The Universal Gazette 6/21/04

I got my driver's license today! w00tium!

For those who don't know, w00tium is the chemical element form of "w00t", symbolized on the imaginary periodic table as "wt".

It does feel interesting to drive all by myself. I do get a sense of freedom, although I'm in no real rush to relish in it... although I might on impulse drive my way to the local Borders for no real reason.

Monday's episode of The Scholar was nice. I liked the part where the contestants in the final showdown all memorized that Djibouti is the capital of Djibouti by making "Djibouti!" a catch phrase. Hee hee.

I can now finish up Fellowship of the Ring! Unfortunately, the local library did not have That Hideous Strength, Restaurant at the End of the Universe, or Les Miserables...

So, some of our family friends dropped off their dog, Booger (yes, that is his name), at our house while they were off on vacation. To say the least, Booger and Sparkey do not get along. They are always fighting tooth and claw. Worse, it seems like my little brother is giving Booger all his attention, making Sparkey rather jealous. (I personally favor Sparkey. Booger likes to lick-attack me too much.)

I shall be off at the Central District Youth Convention (CDYC) in Calvin College in Michigan for the next four days or so. Fun stuff. I'll definitely have an enjoyable time there. NarniaWebbers, I probably will still miss y'all. But it won't be too long until I'm back.

After CDYC, my best friend, who normally lives in Colorado, will be visiting for a week or so. w00tium! Now that that new water park is open, we'll probably be making lots of splashes. I don't know if I can pull myself away from NarniaWeb that long, though... perhaps I'll introduce my friend to that place! Tee hee.

Piano recital this Sunday! I'm playing a concerto by Gershwin. It's difficult, but fun. Gershwin is a very amazing guy for being able to make otherwise dissonant sounds into music.

You know, I really ought to get to work on my story. I think the first chapter is drawing to a close; then I can put it up here! (If you'd like to see what I have so far, join the Narnia Writer's Guild! See the link in my sidebar.)

Wow; it seems like I've been rambling for quite a while now, but really, this one's nothing compared to some of the rambles I have going below this post! I commend anyone who can actually read through those things in one sitting!

Pearl Harbor: The Day of Infamy

The U.S.S. Arizona memorial

Among the many destinations of my not-so-recent-anymore trip to Hawaii, the visit to Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona memorial has been perhaps the most important one. There, I got to look at the sunken remains of the ship that was blasted by a Japanese bomb 64 years ago, prematurely taking away 1,107 lives.

While I was at Hawaii, I learned more about the details behind the attack. Turns out it was a lot more complicated than just Japan's thinking that the U.S. was a threat and deciding to bomb it (or anything like that). The full story goes something like this:

Japan had been after resources in China for a long while, and army extremists took over the northern province of Manchuria in 1931, despite government policy. Such an attack angered the Americans, especially those stationed across the Pacific. Japan then continued to attack the entire country of China, as well as ally with the Nazis in World War II.

Meanwhile, the U.S. tried to resolve the Sino-Japanese conflict. Aside from negotiations, the government also enforced an oil embargo on Japan. The latter action was viewed as a threat to Japan's national security, and the entire situation convinced the country to declare war on the United States.

However, the Japanese did not make their declaration aloud yet. They needed a surprise attack to weaken the American forces, for otherwise the U.S. would have an advantage with a full fleet in a lengthy sea battle. Thus the planes were sent out to bomb the ships at Pearl Harbor.

As the planes were approaching that fateful morning of December 7, 1941, some officers in a station on Hawaii were testing a new wartime device called a radar. Indeed, the incoming planes were picked up by the radar, and the two officers at the station wired another station with the news; however, the people at that station assumed that the planes were a bunch of B-17 bombers that were expected at that time, and told the other two to ignore it, even after repeated badgerings from the other two as the signal grew stronger.

The rest, as they say, is history.

While many have had many assorted feelings about that day, I can only imagine what those people at the station who told the two at the other station to ignore those radar findings had felt after the attack. A lot of guilt must have come over them for disregarding what could've been (and was) a threat. I wouldn't be surprised if they felt that the whole attack was entirely their fault.

Nowadays, in elementary (and probably even middle) schools, teachers tell students that the whole attack was the fault of the evil Japanese people. After all, these students wouldn't understand all this Sino-Japanese relations stuff, would they?

Alas, I'm trying to highlight two attitudes here: self-blame and blaming on others.

