I had meant to write a well thought-out, reasoned, logical-yet-impassioned blog entry about this... but I still haven't figured out how to do that. So I can tell that this little entry is going to be, y'know... slightly rambling.
I want my nieces to grow up in a world where they can do anything they want to do.
Obviously, right? That's what we'd all like. Duh.
What I don't want is for them to grow up and have their options curtailed by their gender. What I don't want is for their attitudes towards men and women, boys and girls, their own selves, to be decided by a society, and a media, that is slanted.
Big Books for Boys are about adventure and exploration. Big Books for Girls are about makeup and looking pretty.
My niece Becca is 4. Becca loves pink. She loves princesses. She wasn't BORN loving pink and loving princesses — she learned that. She learned it from the people around her, from the TV she watches, from the other kids at the school-type place she goes to. And you can see it. You can see it happening. People go up to her and the first thing they say, the FIRST thing, is "Oh, don't you look ADORABLE!"
Boom. Now she thinks that her physical appearance is THE most important thing about her. Now whenever she's wearing a new dress she always runs up to me and says "Derek, look at my dress!"
I don't want my nieces thinking their looks are the only things that matter. For their birthday, the twins got a big dollhouse. It is, admittedly, awesome (if you like dollhouses). And I knew they were getting the dollhouse, so I went to buy them dolls. I bought them a princess doll and a mermaid doll, because Becca loves princesses and Emily loves mermaids. But I also got them an Annikin Skywalker doll, with lightsaber and sound effects, and an Iron Man doll. So now Iron Man has tea with Princess Barbie (and by all accounts, he's loving it) and the future Darth Vader (spoiler alert) sits awkwardly on the couch with Mermaid Barbie.
I buy them toys for boys because I don't want them limited by what toy companies tell them they can be.
(Er, not that a princess, a mermaid, a Sith Lord or a super hero is an achievable goal anyway... well, maybe the super hero...)
And then I start thinking about my books because, well, my books are awesome and deserve to be thought about. I think I've done well, all in all. The decision to have the main character be a teenage girl wasn't a decision at all — it's just something that fit. I've also worked very hard to refrain from idealising Valkyrie. Having a female main character but treating her like she's this flawless wonder is as damaging and disingenuous as the very things I've been trying to avoid. But treating her like a real person? Giving her an ego, an arrogance, a selfishness that we'd all have in her situation? That's FAIR.
But I've also failed, in certain ways. I've given in, without even thinking. Val is pretty, for a start. Was that necessary? No, not really. I could have made her plain. I could have taken away the height, the slimness, the little dimple when she smiles... But I didn't. Yes, the pretty fictional character is based on my pretty real-life friend, but I could have changed THAT aspect, right? Only, I'm as biased as anyone else. I like beauty. I like a pretty face. I like Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey. I admire them as people, as fighters, as athletes — but would I pay them this much attention if I didn't also appreciate how they look?
I'm as bad as anyone, but the thing is, I'm trying NOT to be.
So while you're digesting all this, and figuring out if what I'm saying has ANY relevance to ANYTHING, I want you think about Captain America: Winter Soldier. You all know what a huge comics fan I am. Most of you know that I own the shield he used in the first movie. I am REALLY looking forward to the sequel, and nothing will stop me from going to see it.
But seeing as how I'm talking about how women are valued primarily on their looks, I'd like you to take a peek at the posters released. Here's Cap, looking pensive...
And Nick Fury, also looking pensive...
And here's Black Widow, looking... wow.
Is that it? Is that her only worth?
In some ways, I'm old fashioned. I believe in old-fashioned things. I believe men should be strong. If they can't be strong physically then they must be strong morally. I believe men should hold the door for women, should stand up from the table when they walk over, and they should, when possible, pay for dinner. I also believe that men and women are equal in every way that's important.
So when I ask "Is that her only worth?", I'm not asking that from a feminist's perspective. I'm asking it from a man's perspective. The Black Widow is a secret agent, a spy, an assassin, and a hero... so why can't she be pensive in a series of pensive posters? Why does she have to adopt the sexy pose?
If any of my nieces grow up to be a secret agent, a spy, an assassin or a hero, I'm going to be as proud of them as if they grow up to be a princess or a mermaid. But I'm going to have to insist that they be given the opportunity to be WHATEVER they want to be, and those kinds of opportunities begin with me — the writer, the creator — and with you — the reader, the consumer. Don't settle for less. Don't settle at all.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
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«Oldest ‹Older 1601 – 1800 of 4926 Newer› Newest»IT'S AMAZING.
#ChaseForBookNine
And also -
DELAYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsss.
*dances*
DELAYING DEATH IS GOOD. I MEAN, YOU CAN ARGUE THAT IT'LL STILL COME ROUND EVENTUALLY, BUT IT'LL DO THAT ANYWAY, WON'T IT?
(Although, I gave my sister the first book, and she gave up after a few chapters because it was too confusing.
*facepalm*)
#ChaseForBookNine
*stops trying to pick the needle up*
*slams her hand onto the point*
*picks up her hand with the needle in it*
*pushes it against the trees trunk injecting the liquid*
*shakes her hand to remove the needle*
*curls over and shakes hard feeling the world around her spin*
Hassle: *begins hissing furiously*
Find it! Find something!
