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munkeymunkey

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  1. munkeymunkey
    Saturday, a staff worker for the college arrived in Alumni Hall with her cleaning supplies to scrub off the grime and germicals left by the bustling, sometimes less than considerate college students that use the bathrooms on the first floor. On this day, however, she had more than the usual to sanitize - for along with the normal dirtiness, there was a filth greater than any natural process written on the walls.
     
    I can't repeat most of the language here, but the specific words aren't as important as the message of this bigoted script. In a direct response to the election of Senator Obama as the next president of the United States, the words sliced through the campus conscious like a rusty blade. "Lynch them all," it said, among other things with offensive words as well as meaning.
     
    Lynch them all?
     
    I can only hope that alcohol or some other substance was involved in impairing the judgement of this person or persons to the point where thoughts were not clear, but even so, that doesn't change the fact that such a horrid emotion was felt. And that is a sobering realization. I never thought that such an atrocity was possible when I was child, and even before Saturday I never thought I'd witness such dehumanizing bigotry (dehumanizing for the writer, that is). I was naïve, surely, but that doesn't change the fact that this came as a terrible shock.
     
    The University has done a less than admirable job reacting to this incident. Except for the hasty scrubbing away of the offending script, the University acting slowly, only holding rallies and speeches against it Tuesday and Wednesday. Student organizations did somewhat better, bluntly stating the poor showing of the community without reservations. I didn't even hear about it until Monday night, myself, and even then I didn't know exactly what had occurred. And although I may not be the most aware of what goes on in the wider community, I keep myself informed enough. This sort of thing should have absolutely zero tolerance, and the administration should have acted immediately - not so much to catch the individual perpetrator, but to purge the community of these evil sentiments, which apparently still persist. One individual can be confined, castigated, and censured, but such sentiments will infect the community much worse if left to fester in insidiousness ignorance of its members.
     
    For although this incident in intensity is something isolated, there is a basis of racial disrespect that is present allowing such intolerable intolerance to exist. Every time a joke is made about her ethnicity, every time he's described as being a certain way because of his race, every time we assume something about somebody simply because of their nationality or race, we contribute to this evil. Evil doesn't have to be spoken or scribbled on a bathroom wall. It can be thought. It can be felt. And either way, it's still the same evil. It's still the same harm. It's still the same reprehensible act. And it's still a problem in our society.
     
    So I'm typing today not to simply rant, but to preach. Don't let prejudice exist in your own community. If a friend says something, even if harmless, that is racially insensitive, call that person out. For in truth, that little comment, even in jest, is not harmless; it's harming. It's harming to others, it's harming you, and it's harming to that friend. Be gentle and considerate in your castigation, certainly, but castigate. Make sure that person realizes that his or her statement was racist and unacceptable. That friend may not realize it otherwise.
  3. munkeymunkey

    #288 ~ It's Snowing

    By munkeymunkey,

    It's very windy. It's very snowy. Well, it isn't quite snow either. It isn't rain, though, nor sleet. It isn't even ice. It actually looks like tiny little pellets of whiteness, short of like that obscure type of packaging peanut that is tiny, round, and sticks to everything. Apparently this is called grapple. So I looked it up online and received this answer:
    "It is caused by the partial melting of a snow flake that refreezes before reaching the ground. Not too uncommon but not seen in huge amounts or frequently. It will produce this and often the warm layer that is causing the melting will be cooled by evaporation processes and it will change back to snow. There are some cases also where the warm layer rapidly increases and it will change to either sleet or to freezing rain and then to rain. "
     
    I found that interesting, but with 35mph sustained winds, I'd rather just be somewhere else. Like here...

     
    Edit: Because the beauty and comfort of Monteverde isn't apparent from the picture:
     
    "Well, that's not a tropical rain forest, it's a cloud forest. It is constantly foggy, but it doesn't rain anywhere near 8 months per year. This picture is form Monteverde, Costa Rica. It averages 80 to 120 inches of rainfall per year. That is wetter than the Northeast US, but it's drier than Seattle, Lousiana, and the Everglades (the really wet places in the US). Furthermore, much of the rainfall falls in the form of fog, so it isn't actually raining all of those 80 to 120 inches.
     
    "But everything is GREEN. It also isn't windy. Beaches are windy."
     
  4. munkeymunkey

    #038 ~ Twilight Disk

    By munkeymunkey,

    I was browsing through the forums today, and I saw something that made me unhappy:

     
    Now, why does the Twilight Disk look like that? In my opinion, the Twilight Disk should look more like this:

    (It would need some better photoshop work, of course.)
     
    But seriously, a Twilight Disk without Edward Cullen? That's like making a Narnia Disk without Peter Pevensie!
     
    (That is -MX-'s signature in the image, by the way.)
  5. munkeymunkey

    #317 ~ Doing Good

    By munkeymunkey,

    I was reading through an old interview* (well, not that old) with Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), and there was a quote that really struck me. I decided to share it with everyone:
    “You’re, like, It feels like it’s either black or white. Either I’ll just, like, devote my life to trying to do good, or I’ll do nothing. But, there’s an in-between area. It doesn’t mean you should do everything, or can, as a citizen, or a family person, or a friend, or whatever. But, just do something. You’re on your honor. Basically, it’s your own conscience that will tell you are you doing quite enough to where you can feel okay about yourself, or are you not? Only you can answer that.” - Viggo Mortensen, October 2008
     
    I don't think I've ever heard anyone put it quite so succinctly before. I know I often worry about how much I should be doing for others, and I suppose this gives the slap-in-the-face answer: I need to stop worrying an honestly ask myself. If I'm still concerned after that, I should probably do more. I don't want to go forming a credo out of one side comment during an interview, but still, I felt that there was wisdom in what he said, so I wanted to share.
     
