Alright, this week's journal is going to be postponed. I'm not feeling well tonight. But it's likely I'll do it tomorrow for you, since I have a good topic (check the journal title ). I'm out for the night, bye.

while ( sick = 'y' )
{
    postponement++;
}

(As typical of me, that's an infinite loop. Procrastination at it's finest.)





The rules for Book Tag are as follows:

1. Grab the nearest book to you (not the most intellectual or your favorite. From where you're sitting, get the nearest one!).

2. Open the book to page 56.

3. Post the text of the first two-five sentences.

4. Tag five people to do the same.

-
What you'll learn:

• You will develop descriptions of accelerated motion


• You will use graphs and equations to solve problems involving moving objects


• You will describe the motion of objects in free fall

-
Huh. Weird. Bonus points for whoever knows the source.

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Trust me, it was worth it.

sta⋅sis
[stey-sis, stas-is]–noun,
plural sta⋅ses  
[stey-seez, stas-eez].
1. the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces.
2. Pathology. stagnation in the flow of any of the fluids of the body, as of the blood in an inflamed area or the intestinal contents proximal to an obstruction.

[link] - [Dictionary_^dotcom]

Here's a word with a hell of a lot of connotative meaning compared to a surprisingly short definition. Only two (abridged) denotations, or dictionary definitions. I won't talk about the medical half tonight. It is somewhat irrelevant, but nevertheless noteworthy. It shows that this word is useful, and used; but only to an extent.

To be honest, stasis is one of my favorite words (which just goes to show that the most complex or unique things aren't always better). It's one of those words that sounds just like the way it means. I cannot explain this experience, but it's part of how I determine the worth of a particular word. Each and every word has an emotional value, if you examine it. More on that another time, perhaps.

Now then, let's take a look at the first denotation of the word. "...Opposing equal forces" sounds kind of like something right out of a physics textbook. Boring. Almost bothersome. When in the world have there ever been two forces which are actually (INTERMISSION: [link] Enjoy. Now then, back on track..) balanced and nullifying eachother? There's always a constant war going on. And the way I see it, wars are more akin to tides. That is to say: one side seems to be ahead, then the other. The tide doesn't just sit at one place, static; it's always changing.

CHANGE. It's what we voted into office, isn't it? We stopped the stasis in office. McCain had a nickname, McSame. See how easy it is to shine a light of bad connotations on a word? (Just add politics!)

Tangents aside, we don't see much stasis in our world. Too many variables and fluctuations. Stasis. On a worldly scale, change is always needed. Nature won't stay the same, so we must always be learning to adapt to it. A static environment tends to just rot. A pond of stagnant water will almost inevitably breed mosquitoes. And nobody likes mosquitoes.

Now then, let us take a different perspective. I favor stasis in day to day life. "No surprises" is how I'd love to live my life. Just settling into a cute little daily routine. Write down a single schedule and KEEP IT THAT WAY. No worries on the idealism, though. I'm doing what I can to get to a reasonable level of it. I've got this game going Wednesday nights (though this week's ran late) and a host of other weekly/daily activities. Unfortunately, I can't possibly keep track of what happens on a given day between 4 and 9 PM. On school-days, those hours are like the only time that I would hope to have my own standard of organization. But no. I can't possibly. It's hectic and chaotic. Yet I still hold the idealism of a static system. Of a peaceful one, even.

My final point: Equilibrium. A perfect balance. You take everything you can, and pack it into a system. At the end, you come out alive, wholesome, and centered. That's equilibrium, in my mind. It's all I strive for in life. "Now I've got friends that ride into the storm and ride out of the storm with nothing they rode into the storm with" (Counting Airplanes - Train, one of my favorite songs) To be honest, that song sums up a lot of what I would say in this paragraph. Go listen.

Stasis: How I'd love to find it.

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Trust me, it was worth it.

ob⋅li⋅ga⋅tion
[ob-li-gey-shuhn]–noun

1. something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc.

2. something that is done or is to be done for such reasons: to fulfill one's obligations.
3. a binding promise, contract, sense of duty, etc.

4. the act of binding or obliging oneself by a promise, contract, etc.

[link] - [Dictionary_^dotcom]

I'll start with some context. I just now watched the movie W. It's about George W. Bush, of course. Throughout the movie, I was thinking of a great word to start this series with. And so I started thinking about the theme of the movie. Well, simply enough: I settled on the word Obligation. W swears a number of times that he'll never be outdone by an opponent. "I'll never be out-Texaned or out-Christianed" <- No joke. Anyway, I'm here to say - well, type - that obligation is the driving force behind all of us. One who shirks an obligation cannot well be respected.

I admit it: I hate this about myself. I honestly don't trust or respect myself for (among other things) the fact that I just watch deadlines go by like they're trains. "Huh. Wonder how fast that one's going.." I'm fixing it, slowly. I guess. I still haven't opened my Physics or Pre-calculus textbooks in over a month. And yet, I promised so many people that I would have a 4.0 this year. Yeah, not happening. Huh, oh well. Keep trying; keep learning. I often slowly slip off of the topic.

Obligation: A sense of duty, right? To take the words of GladOS from the game Portal: "We do what we must because we can": People aren't always bound by a sense of obligation or duty or righteousness. There's always a bit of fudging the rules. It's often this little fudging that bothers me about people. Rules are rules, right? Why can't we follow them. But, of course, I don't either. No wonder why I don't like myself. But hey, we all have the opportunity to grow. So, use it!

--

And now for a few extra things:
1) [link] Do it. This is Chris Chu. Good guy. He's doing a small political survey for AP Stat. Help him out.

2) Something Entirely different: (stuff subbed to cram in, spacewise)

→ Pick your birth month.
→ Strike out anything that doesn't apply to you.
→ Bold the best that apply to you.
→ Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months
→ _{Tag some people.}

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone.Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough (Meet my knee, everybody). Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Is able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

(Pretty close! Good stuff.)

The other Months:

<sub>JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teachand be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy.Quiet unless excited or tensed.Rather reserved.Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy.Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic . Loves to dream Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Sexy. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.


JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood (I think sometimes). Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation.Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings.Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt . Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things.Guides others physically and mentally.Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally.Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked.Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Is able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.</sub>


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Trust me, it was worth it.

(In this Thread)

I've decided, for a number of reasons, that I'm going to be doing a weekly journal update. It'll be like a weekly column, in which I respond to a random word or short phrase of my choosing (unless I get some good suggestions). It'll be fun. You'll get to know me better, I'll get to know me better. My writing will be improved over time. All sorts of great reasons. Tentatively, updates will be on Wednesday. Every other day seems to be filled with nonsense, for me.

Also, I have a longcat CSS saved somewhere. Should I use that instead of this one?

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Trust me, it was worth it.