Chemist: I don’t know who she admires.
Hassle: You!
Chemist: No, I can’t use me.
Hassle: WHY?
Chemist: Obvious reasons, sir.
Hassle: . . . ah.
Yes.
Yes ah. Forgot.
Chemist: I can’t think of any men she admires.
Except . . .
Hassle: *begins to break down into furious gulping and spitting*
Chemist: I could . . .
Hassle: EHEHEHEHHEHEHEEEHEHEHEHHHHEHEHEH.
NO! YOU WILL naaaaaaaaht.
Chemist: Has, I don’t think we have any alternatives here.
Do you want this potion or not?
Hassle: FINE!
Fine.
*his voice is shaking now*
*he sounds like he’s choking down vomit*
Do . . . whatever you . . . need need need to . . .
Chemist: You won’t even need help me. I’ll do all the work. Somehow.
Hassle: You’ll FAIL.
FAIL FAIL FAIL!
And I c-a-n-n-o-t make this potion without youuuu!
YOU are the chemist!
Chemist: I was never a chemist, sir.
Hassle: But you ARE on the guest list, so I n-e-e-d you.
Chemist: Don’t worry, sir.
*smirks*
I’ll find something. A watch. A dictionary. A teacup. SOMETHING.
Hassle: DON’T let him touch me.
*hissing furiously*
Don’t do it,
don’t even say his name.
Chemist: He’s the only man she really admires, Has.
Hassle: He’ll catch you.
Chemist: He won’t even suspect me. Please, Has, even Sir Reingington makes mistakes.
This will be a peace of cake*
Hassle: *guttural gulping*
*then hangs up the phone*
*the Chemist stands in the phone booth*
*and laughs*
((Hey star! Hey Annika! Hey Amethyst! Hey Chi! Hey Blake if your still here! Hey anyone I missed!))
*piece
Hello Silente. How are you?
O_O
NO
THIS JUST GETS WORSE AND WORSE.
#ChaseForBookNine
*pauses his meanderings throughout the Internet*
*someone has mentioned his name*
In any case, I dearly hope that you are having a good morning, afternoon, evening, or other time of day, Blogland.
Hello Sir! How are you?
(Hullo, Sir.
Mentioning your name is, I suppose, a bit like repeating 'Frozen' three times to summon Chione.)
Greetings, Ms. Temerity, Barnosky, Inkbright, and Tempest.
Standard, Ms. Temerity.
I suppose, Ms. Barnosky.
Hey Sir! :)
Except Sir's name is three times more effective, only needing to be said once. O_O
#ChaseForBookNine
(This is true, Star, true.)
(I am a bubble.
I speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Whatever the Divergent aptitude test says.)
#ChaseForBookNine
Possibly, Ms. Inkbright. Or perhaps I have, in fact, stored mentions of my name so that I may appear when I wish.
Or perhaps this is all nonsensical.
((I'm fine thanks Amethyst. Speaking of her where did Chi go? She said something then...well....went silent....))
My Frozen senses are tingling. My favourite anime character from Bleach is fighting and pwning his opponentt with ice.
I do believe that she is right here, Ms. Tempest.
(I've been told I'm Eccentric.
When they tell me this, they always seem to capitalize the word Eccentric, somehow, in their voices, as if it's a Thing rather than a Quality. As though I should be wrapped up with a bow with a load of other Eccentrics and set somewhere dark and quiet where I won't bother anyone with cups of tea or essays on angels.)
Damn this curse of my perfect timing. I really don't like it xD it's like you're summoning me to do your bidding.
((Yeah, speak of the devil...and speak the devils call *looks pointedly at whoever said f____n*))
Ooooh Chi, are you talking about the 10th squad captain??
See, mention Bleach and I appear lol
((HEY CHI! YOU POOFED! And don't curse your timing. I mean, clearly you are for some reason meant to ANSWER OUR CALL! MWA HA HA HA HA HA!))
...so many people have special senses...
(I've never seen Bleach. I like anime, but Bleach and Naruto have never interested me.)
Ah, Ms. Barnosky, I do not wish to distract from your train of thought, but I believe that it shall give you no small amount of satisfaction to know that you have addicted my author to the television series "Supernatural".
(*reclines in swivel chair with a cup of tea and a smirk*
Ahhh, this IS incredibly satisfying.)
Bye guys! I must leave now... :(
((I think I've seen part of bleach before...might have been with my old boyfriend/ good friend...yes it has that ginger reaper with the abnormally big sword and that amazing girl that kept punching him when she wore that red glove right?))
((Bye amethyst!))
(I'm very happy he's enjoying the show. How far has he gotten in it?)
Good bye, Ms. Temerity.
I suspected you would feel so, Ms. Barnosky.
(Goodbye, Amethyst.)
Oh gosh. XD
This is getting ridiculous.
@Sir: Just because it's nonsensical doesn't mean it doesn't make sense.
. . .
In a way.
#ChaseForBookNine
They have already finished the first season, and so far have been enjoying it.
Ms. Inkbright, all sense is, at least, twenty-five percent nonsense.
(Mmm.
