Oh look, yet-to-be-named fairytales.

So, I know some of you may have read this already, and some have not. Some will like it, some will hate it, and some will say they like it to spare my feelings.
Please don't.
If you can be bothered, read it. No need to, just thought I'd post it.
Harsh criticism is welcomed.
Be Simon Cowell.
I'm currently working on Chapter 3, so I'm not too far into it. Just hoping it'll go somewhere further than what I have lined out. I'm taking my time on this one unlike the others, so hopefully it'll work out a little better.
Note: Please forgive any grammar/spelling mistakes. It's an extremely rough draft that has yet to be edited, so any misspelled words or lost commas are there for the count.
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Prologue
The wind whistling at her back, Bria turned around quickly. She was staring in the face of her worst enemy… “Well, this isn’t worth reading” I mumbled to myself. I was reading this new book, supposedly the ‘must read’ of the summer, as everyone in my school was talking about it. Figures that yet again I would be the only person in my high school who hated what the others obsessed over.
I had gotten about two chapters into the three hundred page book before deciding I shouldn’t waste my time. Why? Well, because I had more important things to do; I do have a life you know.
Personally, I’m one of those ‘don’t put off till tomorrow what you could get done today’ kind of person. That trait is, as I’m sure you could guess, a rather unusual one for the common teenager.
Then again, I’m not your average teenager.
So, anyway, back to what I was telling you before. This book I was reading, Bria’s Great Adventure (the title alone was so fake it could kill), was, to say the least, as boring as trying to have a conversation with a tissue. A used one, too, more likely then not.
This book, a simple compilation of pages with a few hundred-thousand strategically placed words could have been a literary masterpiece, somehow though, it wound up being a carbon copy of the vast majority of books out there, swirling in the vortex of the human mind.
With its pathetic dialogue, no real storyline, and the ever-popular cliches, I was almost asleep by the time I’d finished the first page. Once I got to this part, the ‘shocking’ chapter where ‘Bria faces her arch enemy’, I had to lay the book down, not being able to take it a moment longer.
I leaned back against the trunk of the apple tree I was sitting in, letting the book rest over a branch, its pages flapping lightly in the breeze.
After a few failed attempts to actually sleep in this very tree, I opened my eyes, straightening my back, and pulled a bright, ruby red apple from the branch above me.
Biting into it, after checking for worm holes and bruises and such, I munched away staring out at the sky. The clouds were looking an angry shade of gray, and I could feel the air start to dampen.
Finishing my apple, throwing the core into the orchard below for the animals to peck at, and grabbing my book, I hopped down from my tree.
I had walked a mere three yards away from the safe, high apple tree when I heard something rustling in the orchard.
Instead of glancing around to check for followers, I merely shifted my eyes to look around me and kept walking. Since I saw nothing, nor heard anything more, I decided it had been just an animal, a shiver in the breeze perhaps. Even though I knew better than to assume such things. Yet a different noise woke me from this blissful oblivion.
The sound of a gunshot, loud and fast, was ringing in my ears. As I stopped dead in my tracks, I listened carefully, hearing nothing but the wind for a moment. I actually began to think I had imagined it, but my mind floated back to that second. I decided that even though it could have been someone hunting, not a sport I admire by the way, I would check it out to make sure.
Before I had taken a step backwards I was thrown to the ground, my book laid open a few paces away.
I could not see the face of my attacker, as I had been hurled to the ground face down, and there happened to be a speck of dirt in my eye. How nice.
I realized the futility of trying to sit up after the first time I tried it, as I was pushed down yet again, a large brown boot across my back. The next time, however, I had a plan.