    (I also greatly respect Viggo Mortensen as an actor. If you watch the cast commentary for the special extended edition Lord of the Rings movies, you'll know what I mean. His fellow actors were impressed with and inspired by him.)
     
    *I would give a link, too, but I couldn't find an appropriate one. This was in Chicago when Good was opening. (It's an awesome movie, by the way.)
  6. munkeymunkey
    On how many college campuses can you go out of earshot of all human activity, immerse yourself in nature, and see not only deer, skunks, and salamanders, but also coyotes? Yes, I mean -on campus-. There are some, I'm sure, but only a handful, I'd expect. Even colleges in remote areas tend to be either too developed or own too little private land. And even those in contact zones with larger fauna tend to have enough students and faculty to deter the activity of such animals except in the dead of night. I've asked a number of friends, and none of them have had such encounters on their campuses.
     
    When I go running on my campus's cross country course, however, I routinely see deer springing and leaping away. I used to think it was just in fear of my own bumbling along the trail, but this is apparently not so. The entire course is thick in the woods save the start and finish, and the school owns all of the land and some more around it. The town's population is sparse, granted, but still, I'm surprised by the seclusion available on these trails. I can run for forty minutes to an hour around them and not meet another human being.
     
    The other day, I turned a corner, and about 15 to 25 meters away was a coyote. It was about dusk, so I suppose it was a decent enough time for her to be out and about. Her eyes were almost gray and very startled. She tensed and bristled at the sudden sight of my panting form charging around the corner, a bundled runner decked with blue under armor and red headband and gloves (yes, I have ghastly color coordination). It took me a moment to recognize whether this was a coyote or somebody's dog, but as I slowed down and steadied my focus, I caught sight of the curvature of her mouth, the perking of her large ears, the texture of her coat, and the tell-tale dorsal stripe. She paused for the longest time, as if confused by this sudden encounter. Was this runner a threat?
     
    Had she chosen to fight, then I'm sure she'd have won. Perhaps she would have if she hadn't been alone. But she didn't. I suppose my audacity startled her even further than the initial surprise of having a human charging toward her. Springing to retreat, she pranced down the trail and out of sight. Thinking better of my choice of direction, I then turned around and went back the way I came, but the image of her stays in my mind. She is the first coyote I have seen in months, and I never expected to see one here on a college campus, even if I am in the middle of nowhere.
  7. munkeymunkey
    Here is an excerpt from something I was writing. I was plowing away, and this idea struck me as rather fun:
     
    And despite the musings of some thinkers and the professions of some philosophers, time, from the human perspective, perpetuates in a precisely straight and unbroken line. The only apparent shift or imperfection lies in speed: how quickly time appears to have been or be passing, which can vary from person to person, location to location, and, incidentally, time to time.
     
    As a unit whole, the human perception of time trudges onward at a constant speed, leaving all dreamers behind on a dusty trail of memories, regrets, and lost opportunities. The past is clearly seen and reviewed by human vision (through both the eyes and otherwise) because it has been experienced, and thus it can be understood. A metaphorical light can now glow behind these events and peoples, illuminating them to the present. Not all of these lights are equal in intensity, however, and they will eventually fade from the collective memory of human kind. Very prominent events or people have magnificent luminosities, and these can be seen and understood centuries later, but most are too dim to be seen from a year, a day, or even a second further along that speeding timeline.
     
    The present is easily explained as the point on this line occupied by existence. Although being experienced, much of it may be better seen from a distance, and it is easier to see a point in the context of the points around it. Furthermore, since people can be said to shine their own light, a particular person’s light essentially occupies a segment length proportional to that person’s participation on the line. A person living longer is more likely to be more luminous since that person’s segment is longer, but it is very possible to have very long and very dim lines as well as very short and very bright lights. This is the same for events and incidents. (Incidentally, the greater collective luminosity of all of the events and peoples of a particular point on the line, the longer it will be remembered as a significant time. It’s likely not a simple additive relationship (two plus two equals up to four), but it is still collective, just like present existence.)
     
    The future is, of course, the most interesting merely because it is the least understood. And perhaps it is because of this that the future is so difficult to see. Understanding and luminosity go hand in hand. From the human perspective, the future is rather dark. It isn’t completely black because humans have the ability to deduce the most likely possible futures and eliminate in their minds non-possibilities. They can, therefore, partially understand what the future holds, and as such a dim, grayish light might begin to glow from future events. (For instance, cyclical events like celestial and seasonal patterns can be easily, although never fully, understood, so they can be more easily foreseen than uncommon and (seemingly) erratic events. Predicting that the sun will rise in a certain distant time, however, sheds little light on the complete nature of that particular moment, however, so this really isn’t as useful as might be hoped.)
  8. munkeymunkey
    Until yesterday, I had never actually played American football before; in fact, I'd only ever thrown a football once in my life when my cousins and uncles were throwing one around at Thanksgiving and it somebody made a ghastly throw that landed near me. I put down my frisbee and lobbed it back, the football wobbling in the air like an erratic top. And yet somehow I found myself out on Whitnell Field playing a "pick-up" game with some people, mostly guys from around campus. I wouldn't have played, but my friend Sam's team needed an extra person, so I figured, "Why not? I like sports..."
     
