Ageless (NewSegments)

Segment 1: Conserve
Here is a question: How does the United States of America produce less than 5% of the worlds resources, consume upwards of 75% of the worlds resources, export hardly any cost effective products, and import nearly ever modern commodity, yet still remain one of the richest nations in the world? It isn't logical that America spends more money to maintain itself than any other nation in the world, buying even our own "American made cars" from the cheap labor of China.
I'm not an economist, so perhaps the exact financial reason is fully explainable, but to be honest I really dont care. I only bring up the question to make a finer point about what seems to be a root cause of personal and political differences. Let me explain.
There are a few ironies in the way things work, at least as i see them. When America was founded, the general idea was that each person was willing to work hard for their freedoms and possessions. Things weren't easy, and that was good. This is the root of the old adage "Nothing worth having is easy" or "Freedom isnt free". Because of technology, or political shift, or social "enlightenment", the two hundred forty years since the Deceleration of independence have seen the the birt of the modern world market.
Americans want their goods cheap, but at the same time, we join unions to make sure we are payed fairly and equally at a higher grade than nearly any other nation. We want to have a lot of money, and make sure everyone gets the same amount whether they are good workers or not, and we expect to buy everything we need for cheap.
This creates a problem. Manufacturers are expected to pay all their good and bad employees a high rate for products that their consumers expect to get for low cost. Now add in government induced business taxes, and what is left as a solution? Can we wonder why businesses send their factories to China and India, where the labor is cheap because there are no unions? The loss of American jobs can be blamed in part on "big business", but what other option do we leave them if we expect the best for nothing.
Then we wonder why they things we buy are cheaply made. Does anyone remember the problems we had with Chinese made toys having lead based paint?
The root problem is this: Americans are so used to having everything, that now they expect it without cost. We have forgotten that everything we have is a result of someones hard work. Nothing is free, nothing comes easily, that is the truth of it.
We have strayed so far into the irony that now we even believe that the unemployed deserve to be taken care of even though they dont work. I;m nto saying those with money shouldnt give to those who dont, but to quote comedian Brad Stine "If yo didnt have a place to live, the didnt give you government housing, they gave you an axe. See that group of trees over there? Thats your new duplex." Another saying goes: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" My Point is this; our providing for the unemployed doesnt mean giving them what they dont have, and enabling them to continue as they are. No man should live without working for what he has.
Here is a solution that makes a lot of sense, but Americans are frankly too lazy to ever try: Start a company, for the sake of argument, lets just say a car company. Lets employ American workers, and not give heed to the unions who demand equal high pay. Let's expect a small salary at the beginning, because costs are high. The cars we make will be expensive, but they will be good quality cars. Lets buy our good quality cars because they are good and they are American made and they support American jobs. The more cars we buy, the more we can be paid for the good, hard work we do.
Expecting that what we have should come cheap and easy, from our cars, to our homes, to our American liberties, only leads to cheap and lazy Americans.

(NEW! Quotable Quotes) Segment 2: Voting
"If we Vote for McCain, we sin. If we Vote for Obama, We sin. If we Say we Vote for Ron Paul, we lie and there is no truth in us" -Paul and Nancy Sisson

(NEW! Newsworthy,Notables) Segment 3: Hoogendyk

The Senatorial Debate: Hoogendyk V. Levin

Jack Hoogendyk Home Page

Segment 4: Eighteen
I'm less than a week away from the "most important" birthday of my life so far. Eighteen marks the legal age of "adulthood". I can now vote, drive, manage my own finances, and make my own decisions according to law.
Anyone who knows me well at all will attest to my love of birthdays. Its the selfhish little boy in me that will always love the day every year that we celebrate my life. As a child my love language was gifts, so it always excited me to know i was gonna get stuff. But things seem different this year. I havent been counting the days or making a list of things i want. It even slips my mind that im even having a birthday.
Dont get me wrong, i want to distance myself from the disaster that was my seventeenth year. I made alot of mistakes and lost some very good friends.
My mom is also having a birthday soon, and hers is an important number aswell. Because are birthdays are 11 days apart, we decided to have a joint costume/birthday party on Nov 1st, and invite some close friends.It hit me really hard that i could only think of two people to invite that werent on my moms list. In 18 years I havent made any friends that I feel i can invite to my birthday celebration. What hurts worst is that two of the people I would most like ot be there wont be because of somethings i did.
As for the number eighteen. I dont see its significance. I've had two siblings make the wors mistakes of their life after turning eighteen, so i dont really consider it a sign of adulthood. In face most eighteen year olds i know are less mature. I disagree with laws that give full rights at such an age. But it doesnt really matter. I am still under my parents, untill I am ready to be on my own. Age will have nothing to do with it.

