Jump to content

Dr. Bionicle

Retired Staff
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    108

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Dr. Bionicle

  1. Dr. Bionicle
    No, my name is not Jigsaw. No, there are no winners. And yes, you will all come out alive.
     
    Anyway, here's a nifty little game that I've played more than a few times on the internet. It's really simple. There will be a series of questions or statements which require an answer. However, instead of using common sense (wouldn't want to hurt anything ), we're going to use what we call the Shuffle Button.
     
    That's right, take your iPod, Windows Media Player, or whatever playlist you may have available, and turn on the shuffle button. The answer to each question will be whatever song title is on your playlist. No skipping (unless, of course, the song title is inappropriate)!
     
    Here's my specially designed questionare thingermajig, some of which is snagged from others I've done...
     
     
    What is my life's philosophy?
    What will my last words be?
    How am I feeling today?
    What is my theme song?
    What song will be played at my wedding?
    What song will be played at my funeral?
    How will I be remembered?
    What is some good advice for me?
    What is my life's dream?
    What's my kind of lady/man?
    How do people on BZPower see me?
    How would I describe this blog?
    How would I describe my best friend?
    What's in store for this week?
    How would I describe my parents?
    If I had one wish, what would I wish for?
    What do my friends think of me?
    What is said about me behind my back?
    What do I think of this questionare?
     
     
    Go for it!
     
    Here would be mine...
     
     
     
    What is my life's philosophy? Life is a Highway
    What will my last words be? Don't Worry, Be Happy (XD)
    How am I feeling today? It Ends Tonight (O_O)
    What is my theme song? Hello, McFly (Hey, sweet!)
    What song will be played at my wedding? Beautiful Disaster (XDXDXD)
    What song will be played at my funeral? Bad Day (Well, yeah...)
    How will I be remembered? Head Held High (Oh, well, that's good)
    What is some good advice for me? My Friend (So Long)
    What is my life's dream? American Pie (Er...)
    What's my kind of lady/man? You Give Love a Bad Name (XD)
    How do people on BZPower see me? More Than Useless (Uh, thanks?)
    How would I describe this blog? Pressing On (Eh, more or less...)
    How would I describe my best friend? Healing Rain
    What's in store for this week? Come Sail Away (Ho, boy...)
    How would I describe my parents? Gone (O_O)
    If I had one wish, what would I wish for? Somebody to Love (Score!)
    What do my friends think of me? On Fire (O_o)
    What is said about me behind my back? Oh! Gravity
    What do I think of this questionare? Must Have Done Something Right (Heh...)
     
     
    So there you go.
     
    Interactively,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  2. Dr. Bionicle
    Yeah, so I got to miss the past two days of school due to Model United Nations in Topeka. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's basically where a bunch of middle/high school kids assemble and simulate the United Nations, speaking to the world's major issues and voting on them.
     
    Seeing as this was my first year, I got one heck of a nifty country: The United Arab Emirates.
     
    Don't worry, I'd never heard of it either.
     
    I convened in General Assembly II with my friend Sebi, who was representing Chile, and we began speaking to the agenda. I won't bore you with it, I'll just give you the highlights...

    I presented a resolution (basically, a bill addressing a problem) on getting the world clean water, which got passed. After arguing over the issue of global warming for an hour-and-a-half, we decided to table all resolutions pertaining to the issue indefinitely (basically, we decided we never wanted to talk about it again). Whenever you present a speech of negation or affirmation (that's a speech you make saying whether you agree or disagree with the bill presented and why the members of the council should vote for or against it), you usually present a "fun fact" about your country. Over the course of two days, I heard 11 fun facts about Russia, because the dude did nothing but talk. Fun fact about the UAE, two popular sports of ours are camel racing and falconry. Today we all voted down a resolution to establish a secret ninja task force that would combat all terrorism in the world (yes, that does include me... sorry, but jedi > ninjas *shrug*). General Assembly I spent two hours arguing over whether polar bears should be allowed to live or not. The Economic and Social Council entertained the idea of dissolving Canada under the rationale that it was utterly useless. It was suggested that it would be split into 5 pieces and be given to the five greatest powers in the world. (This did not get passed.) Mongolia dissed Russia three times, while Netherlands came in a close second with two disses in the direction of Russia. In the end, the UAE brought home the "Best Delegation" award, with one of our representatives taking the Silver Medal for "Best Delegate."  
    So yeah, if that doesn't sound totally nerdy, then you must have interesting parties at your house.
     
    Moving to adjourn this blog entry,
    Dr. Bionicle
  3. Dr. Bionicle
    Guys...
     
    Complaint topics aren't cool.
     
    I'll say it again.
     
    Complaint topics aren't cool.
     
    That being said, I'm not opposed to people expressing their opinions on things. Dude, if you don't like the Mistika, you don't have to, and I don't mind you telling me why you don't. Tastes differ. I get that. Odds are, I agree with you on at least one or two points.
     
    The thing that isn't really cool is just coming up and saying, "Hey! I don't like this! Let's all talk about it!"
     
    What makes this worse is when it whittles down to, "You don't agree with me and/or I don't think you articulated your opinion very well... I'm going to be insulting now!"
     
    And then the person in turn goes, "Hey, they're insulting me. What a #####!" and return the favor.
     
    First of all, guys, if you post a topic about it, all it really tells us is that you want to wallow in your dislike of something, and that's not very awesome.
     
    And yeah, I know, I know... it's just an honest display of your opinion.
     
    However, the thing that distinguishes an honest display of opinion and wallowing is the way you go about it expressing it. If you want to honestly display your opinion, go to the appropriate topic (if such exists), and give your opinion. If you don't like the Mistika, go to a topic about the Mistika and say it.
     
    A not-so-honest display of opinion desires to draw attention to itself. Walk into a topic and say, "Seriously, this ____ is really stupid" then you're just asking for attention to be drawn to you (if you didn't know that and don't like that, then you see your problem). When you post a topic, particularly in that manner, then that's where we get into wallowing.
     
    I'm not saying your complaints are stupid or aren't legitimate. I'm saying that there are better ways of handling it.
     
    I have rarely seen a complaint topic that couldn't be discussed somewhere else or PMed to somebody or simply expressed elsewhere. If you have a blog, go vent your crazy heart out (within BZP guidelines, of course ). Topics are not necessary and, in case you haven't notice, only cause havoc.
     
    Honestly guys, we don't need to discuss exclusively disliking something. Like it or not, your discussions on a website of this side will almost never be one-sided. Someone out there is going to disagree with you. There's no need to condescend them, complain them and/or people like them, or assume that a topic complaining will keep them away (in fact, it tends to have the opposite effect).
     
    Yes, I know... this whole thing is somewhat ironic, but I'm just saying...
     
    Cool your jets and easy on the complaint topics.
     
     
    Bioluminescently,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
     
  4. Dr. Bionicle

    Sick Doc

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    These are the times when I wish I was a real doctor...
     
