*ahem*

I know, not exactly original, Tigah, everyone posts about him. It’s been done, thousands of time.

Well, Assumed Voice of the Reader, that is false. I have not done it. I’ve never given my imput. So here is my say on the matter of Dan, TheTheologiansCafe.

Let me start out by stating the obvious. Dan can be a douche. There have been some posts that were over the line. And the whole boobs thing is rather immature (though, admittedly funny, at times). And yes, his blog can be boring with the general, repetitive questions.

Now that that’s out of the way, I highly respect Dan. He gets a bad rap from far too many people. And usually those people are just seeking attention anyway, needlessly repeating what the last drama queen said. Maybe you guys should just get together and make a single ”I Hate Dan” post you can pass around whenever your traffic is low? They’re normally the ones complaining about “trolls” and the Xanga Team, too.

Anyway…

Dan’s been around for awhile. Even if he can be, well, Dan, do you honestly think what you say negatively about him will change anything for the better? Besides getting fellow Danites to unsub you? If you do, I recently read a comment Dan left on one such post. {I doubt he’d care if I post it (we’re study buddies, after all)}, so maybe this’ll change your mind:

“There is no right way to respond to it.  Take today for example.  I got up at 5:00 to take my son to basketball practice before school.  I came back home and got ready for work.  I then went to work and worked from 7:30 a.m until 5:30 p.m.  I checked xanga twice from work today.  One time was to timestamp and the other time I read my messages….I came and left a quick comment.  I then went back to working hard at my job.  I then drove home in Houston traffic.  I then picked up my dry cleaning and went and picked up some stuff from the grocery store that my wife wanted.  I then took my oldest son for a walk around the block a few times as he told me what was going on in his life.

I just now logged on to xanga again and it is 7:00 p.m. my time. At this point on xanga, I really don’t think people who post about me really “burn” me.  They just post about me and say whatever it is they are going to say.  Every single person who has ever posted about me sounds the same to me.  It is like blah blah blah blah blah.  It is the same stuff.

So I just keep blogging and for the most part I just leave a little neutral comment.  Do I think less of the people that write negative posts about me?  Yes.  Does it sometimes bother me like in this thread when I have been nice to a great deal of people who commented about me but not one of them decided to take up for me?  Yes. I have encouraged some of the people who commented above me when they were depressed.  But that is the way it is for some on xanga.

But I just keep going because I know who is a friend to me. 

None of us are professionals on xanga.  We are just blogging about whatever is on our mind.  I don’t even claim to be a writer.  I just post on my blog.”

That is Dan. His life is not this site. He has a family, a job: a life. Yes, he is effected by what happens on Xanga, he’s still a human being (despite popular Xangan myths). But it won’t make him suicidal or cause him to shut down his site (that’s actually more of a hopeful assumption). And, although usually more posts seen with his name are negative, he’s obviously doing something right. When was the last time you got over 400 comments? Heck, I never see 40. And even though he’s busy, and I can’t even imagine what his private inbox looks like, he still takes time to pay attention to the majority of the community. I honestly, 100% believe, if it wasn’t for him, Xanga would be far worse off then it is now.

He’s not the careless robot sometimes portrayed, nor the power-hungry troll, but he’s not the “everybody’s best friend,” or the highly optimistic Savior of Xanga, either. He’s a little bit of everything.

He’s Dan, TheTheologiansCafe.

One day, a man named Percy Charles was having lunch with his extremely small, lifelong friend, Mack. Both, having lost their jobs within a week of each other, were in a financial crisis. They sat eating their sandwiches discussing ways to earn some money. When desert came, Percy found he was too full to finish his cake, so he gave it to Mack, who was polishing off his bowl of ice cream. When they had finished, they decided to go to the university nearby where they heard there was an opening for a janitor.

When Percy and Mack arrived, the professor to whom they needed to speak was busy giving a lecture, so they waited outside the door for him to finish. Above the door, a sign read “Advanced Quantum Physics.” As the professor wrote out an equation of the chalkboard, Percy noticed an odd look on Mack’s face. When the professor finished writing out the equation, Mack shook his head furiously, insisting the man was wrong. Percy, knowing Mack was no college professor, tried reasoning with him, but Mack could not be discouraged; and, much to Percy’s despair, Mack waltzed into the room and declare the professor was wrong. The professor, with a mix of indignation and amusement, urged Percy’s midget friend to prove it. Mack pushed a chair to the board, stood on it, then picked up a piece of chalk. With barely a sound, by the time Percy had finished blinking, Mack had erased, then rewritten the entire equation, including sidenotes explaining what the professor had done wrong.

