Trivia # 13: Carrots

I'm sure all of you have heard that eating carrots will improve your night vision. Sadly, this is not true. A study that was conducted in Australia in the late 1900s looked at relationships between the intake of Vitamin A and eyesight. Those who had poor eyesight had eaten carrots, but it didn't help. The only way it would improve your vision is if you had a deficiency of Vitamin A. In fact, some other foods such as kale and red peppers have more Vitamin A than carrots. Why do carrots get all this attention then?

It all started during World War I. Britain's Royal Air Force was extremely successful in hitting Nazi planes due to new technology called Airborne Interception Radar. To prevent this information from falling into the enemy's  hands, the British Intelligence came up with a rumor that carrots were the source of their success. They even made up news about it, featuring highly successful Flight Lieutenant John "Cat Eyes" Cunningham, who was known for his love for carrots. This false advice was so believable that the English public started consuming carrots to help them find their way during blackouts.

However, carrots do provide you with many health benefits, such as better skin, growth, and teeth, so eat up!

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Lin Wins Against Knicks

So the Knicks traded Jeremy Lin to the Houston Rockets...only to have the Rockets hand the Knicks their first lost of the season. In Madison Square Garden, Jeremy Lin tallied up some 22 points and 8 assists, while James Harden and other teammates racked up some major points, knocking down threes.

Of course, the Knicks were lacking their star Carmelo Anthony for this game, but the final score was a sweeping 109-96. You can find the highlights at ESPN :

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:8757249

If you're looking for how well Lin and Harden are working together on the Rockets, you may just enjoy this video on how well they know each other.


http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:8749660

T_L

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Chargers suffer yet another humiliating defeat

I would say that I completely support the Chargers, since I'm from San Diego. But if anyone asked me, I would admit that last night's game was embarrassing. The Carolina Panthers beat the Chargers 31-7. Would this be the worst game of the season? So far, yes it would be (in my opinion). The Chargers have continually lost their games this season.

Overall, the team's performance has not been that good. Not only have their games not be won, they also have never been to more than one Super Bowl. The last Super Bowl they attended was 17 years ago. This reflects on the team's quality. The quality of the team can be fixed by making the defense more stronger, and to train the Chargers to be prepared for most attacks or strategies from the other team.

Another technique the team could use to become better are practices that encourage extremely hard work and different game strategies so that the the Chargers can have an idea of how to play or score. They will also know what to expect of the opposite team. With these concepts, the Chargers will become a much more stronger team in the future years and make San Diego proud.

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Click- Chapter 11

Code blue, four sixty-seven....code blue.....467....blue...codes.......AJHDKASJHFAJHJASHFSAJ!!!! My brain was completely messed up. I had no idea what was what. Code blue? What the heck was that? I didn’t know, but it must have triggered something in my body, because instead of continuing my rant on Mr. King, I was sitting as quiet as a rock. Yes, a rock. Mr. King had left the room a loonnnnnngggg time ago, leaving me alone. He had removed all sharp objects, which was probably a good idea as I had, minutes before, looked like I could kill. So I sat on the desk, twiddling my thumbs. Hmm, I guess I was gonna miss the appointment at work.

I wonder what Geoffrey was doing? He had been so....normal back then. All those years ago. We had been friends. Us and Daphne. Daphne, my baby sister. Well, not really. But she was as good as since I had no family. I laughed silently, thinking about how I had changed so much. I had once been a lethal killing machine. Yes, me the clumsiest girl alive. You see, the MEM had started as a group of scientists, looking for ways to enhance human abilities. But along the way, they had gotten carried away. They had started taking kids from families, injecting them with a special serum while they were still young. Some kids died immediately, and others grew to be miniature FBI agents. Geoffrey and I, we had been a part of that. Funny. He had once been so serious. And now, I’ll admit, he was pretty weird. And I can’t believe I’d liked him...maybe love comes once in a lifetime, because I sure didn’t like him now. In fact, I was pretty pissed that he had tried to kill me.

And although it had been years, there was still a hole inside my chest. Daphne had been my best friend and sister. How could she have just gone? How? How could a person be alive and laughing one minute, and then lying motionlessly on the ground the next minute? Why was the world so cruel?

