Wow, talk about a big, big drought.
This month, April, we've had only 13 articles (including this one), compared to last month's 25. Oh well, 25 will still be the record for now.
Back to the subject. April's theme was: Pride and Prejudice. I was really hoping for a lot of good articles, but as it turns out, 'pride and prejudice' is just too much of a good theme. Both pride and prejudice are extremely strong and varying things, which made it harder to write about. Everyone has their opinions on what 'pride' and 'prejudice' is.
As usual, the following is a summary for April's articles. If you would like to view any of them, locate the article title under the month 'April' on the right side of the blog, under 'Blog Archive'.
Faux Pas: Feeling like reading something random?
HELLO, Greetings, Salutations...: One word, one world.
Hard to Explain: What's the real meaning of 'malaise'?
Hypothetically Speaking: Real-world, humorous dramatization of prejudice.
The Privilege of Childhood: We all had our good, young days.
A Matter of Life and Death: Life is simple...or is it?
Now There's Just No Point: Walking blind isn't the only problem in life.
And I'm the only one to blame: Pride can speak a lot for itself.
To Here Knows When: Who and what do you consider yourself as?
Pride's Gettin' in the Way: The little pest that gets in everyone's way.
Warning: Not for Cavity-Conscious People: All sweet-tooth s welcomed!
Pardon Me: Darn, give me a break, Pride!
Even though we had only a small amount of articles this month, they had strong messages in each and every one. Quantity doesn't always necessarily mean quality!
Thanks for voting in April's polls. Let's cheer for next month's theme: Desperation and Greed!
-the clam.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
April's Theme: Pride and Prejudice
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Faux Pas
So what are the things that you enjoy? The magnificence and joys of life, at least in your perspective, that you enjoy seeing, hearing, etc. The stuff that makes you smile. It can be anything really. Something that’s just incredulously silly, funny, or hilarious. It can be something with meaning, or something you relate to. Perhaps, the best kind of whatever it is that I’m talking about, is the kind that just touches you. Other people could be what the bazongawudgerfudglebadgarous (is that a new red Gretsch i see?) are you talking about? Yet all you’ll do is laugh and smile, or maybe in your head.
Most people are confused. Simply, they don’t know what to do. Isn’t that what mid-life crises are? I just can’t imagine older people, they’ve been through a lot, and just don’t know what to do with themselves. People go through the same routine everyday, and nothing happens. They wait a million hours for a billion grains of sand to fall, and at the end, all they get is a slice of cake. What a waste of time that was.
I feel like I’m making some sort of infomercial for happiness.
And I’m that person who they pay to appear on tape that says how much you should call this number and buy this product just because I got a lot of money. So dial now while you still have the chance!
Most of the stuff here I stole from some other source…so thanks to the honored stealees!
So, what makes you smile, feel weird, happy, random, or just plain feel like “ I wanna **** **** up!” ?
-digital delay
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
HELLO, Greetings, Salutations...
It's probably the first word a baby learns.
The first word you say when you greet someone.
The first word you say when you pick up the phone.
The word that you say when you're frustrated by your stupidity ("HELLO?! What was I even THINKING?")
It's such a universal word. You can go to another part of the world, and say "Hello", and they will understand. (So, technically, you know at least one word in every language). The very word itself brings a sense of hospitality when you greet someone. What a simple, yet, sophisticated word it is.
Of course, "Hello" may not always be so kind. It all depends on the tone in which you say the word. Are you greeting a houseguest? Are you greeting an enemy? Are you reluctantly greeting someone that you didn't want to meet? They all belong in a different tone of voice.
As you already know (and I assume that you do...if you're capable of reading this article, then you're old enough), "Hello" has many uses. That is why you can see the word being used in every aspect of life. Maybe it's that Target commercial..."You say goodbuy [they changed it to goodbuy for the commercial version], I say hello, I say hello." Or maybe it's Lionel Richie's infamous Hello song? Oh, and how about that little voice that suddenly pops out of your Motorola phone when you turn it on?..."Hello, Moto."