Percy then realized that ice cream with marble cake was the key to solving all of their problems.

What Percy Charles did next changed the technology of the entire world. He made a box with a trap door on one end, and a screen on the other. Then an ice-cream-and-marble-cake high Mack climbed in. For only two dollars, one could write any question they desired on the screen. Then, unbeknownst to them, Mack could read their question, then write an answer (backwards, of course), all within seconds. “P.C.’s Magic Box” became famous. With business booming, Percy was able to hire some of Mack’s friends. But not long after, one of the midgets decided to strike it rich on his own, and made his own box. Soon, midget boxes were everywhere, and the sale of marble cake and ice cream was through the roof!

But no one ever forgot the pioneers in this technological advancement. Percy Charles and Mack are very well off, and in their honor, these “magic midget boxes” are known today as either a “Mac” or a “PC.”

Some of you may recall there was a rather long period of time the latter part of last year that I was forced off of Xanga due to lack of internetability (the ability to get on the internet). During my absence, things happened, as they tend to do. Xanga life took no notice of my sudden disappearance, and, seeing as it has no manners, didn’t hit the pause button for me, so I fear I missed out on some things, like people disappearing, things no longer happening, so I had a few questions:

Is the economy of Xanga any better?

Is DearRicky really gone?

Did edlives stop doing the Xangan news?

In your personal opinion, who are the protagonist and the antagonist of Xanga?

Am I the only one who can’t wait for 2012 because the theme song of the year will be “It’s the End of the World as We Know It?”

Why do old ladies/health nuts deny the veggieness of potatoes like Bill Cliton denied having a relationship with Monica Lewinsky?

Just answer if you can. You may notice some of these things have to do with the drama side of our wonderful community. See, I like the drama. I followed it like one would follow a semi-interesting movie: you are not directly involved, and whatever you say won’t really be heard by the actual participants, but it’s interesting, and though you aren’t consumed by it, you don’t like to miss things going on. I know, most of you are opposed to the drama, but you know what they say, drama makes Xanga go ’round. Or maybe that’s The Theologian’s Cafe…anyway, since my return, I’ve noticed the scene has changed. Same movie, but different actors, and I have yet to see just where the drama went. I’ve no doubt I’ll find it, but this is a bit off topic.

Anyway, don’t forget to jump in to my upcoming periodical short stories of Xanga, The Xeries. So far, there’s four of us. But I have faith it’ll grow, and we’ll have a blast. Look into it anyway, please and thank you.

Have a good day!!!

It’s decided. I shall go through with my idea, as seen here. 

So, here’s the sitch (yes, I did just quote Kim Possible): I’ve tagged those who have already expressed interest in joining my evil scheme to take over the world one blogging site at a time yet-to-be-named series (the title is simple a suggestion. I still need some ideas from you people). Please follow the instructions below to complete your initiation. If you weren’t tagged, but would also like to join, I guess you can follow the instructions, too:

First, rec this post to help get the word out. The more, the merrier!

Then, leave a comment, congratulating me on my brilliance giving a word of encouragement and any ideas you may have, including but not limited to a good title for the series.

Then scroll down a bit, and on the left of the page, under the section “Connect”, click on “Send a message”.

Entitle the message The Xeries, then include:

* The name by which you wish to go by in the stories. (It can be whatever you want, as long as it’s not preposterous)

* What you would like your character to do (as a career, or student, or whatever)

* 5 things about you, personally. (NOT your character) It could be a hobby, something you love, something you hate, anything. As I said, I want this series to portray the Xangans accurately.

* How long you’ve been on xanga. (This includes any previous sites.)

After typing your message, including the above, click “send.”

And viola! You’re in!

