Everything2 New Writeups

The Game (idea)

2009-12-12T00:52:32Z

CONGRATULATIONS. YOU ARE NOW PLAYING THE GAME (IF YOU WEREN'T ALREADY).

The Game is very simple.

You are always playing The Game.
You cannot win. You can only lose.
You lose whenever you remember The Game.
Whenever you lose the game, you have to announce out loud "I lose."
After you lose, you have 30 minutes during which you can remember The Game without losing.
As soon as you mention The Game to anyone, they begin playing as well.
The goal of the game is to have everyone on Earth playing.
Don't believe the Nihilist or Platonist philosophies when playing The Game - the official game rules are stated here.
Any arguments with the rules of the game can be taken up with Morgan Freeman, but I really don't think you want to do that.

Don't believe me?
You should, and also you just lost The Game.

The game we play is life, and there are no rules save the ones we make (poetry)

2009-12-11T21:23:15Z

We all agreed to play; we all agreed to forget.

We all agreed to suffer, to feed our bored intellect.

We create our world; we create our pain.

We create our illusion, to bind and chain.

Soul-crushing emotion, traps some like steel.

They return to the beginning, to test again their zeal.

As we play by the rules, our emptiness grows.

It only feels right if the rules we oppose.

Blow after blow; clue by clue.

Each "wrong" step we take, the truth we dip into.

Our true self hidden; the memory wiped.

Have fun without it; your true self is hyped.

Seen from above, we laugh at our pain.

The only sin is not enjoying the game.

Saturday Night Live Syndrome (idea)

2009-12-11T20:40:50Z

Saturday Night Live syndrome is the tendency to remember the past as much better than it is, and to talk of things in terms of decline and decay, sometimes at apocalyptic levels. Another important feature of Saturday Night Live syndrome is that whatever decline is being mentioned is taken as being a piece of common knowledge that everyone knows. The name "Saturday Night Live Syndrome" comes from the popular television show Saturday Night Live, which has been, according to many people, in a state of perpetual decline since its first season. The good people at tvtropes, usually ones to come up with creative yet succinct names for things, refer to this phenomena by the much more prosaic name of "Nostalgia Filter", although they do present Saturday Night Live as an example.

The things that Saturday Night Live Syndrome can be applied to are manifold, and despite the name, the hallmark of Saturday Night Live Syndrome is not in the entertainment field, as such. It is applied to…

blood and carnage and her slow ascent (poetry)

2009-12-11T19:44:27Z

She trails her claws along the ground, whisking grass and stones, little rocks bouncing

her speed's faster than she's thinking, but she's not thinking. Her machinery old enough to turn rust

to burning ash and clouds to sinking ships, her pace is like an avalanche pausing to breathe

You'll fall faster down that slope than her long thin nails picking you up

sinking ships being less than a metaphor for an innocent victim soaring the skies

and her eyes roll in agony as she tucks her tongue way back and roars

a deep intake of air that splits at her fangs and dives down into her stomach pits before rolling out again

…

No World Left For Tomorrow (poetry)

2009-12-11T17:58:06Z

Those are recyclables,
She said half-jokingly. But not.
You can come home drunk if you wish,
like your forefathers and fathers before to the
nth degree.
But for god sakes, son
Recycle your empties

A sign, posted carefully
At the ledge of a cliff.
Beware! As though we weren't
Aware, already of the imminent danger
Of crossing, unawares, into a deep void

Small solace to the mother of tomorrow; who,
in raising a genius, will stoop to bombardment
of Knowledge; properly rejected, at the age of sixteen
in favour of a more Gritty apprenticeship.

If the war of tomorrow could talk, it'd say;
"Listen. I know you're all focused on me, but...
I am the symptom of a festering wound, never lanced
Always explained away, no one's fault
Choice is gone, and with it ambition
A narrow comfortable life, well supported
Who will fight,…

No World Left For Tomorrow (poetry)

2009-12-11T17:18:05Z

Darkness descends upon the world
The light broken and scattered

The alliance is shattered
The people shallow and withered

There is no common goal
A war rages for power

The world already in ruin
There's nothing left to fight for

Moral stretches thin
Hope of a future digs its own grave

People are starving and dieing
Diseases run freely without mercy

It only took one day
And now there's No World Left For Tomorrow

Philip Larkin (personal)

2009-12-11T15:09:05Z

My first encounter with Philip Larkin was as a fresher in October 1974. As university librarian it was Larkin's annual duty to give an introductory lecture to the year's fresh intake. I recall seeing this tall, portly man with bottle-top glasses in a bank manager's suit. Not at all how I imagined a poet should look. (My Dad had excitedly told me about Larkin when I first announced I'd chosen to go to Hull University, otherwise I'm sure I'd have taken no notice at all.) To this audience of several hundred 18-year olds - more interested in eyeing each other for fanciableness than listening to some bloke in a suit - Larkin declared with a plummy, resonant voice and measured delivery, as if it was a line from Shakespeare, "...educated people should know three things: what words mean, where places are and when things happened".