Another tear slid down my face. I looked down blankly staring at my feet, my mind empty. I helplessly observed the room. A stool. A giant cord attached to a computer. Some test tubes. Weird colored liquid. A window.........a window? A window! Immediately, I perked up. Jumping off of the desk, I ran to the window, peering down. The distance to the ground wasn’t very far...I quickly pried open the window. Thankfully it wasn’t locked. Grabbing the computer cord, I attached it to another desk that was attached to the floor. I walked to the edge of the window, standing on the sill, tightly holding the cord, I crouched. Though I was scared out of my wits, I felt no uneasiness. Looking around once more...I jumped. I fell and fell-

And landed on the soft grass. I jumped up, looking around. Woah. I had done it! I had done it! I had-

“Well, well. It seems like once a MEM agent, always a MEM agent.” A very cold voice stopped my inner glory. I slowly turned around, gasping. A very tall girl stood towering down at me. But it wasn’t just any girl. She had long, brown locks pulled back into a ponytail. Wearing dark sunglasses, an outfit that looked like it had come out of G.I Joe, and holding a gun, she looked like someone that was not to be crossed. She grabbed her glasses, pulling them off. Her eyes pierced mine, a fiery green against her porcelain skin. Though it had been so long, and she had changed so much, I knew who she was. But how was it possible? How-

“I trust you know me?” she said with a very nasty grin. What a stupid question. Of course I knew her. How could I forget? How could my brain ever erase my angel, the one and only, 

Daphne?

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Comic for December 16, 2012 at 08:12PM

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Christmas Vacation

It's almost here. You can almost hear it. See it. Taste it. Feel it. Live it. That's right.

Christmas is nine days away.

And with that comes a beautiful, extraordinary thing described often as, "Christmas Break." For some unlucky few, none will ever experience such a paradise. For others, this small relief lasts only a day or week. But for most, and for me, Christmas Break is a glimpse of what heaven on Earth would be like, lasting an entire 14 days.

So what will you do?

Vacation in the Bahamas? Climb Mt. Everest? Meander through the streets of Italy?

Or stay home, watch T.V. all day, lie on your couch, think about what other people are doing, eat ice cream, order pizza, wear the same clothes for the next two weeks, try to hang out with your friends only to find out that you can't because most of them are in France eating crepes in the Eiffel Tower or are eating dumplings as they breeze along the Great Wall of China?

Do something special. Don't just do the plain old boring things that you've done every single Christmas.

If you've already visited France, go tour England! If you've already blazed through the wild Amazon, relax in Hawaii! And if you've already louched around at home for the several past Christmas', go adventuring someplace else!

It can be several blocks down your street, 30 minutes bus drive away, or 3,000 miles distant from your home place; it doesn't matter, just go, have fun, and do something special.

Now some people may laugh,"Haha. That's funny. I wish I could do that except I don't have the time/money/guts/money/experience/money/money/money. I would do that every day if only I had the time/money/guts/money/experience/money/money/money."

To these people, I must reply,"You don't need any of that to vacation outside your comfort zone, certainly not money! If out of time, then I'm sorry that you can't do the things you love. But no one needs money to have an adventure. Just do it!"

Christmas is still nine days away. That's plenty of time to plan out your next escapade. Go hear it. See it. Taste it. Feel it. Live it. That's right.

Go have some fun!

T_L

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11 Hardstyle Songs You Should Know

Hey, guys; it’s Ben, your friendly comic artist. I enjoy electronic music the most, specifically hardstyle. Sadly, the world is deprived from such bass-intensive soundtracks, and only knows of dubstep. It breaks my heart very much to watch as all electronic music is catagorized by hipsters as dubstep. So, to enlighten the world, I present my top 11 hardstyle songs, both old and new. They are not listed in any order, as they are all awesome in their own way. I hope that you guys enjoy listening to them. 

 For those that don’t know, hardstyle is a genre under electronic music, and is also be considered as hard dance music. It is characterized by a steady bass kick, and some sort of melody. Be warned; hardstyle isn’t something you can listen to the first 10 seconds to, and decide if it’s good or not. It’s like a horror story; you can’t see the scary part in the first 10 seconds either. My point is, when you listen to these songs, listen to the whole thing.