As for the latter, I can only quote Bob Phillips here: "To err is human; to blame it on the other guy is even more human." Our natural tendency is to have no part in bad events. We don't want to be guilty. Otherwise, we'd get in trouble. That's human.

Now, the example of self-blame that I gave is a natural self-blame. It comes out of that thing many call a conscience. It's that unignorable feeling that you have done something wrong. Many try to blame it on others to try to overwrite that feeling.

The thing is, it takes real strength to admit to your own faults. If blaming it on the other person is human, then to take the blame yourself is, if not divine, then superhuman. Many Americans were quick to blame the Japanese for the attack on that infamous day. But what if they had known about the U.S. embargo, or their country's business in Asia? Would they be so quick to prejudice the Japanese in their hometowns?

I have figured out the number one rule for getting along with others: It's always your fault. When one realizes his/her own contributions to the occurance of unfortunate events, he/she will be much less likely to harp on others for their faults, or at the least be much less harsh in doing so. This helps keep peace among people, and is desperately needed in today's world. We need more people less willing to blame others and more willing to blame themselves. It's not easy, but it's necessary.

This does not mean that you can obsess over your role in such events, though, or that you disregard others' roles. Especially in the case of the divorcing of parents or rape/molestation, this is unhealthy. But, as I said earlier, if you keep your faults in mind, you'll find yourself much nicer to those who may have also been at fault.

Think about how this will make others feel, especially if they have indeed played a role. They will feel much more relieved of their own guilt, yet will have a role model from which they will evaluate their own faults. This all evolves into a beautiful paradox: Because everyone will think it's his/her own fault, it becomes everyone's fault, and therefore it is no one's fault. Confusing? Maybe. Wonderful? Yes.

Now, what about things like murder, theft, or rape? Well, as I said earlier, don't obsess over your own roles. Perhaps you can learn something from the incident, though. Maybe you'll learn to lock your doors when you leave the house, or not to leave your drink glass unwatched at a party. Still, convict those who should be convicted. But maybe, looking at your own roles, it'll be easier to forgive the convict. And we all know how important forgiveness is.

Finally, I must commend three people who have shown this philosophy.

First of all, for any of you watching The Scholar, you may have seen the first episode... and thus know what I'm talking about. For those who didn't, there was a team event and a contestant named Jeremy was the leader of a team that ultimately lost the event. The host then asked Jeremy a tough question: Who on his team dragged the team down the most? Jeremy realized what he could've done better as a leader, and he said that he himself was the weakest member of the team. Such an act so impressed everyone that the Scholarship Committee nominated him as one of the two to join the winning team's leader in the final round that episode. So, because of that, I must give a hearty Conga Rats! to Jeremy.

Second, I would like to commend NarniaWebber wyntre_rose, a wonderful Reading Group leader. I won't go into details here (wyntre should know what I'm referring to), but anyways: wyntre, thanks a lot.

And last but most certainly not least, I must commend one other extraordinary human. He did absolutely nothing wrong, and yet in taking the punishment that billions of other people deserved, he basically admitted that it was all his fault. That person is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who took the blame for everyone's sins up on the cross. Thank you, Jesus, and I love you.

When one quiz just isn't enough...

Introducing: the stardf29 Quizzes! These are *kinda* meant to see how well you know me. I say *kinda* because these quizzes really are not an accurate reflection of what you know about me. In fact, not all of the questions really relate to me! Heh heh... But go ahead and give them a try anyways! I have links to them on my sidebar, but here are the links to the first two right here:

Quiz #1: http://www03.quizyourfriends.com/yourquiz.php?quizname=050615090300-117928

Quiz #2: http://www03.quizyourfriends.com/yourquiz.php?quizname=050620020403-959701

I will update this site when I make more quizzes! Keep a running total of the points you get on the quiz and see how quickly you can reach some number of points! (Right now, of course, there are only 200 points available.)

-stardf29

The Universal Gazette: 6/16/05

Announcing: The Universal Gazette! A weekly collection of rants and raves of the week and whatnot. Just to let you know what's going on in my universe.

So, without further ado, Issue 1: 6/16/05!

Trip to Hawai'i was great. Highlights included snorkeling amongst a reef, swimming with a dolphin, and some other fun stuff. More in-depth posts about specific highlights of the trip to come.

Got my grades. Senioritis has effectively given me... straight A-minuses. Tee hee. Well, there was one A and one B+... but all the rest were A-minueses. And a "pass" grade that, if I didn't take the class pass/fail, I would've gotten a D. Symphonic band. There was a reason I lost interest in that class... hopefully band in college will be much better. Ah well.