*nods understandingly*
The show just gets better and better, by which I mean more gut-wrenchingly painful, from here onward.)
@Sir: *nods*
Negatives and positives.
#ChaseForBookNine
Then I suppose that my author shall enjoy, and loathe, the show from this point onward, Ms. Barnosky.
Indeed, Ms. Inkbright.
(*nods*)
(*awkward silence*)
*quietly folds his hands behind his back*
*rocks back and forth*
*taps one foot*
*looks at the ceiling*
*exhales through nose*
*unfolds his hands*
*begins wringing them*
*quietly* Nice weather we've been having, eh?
*stares at her for a few moments*
Indeed.
*proceeds with the arduous task of looking at everything in the room except for the other person*
*grunts in agreement*
*closely examines the floor for any imperfections that may be present*
*idly removes anything that may appear to be a speck of dust from his jacket*
*examines the ceiling*
*crosses arms*
*uncrosses them again*
*stops tapping his foot*
*coughs self-consciously*
*rubs back of neck uncomfortably*
*looks anywhere but at the other person in the room*
*places his chin on his hand*
*promptly takes it off of his hand, and lets that arm dangle to one side*
*cricks neck from side to side*
*adjusts shirt collar*
*half-attempts to stretch out one arm, but quickly gives up*
*puts hands on hips*
*takes them off again*
*clears his throat to say something*
...
*does not say something*
*bites lip anxiously*
*looks around for open doors or unlatched windows*
*briefly considers opening a portal to the infinite horrors beyond space and time, simply to escape this awkwardness*
*decides against it, as the act may make quite a bit of noise*
*opens mouth to say something*
. . .
*bites lip*
*doesn't say anything*
*awkwardly scratches a spot above his ear*
((sorry, yeah emerald I was talking about the 10th Captain :3 I love Toshiro Hitsugaya.))
I did Zumba today and Im alive
:3 herro
STARRRR EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HERE: I AM ONLY JUST NOW READING THE THIRD BOOK IN THE HICH HICKERS GUIDE SERISE. BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF TO DO. D:::: YOU CANNOT FINISH OT BEFORE MEEEEEE
*frowms* I dont think there is any word that summons me... not here anyway... iel, if any of my friends say something about cats, I suddenly appear. It's odd.
Hi, Snow! Are you sure you don't have galeanthropy?
But that wouldn't make much sense, would it...
You don't think you're a feline....
Do you?
And I have to go. Byeee!!!!
(if you're on, that is)
I could possibly be back later. Possibly.
No. I just appear when one of my friends mentioned cats. This actually happened the other day (or zo I'm told)
Friend 1 "where's Jen?"
Friend 2: "idk. On sed. Cats"
Me: *walks up* "hey guys"
Oh . bye
Who's up for free famine? Hey?
Hi, anybody, if you're on!
Wbd, homework.
Hi, anybody, if you're on!
Wbd, homework.
How odd. My comment doubled.
Free famine? I think I'll pass. :)
Hi there
Hi! It's another actual living human being!!! *squeals*
Yes I'm here
:)
Sorry, i can be a little dramatic.
Tis okay I'd be excited too
:)
Just a question...
How do you start role playing? I have a character in mind, but no story...
*facepalm*
Usually i just start writing or I'll talk and interact in character
Thanks!
Course
Sooo.....
This is a bit awkward. :P
Just a bit
And I will be distant. I've finished homework, but I'm now drawing fan art. :) It's fun.
:3
Tis okay im falling asleep
And I'm nearly finished with the art! It's of Jason and Reyna from the Heroes of Olympus series.
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT IT ON HERE
Oh, and goodnight, Zaf!
Sorry Zaffy sleepy
Do you know what a teacup pig is?
((gtg guys, night!))
Bye, Chione!
Nobody is on?
Brilliant. :P
Bye, anybody who happens to be reading this!
*snaps fingers* *strobe lights start flashing and disco music starts playing* *dances towards a bus stop, the lights and music following*
(20 minutes later)
*bus arrives*
*gets on, slightly miffed*
*the bus departs towards Unicorntopia, a neighboring country (it's only 10-or-so minutes away)*
*saddles up a unicorn* *mounts* *flies away, yelling "GALEANTHROPHY!!!!!"*
SNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW IDK IF YOU'RE READING THIS BUT THE OTHER DAY I DIDN'T SEE THE THIRD BOOK IN THE LIBRARY SO I HAVE THE HORRIBLE SUSPICION THAT IT ISN'T ACTUALLY THERE SO IT MAY TAKE ME A WHILE TO GET AHOLD OF THE THIRD BOOK SO YOU WILL PROBABLY FINISH IT BEFORE ME!!!!!!!!!
#ChaseForBookNine
(Like, I may have to actually . . . *shudders* BUY it. :O)
#ChaseForBookNine
*trying to decide whether I can be bothered drawing another version of the complicated border on the other side of my paper or if I should just trace it*
#ChaseForBookNine
(Tracing it is, I think. I've just drawn down one of the long sides and I find myself forming the letters in an almost identical way as before, which is what will happen if you drawn the same letters in the same places in the same style, I guess.)
#ChaseForBookNine
STARRRRR: GOOODDDDD
Hullo?
Ah. No one on.
