So the question was actually "Who preferred Auden?" but the general response is the same.

Silence. "So no one preferred Auden?" A tentative hand is raised. "Kind of?" And to the class you have just said that yes, killing puppies is kind of okay.

Alright, so killing puppies might be an extreme and not very accurate analogy, but you are pretty much condemned. You are in the wrong. At least that's how I feel. It doesn't help when the teacher goes on and on about the wonderful intricacies of saving puppies, and the class goes on about saving puppies, and you gave your lame-ass reasoning for killing them first. It's disheartening to say the least. Why not just shut up and stay quiet? Part of your grade depends on expressing your ideas, but when your ideas are killing puppies, you are not looked upon kindly.

So this is basically my weird analogy for looking stupid and having the class (and teacher) think you are dumb. But that can be crippling for an individual, you know? If that individual is me. And I realize I need to adjust my attitude and then it won't be so awful, but it won't change the minds of your classmates who think you are wrong or of your teacher who thinks you missed the point. You're on an island, and you need to get used to it, or go crazy like me.

This actually wasn't going to have anything to do with the looking stupid bit, but it just came out like that when I came to writing it. This is what I thought of on my way out of my Intro to Lit class. And then I turned on Phill and Phil's Perfect Ten and kind of forgot all about it until just now.

Anyone else been in the killing puppies situation? Someone must. It's not unusual, I imagine.

On a slightly related topic, my mythology class is basically like this: "What color is this?" And you're totally colorblind. At least it's not FP, which is that the world is just stupidly idealistic.

"One of my many theories about short stories is that their titles and first lines ought to be memorable, because if not memorable they will not be remembered, and if not remembered the stories will not be reprinted (because no one can find them)." - Damon Knight

I am planning on submitting a short story of mine for a scholarship. I don't really think I'll get it, but, hey, might as well try. I really need to sort of rewrite it. Anyway. Wait, wait. I don't even know which story I'm doing. Yikes. That's a little worrisome.... Well, I have two possibilities. I just need to choose. And then revise.

"Grease lying! Go! Grease lying!" Sorry, I'm listening to 15 Minute Musical - Washington High School Musical. And that's McCain's/the ending song. It's kinda whatever, but a little fun. Over now. Hm.

I need to finish doing some things now. And... don't ask me what the quote had to do with this post. It didn't really, much. Except maybe I should keep that in mind. I don't even know who Damon Knight is, and I'm too lazy to find out.

Anyway, later!

...... I can't do it. Simple as that, I can't do it.

Which is bad, because a) I have to write my Jim Henson speech for forensics and b) I need to write some college application essays and c) I need to write an ancient history essay today.

............. I hate this.

The AW essay NEEDS to get done today. Or at least, 90% done. The speech needs to get done today. Or, well, 90% done. The essays I need to do this week. I need to apply this week. The second NaNoWriMo begins, I'm going to be off on that and will have no time for anything else. Why? Because in addition to my 50,000 word novel, I'm doing some short stories, and plan to use the momentum I get from writing my NaNovel to do that.

Well, now I know my career choices are limited at least, knowing that I can't write essays and speeches. If you can, you are lucky and amazing and I bow down to you in your supremacy.

Fiction is EASY. You toss some people together and a conflict and voila. Speeches/essays, though... *shakes head* They should poof out of existence.