    Well, down here in Kansas, there's been a bad flu virus breaking out with a telling average of 65 absent kids at the junior high for a straight week. I caught the darn thing a couple of weeks ago and lost it pretty quickly, but it looks like I didn't build up a full immunity to it, 'cause it came back on Wednesday.
     
    Within my time of sickness, I managed to inhale a few cups of Pepto Bismol, a score of Tylenol, and freak out the entirety of my school choir by being absent on Thursday, just one day before our state-wide convention in which I had a solo.
     
    I got better by Friday (the convention was SWEET), but its relapsed and so I'm sitting here with a stomach experiencing gastral schizophrenia. I don't know when I'm going to feel fine or when I'm going to feel like upchucking every cookie I've got.
     
    Feeling good now, and hopefully I'll get rid of this thing tonight. Tomorrow I've got Model UN (WOOT UNITED ARAB EMIRATES), and I'd look pretty silly throwing up all over the Model Middle East Caucus.
     
    (On the plus side, I finally saw Spider-man 3 and Transformers in my time of illness! On the low side, I rate them both in the 'okay' category, with S3 scoring an overall 'not bad' and Transformers bringing home a 'nice try' rating.)
     
    Blechingly,
    Dr. Bionicle
  5. Dr. Bionicle

    Hi, Guys!

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Okay, yes, I did kind of disappear and haven't really had any contact with BZPower in forever.
     
    So I guess some of you (BZPRPers, especially) are wondering where the cow I've been.
     
    Well... uh...
     
    Let's just say that my social life has greatly improved over the past year. Despite the fact that the learner's permit severely limits my driving skillz, my life has become saturated with... well... life.
     
    And also, you guys know that novel I've been talking about?
     
    Yeah, I'm still working on that.
     
    But that DOESN'T mean I've forgotten this place... not at all. In fact, I've been wanting to get back onto this place, but I've been afraid that with my bogged schedule, any toe in the water would end up getting me drawn back in and I wouldn't be able to commit any time here.
     
    Well, a few things drew me back.
     
    First of all, I miss the darn place. This is the haven of my nerdity, and you can bet I miss that.
     
    Second of all, I know that Smeag's probably going to cut my throat if I don't get back here for the BZPRPG, and I figured that I'd probably get something slapped on me for being gone so long (dig the new banner).
     
    And thirdly, well, I figure if I stay away too long, some of you guys are going to forget about me.
     
    So here I am!
     
    Let's see what I can do about this blog...
     
    ...
     
    Oh, wait, I need to do stuff first.
     
    ...
     
    Dang.
     
    Well, when I do, I'll be back.
     
    Till then...
     
    Schwarzennly,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  6. Dr. Bionicle

    *hallelujah Chorus*

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    The quarter's over, FINALLY. The teachers have finally let up on cramming as many projects/strenuous assignments/tests into their deadline as possible, and with a clean slate things have gotten much more relaxed.
     
    A three-day weekend ain't bad either.
     
    Well, a few updates...

    Looks like that literature festival I was looking forward to this month I won't be attending. Didn't get my form and money turned in time, I'm not interested in blowing up my brain by reading a novel in four days, and Copper Sun, the book I'm supposed to read, isn't that brilliant anyway. It's a little irritating, since pretty much all my friends are going, but I'll hold up.
    I'm doing Model UN. Woot for politics.
    KU beat KState at football (WOOT).
    KU Basketball starts up soon (AGAIN, I SAY WOOT).
    BZPRPG isn't dead, no. I've been pondering over outcomes and such, and how I'll be tying everything in exactly. For those of you that haven't peeked into the Academy Region topic, Kyshim will be going through some interesting controversy. I've already gone so far as to introduce my next guardian, not to mention my first female character, which will have some pretty sweet storyline revolving around her if it all works out as I hope.
    Being 15 is good.
    I'm looking into getting some Switchfoot/Relient K tickets on their tour this fall. Looks my best shot at a concert would be Rapid Springs, Missouri, but hey, it's two of my favorite bands ever.
    The Ventura Guitar is pretty amazing, and upped my CP (Cool Points) +3. 14 more CP points and I'll be ready to learn "Bored Expression"!
    I'm addicted to Star Wars: Battlefront II for the fourth or fifth time this year. I'm pretty cheap, too. Play Instant Action, set Heroes with the timer set to "Always" and the respawn set to "Always", and I'm ready to roll. Tantive IV and Death Star are my favorite maps at this moment. Luke Skywalker and General Grievous have got to be my favorite heroes. And I finally beat my deaths record in Capture the Flag with 198 kills.
    The novel, Cyborne, is finally starting to pick up. The introduction is always the hardest part to write, and I'm a good four pages into it, so things are going pretty well.
    I'm almost finished with Lord of the Flies which I, amazingly, have never read prior to my Advanced English class. I admire Golding's work, though the book's pretty dang freaky.
    On Monday I'll have been dating Liesel, my girlfriend, for four months, which is a pretty big deal in comparison with all the three-week relationships that generally surround the freshmen year.
    My auditioned school choir is traveling to KMEA (Kansas Music Educator's Association) and ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conventions this year. Essentially, that means we're one of the best junior high choirs in 7 states, which is pretty cool.
    After our trip to Carnegie Hall last year, LCC's going for a something a little tamer, going to the "Sing a Mile High Festival" in Colorado. It'll be pretty cool, we get to stay in dorms in everything. However, we already know that the choir next year will be traveling to Lithuania and Latvia, and I'm graduating this year. Dang.  
    Yeah, so that's pretty much what's going on right now.
     
    *too tired at this moment to write anything more conclusively*
     
    ...
     
    *or write a sign-off*
  7. Dr. Bionicle
    Yeah, so I forgot to post here in my birthday topic. Nothing snooty, just totally forgot for some reason. So to all you cool people who took some time out of your day to wish me a happy birthday, thanks!
     
    This birthday was exponentially more amazing than most others I've ever had.
     
    Saturday had a bash at my house with a bunch of my closest friends. For those of you who remember my study in the Complex of 8th Grade Males, I must say that Freshmen Males aren't a lot better. I have learned, however, that when females are present, the OML (those of you who are good little blog-readers will remember that stands for "Overall Maturity Level") is in fair moderation of itself.
     
    Highlights...

