whenever and wherever you can imagine, a Reality existed. In side of a Reality is an uncountable number of Dimensions...

Reality certainly exists.  However, this makes Reality out to be a place, where within lies a number of dimensions.  Instead of understanding reality as condition, it is misinterpreted as "a realm in which dimensions of a certain consistency are capable of existing."  In other words, "location".  One person can travel from on Reality to the next.  It would be more preferable and more precise if he had instead replaced the title "Reality" with the word "Consistency" or "Continuum", or if he had made up a new word for the concept he had in mind.

I hope this has provided clarity.

Live long and prosper.

Monotone, Monotone
They say that I can really drone
They ask me why I talk this way
I've no emotions to convey
Don't assume feelings have meaning
Flawed with irrational leaning
There's a greater truth to be found
You'll find that logic is most sound
But they're not amused with all my tic-toc
Perhaps I can live without being Spock

Spock! - (a-ah!) - Guide to those who controverse
Spock! - (a-ah!) - He is monotonous

(Seemingly there is no reason for these extraordinary intrusions upon the Enterprise)
(What's happening Spock?)
(Only Dr. McCoy of Starfleet has provided any explanation)

Spock! - (a-ah!) - He's a miracle!

(This morning's unprecedented solar eclipse is no cause for alarm)
(That is, if you have no emotions)

Spock! - (a-ah!) - King of the Logical!

He's for the monotonous
Stand for the monotonous
He makes that gesture with his hand
And he says "Live long and prosper"
The First Man Spock!

(Nero, Spock has escaped)
(What do you mean Spock has escaped? Fire everything!  I don't care I just want to see him dead!)

Spock! A-ah!

(Spock is alive..)

Spock! - (a-ah!) - He is monotonous!

But he's half man, with a man's emotions
He knows nothing but vulcan
He's got that part nailed
No one but the logically sound
Will find the golden grail
(O-oh!  O-oh!)

(Spock!  Spock I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!)

SPOCK!

(To the tune of Flash Gordon)

I've decided to start a hat collection.  I've written down every dang hat I could think of on a sheet of paper and am now writing them down on this blog entry.  Bolded items are things that I already have.  Numbers next to them represent how many I have.

If any one of these headdresses have not been given their technical name or aren't descriptive enough, I would appreciate notifications.

Baseball cap (∞)
Santa hat
Fedora (2)
Mickey Ears
Newsboy cap
Winter cap
Ski Mask (∞)
Russian ear flaps
German spiked helmet
Arrow-through-head
Stovepipe hat
Top hat
Graduation cap
Fireman's helmet
Police beret
Nurse cap
Witch's hat
Dunce cap
Indian chief headdress
Robin Hood's hat
Masculine crown
Feminine crown
Turban
Hood
Sweat Band
Bowler
Sherlock Holmes cap
Royal Fool headdress
Rice farmer hat
Olive branch crown
Ancient Pharoah's crown
Jewish skull cap
Pilgrim hat
Cowboy hat
Coontail
Sombraro
Hardhat
Pirate's bicorn
Pirate's tricorn
English Guard
Medieval helmet with visor
Sailor's hat
Chef's hat
Fez
Visor
Pope's hat
Train conductor hat
Paper hat (∞)
Beanie
Soda Pop hat
Whip It! hat
Bandana

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

Okay, think of things this way.  Harry Potter was raised by a cruel and uncaring family.  They abused him by making him doubt his self-worth and making it every bit as apparent as Michael Jackson's death that he was not truly accepted into their family.  So, you take him from that and suddenly introduce him to Hagrid.  You'd figure that once he reaches the Wizarding world, he would be defensive, anti-social, and insecure, right?  After living with the Dursleys, he shouldn't see a whole lot of good in other people.

Right?

Perhaps.  That is the opinion that some people have.  Was J.K. Rowling a terrible writer?  To answer the question personally, no.  The way I see it, Harry didn't trust Hagrid right away.  He had trouble believing him initially, of course, but even when he accepted that there was a new world he was a part of, he did not view him in the friendliest manner.  Granted, he wasn't unfriendly, but they didn't have quite an established relationship yet.

Meanwhile, he gets introduced to the Weasley's outside of platform Nine and Three Quarters.  What he sees when he looks at them is the family he secretly wished he had.  He does not see the Dursleys.  When he meets Ronald in the train car (a "very lucky day", as Mr. Weasley said in book 6), Ron is very impressed by him.  Harry might have considered him a mere sycophant, but what might have been flattery quickly became real when they descended (or ascended?) into natural conversation.

Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Seriously, I know from experience that I can be hated, ignored, or outcast, but so long as there is one person to clutch onto, one person who really cares, it is possibly to quickly become appreciative of them.  See my previous blog entry to see what I mean.

Meanwhile, Malfoy offers him praises and promises of an excellent partnership when they initially meet.  Yet, Harry Potter sees past this flattery easily.  Perhaps living with the Dursleys had given him the experience to easily detect it.  Malfoy, unlike Ron, did not truly open up.  He put on a show, and he spoke of success, and most eleven-year-olds are only interested in their own success.  From then on, Harry Potter closes himself off from Malfoy.  He never trusts him, to say the least.  It gets worse over time, of course, and eventually becomes a violent rivalry, but Harry still quickly established who his friends were and who wasn't.

Throughout his history in Hogwarts, he has has his grudges.  Slytherins, Cormac McLaggin, virtually anybody Ginny dates, and most importantly, Snape.

Some say that Harry would have realistically have ended up as Snape.  Snape also grew up in an abusive household.  Yet, he had time to grow a crush on Lily, and he had time to ally himself with people of his Hogwarts household.  He manages to open himself up to someone else, that being Lily.  Harry Potter, similarly, had time to develop a couple of crushes and ally himself with the people of his house.  He found two people for him to open up to, those being Ron and Ginny.  Harry and Snape both foster strong grudges.

Granted, Harry overall did a better job of controlling himself than Snape, but they had their similarities.

Harry also showed one last display of protectiveness.  In Order of the Phoenix, the ministry gives him grief by sending Umbridge to teach at Hogwarts.  How does he react?  After his fifth year, he never trusts the ministry again.  There is some understandable anti-social behavior from Potter.  He is quick to establish enemies.

Heck, he even gets angry at Dumbledore.  He's not afraid to.  Sometimes he wonders if Dumbledore is just using him.

Yet, there are some people who say that Harry is too open and friendly compared to what he should be.  I have found that these people are often the same who find him annoying in Order of the Phoenix, when he gets angry all the time.  Strange, but this anger is understandable.  He is being abused by the ministry and most students like he was abused by the Dursleys, and thus we have a cause.  The effect: he is generally less trusting, more easily angered, and stressed.  Not only is his anger justified, but this emotional stage is a period that most teenagers go through.  My mother told me so, and she know everything.

So, is Harry's social personality realistic?  In someways it is unlikely, but is is definitely possible.  That is the point of the character.  In spite of everything he has went through, he is still a good person.  He has plenty of flaws, but in the end, many of his interest have been for the best of others.  He was never greedy, never corrupted although he so easily could have been.  In the end, he is incredibly impressive.  Yes, most raised like Harry would have been less social, but Harry's personality isn't out of question.  He can have all the influence in the world, but in the end he decided who he is.  He's a good kid.

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh