The Topic of Great Randomness

[wildflower]

I flipped through a section of the newspaper today, and ended up reading an article best described as "completely [dodges censor] insane".

It was about a Christian martial arts school. Basically... it's almost exactly like a normal karate dojo, except they pray before and after the class. If it was only that, I would have been able to roll my eyes and move on; okay, so maybe I'm not the most tolerant person, but I wouldn't have gotten furious at them. There were a few things, though, that just went... a little too far.

By the way the article was written, I assume that whoever was writing it had absolutely zero understanding of martial arts in general, and they were probably also Christian.

Hang on, I'm going to go find the article. I have to direct-quote this, so I won't end up exaggerating it.

This is the point where it turned to complete BS:

"Christian karate rejects some tenets of the ancient martial arts, such as worship of the dead. Instructer Roy Robinson at Church of All Nations in Boca Raton quit a traditional karate class in 1993 when he said he heard God tell him to stop bowing to the picture of the dead teacher in the dojo he attended."

Um. What? I can't tell you how many times every single black belt at my dojo has explained to every single new student that we aren't actually worshipping anyone; yes, we do bow to a picture on the wall at the beginning of class, but it's been made perfectly clear time and time again that we're showing respect to him, just as we show respect by bowing to our sensei on the rare occasions when he actually teaches a class (we're usually taught by one of the black belts in the school). The picture is of the man our sensei trained under; I believe he's still alive, so the circumstances aren't exactly the same, but it doesn't matter: it's only a sign of respect for him and his teaching of the style of karate we do.

That was actually a really terrible explanation, but seriously... *sigh* I wish I could go talk to these people and explain how stupid they're being. Honestly, I have nothing against Christians; if they want to go start karate dojos, then sure, I don't see a reason they can't. But they're not just doing that- the article as a whole sounded very against karate that wasn't Christian, wasn't their way. If they have to promote awareness for this stuff, can't they do it without adding all this negative crap about traditional karate?

*mutter*

[Angel_Star]

Mehhhh. People need to learn what they're talking about before saying something stupid. They give everybody else a bad name. (Hence the reason I tend to keep my mouth shut if I really haven't a clue.)

Despite me feeling like I'm going to see my dinner again pretty soon, today has been pretty good. *twirls* Angel has a boyfriend! As of yesterday, at my friend D's birthday party. Angel is quite forward. Angel is now going to stop typing in third person. So, T and I are sitting on this porch swing thing in D's backyard.

[interruption: WOOT! I just had somebody ELSE ask me when we're going to start dating...]

[resume] So, it was getting kind of cold. That happens when the sun goes down. XD I'm easily amused when I'm on meds and trying not to get sick. Annnyway. So, I kinda just grabbed his arm and put it around me, saying, "I'm COLD!" He laughed at me. He then remarked on how I'm always "tired," 'cause somehow I ended up resting on him. So, within the two hours or so we sat there, I said, "So...would you care to enlighten me as to WHAT we are?" After a series of "I don't know"s and "You'd better tell me or I'll..."s, I eventually dragged a "Will you go out with me?" out of him.

XD Yuuup. That's Angel for ya. Miss Rather Forward.

I had like, a two hour conversation with him today. He makes me smile a lot.

So, I should be doing homework. But, I'm spazzy. So...it's not happening. And I'm now on the phone with E. So, I'm not getting ANYTHING done. XD

[Mel]

Yaaaay, Angel!!


Yeah, Cress, that is sort of ...really..stupid.

And believe me, all Christians aren't like that. Actually, I haven't really met any. But, then again, it's not really my thing to start up theological debates with my friends....


But...believe it or not, a lot of Catholics get the same rep 'cause we pray to Mary and believe in saints. It's not like we're worshipping saints...it's more like we're asking them to pray to God for us. To help us out a little bit when God's busy. Well, that's sort of a crude way of putting it. God's _never_ too busy, but...saints help.

And Mary doesn't get appreciated near enough. Honestly!



But anyway. I really need to stop this religious rant. Someone, pleaase don't kill me for that, .


