Wordle

Wordle is pretty much the best thing ever. Above is one made up of poetry I wrote from last fall to the present. I'm guessing no one finds it interesting but me.

But why do I use the word "never" so much?

ETA: Wow, I just Wordle'd pre-eight-grade poetry. The contrast is ridiculous.



Note the happy-to-angsty ratio in each. And then you will understand how much I hated eighth grade.

Cornerboys

"Cornerboys is collaborative effort between writer Jamieson Ridenhour, artist Ali LaRock, and composer Kevin Smith. The short film tells the dark fairy tale story of Jennifer Lynn, who searches the night streets for home but finds only the rat-eyed and restless Cornerboys. Inspired in equal parts by Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, the fairy tales both of the Brothers Grimm and of later practitioners like Tim Burton and Brian Froud, and the gritty urban Gothic fantasies of the 19th century, Cornerboys began life ten years ago as a long poem published in the now-defunct horror ‘zine Whispers from the Shattered Forum. The resurrected version features a dramatic reading illustrated in Ali LaRock’s trademark dark whimsical style, supported by Kevin Smith’s wickedly elfin orchestral score. The final product is ten minutes of devilish color and rhyme."

The Internet.

I think there's something wrong with the whole idea of the internet.

I mean, sure, that sounds odd coming from me. Seeing how I pretty much live, breathe, and eat the Internet, but there's just so much about it that isn't right. Nevermind the stalkers and hackers and scammers. It's just the whole idea of being able to create a new person through the internet's anonymity that bothers me. It's too easy to create a new persona, a more "perfect" you. And once you create that ideal image, the "real" you (excuse the cliche) doesn't seem good enough. I guess that's one way to motivate yourself for self-improvement, but it's more likely that you won't be able to meet your standards. Which can be a bit...damaging.

Not that I know from experience or anything.

And another thing that bothers me is how nasty some people are under the blanket of anonymity. If they disagree with someone, what reputation do they have to keep them from speaking exactly what's on their mind? No one knows who you are. You could easily create a fake identity, slander someone's name, and never have any repercussions for it. So many arguments break out when you can voice your opinions with no accountability.

Like for example. If anybody actually read this, I'm pretty sure I would hear a very large chorus of "LIES! LIES! NOT TRUE! OMG, HOW DARE YOU!" (with significantly marred grammar.) And I would respond by attempting to defend my point of view, which I have a feeling would fail miserably. (considering how I'm already failing at this post.)

And the thing is, everything that's wrong about the internet is what makes it so appealing. I guess it's just the idea of having an honest opinion that makes it so addicting. That, and the fact that I, and a vast majority of other people, have no lives and depend on the internet for interaction with other people.

But whatever.

Favorited Twitter Posts

Pretty much.

~

Jack Barakat - @heycassadee We kicked you off the tour. You've been replaced with David Hasselhoff

Maureen Johnson - "@digitalcable what's a quick strange plot to an imaginary novel?" Bees take over government. Honey becomes currency. No one notices.

Maureen Johnson - FYI: http://twitpic.com/jmtn5

Pete Wentz - Go football! I'm excited for every team that's winning! And every team losing sucks!

Maureen Johnson - I'm no fool, Twitter. #questionablestatements

Maureen Johnson - "@grampajoe Just put on roller skates and push a lot of people." Oh, so you've seen me at the grocery store. That's how you win the food!

Maureen Johnson - So, you know when you have those days where something is due and you're working and you accidentally book a trip to Amsterdam?

Scott Westerfeld - I wish my name rhymed with "whaddup." Then people would always be going, "Whaddup, Scott?" and it would rhyme.

Hayley Williams - Conan O'Brien never ceases to bring the LOL's

Laurie Halse Anderson - Boy who wanted beer found a guy who promised to help him out. I did not mention that if he hands over that $20 the guy will not return.

Scott Westerfeld - Let's all just admit it: water is badly designed. Too heavy. Takes too long to boil when I NEED COFFEE.

True/False?

People exist to make other people happy. If everybody makes everyone else happy, then no one has to worry about their own happiness. Tension and anger happen when someone stops caring for others.

If everyone lived by this, the world would have no problems.
If just one person does not live by this, then it doesn't work. Their tension and anger will lead to more tension and anger. Soon, it sets off a cycle of angst and such that cannot be stopped.
If we can figure out how to stop this cycle, and keep it from starting again, then we have achieved a utopian society.

But how to stop it? Is there any way that does not involve tampering with minds, lying to people, or keeping secrets? These, in themselves, contradict the Golden Rule and thus would lead to the cycle of misery.

So what's the solution?

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

So I lied when I said the book rec was a one-time thing. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare just begs my attention, and yours too, because it is just the most utterly awesome thing one could dream of.

I was reluctant to read it at first, due to the fact that, you know, I hate fantasy novels with an intensity somewhere between Rush Limbaugh and diet soda. But I was in Barnes and Noble last week and needed a book that might take me a while to read. City of Bones, being about the size of the Holy Bible, seemed appropriate.

Too bad I finished it in two days.

City of Bones (And the City of Ashes and The City of Glass) are fantasy, but without that whole unrealistic-protagonist thing. Also missing is the made-up medieval land with dragons and misogynistic warriors. And...well, I could sum it up by just saying that, unlike other fantasy I've read, CoB doesn't suck.

CoB takes place in modern day New York City. Instead of going on a cross-country quest to find an evil villain hidden in a goblin-infested cave with some half-baked motive, the main character Clary actually acts with reason and realism. The romance isn't just summed up with the standard "damsel falls in love with pretty boy after he rescues her from bad guy." Clary is rescued by her pretty boy Jace a few times, but Clary also saves Jace. Also, neither are perfect, and neither overlook that because of looooove. All the characters have their flaws, but not in a Harry Potter way.

And as for that wise-old-tutor thing present in most fantasy...well, yes, there is some wise-old-tutor guy who I strangely pictured as Dumbledore despite the fact that he couldn't have been older than 50. I can't really say anything without giving away a major plot twist, but he's not magically exempt from mistakes and flaws and neither is he omniscient in a way that's highly unlikely if not impossible. (Seriously, JK Rowling, old people are senile, not all-knowing! I DON'T CARE HOW WISE DUMBLEDORE IS!)

Another one of the things I really loved about Mortal Instruments is the lack of black and white: "he's evil, and that's all there is to it!" No. It's like Lupin says: "the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters." (I probably killed that quote, but you understand what I mean.) There is no one "wrong" side, really. Just two groups trying to eradicate evil, and going about very different ways to do so. Sure, one side has a little Hitler vibe going on, but still.

One of the best things about the book was the romance angle. (I don't know if you can actually call that an angle, but whatever.) Maybe I just really like forbbiden/unrequited love, but I found the romance in Mortal Instruments much more interesting/realistic than in Harry Potter or Twilight. In Harry Potter, it's like...they all end up marrying people they've known since they were kids. In Twilight, everyone has their perfect match, even Jake, who ends up falling in love with the newborn daughter of the girl he loves. And hey, while we're all into happy endings, Bella gets her baby and no one dies. Hooray. In Mortal Instruments, there is closure but not unrealistically.

Just about all aspects of Mortal Instruments have that balance: great, but not overdone. It's hard to find a book like that. One that I literally cannot put down. I spent all of last week reading during class instead of paying attention, which might or might not be worth the drop in grades.

I have a new favorite series.

On Impulse

Being impulsive sucks.