    So there I am listening to the plays, asking "Okay, so what do you need me to do?" and playing "the line" against a very large, under armor-wearing man (he wasn't a boy; he was legitimately a man). I was relieved that this wasn't tackle football... Anyway, I started out rather rough, not following "my man" when he decided to break off and make a catch, getting a first down, and not understanding what to do when somebody yelled "Blitz!", but I slowly cuaght on to how things worked.
     
    The fun part was when we were on defense and the quarterback on the other team (yeah, I know who that is!) tried "running it" and I got to just dive at him and grip onto his flags, ripping off his belt. I was so ecstatic that it worked that I almost forgot to get bak on the line for the next play. I did something!
     
    The second revelation was that although we couldn't use our hands, I could block people trying to get our quarterback by simply getting in their way and making them step on me. It wasn't great for self-preservation, but it really helped our quarterback get extra time to throw.
     
    The highlight of all this, though was when, on the last play of the game, I dove at a runner, ripped off the flag, but also managed to grab his shorts, too. It was rather embarrassing, especially since he was a junior or senior and I'm a tiny freshman (okay, so I'm not tiny, but still...). He was really cool about it, but there were plenty of jeers from my teammates about grabbing the shorts rather than the flags. Hey - at least I figured out how to play defense!
     
  9. munkeymunkey
    The Meaning of Life
     
    The prospect of discovering the answer to life was what had initially drawn James to the project. He considered himself a man of philosophy, and, naturally, this led him to the penultimate question: “What is the meaning of life?” (The ultimate question, of course, is: “How can I make money off that?”)
    The answer to that last question was actually answered before the first. For even before James began work on the project, he was informed that he would be paid millions of US dollars if he and his partner successfully discovered the answer. Being Canadian, this made James cringe, for he detested the lowly American dollar.
    What also made James cringe was the idea that that last question was so easy to answer while the preceding was so difficult. And even now, fifteen months, twenty-three migraines, and seventeen dead raccoons later, they still hadn’t found the answer. James and his partner Graham, a deranged, quick-minded physicist, had tried countless experiments and trials and had collected a mass of dead light bulbs and broken glass. Their sixteen-month research allotment was nearing its end, and they still had nothing.
    That’s why Graham was so excited that night. After such a long, torturous process, he now felt relieved to be occupied with a plan – a plan that just might work. It involved a fluorescent light, tungsten tubing, a fair amount of gold semi-conductors, some coffee cakes, and a variety of mirrors. When James walked into the lab after his dinner break, he found all of these arrayed on the far table with Graham, in pajamas, hunched furtively over them. (He had forgotten to get dressed again.)
    The room was stuffy and dank, so James assumed that Graham had been trying to use excessive amounts of water again. For some reason, Graham was convinced that the answer to the meaning of life must come from mixing water with electricity. James was more down to earth: he expected it to involve multiple dimensions and radioactive milk.
    He noticed that Graham had placed the light bulb in some water and connected it to the cakes. However, there was something different this time: instead of simply electricity, Graham was obviously trying to extract sub-nucleonic particles. It made James smile slightly to see Graham finally taking his advice. He gave a tap to the glass that protected the outside world from the exposed electrical currents and asked, “So, are the coffee cakes for eating?”
    Graham looked up at him, obviously not amused. “This is important, James.” Graham didn’t like jokes. He disliked laughing, crying, and pretty much every other human emotion.
    “All right…” James responded. “It’s a little stuffy in here, ay? Mind if I open a window?”
    Graham swung his head around again and looked James directly in the eyes before agreeing. “Yeah, okay,” he said mystically. “Just not too far open.”
    “Thanks,” James replied, promptly walking to the closest window and opening it just a bit. He rolled his eyes slightly at Graham’s insistence that the window be opened “not too far.” It wasn’t like it was cold out; it was two degrees Celsius outside! “Coddled Americans just always have to be comfortable,” James thought bitterly.
    James was just about to settle down to his research on pasteurization when a moth suddenly fluttered into his face. He swore, batted it away, and called to Graham, “Looks like we have a friend. You’d think the moths would be dead this time of year, too, ay?”
    Graham didn’t answer; his work was too interesting. But not long after, the moth caught sight of his fluorescent light. In the dimness of the room (dim so that the light of electromagnetism would be more apparent), Graham’s light was the brightest spot, the most enticing thing for a moth.
    The moth bumped against the glass encasement, frantically trying to break through and grab the glow of the bulb. It was very adamant, and no matter how many times it failed, it continued to try. “He’s a valiant little bugger, ay?” James commented, walking over to Graham’s station to investigate.
    “I guess so,” Graham answered. “The sad thing is, though, sometimes I feel sort of like that – a mindless moth banging my head against an unbreakable glass. I can see the answer in my mind, I can see how to get there, but whenever I try to grasp for it, I run into a brick wall. The meaning of life. It’s such a simply thing to ask about, but somehow actually getting there is the most difficult thing in life.”
    “That’s deep, Graham,” said James with a serious tone. “But look on the bright side: if the moth were to finally reach the light, he’d be fried up instantly. Something that intense might even kill you or me.”
    “That might be nice for the moth,” countered Graham, “but we’re not moths James. And we’re not trying to grasp at light. We’re looking for the answer to life.”
    “Well, in a way-”
    “Ah, it’s useless anyway,” Graham cut it. “We haven’t gotten anywhere.”
    “All I was saying was maybe it’s not an accident that there’s a ‘glass covering’ between us and enlightenment. Maybe we’re better off not knowing, ay? Maybe this invisible barrier is protecting us just like the glass protects that moth from certain death.”
    Graham pondered that thought for a moment. His face became contorted with thought. Then, a new idea striking him, he placed a gloved hand on the glass cover, looking at James for recognition.
    “What are you doing?” James asked.
    “Well, you said maybe the glass protects the moth, but I’m thinking maybe the moth’s better off reaching its goal and dying prematurely than never reaching its goal and dying anyway. Let’s give it a whirl, ay?” That last word hung on Graham’s mouth almost bitterly, as if mocking James. A maniacal gleam appeared in Graham’s eyes, the crazed light of a genius on the brink of discovery. “I’m about to get it, James; I can feel it. All I have to do is lift this glass and see what happens.”
    “Why, Graham?” James asked, scared of what the answer might be.
    “Don’t you see? The moth! It’s all in the moth! The meaning of life!”
    “Oh.”
    “I have to be the moth, James. I have to be the moth.” Graham shook his arms slightly as he spoke, almost as if he meant to flutter them like a moth.
    “All right, you do that,” James conceded. “I’ll just be right over here… behind the flame-resistant door.” James turned about-face and fled. He had a sinking feeling that Graham had completely lost it. Now he knew why he was using coffee cakes to find the meaning of life: Graham was crazy.
    James ducked down and waited for an explosion, a scream, something. But nothing came. He waited a minute, his temples pulsing faster with every second. Nothing. He called out in a weak, tentative voice, “Graham?” There was no answer. Then slowly, cautiously, he stood up and peeked through the window of the door behind which he had hid.
    Everything was still. The moth still fluttered beside the glass encasement, and the fluorescent bulb still shown with radiance. And there was Graham, shivering, undecided, debating whether or not he should lift the glass. James bit his lip, anticipating the next action. He hadn’t wanted to see the doom that would befall Graham during his craze, but now that he was watching, well, it was just so interesting.
    Graham took a deep breath and lifted the glass. The moth hesitated a moment, as if it were actually surprised to have its path lying clear. It was as if it was so used to being refuted its wishes that now that there were no obstacles, it didn’t know what to do.
    Then, it focused back on the exposed light and charged with furry at the enticing gleam. And as it touched the filaments of the light, a sizzle and a smoke engulfed the moth. Charred to a crisp, it collapsed lifeless to the table.
    Graham started to cry. His hand was still gripping the glass, but his other was at his forehead, hiding the tears that betrayed his emotions to his attentive audience. James didn’t understand what had just happened. He tentatively approached his partner. Never before had he seen Graham cry. Never. Why now? Was the moth really so touching and important? James searched frantically for something to say, but all that came to mind were horrible puns. He struggled for a moment, trying not to give in to the poor humor, but it was futile. “So, Graham,” he began, “why the burning passion for the moth?”
    Graham turned to him slowly, a reddened face glaring intensely back. “Don’t you see?” he exclaimed. “It’s the answer! I’ve found it!”
    James didn’t understand.
    “The moth, James, the moth. It’s in the moth.”
    James looked at the moth, but all he saw was death.
     
