Rejecting your reality...

Bullsh1t! Bullsh1t, bullsh1t, bullsh1t!!! I finally receive my box of magazines from a friend in Japan and I find that it's been tampered with! BS! What's missing? About half the magazines and one's been ripped of its contents, leaving behind only the cover!! What's more, the perpetrator had the GALL to leave behind some random books that I'm not likely to read (two STILL with their Borders price stickers)! However, they left behind a fully filled photo album dating back to 2004. Which means I'll probably have to post it up at craigslist or wherever and see if anyone's missing their album. After I try to talk with the postmaster.

Granted, it took about 2 months for my magazines to arrive (Surface mail) and those are kinda replaceable (though a PAIN to obtain), but family photos? Those are irreplaceable memories. If anything at the very least, I want my magazines back.

And to whomever out there who stole my magazines, MAIL TAMPERING IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. D:< Plus, that photo album? Low, REAL LOW.

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Talking is the best I can think of.

The closest to bullying I ever got was teasing during elementary school and middle school, and unrespectful touching by another classmate during high school. In the case of elementary school, I stopped responding to the teasing and they stopped. In the case of middle school, it wasn't because of me being the new kid on having moved there, but more of wanting to be accepted by a couple others and they teased me for it. High school involved a different classmate who got far too touchy-feely for my taste when I wanted to play with his Gameboy. Middle school, I talked with my counselor and mercifully things got solved between me and the involved parties (I gave up trying and we actually got a bit friendly later on, but we kept respectful distances). High school had to involve one of the higher staff members, and that came to a peaceful resolution as well (we both later went to the same city college and would often hang out with several others talking about video games; even went on a roadtrip once).

That was back then, when the concept of cyber-bullying wasn't hitting the headlines as often, and it was still schoolyard bullying.

Talks between the school admin, parents, AND students would be a good starting point. Forget anti-bullying videos, the bullies will just "lulz" and forget about it. How long until the next student dies and the bullies make fun of them, either in person or online? That sense of human decency is shrinking. How long until the next student comes into school with a weapon and starts terrorizing everyone on campus while wanting to "get back" at their tormentors? Will it have to be someone having to be sent to the hospital, or will it have to be someone actually dying to get that hammered - literally - into people's skulls? Parents and teachers should stop turning the other cheek, and learn to see the signs on campus and at home. They can't be "just kids going through a normal phase". Bullying isn't right. It's NEVER right. It's psychologically damaging to a variety of parties, in that where the bullied loses self-confidence and become a basket case of screwed up emotions, the bully doesn't learn the consequences and doesn't learn humility and tolerance, and the adults can suffer in ways that it's not funny. It can also get to the point of the bully "not caring", and that could easily pass on to the next generation. Teachers as bullies is also there, and that's just as bad. They have to learn that they are there to lead students, not belittle them. Parents bullying is another thing, because it's worst than teachers in that the kids themselves are living with them. Promoting is going to be difficult, but it's necessary.

What kids do can sometimes be a reflection of what they've learned and didn't learn, but what the adults don't do is just as damning. Bullying isn't something to be proud of.

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Probably a lot of people are tired from today's date, but for me, I still choke up a little on seeing the photos.

I was about to graduate high school then, and I knew two cousins (one whose mother is a close friend of my mother, so we somewhat considered each other cousins) that were serving in the Army. When my homeroom/history teacher's TV was running CNN and showing the towers collapse through snow static, my first thoughts was "Are they going to be deployed?" I have relatives over in NYC but they live in another part of the island far from where the Towers were, so that was relief for my mother. It was hard to concentrate on the rest of the school day - this was my generation's Pearl Harbor, and I think that thought didn't hit me until much later, and the same goes for the lessons of tolerance from history class and - surprise, surprise - TV shows. It felt that the world had shrunk so much more.

A salute to those on Flight 93.