You yell "Hello?" in a store to see if anybody is there. You ask "Hello?" to see if someone has occupied a fitting room. You say "Hello?" while poking an animal to see if it's dead. You say "Hello" to someone because...well, you have nothing else to say to them.
But as always, "Hello" will always become the start of something new. Try saying "Hello" to new dreams, and greet the future. Don't mind saying "Hello" to a new student in your class. Who knows? They might become a life-long pal.
-the clam.
P.S. I just noticed--this is our 50th article on the blog! -throws confetti- Here's to another 50...or 100...or 1000...or 10000000000000 more!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Hard to Explain
(yes, it is spelled malaise, not mayonnaise)
-Digital Delay
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Hypothetically Speaking
Okay, let's just call the person 'Bob'; it's universal.
So everyday, Bob sits at a quiet table- or more, he sits at a table where one person is watching T.V., two are under a lot of stress, the third can't wait to leave the house, and he himself just wants to talk about his day.
"Tomorrow I'm going out after school," he says, and instantly the table has given him their attention.
"Amazing," T.V. watcher says as she continues to watch her show, "That man has no heart! This is a horrible show." Despite this, she continues to watch.
"Who's going with you?" Says the third person who wants to leave (let's call him 'rob').
"Oh just a few friends," Bob shrugs; it's not that big of a deal.
"Don't talk to any strangers," Stressed out number one says, "There are a lot of bad people in the world."
"Yes! Don't talk to any of those Mexican guys," T.V. watcher says, turning her 'wise' eyes at you. "They're dangerous and not good."
Bob, laughs this, he knows that his best friend is well... Mexican.
"You can't say that!" He says.
"Yes," Stressed out number two says, "But we're just warning you, because a lot of the time they're not exactly that good of people."
"Look at the Black people!" T.V. show watcher says, "I watch the news and they always get arrested! Them and the Mexican guys."
"Yes, but not all people are like that you know," Rob says, "I mean a lot of African Americans are smart and successful."
"They also love to dance. I watch them on T.V. and wahhh they're so good. But they always wear their clothing so low." T.V. Watcher turns back to the T.V. "Hahahaha, that's funny, Stella just got hit on by a worker, and it turns out that the worker is her long lost brother! But it's so pointless. This show is boring."
"So can I go out tomorrow, or are there too many Black people and Mexican guys?" Bob asks.
"Don't say it like that," Stressed out number one says. "Never let them here you talk about them like that, if they hear you say that, they'll hit you without hesitation! Where I work, all the Black people are so rude."
"And they eat a lot of fried stuff," T.V. Watcher says. "Their people always eat that kind of stuff."
"Soul food," mumbles Bob half-heartedly.
"I hope you have fun tomorrow," Rob says as he gets up. "I'm going out, now. Bye everyone!"
So then, the subject is left alone as Rob (aka Third Person who wanted to leave but now is) leaves. Bob finishes his dinner, and then proceeds to put the dishes in the the sink.
"So I'll be back at around eight tomorrow," he says as he head upstairs. "I'm walking home."
"Aughhh!" T.V. Watcher says, "Walking home by yourself is dangerous, there are dangerous people out there!"
"Can't you get a ride?" Stressed person one says.
"Aiyahhh now he dies?!" T.V. Watcher says, "Gosh this is a stupid show."
Hypothetically speaking, the entire thing starts again.
By: Karma Police.
The Privilege of Childhood
It's back to babbling about random-stuff-that-doesn't-relate-to-the-theme.
This time, I'm going to delve back into my past...way, way back. The time when I still chewed on tissue and swallowed gum and made sound effects with my mouth while playing action figures.
Childhood is seriously the best time of our lives. We get to play, mess around, have fun, and not ever have to care about the world. We had people that watched over us, we had people who fed us, and we could eat everything we wanted and not have to worry about your health (well, maybe not the tissue and gum).
It's also the time we do completely absurd things—you know, the things that we look back on and we start laughing, "Oh my god, I did WHAT? I so did not walk down an aisle hand-in-hand with a flowergirl holding a pillow with a ring on it." ...yes, I did that.