My first encounter with his poetry was several months later. It was a vacation and I was at home with Mum and Dad, younger…

December 11, 2009 (poetry)

2009-12-11T04:24:04Z

An emotion, a feeling, a thought
Its controlling and freedom
Ecstasy and pain
In a single minute it can crush everything
And at the same time save a life
I never would have guessed it could be so strong
Never would have thought I would find it so soon
It's sought, fought for, fought over
It runs from us
Hides from us
Avoids us
Springs on us
Surprises us
At the most unexpected moments
It's the most painful, enjoyable feeling
Its four simple letters
That can destroy, create, transform
L-O-V-E
And my life's never been the same.

The Fall of Civilization (event)

2009-12-11T03:57:01Z

Pretend that you know that civilization as we know it is going to end in your lifetime. Specifically, sooner than you'd like.

Is it easy or hard to do that sincerely? I'm not just asking you to fantasize about it happening to someone else, as though you were watching a disaster movie. Think about it happening to you. Think about it happening the way it would happen.

Civilizations end messily, chaotically, but not apocalyptically. That's still possible, owing to the proliferation of WMDs like nukes and bio-weapons. But that would likely be a symptom, as opposed to a cause. Nations or other political entities, like people, rarely engage in such consciously nihilistic behaviours unless they feel that they have little or nothing to lose.

Civilizations fall when they lose the strength to keep going.

OK, I'll admit: I'm not well versed in history. I know a few things,…

omegle (thing)

2009-12-11T01:54:58Z

Does anyone here remember 1998? Right now, this is mostly a rhetorical question, but there are some here who probably do not remember that year too distinctly. More specifically, does anyone here remember 1998, as it was on the internet? (And at this point, several bearded road apples are getting ready to message me telling me how they were on the internet in 1982). For most of us, the answer is "no", even if we really think it is "yes".

Although most people's filtered memories of those wild, wooly early internet days of the late 1990s (note to aforementioned bearded road apples: yes, I know that the internet was actually in use almost 30 years before this point) are probably accurate in some respects, we do need a refresher course. The memories are probably in two groups: that it was endlessly fascinating to click on things, and the endless alure of "just one more click", could indeed keep us looking at nothing for literally six hours or more. Click. Click.…

explosively formed penetrator (thing)

2009-12-10T22:26:10Z

HISTORY AND GENERAL DISCUSSION

This is a type of IED used by insurgent groups such as Al Qaeda in Iraq, Hezb-i-Islami, and various Al Qaeda affiliates in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their introduction in those conflicts was a direct response to the fielding of the M1185 HMMV (also known colloquially as the up-armored HMMV by members of the U.S. Marines and Army) and the MRAP family of vehicles designed to withstand significant explosive blasts.

Explosively Formed Penetrators have also been used by the German terrorist organization Red Army Faction, Hezbollah, and the United States Military as a part of demolition operations. Although the technology is not new, their increasing prevalence is of great concern among ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Considerable training is conducted for all U.S. personnel entering the…

How the Terrorists Won the War (idea)

2009-12-10T20:27:47Z

I know writeup doesn't mean reply, but I do so love this great game we play here at E2 sometimes. Also, don't get all butt-hurt like last time, people.

For starters, I wish we could attach pictures to writeups because I'd include one of where I am at the current moment. I'd also like to have you come on out here for about a month or so to see what it is that things are like. But, travel being what it is around here, that plan probably isn't particularly feasible.

We all have our own memories of that fateful day, immortalized simply as '9/11'. Memories differ, but we all remember the dominating the sentiment, the ambiguous chorus at the iron gates of the White House, chanting blankly to our oracle George Bush, "something must be done, something must be done to avenge this travesty!" Yes, Bush as the oracle, talking to God:

…

Anambe (person)

2009-12-10T14:47:42Z

The Anambé are in indigenous tribe and ethnic group who live in the Brazilian state of Pará. They live like the sertanejos (people who live in the sertão, a dry region in north-east Brazil) who are present in the area. As of 2000, there were 182 people in the tribe. These indigenous people have been marrying brazilians of european and african descent for some time.

Language

The Anambé language belongs to the Tupi-Guarani family of languages. In the 1980s, every Anambé who was older than 40 spoke their native language, and those between the age of 20 and 30 understood it. They also speak Portuguese as it is the national language of the country.