    P-Cart (whose real name is Patrick, but no one calls him that) succeeded in drinking 7-8 Dr. Peppers and was deemed unsafe for driving home (Ha ha, yes, we Kansans can get our permits when we're 14). I succeeded in hitting Nolan in the face with a plastic sword (total accident, I swear). He just said, "Toss me the weapon!" How was I supposed to know he meant handle-first and how was I supposed to know he would bend down that suddenly? I'm still the champion of BopIt Xtreme with a score of fweeoo, kahhn, bah! bah! bah! (for those of you not fluent in the BopIt dialect, that's 113). I succeeded in being appetizing, magical, neat, and delicious in Apples to Apples. Ian managed to kick the chips and onion dip onto the floor within the first ten minutes of the party, the likes of which had to be picked up by the entire group so that one birthday boy would be allowed to live to see his 15th birthday. I finally managed to beat out Nolan in piano jamming by getting an overwhelming chorus of the guys to sing "Somebody to Love" by Queen. It was pretty awesome, even though our upright stinks like geese. I also got the opportunity to jam on my brother's electric guitar, which sounded pretty awesome hooked up to the distortion channel. My spoils include a high school shirt (which I learned on Monday is pretty tight on me, but which I wore anyway since Liesel, my girlfriend, gave it to me and I was going to see her at choir that day), a subscription to Breakaway magazine, $15 iTunes card, $45 worth of Target giftcards, Hahli Mahri (a tribute from Alan for our LEGO nerdity), a mixed CD of some of the best horn ensembles ever (one of which is "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, which sounds amazing), $15 giftcard for my favorite local fast food place, and Skillet's album "Comatose" (<3<3<3<3<3<3).  
    Saturday was pretty awesome. I fell asleep listening to Comatose (one of my favorite albums ever, now). Then came Sunday, my real birthday.
     
    There are far too many highlights to list here, but what I really got excited about were my spoils, which are worthy of a list themselves...

    The Bourne Identity and Supremacy (Matt Damon + Robert Ludlum = FTW) Stranger Than Fiction (one of my favorite movies ever, basically) Relient K's "Five Score & Seven Years Ago" (great album) Deas Vail's "All the Houses Look the Same" (I got this from my sister's boyfriend, who I consider a close bud, and I must say that I'm growing to like the band) Pants (there's a whole inside joke behind this that I don't care to explain now for ya'lls sakes) Transformers shirt (which, ironically, my sister thought was a Bionicle shirt) Hard Rock Cafe shirt ( ) Charleston Chews (if you don't know what those are, get some... best candy ever) Jaller Mahri (if you're doubting buying him, don't... he's the bomb) Guitar Capo The list doesn't end there, but the next gift I got is pretty sweet, so I figured it deserved its own paragraph.
     
    In my family, it's basically a sign of manhood (or adulthood) to get your own guitar. Emma got a Washburn, Caroline got a JetKing, and for whatever reason, Drew got a little Fender. After I started learning guitar last year, I've been playing the life out of Emma's Washburn, so I guess they figured it was time I got my own guitar.
     
    Yeah, I got a Ventura from the '70s, never been played.
     
    And it's pretty sweet.
     
    Sorry, I couldn't find a decent picture of the kind I got. It plays like a beauty, though, and I finally have a guitar of my own. So, whoo.
     
    There's really nothing else left to be said, other than it feels awesome to be 15.
     
    Whoo!ly,
    Dr. Bionicle
  8. Dr. Bionicle

    Rawr!

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Never underestimate the power of small cats with captions. This image actually provoked Beans (one of my two cats) to jump on my desk and start hissing and scratching at the monitor. Finding her target unfazed, she quickly retreated to my closet, where she decided to claw up on a few of my t-shirts.
     
    Ahhh, yes, the pleasure of owning cats...
     
    Rawringly,
    Dr. Bionicle
  10. Dr. Bionicle
    Press conference going on in Ga-Metru with Mythias and Zyrul.
     
    If any of you want to take this opportunity to ask the duo questions, you can submit some questions here, and I'll see if I can work it into the Q Session (unless I can simply answer them here). Any questions I can't answer in the conference I will try to answer or at least hint at here in my blog.
     
    Seriously, anything. Doesn't matter if it's conference-appropriate or not. Questions about The Academy's future, past, present, whatever.
     
    And if any of you feel like crashing the conference, well...
     
    Readily,
    Dr. Bionicle
  11. Dr. Bionicle

    Moooooooovies...

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    I don't consider this a great year for movies. I admit it. Hardly anything PG or below has really impressed me (save Ratatouille) and most everything PG13 or above is too disgusting, too gory, too sketchy, too controversial, too weird, or too stupid. Throughout the course of the year, I've watched quite a number of movies (some at the theaters, some not) and I've got to say that each one left me with a pretty strong opinion.
     
    So, in case you're thinking of hitting your local movie theater (or video rental store), then I'm going to be posting quite a few little entry reviews. I don't know how great they are, but anyway, let's begin.
     
     
    The Fountain
    Rating: PG13
    This one sprung to mind first because I had seen a preview for this and understood absolutely nothing about it. Something like a year later, my buddy Ryan got some people together to watch it. Let me just say that this movie is utterly confusing beyond belief.
     
    As it turns out, the main character is a guy named Tommy (Hugh Jackman) who in the "real world" (you may or may not understand why I make that clear in a moment) is a doctor in search of a cure for brain tumors. At a point in the story, there is a formula he throws together which restores the test subject (a monkey) to a perfectly healthy state and (although over a great course of time) causes the tumor to dissipate. However, since the tumor healing doesn't happen immediately, he gives up the formula and turns to other things.
     
    He has a wife, Isabel, who is very carefree (and if I may say so, odd) that is a writer. She is extremely interested in the culture of, I believe, the Aztecs, which compels her to write a book called The Fountain.
     
    This book (and whatever else is going on inside that weird little head of hers) has caused her to greatly contemplate the concept of death, which is the basic idea behind her book. Interestingly enough, as she develops this fascination, she suddenly starts to experience symptoms of some sort (loss of temperature sense, for instance) and eventually is rushed to the ER, where she is diagnosed with a brain tumor.
     
    This is the part where you might want to be careful...
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Tommy does intense study and research to attempt to find a cure for his wife's tumor, but she ends up dying. To his dismay, the tumor of the monkey begins to shrink only a little after his wife's death, which means he could've saved his wife's life.  
    Two other weird little subplots run beneath this. One is the plot of Isabel's book, where Hugh Jackman and Racheal Weisz (Isabel) are portrayed as a Spanish knight and the Queen of Spain. Jackman is sent out on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth among a nation of Aztecs.
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «When the Spanish knight does find the Tree of Life (why do they call it The Fountain, anyway?), he immediately sticks it with his sword and begins to drink its sap, hoping to become immortal. He does, but not in the way he expects. There is a fairly grotesque scene where flowers suddenly begin to sprout from his body and he becomes a part of the ground around the Tree. 
    Another is particularly odd. Some guy (Hugh Jackman again) is floating through this bubble traveling through space that suspends the Tree of Life in it. The two appear to be in harmony with one another, the man drinking the tree's sap, and the Tree patiently waiting to reach their destination. However, the Tree keeps giving him these hallucinations of Tommy's life.
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Eventually, the two reach a dying star, which becomes a point of rebirth in both their lives. 
     