Very well.
*falls out of a tree* arhh!
*looks around*
*stands and dusts herself off*
No one on? Anni?
Hurrumph
Msd, but hia
Oh hey snow!
Hia. c:
How are you?
HELLO!
Wbd. Either doing word art or writing an Easter-based short story.
I think it might be quite a long short story.
I don't know entirely what it's about yet, though.
Maybe I should just start writing and see what happens. :P
#ChaseForBookNine
Hey Star! Yes maybe you should start writing it and see what happens. Hopefully it'll turn out good! Otherwise you may have to make a plan...wbd
I have a vague kind of plan . . . O_O
I think they'll just end up blowing up something, tbh. :P
How're you? :)
#ChaseForBookNine
I'm fine thank you for asking! How are you? And exploding stuff is good. Except if it is england. Then its not so good.
Exploding stuff isn't that good. :P
I think they might actually be STOPPING explosions, though, for once in their lives. O_O
It's writing itself though, so it's cool. :)
I'm good, thanks. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
Yey! Work writing itself is gooooood.
:)
When do you suppose Hunter's house was built?
#ChaseForBookNine
Δ__Δ
[ • ±• ]
[ - - ]
<>-<>
Meow?
I have no idea...I don't really know much about hunt and his counterpart..
Awwwwww! :)
'Counterpart'.
I think they like that term. :)
I think he built it when he was older than fifty but less than a hundred. *nods slowly*
There's not really much to know about them, though. :P
Hunter's house is cool, however. It's very big, very nonsensical, can teleport, and is a semi-conscious being for quite a while until it becomes a conscious being. I'm not sure what her name is, though.
#ChaseForBookNine
I think it would be old fashioned. Dark wood beams. And a white paint coat...
It's different styles.
*nods*
He basically got a load of things he liked and stuck them together.
With varying success. Things kept falling off each other. :P
I should probably draw his house one day.
Anyway, there are . . . one, two, three, four main floors. The third one is mostly wooden. It's pretty. :) Reminds me of cherries for some reason.
The first staircase is huge and old and grand. It reminds me a bit of Artemis Fowl's staircase and a bit of the staircases in my old house.
The first floor looks a bit like a prison, except it has full metal walls and doors.
The fourth floor is a bit small, on that level.
I generally mainly think of the stairways and the hallways, but obviously, there's a lot of doors and also a lot of portals, and there's whole rooms in the kitchen cupboards, and the house looks bigger from the outside than it is inside.
Then again, Hunter has quite a few rooms where he just places useful objects and makes portals next to them, so he can grab things from his jacket.
#ChaseForBookNine
Sorry. I'm ranting a bit now. I like his house. :P
#ChaseForBookNine
That's fine Star rantings fun! Soz for poofing, thee was food
Food is good. :)
Ranting is also good.
But less good, I think. :P
#ChaseForBookNine
I think they about draw equal. I mean, some are good and some are bad. Tough to me my Rhys seem good but ,y friends probably hate them. Its like I can't help it I just get angry or emotional about something and its like word puke. (Easy A reference) it just come pouring out like an endless river andi can't shut up.
*rants *my *comes *and *I
*nods at Silente* I can definitely empathise. :P
Plus, you can get food that is bad for you, but is it proper food then?
#ChaseForBookNine
Well it depends it could be food that's good for you (proper food) or bad for you. I mean taste or cell by date it either can be bad...
*nods*
Yeah . . .
If it's past its sell-by date, then I guess it's bad for you as in not-actually-food-anymore.
Like how dead people aren't' actually people anymore.
#ChaseForBookNine
Well they are they just arent alive. Out of date food is still food just not very good for you.
If it's not good for you, it isn't edible.
You could eat sellotape, but it wouldn't be very good for you.
That would make it not food.
#ChaseForBookNine
No because sellotape is still sellotape after it loses it stickyness. Something doesn't lose its name just because its original use is no more. A balloon is still a balloon after its been inflated or popped.
A balloon is still a balloon, but it is no longer fulfilling its purpose.
And we call it a balloon, but it isn't actually a balloon any longer.
If you bought a roll of thin plastic from the supermarket thinking it was sellotape, and then you got home and it wasn't sticky, you'd go "This isn't sellotape!"
#ChaseForBookNine
That's cause it wouldn't be sellotape! It never was sellotape! I'm just saying just cause something loses its original purpose doesn't mean it is no longer that thing. The thin plastic shee never was sellotape there for its purpose was never the sellotapes.
You bought it to be sellotape.
It hasn't fulfilled its purpose.
#ChaseForBookNine
If you buy it as something that doesn't mean it becomes that. It like the three names in a way. If you ignore the taken name for a moment. You have the name you are given. This is who you pretend to be. Then you have your true name. This is who you really are. Just because Val was given the name Stephanie doesn't mean she was a Stephanie. She was a darquess.
What do you call a seedless burger bun in hull?
Yeah . . . see, I have a few issues with the whole given name taken name true name thing in SP.
To be fair, though, it is my only issue with the series, and can probably be argued out of. :)
People can be whatever they want to be, and they are constantly changing. I am a different person to the person I was two years ago. Most of us Minions who take taken names find that we grow out of them after a while, and a large number of us change them. If I was to take a taken name now, I wouldn't take Star Inkbright, but I do really like the name and can't be bothered with changing it.