Ahhh....I tell you, a four day weekend can do wonders for the soul....before torturing it horribly! This week... we have Current Events due. Baaaad due. Like, he handed this out the begining of April and - no March, and expected us to be working on it the whole time. And it's due Friday. And I've barely started. And, apparently, it takes a minimum of eight hours. And I have no free time. i.e., piano & art show today, organ lessons tomorrow, piano and two recitals wednesday, and choir practice thursday. So, no time ...


Which means I should prolly be getting back.


You know, it's strange, but I'm really happy. I guess a little hard work is good for me. I'd been slacking away doing nothing all weekend, and eventually I got so bored that I got my dad to put me to work outside in the yard. It entailed spreading cut grass over the canalilly beds to fertilize them. I got to use a wheelbarrow, XD


Ahh, I was so hyper and spastic today. I think it was a combination of the aforesaid idleness, book fair today (woot :P) and a cold that I seem to have developed (baaad). I was at choir at lunch today and these three girls were singing "Hero" by Mariah Carey, and I wanted to dance, and there was no one to dance with, so I danced with a music stand. Yup. XD I'm cool. And everything dropped off it too. XD


*happy sigh* Today was my Grandma and Grandpa's wedding aniversary. I never knew my Grandpa, and and Grandma died two years ago, I think, but apparently I am a lot like him. My Grandma was a classic beauty when she was younger. And really important, I think she was a secretary for some famous general...huh. I gues that would make me...third generation? maybe second. I dunno.


And it's funny, we were watching "Anne Frank" in ILA today...awww.. I love good love stories. Even though Peter and Anne obviously didn't love each other, the movie made it out that way, and that's ok, it was old and it had the violins in the background and the actor Peter was so cute and the actress Anne so pretty and, well, Anne-like. Ahh, well, I'm a sucker for romance anyway.

Which reminds me. the 1992 adaption of Wuthering Heights with Ralpj Fiennes is excellent. It's a little strange to hear Cathy with a slight French accent, but she hides it pretty well, I think, and it's very close to the book. I <3 it!

And now I must _really_ be off. Art show and all that, and C.E.


Illk.


Mucho love,
Mel

[Dragon Writer]

I finally got to see our certificate award from shakespeare club! *Cheers* i don't know why that makes me happy, but it's just NICE to see in writing what you were given in an award for...particularly when everyone (including me) forgot exactly WHAT award we got within three seconds of being awarded it. you'd think someone would have thought to put something like that on the dvd of the whole thing! *grins*

[Gryphon]

My friend made black belt yesterday...! I'm so proud for her.

As for karate... so many people don't understand it. But it's no different from saying, "yeah, the Daily Show? I hate that show. I am proud to say I have never watched it before." (Not verbatim, but it's something this guy really said. He was either a reporter or a politician). How can you be so proud to have an entirely biased, baseless, and one sided opinion? How can you pass judgement without even attempting to understand something? Yet people do all the time. Ignorance is... :/

I stayed afterschool for chinese club yesterday because my friend dragged me off to it. Have you ever seen a chinese yo-yo before? They're really neat. This one guy did demonstrations and then people could learn how to do some stuff. I saw my friend A there and started talking to her. She was kinda clueless; it was funny. She didn't even know there was a Chinese thing going on in the room that day; she just came to work on her spanish project -- why were all of these people showing up? I told her I was staying after for Chinese club, and she asked me if I was Chinese -- which I think she was joking about. XD People call her Chinese even tho she's not (kinda ignorant), but at least she's asian. We actually attempted the yoyo -- it was a two person job for us; we were so pathetic, and we put it down before killing anyone. And then Kung Fu Hustle. Interesting movie. XD

Uhm... but on the ride home, when I told my mom that I stayed after for chinese club, she told me I was chinese because I had the skin color (it's actually olive- colored, and I don't think it's that asian, but hey. I've been called asian for my skin color by asians before, so... say whatever XD ), the slanted eyes (same story as skin color. XD But I think they slant the wrong way), and she said my hair is black, which is a lie. Mom's just looking for an excuse to be a hater. XD

Angel... XD Congrats!

