Lenticular_J

Exactly the same as the regular flu. Just a little bit worse. Like, instead of puking twice an hour, swine flu says "We can double it." But yeah, pretty much the flu.

There are a couple hundred people in Lubbock with swine flu, apparently. It's spread like wildfire in two weeks, and nobody really knows about it ... Hmmm. I wonder when we're getting out of school. Parents are beginning to be told that if their child shows any sort of flu-like symptoms, not to send them to school. If it turns out to be swine flu, you get at least 8 days off, where you don't have to make up tests. Interesting. More interesting that only a few people know it's happening right now. Hmm. I'd better try to keep away from anyone coughing.

Nononono, start the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons (4 books, about 400 pages each) or the Ilium/Olympos canon by him (like 1700 pages together). Far-future science fiction. Very good. Don't be put off by how confused you are at the beginning. Dan Simmons' books take multiple readings to understand.

My dad has piles and piles of westerns and sci-fi books. And just plain wierd ones. I like looking through them, although a lot of them wouldn't interest me personally. I enjoy reading books on music, film, and the like nowadays. Although a good Dan Simmons can never hurt.

My 8th grade English teacher. Old, redneck, could have been my uncle, but he was smart as [cabbage]. He didn't take [cabbage] from any of the kids, and he was just a funny guy. Dipped during class, too. And threw things A LOT. I miss him :lol: My film analysis teacher last year was the same, only he didn't dip, just made up horrifying stories and laughed at kids who looked like they were gonna cry. Cursed like a sailor. Had a really dirty mind. He's short, too. I hear he teaches regular english this year, and I've thought of dropping Pre-AP just so he could be my teacher. Hehe. My history teacher this year is cool. He's an old redneck, again. He plays in a band, though. And he has very obvious ADD, so we might just talk about the strangest things a whole class. Hilarious. My theatre teacher's cool because she's really chillaxed. We just mess around a lot. I have a bunch of fun teachers. Bunch of bad ones, too, but c'mon.

Because taking one day to remember is a lot less ridiculous? Do people celebrate anniversaries every single day? Birthdays? No. Do you have the funeral the day after someone dies and never think of them again? No. Why do you guys have such a huge [bleep]ing problem with this? My cousin's husband's sister was a flight attendant that day, scheduled to be on American Airlines flight 11 (the first plane that crashed), but she wanted to get back to Dallas that day so she took a different one. I was in 2nd grade. A lot of the teachers kept walking out of the room, and a lot of kids were taken out of school. There were like four of us left by the end of the day. My mom turned on the radio when we were picking up my brother. I don't think I really understood what happened. I was just scared, because the reporter sounded very serious, and he said thousands of lives had already been lost - I remember wondering if all of New York had blown up. I was looking in the general northeast direction, looking for smoke ... You guys are really [wagon] if you think the deaths and injuries of almost 10,000 civilians during an unprovoked attack by a terrorist group is just something to forget about. The results of Al Queda's attacks are visible today. The government is slowly restricting its people. We have two wars going on, one that was unnecessary, violent, and expensive, although it did generally restore a nation to its own citizens as best we could; one that is extremely violent and difficult. Now I have to go.

GET HER GET HER GET HER. You have a week before I've decided she will lose interest. Probably longer than that, but honestly if you don't ask her out tomorrow, you'll probably lose faith. She's vomitting IOIs on you. (I'm pretty sure I make too many vomit metaphors on here. Hrm.) Well, it's an interesting question. Just be cocky and funny at the same time. Sorta giggling, touching playfully a little bit. Take Insanity's tickle fight. That works. So does a thumb war (strangely. I thought I'd try it, my brother recommended it, and it really does work... oddly enough). Ummmmmmmm. To ask her out, I just ask girls if they wanna hang out sometime, get some coffee or something. If you live in a more lively place, look into something fun and active. If you know a band she really likes is playing, it probably wouldn't hurt to take her, but I definitely wouldn't do it for a first date. That's couple material. Anyways, just shoot for it. Follow your instincts.