Now, here’s the 411: I’m going to reply to your message with a secret encrypted message which allows me to control your mind with a message thanking you and informing you of any changes that might need to be made. Then, in a week or so, I shall post the introduction to the series. Now, I want to accurately portray each character as they are in real (or at least cyber) life, but I’m not God. I want your character to be like you, but it wont be you. It will still be a character controlled by me (scary, I know) so it will say things, do things, and be things I make it do/say/be. So don’t flip out if your character turns out to be a villain or responds to a situation in a way you wouldn’t. Keep in mind it’s still fiction. If it actually legitimately bugs you, message me, and I’ll see if I can do something about it. (I know, I’m the author, so of course I can do something. What I mean is I’ll see if your petty complaining is worth my time to fix, or if you just need to deal with it.)

Also, I imagine as the series continues, more people will join, so don’t expect your character to be in every story.

Again, I implore you to rec and give me some ideas about both the series and it’s title. Thanks bunches!

Story so far:

Prologue

Catnapped!

Catnapped! The Conclusion

The Baker Street Murder

And now…

From the guy that brought you Dan Yahtzee…

A coauthor of Xanga Falls…

And the study buddy of Dan…

Comes an idea so big…

He starts its announcement off in both italics, in the third person, and…

With big gaps of space between certain phrases.

It is…

An Interesting, Adventurous, and Hopefully Good Idea!!!!

That’s right, I’ve got yet another idea. Seeing as how my time online is increasing, I figured now would be a good time to give it. As you may or may not have noticed, I enjoy writing. Fiction especially. It’s so much fun. I had a blast doing Xanga Falls. (for those of you who haven’t heard of it, it was a series of short stories authored by Xangans, about Xanga. Sort of. It was awesome. I can post links if so desired.) I’d like to think I’m pretty good at writing it too. At least, I’ve never been told otherwise. So, I was thinking the other day, why not combine two of my favorite things: fiction, and Xanga?

My idea is sort of like Xanga Falls, but with some major differences. I would like to write short stories, maybe one or two a month so it doesn’t wear me (or the readers) out, with you (yes you, right there, on the other side of the screen), the Xangans, as all of the main characters. If you were interested in being in the series, you would message me your name (what you want to go by in the stories. It can be whatever you want, as long as it’s not preposterous), what you would like your character to do (as a career, or student, or whatever), and 5 things about you. It could be a hobby, something you love, something you hate, anything. Even though it’s fiction, I want your character to represent the actual you. It makes it more fun for everyone.

Now I’m not saying it’s a for sure thing, so don’t start massaging me. I want to see if enough people would be interested. If you are, let me know in a comment. And if you could help me get the word out by recommending this post, it would help the process along.

Also, I would need a spiffy title for it, so suggestions are encouraged!

Abandoned. Forgotten.

Alone. Without hope.

Wandering aimlessly.

No way to cope.

Razors speaking

What my lips cannot.

My subconscious remembering

What my pain forgot.

This pain, again

I use to hide

The growing darkness

I feel inside.

I use this pain

As a way to escape

Surrounding myself

In bright caution tape.

For certainly here

A murder occurred:

For it’s been an eternity

Since my heart has stirred.

That which sustains me

Now trickles down

What keeps me alive

I pour on the ground

The One I’ve waited for

so longingly

Finally comes!

Tis Death: I’m free!

…

…

Eyes flicker open

Lighting surrounds

I’m still alive?

The fact astounds.

So evil, cruel Death

Still causes me strife

Forcing me on

In this meaningless life.

OhItWontBeForever challenged Xanga to write a poem they didn’t feel. So I did. I do not, nor have ever felt this way. Whaddya think?

Hi. It’s me, again. I know, you probably can’t read this since you left two days ago, but I felt like writing you a letter anyway. We were together for 365 days, so you deserve that.

We started out kinda rough. I was just getting over a heartbreak, and I had decided it was time to move on. I was done hurting, and put it behind me, burying it in 2009 to stay. But midway through January, it reached it nasty hand out and took one last swipe at me. It hurt, but I got over it.

Then sometime in February (i think), I was told by my ex-girlfriend of a year and a half that she liked me again. This took me completely by surprise. I had no idea what to think. Since our break up, she hadn’t been with the best of guys, and wasn’t too sure what to think of her. Plus, I had a few friends telling me not to go for it. I told her I wasn’t sure how I felt, which was true enough, but I had also decided I wasn’t going to go out with her again. But after a ski trip, I noticed she was different. Also in this month, my principal and dear friend of 10 years resigned.