I don't like to discuss religion offline because some people will be all to eager to judge me just because I'm atheist. Some atheists can be really extreme, but... Like anything, there will always be extremists. Such as in the case of atheism, they'll blame religion for the cause of all ignorance and war, and cite the crusades. However, the Soviet Union slaughtered masses of its own people to exterminate Christianity; the numbers were greater than the deaths from the Holocost. If you tell me that religion is the root of mindless slaughter... :/ Religion is never the cause; it's just the _excuse_.

eeee... my art was in the gallery...!

Mel: XD You mean wf, not Cress, I think.

[seabiscuit1009]

My friend's talking to me again! Yayayayayayayayay! I really don't think any of my family or other friends quite understood how hard it is not to be talking to someone who's been your best friend for years. And yeah, we realized that our friendship will be different now and all that stuff; but we'll make it work. We're growing, and all that stuff that they say on TV. But it'll work out.

Yay Angel! Lucky! Happy for you, if you're happy for you.

I tend to stay out of any religious discussion, since I'm quite confused about what I think right now; I'm Catholic, but I guess you'd say that I'm confused.

Oooh...Ralph Fiennes...he and Joseph Fiennes...are sooo fine... The two of them are in so many historical movies (Wuthering Heights, Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth, either Luther or the Return of Martin Guerre or something...) We've watched a lot of movies with them in them in school, and I think every girl in the class is like...obsessed with them, except for me. Except I like Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love. But that's it!

I'm still happy! It's sunny, my friend's talking to me again, and in 2 days I get to see the guy(s) I like again! And I get to "fight" with M. I love my group in that program thing; we have got the best people in it, seriously.

We get our yearbooks on Thursday; seniors get them on Wednesday. How, exactly, does that make any sense? None of the seniors will be around to sign them on Thursday (they've got exams while we're in classes) and on Friday almost none of them will be there, since they'll be getting ready for prom. Also, I'm not going to be able to get my senior friends from track to sign it, since I don't really see them outside of track, and the track awards thing is Wednesday night, before I get my yearbook. (That's when we usually all sign each other's yearbooks and get in trouble for laughing during the athletic director's speech; it's like tradition!)

I'm mad at my guidance counselor; I had an appointment today, to help her write a letter of recomendation for me for this camp I want to go to. Well, I get there on time, and wait outside her office, since I can see she's in there talking to some guy and his parents. I think, "Oh, ok; her appointment's running over. I'll just read until she's done." So I get out A Room With a View, which is what we're reading in English right now, and finish it. When I next look up, the period's almost over, and she's STILL not done with that guy. I left then, and spent the rest of the period (all 4 minutes of it) sitting in a stairwell. I'm annoyed; I give up my lunch to come and see her, and basically waste a period where I could have gone and gotten Chemistry help (which I need.) I'm VERY VERY mad about this, since I even remembered to make an appointment this time! Gr. Yes, I do know that in Guidance Land, things come up; at least have the courtesey to come out and tell me that you don't have time to see me today, so I can go and get some Chemistry help!

I can't wait for finals, especially now that I know that I have a really easy schedule. I don't have a class first period, and second period is a lab period for chemistry, so no exam there. Third period is the chemistry exam, fourth is lunch, fifth is Latin, but I'm exempt from the Latin exam. Sixth is math, which is...whatever. Our teacher left on maternity leave, and we're basically taking the same class again next year (they messed with the math classes, so I'm taking a combined course of that and what I would take next year, if they hadn't messed with the courses.) Seventh period is AP Euro, where we're bringing in clips from movies as our final. Eighth is journalism, which is a final project, not an exam. Ninth is English, which is a bunch of essays. Personally, I think this is an easy schedule.

I have the strangest urging to just go play Sims 2 right now, despite the fact that I've got a lot of homework. Wish I could give in to that urge; really badly wish I could give in. Got to go do chemistry, I guess.

[Caitlin]

Well, I can't find anywhere else I'd particularly like to post, so here it is, then.

I guess I'm part of the deluge who've come back in the waske of the bad news. *sniff* Anyway, I miss all the madness from all ya'll, and I'll probably pop in now and then when I have time this summer.

