Saturday, March 31, 2012
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/31/2012 09:01:00 AM
lemieux 915games, 1723 points. 1.88
107 playoff games, 172 points 1.61
gretzky 1447 games, 2857 points 1.97
gretzky 208 playoff games, 328 points 1.58
Who's better? Lemieux, strictly by playoffs where it counts. Also had crappy teammates.
I'd even go so far as to say Crosby is better than both, 1.4 points per game in an era with better physically fit players, better coaches, better strategies, goalie pads twice the size. tough call.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/31/2012 09:01:00 AM
107 playoff games, 172 points 1.61
gretzky 1447 games, 2857 points 1.97
gretzky 208 playoff games, 328 points 1.58
Who's better? Lemieux, strictly by playoffs where it counts. Also had crappy teammates.
I'd even go so far as to say Crosby is better than both, 1.4 points per game in an era with better physically fit players, better coaches, better strategies, goalie pads twice the size. tough call.
marcel dion played for the canadiens i believe. basically was on a superstar team. if he wasn't on the canadiens, no idea who he is.
wow, not many people in the NHL. the reason for the low total number of 6,000 is because most of the years there were such a small number of teams. 22 teams in 92, I believe.
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/31/2012 04:26:00 AM
malkin wins MVP. stamkos is a shooter, not a playmaker, he'll never be much above 1 PPG. neal has 216 pts in 312 games, cuz he played with the Stars first two years and a half. and no malkin last year.
Vancouver 1 pt behind St. Louis.
Nashville with home ice advantage over Wangs.
No way Pens are getting 1st, 5 points behind with 4 games remaining, 4 pts ahead of Flyers with one less game. Play at 1230 on NBC, no interest. They'll talk about the Flyers all game, Jagr, Bryz.. who cares. make it an even unbiased discussion and I might watch. Flyers play today at 1 against Ottawa. Should be tired for tomorrow.
Malkin has 102 points already. Neal in 5th with 79, dang. 29 points in 18 games for 87, 1.61 ppg. He's at 1.4 ppg in his career with 600 points, 430 games. haha, Ovie only has 677 points in 549 games.. 1.23 ppg, who's the better player? Stamkos with 323 points in 320 games. a 1 ppg player. Malkin = 520 in 423 games, 1.23. booom, same as Ovie.
Dallas, Phoenix, and SJ fighting for two spots. LA, maybe, but they're in, just might not get 3rd.
They gonna put Crosby on teh first line in the playoffs?
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/31/2012 04:26:00 AM
Nashville with home ice advantage over Wangs.
No way Pens are getting 1st, 5 points behind with 4 games remaining, 4 pts ahead of Flyers with one less game. Play at 1230 on NBC, no interest. They'll talk about the Flyers all game, Jagr, Bryz.. who cares. make it an even unbiased discussion and I might watch. Flyers play today at 1 against Ottawa. Should be tired for tomorrow.
Malkin has 102 points already. Neal in 5th with 79, dang. 29 points in 18 games for 87, 1.61 ppg. He's at 1.4 ppg in his career with 600 points, 430 games. haha, Ovie only has 677 points in 549 games.. 1.23 ppg, who's the better player? Stamkos with 323 points in 320 games. a 1 ppg player. Malkin = 520 in 423 games, 1.23. booom, same as Ovie.
Dallas, Phoenix, and SJ fighting for two spots. LA, maybe, but they're in, just might not get 3rd.
They gonna put Crosby on teh first line in the playoffs?
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
no idea why anyone would take stamkos. lets take a poll and see Points per game, and also points that contributed to a victory. c onsidering lightning suck, stamkops goals are less meaningful compared to crosby's. i dont care about GWG. pointless. if you score at some poitn and your team wins, you contributed. if you score and your team loses, Stammie, then it didnt erally matter if you scored or not.
and ill put it this way: crosby is a THIRD LINER. the best player in the world is onm the third line...MAKING HIS TEAMMATES LOOK LIKE AT LEAST 2nd LINE FORWARDS, if not 1st liners some games. case closed, stamklols.
concussion issues arent even a concern. he had neck problems, undiagnosed for a while. crosby is good, unless he gets hit in teh head like any other NHLer. no more ore less prone to a concuission.
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/28/2012 11:13:00 PM
You are on a two-way street, stopped at an intersection. Can you legally turn left on a red light into a one-way street?
The answer is yes. I didn't know that. Then again, this was an Oregon test.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/28/2012 11:13:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/28/2012 06:47:00 PM
i have a pair of chaps i got for free. , and a pair of nylon pants with kneepads i got from amazon for $60. they ripped down the middle seem when I had my hockey gear on underneath it in texas. definitely not worth it. just wear jeans. if its too hot, i dont know man.
Rangers won, pretty much clinched the conference.
Looking up costs for motorcycle pants and shoes. Basically $300 at least for both combined. I dont' see any pants less than 200, found some shoes for 85. Gonna wait a while to buy anything, just checking prices out.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/28/2012 06:47:00 PM
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. wow. He bases the whole argument on goal scoring. Noble, but come on buddy, you'd seriously build your team around STamkos? Good luck wtih that. Hope it works out, for ya. You gotta go wtih the playmaker everytime. Every. Single. Time. The goal scorer cant' score without the playmaker. End of discussion.