In March, I turned 17. Yet another disappointing birthday. 3 months in, you weren’t looking so good, Twenty-Ten.

April. I can’t think of anything that happened in April. I was disappointed I didn’t get to pull any pranks on the 1st, but I don’t remember why.

In May, our school went to the regional competition of Christian schools, and I took 1st in preaching for the 2nd year in a row, proving to me that’s the road God wants me to take. Shortly after, I was honored by being the guest preacher one Sunday evening at my own church. Another notable thing that happened towards the end of May was a trip to Cedar Point. It was the 2nd of what is now a yearly tradition. On the way there and back, I had to sit next to who else but my ex. Don’t ge me wrong, I didn’t hate her. Actually, I had noticed a change in her, for the better. I just didn’t want people to get the wrong idea. After all, there was no way I was going to date her again.

On the way home, she fell asleep on my shoulder.

June. Summer! The end of my Junior year! Was I happy? Not in the least. I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since at least May. Why? I couldn’t get her out of my head. My feelings for her had changed; they were not what my mind wanted them to be. She had already broken up with me. I shouldn’t give her another chance. Friends even knew I shouldn’t go out with here. And yet, I liked her. She had definitely changed. To me, she was almost a different person. Then, it happened. A bunch of us were hanging out in her basement (she has a rockin’ basement) and something happened that settled my mind.

A few days later, June 14 to be exact, after a brief, nerve-racking talk with her father, I asked Maggie out. Again.

The rest of the summer went great. Busy, but good. Except for a disappointing visit with some friends. Then school started. Someone I had once thought awesome turned out to be a douche. and he now attends our school. Also, my desire for basketball completely vanished, but seeing as I was/am one of two consistently good players, I couldn’t quit. And my turned-out-to-be-one-of-the-best-decisions-of-my-life-cuz-she’s-so-amazing girlfriend took on an afternoon job, and I haven’t really seen her as much as I would like, but we’re awesome, so it’ll be ok.

I also won the school presidency for the 4th year in a row. I am the best president my school has ever had, no joke. I plan on writing  how-to book for generations to come.

Christmas wasn’t that great, so you didn’t end on that good of a note, but overall, you were a turning point in my life. From the middle of ’08, life had taken a downturn. Life wasn’t good at all. But around mid-’10, things started looking up. And continue to do so. 2011 seems a bit scary right now, but I’ll take it a day at a time. I am cautiously optimistic.

Twenty-Ten: we had a pretty good run. But me and Twenty-Eleven will have an even better one.

So how was everyone’s Christmas? Good I hope. Here’s your Christmas post, one day late.

I never have liked Christmas. Surprising, coming from a Christian, I know. It’s not the whole Jesus’ birthday thing. I believe it’s the time of year He was born and everything, and I like the Sunday school play we do (sometimes), and yes, I am grateful He came to live then die for us. But I’m grateful for that all year, so that’s not anything new on Christmas.

It’s the other side I don’t like. The “magical” one. Sure, it makes for good movies. I like the first “Santa Clause” with Tim Allen.  The “Home Alone”s are good. “Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer” is a classic. The Grinch is also fun. But they all promise a Christmas magic, that just happens, no matter what or where, as long as you believe. That’s the part that ruins Christmas, because it’s always a let down. Growing up with two sisters and two brothers, and being the youngest, I was used to not getting much; and if I did, it was a hand-me-down. I didn’t mind. I learned that you don’t always get what you want. But the way Christmas is portrayed, that’s the one time a year that everyone is supposed to get what they want. Yet I never did.  I never had that moment where I got to scream “This is exactly what I wanted!” That’s probably why it was easy for me to believe Santa wasn’t real-even though everyone insists he knows what you want, he never brought it. Fat cheap skate. Anyway, I thought that might change as my siblings moved out. You know, less kids equals more money. But I was wrong. I had to start depending on my oldest sister for any present worth getting. Then Satan possessed her and she cut ties with us.The next year was the only time I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas, and I had to pay for most of it. (It was a Playstation 2. My brother broke while I was away that summer)

Now I know, this seems like a pity party post. And it sort of is. But it’s Christmas, so I can say what I want. Besides, I’m just explaining my view of Christmas.