Food is a wide classification. Something isn't food. Something is a blackberry. The thing is irreplaceably a blackberry unless you change it, in which case it isn't anymore.
Various things fit under 'food'. Even light fits under 'food' for plants, and would we eat light? No, we wouldn't.
Food is something you consume to gain energy.
'Food' is a label. Like 'metalhead'. You are only a metalhead for as long as you are a fan of metal music. Like, I;ve been me all my life. I haven't been a metalhead all my life. At present, I am one. In the future, that may change.
When a carrot is just a seed or whatever in the ground, it wasn't food. When it was picked, it was. When it rotted, it wasn't.
But during all that time, it was a carrot.
I don't know. We probably call them seedless burger buns. I don't eat burgers often, but when I do, I call burger buns burger buns, and I automatically assume they're seedless because like I said, I don't eat a lot of burgers.
#ChaseForBookNine
(And like I mentioned, I haven't actually been me all my life. I have evolved. Like a Pokémon. A Pokémon is still kind of the same, but it's undergone various changes in form.)
(And the carrot is a carrot all its life, but prior to its life, it's a seed or whatever, and after its life, it's a heap of compost, assuming it rotted and didn't get eaten.)
#ChaseForBookNine
(Change is constant.)
(I should probably stop arguing now, though. :P)
#ChaseForBookNine
Hmm. You have a good point..
With the seedless burger bun that's probably not the official name. Everyone in england has a different name for it. Here its a tea cake. I've heard it be called a bap a bun a roll. Other stuff that I can't remember.
I've heard it called a bap as well . . .
Tea cake? :P
That's ridiculous.
What about actual tea cakes? What are they called?
No, no, Silente. As a spherical object, I don't have any points, good or not. :P
#ChaseForBookNine
Your argument has a valid point then.
And tea cake is not rediculous! Its just another name for it. Bap is weird!
Ah, okay. :) Thanks.
No, there's other things called tea cakes!!! :O
Bap is weird. But strangely appropriate. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
For some reason we call it a tea cake. Ah well.
Is it bad that instead of doing the homework I actually remember getting for once I'm talking to you and watching frozen songs?
:)
Americans call things that aren't biscuits biscuits, so . . .
Well, I would say so, but instead of doing the homework I actually remember getting, I'm talking to you and doing word art whilst listening to music, so I can't really speak . . . :P
#ChaseForBookNine
We're both very bad. Shame on us. And even though I'm saying this I'm grinning wildley which kind of gets rid of the seriousness. Tut tut.
In English, we had this thing where the best table, like the one who was working the most, would get to pick a song for Sir to play whilst we walked out of the classroom.
The girl whose table won picked Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?
:)
When our table won, we put a song called Number One on because our teacher pronounces the word one like 'wun' and we were secretly making fun of him for it. The people who were on my old table (one of them's on my new table) (we got a new seating plan) like to do that. They're constantly picking out ways to subtly make fun of him. He doesn't notice. :P
#ChaseForBookNine
Word art is educational.
. . .
Sorta.
And music is educational . . .
Well, it depends on the type.
But it's kind of educational.
#ChaseForBookNine
That other table is amazing with its music choices. Your word art is cool but its not homework is it? I hate homework!
I might be distant...gonna TRY concentraut enough to do a little bit of homework...
Yeah. XD
It was this one girl, really.
She'd quite ace.
I don't think she likes me.
Thanks. :) And no, not homework.
Although you could argue that it's art practise . . .
. . .
Well.
It would be hard to argue that.
I might do art homework soon, though. I mean - drawing. That's a nice homework. :)
Oh, it depends on the type of homework. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
*nods* Good luck. :)
Have a positive attitude. That works wonders. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
Urg homework. I'm drawing which I enjoy, listening to music as well to make me concentrait and it still bores me!
Really?
When I get really focused, the world just tends to slip away.
But hey hey hey hey. You're only bored because it feels like homework.
Don't think about drawing for homework. Focus on the drawing itself. Imagine you're doing it in your free time. :)
When I think about it, if I didn't have homework . . . what would I be doing? I would be analysing books like in English, I would be finding out lots of new interesting things about the world like in science, or old interesting things about the world like in history, and I would be doing pointless numerical tasks like in maths.
When I think about it, I enjoy school.
It's my outlook that's the problem.
You know, my friend C doesn't like physics. She got an A on the end of unit test on her first rotation. I know that sounds good, but we're in set one for science and generally get A*s. That A was the first and last A she has got in science all year, although she got a C once in chemistry, I do believe. The point was, she didn't really understand physics and so she didn't do as well.
Anyway, so after we finished our physics rotation, we did biology for a month and then chemistry for a month and then back to physics, and C said to me that this rotation, she would tell herself she enjoyed physics, because if she told herself that she probably would enjoy it and so she would do better.
So she'd been sitting next to be drawing a diagram or whatever and would randomly say "I like physics."