Again I tried to straighten myself, but when the boot came down, as I suspected it would, I grabbed the heel and pulled with all the strength I had.
Sure enough, this unknown bully fell to the ground beside me with a loud thump.
“Aha, I see you’ve been training, Valkyrie.”
I froze as I heard this person say my name. He knew me.
How though, I didn’t have a clue. I kept my name hidden well, only the few closest to me knew even the first syllable. By the speaker’s voice, I didn’t recognize him. Yet there was something familiar about it all the same.
I still had that dirt in my eye, so when I turned to look at the mysterious stranger I wound up blinking furiously and squinting, nothing fully coming into focus.
Once my eyesight came back to me, I to face the unfamiliar attacker, and when I did, I realized something.
I did know him.
“Adrian…” I whispered, shocked.
My mind was reeling at this point; I didn’t remember where I was for a moment. When everything came back, it was even worse.
He was here.
How he was here, however, was a different story entirely.
He should have been in prison or maybe a deep, dark ditch somewhere. For all he’d cost me in the last month alone, he could have been blasted into outer space for all I cared. But where was he instead?
He was in the one part of my life that I shouldn’t have to think about him. Or anything else that went along with the…other part of my life.
“Yes, yes it’s me. I realized this would be somewhat of a shock for you, though surely you understand that it is my job, and I haven’t any control over what I must do.” He said, a little too confidently for my taste.
Though, sadly for me, I knew just how little control he really had; especially if he got angry.
Oh well, time to put on the ‘Miss Bravery’ thing again; the smart mouthed, kick-butt attitude, and all that jazz.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Adrian. I’d hate for you to have to go back and choke out ‘I failed’ to your beloved master. He’s really more like a prison warden if you think about it.”
This displeased him.
“My master is a brilliant man. Far superior to your Dauntra. What sort of a name is that, might you tell me? I suppose it’s nothing to you, what with ‘Valkyrie’ and all, but I do say it’s quite strange and –“
He was cut off from his name-bashing when I kicked him, driving the steel toe of my boot straight into his knee. He howled in pain, stumbling back as I glared at him.
“Adrian, I don’t know why you waste your time with me. You know you’ll never win and you know you’d be better off frolicking in the countryside somewhere rather than trying to obey the man who’s tortured your entire life into being a meaningless speck on the universe. Why don’t you go back to Lane and find a daisy patch somewhere? It’ll be like this part of your life never happened. At least you have that option.”
His eyes blazed and I realized I’d said something to tick him off. But don’t I always?
“No one speaks of my master and no one speaks of Lane.”
“Oh, such witty comebacks. I’m shaking in my boots, really I am.”
He didn’t like that. He lunged at me, grabbing my hair and throwing me to the ground.
Of course, I deserved it. Since Lane was his crazed girlfriend, who was stuck in prison now, it wasn’t exactly the nicest thing I could have said. But I never said I was the nicest person on the planet, now did I? I’m barely a ‘person’ to begin with.
I sighed, picking myself off of the ground yet again, wiping the dirt off of my paper-white face, and realized that he wasn’t looking at me. Never turn your back on the enemy, I thought to myself, before punching him square in the jaw. He stumbled again, holding his face and glaring at me. I rolled my eyes and stepped slightly to the left when he lunged at me. And then I saw it.
A shiny, black revolver had slipped out of his back pocket and was just a foot from where he now lay. I chanced another glance at him, before swooping in, grabbing the gun and checking to make sure it was loaded before placing my boot on his back.
He turned his head ever-so-slightly to look me in the eye. I noticed him tense up, readying himself to make a move, and I tilted my head to one side and pointed it at his head. I raised one eyebrow, daring him to move. He turned his head, as if looking for an escape, but there was none. Before I could make another motion, he gave me a sly smile and vanished. My boot fell through the air where he had been with a thump.
Well, I thought. That’s new.