Location

The Anambé live near the Cairari River, a tributary of the Moju River. They live in the Anambé reservation, which covers 7,882 hectares.

Population

In 1940 there were 60 people in the tribe. Their population was diminishing because many women were leaving the reservation as they…

The Remains of the Day (review)

2009-12-10T14:01:48Z

In many ways, this film is perfect: It is impeccably cast, gorgeously shot, with a spot-on original score.

It is also a brave and interesting film, for a number of reasons - above all because it takes cowardice as its theme, and explores it deeply with an unflinching eye. We see an awful lot of films about bravery, heroism, people risking everything for the sake of others or to Do The Right Thing; the flipside is seldom explored, and it doesn't make comfortable viewing.

Our protagonists here are thoroughly decent people, getting on with what they feel sort of obliged to be doing, but never quite having the courage to do what they really should do. With hindsight, it seems perfectly obvious that it was a grievous mistake to encourage Nazi Germany to re-arm and become a major player in Europe, however ungentlemanly it was to cripple the country at the end of World War One; Lord Darlington's refusal to face up to what was happening smacks of moral cowardice…

December 10, 2009 (person)

2009-12-10T11:03:19Z

I am sitting in my girlfriend's living room at 5 A.M. wondering what I may be doing with my life. It's one of those times that seem to hit you every now and then. Two tests later today. Didn't really study. Procrastination drags the thoughts of "What do I really want to be doing with my life?" into my head. And then you think "Yeah, perfect time to be wondering that." But curious things happen to people who lie to themselves. Their heart's rear their ugly needs least when you expect. Deep down I want to tell stories. I want people to care about the characters I have imagined. I want them to feel the emotions that I feel so easily. And that's what brings me here at 5 A.M. on a day that is supposed to decide the rest of my life academically.

I've been told my entire life that I can do whatever my heart desires. And none of that new age bullshit that's been going around forever, my parents really believed that I was bright enough to do whatever I wanted. Born rich enough, given every opportunity…

lifetime guarantee (idea)

2009-12-10T04:58:03Z

"We guarantee that you will live your entire lifetime, or double your money back."
-- From Acme Klein Bottle's Unconditional Guarantee.

A lifetime guarantee is a promise from a company or vendor that their product will last... a good long while. What exactly a lifetime guarantee covers is highly variable. Usually there will be some fine print explaining exactly what is covered and for how long; sometimes there is not. When in doubt, ask. But as a general guideline:

For smaller and stand-alone products, a lifetime guarantee usually covers the lifetime of the product. The company has determined how long the product should last, and if it doesn't last that long, you are entitled to either a replacement or your money back.

For products that are either very durable (such as jewelry) or attached to another product (such as car parts), a lifetime guarantee may…

The Barefoot Contessa (person)

2009-12-10T00:08:05Z

Ina Garten, the Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa," is the host of two cooking shows and has published six cookbooks. Many of her best-loved sauces,relishes and desserts are marketed under the Barefoot Contessa Pantry label, available for purchase from Stonewall Kitchen.

Source: Barefoot Contessa website, About Ina.

How the Terrorists Won the War (idea)

2009-12-09T22:51:19Z

We all have our own memories of that fateful day, immortalized simply as '9/11'. Memories differ, but we all remember the dominating the sentiment, the ambiguous chorus at the iron gates of the White House, chanting blankly to our oracle George Bush, "something must be done, something must be done to avenge this travesty!" Yes, Bush as the oracle, talking to God:

"One of the delegates, Nabil Shaath, who was Palestinian foreign minister at the time, said: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I am driven with a mission from God'. God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did." (George Bush: 'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq')

We, as a nation, believe this, believe it or not.…

Bastard!! (review)

2009-12-09T22:16:36Z

I will add a writeup about the animé.

First up, biases on the table - I'm not an animé fan. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Ditto manga. The closest I'll get to either are certain French bandes dessinées and ElfQuest (which has manga influences, esp, the stuff from the late 1980s, early 1990s), but that's about it. I think there's something about the fandom that puts me right off, yano, people dressing up in Japanese schoolgirl outfits when they're I. male, and II. at least thrice the age of a Japanese schoolgirl, that sort of thing. So it was with great caution that I scored myself the animé series Bastard!!.