:P
Therefore, she did, to her surprise, find she actually rather enjoyed physics this rotation, actually understood physics this rotation (no thanks to our teacher. We found a couple of textbooks and sat there enthusiastically exclaiming about how interesting it was and how it all made so much sense to us now and why couldn't she just have told us this in the first place), and she got an A* on the test.
Voila. :)
(I got an A, which was my first and last A, haha. :P Our physics teacher can't teach.)
My point is -
Repeatedly tell yourself you enjoy what you're doing. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
(Our whole class says they're worse at physics.
I think that says something.
Of course, because the grade boundaries are ridiculously inflated and the majority of us get A*s, this lack-of-being-able-to-teach problem will never be discovered because we all LOOK like we're learning perfectly well.)
#ChaseForBookNine
(We should all just adopt the American school system.)
(It sounds several thousand times better than ours.)
#ChaseForBookNine
I don't know much about american school.
I'm going to hate myself next year because of science. We've just taken our 'choices' and I've taken triple science, we start doing them may or July. Not sure. Think may.
I know what my American blogfriends have told me.
Scores out of 100 is the big one. Much more specific grading. :P
Plus they seem to have better options and teach subjects better, imo.
You start doing them May or July? Ah, Ieni (Ieni Loraté-Strider. Ninja aeroplane and Bloglandian. Lives in Bedfordshire, England, UK, Europe, Planet Earth, Milky Way, Universe) started doing them around then. I just started in September . . .
Science is FUN, Silente. :) Probably my favourite subject. It's so INTERESTING.
(Plus I sit next to my friend and my biology teacher is the best teacher in the school and my chemistry teacher is quite good too and my physics teacher is crap so me and my friend just end up talking all lesson and we have the BEST conversations, but even without all that, I would still like science.)
There's all these subjects, like science and French, and I never knew I enjoyed them and then this year I've realised that I do and I'm quite good at them too and I'm like WOAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHAT.
I mean, I always thought that French was kind of meh and that I was kind of okay at it but not that great, but now it's one of my favourite subjects and I'm good at it and I'm like O_O.
Things are better once you've taken your options. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
Well I've 'chosen' french. Geography. Triple science.
Those were our 'guided' 'choices' then I've taken art and graphics as well.
I don't really like science. Geography is okay. French. Well. Hopefully I'll get the good french teacher.
Art I love. Graphics I enjoy but not as much as art.
I'm just hoping I'll get through it.
I like French these days. :)
Art is quite cool.
Graphics wasn't an option for us. :P
Geography is apparently quite hard, though . . . you apparently write so much. You're like writing all lesson. :O
I didn't take geography. I took history and German and art, and I was either going to take French or geography, and I took French.
Glad I did.
Half-wish I hadn't taken German, though. My teacher is crap.
I have science five hours a week. D: So I hope that lesson turns out okay for you, because it'll be a bit rubbish if it doesn't. :P
#ChaseForBookNine
Well we had 'guided' choices. *cough* forced *cough* i had either triple or double science but I wanna be a vet so I did triple science. Then I literally didn't get a choice with french. After I had to chose between geography or history. I prefer geography. Especially with the crazy lesbian teacher. She's ace.
The other two were loose choices (still not completely free but not forced) but remember these are YOUR choices. You're free to make whatever mistakes you want. *rolls eyes* not.
:/
We had a bit more freedom than that . . . we were recommended things, but it was our choice at the end of the day . . .
Good luck with being a vet. :)
You don't need physics for that, I don't think. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
good unit's. Also I wasn't sure if double did biology...better safe than sorry :-)
I really hope I'm get:
Ms Edwards- puts up with crazies. Entertaining and good french teacher.
Ms Atton- current art teacher, nice, friendly, doesn't scare me
ANYONE OTHER THAN MS SIMMONS FOR SCIENCE! Urg ms Simmons.
And Ms Bebbington-slator- absolutely nuts. Like cuckoo. But great fun. So many stories I could tell about her...
Erm.. that was meant to say physics makes you look better so it gets you into good uni's
Yaaaaaaaaaay. :) :)
And, as far as I know . . . well, our school has triple or additional, and you do all the sciences in both . . . *shrugs*
#ChaseForBookNine
I don't really understand the whole system at all. Mind you I'm surprised I understand ANYTHING. Our schools so shit. Most of the good teachers have already abandoned ship.
Oh.
Any better ones in the area?
#ChaseForBookNine
Not that I know of...plus no matter how hard I beg I'm not allowed to change. Mums orders.
-_-
Sorry . . .
#ChaseForBookNine
Its not your fault. I'll deal. Hey maybe if I get good grades from a shit school I'll look better
Food bbs
Maybe. :) :)
Yeah, actually . . . they set target grades for people based on a number of factors, and if you go to a good school, your target grades tend to be higher, did you know? Because in theory you're likely to do better.
#ChaseForBookNine
Exactly! If I come from a school that got unacceptable/special measures then they'll expect less right? So the way I see it, keep working my ass off so that I can get good grades and hopefully shock people!
*nods* Yes!!! :)
#ChaseForBookNine
Good. I wonder where everyone is. What happened to the britions? Where are they all?
I have no idea.
It's Saturday, as well. You'd expect some Amerimions . . .
