Chapters Striken Anew

 Broken World
-Patchog

As the world turns,
All things change,
As the world turns,
All that is known becomes unknown,

From what was once knowledge,
Only chaos remains,
Where asuredness reigned,
Precarious knife-edge foot steps prevail.

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Finding out about ones' future from past dreams, witnessing them through deja'vu in the present can never really prepare you for what the life you live will be like in those moments. Nor do they tell you what brought about those fractions of a second photo that is sent back in time. Are they yours, or are they splinters of alternate realities? Should they be taken up in open arms and paraded around as proof of a glorious righteous path, or hoarded away in a dark cave away from whatever bad luck or evil forces may want with your life?

Regardless, it all seems to have fallen away and becoming a fading memory of a dream. Is this a good thing, or bad thing? Was the ability short lived, or has something occurred someplace to make it stop? Is the gaining of knowledge to blame? More likely the lessening of an open mind to the supernatural and ceasing a lifelong regiment of church going, ergo a lack of religious injections on the regular.
With there no longer being any way of knowing the way forward, every choice seems both more and less crucial. Every option, a path. While all seems bleak, bland, dull, mute, monochrome, it is also colored with finality, abruptness, and wide spanding ... chroma color of life.

So now sailing onward with a sail still young but a bough quite weathered, the next island in life rises before me. On this island rushing towards me awaits a future chalk full of life-long commitment, poor and life altering decisions, as well as a swaddling offspring. With the possible need to dedicate my soul to the organization holding all the triggers in order to afford any life at all, the decision remains if the time has come when there is no more time to decide before it remains as the last and final chance of anything outside a collections agencies eye of burning magnifying glass.

So this just happened ...

Just went to get food, cop car sounds off as I cross the street, road gets blocked off, I wonder why as I hear the wind carry chanting of some kind very faintly, immediately think of the videos I have seen, turn around and down the road I see it, "INJUSTICE anywhere is a crime to JUSTICE" slowly getting closer, I go inside to check on the people inside and order food, curiosity grabs me and I go to check again outside, there are now 2 cop cars siting at the light in front of the restaurant and the protesters are standing in front of the crosswalk like its a dividing line, chanting "WAKE UP, Webster University, WAKE UP!". over the course of the next 30-40 min 4 protesters get arrested, one may be recognized as a Webster student, the protesting group chants "Bring him back!" as one gets taken then "Bring them back!" as more get taken, then after a standoff with the police from city,county, and state officers surrounding them, they walk further into the campus and make their way around the library and onto the campus Quad. By this time I've gotten my food and walked a good distance away showing i am not at all affiliated with the events unfolding nearby despite learning one of the arrested was a student (whom I may have over heard wrong but had been told to get onto the sidewalk and said no, thus getting arrested for obstructing traffic, if I'm not mistaken of course), of course this same thing couldn't be done for any of the rioters as the mob would likely damage international property, in this case the campus itself. so ... that was my eventful food gathering for the night ...

PS: If you watch till about 0:24-0:25, the man that walks out of frame was standing in front of one of the police SUV's that just collected a Webster University student (Andrew). Just after this it attempts to turn around where its at, but then moves down the area of the 3 patrol cars in the center of the traffic light to turn around. just as it leaves sight around the corner a siren can be heard coming in from the right side of this site. This incoming patrol car drops off a officer or two (did not notice the count by this point) to replace the vehicle that just left. there are also 3-4 more patrol vehicles down the street in the distance (you might be able to see the blue lights in the distance) that are sitting at the light down below this location that sits in front of the college dorms and apartments.

The reason for this edit is due to the fact that, based on what people are telling me, the police are stating there were no arrests made, even though there were, not only the protesters, but approx. 20-30 members of the college, both students and staff, were standing around during the course of the hour or more that this group was on the campus.

Short Silent Film

 

Here is a short silent film my team did in 85 min, granted our material was accumulated in about 40 min, but due to battery problems and various comedic side tracking. It was done for our Intro to media class last Thursday the 5th of December. Oh and it is not that long, honest.

Decisions that could kill ...

Thus, it starts, in the way that the old ended. Now it reverts to the age old, "He said, she said" to blame others when nothing was actually said and the reduction of allies trusts to ash. A simple gesture is turned into a meaning worthy of an accusation, an accusation that causes reaction, reactions that have yet to play out to their extent. This is where I lay at this moment; the moment that is reminiscent of a fateful choice; a choice that changed many paths for the better yet is still a mystery as to why. This moment is one of that same rapidity of beats and shakes men cower from, these are the drums that have made the walls of Jericho fall, the same that make the strong into cowards. The moment when Fear itself might run away despite its overwhelming hold it may have, it too cowers from the future actions that have yet to transpire even now, so soon to their inaction.