 Before I begin the list, I should introduce to you a general history of hardstyle. Hardstyle has its beginnings in the early 21st century, Netherlands. Artists began changing some of their hardcore tracks (hardcore is another underrated genre of music; I might make an article for that too) and making the early form of hardstyle. Around 2002, hardstyle started to take root. Around 2004 to 2005, hardstyle started to focus on the melody, with bass as a sort of accompaniment. Tracks listed during this period are today referred to as “old school”, “old hardstyle”, etc. Around 2010-2011 (I actually am not too sure, but I heard a difference in tracks released in these times), the bass in hardstyle began to transform, and it became deeper and stronger, forming the modern hardstyle track. The melody, thankfully, was not compromised.

 To sum it up, there are two major periods in hardstyle: old hardstyle (more melody, bass as accompaniment), and modern hardstyle (bass is stronger, melody still has its place). Don’t take my word for the history; it’s not perfect. I just want to give you guys a better appreciation of the songs when you listen to them.

 Without further ado, the list:

1. Killer Clown - Silentium

 I heard this track a long time ago, and it stuck in my head. Even today, it is one of my favorite tracks. This track is one from the old period, so the melody is really strong. I really enjoy the quick build-up, the addictive melody, and the nice bass kick. 

2. Brennan Heart - Life That We Dream Of That We Create

 Very long title, I know. This song brings great wonders. A modern hardstyle song, Brennan Heart, according to rumor, wrote this when he hit a hard point in his life. It is really shown in the song for those that listen carefully. If art is supposed to be a feast to the eye, this is a song that’s a feast to the soul.

3. Headhunterz - End of My Existense

 Headhunterz is, back then and now, the #1 hardstyle DJ. It’s not my opinion either; it’s a statistical fact. This song is from the old period, and is still considered to be one of his best songs. The build-up to the melody and the melody itself really sticks into your head, and even today, I still get goosebumps listening to this song. 

4. Adrenalize - Forest Interlude

 Adrenalize is a new artist on the hardstyle scene. He actually started very recently, either 2011 or 2012. The melody in this, when I first heard it, instantly caught me, and I was deeply moved. The melody is very similar to the kinds from the old period, and the bass is paired incredibly well. The best of it? Adrenalize is an American 15 year old, and has received Headhunterz’s special attention and praise. Remember, Headhunterz is the best DJ. Now that’s legit.

5. Dark Oscillators - Stereophobia

 Since its release from the old period, Stereophobia is one of the most famous hardstyle tracks. If I didn’t put this song here, the hardstyle community would kill me. In the beginning of the song, there isn’t really anything catching, but the core melody and the bass kick near the end will blow your mind. I remember the first time I heard it; it never left my mind to this day. And I heard this over a year and a half ago. 

6. Frontliner - Symbols

 Frontliner is one of the well-respected DJ’s of hardstyle. For the 2012 Q-Base Anthem (Q-Base is one of the various hardstyle events, along with Qlimax, Defqon 1, and many others), Frontliner made Symbols. The violin is rarely used in hardstyle, but Frontliner does it great justice. It’s a very beautiful melody, and the bass goes too well with it.

7. Patrick Bunton - Young Birds

 This is one of my favorite hardstyle songs from the old period. I love this so much, it inspired my Xbox Gamertag. The beginning is so peaceful, and it does a great job going from peaceful to downright epic. True story: a guy on Youtube comment on this song “Great drop”, as in dubstep drop. His friends mourn over his death today. Not all of the story is true; you can probably tell.

8. Headhunterz - Dragonborn

 Yes, this is the exact same Headhunterz as number 3 on my list. The word “Dragonborn” may sound familiar to you, and it should; it was a main term in the game Skyrim, released on November 11th, 2011. Headhunterz paid tribute to the game in the form of this song. I own Skyrim, and he does great justice to the game through this soundtrack.

9. Kidd Kaos - Rock On

 This song from the old period just blows my mind; whenever I think of a DJ scene/club/high school dance, I think of this song playing in the back. Don’t let the beginning fool you; the real melody occurs later on in the song. Remember when I said you have to listen to the whole song to like it? This is one you must follow that rule, or you’ll miss out on a great soundtrack.

10. Headhunterz - The Power of Music

 I did say Headhunterz is the #1 hardstyle DJ. This is one of his most recent tracks. By recent, I mean this track came out in October of 2012. No words can really describe it: the melody, the bass, the vocals, the everything. I can’t get enough of this. A must-listen.