One of the things I laugh about myself were my imaginative stories that I wrote. Here's an excerpt from a story I wrote, Mike and the Mystery of Tike, way back when I was eight years old:
"There lived a boy named Mike MaCarthy. He just loves frogs and toads so much that his parents bought him a toad. He named it Tike. One day in school, his best friend Mark said that he loves frogs and toads too but his parents wouldn't let him. Mike was sorry for him. Mark even said he tried to go to the pond and catch his own toad. But Mike knew that he wouldn't catch it because he isn't even good at catching a ball!"
Yeah, that was one of my better-grammared one (by the way, I left it genuinely as it is). If you're wondering, the story goes on and Mike had to 'solve the mystery' to find his lost toad. Turns out, his friend took it.
One of other 'mystery'-themed stories was Where's Kim?:
"One morning,, the Tyson family was getting ready for a trip to Las Vegas. "Hurry up kids! We're about to go!", shouted Mr. Tyson. "All right!", yelled both of the sisters, Kathy and Kim...While Mr. Tyson was driving, both sisters played. Kim was 6 years old so she played with kid stuffs. Kathy was 13 so she write, draw, and do what other teenagers do."
Same as before, I left it genuinely as it is, grammar and all. The story continues on, and Kim gets kidnapped while sitting at a McDonald's restaurant, where her sister failed at her babysitting skills. They went on a wild goose chase, and eventually tracked Kim down at the MGM, where the kidnapper was about to blow up a bomb. They managed to save Kim in time. YES, I know, lengthy and weird...but that's what I thought was 'cool' back then.
Anyways, I would dive into my old second grade journal, but I feel lazy. But I'll tell you, you'll be laughing on the ground by the time I finish telling you what I wrote in my journal...but I won't, so sit right where you are.
And yes, I did make funky sounds while playing with my action figures. Hey, it was fun you know.
-the clam.
A Matter of Life and Death
Life is simple. Life is complicated. Life is long. Life is short. Life doesn’t make sense. Life is all we know. All experiences are personal, and different to each of us. Like fingerprints. Of course there are similar experiences that we all can relate to, but we’ll never know exactly how someone else feels or reacts. We are alone. Yet we are united in that very sense. Aloneness. There are some things we can only do alone. And there are some things we can only do together. Question everything. Then question yourself and why you question everything. Or question nothing. Maybe some things aren’t supposed to be questioned. Maybe some things just are and will always be.
And out of nowhere...
What do you want? You could look at it and say, “A triple fudge sundae would be good right now,” or “To be a genius and make millions of dollars a year!” or “To save the world from (blank)
I just realized that I’m asking you a lot of questions. Answer them. Just say so out loud to nobody in particular. Sometimes, it’s not about someone else hearing you but hearing yourself and listening to what you have to say. You’d be surprised.
A whole lot of contradiction...
Does this article make perfect sense to you yet leaves you in deep confusion? Is it silly yet deep? Good, because that was the whole point or... maybe it wasn’t. I don’t even remember my point. I suppose I have no point and just wrote. If I die the minute after I publish this article, this bunch of gibberish would be the last thing I leave behind. For some reason, that amuses me. Okay, I just read that last part over and it sounds like I said death amuses me. Err...That came out wrong. I meant the part about this article. Okay, this is ending on an awkward note. But you know what? That’s alright. Because... well, I don’t know why exactly, but I have this feeling it is.
You can mean everything to someone and mean nothing at all to someone else.
What a sweet cynical world we have.
Love, peace, afro grease...
mourning.glory
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Now There's Just No Point
So, when you're in the dark, might as well just sing, dance, and go crazy while you're there!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
And I'm the only one to blame.
Sometimes, I really think I lack a big thing called pride. Pride is supposed to be that big, whoop-de-doo feeling you get when you accomplish something small, something important, something big.......Pride is that proud feeling of undefeat, when you feel as if nothing can stop you at all.
Pride can be a wonderful thing. It shows your self-confidence, your ability to be the best of what you can be, to feel like the world...!