I am now fervently working on my story, which is the chronicle of how the Star Defenders began. It's going to be an epic tale of quite some length, but hopefully I'll have it finished before freshman year of college is over. Those of you who are members of the Narnia Writer's Guild can check out what I have so far story-wise over there... although I have a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff too.

Pokemon Leaf Green: Of the handful of Pokemon on my main team, all of them are level 25-27 or so. This is the only time I will be training all my Pokemon together; otherwise it's just too tedious. Hopefully I'll have Giovanni out of Silph Co. soon.

Got the Pokemon Emerald Player's Guide! Now I can start planning my strategy for that game...

"Mortereve" in Hawaiian: kakanalahi. Kakahiaka is morning, auinala is afternoon, and ahiahi is evening. Now, just to make sure the word doesn't have some other meaning... you never know with those Hawaiian words!

Got some bad sunburns on my shoulders. Supposedly, the kakui nut cream works wonders for such things. Maybe I'll put some on sometime. The kakui nut tree is the state tree of Hawaii, by the way.

And that's all the random ranting I have for now. Perhaps more will come later. Until then, see ya!

Site Update!

Just a quick update here: I've added under "Others' planetary creations" links to the Google blogs of other NarniaWebbers. Enjoy! (I will be adding links to Xangas sometime later.)

The end... and the beginning

Graduation. June 4th, 2005.

A day of happiness, and a day of sadness. A day of laughter, and a day of tears. A day of bright sunshine, and a day of vicious thunderstorms. (That last one was literal.)

Now, I look back upon that day... and back upon the three years of high-school education that I had just finished.

I had applied for the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy a year earlier than most students would. Normally, one would apply to the school while a freshman in high school; I applied as an 8th-grader. IMSA people have a special name for us early appliers who get in: "shmen".

Indeed, I was quite surprised when I got the acceptance letter from IMSA. In fact, for a good deal of time, I was unsure that I deserved the honor. Sure, I was one of the top students in my class, and I have gotten some lofty achievements, but I knew that there were better people than I out there...

Much of my first days at IMSA were spent wondering, "Do I belong here?"

Now, I look back on June 4th, diploma in hand (well, technically just the diploma cover at that time), saying my goodbyes to my fellow seniors. You know, I did belong. I had come such a long way since my entry to the school one August afternoon in 2002... making new friends, learning new stuff, losing new bits of sanity... yep, that was IMSA, folks.

What are my fondest memories of my time at this place? Was it all the classes I was in and all the new knowledge I obtained? Was it in the assorted extracurricular activities I was involved in? Was it in the friendships I made while I was there? I'd say it was in all three. While I was at IMSA, I learned how to take derivatives, how to evaluate the thermodynamics of a chemical reaction, and how to write long papers. I learned how to solve problems at a math competition, how to play assorted card games, and how to act like a fool in a drama production (assuming I was a fool). And I learned about the assorted crazy antics of my friends. IMSA was a place to learn, and what I learned is what I will remember throughout my life. Hopefully.

I'll tell you one thing, though. Sometimes, I would have regrets about certain parts of my IMSA life. I could've amounted to so much, but I let so many opportunities pass me by. I had wasted so much time on meaningless stuff. I had lost a year to do things by skipping a grade. What do I have to show for it? Report cards that aren't straight A's, rejectance letters from top schools and many scholarships, multiple arguments with my parents... I wonder what would've happened if maybe I did something differently. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I shouldn't have gone to IMSA.

But then, I remember one of my favorite quotes from the Chronicles of Narnia (and I'm quoting this from memory): "No one is ever told what would have happened." I find this a very comforting quote: it reminds me that though we cannot change the past, we can be assured that what has happened is part of God's plan; He will make everything okay in the end. He had put me in IMSA, and he put me there a year early, because that was part of His plan. He is sending me to Case Western Reserve University, instead of some more prestigious school, because that is part of His plan. I can only trust Him, and I must learn to trust Him.

Now, I am finally leaving this place called IMSA. I am finally leaving all the friends I have made here (save for ten who are also going to Case Western), all of the wonderful (and not so wonderful) teachers here, and everything I had known to be my life for the past 3 years: math team, nasty cafeteria food, weekly card games, 10 pm curfew, painful processes for visiting the room of the opposite gender, internet shutting off at 1 am every day, etc. I will miss it all. IMSA has found a place in my heart.