Ah, defeat.

So the Rays lost.
We had a 7-0 lead until the seventh inning, and we lost.
-Sigh-
Oh well.
On to Saturday. Would be nice to win at home, hmm?

Multi-Meg

So I'm really ticked that some of my pictures seem to have lost themselves...Not quite sure what that's about, but I'll get over it.

In any case, I was playing with my camera program the other day. Thought I'd post the result.

What the hay?

Just when you think that you're down and out...

I'm expecting none of you to read this because it's about baseball.
---
Game 5 of the ALCS [American League Championship Series] starts at 8:07 tonight.
I am ready to fall out of my chair.
The Rays are currently winning the series 3 games to 1 over the Boston Red Sox. If the Rays can win tonight, they've got themselves a trip to the World Series. If not, however, they will have to come back to good old Tampa Bay and play Game 6. And possibly 7. Though we're really counting on them winning tonight so as to avoid all of that.
Personally I think it would really be quite nice to kick the snot out of Boston at their home field, and stain their clubhouse with champagne and Ray-excitement. Since we know St. Petersburg will be having enough parties of their own tonight, should they win.
So, in honor of their awesomeness, my dad is currently fixing my yorkie's mohawk, and I've been listening to Down and Out by Tantric over and over and over again.
The significance of the song, you ask?
Duh. Evan Longoria's batting song. And considering how much of a wrecking ball he's been in himself, what can it hurt?
Yes, it's the second song on my playlist. Go listen. Give some home team support, will you?
Now let's shoot over to the NLCS [National League Championship Series] for a sec.
PHILLIES WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN.
*Ahem*
They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1. [Let me mention now that you play seven games. Whoever wins four first wins the series and goes to the World Series. If one team wins four before you get to the seventh game - or even the sixth or fifth - then you've no need to play the extras.]
Granted, I would have liked the Dodgers to win more than one game, what with former Yankees manager Joe Torre being their manager now and all...But it's all good. I wanted the Phillies in, anyway.
So if the Rays [er, WHEN the Rays] beat Boston, it'll be both our hometown teams in the World Series.
How cool is that?
...I know you're confused. Yes I'm from New Jersey, no Philadelphia, but my parents went to a bunch of their games, and it really was pretty close. Plus there isn't a New Jersey team. So there.
Dasuke Matsuzaka is pitching for the Red Sox tonight - we lost to him in Game 1 of the series - and it's Scott Kazmir for the Rays, in place of James Shields, who was slotted to start tonight, but instead would start Game 6 in Tampa, should it be needed. Hopefully not.
Hope Kaz got some rest yesterday. Maybe we can make it another home run derby like the last three games?

Ah, one more thing about the playlist...

Well I had to.
I already had all the songs on it - yes, all 75 - just to make sure I didn't put any on twice...
So I figured, what the hell. Let's post 'em.
Go through the list - if you can be bothered - and see if you can stand any. Then scroll down and listen to them. Or find one that sounds interesting and see if you like it.
Simple.
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Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche - Escape the Fate
Down and Out - Tantric
All Over You - LIVE
Crawling in the Dark - Hoobastank
Superman's Dead - Our Lady Peace
Who Knew - P!nk
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Warning - Green Day
He Wasn't - Avril Lavigne
Minority - Green Day
All For You - Sister Hazel
The Anthem - Good Charlotte
Fat Lip - Sum 41
Opheliac - Emilie Autumn
Hit the Floor - Bullet For My Valentine
All These Things I Hate - Bullet For My Valentine
Lobotomy For Dummies - Zebrahead
Fall Back Down - Rancid
Ruby Soho - Rancid
Jenny Don't Be Hasty - Paulo Nutini
Troublemaker - Weezer
Beverly Hills - Weezer
Broken - 12 Stones
Broken - Seether
Already Over - Red
Going Under - Evanescence
My Immortal - Evanescence
Automatic Flowers - Our Lady Peace
Shockwave - Black Tide
Be Your Own Pet - The Kelly Affair
Temporary Insanity - The Weekend
Mobscene - Marilyn Manson
Image of the Invisible - Thrice
Devastation and Reform - Relient K
Wings of a Butterfly - HIM
Drops of Jupiter - Train
Lazy Generation - The F-Ups
Liar - Taking Back Sunday
Breath [4 a.m.] - Anna Nalick
Scars - Papa Roach
She Says - Unwritten Law
Riot - Sugarcult
This Is For Real - Motion City Soundtrack
We Sleep Forever - Aiden
Fake Tales of San Francisco - The Arctic Monkeys
Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm
A Little's Enough - Angels & Airwaves
Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace
The Freshman - The Verve Pipe
I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty
What's My Age Again? - Blink-182
American Pie - Don McLean
Predictable - Good Charlotte
When It All Falls Apart - The Veronicas
4Ever - The Veronicas
Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
Headstrong - Trapt
Cold Hard Bitch - Jet
One Thing - Finger Eleven
Not Ready To Die - Demon Hunter
Break Stuff - Limp Bizkit
Wake Up - Three Days Grace
Before I Forget - Slipknot
Bodies - Drowning Pool
Here I Stand - Madina Lake
The Good Left Undone - Rise Against
When Did Your Heart Go Missing - Rooney
Lithium - Nirvana
You Be The Hero - Joan Red
Freaxxx - Brokencyde
Shut Up - Simple Plan
Kryptonite - Three Doors Down
Girl Next Door - Saving Jane
Just Like A Pill - P!nk
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
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Note: They are not all in the order they are in the playlist. This was the original order, I didn't like it, and changed some around. Most of them are pretty close though.
Just FYI.