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/28/2012 05:56:00 PM
jets rangers tied at 2. BJs up 2-1 over Wangs
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/28/2012 05:56:00 PM
Boston Bruins 7/1
Buffalo Sabres 35/1
Calgary Flames 200/1
Chicago Blackhawks 12/1
Colorado Avalanche 100/1
Dallas Stars 20/1
Detroit Red Wings 8/1
Florida Panthers 30/1
Los Angeles Kings 20/1
Nashville Predators 15/1
New Jersey Devils 25/1
New York Rangers 6/1
Ottawa Senators 25/1
Philadelphia Flyers 15/1
Phoenix Coyotes 30/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 3/1
San Jose Sharks 30/1
St. Louis Blues 7/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 1000/1
Vancouver Canucks 7/1
Washington Capitals 40/1
Winnipeg Jets 100/1
Pens, Rangers, Blues, Nucks, Bruins, Wangs.. Bruins and Wangs are rated too highly. Flyers only 15/1? Same with Preds. Preds don't stand a chance. Basically it's Pens/Rangers vs. Canucks in this scenario. No way Blues are going all the way to the Finals.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012Kids Today
49
How To Bully Children
By Sarah Miller | March 13, 2012
I do a lot of pretty random stupid shit thinking that I will write about it. Most of my activities turn out to be useless, though there's always the idea that I could hit upon something so I live in this constant state of expectation that's not as exciting as it sounds and is actually mildly depressing. This is because the pretense of adventure, day in and day out, when hardly anything actually ever happens eventually wears on you, especially when you are not rich. As much as one tries to tell oneself that things are being accomplished, such encouragement is no match for the more persistent mantra which goes something like this: Hey, you're an idiot. Get a job. Oh. Wait. You are unemployable. Okay. Well. You're just an idiot.
As I park my car one Tuesday afternoon at an elementary school in the small northern California town where I live, this is the running commentary my head, and I'm so used to it, it has little effect on the reasonably good mood I seem to have been maintaining now for well over a month. (I credit a combination of meditation, decreased alcohol consumption and lowered expectations.) I have to park on the street because the last guest spot, amidst a grove of towering cedars, is being taken by an older woman in a Subaru. I live in a county whose Indian name quite possibly translates to "sacred land of older women in forest-green Subarus" but from the way she fixes her eye on me it's clear she thinks it might translate to "playground for middle-aged women in bright-red Toyotas." I'm here because my friend's daughter, Caroline, was assigned to count the insults on a television show and present her findings, and since I'm interested in both insults and television, and I helped her count, I thought this would be an interesting class to attend. Or that it would be more fun than actually writing. (This in loop with the idiot mantra.) I can tell this woman is wondering why I'm here, but I do not wonder the same about her. This conversation isn't part of the regular class. It's some kind of program. It has a facilitator, and that's her.
I go to the office to sign in and her name is already in the book, Linda Something. She stands in the corner of the room, her arms at her sides, mild, unsmiling. She has short gray hair, and wears jeans, a ski jacket and no makeup.
"So we just sign in and, like, wait?" I say to her.
"That's what I always do," she says, frowning impatiently as if I'm asking a ludicrous question, as if neither of us have ever been in an elementary school with security befitting a state prison. "What are you here for?"
"Well, my friend's daughter, well, I guess the kid is actually my friend too, had a homework assignment where she had to watch TV and write down all the insults. And I was like, oh, that is so fascinating. And so I wanted to check it out."
"Put-downs," she says. "We had them count the put-downs." Indeed, she is a volunteer for some program which has a name I will not print but which is something like Gateway to Kindness, or Paths to Friendship, or Roads to Understanding. She has a partner and he isn't here yet.
"So you just came to watch?" she says.
"I'm a writer," I say. "I was thinking I might write about it."
I never know who is going to be thrilled by this and who is going to be wary. She is wary, which always impresses me as the correct response. She says nothing and we just stand there, listening to the clean mechanical vomit of the copy machine. Two little girls come in—they are somewhere between six and ten—and tell the secretary they found a pair of glasses on the playground. She says, "Aren't you good girls?"
My aimless gaze eventually finds its way to a pendant around Linda's neck. It's an odd shape, like a boomerang with one fat side and one thin side.
"What's that?"
Linda holds it out. "It's a bear," she says, and I see that the fat part is the body, the thin part the neck. She tells me it's a Yuni symbol for something—peace? Happiness? There's a star on it and something that looks like a graph of the value of a volatile stock but is actually lightning. "People always think it's a gun," she says.
"Really?" It is mystifying to me that anyone would think that.
Now a man comes in. They greet each other warmly. His name is Efrain; he's perhaps slightly younger than her, and he has a ponytail. She tells him who I am, kind of out of the side of her mouth, as if she were preserving the front of it for saying something more interesting. He turns to me with all the enthusiasm that she lacks. "So," he asks, rubbing his hands together, "how many put-downs did you get?"