Times like this, I feel rather depressed that I'm not able to support myself BY myself like most of my older cousins and a couple buds. Makes me feel pretty much a disappointment to my parents since I'm not quite living to their expectations. Mom asks me what do I want to do, and I can never answer her properly. Dad, on the flip side, prefers me learning IT but that's never held my interest, even though I know it's a good career choice and is one of the more stable jobs at this time of the economy; it's like, something in my head is wired to reject it fully. *grumble*

On the silver-lining side, I'm hoping to be able to volunteer at IDW's booth during SDCC 2010 next month, and maybe the LA Film Festival as well. Sure, it's killer on gas, but the experience makes up for it.

First up, the short fic!


( *scribble, scribble, scratch* Need more inspiration... )

And for the mini-rant: Economy still kinda sucks, can't wait for Census work even if it means my legs and back screaming in agony and it's temporary, and I REALLY need to find a good goal. *headdesk*

That is all. :D :D :D <3 <3 <3

Since papyrus_quill  oh-so-gently ribbed, I'll attempt it, even though I have that bloody glacial-sized writer's block. Maybe this'll help me back into writing again... *kicks and receives an injured foot in the process*

First 10 folks can request that I write a drabble of pair/character(s) of their choosing. I'm not going to force anyone on doing the same at their LJ, so it's up to the posters' choice.

NOTE (Please Read it): I have extreme difficulties writing Decepticons. It's not like I don't want to, I just can't. The closest I'll probably ever get is Armada/ML Starscream, and that's even stretching it. *holds thumb and index finger millimeters apart*

Verses/Series I'm Familiar With: G1, Animated, Movie, Headmasters, Galaxy Force, Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Decade, Kamen Rider W, Godzilla: The Series, Kingdom Hearts (not BBS - haven't played it yet), Okami, Final Fantasy (best with 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Characters I'm Good/Decent At: G1 - Most of the well-known Autobots, although I may slip in some fanon stuff; Animated - most of the Bots, Sari; movie - Bots again, Sam, Mikaela, Lennox, Epps; Galaxy Force - varies; the other series I've mentioned depends, but I have a fairly good grasp

I steer away from slash, sticky, and smut, as the former two aren't my cuppa and I've never been entirely fond of the latter. Fluff/WAFF, friendship, gen, het, I can deal with.

1. playswithworms: Wheeljack and Ratchet (G1); Ratchet the one to accidentally blow something up
2. foxelie17 : Bumblebee and Arcee (movie); "Hana".
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Fire away! *ducks behind bunker*

And I mean it. I knew there was going to be a lot of walking as Merchandise Handler (heh, my "title" at American Girl Place) but I didn't quite expect THAT MUCH. I'm even more sore than I was on my first day as a lister for the Census back in spring! Thank goodness we have Chinese medicine patches that helps quite a bit (best used after a hot bath/shower and overnight).

How's working there? Exhausting and maybe a bit demanding. I'm working the the Historical Characters section where there are rooms set up for each of the Historical dolls - for example, Felicity would have colonial materials in a large display, alongside her dolls and numerous accessories so people can see what comes with her (such as her horse Penny, her sleeping clothes, table and tea set, etc.). Most of the time, it's just making sure the dolls are properly displayed on the floor and there's enough of their peripherals. Yesterday, I more or less finagling the radio and got a few words for not responding to the radio as often as I should, and I won't deny that I certainly deserved it (however, in my defense, I rarely had to use a radio that much in the past, so that's one thing to quickly learn).

The bright side? Hearing the delight and excitement in the girls' voices when they see the various displays and rooms, their eyes practically shining.

Venting a bit.

( But at least not a rant. )

Series: Transformers Movie
Title: Kindred Spirits
Character(s): Ratchet, OC Tina Uematsu
Rating: G
Disclaimers: They belong to Hasbro, TakaraTomy, Dreamworks, Paramount. "Coro di Dea" belong to "Ah! My Goddess". Tina's mine! Mine, I say!

( Need more characterization exposition... )