Fear that treads into the corners of perseverance, dedication, and pride. Will it crush the way of progress that has thus far transpired to aquire that miscule chance of the future long ago had dreams of?  Could it be that the dedication to ones own goal will be taken away in one fowl action? Is it able to wither the pride of family, heritage, and want to not let down ones own family?

How should one go against the confrontation that will soon be based on the stereotypical bully style "give me your lunch money" demeanor? If one were to confront it aggressively, the consequences greatly out way the interest of even thinking so, let alone contemplating how to go about such wordings or mannerisms. Does that then mean one should be the goat on the wire, the easy meal thrown at the zoo?

Neither of these are of decent results to walk by. Still have no idea what to say when it the time comes. We shall see.

University thus far...

   Well the flight was smooth, taxi driver (and ride) not as scary as I was fearing, and so far, all around not so bad. Orientation was ... well what one would expect from a, "welcome and don't worry parents your kids are in good hands, here students, meet fellow noobs (new people)", kind of ordeal. Meaning, pretty gosh darn good.

   Between the free meals for the students (sorry parents), free products with U. labels on them (of course), and fellow incoming 'peeps', as some would say, I felt quite far from home. No, not homesick, but ... well.... to use the 'ole over used line, "We're not in (Ar)Kansas anymore." With the campus feeling "clean," and "civilized," as some fellow students said to me, I have even missed those quirky people from what I gladly call "hometown." Yes, you my Le'Cordon Blu/Anime Con fanatic and go-to-guy for all things pajama pants and social norms. And you, my large bodied, pole wielding, kung-fu friend. Ah, hell, the whole lot of you at the Community College and wherever you may have spread off too, you know who you are.

   As for these 2 days ... make that 3 days now as I see the clock has already gone past 12, I have had the slowest yet most activity filled days, that I can remember, thus far in my life. Not to say they were bad, no sir, simply that they have been far longer then I thought days even could be. Troubles have already started brewing, but that is college and, granted people are expected to change or be 'different' in college, but keeping to the old, younger thought processes, is sadly all too common as well. Though one should indeed enjoy and have fun during their time in college and pursuit of their interests, but 'adults' shouldn't disregard set in place rules, regardless of how 'petty', 'irrelevant', 'childish', or even 'redundant' they may be. Matchbox's have "Warning: Hot", not because the reader isn't expecting to be burned but because someone actually took action against the company for not putting said label on the box.

   Please, do not get mad at me, it is the users responsibility to understand the facility and the regulations surrounding them and their usability. After having been asked, "We are all adults here, right?", by him, then figuratively backhanded for actually paying attention during a meeting about the policies, or having too much caution for them, as well as using the term 'tadle' ... Honestly now?

   I digress, having made at least 1 person angry, with a possible 4-5 others isn't an accomplishment I am trying to state, not at all. Or having done so in only 2 days of 'school' (unclear as to if Orientation actually counts or not). More of the lines that, I find no other way to express myself or convey my thoughts to the letter and mandate of a 'fair-minded critical thinker' should. This being, before actually divulging the full circumstances of this and other incidents that had occurred in just these 2 days alone, I had stated to several OSL's (Orientation Staff Leader) and RA's (Room Assistant) "Not that I wish to hurt these students college life or time in college, but I feel obligated to tell someone about what I have witnessed. And do not know how or whom to tell or even if I should. again I do not want to, but they have already been told what they are doing is not right or allowed." Even after going to an SGA (Student Government Association) member and saying the same thing above and asking if it was right even though I have inevitably made enemy's, "What you did was right, they may not like you now, but in the long run it will be good for them, you did what you thought was right, and it was."

   I have to apologize, as well, for those reading and likely not understanding. I do not have a journal, and needed to at least set this out there. To family, well here is my proverbial window, have a seat, likely to be more on the way if I keep feeling the need to 'vent'.

Load Times and an Ode

Realized that load times for this blog may have been extremely high, by reducing the image size of all previous posts, this may or may not help. Regardless it gets that scroll bar at the bottom out of the way and lines the pictures better.

The following are for a Ode I put together in about 20 min. For those that do not know the circumstances, please enjoy the laughs at least.

Don't worry if you don't get any references, it is intended for him and his.

Reads like a flip-book.

That darn white stuff everywhere.

Here is a pic of snow here where im at... 4 - 9 inches of it in places