    If this was the worst plot summary you've ever read, there's a very good reason for that: this movie is so darned confusing that you can hardly summarize it. While the novel and reality plots run together fairly smoothly, the third of these stories is just downright confusing, despite any and all efforts to explain it within the movie.
     
    The movie starts with the second story, with the knight battling Aztecs. We reach a point of climax in the second story, within the first fifteen minutes, where the Aztec "chief" is about to sacrifice the knight. It is then that the third Hugh Jackman (in the bubble) "wakes up from his "dream" and gives us no explanation of the connection. Next we suddenly go to a flashback of Tommy's life. The procedure of moving from the abstract story to Tommy's life is one that is well-done and nicely timed, but it quickly becomes confused by the flashes to the book and the third story.
     
    In my opinion, the third story is completely unnecessary, and if it were ditched the whole film would be better off for it. It confuses the audience, which is intriguing at first, but quickly becomes stale as we keep anticipating an explanation. When the movie ends, the plot hole that is left behind is big enough to drive a truck through. While it may bring about some stimulating conversation, it's any wonder this movie ever got picked up.
     
    I will say that Jackman does a handsome job of portraying the knight and Tommy in this movie. It's challenging for any actor to play different roles, especially with lapses of difference that large, but Jackman pulls it off quite well. The Spanish Knight and Tommy are two very different characters, and they are made to seem that way. Only by comparing the two do you realize it is meant to be the same person. The third person (bubble man) is done as nicely as I think it could be. With the complexity of the other two characters, the third is disappointing in Jackman's performance, simply because it's not a believable or interesting character.
     
    Weisz really dwarfs beneath Jackman's performance. Her portrayal of the Queen is well-done, but the way she represents Isabel puts me off because she was simply so strange. Much of this had to do with the character itself, but Weisz just seems to distance the audience, like she doesn't want you to know what's going on inside her head (meanwhile, Jackman is opening up his noggin and turning on a floodlight).
     
    Overall, this movie is far too abstract for its own good. Jackman does what he can with his roles, but the story simply suffers because it is not well-thought out, or so it seems. As far as cinematography goes, it was a fair movie, with some great audio effects. However, it simply doesn't have any clicking or "Aha!" moments that make movies of this sort satisfying. It's a story that appears to be written without a conclusion.
     
     
    (Side note: There is a sketchy, sketchy scene that basically hits the PG13 rating for the movie somewhere near the beginning. Just be warned.)
     
     
    Anyway, that's it.
     
     
    Critically,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  14. Dr. Bionicle
    I've always been fascinated by the concept that 'angst' in and of itself is cool.
     
    It's not.
     
    If your first reaction is "I don't care", then that's part of the reason. If you're so self-absorbed that your opinion is the one and only important one, and that everyone else that fails to "meet your intellectual standard" is a complete bozo, then I'm sorry. Sorry for you. Because this is the kind of attitude that no one cares for or respects.
     
    Again you react. "I don't care."
     
    Well, congrats. But guys, it gets to the point where nobody cares that you don't care.
     
    This appears to be more common in the older BZPers here. I get that part of the reason for this is elitism. Since other members are so apparently "inferior" to them, the oldies feel no need to "stoop" to their level. While I realize that with age, you guys are generally more intelligent in a lot of areas than a lot of BZPers here, that doesn't just grant you the automatic right to treat them like garbage.
     
    Maturity does not grant immaturity. To go around like that is to only stoop to the level of immaturity that you seem to despise.
     
    I hate to quote Disney rodents at you guys, but if I may recall the words of the great philosopher, Thumper's father, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."
     
    I'm not going to elaborate, since I think that about says it all. I'd just like to leave you guys with those thoughts.
     
    To those of you that are already accepting and have a good attitude, I implore you. You're the people that make BZPower such a nice place to be.
     
    To those of you that aren't, perhaps you should step back and examine what exactly about angst makes it so darn appealing.
     
     
    Blahfully,
    Dr. Bionicle
  16. Dr. Bionicle

    Same Ol' Doc...

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    You know, I've always wondered exactly how much I've impact I've left on BZP. In my first year here, I was all about leaving my mark. I was anxious to make friends, create things, get involved, all that. Now, I guess, I feel my mark has been pretty well left. I placed in the first three RPG Contests, participated in Master of Bionicle, got promoted to Forum Assistant, and became a BZPRPG co-host.
     
    So yeah, it seems like I've put a few memories here, right? It seems pretty reasonable. I mean, I still come around daily. I post entries in my blog and make some posts. Check on everything. Close topics. And then I get off.
     
    I realized only recently, in light of an absolutely spectacular day, that I've lost sight of my real reason for coming to BZPower. It seems now that I'm surrounded by obligations here that keep me coming back. Signature reports, topics to close, the BZPRPG, Chaos in the Deep, etc. It has been so long since I've gotten on BZP simply for the sake of getting on BZP and having some fun.
     
    I think it really started with my Staff promotion. While being on Staff is great, since I'm able to help the site run more smoothly, and this is far from any sort of resignation, it has brought about obligations. Now I was getting on BZPower because a report told me to, not because I wanted to see what was hot in discussion or what art had been posted while I was gone. The Academy had been a subtle obligation, but not nearly so much because it was something I greatly enjoyed doing. With BZPRPG and more work to be done, I felt more obligation. Frankly, I didn't want to go to the RPG Forum to have a good time RPing, but because I had to straighten something out between members. Obligations, obligations, obligations.
     
    Recently, I've been rediscovering BZPower. While it's nothing profound (it is a kid's site after all), I've found out the reasons I grew to really like this community in the first place. The members here are great, the Staff does a fantastic job, and there's an endless pool of discussion and talent here. BZPower isn't just an obligation. It's a fun place to be. I had forgotten about that.
     
    What I'm trying to get across is that right now, I'm really not interested so much in being like an "employee" here. I mean, while I am Staff and I realize the responsibility that comes with that, I don't see why I shouldn't think of myself as any other member here. There are members here that come here just to have a dang good time and chill with people who share their interests. And isn't that what I want to do?
     
    So I figure right now, forget all that stuff that gets tacked on. While I may take on those responsibilities and take them seriously, I can't help but wonder why I can't just be Dr. Bionicle.
     
    In all honesty, that is who I am here.
     
    Not Doc the FA. Not Doc the co-host.
     
    Just Doc.
     
    And that's all I've really got to say.
     
     
    Just for fun,
    Dr. Bionicle
  17. Dr. Bionicle
    School started up about a week ago, so I know you're all dying to hear what I've got for a schedule...
     
    Zero Hour: Chorale (Auditioned choir). I don't care for zero hours, period, but I like the choir. We get to do lots of fun stuff and get some good literature. Plus we have a spring rock show at the end of the year. And as a freshman this year, that means I can audition for SOLOS!
     