"I think about 25."
"Twenty five!" He sounds delighted. I'm wondering why they don't ask me what show it was. That would so be my next question. Something about the fact that it is not theirs momentarily inflames me. (If you understand this, please call me. We can be friends!) But then Efrain asks me what I thought of the assignment. As Efrain has been so kind as to furnish me with my absolute favorite thing in the world, an open-ended question, I feel I can reward him with nothing less than a thorough answer.
"So I was like, 'P-roject!!!' Remember when Alicia Silverstone says that to Stacey Dash about Britanny Murphy in Clueless?" Neither of them have seen Clueless."Well, first I just thought at first, wow, that is so interesting, and I also thought it would be fun to have something to do while watching TV, because I always have stuff to say, and that's not really allowed. So I was like, 'P-roject!!!' Remember when Alicia Silverstone says that to Stacey Dash about Britanny Murphy in Clueless?" Neither of them have seen Clueless. "At any rate. I really noticed how many insults were on TV when I was watching 'Hannah Montana,' because I had to interview Miley Cyrus, who is weirdly kind of spiritual, and smart, but how the sarcasm was just constant, and how it was surprising to me that Disney totally presents themselves as this very positive company, but that the show was so dependent on this really kind of cruel sarcasm, which is used to make kids look powerful. But watching insults employed on a more sophisticated show made me think about the use of argument in narrative, and how when the arguments got more intense it meant that the writer was having trouble advancing the story…"
The school secretary hands Efrain a pile of copies. "These are so warm!" he exclaims, then turns to me. "Sorry. Just give me a minute."
I give Efrain his minute, and when he and Linda walk out of the office, I trot alongside him as if I were the golden retriever on "Downton Abbey" and he, Lord Grantham. (Whenever someone walks away from a conversation with me, I manage to convince myself that it is only because they are confused, and I need merely make myself clearer, explain further, to bring them around to my way of thinking, and, more importantly, to adoring me.) "I guess what I'm saying about insults is that it's interesting to see that when the plot slows down, the insults do too. Which makes you realize how much the evolution of relationships, and even history itself, has to do with people finding fault with each other. I mean, this is obvious, in a way. But it's amazing to me that when the story gets bad or kind of fuzzy, that the insults get less creative. At least in drama. Now in comedy—"
Efrain interrupts me. "But don't you see how put-downs could be harmful? How put downs could be bad for kids?"
"Oh! Harmful. Yes. Of course. Of course, harmful, and bad. For kids. Of course it is horrible when people… uh, insult… uh…people." That's not what I said. But I mean, that's basically what I said. And then, because I feel that when you alienate people the only chance of creating any kind of connection with them is being completely honest about why you have fundamentally different values, added that not having children tended to give me a counterintuitive approach to what was good for them and what was not and that of course I thought kindness and respect were very, very important, of course, but I also thought put-downs were obviously just part of how people lived, weren't they? And I wondered what kids had to say about them.
Efrain looked at Linda and Linda looked at Efrain. They looked puzzled and sad. I really hoped they weren't going to ask me to leave. We had five more minutes to wait for the kids to get back from recess, and I'm not sure quite how I did this, but I managed to steer the conversation to the Tibetan Book of the Dead. They were both so pleased that I was interested in death, and Tibet, and I successfully resisted the urge to admit that a. I had never actually read this book and b. That I was really only interested in death.
***
Caroline is the last fifth grader back from recess, and she hugs me. She is still young enough for that. I love to hug her. She is silky and adorable. I say "I love you, okay?" and she says, "Ooooookay," in this sort of disappointed tone, which is our little thing. She introduces me to her friends and I hear them whisper that I am pretty-pretty, but not as pretty as Caroline's mother, which is certainly true. "I left my list of insults in my mom's car," she says. I assure her I have them on my phone.
The teacher directs me to a green office chair in the back of the room. Linda and Efrain get to work. They are both extremely mild mannered. Efrain says "listen up" a lot. Linda just keeps saying, "I don't have the loudest voice so please listen."
All the kids are looking at me. I remember when random adults came to our classroom, and how strange and unsettling their presence was, like seeing a mountain lion in a city park. I wish they'd introduce me, but I'm not going to introduce myself.
Linda and Efrain ask how many kids did their put-downs. Caroline is among the six or so out of thirty who did. Someone got 10, someone got 20, somewhat got 52. Efrain says, "Wow, that's a lot of put-downs!"
But we don't even talk about the put-downs. Apparently they are behind in their curriculum, and there's no time. I digest my disappointment as the lights go down, and a transparency goes up:
Refusing bullying safely
These things might make it unsafe for you to refuse bullying on your own:
The person bullying you is older.
More than one person is ganging up on you.
You have no friends who can help you.
No adult is nearby.
You feel trapped.
Remember: anytime that you don't feel safe, get help from an adult immediately.
Ask yourself: Is it safe for me to refuse by speaking out?