But you know that one feeling you get? When you feel as if you're the absolute best there is, and no one can top that?? That's pride also, but that's when pride gets out of hand. It's when pride becomes cockiness, conceit, and very rotten. This is when resentment forms, even though "Hate" is a very strong word. Pride may get the best of you.
The absolute opposite of pride? I'd like to say disappointment. Ever feel like you're just not good enough? Oh, I'm sure; I'm feel it all the time, too. It turns to upset and frustration.
Pride and disappointment show all the time, especially in SPORTS. It's crazy.
- "Why didn't coach play me? I'm a benchwarmer now??"
- "I cost us our game...It's all my fault. If only i made that basket!"
Believe it or not, many people go hard on themselves, and that's good, really. But it's not usually necessary and ends up bringing people down. It really depends if you play more as an individual or as a team.
Aside from that, families are a big deal at sporting events, too. They make a difference. There are two types: the supportive family:
- "Good job!"...
- "You're doing great! Keep it up!"...
- "Defense!"...
- "Don't worry about it, you'll do better next time"...
And then there are people like my "supportive" family:
- The father figure had not shown up at a single softball game because "softball is boring"...
- Instead of a "good job" after an exhausting basketball game, you get a "You could've ran faster." or
- "You lost again??" or "
- Your shooting position is not correct."
- and all this other shitty feedback that you've already heard too many times.
You tell yourself,
- I've improved...
- I DID play better this time...
- You could not run as fast as I just had, up and down that court.
- I WAS good enough!
But sometimes, "good enough" is not GOOD ENOUGH...And this is disappointment. Frustration that you've got no support, but shakes of head instead. Criticism at every little thing you do, right OR wrong. Upset because you should've done better? What happened to pride here, people? What happened to that big grin you'd get after stirking out three batters in a row? That whip of joy you'd get after you score a goal. What happened to roaring crowds and claps and cheers? See those people celebrating? That should've been us...That could've been us...
-my.great.ESCAPE.
To Here Knows When
Finally back
During my brief hiatus, I got some new stuff, which made me pretty happy
Plenty of people hate young kids, and think they’re annoying little brats. Although to an extent, that’s sort of true. Others hate old people, thinking they’re just grumpy and arrogant. Maybe people dress different, who cares? People like different kinds of music, obviously. From folk to hip-hop, blues to jazz, maybe even some kind of blend of pop and techno, who knows? Not everybody’s the same.
Another annoying thing is people who always try to stay out of the “norm”. Those who consistently attempt to be “different” and discriminate against others for a variety of stupid reasons are the ones. These people have already formed their own label, which could be anything from weirdo to as***le. The individualist became a conformist the second he/she became an individualist. So, as I’ve said earlier before, screw you all! (not literally, but figuratively…)
optimistic pessimist or pessimistic optimist?
to love or hate?
living?...or just existing?
living to die? or dying to live?
-Digital Delay
Monday, April 14, 2008
Pride's Gettin' in the Way
Oh the poor thing. This blog has been neglected for so long. I mean, two articles so far for half a month? This has got to be our lowest ever! (not that this blog has been living that long...it's only two and a half months old, anyway :P).
Well, to somehow revive this dusty place, I'm gonna talk about pride (in contrast to DD's next prejudice article).
Pride is the sole reason why we all do things that aren't necessary. It's the barrier that keeps us from doing what has to be done, just because you're afraid of damaging your 'image'. But it's true, and we can't live without pride. If there wasn't pride, 'embarrassment' wouldn't exist either. We do things our friends expect us to do, not something that has to be done.
But pride is just a little, taunting road that's begging you to do what it wants. If you find yourself trying to do better and better, but you don't get a response, then there's something wrong. Think of it like yelling down a cave and not hearing an echo—that's the time you should start reanalyzing yourself. You're just doing things the way that'll keep you out of embarrassment, yet, you don't realize that you're hurting yourself along the way.