Anyway, that was three years ago. Two years ago, I think I got $50. Last year, I got an outfit. This year, I got a shirt. Not like a dress shirt or anything. It’s still kinda cool. But still, a shirt? I think next year, they’ll just take a picture of something they think I might like and stick it on the fridge. There was a couple of other things that happened that gave me a humbug spirit. But, at least it’s over, and we’re on to New Years.

I hope you all had a merry Christmas, as for me, I like Halloween better.

Wow. It’s been awhile. Too long. I miss you guys. I’ve lost track of people who used to impact my life on nearly a daily basis. It sucks; this internet abstinence I’ve been forced into. All the promises of getting high speed internet, like most of the promises my parents make me, is unfulfilled. Oh well, I’ll survive.

Life’s been an odd mix of busy and boring. Basketball takes up way too much of my time. It’d be better if I liked it, but I don’t. I hate it. But the team needs me, and my school would be pretty ticked if I quit it. Then I have a bunch of church things I’m involved in. So I have like zero time to hang out with friends. If I do, I try to make it like a group thing, but it usually doesn’t pan out.

On a more positive note, me and my amazing girlfriend’s six month anniversary is tomorrow.  We’re pretty awesome. Even though she has no intention of marrying me, and has made it quite evident she will break up with me someday (soon, I expect. I’m surprised she’s stayed with me this long ), my goal is to postpone that day as long as possible. She’s pretty, funny, smart, awesome, and she wants to please God with her life. And she’s very pretty. It’s not too often a guy like me gets to date a girl like her, and I’m very happy and hope she is too. I don’t get to see her too often since she has a job during most of school, which is kinda bummy, but I’m glad she’s doing something she likes. Did I mention she’s pretty? She won’t let me have a picture of her cuz she’s afraid I’ll be one of those boyfriends that shoves a picture in someone’s face saying “See that? Yeah, I’m dating THAT!” Which I totally wouldn’t be, except for one time, and that’s only cuz he did it to me, and his girlfriend is fat and ugly, but he just kept going on about her and shoving her picture in my face *shivers*

Anyway, I like my girlfriend.

I’m going to try to get on more than once every two months, or however long it’s been, for the 5 of you that still read what I have to say. And not just update posts like this. Real ones like I used to do. Wish me luck. Also, if anything noteworthy has happened, let me know, would you?

Have you ever seen a preview for a movie that looked so awesome, you couldn’t stop talking about it? Up until the time it came out, you praised it, and told all of your friends about it, and got them excited for it, too. Then finally, the day it comes out, you go to see it, with your now excited friends of course. But as you sit there, watching your long-awaited movie, about halfway through, you realize something. This movie that you couldn’t wait for, that you thought was so awesome: it sucks. Your friends are looking at you with an expression that says “You got me pumped for this?” And you slowly sink into your chair, watching the horrible plot unfold, embarrassed for wasting your, and your friends’ time and money.
Has that happened to you? Cuz it happened to me, only it wasn’t a movie; it was a person.
See, I spent a week with this guy at a camp like 3 or 4 years ago. We were on the same team, and we kicked butt all week. He was pretty cool, and although we didn’t hang out that much that week, we seemed to have hit it off. We exchanged numbers and texted every now and then. And for the next two years, every time we would see him (which was maybe twice) I got excited and sorta made a big deal about him. My friends became his friends, and he became an extended part of our circle. Although I wasn’t able to go, my friends went to camp with him last summer, and afterwords my friends knew him better than I did. But for some reason, they didn’t like him as much as I did. On an overnight skiing trip, I found out why.
He was not who I remembered. Two camps this summer proved it, and now he goes to our school. And I had friends asking me why I liked him so much, and I had to apologize for building him up to be an awesome guy. Now he’s dating my friend’s sister (my friend is not too thrilled about it) and they have sort of a middle school puppy love thing going on that probably won’t end well.(They’re trying to be a better couple than my girlfriend and I, but that’s not gonna happen. They keep getting into trouble, and our teacher even thanked us for being a better couple. We rock ) But I can’t help thinking some of it might be my fault. It’s not my fault he’s a douche, but maybe he wouldn’t have weaseled his way into our lives so easily if I hadn’t paved the way for him.
Has this ever happened to you?