Yet at the same time, I'm not holding onto my past life, reluctant to enter the new world because I love my old world too much. I rather look forward to my new life at Case Western. There are more friends to make, more knowledge to learn, more activities to join, and more sanity to be lost. How can that be anything but exciting?

My life is comprised of many adventures. I had just finished my latest one; a three-year adventure through IMSA. Now, a new venture lies ahead of me: college. I always love new adventures, but any true adventurer knows that you don't forget your old adventures. Indeed, I will never forget my IMSA adventure. There are too many good memories, even those not trapped in my assorted yearbooks and photos. I know that, in some years when there'll be a reunion, I'll see all my old friends again, and we can laugh at those memories while sharing our new lives with each other, even if it is only for a day. And when I finally go Home, I will be among several of these friends forever. Now isn't that something to look forward to?

Graduation. It is the end of an old adventure... and the beginning of a new one.

The one thing you should NEVER do if you value your sanity...

...is to ride a roller coaster.

But if you don't mind losing your sanity (or if you have no sanity to lose), feel free to do so.

I'm not saying that you have to ride a roller coaster if you want to prove that you're insane. I know plenty of insane people who wouldn't want to ride a roller coaster if their lives depended on it. What I am saying is that the roller coaster is not a ride for the sane.

For good reason, too. Who in his or her right mind would go on something that zips around at fast speeds through gravity-defying tracks? I mean, that isn't safe!

Well, we know that they're safe. Physics says so. And if they weren't safe, they wouldn't exist! (Well, hopefully not, at least.) But who thinks of physics or the existence of roller coasters when he/she is on the top of a giant hill awaiting a huge drop into a loop-de-loop? What makes one so sure that a bolt doesn't come unscrewed, or that by some supernatural force, the harness doesn't suddenly disappear?

Tee hee... I could list all sorts of feasible problems with coasters, and perhaps research some statistics on coaster disasters, and make any sane person never even want to go to an amusemsent park! Bwahahaha!

So anyways, on June 2 of this year, I went with my school to an amusement park: Six Flags Great America. This park happens to be right in my hometown of Gurnee, IL, so I had been there numerous times before.

Obviously, I hadn't been there enough.

On that day, I tried six new roller coasters. SIX. I don't think I did that many new ones in one day even when I was at a place where all the coasters were new. Hehe... Anyways, my first new roller coaster was also my first upside-down experience. Prior to this, I had never really been in any roller coaster that went upside down. Then again, prior to this, I feared roller coasters. There's just something ominous about being at the top of a tall hill, ready to take off at insane speeds once machinery cuts loose and gravity reigns. And going upside-down... even if I knew that I wouldn't fall out, the idea of being put in a position contrary to gravity was not one I was in a hurry to experience.

Anyways, the roller coaster in question is called Superman. Intended to recreate flight, the ride puts the riders into the "flying position" (Oh, I'm sure you've all tried to fly at one point or another) before launching them through a coaster with a loop, multiple banking curves, and finishing with a corkscrew. Keep in mind; this will be my first experience upside-down. So I'm going up the incline, and then gravity sends the coaster on its jolly way... and suddenly, I see the loop in front of me, and I suddenly realize, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to go through a loop!" The world turns around, and gravity pushes me against the back of the seat (when it would've otherwise pulled me away from it... yeah, that was fun), and then suddenly I'm right-side-up again, except my sanity was not. (Yes, you can lose your sanity even when you have no more to lose.)

I came from that ride deciding that my time upside-down was the most fun I had ever had on a roller coaster.

But over the rest of the day, I tried several more coasters, all of which would've been way past my comfort zone before that day.

Now, I know that I have nothing to fear about coasters. I trust physics. I trust the builders and the park that put the coasters there. I trust God. That's why I can ride these coasters and enjoy them. My logical side wonders what's there to trust; for these coasters I have to ignore that side. Indeed, when my adrenaline pumps me up for those drops and loops, and I go rushing the way of the track, I feel like I've lost my sanity again. And y'all know how fun that is!

But my roller coaster adventures are not done yet! I have still more coasters to try, and more thrills to be had, and more chances to lose my sanity all over again!

So, my parting words: For those of you who love roller coasters like I do now, enjoy! Remember: you can trust the coaster.

And for those of you who still don't want to go on a coaster: that's fine. I realize these things aren't for everyone, even as far as the insane go. But if you're letting rational fear hold you back from these thrill machines, then I suggest you throw rational caution to the wind: get on a coaster, and feel the wind rushing past you take your sanity to where it will not be missed.