I think I should also explain what got me into Bastard!! as well. Metal, that's what. The author of Bastard!!, one Kazushi Hagiwara, is quite the headbanger, and it shows. Many characters, spells, and places in Bastard!! are named after heavy metal bands, or Engrishified versions of same. For instance, the protagonist, Dark Schneider, isn't…

FUGM (thing)

2009-12-09T20:15:08Z

"FUGM" is an acronym that, if it hasn't been thought of by somebody else already, I'm inventing it now, means "Fuck you. Got mine." It can be appropriately pronounced "Fugg'em!" because it sounds, of course, like "Fuck 'em" which pretty much means the same thing. I got the idea from one of the latest Photoshop Phridays, this page in particular, third one down. In my opinion, that hilarious image seriously does sum up the ridiculous opposition that is currently in the health care debate in the United States. There are actually valid concerns but rarely are they depicted in the signs held up by the ignorant masses who only go by the talking points issued by their right-wing leaders in Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and their ilk. "Fuck you. Got mine!" in this context simply means "I already have my health insurance, I'm happy with it, screw everybody else!" and…

Persipan (thing)

2009-12-09T18:52:41Z

If you live outside the German-speaking world, chances are that you've never heard of Persipan. No, it's not a Pokemon. It's also not one of Dow Chemical's new miracle plastics, nor is it a religion secretly practiced in the mountains of Pashtunistan. Persipan is a baking ingredient used mostly in Germany.

Being in the United States, I've discovered that many people need introducing to marzipan, which is not nearly as popular here as it is in central Europe. For Americans, persipan occupies the next rung on the ladder of baked obscurity. I call that rung the "Huh?" Zone. Marzipan, though the citizens of places like Lübeck and Nürnberg might put my face on a wanted poster for this statement, is little more than almond paste and sugar. It's good. It's loved. I bribe my dearest with small gifts of marzipan lest she buy the giant loaf from GermanDeli.com and leave it where I can find it.

Almonds, though, are not the cheapest of ingredients. Since marzipan is both popular and a bit on the…

Amanaye (person)

2009-12-09T13:01:00Z

The Amanayé are an indigenous ethnic group which live in the Brazilian state of Pará, near the municipality of São Domingos do Capim. They are also known as Amanaié, Amanajé and Araradeua. As of 2001 there were 192 members in the tribe.

Amanayé is the actual name used by this indigenous group to refer to themselves. The name means "association of people", and in some sources the name is spelled Manajo and Amanajo. Part of them are referred to with the name Ararandeuara, because they live near an igarapé (a sort of water course) which carries the same name.

Language

The Amanayé language belongs to the Tupi-Guarani family, classified by Aryon Rodrigues (1984) together with Anambé and Turiwara languages. It is not known whether the Amanayé continue to use their mother tongue or not.
What is known is that the oldest, and some of the youngest, members of the tribe still use some words from their native language in everyday speech, mixing them with…

Your heartbreak may vary (fiction)

2009-12-09T09:05:01Z

"Why?"
"You know why. Don't make me say it."

The world was standing still again.
It had happened many times before, but this time, it was different.
Like before we needed someone to hold us. Like before we burned for another person's touch. It felt like we were breaking apart, and our hearts were crying out for someone to hold us together.
And until a few moments ago, a few sentences into the past, we would have held onto each other. Like old times.
Already I thought of them as old times.

"You promised me you would love me forever. You promised. You never break your promises."
"I know. And I still won't. This doesn't mean I don't love you anymore. It just- ..."

The fragment hung there, waiting to be finished. We both knew it never would be. We were both to scared to fill in the blank. …

Things Didn't go Differently (idea)

2009-12-09T09:04:05Z

The universe is the greatest piece of art.

Listen to a song, any song at all. Somebody created that song, and the universe created them. What are the chances that those elements and gasses that sprang out at the big bang would expand just so, and compact to form a planet like Earth, with people like us on it? People like us are the art. You just have to appreciate it.

We just sit here, converting chemical bonds into energy. 10^16 tiny synapses firing in our brains every second. 7*10^27 atoms forming 10^14 cells that work together in perfect harmony. Billions of years in the making, we're here now just so we can live.

Imagine, before our universe, a small particle in the void, and it begins to bloom. With tremendous force and energy, the chaos expands into something beautiful and serene. And in the vast space within this masterpiece: our little planet, and everything we've ever done. Out of all the things that that…

memories of snow (dream)

2009-12-09T09:00:50Z

There's that moment when you're just transported back, back to the days when your only concern was playing in the snow, and having a good time with your friends. Back to the days when you really didn't worry about school, work, paying for college, trying to find the right girl. When you didn't notice the relief in everyone else when the weekend came around; to you, all days were the weekend, there were no distinctions. You didn't have any of the vices that you have now, in your current life, drinking, partying, smoking, doing drugs; you were a kid, concerned only with having fun and not getting hurt. You never really noticed the wrinkles around the eyes of your parents, or the deep bags; you just thought that they were getting old; you never realized that they had to deal with a world with which you could not fathom even if they were to present it to you in small little bites, like the way they cut the crusts off your sandwich.

You still thought that you were invincible…