  10. munkeymunkey
    On February 10, 2005, I got a a little PM from mfuss903 asking if I would like to join the BZP Support Team, becoming one of BZP's new staff members. Back then, I had about 3,500 posts and about a year's experience on this website; most of it was in the S&T Forum. I was not well known outside of that S&T circle, and I remember quite a few comments wondering who exactly this new ST was in the promotion topic. More people knew Shannara back then, as he had already become fairly famous for MOCing. Funny enough, I barely knew him.
     
    Last night, my little post rank changed to something non-post related for the first time, and I must say that it was a fulfilling thing to see. I've had a few instances when I wondered if I would be able to continue my steady pace as a staff member and contributor to BZP, but somehow I've always managed to pull through. And although my time has been constrained so much that I rarely update this blog, I thought that this was a fitting time for reflection on what BZP has meant to me the past three years.
     
    More than anything, the steadiness of the website has been helpful. Just like everybody else, I have tons of problems at home, in school, at work, and in life in general. It's not easy, and having a day-to-day commitment to people I'll probably never see in real life can sometimes feel abstract. Furthermore, being a moderator can be mentally and emotionally straining at times, so it's not always sprinkles and bunnies over here.
     
    Nevertheless, BZP has endured and continued to grow, and I have had a helping hand in the growth for the past few years of the type that only a handful of other people have experienced. My mark has been successfully left on this website, and I'm happy for that. But BZP has also left its mark on me. Through the determination and constancy I've dedicated here, I have realized how strongly I can persevere in anything on which I set my will.
  11. munkeymunkey
    I still maintain that I get better material for quirky stories and occurances during the school year, but I have recently stumbled across another curious subject: my cousin's cats. He owns three, and they are all indoor cats that live in his two-room apartment at a boarding school dorm. On top of that, two of them of weigh over twenty pounds. (Surprisingly, his home actually smells decent.)
     
    The two main coons are name Calvin and Hobbes, and the other, a normal-sized white mut-cat, is named Sasha. Calvin and Hobbes are adorable - at first. They cuddle and play; they're excited to see me whenever I stop over; and they're meows are hilariously just like any other cat - small.
     
    Anyway, I've been taking care of these three for the past week while my cousin stays over in Virginia, and today is the first day I've actually seen Sasha. Unlike the other two, she is skiddish and shy, hiding somewhere small and cramped (and unbeknownst to me) in that tiny apartment. Cats are funny like that - if they want to hide, they'll find a way. And I might not have known that Sasha existed until today if it hadn't been for my cousin insisting he owned a third cat.
     
