Outsmarted By A 14 Year-Old

Note: I tried to emphasize that my current political standpoint is not at a closed minded or set-in-stone stand still, and I don't want to come across as having something against religion. I don't want to offend anyone and am always open for discussion or debate.

Ah, how much I love the North Carolina state fair... rip-off carnival games, rickety roller coasters, deep fried everything-you-can-possibly-imagine... and stupid politicians?

I went to the fair today with two friends of mine. After mindlessly wandering, wasting money on games from which we won a total of 6 stuffed animals combined (but then I lost one -.-), and watching me fall on my face, we focused our efforts on finding the awesome political stickers that everyone was wearing.

If I were eligible to vote, I'd base my votes on liberal/independent ideas, depending on the subject. I declare that outright. However, it's because I am atheist with humanist ideals, and trust in science more than anything. It's not that I renounce those with faith, I just personally don't have one (I even got a sticker from the faith tolerance/world peace booth from the fair XD). One of my two friends, let's call him Joe, is far more outspoken than me. After noticing him run into a lot of people, I jokingly called him clumsy. "I'm only running into people with Romney stickers," he replied.

Pledge For Peace sticker because it's awesome - did not sign the actual pledge because I don't want to be leaving my name and address in a public place, but I support this.

Naturally, this personality resulted in him debating against a man twice his size.

With Joe, our other friend, and I wearing Obama Biden stickers and passing by "Republican Row" in the Hunt Horse Complex on the Fairgrounds (I think...), a random man standing beside a booth looks at me and asks, "Want a sticker?"

It was a "Vote Republican" sticker, so I kind of smirked and said no thanks. (I smirked cause I didn't think he'd offer me one with a blatant Democrat sticker on my shirt, not cause I hate Republicans or something!)

Sticker on the shirt

I asked for four - here are the other three!

He called after me, "Another guy in an Obama sticker came by and took one of my stickers!"

And that unleashed the crazy, unabashed political debater in Joe. He headed back to the man, a Republican candidate for one of the positions on the Wake County Board of Commissioners, who proceeded to say, "there was another man, the one with the Obama sticker, who took one of my stickers after he talked to me, because he listened to me and figured out I was the better candidate."

Joe: "What makes you the better candidate?"

Commissioner candidate: "I'm not like the other guys, my constitution is better."

Joe: "What's different about your Constitution that makes it better?"

Candidate: "I follow my Constitution and my supporters know that. I follow my Constitution."

Joe: "Right, so your Constitution is better because you follow it..."

Joe takes the sticker and begins to walk away, when the candidate called out, "Now you're just being sarcastic, young man!"

Over his shoulder, Joe responded, "No sir, you're wrong. I was being sarcastic the whole time." And promptly throws the sticker away.

None of us even remember this man's name. He was on the right of the Romney-Ryan booth. We also don't know whether this guy was a good candidate or not. Whose fault is that? Joe didn't attack the man because he was looking for a good show. He asked innocent questions that could have been skillfully and smoothly answered. But they weren't. We didn't take flyers or read them because the candidate was right there. Can't he tell us his platform? Tell us what separates him from other candidates and why his position is superior? No?

Get interrogated by a 14 year-old and not be able to answer a single question? What kind of leader does that make?

Quotations are again not exact, but close to truth as I had both my comrades "fact-check" and correct mistakes. Purposeful unintelligent-ification was not used; he really did respond with vague, inconclusive answers.

The Marathon

Wow, it's already well into October, and I have barely been preparing for NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo, what? Is that some kind of weird computer program? No, dearest non-writers. It is National Novel Writing month. And as far as the rules go, it is a marathon.

NaNoWriMo is almost pointless, in retrospect of my decision to absolutely yank myself through it. In one month, aspiring writers write a full novel: 50,000 words. The month of November is only 30 days long (glad they didn't do it in February), so around 1,700 words a day are required to just meet the deadline. Really, to some, that's no challenge. However, my longest story is roughly 9,000 words total. And it's wordy and ramble-some and full of unedited prattle.

Why is that useless? The point of NaNoWriMo is the rigor of novelization. It's about the length; quantity is valued over quality.

I've never tried it because I never have comprehensive enough ideas to make into more than a short story, and never enough time or desire to attempt. This year, I have the least time of all. But if I keep putting it off, then it's never ever going to happen, right?

To my few readers: the one with the initials M.C. should totally try it too. Actually, that's two of you, isn't it?

Yep. Really excited to total fail at this.

Side Note: PSATs and SATs are coming up! I took the pre-ACT (the PLAN, harharhar) two weeks ago, as required by my school and probably the whole county. Also required, the PSAT is this week. As for the SAT, I take mine on November 3rd, the 3rd day of the marathon. I'm trying to get accepted into NCSSM, a public boarding school here in the Triangle. It's extremely selective, which means I've got to get my act together! Give me a hug, SAT vocab list!!

What Kylie Is Up To

Kylie is currently camping out in my room. With her beloved Mrs. B. I spent 15 minutes teaching her the names of three characters from Doctor Who, and she's got them down pat. Then came time for AP World History homework.
"Go find daddy, Kylie."
"No."
"See if daddy has any toys."
"No."

[many minutes and brain cells lost later]
"Kylie, do you have a bear?"
[blank stare]
"Mrs. B? Go get Mrs. B!"

She trotted off to retrieve her plushy teddy and sat down in my closet. Yes, the closet. It's her cave, apparently. A second play area besides the living room.
I'm not embellishing this post because previously mentioned AP World homework is still unfinished, but there is a toddler in my bedroom singing to a teddy bear, using the teddy bear s a pillow, putting the bear down for a nap, and trying to feed the bear...

Enjoy:

- Chichi