You aren't shy. There's no such thing. It isn't a personality quality or a disorder or anything like that. You're just afraid of rejection. Whether social, sexual, whatever. You're scared of it. Everyone is at some point. Some folks have it easier than others, they realize it at a young age and get over it quick, while some hide behind the wall of "I'm just shy and awkward! Someone love me!" No. You have to take the reins into your own hands. You don't know how to talk to her? Walk up. Open your lips. Vomit words. Give a little bit of thought to what you'll say first, but nothing more than a few seconds deciding a general topic. Who gives a [cabbage] what she thinks? There's another hot girl standing ten feet away. Think general, open-ended topics where she can give answers. Opening up with a relatively funny or silly question works good. Who was your favorite Muppet? would have worked at my school for a time (long story). Nobody can really help you a lot. Well, that's a lie. There are a few people here that can help you a lot, and a lot more across the world that can. But we won't help unless you show promise. You have to learn that you're in control. You're a leader, not a follower. Lead yourself right on over to her. And this weekend, I recommend going someplace, like a mall, and greeting and talking to at least 20 attractive women. This will help that rejection anxiety so much. Here's a tip for anybody that is uncomfortable with getting physical and touching, or are afraid it might get misread by the receiving end: just do it. I used to be really uncomfortable, and freak out whenever someone touched me, but now I'm the guy that constantly gives high-fives, is always leaning on people. Hell, that's usually how I force myself into a group where I know someone or a couple people, but not everyone. Just push my head in, asking what kind of dirty deeds could be going on here. I despise homecoming. I've had a couple girls that obviously want me to take them to homecoming, but I think it's stupid and refuse to do it. For us, our homecoming is a crappy football game that we'll lose, usually a whole bunch of fighting in the stadium's parking lot with other high schools, and crappy parties. Apparently this year there will be a crappy 2-hour dance. Hurray? Me and my friends could come up with a more fun night in ten minutes if we had a box of brownie mix and nothing else. I do kind of feel bad, though. I don't really want to make myself an outcast about it or anything, but I really really don't want to do it. I'm also remembering why I dislike dating girls that go to my school. With any school, nasty rumors can start from the slightest thing, but if we're separated by a few miles then at least I don't have to hear them all day. This one I'll just have to suck up and be a man about, though, because dating a girl that doesn't go to your school is nigh on impossible during the school year. Oh well. I'm tired. Bedtime. Maybe once I make my movie, I will have women flung at me via catapults. I bet so.

Mmmm. Filmmaking for Teens was an amazing purchase. It lays out a short film project for a kid like me (without an abundance of time or cash) very simply and calmly. I doubt I would have thought of half of this stuff if I'd tried it without reading this book. I just started reading it today and I'm already almost done with it :lol: It isn't like it's a big book, but it's still about 250 pages. Just somewhat big text. The guys that wrote it type a lot like me. Sorta telegraphic, simple sentences. Pretty enjoyable and easy to read. It really makes me believe I could have a short film make and editted by mid-July of next year. And that's with starting it after Christmas Break, although it would be a good idea to write the script (to be a 21-day process! although that's just the writing, planning and stuff would probably take me longer. i want a big chalkboard...), look over it, revise it, and get a validated opinion or a few on it before next semester, so I can start advertising auditions. One good thing about making a short film in high school: everyone wants to be a part of it. Being a part of a movie is the coolest thing ever. I do need to consider good choices for my "Dirty Dozen" core folks that will have to show up to shooting (and auditions, and some editing, and just about everything). I need: The Super Four! : An associate producer to manage organizing and just put out problem spots whenever I'm busy directing or something; an assistant director to help me plan out shots, a camera operator (I actually know just the guy, he's worked with cameras before and is probably my best shot. But he's a senior, and we only passingly know each other from our video tech class - which will help my editing so much it isn't even funny. but, carrying on...); and a sound engineer (no idea here, this might be hard). Also like 7 other people: 2 gaffers to assist the cameraman; 2 key grips for listing and sound help; 2 people that would really just be assistants, helping to drive around and haul stuff and whatnot; and someone for managing props and wardrobe. Really makes me excited, thinking about how easily it could fall together. I'm sure once I start doing it I'll be a total wreck from the stress of it, but I don't much care. It's the coolest thing I've ever thought of. And I've thought of a lot of cool things. But you know the coolest part about everything? Submitting the movie to SXSW or another related film festival. SXSW has a Texas High School Film Competition I really think I'd enter. I'd have to have it completely finished before mid-December, but I plan on finishing it during the summer anyways, so I guess that's all good. I just wanted to get my thoughts down on paper (well, forum). I like typing when I'm excited. :P By the way, Harromar, I think that sounds cool as [cabbage]. You need to play that song so hard that song won't even know what played it.