Efrain, pacing in front of the room, occasionally smoothing his ponytail, presents a situation: Ronda is being picked on by Sarah and Jolene. (I'm intrigued that one of the bullies has the same name as me and another the name of the woman who steals Dolly Parton's husband in the country classic "Jolene.") "I'm going to be Ronda," Efrain says, and the kids give the obligatory laugh that goes along with mild gender confusion. "And I'm going to go through the checklist. 'Are the kids bullying her older?' No, they're not older. 'Is it more than one person?'" There are a few murmurs but Efrain answers his own question, "Okay, yes, it is more than one person, so I go to the next question. 'Do they have any friends nearby?' Yes they do! 'Are they any adults nearby?' No, there aren't, but is she trapped? No, not really."
He continues: "Okay. Now, I'm going to show you how Ronda might check her feelings. I am going to think out loud so you all know what I am thinking, okay, class. I am Ronda, and Sarah and Jolene are bullying Ronda. Now, I am going to check my feelings as I talk to Ronda."
"You are Ronda!" Before this was funny, now everyone is like, dude you are fucking Ronda, remember you signed on for this shit?
"Oh right, right. Sorry. Ok. Yes. I am Ronda. Checking my feelings. No, not older, not bigger, more than one, yes, no adults, but hmmm, well, I'm not really feeling unsafe."
Now Efrain squares his shoulders and shouts, pointing his finger. "You're bullying me. Please stop."
Then he looks at the class. "Did I say 'stop'?"
They confirm that he did.
"Did I say 'bully'? Did I give it a name?"
"Yessss!"
"Alright," Efrain says, "Now, I turn back to Sarah and Jolene. I say, 'Hey, see you later, guys,' his tone is confident, almost flip, like Sarah and Jolene are stupid whores who are going to go to community college while he gets a full ride to Sarah Lawrence, just for being awesome, and will then go on to marry a senator's son who is also a hot black actor. He turns back to the class. "What's the very last thing you do?"
"Walk away," someone says.
"That's right," Efrain says. "You walk away."
As this is going on, two boys directly in front of me turn around and stare at me, whisper, repeating this action several times. One of them has messy red hair and a plain flannel shirt, the other one has a bowl cut and if Hallmark Channel ever does an adaptation of Tom Sawyer he should audition.
"Can I ask you a question?" Plaid Shirt smirks at me. "Why are you here?"
"Yeah," says Tom Sawyer. "Why?"
He looks mad.
"I'm here because you guys are both in really big trouble."
Each looks accusingly at the other. Suddenly someone thrusts a piece of paper at me. It is addressed to "To the adult in the corner."
I open it. "You can leave if you want. Love, Caroline."
She's looking at me anxiously. I wave to her and mouth, "It's okay." We give each other a thumbs up.
I turn back to the redhead and Tom Sawyer: "Hey, I have nothing to do with anything here. Less than nothing. Like if I told the teacher you were in trouble, I'd be in trouble."
They brighten considerably and turn around. They don't look at me again.
***
"Now we're going to do role playing," Linda says as she hands out little slips of paper. "One of you is the one being bullied, one of you is a coach they go to for help. The slips of paper let you know what you're being bullied about."
I visit Caroline and her seatmate. His name is Andrew. He looks like a nice solid person, and he has dark eyes and a great smile. If he were 45, I would probably try to go out with him and the fact that I don't mention this to him is what I believe is often referred to as personal growth.
Andrew unfolds the slip of paper in his hands and reads it to Caroline: "You're too short to play kickball."
Caroline looks at me. "I don't know what to say because I'm not short."
"Ok," I say. "That seems reasonable." I don't understand this either.
"I'm not short," she tells him.
"You're not supposed to say that," Andrew tells her. "You're supposed to say, 'Stop bullying me,' and walk away."
"Stop bullying me," Caroline says, and, not getting up from her chair, pantomimes a walk. She smiles shyly into her hand. "I just pretended to 'walk away.'"
"Are we done?" Andrew asks me, and because I know he will actually take my word for it, I tell him yes and good job.
I ask, "Are you guys friends?"
Caroline considers Andrew. "We're sort of friends."
"We get along," he says.
"Yeah," says Caroline. "We get along." I wonder what they're not telling me. One of them's got to be more popular than the other one. One of them's got to be more interested in the other. But perhaps they are just both mildly interested. That's what it seems like. There is not much energy between them, good or bad.
"Does anyone ever bully you?" I ask Caroline.
"Not really," she says. "I am just not that nerdy of a kid."
"What about you?" I ask Andrew.
"No. I'm too big."
"What would you do if someone did?"
"I don't know," Caroline says, "Because they wouldn't." Andrew seems to be trying to imagine being bullied and failing. He shakes his head and shrugs.
"What would you say to someone who said you can't play kickball?"
Caroline says, "I'd just say, 'Shut up, I'm playing.'"
Andrew nods. "Yeah. And it would never happen."
"Would you ever say to anyone, ever, 'stop bullying me'?"
They look at each other. Andrew says no, he wouldn't. Caroline adds, "You'd sound really stupid." She points to two girls behind her that she introduced me to earlier. "Go talk to them."
One of them has golden hair and one of them is blonde. The blonde one is cautious and cynical, the golden-haired one is guileless and sweet.