    Hobbes is another matter. He curls up on my lap and starts meowing happily. Then, he bite my hand, drag into his claws, and start licking it. It's hard to discern his emotions, as he shows affection with teeth, claws, tail, purr, meow, tongue, and all. But I'm farily certain that he's simply always happy.
     
    And then there's the calendar. One of the cats, while home without any humans, has been stalker my cousin's calendar and destroying it month by month. It used to hang above their cat dishes, but then I found it on the floor one day with April mutilated. I placed it on the counter out of their reach, or so I thought. Then, sure enough, August and March were attacked. Not wanting a reoccurance, I stored it above the fridge, but somehow, the cat (or cats, I suppose) found it and finished off August before extracting the rest of the months and littering them about the apartment. The only months left unmarked are December and February. I'm not sure if there's a reason, but I get the feeling there may be. Never underestimate the intelligence (or impertinence) of cats.
     
    So, it's nothing special, but I found it an interesting observation.
  12. munkeymunkey
    Last night (or, this morning, rather), I had two very pointed experiences that I am fairly certain will stay with me for years to come. The first occured at a friend's birthday party, but that's a story for a later date. I only mention it now becasue it was at that party that I learned that Alice wanted to go to the Harry Potter Party at the bookstore a few towns north. Hardly anyone wanted to go beacuse it was so late, there would be a long line, and it would take ever so long to drive all that way.
     
    On a whim, I decided to go. Earlier, I had told myself that I would not be one of those freaks who sees the Odrder of the Phoenix premier or waits in frotn of a bookstore to buy Deathly Hallows, but somehow I ended up at the premier last Wednesday and was nwo headed off to a bookstore at 11:00 at night...
     
    But anyway, upon arrival, we saw a line of six hundred plus people from all of the surrounding towns. Many of my friends were there, but there was also a significant bulk of people I don't know, which, coming from the boonies, was almost more disconcerting. Still, it was incredible and inspiring to see that many people lined up for a book. A book.
     
    Alice and I mingled around the line, visiting people, slowly making our way to the back. There was trivia, giveaways, drinks and snacks, and way too many people dresssed up like characters from the novels. (Now that I will never do outside of a theatre.
     
    This brought us to the back of the line, and that meant at the other side of the parking lot and next to the county's big department store: the K-Mart. K-Mart was selling the books for $21.00 (which includes tax), whereas the local bookseller was selling for about $37.00 (with tax). Sixteen dollars is a big difference. Of course, the K-Mart wasn't supposed to be open at midnight. They never open that early. They weren't even supposed to have the Harry Potter books (it's a small K-Mart).
     
    But now they had them. The majority of people remained faithfully in line, waiting patiently to support their local merchant. Many had already given a down payment and now held their tickets as firmly as if they had come from Wonka bars, now giving these dleighting consumers the golden keys to a marvelous new adventure.
     
    I hadn't reserved a copy, and now I was standing there, next to K-Mart, watching as one or two people entered every few minutes to buy a much cheaper book. Jeers and shouts were given, and people who exited K-Mart with Deathly Hallows were given evil glances and deathly curses. They were cheatskates and traitors.
     
    As I entered the K-Mart, a lady yelled to me that her book would read better. I exited less than a minute later, and she was still half an hour away from the local book store. I sat down on the pavement and opened my new book. I began reading to myself, then I looked up and responded, "No, my book reads better - sixteen dollars better."
  13. munkeymunkey
    This was initially just a neat little idea I had for a content block, but it became something a little more interesting.
     
    As many of you who visit S&T frequently by now probably know, there are two new S&T Fact Team members. This got me thinking: We have a BZP Staff History Topic to keep track of official staff, but what about the "non-comissioned staff" like S&T Fact Team members? They have an added responsibility, and they do put in extra time for BZP, so why not have a place to keep track of the team's status as a whole as well as it's history?
     
    But there was one problem. Sure, it was easy to find the topic that was posted mere hours ago for our two newest members (Great Being #1 and The Infection). It was also easy to find the original list and topic, seeing as that topic is still being used for the S&T Fact Team. But there was a problem. There is one FT Member who slipped under the radar. How could this be? No topic? No definite date? This is unacceptable!
     
    I immediately searched my own PMs, as well as the official topics' list, the S&T Fact Team topic, the Suggestion Box, and even a strenuous search through the November and December topics from 2006 in S&T. Nothing definite could be determined, but I found some brackets: It was in between November 16th and December 30th. But when in those six months?
     
    I then PM'd the chap, as I figured that he might have some PM or such saying the actual date. Nothing (except, that is, about the same minimum and maximum as I had discovered). So, unless bonesiii or an Admin has hidden away some hidden proof of purchase, there will forever remain a gap in our knowledge of when that one S&T Staff Member (the first non-original) joined the team.
     
    Forevermore, he will be remembered (among other things) as the Stealth S&T FT: Utopia.
  14. munkeymunkey
    I was in a curious situation today. My parents are away, but the cats were out of food. In fact, the one cat was attacking me during the night for not feeding him enough. I dislike that. Anyway, my mother had left me with a grocery list (which included cat food), and a note that she'd reimburse me for everything I bought. There, at the bottom of the list were four interesting words: "what else you want."
     
    This meant that I good go to the grocery store and buy whatever snacks I desired without thinning my wallet permanently. Sounds tantalizing, eh?
     
    So, let's see what I bought:
    white cheese singles (which I can't eat)
    two bags of cat food (which I don't eat)
    1 pound of ham
    a packet of tomato wraps (basically tortillas with tomatoes in them, organic and local, really nice)
    5 nectarines
     
    And that's it. Yes, that's it. I was in the grocery store, which is large enough to have such edibles as ice cream, muffins, interesting fruit juices, and other delicacies I don't usually get to indulge in, but the sweetest thing I bought was the nectarines. I never bought "whatever else I wanted." Why? Why pass up that chance?
     