11. Showtek - We Speak Music

 True story: this article was supposed to be with ten songs, but then I realized I left this one out. This song is one of my favorite songs of the old period of hardstyle. I can’t put my mind down on what instrument was used in the melody, but it’s beautiful. The bass goes super well with it as well, and I loved it at first...hearing? I don’t know. 

 

I hope this article really made you want to listen to hardstyle, or at least stop you from calling every electronic song dubstep. There’s definitely more song I would put on here if I had the space. If you want to listen to more of this, just surf Youtube or iTunes. If you enjoyed the old hardstyle, I recommend Headhunterz and Dark Oscillators (search for their old things). If you like the modern hardstyle, I recommend Headhunterz, Frontliner, and Adrenalize.

 Well, that’s all for today. I hope I really made your day with this article. Catch you later; bye bye.

P.S. Like this page to learn a hardstyle secret

Headhunterz has a podcast series called "Hard With Style", where he give one hour of hardstyle each month. You can find it on Youtube.

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Trivia # 12: Synesthesia

Background: I, for those who don’t know, write stories and roleplay (they are basically the same thing; roleplaying is simply collaboratively writing a story). I also enjoy handicapping and tortur—I mean, providing my characters with limitations so they can grow through the course of the story.

          Therefore, I also know a great deal about psychological disorders, diseases, and others things of that ilk that an ordinary person does not. One such condition is called “Synesthesia”. 

TL;DR: I write stories and research psychological disorders/mental conditions.

          Imagine this.

          You, for the very first time, are going to school. You’ve only ever been homeschooled, in your little home that tasted of burnt brown and amber. You had wanted to go to public school for so long now, but your mother had thwarted every attempt. However, one particularly pink and lemony-smelling day, she announced you would be attending public school starting next winter. You were, and still are, ecstatic.

          The biting scent of anxiety stings your tongue as you take your first few steps onto the school grounds; even the soothing presence of your mother— a sweet woman whom smelled of cherry blossoms and birdsong— couldn’t calm you. Snow lay thick on the ground, piling up in massive heaps. The pristine white was set afire by the sun’s bright rays, twinkling and sparkling as if there were gems embedded deep in its surface; it was bedazzling to behold. Tinkling notes chimed in your ears as you observed the stunning dance. 

          Great fir trees, draped in white like majestic kings of the past, rose from the unmarred ground, looming over the school buildings. The shadows they cast were stretched out and skinny, as if someone had taken hold of them by their ends and pulled it like one pulls taffy. Wispy clouds of ice powder spiraled down from branches as light breezes swirled through the trees.

          The snow grasped onto the buildings, smoothing over and softening rigid edges with a light layer of fluffy white. Icicles hung from window ledges, glistening blue and white. A chill hung in the air, bringing with it the cold, sharp scent of rain and snow. You take a deep breath and exhale happily. Your school smells of crisp whiteness.

           The bell rings, disturbing the peace (which felt like linen and tasted like hot cocoa) and along with the harsh sound is the odor of burnt plastic and charred meat. You wrinkle your nose in disgust, before widening your eyes as students pour out of doorways. The throngs of people disorient you, and the rowdy chit-chat is quickly becoming unbearable. Even worse, the marching band starts playing somewhere; the shrill caterwauling of flutes, the blustering booming of the tubas, and the raucous screaming of the clarinets didn't help stave off the oncoming headache. You feel as if your head is going to burst from all the new scents, sights, and sounds.

          You give a cry of shock as great bursts of colors explode and pin wheel in front of your eyes, and a cacophony of noises ranging from elephants to whistles deafen your ears. The scent of oranges and sewage assaults your sensitive nose, and your body tingles as soft caresses, crackly static, and coarse linen run up and down along your body. Your mouth fills with the bitterness of chocolate and the subtle sweetness of tea. The sensations overwhelm you and the next thing you know, you’re face down in the snow.

          The above piece was compiled by taking some of my stories, dicing them into little cubes and nuggets of info, and reattaching them in some semblance of a small story. I do hope you weren’t too confused and that I modified everything and changed the tenses and point of view accordingly.