"Who are you?" the blonde demands.
The golden-haired one asks, "Are you going to like, report on how we're doing?"
In an attempt to convey that I have literally nothing to do with the world of punishment and rewards that they currently inhabit, I add, out of laziness more than anything else, "I'm totally cool." This is a mistake."Oh God, no," I say, "Not even close." In an attempt to convey that I have literally nothing to do with the world of punishment and rewards that they currently inhabit, I add, out of laziness more than anything else, "I'm totally cool." This is a mistake, because even though the golden-haired one seems not to have heard me the blonde one actually makes a face. Then she says, "This is boring."
"Just read the thing," Golden whines impatiently.
Blonde reads it without expression: "I heard that you cheated on a test."
Golden opens her mouth and closes it. She looks like she might cry. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say!"
"I know," Blonde says, also whining. "Why would there be a coach in the class?
Linda is flagged down. She explains to us that it's not a real coach, like a sports coach, it's like a bullying coach. "So one of you is the victim. And the other one helps coach the victim through being bullied, by taking them through a check of their feelings, okay?"
"Okay, let's read the thing again," says Golden.
"Oh God, don't make us start over," Blonde whimpers.
Golden shouts, abruptly, "'Stop, that's bullying.' Okay, now we're done." The two of them just sit there quietly.
"Do you guys ever get bullied?"
They both nod.
"What do you do about it?"
"I don't know," says Blonde.
"Nothing," says Golden.
Another transparency is put up.
Anti-Bullying Behaviors
Stand or sit tall
Hold your head high
Look straight at the person doing the bullying
Say clear strong words that mean stop
Label it: that's bullying
Now they're supposed to role play using their assertive behaviors.
A girl and a boy go up. "You're too short to play kickball," the boy says.
"Don't call me short, it's not nice," says the girl and laughs. Then she says, "Stop, that's bullying."
They stand there, blinking at the lights.
"Did you feel safe?" Linda asks.
"I guess so," the girl answers. "I mean he's my friend."
"You said 'stop,' and you labeled it: 'That's bullying.' Good job," Efrain says.
They sit down, arguing over which of them is taller. Tom Sawyer and the redheaded kid go to the front of the room.
"I heard you shoplifted this summer," the redheaded kid reads from his slip of paper.
"I did not, and I can prove it, because I was just eating cereal," Tom Sawyer shouts. "And you're a hobo!"
Everyone laughs. Linda and Efrain even chuckle good-naturedly. But then Efrain says, "But what would you really do?" Tom Sawyer makes a big show of standing up tall which he must know is kind of funny because he's actually short. "Stop it, you are bullying me," he says. Then he lets his body go slack. He bows, then sits down.
"You labeled it, you said 'stop,' you stood up straight," Linda says, "Good job."
"Very good," Efrain asks. "Any questions?"
"Yeah," someone shouts. "What do you do if someone calls you a hobo?"
"Is that a serious question?"
"Yes, I want to know what to do if someone calls me a hobo." A pause as Efrain looks very mildly annoyed. "Okay. It's not a serious question."
"Hobo," someone shouts.
Efrain pitches his voice over the laughter. "To recap, what did we learn today about avoiding bullying?"
They obediently singsong off the various lessons:
Ways to Avoid Bullying
Stand or sit tall
Hold your head high
Look straight at the person doing the bullying
Say clear strong words that mean stop
Label it: that's bullying
"You can refuse to be bullied," Linda says.
"Yeah. And you can say 'I'm not a hobo!'"
"Yes," Efrain says, "You can absolutely say 'I'm not a hobo.'"
***
"What show did you watch?" I ask.
In the last two minutes of class, they return to the TV shows. Linda tells them, "Next week, we're going to discuss what people on your shows did when they got bullied."
Caroline looks at me and claps. We watched "Lost," and Kate, the character who happened to get bullied the most on this particularly episode, managed, by only the slightest manipulations, to watch her bullier die of a space-time-warp cerebral hemorrhage, right in front of her.
As the kids pack up to go to the library to research the Maidu Indians—who inhabited this area from roughly 1300 to about five years after the Gold Rush—one of Caroline's friends is waving at me. "Interview me! Interview me."
"I got 42 insults. It was 'Glee.'"
"Oh," I said. "Did you think the insults were like, really bad, or were you more like, whatever?"
She considered this. "I thought they were kind of bad, but mostly, I guess they were like, whatever."
I manage to ask some of the other kids what they watched. "Modern Family," another "Glee." "Futurama" had a lot of put downs, like 44 in a half hour.
"A-ha," Efrain says, overhearing. "I get it. You only care about the TV shows. I don't even have a TV anymore, because I got tired of the put-downs."
***
I went to a rural public high school in Massachusetts, one of the smallest public high schools in the state. (Not far from my school in distance or genre is the alma mater of suicide/bullying victim Phoebe Prince, and I hardly mean to put us in the same category, but I think that's worth a mention.) I was bullied twice in high school: once in grade seven by a group of girls, and once in my junior year, by a group of boys. The first time was horrible but something about it felt expected. The second bout is something I don't think I ever really recovered from. No one would intervene. Not my parents, not my friends, not my school. I have often wondered what kind of person I would have become if someone had, but I will say this for the experience: I have never since been naïve about how cruel people are, and I also developed a capacity to be epically mean, because, in the end, it was only the awesome sensation of this power growing inside me that kept me from giving in to despair. This is neither good nor bad. It's just that I now have a talent that needs to be deployed appropriately.