    1st-2nd Period/Day 1: Civics. I've been looking forward to this subject. It's bound to bring about some good discussion (although I wish I saw more faces from my 7th Grade English class, as we had some remarkably mature debate for kids our age). The teacher's pretty awesome, too. He plays rock music while we do classwork, and he's in a band himself.
     
    1st-2nd Period/Day 2: Advanced English. This class I'm excited for, because "class pass" is coming up. This is where each of us writes down a controversial statement (boring example: Red is a weird color) and the rest of the class has to write down their responses. And it finally provoked me to read The Silmarillion. Whoo! English!
     
    3rd Period: Aide. I aide for the band director at my school. Not the most thrilling period, but I do get to have some interesting conversations with the choir director, who comes in every other day.
     
    4th Period: Symphonic Band. This class is going to be pretty sweet. Sadly, we only have five French Horns, but we have three tubas, a bari sax, two tenor saxes, and the players are pretty awesome. The 8th Graders are having a little catching up with the freshmen on skill, but it ought to be a pretty sweet group.
     
    5th-6th Period/Day 1: Biology. Last lunch. Bleh.
     
    5th-6th Period/Day 2: Geometry. First lunch. Sweet!
     
    7th Period: Yearbook. I'm excited for this class. It's taught by the same teacher I've had for English two years in a row, and the people in there are awesome. It's going a little slow at the beginning of the year, with everyone learning equipment and logistics, but it ought to get up and running soon enough. We've almost selected a theme.
     
    8th Period: PE. Freshman. Prisonball. Awesome.
     
     
    So yeah, that's basically my school day.
     
     
    Educated,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  18. Dr. Bionicle

    Dr. Independent

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Those of you tempted to bust out into Kelly Clarkson lyrics in reaction to the title, you are excused. Go ahead. This is the only time I'll condone any praise of Kelly Clarkson, so take it if you want it. Commence. I'll wait.
     
    ...
     
    Done?
     
    Okay, now let's move along. (Those of you tempted to bust out into AAR lyrics, sorry. I'll try and get you a turn later.)
     
    For those of you that don't know, I have a mass of siblings. Three sisters and one brother. Now before my little bro came into the picture, I was the only guy in the house (minus my dad) which meant, that's right, I had my own room. I was free to do whatever I wanted to the walls, floor, whatever.
     
    Then little Drewmeister popped onto the scene and that independence is gone.
     
    So for nearly a decade I've been sharing a room with the little guy. It isn't that bad, really.
     
    Well, except that when he turned seven he had the uncontrollable urge to strike up some bedtime conversation in which I, being fairly sleep-deprived, had no interested in participating in.
     
    "Ben, are vampires real?"
     
    "Barglsmuffinbush..."
     
    "Ben?"
     
    "Zzzzz..."
     
    "Ben!"
     
    *climbs up on the bunk and decides to whack me in the head*
     
    "Za...wha?"
     
    "Are vampires real?"
     
    "No. Go to sleep."
     
    "Okay."
     
    ...
     
    "Ben, are you sure?"
     
    "Yes, I'm sure. Stop talking."
     
    "Ben, if you were a vampire, could you fly?"
     
    "No."
     
    "If you bit me, would I fly?"
     
    "Do you want to find out?"
     
    "Not really."
     
    "Okay, good. Go to sleep."
     
    ...
     
    "Ben, do you have a cape?"
     
    This would basically go on for about half-an-hour or so until he finally gets tired enough to go to sleep, or decided he needed to get up. At this, he would turn on the light (which, when you're on the top bunk, is like a floodlight), and start looking for something he lost a week ago for no apparent reason. As I tried to block out the light under the covers, he would ask me if I could see it.
     
    "Do you see it, Ben?!"
     
    "See what?"
     
    "My Gameboy!"
     
    "Why do you need your Gameboy at 10 at night?"
     
    "I need to see if my Pokemon grew in the nursery."
     
    "Get in bed."
     
    "Not until..."
     
    At this point, I would get frustrated and either bean him across the head with a small stuffed animal, or get up and turn off the light. If it was a particularly bad night, he would begin to argue with me, then the parents would awaken, also sleep-deprived, and no one goes to bed happy.
     
    He's stopped doing that now, although he does have the uncanny instinct to talk in his sleep. Well, after years of this, my graduated sister moved out of the house. What did this mean? I could finally take the office, and start to transform it into my own room. I'm happy to say that I am now writing this blog entry in my own room.
     
    As of today, we've only done a few things. My dresser is down here, my bed is in a placeholder position till we can get the huge computer desk out of here. The paint job and the floral trim aren't exactly a masculine touch, but we might be able to get the thing painted some time later this year. Right now, it's more office than room, but I at least have a place of my own.
     
    So that's the update for today. Whoo.
     
    Renovatively,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
  19. Dr. Bionicle

    Writing Fever!

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    For all of you hoping to make the "Oh no! The DOCTOR (OMG) has a fever! LOLXD", I beat you. So ha.
     
    Anyway, it's a weird feeling. When you're an aspiring writer and you've been working on a novel for a solid year, it's interesting to wake up one day, pull out your finished work, and then realize that you didn't enjoy reading any of it.
     
    Yes, for those of you that have keen memories, I'm talking about Cyborne, a novel I started some time back in early August, 2006. The original premise was that the government had randomly called in citizens to be turned into cyborgs (It's already shaping up to be something, isn't it?) and then some random guy comes forward and says it's all a conspiracy. So then this guy and his crew go infiltrate some labs to find some information. Somewhere along the lines, they get super powers. Then they bust in on this conspirators meeting. The main character's girlfriend ends up getting killed, as does his arch-nemesis, and then he goes and kills all the world leaders. It finally ends with the main character realizing that his leader is his father, and then declares a civil war. And then there was supposed to be a sequel.
     
    Even better? It's all told in FIRST PERSON.
     
    So yes, as you can imagine, that didn't flow to well with me now. So for the past few weeks, I've spent long nights trying to re-write this thing. I try writing out the girlfriend and putting the main character's brother in her place. I try to expand on the main character's childhood. I try everything my little writer's brain can come up with.
     
    Then suddenly, it dons on me.
     
    I don't need a new manuscript. I need a new plot.
     
    So I spent a few more long nights brainstorming some changes. At last, I came up with this.
     
    This is going to be a long synopsis, so be warned. It's not completely done yet. I haven't even gotten to the outlining stage at this point, but I will be starting at some point within the week. At this rate, I may be able to start writing within a few weeks.
     
     
    =Cyborne=
     
     
    The year is 3321. In the state of Delaware, an offer is extended to all hospital patients in the area: a government test program that could completely renew the physical being of any patient, from the terminal elderly to the minor youth, in a single operation. The program was widely accepted by a majority of the hospital patients, and the positive results suddenly bring in others grasping for the program. Cities, states, countries demand the installation of these operation programs in their area!
     
    They never told us there’d be a catch.
     
    The program is a simple one. Remove the faulty body components and replace them with sturdy robotics. The result?
     