#ChaseForBookNine
I dedicate this page to procrastinating. Without procrastination I'd actually get stuff done yes but if I didn't procrastinate I wouldn't read as much. So my vocabulary wouldn't be as good. Without procrastination I wouldn't listen to as much music or draw as much as I do. I'd be bored out of my mind AND doing homework at the same time. Procrastination is like my best friend. Always there for me. Cheers me up. Keeps me entertained. I probably spend most of my time procrastinating. And yes that's probably not goodand iI should probably do homework. But without procrastination I wouldn't even know what the word procrastination means. I wouldn't know there's a language called Igbo. I wouldn't know that onwa is Igbo for moon. Hell I wouldn't be on here nearly half as much if I didn't procrastinate. TO PROCRASTINATION!
Yeah. Exactly where is everyone? Its Saturday. Where are you other pepolz? Hello?
Bbs, dinner. D:
#ChaseForBookNine
That's a great view on it. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
Thanks! I try to look at thing differently.
And I admire you for that. :)
#ChaseForBookNine
And I thank you :-)
Okay I've reached that point of procrastination where I do something random. You can ignore this if yo want
MINIONS ACROSS EARTH AND SEA
I DOTH CALL YOU TO ME
COME ON TO BLOG LAND, TALK AND SEE
FOR EVERY MINION I CALL TO THEE!
Well I heard that loud and clear.
Oh look a minion. I love it when random stuff I do works. HEY!
Ms. Tempest, could you please keep it down?
Lol sorry sir. How are you?
Has eveyone left?
Oh no they haven't hey dragon!
Oh gosh. XD
#ChaseForBookNine
I swear I have a magic ability to call people to me...or I'm just strangely lucky..
Okay, so I thought I might have worked out a way around the problem of etherdemons not being able to drink alcohol.
Rather than explain my thought process to you, I decided to write it out.
It's too long and isn't written very well, but here you are anyway.
It's written quite early on, when Hunter and Ez were younger and didn't know each other as well.
“That’s alcoholic,” Ez pointed out as Hunter reached for the glass.
“Well, no,” said Hunter, and then explained – “Someone thought a way around it.”
Better not mention that that someone was him.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Oh, yes,” said Hunter, waiting for her to ask how so he could explain.
“How?” she asked.
Ah, people were so predictable.
“Well, you see,” said Hunter, looking at his drink and wishing it didn’t smell like poison, “our system rejects alcohol, doesn’t it? But if you drink quite a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time, your system gets overwhelmed and is too befuddled to resist.”
Ez frowned slightly sceptically. “Wow. Really?”
“Really,” said Hunter convincingly.
“It’s been tested and everything?” she checked.
“Well, not quite,” said Hunter, his eyes going green, “but it’s going to be tested very soon. Around about now, in fact.”
He downed his glass.
His throat burned as the alcohol poured down it, and he coughed, choking.
“More alcohol,” he gasped, trying not to sound panicked, trying not to sound like a desperate alcoholic either, telling his eyes to lighten, but not doing very well at any of it. He swallowed the blood rising in his throat.
Ez looked around, as if he’d lost his keys or something minor like that.
“Now,” he snapped, and she reached over and grabbed someone else’s glass, ignoring their shout of protest, before ordering another one of their own and then turning around to smile at the guy whose glass she’d stolen and explain that sorry, she thought it was theirs, she’d buy them another one to make up for it, so terribly sorry . . .
She was pretty, so she’d probably get away with it.
Hunter drank the second glass and clutched at something, anything, even his own arm, because he needed something to hang onto and he felt sick. There was blood pumping around in his brain, there was blood that had for some reason stopped pumping around in his mouth, and –
Ez tapped him and he opened his eyes, the world . . . he didn’t know what the world was doing but it didn’t look left, it wasn’t left . . .
She nudged his hand with a bottle and he took it and drank it, whole, not even breathing. Don’t breath. Let the etherenergy be an oxygen substitute and keep itself busy.
Then he looked around and the world span, but that could just be being drunk, right?
He didn’t feel sick anymore. Had it worked?
“Has it worked?” asked Ez, looking at him. He didn’t look any different. His eyes were blue.
“Maybe,” said Hunter.
“Maybe?”
“I don’t feel sick.”
“That’s good.”
There was a pause, during which Hunter decided it didn’t really matter if he was drunk or not, he’d still consumed alcohol safely, which was an achievement.
“Your arm’s shaking,” Ez told him.
“No, it isn’t,” he said.
“Yes, it is,” she told him.
He looked down. “Huh,” he said. “It is. Maybe it just wants to go on an adventure.”
“Your speech isn’t slurred,” she told him.
“Shut up and stop telling me things,” he muttered. “I still consumed alcohol. I’m awesome. And if I don’t get drunk, I don’t get a hangover, so I win twice.”
He looked down at his arm again, and it was firmly moving quickly from side to side. He hit it and missed.
“Coordination’s off,” noted Ez.
“Shut up,” Hunter told her again, and hit his arm. It carried on shaking. They stared.
“Is my speech slurred now?” asked Hunter.
“No,” said Ez.
“Now?”
“How can I tell from one word?”
TBC
Star, there's a new part of my ME story that I just posted.
His arm suddenly stopped dead still.
“Oh,” said Hunter, and moved it.
Or didn’t.