I've read both of them. Moby [bleep] is good, I really enjoy it, the prose is much simpler than you'd expect for the time period. I absolutely hated For Whom the Bell Tolls, though. I was curious last year (or in eighth grade, although if that's it I bet that's the reason I didn't like it), and read it. It took foooooooooooreeeeevvvveerrrrr. A Tale of Two Cities went faster than that book. It seems like hundreds of variations of the paragraph: "This guy wanted to blow up a bridge. He was walking towards the bridge. He still wants to." And then, in about eight pages, you get: "ACTION MICHAEL BAY EXPLOSIONS DEAAAATHHHHH". Maybe I should reread it, having old opinions on books can't be healthy.

I think the feast is supposed to be held after sunset. Or, is being held at sunset. Or, was held. I am lost in time. DAMN PRESIDENT NEEDS TO QUIT KILLING MY SITUATIONAL IRONY. Seriously man. How can a guy make a living if all the Ramadan feasts are just at the correct time? Whatever. I hope someone brings a keg. I bet Ron Paul will crash the party.

Haha, a Ramadan feast. The irony is that Ramadan's mostly known because Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. I thought it was funny. If someone else has pointed this out, or the feast is supposed to be after sunset, I apologize. But, still, if there's pork or wine or something served, I would laugh.

I got perfect scores on a Lang/Lit and Math quiz in Octathlon, and now I'm at the head of the Honors division with 3200 points. Suckiiiiiiit.

You should make what you want to happen, happen. And don't let her go through your texts. I never let anyone do that. They'll start to lose respect for you, think they have more power, that sort of thing.

I'M DONE READING A TALE OF TWO CITIES i'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee so happy [hide=Massive Spoilers]Oh and Sidney Carton dies in the end. I hope I just ruined the book for you all.[/hide]

Think about the difference between masturbation and sex. Yeah. One sentence just rocked your whole world.

I'm learning my monologue for theatre and sipping chocolate milk! It is a good night. I'll finish A Tale of Two Cities before bed, and I will be thoroughly happy! Except on Sunday I have to analyze two stupid things for English. So vague and ambiguous it makes me mad. I hate vagueness and ambiguity. How should I know the author's purpose? This passage looks a lot like it's talking about a dead squirrel.

There's plenty you could do to supplement novel writing. Ever been interested in journalism? I recommend looking into a book called "The New New Journalism". I think it applies to nowadays more than the original new journalism movement. There's a lot more you can learn about writing for magazines (there will always be some of that, although now a lot of magazines are becoming purely online. Of course, the guys at Cracked make a pretty good living - could always do something like that!). But if you were to get trusted for a magazine or something, they'd set you up to send you places to write articles, pay most of he stuff, and still pay you in the end. Plus, if you get a publisher's attention, they pay advances and then royalties. Look at your options. Go to college. Non-fiction is becoming just as popular as the novel. Unless you found a perfect target audience and were able to connect with them well (probably becoming a hack in the process), you likely couldn't make a good living. Ain't called starvin' artists for nothing. But seriously, look into magazines and stuff like that. That's how you make the living. Or, you could write novels on the side and work a job you still enjoy. Plenty of writers, even ones that make plenty of money, teach at high school or college-level as a primary income (well, I guess secondary for some).