    Cyborne.
     
    Even with this vast medical revelation, there were those who resisted the Cyborne. While they may have been healed, the robotic hybrids still have to bear their newfound appearance, one that drives a world to divide in prejudice. Connection programs are initiated by the government, but no sooner are these founded than a terrible tragedy occurs.
     
    Malfunction. Spontaneous Cyborne suddenly begin to terrorize the Humans, from massive mobs to single rogues. Around the world, all at once, various Cyborne seem to break out in mindless violence.
     
    The government cannot simply reverse this or pretend it didn't happen. The masses are in an uproar. The US Government has no choice but to issue the Cyborne Termination Grant. This grant allows and encourages any Human to kill any and all Cyborne they may encounter as a matter of national safety. All Cyborne operations are ceased. Following America's lead, other countries begin to instigate the same grant. The Cyborne are no longer a race. They're targets.
     
    And so begins an international civil war, with the races of Humans and Cyborne split. The Humans fight for their own safety, while the Cyborne retaliate as their means of survival.
     
    One particular renegade among the Cyborne steps up and makes a wild declaration. He claims that the government had planned out everything. From the operations to the war. He claims that this whole scheme was an international conspiracy to eliminate a portion of the human population for whatever reason. He even goes so far to say that the Cyborne malfunctions were planned.
     
    Naturally, he quickly scales the list of the world's most wanted men, and surrounds himself with an entourage of Cyborne rebels:
     
    -Drake Jasper. A British mercenary that steps out of his occupation to join the entourage for personal purposes. He hopes to avenge his wife, who was killed in the Malfunction Massacre, by exposing the conspiracy that killed her.
     
    -Jack Corby. An American millionare who was knocked off his economic pedestal by the Termination Grant. Now he hopes to regain his power in whatever way he can.
     
    -John Ratterson. A German scientist that believes the Cyborne to be only one step into a technical revolution that could change the world. He finds the termination of said race to be an offense to the field of science and technology. He hopes to continue the technical revolution by saving his race of Cyborne from certain death.
     
    -Michael Falkan. A man that answers to no country, but has a long history of abuse from Cyborne prejudice. His dark memories fuel his motivation in joining the uprising. However, he doesn't think they should stop at exposing the conspiracy. He wishes to destroy its conspirators.
     
    -Mark Caspian. A confused, young American that stands with the entourage on his unstable set of moral values. His purpose is to discover the truth, and he feels he is ready to face whatever obstacles might come along with that.
     
    -Mr. Q. A man with no name and no country, he is the leader who first proposed the conspiracy theory. No one is quite sure what his plans entail, but he's the only man radical enough to pursue such a theory.
     
    With his motley crew, Q seeks to infiltrate the highest levels of government security and bring about a revolution that will put a permanent end to the Cyborne Termination Grant. But even Mr. Q's intentions may not be so valiant as they seem. With the rest of the world pitted against them, the six radicals have to fight their way through a web of destruction and deceit in order to find what they seek.
     
    The secret of the Cyborne.
     
     
    So yeah. Dun dun duhhh and all that malarky.
     
    Comments, feedback, whatever. I'd love to hear it. Any suggestions you may have would be warmly accepted.
     
    Feverishly,
    Dr. Bionicle
  20. Dr. Bionicle
    There's something you guys may not know about me. I have a...problem. I get certain urges, things I feel I can't control. I'll act on impulse, without thinking. It's been an addiction for years. I've tried to stop, but my desire has gotten in the way of my common sense.
     
    What is this that I speak of?
     
    Guys...
     
    I'm a compulsive fingernail biter.
     
    Now that half of you have probably breathed a massive sigh of relief, I guess we can move on.
     
    You may be wondering what numerous other people wonder about us nail-biters: Why do it? I mean, think about it, it's pretty darn disgusting. Your fingers touch a wide variety of things throughout the day, and guess where all the dirt and germs get built up to where you can't reach? That's right. Right under the fingernail.
     
    Well, to understand that, you have to understand what leads to nail-biting. In my loose study of this, I've rounded it off to a few common causes...
     

    Influence. In other words, they picked it up from another biter or person biting their nails (there is a difference, I'll get to that). This is probably the most common and the longest-lasting, because it usually starts at an impressionable age, where it begins to stick. Nervousness. People get restless when they're nervous. We drum our fingers, tap our foot, and, yes, bite our fingernails. Don't care to clip fingernails. Some kids just won't use those clippers. I mean, why would you when your teeth are always on hand? Hunger. Yeah, gross, but when you're hungry you want to at least simulate some part of that process. Just like chewing gum, only your nails are always there.  
    Now, there are two different kinds of biting. There's occasional biting and then there's compulsive biting. The former I refer to as simply 'a person that has bitten their fingernails'. The latter is what I define as 'nail-biters'. What's the difference?
     
    Occasional biters really have no habit or have a very minor one. A single situation, perhaps nervously waiting for a job interview, drove them to bite their fingernails. Perhaps they needed to clip their nails fast and had no clippers on hand. But the thing is that it rarely occurs and is generally for special occasions.
     
    Compulsive biters are those who have developed a habit and will do it without thinking. There may be no need or drive to bite the nail, but the biter does it anyway, without a second thought. Often, the biter doesn't realize what he's doing until someone puts it out to him.
     
    With that defined, then you may wonder now why would biters want to stop? Let's go back to one of our lists...
     

    It's kind of disgusting. Regardless of whether you spit the nail out or *shudder* swallow it, it's still extremely unattractive to those around you. No fingernails. Your nails are the little catches on your finger that help you maneuver. Your nail provides a thin attachment that slides easily into a place for leverage. Without them, all you've got is your chubby fingers, which generally are no good on their own. Bad looking nails. That area for your nail gets real torn up while you're biting down there, and people do notice. Hangnails. Nail biting is the most common cause of a hangnail. While hangnails are generally nothing severe, that doesn't make them any more fun to have around. Germs, dirt, and worms. Guys, you have no idea what crust is building up under your nail. Germs, dirt, dust, and even the ever-popular tapeworm. If a tapeworm gets under or on your nail and you bite it, you've just given it a one-way ticket to your stomach. Blech. Start another habit. A person I know that bit her fingernails for a long time grew accustomed to biting the skin around it as well, which makes that area vulnerable for infection. Cut too short! A lot of nail biters have had this experience, where you bite your nails too short. You don't want to press up against it, or it will feel irritated. Then you're at the mercy of your fingernails growth cycle to relive yourself. Doesn't taste good. Yeah, I know, gross, but there's nothing appetizing about the taste of a fingernail.  
    Not too nice, huh? A lot of nail biters will say that it's not as bad as it appears, but that really doesn't make it any better. Sure, fingernail biting isn't a terminal condition, but it sure is a stinky habit to have.
     
    Those of you that may be nail biters, I would recommend you stop. If you haven't been convinced it's not a great habit by now, then you'll come to see that eventually, I guarantee.
     