Segment 5: "I Just Can"
This is a segment of one of the Ebooks im writing. It is older, and unedited, so my typing and grammatical issues arent corrected, and it jumps in part way through the story. The full thing Can be read at The Hunter Diaries

Hanna watch, slightly perplexed as the fire grew under his hands. Still watching the flames, her curiosity got the better of her, "" The fire sparked suddenly and crackled. It was then that Hanna noticed there were no ashes, Nor was there smoke. She looked intently at it, trying to figure out what fueled it, but could see nothing. The girl looked at the strange helmet Khaanyah wore, even more thoughts filling her head, more confusion than clarity. But even so she was still calm, and not afraid of him.

"Hunter."

Hanna jumped at his word, having already forgot her question ""

"Khannyah" He replied, ""

"Hunter..." She repeated, letting the word echo through her mind. It echoed and echoed for what felt like only a few minutes. The next thing she knew was that the fire was gone altogether, and she could see nothing. Realizing she must have fallen asleep, Hanna cutiously began to crawl across the cave floor. The peaceful feeling that had been keeping her calm up till now was gone, and the fear, anger, and sadness that it had been warding off returned with a vengace, but fear the most prevalent. The memory of what happened to her grandfather, in addition to the cold blackness of the cave she didn't know her way out of terrified her. Then there was this mysterious man with the mask and swords who called himself Hunter. Suddenly, not knowing where he was made her anxious, afraid of what he might do to her. Realizing that in the total blackness, he might be only inches from her without her knowing it, and she froze, waiting. She began to cry, yet trying to to make a sound.

Something touched Hanna on the shoulder and she screamed, and it was gone. There was stillness again for a second and a fire ignited form across the room, where she thought she had been. The golden flame glowed, growing in light, and floating an inch above the gloved hand of Hunter. Again curiosity overwhelmed her fear.

"" Both he and she asked simultaneously.

Hanna was the first to react. ""

Hunter looked hat the girl through his helmet, trying to understand what had just happened. He was unable to find the right words because of his limited knowledge of t he language she spoke. One moment before Hanna was on all fours, not moving in the darkness. His keen eyes could see well enough without the light, so he had reach out to touch her, and let her know where she was in the room. the moment he touched her, she cried out and was on the other side of the small cavern, cowering against the wall. No sound other than her voice had been made, no discernable movement, but she had gone from one point to another instantaneously.
After several minutes of Hunter trying to convey what had just happened, Hanna sighed heavily, getting he general idea.

"" Hunter asked again

"" Hanna replied, "" She motioned to the warm fire in his palm.

Hunter was silent for a moment, "" With that he stood up as much as possible in the shallow cave room and motioned for her to follow him. "It morning. We go now."

A level of calmness settled over her again and Hanna followed Hunter out of the cave-room through a small outlet she hadn't seen before. After about a ten minute walk through the narrow stone passage, the emerges out of the side of a mountain into broad daylight.

Hanna looked around, squinting as her eyes adjusted tot he natural light. Around her was only desert, witha mountain behind. as she search for some sign as to where they were she noticed what she first thought was another mountain range off to the distance, but it didnt seem quite right. The mointains were shining in the sun and were oddly shaped for mountains. She was somewhat astonished to realizs that she was looking at buildings, not moutains. The Vary tall buildings of a massive city, miles in the distance. She looked at hunter, sheilding her eyes fromt he glare of the sun off of his helmet. "Is that where we are going?" she asked.