I honestly think the beard in the 3rd picture looks pretty cool. Labor Day '09. Lot of swimming and drinking that night. It was a big picture, with a lot of my family in it (my cousins were doing a beer-bong and the flash scared me), but I edited it all out. Sorry it's so tiny. Also very tired.

DAMMIT. 90% sure I can't make it to SXSW 2010. I have the money to make it, especially if some friends went (more specifically, 3 others. My best friend and two girls would be great, but 4 guys would probably be more likely :P) and we split costs. But I don't have any friends that I'd want to do it with that would have that money. But I am definitely going to 2011. Even if not one of my friends can go, I'll [bleep]ing go alone if I have to. I'm doing it before I get out of high school. And I wouldn't go the Spring Break before I graduate. How lame would that be? C'mon. C'moooon.

Well, yeah, of course that's primarily it. I'm also a humble fellow. But seriously, I'm horrible with quieter girls (such as her). I have noticed people seeming to take me more into confidance lately, though. Am I some sort of warm, fuzzy bear of a guy that can help everybody? Because that doesn't sound like a terrible proposition!

Gaaaah my friends are busting my balls about not really wanting to take a girl to homecoming next week. I hate taking girls to stuff like that "Hey, we're at school right now, want to go to a school function with me so we can see more people we know from school and pretty much stay in school our whole lives PLEASE I'LL MAKE SURE YOU BUY YOU A STUPID RIBBON YOU'LL THROW AWAY WHEN YOU REALIZE WE DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER AT ALL". Jesus Christ. I'm starting to realize why I don't like dating (or attempting to date) girls I go to school with, too. It's stupid. Seeing them every single day makes tension-building nigh impossible, at least for a Jedi-in-training like me...

I finally realized the power of eye contact on a personal level today. Talking to a girl I sorta knew on the bus, man, it was fantastic. She said this literally three times: "I just don't get it, I feel really connected with you!" We've talked probably five times in the past. Pretty crazy.

Haha, yeah, I was wondering about this when I was in Dallas. In case you don't know, there aren't really a lot of suburbs in Texas. Dallas and Houston are really the only cities that are real big on suburbs. Most cities are spread-out enough that there's plenty of elbow room here. And there's still tons of undeveloped rural land. I just think it's wierd. If you want your own yard, why not move to a smaller city or into the country? The houses in Dallas with yards and such cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, when you could get one the same size, with a better yard and easier access to major places in town in Amarillo or Lubbock for about 70k. I'm generally fascinated by cities and suburbs, though. Everyone wants to be around this hub, but they don't want to give up their yard, no matter how tiny and likely unused it is. I've always lived in the country and in small cities, where it's just plain normal to have a yard and your own house. I intend to own a large plot of land and build my own home on it sometime in the future, say 2 or 3 hours' drive from a city like Seattle or Portland - or even Dallas or Austin, there's plenty of land out there for sale for pretty cheap. It's in interesting situation.

It will be incredibly hard to find one - you'll absolutely have to look on the internet. For sane and intelligent commentators for liberals OR conservatives, you'll have to look on the internet in America. They won't be popular unless they can overexaggerate the unimportant things that someone thought was more interesting, and just tell anyone that disagrees with them how stupid they are in as passive-aggressive a way as they can. EDIT:Maybe Barihawk could point you in the right direction. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. If you have the money. It cost my brother-in-law and sister $3,000 each, but the entire thing takes less than 5 days, recovery and all, and now they have better than 20/20 vision. I hate my contacts, they leave my eyes so dry, and it's hard to swim and stuff like that with them in. I plan on getting lasik as soon as I can. Plus, for the duration of the recovery, you have awesome bloody-looking slits next to your pupils, so you could so freak people out. My sister said it was wierd, but your eyes are totally anesthetized, so you can't feel a thing. Pie, I wish I could do that. But I sleep wierd, and can't keep contacts in my eyes for some reason; I've tried a few times and just can't do it. I'd love those night-only lenses.