Mind of Mencia

So Carlos Mencia.
Freaking awesome. I don't care how many people say he steals skits.
Freaking awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q_n8z3auC4
...PG-13 in the highest level. If you're the slightest bit offended by 'language,' stayyy awayy.
Oh, and if you're offended by anything, stay away.
He's brilliant though.
And if you can stay NOT offended..well there you go. It's a riot.
Aaaaaand...the man speaks the truth. Everything, all of it.
I'd suggest not watching it.

LALALAlala...You'll live.

So the playlist is back.
Yep, down there.
-points-
Scroll, please.
It's above the list of music. How convenient is that?
Anyhow, I don't expect you to listen to it all, nor to like it, but it's not on auto-start, it's most certainly not on shuffle and...well there are 75 songs, so make of it what you will.
Go forth and be mystified.

Commercials need to be outlawed

It's getting ridiculous.
First, let's go with good old Geico.
I'm so sick of the Cavemen that I'm ready to shoot the t.v.
The ones with the bodybuilder dude and the ninja as protection are just pitiful.
They're lucky they have the Warren Wallace kid and the gecko.
Though the gecko commercials are dying too, now that they added the old dude. He annoys me to no end.

Oh. Better.
All the Bloody Mary/Raven Twins commercials? Yes. Because that's so nice for six year olds to have to watch during the baseball game. [Yes, thank you, there are enough six year olds watching baseball for this to be a problem.]

Also good for six year olds to watch during the baseball game: Aaaaaaaaall of the Viagra and Cialis commercials. Every single commerical on the ball games: 'Vivaaa, Viivaaaaa, Viiaaagraaaaa.'
You can't put those on when Desperate Housewives is playing? At least then it would be kind of necessary.

Meg's Baseball Blacklist

Orioles, Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox...Long blacklist, considering.
And the poor Cubs. I'd have no reason to hate them if their fans didn't all suck so entirely. Trust me, I have first-hand experience there. Whiners, all of them. Junking up our poor hotel with their bitterness. Pft.
Orioles....Let's see. One postseason game against the Rays: Hit Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett, which could easily have been accidents. No harm done, right? Yeah, until they hit Bartlett AGAIN. Seriously uncool to make a target out of our shortstop, thank you. And then one of them [didn't actually see who. Bummer.] interfered with a play by pushing Akinori Iwamura down. I hate them.
And the White Sox have A.J. Pierzynski, so that right there is enough to make me sick of them. Idiot runs into Willy Aybar to try to push his throw off. And worse, the stupid umpire called him safe. Ugh.
Then, obviously the Red Sox just speak for themselves. Literally, if you've ever seen some of them. We have nicknames. It's quite nice, actually.
Like Kevin Youkilis? Lumberjack Ballerina. Scary dude, more so with that little batting dance of his.
How about...Coco Crisp. Ah, no. Count Chocula. After the cereal brand, as his name just so implies it.. Coco Crisp. Really?
Haaaaaa. David Ortiz. Boston nickname: Big Papi. Dad's: Big Poopie. Or, if you go with Dewayne Staats, announcer for the Rays, it's 'Pig Ortiz.'
Pedroia is scary enough in himself, he doesn't have an official nickname. I simply call him Ghost Boy. And the fact that he's 5'7 and his actual nickname is PeeWee doesn't really help his cause.

So.
Basically, if you're on Boston, a fan of Boston, or have/had anything to do with Boston, you're pretty much making the list. Or if you dare interfere with the Rays, Yankees, Phillies or Dodgers.
Now all that needs to be done is to trade J.D. Drew, Mark Kotsay and Jacoby Ellsbury to some other team - any other - so I don't feel so guilty staring at them when Boston's playing one of my teams. I feel like a traitor, something must be done.

Oooooh, GUILTY.

Finally.
Thirteen years to the day after being acquitted of charges of murder, football star O.J. Simpson is now, guilty, guilty, guilty, and....well guilty, on 12 charges. Kidnapping and armed robbery.
Minimum sentence is I believe 15 years, and he's 61 now.
So it's very, very likely he'll spend the rest of his life in prison. If not, then it'll be quite a bit of it.
Personally, I think there's very little chance he's innocent of murdering his wife, but now finally something's been done about the other things, if nothing else.
Big news there. This shall be going on for a while.