A few days later Caroline tells me the next thing they're going to talk about is gossip. "They're going to say it's bad," she says. "And I guess it is. But then, like, if we stopped doing it, I don't understand how anyone would ever find anything out?"
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 06:29:00 PM
Bylsma pulled Fleury on a 4 on 3 to make it 5 on 3, they score. good stuff.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/27/2012 06:29:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 05:52:00 PM
rangers wild tied at one. lets go wild!On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 8:52 PM, Madness <nayrrizdaed@gmail.com> wrote:
Pens down 5-2. Pens 32 shots - 18 Isles. D failing the goalie again? didn't see any goals yet., haven't watched the game at all.I was down to 161.4 lbs today. Not eating much lately. Kinda hard when I have to stay awake at night. Probably not drinking enough, either.
Rangers winning I think, Buffalo's winning 4-1.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/27/2012 05:52:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 05:52:00 PM
Pens down 5-2. Pens 32 shots - 18 Isles. D failing the goalie again? didn't see any goals yet., haven't watched the game at all.I was down to 161.4 lbs today. Not eating much lately. Kinda hard when I have to stay awake at night. Probably not drinking enough, either.
Rangers winning I think, Buffalo's winning 4-1.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/27/2012 05:52:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 05:04:00 PM
booom ,dupuis baby, didnt' see it though
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/27/2012 05:04:00 PM
I was down to 161.4 lbs today. Not eating much lately. Kinda hard when I have to stay awake at night. Probably not drinking enough, either.
Rangers winning I think, Buffalo's winning 4-1.
Re: [Madness Writers] RE: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 04:49:00 PM
yeah, they do. flyers have teh hardest schedule, then the pens. rangers are like 6th or 7th...well, pens opponents winning % is like 5.6 and the rangers are 5.4...its .2 difference, not sure the numbers.On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 7:52 PM, Madness <nayrrizdaed@gmail.com> wrote:
dang, pens need this win to get in 1st.nice, buffalo's winning 2-0. see ya later, craps.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/27/2012 04:52:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] RE: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 04:49:00 PM
dang, pens need this win to get in 1st.nice, buffalo's winning 2-0. see ya later, craps.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/27/2012 04:52:00 PM
RE: [Madness Writers] 3/27/2012 04:49:00 PM
nice, buffalo's winning 2-0. see ya later, craps.
d sedin with a conucssion. sucks for them. he shiouldnt have hit Keith up high - and LATE - , case closed.
i offer a serious question for Wangs nation...do they have stanley cup goaltending this year?
st louis, rangers, pens, philly, boston, canucks. cant think of any others that do. half those teams in the ATL.
strait and depres called up. lovejoy probably hurt his leg/knee. dont want an AHL team going into the fight for the conference.
Malkin, who had three five-point games in his career entering this season, is the first NHL player to score five or more points in a game four times in one season since 1995-96, when the man bronzed outside of Malkin's home rink, Mario Lemieux, had six such games for Pittsburgh.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2012/03/quebec-arena-announcement-ends-strange-week-30-thoughts.html 30 thoughts
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/26/2012 11:46:00 PM
Hunger Games - had it on in the background while I read some articles, played some games. No idea how it got 155 million in one weekend, no idea. Must have been some superb marketing. First half is nothing, probably building up characters and the situation. Wasn't paying attention. 2nd half is the actual game part, so I thought that'd be interesting.. hahaha. I guess 24 kids gotta fight with whatever means necessary until only one is left, they come 1 female and 1 male per district of which there are 12. Imoprtant only 'cause i"m gonna ruin the ending for you. What's the only way to make a story better? Put some love into it. Well, conventionally. So no one winner, they make it two winners. Guess who wins? Well, since they only show the female lead character the whole way through the movie, it's her and her district mate. No chemistry between them on-screen. Not that it really matters. The death scenes are null for the most part. No originality in getting out of thick situations. "The Most Dangerous Game in The World" - now THAT'S a short story. http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/danger.html I know you read it, we read it in 9th grade I believe. I re-read it about a year ago, doesn't take long. Has more originality than this piece of shite.