This summer is MADNESS on a stick. I work days at an internship at a tiny little biotech startup, and nights at Toys 'R Us. I've reread my way though the YW books (almost), and I"m getitng ready to start in on Harry Potter again (OMG TWO MONTHS).

Anywho, hi again!

[alla]

*waves to all the people she hasn't seen in a while* Its a sad thing that we haven't met again under happier circumstances .

Its been a long time since I posted in TOGR - and a slightly less longer time since I read the posts contained herein. But anyway...

Oooh, I'm the second person on this page with boyfriend news... Yes, that's right, Alla has a boyfriend . It was kinda unexpected, except for the fact that I like - and have liked him for a while now - pretty much since January this year, but I never got around to telling him, because every time I made up my mind to, he'd bring up a topic that made me think, 'No, this isn't the right time. I will tell him later'. And these thought processes have gone on for oh, about five months now. On Sunday night, I made up my mind to tell him after exams, as he has been saying that the next girl he dates can ask him out for a change, and after my two-week-long field trip, and then my eight day trip up to Cairns with my housemate (she's from up north, and invited me to go there with her). So yeah, it feels kinda strange and I feel kinda bad that I'm not going to be able to hang out with him because of assessment, and then because I'm not going to be in town for most of the holidays . But he seems ok with it - I hope he's ok with it... *sigh* And I hope I don't stuff anything up... I always feel strange hanging out with a guy who knows that I like him, as if there's some different way that I should be behaving. And he was a good friend before that. Maybe I shouldn't worry. But yes... I've finally got my first boyfriend .

On another note, I also have a ton of assessment due in the next few weeks, so I should really stop procrastinating and get back to work.

Alla

[Artemis Wolfang]

I'm really kind of sad... I'm in my last high school class right now. I'm leaving here at 9 (AM)... all the seniors march out of here, accompanied by the band. My friend is driving me home so my mom doesn't have to fight the crowds. I'm going to miss a lot of the people here... it's really quite upsetting.

At least at the community college I'm going to I have the same mascot as I do here in high school. So it won't be that violent of a change... just different colors.

Right now I'm listening to music from the anime Revolutionary Girl Utena... the music's really cool. I'm just wondering what everyone else is listening to?

Oh! Last night, there was a gathering at The Rock (we have a huge rock outside our school on the front lawn, and people paint it). The principal spoke for a few minutes, and then we painted it with spray paint. The last time I painted The Rock, I was a freshman, and I was painting it with the Gay-Straight Alliance, and we had to wait a week or so after the seniors painted it so we wouldn't get beat up. :P

[Dragon Writer]

*wants to do karate again* every time i try, something goes wrong! it's getting rather annoying! *grumbles about said annoyance* *wonders what else to say* um...temerair series rules! and i finally sent out the video of shakespeare club! *cheers* hope that's enough...

[Tuttle]

I'll warn you now before you get too far:
My mind is functioning in five iambs,
So if you'd rather leave the verse alone,
Then I would say to leave this post behind.

I blame my boy and his insanity,
as well as the comic xkcd,
for we began at this around midnight,
and almost went until the morning light.

For two or more hours we talked like this.
And though we often wished we could just kiss,
There is one thing I can say which is good,
This story now will certainly be told.

And thus my mind is still in this pattern.
Is fun and more, is geeky I have heard.
And so I post in this pattern right now,
For in my mind this pattern's what's allowed.

So first I say to all the new girlfriends,
Congrats and hope your happiness will grow.
Alla and Angel too to I do say,
I hope your happiness lasts every day.

And I must also wave to those back now,
I wish it could have been happy return.
But still the family of here is strong.
We mourn his loss as we do learn to cope.

I could, I guess, go back to robots now,
For I am still obsessive as you know.
Downloading stuff, I spent two hours gone.
To get pictures and movies of our 'bot.

Or I could return to my happiness.
For I'm in love, and him I do now miss.
Hours on AIM with him can feel precious.
But still, at home, his presesence I do miss.

Or could just talk of randomness I guess,
Of dogs and cats and birds and all the rest,
Or books that I am reading at this point,
But now that post just wouldn't feel quite right.