Hunter nodded. "Centuron"


Segment 5: Untitled

I open my eyes
I try to see but I’m blinded by the white light
I can’t remember how
I can’t remember why
I’m lying here tonight

And I can’t stand the pain
And I can’t make it go away
No I can’t stand the pain

Everybody’s screaming
I try to make a sound but no one hears me
I’m slipping off the edge
I’m hanging by a thread
I wanna start this over again

So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered
And I can’t explain what happened
And I can’t erase the things that I’ve done
No I can’t

How could this happen to meI made my mistakes
I’ve got no where to run
The night goes on
As I’m fading away
I’m sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me

Petrified

Segment 1 : Precognition
A conversation i had with a friend of mine recently got me to thinking about how the human brain thinks about the future. My Last post on the idea of a singularity touched on the question of whether the choices we make create an inevitable result. For the sake of argument, lets say we are all bound by the rule of singularity. that one decision will generate an inescapable end result or path. If that is the case, is the human mind properly equipped to estimate what those consequences will be?
I believe, through my experience that everyone has an ability that does not necessarily fit into the realm of natural thinking. Not quite to the powerful extreme of defying physics, like in the TV Show HEROES, or in comic books, such as XMen, but more subtle, understandable gifts. A friend of mine recently commented while walking down a hallway with offices on either side, that each door reminded him of a different song, not because of anything about them. As he walked down the hall the "music in his head" changed. He told me one or two of the songs, and as I walked by one of the office windows, I noticed the song he had just named was playing through headphones on a computer, which was receiving a radio signal and streaming the music, in the office he had associated the song with. Perhaps coincidence, but i doubted it. My Own awkward sense of smell is another example, though possibly more easy to explain that a boy who's brain can pick up radio signals.
I have now met more than one person who seem to get images of specific events before they happen. This is something i have observed in minor cases in many people including myself. Years ago I remember thinking off handedly that my mom would be alot busier during my highschool, even to much to be in charge of my education as she had in grade school. My Freshman year, my mom bought a business, and was unable to teach me, so i hade to homeschool myself.
It is this precognition, that many people seem to have even though they don't realize it. I wouldn't say its telling the future necessarily. I sometimes wonder if there are consequences to choices that can't be avoided no matter what choice you make, is the mind capable of seeing those conclusions before they happen? If a singularity exists, then is it possible to see then end result of that decision?

Segment 2: Average
There are some truly extraordinary people in my life. I'm very proud if the circles of people around me, who I can claim that I associate with. I Honestly think if I were to combine the best of the people i know, they would be nearly super human.
But while there are amazing people around me, it only makes another fact more obvious: i am unequivocally average. There isn't alot extraordinary about me, save perhaps my ability to be negative while everyone thinks im doing great. I don't do anyhting extraordinarily, but work hard for everything, and that propensity for hard work is not a talent either. Im not wonderfly inteligent, anaytical, athletic, spiritual, or strong. There is nothing rerribly remarkable about me. im the kind of person you can look at and forget the next second. Im a face in a crowd of many.
Off hand i can think of two peopel who are annoyingly attractive, one who's analytical abilities, though learned over time, let him spot flaws in nearly any argument. Put me by a chess board and i will know how to play. I might even beat someone. Put me in front of the microphone and i will preform for the crowd, but they will only see the mask of "entertainer". it takes me four days to pull together coherent thoughts to form even one of these blog "segments", and they are often plagarized form the inteligent words in conversation i have had with a friend who has already figured out what I have to say.
While i apreciate the encouraging disagreements that some readers will probbably have, let me say this. I dont mind being average. I'm not alone, and its ok to be considered middle of the pack. I do extraordinarily at one thing, but i can get along doing alot of things. I doubt i'll become someone who stands our from the cowd. And thats ok.
I'm sure there is something specal about me. I just dont know myself well enough to know what is its. I'm not sure what i am or who i am right now. And what is strangest is that it doesnt bother me.