There's no justification for the movie. No grand philosophy. No moral subtext. No social dilemma. No cultural phenomenon.. well, maybe in their culture, but it doesn't translate to ours. I'm sure more than a few people are gonna write novels breaking down how this movie relates to Christianity/religion/civilization/human nature/entertainment/moral theory/ethics/individualism/collectivism/blahblahblah, but they'd only be wastin' their time and anybody that reads it. Maybe the book was a good read, but the movie is awful. I'm gonna watch another movie, it's only 220 am and I gotta stay awake until at least 5. Too tired to think, so no more reading.Speaking of reading, I gotta find some books worth reading with some philosophizing, idea thinking, none of these stupid fiction books unless it's either a Classic or should be considered an instant Classic (Fight Club, anybody?).That David Foster Wallace - that guy was extremely intelligent. I was watching a video in which he was discussing the future of art and how literature will play a part. The basic gist of his thoughts were that 1) his generation was really the first to see TV as the primary art form in the world, 2) this has created deep changes in the psyches of the Western world and people in general which is probably correct, 3) he got into writing because he used to love reading mainly because it's a communication between people that never/can't take place in a social setting (He even said that the discussion they were having would never happen in a real-life situation, at least that's what he implied which is definitely true. people never talk about anything deep).http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/david-foster-wallace-in-his-own-words Definitely a good read. I haven't gotten too far into it yet, but you can tell this dude thinks about a lot of different ideas and obviously can't really share them with the world, especially if you take into account that he previously stated that people donj't talk about these ideas. His philosophy probably does't hold much weight with professional philosophy, but it has such a human element that pretty much anybody can relate to, and it's written with concrete examples.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/26/2012 11:46:00 PM
Monday, March 26, 2012
There's no justification for the movie. No grand philosophy. No moral subtext. No social dilemma. No cultural phenomenon.. well, maybe in their culture, but it doesn't translate to ours. I'm sure more than a few people are gonna write novels breaking down how this movie relates to Christianity/religion/civilization/human nature/entertainment/moral theory/ethics/individualism/collectivism/blahblahblah, but they'd only be wastin' their time and anybody that reads it. Maybe the book was a good read, but the movie is awful. I'm gonna watch another movie, it's only 220 am and I gotta stay awake until at least 5. Too tired to think, so no more reading.
Got some diet 7up to stay awake. This stuff isn't that great. Caffeine doesn't do anything for me.
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horseback seeking a strayed heifer, she begged him to come to her assistance, and endeavor to remove the wounded man to a more secure asylum. Angelica, having prepared the plants by bruising them between two stones, laid them with her fair hand on Medoro's wound. The remedy soon restored in some degree the strength of the wounded man, who, before he would quit the spot, made them cover with earth and turf the bodies of his friend and of the prince. Then surrendering himself to the pity of his deliverers, he allowed them to place him on the horse of the shepherd, and conduct him to his cottage. It was a pleasant farmhouse on the borders of the wood, bearing marks of comfort and competency. There the shepherd lived with his wife and children. There Angelica tended Medoro, and there, by the devoted care of the beautiful queen, his sad wound closed over, and he recovered his perfect health.
discovered her whom he had believed overwhelmed in the waves! They embraced one another, and wept for joy. Orlando, sharing in their happiness, congratulated himself in having been the instrument of it. The princess recounted to Zerbino what the illustrious paladin had done for her, and the prince threw himself at Orlando's feet, and thanked him as having twice preserved his life. While these exchanges of congratulation and thankfulness were going on, a sound in the underwood attracted their attention, and caused the two knights to brace their helmets and stand on their guard. What the cause of the interruption was we shall record in another chapter. MEDORO
they keep me under the guard of this woman, until it shall suit their convenience to carry me away." Isabella had hardly finished her recital when a troop of armed men began to enter the cavern. Seeing the prince Orlando, one said to the rest, "What bird is this we have caught, without even setting a snare for him?" Then addressing Orlando, "It was truly civil in you, friend, to come hither with that handsome coat of armor and vest, the very things I want." "You shall pay for them, then," said Orlando; and seizing a half-burnt brand from the fire, he hurled it at him, striking his head, and stretching him lifeless on the floor. There was a massy table in the middle of the cavern, used for the pirates' repasts. Orlando lifted it and hurled it at the robbers as they stood clustered in a group toward the entrance. Half the gang were
accepted the terms, and proposed that they should at once repair to the abbey of Vallombrosa, whose towers were visible at no great distance. Thither they turned their horses' heads, and we will leave them to find their way without our company. I know not if my readers recollect that at the moment when Rogero had just delivered Angelica from the voracious Orc that scornful beauty placed her ring in her mouth, and vanished out of sight. At the same time the Hippogriff shook off his bridle, soared away, and flew to rejoin his former master, very naturally returning to his accustomed stable. Here Astolpho found him, to his very great delight. He knew the animal's powers, having seen Rogero ride him, and he longed to fly abroad over all the earth, and see various nations and peoples from his airy course. He had heard Logestilla's directions how to guide the animal, and saw her fit a bridle to his head. He therefore was able,
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/26/2012 12:06:00 AM
HAHAHAHAHAH what "marketing" lingo.... http://www.clarksonline.com/biography/300,000 cds...success? in a year....but nope, make it 20+ years. these guys sell crack on the side?then the bottom, last paragraph. they dont want to tamper with success, just get on stage and get it done...yeah dude, NO PERSONALITY. theres a reason they suck and will never make it big, but reading that, you'd think they were the next Bob Seger. Maybe they are.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHFattie porkie pig got himself all caged up tonight. http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/anaheim-ducks-upset-over-mindboggling-disallowed-goal-vs-045227884.html Joke daddy says a correct call...theres no way. the guy in the crease doesnt make contact, doesnt even impede thomas' vision (looks like thomas). where does the crease F impede Timmy? Where does he try to block his vision? he was driving to the net, and even winces at the unexpected shot. joke daddy is a fricken joke.the worst part, is if turco was outside the crease, even a smidgin, and cogliano touches him way before the puck is shot, thats goaltender interference called every time. doesnt even make sense.i didnt know you couldn't be in the crease if there's a shot. that rule got abolished after the brett hull SC winning goal in 99.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/26/2012 12:06:00 AM
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/25/2012 08:31:00 PM
2nd tank 248 mi / 3.76 gal = 65.96mpg $13.76
1st tank 230 mi / 4.11 gal = 55.96 mpg ~$15.15 (I filled this up at 4am with no lights around at the station. i filled it up way above the line but couldn't see.) i had about 15-20 extra miles from the extra gas. my old record was 236 miles for one tank. 248 ain't bad.