    Some of you may have tried and know it's not easy. Contrary to things like substance addictions, your nails are always around 24/7 to tempt you. They're a part of your body. So yeah, it's hard.
     
    Some tips on how to deal with this...
     

    Willpower. Make a mental note. Make a New Year's Resolution. Whatever it takes, you are in control of your brainwaves, and you can tell your fingers to stay away from those teeth of yours. Ultimately, every method requires this, but for some, this is all they need. Remind yourself. Put a note on your mirror, in your locker, maybe even on your hands. I know one guy who put marker on all his fingernails to remind him to stop. Maybe it's an object near your fingers (like a wristband or a ring) that will there simply for the purpose of being a reminder. Whatever will make you remember you want to stop. Get a partner. When I broke the habit of biting my nails, I did it at the same time as my girlfriend, who was dealing with the same problem. We constantly were reminding and asking each other. A living, breathing reminder can sometimes be more effective than inanimates. Motivate yourself. Reward yourself. Go 28 days without biting your nails and treat yourself to an ice cream or something. It doesn't need to be huge, just something exclusive and satisfying enough that it will keep you wanting to stop. REALLY motivate yourself. When rewards don't work, pull out the punishment. When I was breaking my habit, my girlfriend persuaded me to make a deal with her. If I bit my nails a certain number of times, she would paint the last finger I bit with nail polish. Risky, eh? But how's that for motivation?  
    (I'm happy to say that I never got a whiff of that nail polish, and only bit my nails twice within the time it took to break the habit.)
     
    Why do I make a big deal out of this? 'Cause it's a very common habit that gets so overlooked that nobody ever deals with it. Now, like I said, I don't think biting your fingernails is capable of ultimately killing you, but it's called a bad habit for a reason. By the way, once you conquer biting your fingernails, you'll start getting more confident about other habits you may need to break (or form).
     
    Anyway, that's just my random rant for the day. Bet you guys enjoyed reading a whole entry devoted to fingernails, huh?
     
     
    Freely,
    Dr. Bionicle
  21. Dr. Bionicle
    Okay, not really.
     
    But on attempting to access Brickshelf today, I found this message...
     

     
    Whoa, mama.
     
    For those of you that don't realize the cataclysmic effects of this, with Brickshelf discontinued, that makes everything that has ever been uploaded to Brickshelf no longer accessible through that site. That includes BBC Contest winners, Artwork Contest winners, avatars, banners, comics, the whole kickin' cabootle.
     
    Yes, Maj is still up and available. I'm guessing that Brickshelf was discontinued so that Maj could stay up. Why? We do not yet have any reasons behind this sudden occurrence. Theories have been going around, but nothing is confirmed yet.
     
    So what do we do now that one of our most-used image hosts is gone, probably for good?
     
    Any way you can salvage images, screen shots you have, stuff you have on your drive, whatever, get it on Maj. Any images you may have lost on Brickshelf you should upload to Maj or another image hosting service to replace it.
     
    If you're a victim of lost work and want to avoid something like this from happening in the future, you can put a back-up of your files onto a nifty flash drive or simply keep them in your documents.
     
    PLEASE, do not take this as an excuse to totally lose your cool and flame Brickshelf. Right now, this is just an issue a majority of us will have to face. Brickshelf is gone, and we all have to accept that.
     
     
    ly,
    Dr. Bionicle
  23. Dr. Bionicle

    Drifting

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Yeah, so those of you who stalk may have noticed that I haven't been on very frequently and haven't posted very much. A few people have been inquiring as to the cause of my inactivity now that band camp is over and my summer is pretty much open.
     
    Well, you want the answer?
     
    Guys, at this point in my life, I am just not very big with BZPower or Bionicle right now.
     
    Before some of you kill me or start bombarding me with "Why?!"s, let me continue.
     
    The fact is, when I joined BZPower, I had basically nothing to worry about. I chilled here because it was one of the ways to fill up all my free time. I didn't have much of anything to worry about or to be concerned about. I basically needed BZPower to save me from boredom.
     
    It's been a few years since then...
     
    And, well, number one, I don't have as much time as I used to. But that's not the big issue.
     
    Quite simply, BZPower is no longer a comfort zone of mine. I mean, I love this place and all, and I think the people here are awesome, but I don't "need" it anymore. I've been taking a much more active role in my real life, one that not only overshadows this one, but just about makes this place unnecessary.
     
    Now, before you guys all start freaking out, since I obviously haven't made this any better, let me just say that "No, I'm not planning to leave BZPower any time soon." I have commitments here, and I still enjoy being here. I've got this blog and the BZPRPG and Staff and all that jazz. I'm not going anywhere.
     
    At one point, this place was a great little social pillow. If I was bored or lonely or angry or whatever, I could get on here. I wasn't Ben anymore, I was Dr. Bionicle. I didn't have to face anyone from real life here, and in the very least, the amount of people I could talk to wouldn't be scarce. But now, with a lot of my relational foundations solidifying, that need has all but drifted away.
     
    Now, I know that within the next few months, I'll probably have surges of activity. I'll be really active in BZPRPG or as a Staffer or whatever, and then I'll slip back into dull activity again. That's going to happen. I guarantee it.
     
    But anyway, this is a totally muddled mess of writing, but I just wanted to explain a little bit.
     
    Yeah, it's not like I think Bionicle or BZPower is horrible, I've just lost some interest.
     
     
    Explanatory...ingly...,
    Dr. Bionicle
  24. Dr. Bionicle
    Just for all your information, this week, till Sunday, I'm going to be away at Band Camp generally from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central Time, and then later I'm usually gone a few hours for an evening activity.
     
    That being said, if you have an urgent request or report or whatever, and can send it to someone else that you can guess is more active than this, then please do. I will be home for maybe two hours every day and in the morning, but how much time will be spent on BZPower there is unknown.
     
    So, yeah, just for information.
     
    Viva La Band Camp!
     
    Geekily,
    Dr. Bionicle
  25. Dr. Bionicle
    This is basically for guys. Girls, sorry, but I kind of have the advantage of being the same gender as the guys, so it's much easier for me to get where they're coming from. And the perspectives here are two totally different ones, really.
     
    So yeah, guys.
     
    You're going to/have reached a point where you start liking girls. Some of you may think this is weird still, some of you have probably been liking girls for a long time now, some of you are older than me and are thinking "What's this guy ranting about?", so just hear me out. I'm doing my best to speak to a good range of people here. Also know that I'm speaking from multiple viewpoints, some which are older and some which are younger than myself.
     
    First of all, those of you who still don't like girls, guys, you're going to. Yeah, I know, it may seem really weird, but it's going to happen. I could give you the whole biological lowdown on it, but the basic point is: It's inevitable. Some of you may hold out longer than others, but it's going to happen.
     