Segment 3: Character Introduction: Mark
"Jason..." Day said quietly, having lost interest in the battle a few moments earlier.
Jason looked at his sister, recognizing the sound of fear in her voice. He followed her line of sight to a figure that stood on the cobblestone road between the beach and the buildings of the city, looking at them. He wore a light leather armor and carried a thin sword in his belt. Most of his face, including his right eye and mouth, was covered in bandages. For the most part the wrap around his head were white, but in some areas they were red from the boy's blood. Two well armed Sentries stood on either side of him.
From what he could see of the person, Jason guessed him to be about their age, probably older. He recognized a sad anger in the eye of the newcomer. "Hey," Jason motioned to the bandaged youth with a wave of his arm. "Come join us."
The Boy seemed a bit surprised at Jason's call. Darr and Leon looked at their friend quizzically. Ignoring them Jason waved at him again.
Hesitantly the boy ventured toward them from the road. His sentries remained still. "Why did you want you want me to join you?" his question seemed shy and a little fearful.
Jason met his shyness with a friendly smile. "You're wearing a sword. Either you know a little about fighting or you want people to think you do."
Beneath the cloth, the boy smiled. "Indeed. My name is Markus Lange." He extended a hand, which Jason shook fondly.
After briefly introducing the others, Markus and Jason soon agreed to square off.
"His stance is high, but still fairly well rooted into the ground," Jason analyzed in his mind. "He draws a lot from speed, like Darr, but it's a fairly basic stance, so he might even use a style like my own." Jason continued to look over his opponent for a long moment. "Why isn't he attacking?" Jason with a slight shock realized that Markus wasn't going to attack.
Jason darted slightly to his right before leaping through the air at Mark. This Move was risky, due to Marks Bandage over his right eye. He may have had little depth perception, but it was easier to maintain single focus over any movement to his left side.
Regardless of the weakness, Jason covered the distance between them in one hard step. In the air, he shifted his weight so his legs were flying in front of him, replicating the attack Darr had tried earlier. Just before his kick came in range, Jason drove he left foot to the ground, throwing all of his power and momentum to his right leg, which he brought far to high.
Though a powerful attack, Mark took its full impact on his wrist guard without flinching. The height of the kick had thrown off Jason's balance, forcing him to fall back on his right hand.
"It worked," Jason smiled to himself as he again shifted his balance onto his palm, which was planted in the ground, freeing his left leg. Utilizing the unoccupied limb, he swept it strait up at Mark's chin. The blow was narrowly dodged
Then, pushing off with his planted arm and displaying his impressive strength, Jason was back in the air. He brought t his legs together and down hard, causing sand to fly. Before he had a good stance he lunged at Mark with a hard left. The motion caused more momentum than Jason had been prepared for, and with no balance Jason continued taking powerful swipes, moving forward with each blow. His hands reined a perilous series of blows. Mark avoided each of the shots with a simple step back.
Jason and Mark continued a gradual march along the beach, Jason always just out of reach for a strike, but trying for one. He was beginning to grow frustrated at his opponent's style. He had almost had enough when he realized that his next strike would be in range, even if Mark backed up. He brought his right fist down on a hammer to Mark's temple. The blow was blocked.
With speed like Jason had seen only from Shai, Mark took his first strike, right through the center of Jason's defense. The punch landed far harder than any of Jason's own could.
Jason could feel Mark's pointer and middle knuckles grind into his shoulder. From Darr or Leon this hit would be nothing, but this man... Jason thought. I can hardly feel my arm through the pain. Anger flared in Jason as he swept around, delivering two hard hammer strikes to the right side of Mark's head, utilizing he blind spot of the bandages. A low blow, but his style is so... Jason didn't finish his thought at his second strike met its target.
The force knocked Mark to his back, one hand clutching his bandaged face. As the dust settled, Mark looked at Jason, fresh blood soaking through his wraps.
Mark spoke slowly, without looking up. "I know my tactics are exasperating, Jason. But with only one eye it's all I can do. Had I the will to use both, this might be a fair match."
Jason was filled with abject shame, though no words of apology came to his mind that seemed fitting. Leon and Darr's hot stares burning into his back. He couldn't find it in himself to move or speak or even look at Mark. The over bearing silence for the moment was suddenly broken when Jason felt two strong hands grip him from behind, holding him in place. he realized the the twin sentries who were with Mark served as bodyguards of some kind. the other sentry helped Mark to his feet from the sand.