Everything exists and happens for a reason, and pride belongs to that category. Pride is your little buddy that sits on your shoulder and nags you to do stuff—whether it be something bad or something beneficial to yourself (depending on the situation). If someone was tempting you to do drugs, and they start making fun of you just because you're refusing to do so, pride starts to kick in, and if you're not able to fight back, you're going to find yourself smoking and killing yourself. The reason why? Because you're trying to keep yourself looking 'cool'. If you have common sense, then obviously, that isn't 'cool' in any way. I'm sorry, but if you don't agree with me, then you'll realize the consequences sometime later in the future.
Just remember to consider pride. Think about your decision, and make sure it's a smart one—if it's going to be a good factor to your life or not. Don't tell me "Oh, but what if I don't know if it's beneficial to me or not? How should I decide?". It's in you somewhere. No one else is going to know but you, so think deeply.
Alright. That was my opinion on 'pride', and how I view it in my own perspective. You might not agree, and I won't argue. Everyone's opinion is different, after all.
My ten minutes of my cheesy therapeutic session is over. Go and do your homework, eat your dinner, play your videogames, take care of your kids, pay the bills...whoever and whatever age you are. Life always comes first!
-the clam.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Warning: Not for Cavity-Conscious People
Alright. Because I feel a bit hysterical at the moment, I'll veer off from the month's theme. This is probably the longest gap in between the previous article and a new one (DD's article wayyy back on April Fool's).
Okay. Let's get to the point. Who doesn't love (except for cavity-conscious people):
CANDY!!
In fact, I'm chewing on a very delectable piece of Milk Dud. Yummy...nysh caramel shenter with uh thin layer of shocolate. –swallows- Excuse me. That small caramel sticky-bomb can get extremely sticky to your teeth. It barely allows you to even talk. Kinda' like peanut butter.
It's good to have candy once in a while (emphasis on once in a while). I don't want to be blamed for the five cavities you're about to have just by reading this article.
Ooh, how about Whoppers? A crunchy center with a nice, layer of milk chocolate on the outside. Not as cavity-dangerous, and much faster to consume than a Milk Dud. I find it funny how they come in giant, quart-sized milk cartons.
Both of the candies mentioned above are manufactured by Hershey's. I love Hershey's. Their milk chocolate bars and white chocolate bars are really sweet...and yummy. Haha, I consider everything yummy. I become untrollably hyper after eating a Hershey's bar.
What other chocolate bars are there? OH! Crunch is also good. Those pesky small little rice crispies all scattered within the chocolate. The Three Musketeers, Milky Way, and Heath Bars. De.lic.ious!
"Baby Bottle Pop, Baby Bottle Pop! You can lick it, shake it, and dunk it!" I know that sounds a bit...weird. But that was the 'in' candy back then. Past popular candies also include Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Ring Pops. Hey—that doesn't mean you should go propose to your girlfriend with that. She'll slap you in the face (or laugh like a maniac...and then slap you in the face).
Or, if you'd like a more fiery taste, try Hot Tamales. They'll give you a nice sting. Don't eat too much though...you'll be crying.
You know what, I'm really lazy right now. I'll just throw a bunch of names out there. Hershey's Kisses, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Snickers, Skittles (three cheers for Skittles!), Take Five, Sour Patch Kids, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers...they're all so sweet and perfect –mouth waters-.
Hungry for candy? Just be careful...think of your poor teeth.
-the clam.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Pardon Me
Pride can do a lot of things. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s definitely there. It’s that invisible, constant force that draws people to do things. It’s sort of like gravity. It’s the thing that makes you say no thank you to charity, the thing that makes you refuse the obvious, and the thing that just kills you when you lose.
There are happy, sad, catchy, poppy, sparse, heavy, dense, depressing, just weird, and…(there are a million different usable words that would fit there).
But one kind always really reaches out to me. It’s that sad song that’s not depressing, not heavy, not dense, nothing that just jumps out at you. It’s that sad song that makes you happy, just because it’s so…beautiful. I’m not talking about that sad song that’s just melancholic, or that angry song you listen to when you’re pissed off, or anything. Haha, that’s weird, but it’s true. Of course, for everybody, each song will invoke different emotions.
-digital.delay.