    I thought these questions as I walked into the house from my car. The answer dawned on me awhile later:
     
    I was in a grocery store.
     
    And that made everything make sense. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. I didn't want to go browsing around the aisles. I detest grocery stores about as much as I do biting felines that puncture my feet. And that dislike alone is what caused me - subconsciously, mind you - to reject the opportunity presented to me.
  15. munkeymunkey
    Anybody here who has sat through an entire AP course and grueling, four hour test knows what I mean when I say that AP is a strenuous experience for high school juniors. This past year, I took both AP courses that my school offers for juniors (yes, it is a tiny school without much variety, but that's another story).
     
    The first that we tested for was AP US History. My teacher was great, and one of the best people I know to quote, but we had to blast through a 32 chapter history book (1,022 pages) between August 30, 2006 and May 12, 2007. One week for the Civil War? That's ridiculous! But no, not with AP.
     
    That, of course, is the build-up to the test. First, there are 80 multiple-choice questions. In order to answer them all, you have to be better than one question per minute, and these are not easy questions. Do you know who wrote Silent Spring? That's the sort of thing that had to be answered (although, sadly, that question wasn't on the test). After the MC questions comes the DBQ. A series of documents are given and students have to write an essay about a time period in history, meanwhile hitting as many documents as possible. Luckily for me, I studied hard about the Grange, Alliance, and Populist Movements. After that, there are two half-hour essays. For each essay, there are two prompts, and each student has to choose one of the two. For the first, I choose a great question for me. I was born a few miles from where Shays' Rebellion ended, so I know that story from grandparents, never mind textbooks. The next was tougher, as I had to write a very argumentative essay about the second terms of LBJ and the Gipper.
     
    That was one. The next week I took the AP English Language and Composition Test (my teacher for the course, by the way, is probably the best teacher I've ever had). This one has a very similar format, but instead of US History, it's focused on English writing. I won't spend as much time here because frankly, it was less memorable. However, my hand was certainly just as sore. Writing that much in such a limited (yet still impeccably long) amount of time takes a toll on the hand.
     
    So, why in the world am I writing abotu the AP now? It's been two months since those tests! Well, today was the day that my test scores returned. I was incredibly nervous, so nervous, in fact, that I was shaking as I opened the envelope. And there it was: two 5's. I actually received the top possible score on both tests. It was exhilarating, really, and although I simply said, "Wow, I got a 5 on both" to my mother and then went back to reading TIME, I am simply ecstatic right now and had to let out the immense energy.
  16. munkeymunkey
    That's right! He just hit a two-run home run in the MLB All-Star game in San Francisco. But here's the kicker, it was an inside the park home run. It was the first ever inside the parker in MLB All Star history. That's awesome. Ichiro is magical. Case closed.
     
    EDIT: The icing on the cake: Ichiro is the All-Star MVP in the American League's 10th straight All-Star win.
  17. munkeymunkey
    It's that time of year again! The sneak peeks are up for the Fall 2007 series of Games Workshop LOTR tabletop battle game miniatures! I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only person on BZP who is this elated every time a new GW line comes out, but I really don't care. This is my passion in a tangible form.

    Gondor in Flames is basically a convergence of The Battle of Pelannor Fields (which followed Harad up until the said battle) A Shadow in the East (which covers the Easterlings and Khandish warriors in Ithilien prior to Return of the King). Gondor in Flames, appropriately, takes place in Gondor and will feature a bunch of pre-Return of the King fighting between Minas Tirith and the Morannon forces, as well as Dol Amroth and Harad. I call it a convergence of the other two because it is adding specialty troops to the already issued armies. It also is releasing some previous models which were metal in new plastic poses. I like plastic especially because it is cheaper than metal.

    Picture time!



    [as opposed to Knights of Dol Amroth]




  18. munkeymunkey
    I can't post right now, so I'm doing a little house cleaning. Right now, I'd jsut like to give an update on the short stories I promised to write this summer. This is also an update specifically on this blog entry.
     
    Anyway, I've written two stories so far, one about 2,000 words and another about 2,800. They are both glimpses into the "Great War" that occured back in the 50s FE in my ficitonal BZP universe. The first which I'll be posted is an idea I came up with before the guest star idea, so I wanted to get it out of the way. There's some name dropping of guest stars for the sake of filling needed roles, but not much.
     
    The major project involving those guest stars is almost mini-seriesish. I'm going to write up a few different stories involving one regiment of the army which is on a special mission up in the Mountains of Stral, where they will make an interesting discovery. That will kick off with the second thing I have written.
     
    So, anybody who wanted to be a guest star can be assured that I haven't dropped the idea; it is coming to fruition. I just like planning far in advance.
  19. munkeymunkey
    My town has recently been through some major turmoil (actually, things aren't completely fixed yet) within its school district and higher government, and it inspired me to write up a quick blog entry about one key word that is integral (at least in my opinion) for a democracy to function correctly.
     