478 mi / 7.87 gal = 60.7 mpg $28.91 pretty cheap for about 3-4 weeks of driving.
spin around?all of the newer models are gonna be too much money. people around here ask way too much. The guy I was talking to about this 2003 said that he was offered 1950 and he turned it down, he was trying to sell it for 2500 in the Fall but nobody bit. It's no surprise - it's not worth 2500. I dont' get it - the demand is low, and the supply is kinda low for 250s in general up here. The prices shouldn't be as ridiculous as they are. I'll take a look at the bike tomorrow, see what's up with it. If it looks promising, maybe I'll get it. If not, then I won't. I'm not worried either way, doesn't matter at this point. When we get back from Peru, that's when it'll matter more.The guy was saying if you're tall and big, then you'd look like a clown on a bicycle. Then he said since I'm smaller, I should be OK. I already knew that.The cheapest bike so far has been a 2004 for $1900. There was a 2007 for 2900.I'm not even gonna bother looking at that 1999. No way that's worth it with 11,000 miles.
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/25/2012 08:31:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/25/2012 08:13:00 PM
trying to find a leather jacket iwth Prime. all I can say is "wtf is up with the fucking hoodies.. fucking millions of them and no real jackets"
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/25/2012 08:13:00 PM
Re: [Madness Writers] 3/25/2012 07:13:00 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/M-TRIBAL-BLACK-DUAL-VISOR-FULL-FACE-MOTORCYCLE-HELMET-DOT-W-SMOKE-SUN-SHIELD-/400275429111?pt=Apparel_Merchandise&hash=item5d324656f7&vxp=mtr#ht_4454wt_952 $47 with shipping.
I measured my head, it was at exactly 22 inches. So it's right between a small and a medium. I'd say medium.give me some ideas on prices for gloves / jackets.. from what i see, gloves are like $25, jackets 75+.. no idea though, i didn't look long
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Posted By Madness to Madness Writers at 3/25/2012 07:13:00 PM
Saturday, March 24, 2012
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time of attachment and fidelity rare in the history of man. Cloridan and Medoro had followed their prince, Dardinel, to the wars of France. Cloridan, a bold huntsman, combined strength with activity. Medoro was a mere youth, his cheeks yet fair and blooming. Of all the Saracens, no one united so much grace and beauty. His light hair was set off by his black and sparkling eyes. The two friends were together on guard at the rampart. About midnight they gazed on the scene in deep dejection. Medoro, with tears in his eyes, spoke of the good prince Dardinel, and could not endure the thought that his body should be cast out on the plain, deprived of funeral honors. "O my friend," said he, "must then
if in search of booty, told Medoro to lay down the body, and let each save himself by flight. He dropped his part, thinking that Medoro would do the same; but the good youth loved his prince too well to abandon him, and continued to carry his load singly as well as he might, while Cloridan made his escape. Near by there was a part of the wood tufted as if nothing but wild animals had ever penetrated it. The unfortunate youth, loaded with the weight of his dead master, plunged into its recesses. Cloridan, when he perceived that he had evaded his foes, discovered
The two young Moors might have penetrated even to the tent of Charlemagne; but knowing that the paladins encamped around him kept watch by turns, and judging that it was impossible they should all be asleep, they were afraid to go too near. They might also have obtained rich booty; but, intent only on their object, they crossed the camp, and arrived at length at the bloody field, where bucklers, lances, and swords lay scattered in the midst of corpses of poor and rich, common soldier and prince, horses and pools of blood. This terrible scene of carnage would have destroyed all hope of finding what they were in search of until dawn of day, were it not that the moon lent the aid of
cautions of Melissa lost their weight. A sudden doubt of the faith and truth of her kind monitress flashed across her mind. "Shall I not believe my own eyes and ears?" she said, and rushed forward to his defence. Rogero fled, pursued by the giants, and Bradamante followed, passing with them through the castle gate. When there, Bradamante was undeceived, for neither giant nor knight was to be seen. She found herself a prisoner, but had not the consolation of knowing that she shared the imprisonment of her beloved. She saw various forms of men and women, but could recognize none of them; and their lot was the same with respect to her. Each viewed the others under some illusion of the