    Trust me, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Really. No, seriously, join the club. If your friends still don't like girls and you do, then just wait. Eventually, it'll get to the point where you're all comfortable with it. And once you all are, believe me, you're going to talk about it a lot. So don't feel ashamed of it. It may feel weird, but that's basically natural. I mean, it's a new experience, right? We tend to feel weird about stuff like this, particularly us as guys, because we feel we have a certain obligation to be masculine.
     
    So if you've just started liking girls, don't feel like it's going to go away. The awkwardness will go away eventually, but you're just starting, man. Girls are going to be a serious mental nag. You're going to develop crushes, some bigger than others, and as you get older, things start happening.
     
    You may start feeling more awkward around girls (or the particular girl that you like), possibly girls that you never had trouble talking to or maybe never talked to before. That's OK, really. It just means that you're not really sure how to respond yet. And how could you? Like I said, it's a new experience, and we tend to be tentative or cautious about new situations (unless you're a daredevil, in which case, hoo boy).
     
    Oh, and before I go any further, let me tell you exactly what a crush is. A crush is basically an infatuation with another person of the opposite gender (for us, a girl). In short, a crush is where you like someone "from a distance". Basically, you just like them because you've observed them and something about them attracts you. As you get older, you may experience some more personal crushes, as in girls that are maybe your good friends, but usually you start with some distant crushes. It's a pretty nice way to start, since generally, these don't hurt anybody.
     
    Guys, let me just tell you right now, a crush is generally 99% you. In other words, you're the single source of your own crush. Since a crush is generally private (till you hit Junior High/Middle School, in which case, it's generally considered public scandal ), you can rarely be swayed in who your crush is. I mean, unless your friend tells you that they feed on human flesh or something, generally you make your own decisions on the matter.
     
    And be warned, crushes can be delusional. You can take some things way too seriously or way too lightly under the influence of a crush (oh great, now I sound like a PSA). Seriously, though. If you invite her and some of her friends to a party, and she says 'No', she's probably not rejecting you directly, she probably just doesn't want to go. But still, something in the back of your mind makes a transfer, and you just kind of assume, "Oh, she's not interested. Dang!" That's a pretty calm mindset (I've seen worse), but still delusional. So just don't assume. You'll save yourself a lot of face that way.
     
    Okay, here's one big thing I wanted to hit on. Guys, sometimes you'll try to act different around your crush. There are multiple reasons for this. Maybe you think that being yourself isn't good enough, maybe you just don't know what to do, heck, maybe you want to stave her off. Whatever it is, look out. Don't do anything stupid like...
    Start acting like a total foulmouth when you really aren't Try to be the unsaid BMOC Brag about yourself all the time Act all flirty (Oh, gosh, you have no idea how bad this looks... ><) Try to deliberately act like a "jock" (AKA a person who generally is just mean, in the stereotypical sense) Put down everyone around you Be a totally spontaneous spaz Just a few generic things. Guys, seriously, this isn't even to assume that you want to attract her, just to save your own self. If you start doing this, it becomes fairly obvious why, and you'll most likely get heat for it.  
    And guys, a few other things, especially around girls you know...
    Don't treat her like just another guy. Really. While it may feel more natural, you have to remember she is a girl, and as such, that has to be respected. That means don't tell her your gross jokes, don't start making weird sounds with your armpit, that stuff.
    Don't give her all the attention all the time. Geez, guys, for people who generally like to keep this stuff secret, we sure stink at doing it. It's pretty obvious when you like someone if you're constantly talkign directly to them, regardless of who's speaking, and constantly looking at them. That doesn't mean you shouldn't give her attention, but seriously, if there are other people around, a little acknowledgment will not hurt.
    Don't try to bring up romantics. It gets pretty obvious when a guy's in C-Mode (aka Crush Mode) when he starts bringing up romance. If you wouldn't do it normally, good grief, don't do it now! You'll be getting weird looks for the rest of the day.  
     
    Now, a lot of you are probably at the point where you want to "ask her out". Now, few people realize what responsibility those three words hold. Guys, remember, that when you commit to being someone's "boyfriend", it is a commitment. That means you've got to be the boyfriend. You've got to pay special attention to her, stand up for her, all that. So if you think dating or being a couple is just about getting your arm up around her shoulder in the movie theater, you've got a lot to learn.
     
    You need to really be serious if you want to ask a girl out. Guys, seriously. I really don't care too much for these "relationships" I hear about that go on in 4th Grade, because generally it contends to the fact that neither is very serious about it. I'd at least wait beyond 7th Grade. The youngest serious relationships I see going on are in the 8th Grade, but these are still some special people we're talking about.
     
    Remember, only ask out a girl when you are sure that you can handle that situation of being her boyfriend.
     
    Yeah, some of you are probably thinking "Uh...OK?", right?
     
    Well, trust me, if you don't find it out here, you'll find it out on your own time or from others.
     
    Anyway, considering that you are actually ready for this kind of thing, guys, make sure you check your intentions before trying anything. Honestly, make sure that you...
    Aren't just wanting to go out with her because all your other friends have girlfriends. Being in a relationship is about you and her, not about other people. So if you start something around that basis, you can bet that it will probably crash to the ground. Aren't just asking her out because everyone says you should. Some people seem perfect for each other in theory, then end up being a mess in experiment. If you feel nothing, then don't listen to the masses. Aren't just asking her out to say you've asked out a girl. Dating isn't about getting a reputation, guys. It's about two people in a relationship that goes beyond friendship. So please don't make this mistake like so many others! Aren't just asking her to make someone else jealous. Yeah, sounds right out of a soap opera doesn't it? But believe me, the teenage mind works in mysterious ways, and you really have to double-check your motive. More than once, have I caught my friends doing this, and for the most part, they didn't even realize it. Aren't just asking her out because you're bored. Guys, relationships are scary things, and they shouldn't be based off of whims. Aren't just asking her out as a joke/because someone dared you to. That's low. Period. Aren't just asking her out because you're lonely. That's what friends are for, and I think it's good to experiment with friends before you try to move onto a real relationship.  
    Guys, the number one reason you should be asking her out is because you want to and think you're ready. If that's not it, check yourself. Your motives are not limited to this list, but if your intention isn't your own, then you need to do some seriously soul-searching.
     
    No, I'm not going to give you tips on how to score a date or how to be a wonderful boyfriend or any of that. Yeah, I know, you can start breathing again. Guys, I'm not trying to be Dr. Love or anything of that sort, because really I'm not. I just want to alert you to what's going on here.
     
    If you haven't figured it out yet, to us guys, girls are the most confusing thing in the world. We really just don't get them, so the concept of possibly wanting to date one is freaky. I hope that somewhere in this little rant of mine, you've picked up something, and if you haven't, then hopefully you will someday.
     
    And anyway, that's all I really wanted to say.
     
     
    Awkwardly,
    Dr. Bionicle
×
×
  • Create New...