    Communication. Almost all of the problems in my town's current crisis relate directly to a lack of communication or else a misunderstanding of what was stated. Back in 2001, our school district formulated a new assessment plan combining the operational and capital budgets which, they thought, was in accordance to all higher laws. Our superintendent was even in contact with a DoE representative to make sure that our agreement was valid. The final version was a ten-year agreement, supposedly lasting until FY2011. But here's the catch - we never received official approval because of an unofficial letter from (funny enough) a DoE official giving approval. Now, six years later, our government has decided to "clarify" some laws that have been misconceived. Apparently, my town's ten year agreement is invalid because, among other problems, we aren't allowed to make a ten year agreement concerning a non-statutory assessment plan. This wasn't a problem in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, or 2006 because, quite frankly, my town's district's agreement worked. It was practical, so the government ignored the fact that according to its interpretation of the law the agreement was invalid.
     
    But now, in 2007, one of the district's towns decided it wanted to back out of the ten year agreement. Without voicing its opinion until after the school released the budget for town approval in March, this renegade town decided to change the warrant and vote the way it wanted to. This, because of the government's "clarification," meant that we couldn't use our method of payment. However, the school committee was bound by our agreement to use our method of payment to assess the towns' payments. Essentially, the school now has no budget for FY2008.
     
    The other towns argued that under our agreement, only four out of five towns had to vote yes each year to approve the budget (which happened). That, however, was declared invalid by the government, even though we were never told this back in 2001. We should, by law, be stuck with the government's default assessment system, but it's not that easy. Oh, no. Since under the government method the nay-voting town would pay less and every other town more, the other four towns, when voting for our alternative method, didn't vote for all of the school's budget as would be paid by them under the default method.
     
    Meanwhile, the school committee was sabotaged because of a violation of open meeting laws and a power-hungry selectman, and two of the may-voting town's school committee members, including the committee's chair, have been ousted for not supporting that town's wish to undermine the regional ten-year agreement. Caught in a legal suit, the school committee is stuck and cannot release a new proposal.
     
    July 1st is coming quick, and if the towns don't start to communicate instead of making severaled decisions, we won't have a school budget next year and will be given a dreaded 1/12th budget by the government. However, all of this could have been diverted years ago if the government had communicated clearly to our towns in the first place instead of neglecting us. And even then, had the one town voiced its concerns of not being able to pay enough instead of undermining the budget by exploiting the legal loophole, everything would have run much more smoothly.
     
    Communication is key. The icing on the cake is that nobody's bothered to ask the students how they feel about all of the program cuts that will result from the 1/12th budget.
  20. munkeymunkey
    No, I have not forgotten my promise of small updates about the Prussian Village .
     
    Anyway, I have written a number of outlines now and have a few smatterings of text, including a three-chpater, 70KB document that seems to be the main story. My sister has started drawing pictures, as well.
     
    And that's where this little update comes in:
    Prussian creatures
     
    The idea has really branched off from anything realistic, becoming rather like a fantasy story. There are mogwots, castabrine, wocks, vulps, and other foul creatures. There are also ounces, lenks, and other, more friendly beings. For a sampling, here are a few entries:
    8) Vulpes- Vulpes are similar to the foxes that most people are familiar with, but they are larger in size, sharper in fang, and more cunning in behavior. Hidden beneath their orange and white tufted tail are two dagger-prongs that can be struck into larger foes. Vicious and uncompromising, these beasts will eat anything.
    9) Mogwots- Also known as land-sharks and vampires, these evil creatures live off the blood of other beings. Their noses are highly sensitive and they will rush to the seen of spilled blood with frightening quickness.
    10) Wocks- These platipudial creatures come in a number of varieties. Each one has a beakish muzzle and a mammalian body. Their forelegs tend to have an opposable joint, and some varieties even have wings. Some wocks are playful, others treacherous, but all are both elusive and illusive, able to confuse other beings with false conjectures.
    11) Unicorns – Do not exist.
     
    I hope that was at least marginally enjoyable. Hopefull we can get some pictures up here soon.
  21. munkeymunkey
    Tomorrow is my History final, which should be cake compared to the rock that was the AP test last month. But still, our class has been studying for it. Over the weekend, we were given a set of 50 multiple choice questions to go over as if it were part of the actual exam. On Monday, we went over them as our class, reading each question and shouting out answers.
     
    Derek, who sits at the opposite end of the lengthy rectangle table which we sit around, didn't do the problem set, nor did he bring the questions into class. There he was, sitting at the far end of the table (I sit down by our teacher), a blank table in front of him, seemingly clueless. However, as we began going over the homework, he shouted out seemingly random numbers (we had a 1,2,3,4 system instead of A,B,C,D)... right numbers. Indeed, he was guessing each and every one correct, not missing a beat.
     
    How did he do it? Students around him became uncomfortable. Some shouted at him. This was ridiculous. We reached question 20, and everyone else shouted out a different answer than Derek. They thought he had finally guessed one wrong. But then, lo and behold, our teacher agreed with Derek; the answer was 3.
     
    All eyes were searching around the room, frantically looking for an answers - all, that is, but eight - four pairs Our teacher was one, not caring how Derek knew (or guessed) each one correctly. Derek was the other, his eyes roving calmly and without direction, as usual. Molly was a third, who was simply laughing historically. The fourth was the key.
     
    As we continued, some people began to go ballistic. This couldn't be possible. And yet it was. Then, one by one, a few focused in on something. There was the answer! Another girl joined Molly in giggling; a second shook her head in realization. Then, an explosion hit as Rose discovered the truth after twenty minutes of frantic wonderment.
     
    My name was shouted multiple times, Derek was assaulted for being a cheater. We were both slandered, and vicious language was flung in our opposite directions.
     