Mark gave a nod to the sentry behind Jason, who responded to the command by releasing Jason's arms and backing away. "Jason," Mark continued, a sense of wariness in his voice, "I would like to fight you on an even plain. You are better than I am as it stands, I’ll admit that. Would it bother you for me to fight without my bandages?"
"Master Lange!" Exclaimed the sentries in unison, "Would that not be dangerous? Your wounds"
"Are no safer under a thin cloth wrapping than they are exposed to the clean sea air." Mark cut off his personal guard. "How about it, Jason?"
"Hai."
Mark smiled under the cloth, reaching up behind his head with his left hand. A single tug was enough to release the cloth and cause it to unravel and fall loosely around his shoulder.
"Jason..." Day whispered fearfully beside Jason as they all took in Marks face for the first time. His fair skin was marred across the front and sides by three long, parallel gashes from the claw of some animal. The red lines started somewhere in his hair and down across his cheek, one of them going right over his left eye. The stripes continued down and off his chin and began again just below his right collar bone. Stitches held the skin of his eyelid, upper lip, and chin closed, though not completely at some points. a trail of blood ran down from his hairline where Jason had his hit his target. Were it not for the liquid shimmer of the blood, it would have been near impossible to tell it apart from marks hair, which was a deep, almost unnatural red.
"Shall we?" Mark asked casually.
Jason nodded. Bending his knees and dropping his stance, both hands low, leaving his chest open, but ready to strike. He was a bit surprised as Mark assumed a stance. Jason deduced correctly that fighting with the retreating style he had used before, Mark had been able to observe Jason's methods without revealing any of his own.
Mark stood almost strait up, hardly any bend in his legs. His left hand tucked behind his back as his right presented itself flat and open to Jason, as if offering him some invisible gift he had in his palm.
Both fighters sat in a stalemate for a log time. Neither were really prepared to take first action, but the stalemate could only last so long.
After Jason made one final adjustment to his stance, he broke the silence in motion. He threw all his weight into a hard sure toward Mark, leaving a sizable crater in the sand where his foot had made contact and pushed off of the ground. Mark hardly even blinked as Jason covered the distance between them in astonishing time. Jason thrust a direct punch to Mark's chest, but it was easily intercepted by Marks open hand.
Before he could even be absolutely sure what hit him, Jason's momentum was reversed and he landed on his back in the crater he had made a second before, his stomach clenched in a unexplained plain. He looked up at Mark. The Redhead's left leg was extended perfectly strait, he sharp ridge of his foot exposed. In a slow deliberate motion, he swung the foot around behind him and resumed his stance.
"The first step of NijunKen (Twenty movements)," Mark Stated materoffactly.
"I can feel where you kick made contact on the other side of my body," Jason said rubbing his stomach. "And I didn't even see it coming."
Mark Smiled. "You moved in with your left hand, limiting my access to your chest by closing off your body and keeping your right hand to guard your left side. I used KentaIch (Move One) to take advantage of the small opening between your arms. It’s a move I can’t do without good depth- perception, which I lose when my left eye is covered."
Jason accepted Marks extended hand. "You Moved Faster then before. Another advantage to being able to see, I suppose?"
Mark nodded with a wiry smile.
"I would be interested to Learn these 'Nijun-ken',"
"They are passed down in my family," Mark replied with a grave tone. "I have no problem using them on you, but will not teach them to you. and I’m afraid it’s quite discipline. My father called them the 'family laws'." Mark smiled absentmindedly as he continued. "They require a lot of understanding to create enforce and interpret."
"I want a try at that!" Shouted Darr.
Jason could only smile.

Segment 4: Tomorrow

Is it any wonder why I'm scared,
If I was a little younger would I care,
feeling like the walls are growing stronger,
i don't know if this cage can hold me any longer

you never dreamed you'd have to love your life so guarded,
cause they'll find a way to make you feel discarded

i'm not afraid of tomorrow,
i'm only scared of myself,
feels like my insides are on fire, and i'm looking through the eyes of someone else

I never thought they'd want me to go even faster,
never thought i took my foot off the gas,
everybody loves to be in on the pressure,
but i know they're all waiting for the crash

you never dreamed you'd have to live your life so guarded,
cause they'll find a way to make you feel discarded,
things have changed you've become a complication,
can make it through another days
humiliation

i'm not afraid of tomorrow,
i only scared of myself,
feels like my insides are on fire and i'm looking through the eyes of someoneelse

someone else...

is it any wonder why the answer keeps me petrified ,
is it any wonder why ,
i'm scared