So now instead I tell you all good bye.
This post is done. This point is good to fly,
Into the land of bytes and intarwebs.
And now, to random talk we do return.

[Caitlin]

All hail Tut for the great work of Iamb!
Shakespeare would be ever so very happy.
Even Poot would like to note that this is
pretty much amazingness on a stick.

Whoo!

[seabiscuit1009]

Tuttle...that was amazingly awesome. Seriously made my horrible day/night so much better, it's not even funny. On the same note, congrats Angel, Alla, and anyone else who's got a boyfriend; now someone send me one of these guys' friends! (Joking; I'll get my own before I turn 20.) Besides, I have a feeling that guys might not like being packed in boxes; quite uncomfortable, in my experience.

Does iambic pentameter just make anyone else happy when they read it? I don't know, it just sounds right in my mind when I read it. Probably why I love reading Shakespeare.

Ok, enough procrastination; must finish homework, so I can go to bed sometime before 2 AM, so I can wake up again at 6 (told you my day/night was getting to be pretty bad.)

[Gryphon]

So, today, I'm supposed to go to the mall with some friends. Only, A is sick and won't be showing up. That's like a blow to the gut for me, because I was really looking for another chance to hang out with her outside of school, but now I'm just left w/ M and S -- M who is queen bitch of the group and makes me feel like the outcast of the circle. That's funny, because she is always dragging me away with her to "watch out for me," but then ignores me and centers everything around herself. Does she think she's doing me a favor? I didn't ditch her on a whim at Prom and dance with other people just for kicks. O.o But of course, I wasn't really ditching her because she never cared about me to begin with. O.o

Friend drama kinda sucks. O.o

It feels really good to be so critical. I'm always trying to be a better person, more compassionate, that sort of thing, and be a better friend, but everyonce in a while, I just need to let go and rant and be a bitch. This kinda sucks, actually. It's hard to find the middle ground between being accepting and agreeing and confrontational and opinionated.

Rawr.

Whatever, I have kick butt flip flops.

Be kind to stupid people. But I hate ignorance so much... espescially prideful ignorance. I'd love to go kick something right now.

Hey, all, I'd like to say a little heads up. For those who don't know, I'm running a forum called Ironside for people who enjoy writing. You don't have to be that great; how else are you supposed to grow if you don't try? I'm trying to get both a functioning beau layout (eventually), and a relevant front page, along with maybe a working roleplay, but I'm not sure how it's gonna work. Anyway, check it out and apply at
Ironside

For teen writers. It's a creative outlet for the mind.

Yayyy, alla

I don't know what my relationship status is.

But. Life drama aside, I have art work.

12Pride
Use the link ^^ I'd insert the picture, but I think it might be too large and stetch the forum.

Tut... there should be an award for that. XD

Blue Moment

The two pictures were both done with prismacolor premier art pens in my sketchbook. I love them. XD They blend so well, and they've got a skinny and fat end. The only downside is that the skinny end bleeds easy.

I'm listening to a new MSI CD. On crack, like aways. O.o

[marina salem]

I am sufficiently impressed, Tuttle. Very nice indeed.

School's out!!!! I am so happeee. We had our last final exam on Friday (foreign language), and me and some friends hit up Subway afterwards on our way to a theater to watch PotC. MC, who'd organized the whole thing, thought it'd be super crowded, so we got there an hour early. It turned out to be completely empty when we got there (noon showings must not be very popular even when school is out), so we ate the subs that we smuggled into the theater and threw the Sour Patch Kids that we'd bought to see how far down the rows they could go (we were at the top). Then K just had to go down and throw some SPKs at the screen, and we played hide-and-seek until the other half of our party showed up, at which point we began taking pictures like crazy until strangers arrived. It was all going great until, in the middle of a really exciting part the movie stopped playing. MC almost had a heart attack, but they got it working again and everything was fine. I really liked At World's End, though I must be one of the few people that I know who doesn't think that Johnny Depp is the only good actor in the Pirates movies. *runs for cover*

I love your drawings, Gryph. *wishes she were in possession of artistic abilities*

EDIT: Did anyone see the article in Parade today about Dark Energy?