    The entire time, I had been sitting with my left cheek resting on my left hand, my left elbow on the table. My right hand had been resting by my left elbow, also resting on the table. The fingers of my right hand clung around my arm. However, after each answer was confirmed by our teacher, the number of fingers across my arm changed - changed to the answer of the next question. The entire time, I had been feeding Derek the answers in a subtle, silent manner.
     
    Our trick uncovered, Derek launched from his seat, made a rounds of the table, and gave me a smacking high-five. We laughed profusely, and the class scowled.
  22. munkeymunkey
    Wow, it's been awhile.
     
    Anyway, to the story. Six months ago, the former anchor of my school's "Morning Show" (now a Freshman in college) came to visit during his winter break. We were all very happy to see Sam, and he was asked to be the head anchor for the day, just like old times. He complied with pleasure and did the show.
     
    During the opening seconds, when he's suppose to announce the day's lunch, Sam decided to tell us that we were having strawberry shortcake as a dessert on the side. Normally, that sort of nice gesture never comes from our cafeteria, and few of us believed him. After the show, I told him that I expected strawberry shortcake and that if there wasn't any at lunch, he would owe me.
     
    Sure enough, we had gelatin instead. Thenceforth, whenever I saw him, I'd ask Sam, "Where's my strawberry shortcake?" He continued to tell me that yes, he was going to get me some. This happened several times throughout the next five and a half months.
     
    Two weeks ago at Prom, I again asked where my strawberry shortcake was, but I received a slightly different reply. Sam knocked his hand against his forehead, unhappy for not remembering. He was actually going to get me strawberry shortcake! Still, he forgot, and I made sure to mention it to him as he and his girlfriend left.
     
    But a few days ago, as I wrote a paper trashing military tactics of the late 19th and early 20th century, I heard a door bell ring and familiar voices upstairs. My sister called down to me that there was somebody there to see me. I scrambled up the stairs to see Sam and his girlfriend bearing a rather large piece of strawberry shortcake.
     
    That made my day - nay, my month. Yes, he actually got me strawberry shortcake, and, if I may so say myself, it was decadent.
     
    So, what's the moral of the story? If you really want something, keep bugging people about (in a friendly way, of course).
  23. munkeymunkey
    Not quite an anecdote, but I thought this would be a good spot to post this as well. I have just posted the 16th of 30 chapters in my BZP-related Epic An Insidious Demise. It's received some good reviews, and I think it's probably the best novel-length story I've ever written. Plus, the idea has a load of background... Which brings me to...
     
    Fleshing out that background. I wrote a short story a little while ago (yet to be posted) that was set in the oft-mentioned past of BZP. This past is set more or less in the 2006/2007 version of this website, and I need some more characters to fill out the BZP army fighting it what is known as simply "the Great War." This means guest stars. I've dropped a few names here and there already, but I for this next project, I want to actually portray some of the characters.
     
    Therefore, if you are interested in beign a guest star in this past-project (which will consist of short stories at lest, if not another epic as well), I would ask that you fill out a form:
     
    Name:
    Gender:
    Personality:
    Physical Features: [Whatever you would like, by no means has to be true to real life... in fact, it might be better to be different.]
    Forum: [if you lived in a sub-forum of BZP, which would it be?]
    Color(s): [For armor, clothing, masks.]
    Element: [Only one, please.]
    Mask: [Only one, please.]
    Weapon(s): [Anything within reason, but nothing with extra elemental/mask-like powers. Those come from you.]
     
    Here's a clean version to copy/paste:
     

    Guest Star Form for An Insidious Demise Preludes: Name: Gender: Personality: Physical Features: Forum: Color(s): Element: Mask: Weapon(s):
     
    I would appreciate it if all entries could be posted here instead of the review topic for the sake of organization. Thank you.
  24. munkeymunkey
    Because I am an avid Tolkien-freak, I of course had the Children of Hurin on pre-order. However, because I'm currently reading Cold Mountain, I have to wait to pick up this next great story. So, no, I haven't begun reading Hurin yet, but I have done one very important thing: I've smelled it. Have you ever smelled a new book? It is wonderful. There is a crisp freshness that playfully nips at your nose. It is a plea for reading. The words are waiting patiently for your eyes to bring them into the imagination of your mind, saving them from a potentially uneventful life on a stark white page.
     
    New books beg to be read, and it is torture to have to wait to read the compilation of one of my favorite Tolkien stories ever. Hurin is a tragic tale, completely without apology in its slapping of your belief in what could possibly go wrong. It is agonizing, but tantalizing at the same time. Of course, the best scene is of Hurin himself at the book's end, but I can't spoil that here.
     
    But Hurin must wait, for first I must read through another great story set in a much different time and place, although no less horrific a scene.
  25. munkeymunkey
    It's that time again! Games Workshop from across the waters is preparing to release their next Lord of the Rings Sourcebook. This time, it's Khazad-Dum, which excites me even more than the Ruin of Arnor.

    Arnor was cool because it of the storyline aspect, not so much the models that came with it. When I field an army, I like one of two things: cavalry or defense. Rohan and Harad have the cavalry, but nothing matches the defense of Dwarves. No, sir.

    In the battlefields of Lord of the Rings, the Dwarves are the hallmark of an unbreakable force. Historically, though, they have been only released in metal and have had a lack of variety (no cavalry, no ballistas, no siege forces... just bland infantry). But that's about to change! Not only are plastic dwarves being released, but also specialty troops. Yup. Light-armored dwarf rangers, vault warden teams, and ballistas are all being released. That's good stuff.

    Also, there is going to be a dragon (finally!) Dragons are a rare commodity, but they appear from time to time. And now is the chance for something to rival my Mumak on the battlefield.

    More pics (when public).



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