“Ez, my arm isn’t moving,” he said, and then laughed.
She would suppose that his being not concerned about this kind of stated that he was drunk, but then again, when was he ever concerned about anything?
She reached over and laid her hand on it, then froze. “That doesn’t feel good.”
“It doesn’t feel anything,” said Hunter.
Ez closed her eyes, blocking out her sight, focusing on his energy. “Hunter,” she said. “Seriously, that feels wrong.”
“It doesn’t feel anything,” Hunter repeated, and then his eyes paled as he suddenly fell over.
Ez thought about catching him, decided not to, and crouched down after he had fallen. “You okay?”
Hunter tried to say he couldn’t move, but his mouth wasn’t working. He couldn’t blink, either. His eyes were watering and he couldn’t blink and now they were hurting . . .
The water in his eyes was moving.
Why could that move?
Suddenly pain shot through him, and he yelled, then realised what he’d done and spoke. “Can I speak?”
He stood up again, and Ez stood up opposite him, looking at him in concern. “Do you feel sick at the moment?”
“I feel pain,” said Hunter. It was slowly increasing, like the concentration was being intensified.
His own concentration was also intensifying. Definitely not drunk. Pity.
“Well,” said Ez, “what would make you feel sick? You need to get the alcohol out of your system.”
He collapsed to the floor again.
“Hunter?”
“I’m okay,” he said weakly, then – “It hurts.”
“Okay,” said Ez. “Um, if I gave you more alcohol, do you think that would make you feel sick?”
Hunter shrugged slightly, not being able to bring himself to function very well. His eyes were as black as dungeons.
“Right,” said Ez helplessly, and suddenly Hunter disappeared.
“Crap,” he said, jumping off a table behind her. “I didn’t intend to do that.”
Then he disappeared again.
Oh, damn this.
Ez looked around and couldn’t see him.
He appeared in front of her. “Sorry,” he hissed, and then he jerked to the side.
Hunter stamped his foot as if telling the ground firmly that he wanted to keep standing here.
Ez sighed. “This is going very well.”
“Yes,” said Hunter, tugging his hand. “I think I fused my fingers to the table or something.”
Then he disappeared again, taking half the bar with him.
The noise rose suddenly in immediate chaos.
TBC
Hunter appeared outside, in the street – hopefully it was that street. Half the bar was now fused to the wall.
He took out a knife and quickly sliced along the bottom of his fingers, feeling pain bleed out of them, but not too much –
Somewhere else.
You have to stop teleporting. Now.
He clenched his fists and focused, glowing, heating up, and the world still spun away.
Damn.
Focus harder . . .
He jittered from side to side like vibrating, but he didn’t go anywhere else, so maybe it was working . . .
Ez spotted him (it wasn’t hard. He was glowing. People were stopping and staring. Great), ran up, and froze. Touching a vibrating person like that was not a good idea. “Can you stand still a minute?”
“You think I haven’t thought of that?”
“Levitate.”
He floated upwards, and remained mercifully still for a minute. She grabbed his arm and tried to absorb, convert.
It was as if the ether in her body had stopped, stared and gone “What the fuck.” There was a jolting kind of stopping sensation, and nothing happened.
Ez growled. “Listen, you stupid atoms,” she said. “Ignore the screwed-up energy signature and just -”
Hunter disappeared, and her fingers closed in thin air. She spun around, searching.
He’d gone.
Great.
Wonderful idea this, Hunter. Consume a dangerous substance that your body avidly tells you not to consume, and expect to be perfectly alright afterwards. Or alleft. Whatever.
He appeared in front of her again, the glowing dimmed. She couldn’t actually tell if he was shaking or vibrating.
“I need to get rid of the energy,” he managed to get out. His teeth were chattering.
“I’m not sure it’s just energy you have to worry about,” she pointed out, but got out her dead phone and tossed it to him.
He charged it and tossed it back.
That was one advantage of the situation, she guessed. She switched it on, checking her missed calls.
“Ez, dying here!” Hunter reminded her. His shaking/vibrating appeared to have lessened slightly.
She put her phone away. “Yeah, sorry,” she said.
Hunter coughed, and there was blood in it. “Hey,” he noted. “I’m bleeding.”
He was quite pleased. Maybe the reaction had slowed down to normal now.
“Yes,” Ez noted. “You are. Nosebleed.”
Hunter reached into his multi-purpose jacket and took out some tissues. “And so it ends. Do you think I should try it again with more alcohol?”
“God, no,” said Ez immediately. “Next time, you’ll probably give yourself a heart attack or something.”
Hunter laughed, and blood gargled up in his throat. He spat it out. His eyes were watering.
Ez frowned. “Hunter, your eyes.”
“I’m not crying,” he sighed.
“No, you’re bleeding.”
“What?”
She could see it quite clearly, what with him glowing. The blood trickled out of his eyes like one of those Photoshopped pictures.
He frowned and wiped them with his hand, blinking, and there was a red film over his vision . . .
Blood trickled down his arm, slithering nastily.
Hunter suddenly ripped his glove off, and he was bleeding under his fingernails. Not the fingers he had sliced the ends of the tips off, those were one his left hand, and this was his right . . .
TBC
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