          Anyways, synesthesia is a condition in which a person’s sensory systems were far more entwined than normal. Ranging from simply tasting or hearing colors to the rather severe example that I showed above, this conditon usually doesn’t hinder any part of one’s life. In fact, some say it helps one expirebce the world ina  more fulfilling way. 

Like this page to see last weeks false fact! There isn’t a false fact for this week.

Oh, and please give feedback on whether you prefer the old format or this one. I’m testing a few things out; I’ll make changes depending on the response I get.

 --Aki (C_Z)

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CLICK (A Drama) CHAPTER TEN

I didn’t have any money.
So when I called for a cab...well, all I had was a nickel. Or something.
I had to walk home.
All fifteen miles of it.
I suppose it could’ve been worse.
Needed the excersise anyway.
At least it gave me time to think.

I knew only this much for certain:

• I had lost my memory. How or why? Not the foggiest.
• I used to love a girl- Daphne.
• Anjali had killed Daphne. Didn’t know why though...
• I had killed Anjali.
• Anjali was back from the dead??

Aaaand then there was also the tiny little fact that I had killed someone. God nope. I couldn’t think about that. Not now. Later. Later was good.

Geez. What was I going to do now? Walk home, sleep, wait to get arrested? I mean, the body...I didn’t even hide it. I just left it there. What was I thinking?! I had to go back. Burn it, chop it up into little pieces, juice it in a blender, feed it to a mob of hungry squirrels...I HAD TO GO BACK.
...But my feet kept walking towards home.
Geez maybe it was fate. I’ve just been forever doomed to go rot in jail. Whatever. I was going home.
Maybe equally as worrying was how Anjali was still alive. I know I pulled that trigger. I watched her collapse. I even checked her pulse after I saw her stop breathing!
...She couldn’t be like, one of those ghots people right?! Comes back from the dead? HAUNTS THE GUY THAT KILLS HER OR SOMETHING...
I laughed.
Sounded like a fart from a donkey’s left butt cheek.
A really loud fart from a donkey’s left butt cheek.
I don’t know whether I was laughing because that idea was so ridiculous or if I was laughing because I really half believed that I was probably going to get skinned alive and tossed in a toilet bowl by some demonic girl and heck I was scared the way a nerd was when the internet suddenly crashes.
God, it was hot. It was night time and it was still as muggy as a hippo’s armpit. What time was it anyway? I left Cal’s party pretty early. I did end up coming a bit late...Maybe something like, ten? Spent another hour and a half wandering around and oh, killing someone, then maybe half an hour at the park. I had been walking for an hour. I didn’t feel like walking fast at all. Sometimes I just sat down and stared at the cracks in the sidewalk. But anyway, that meant it was.. what? Only two in the morning? IT FELT SO MUCH LONGER...I thought it was, I dunno, four?

Suddnely, it occured to me: why not track down Anj? She couldn’t actually be a psychopathic killer. Maybe she knew more about this whole mess than me. And if she didn’t, well, I could at least find out how she came back to life. Because, y’know, stuff like that is a pretty big deal.
...But first I was going to home, sit in the corner and wait for someone to arrest me.

“Hey Geoffrey.”

I nearly screamed like a prepubescent tween girl who picked at her spots. Geez! I thought it was the police or something and in some weird stalker-ish way they knew my name and-

“Er, hello Kent. How’d you find me?”

“Easy enough- I followed the trail of misery and angst.”

“Ahhhh...”

“Just kidding. I just saw you while I was driving back home. Get in! I dropped off Kat and Wendy already.”

“Yeah, yeah sure. Okay.”

I got in Kent’s car, sinking back into the worn out seat. I sighed. It felt good to be able to rest. Not just physically- with Kent, I felt...I felt safe.

The car bumped over the road comfortably (Kent’s driving was truly a menace to all living things- I must’ve been exhausted, because there’s no way Kent’s driving could be defined as safe), the radio station tuned into some soporific classical music station, and the weather was fairly warm. I fell asleep.

But, the next morning, I woke up in my own bed. Kent was across from me, at my desk, reading.

“What’re you doing in here?” I asked, groggily. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “Nevermind; Did you carry me in here from the car??”

“Well you certainly didn’t carry yourself- mm, by the way. Geoffrey. Do you know what happened to Anj last night? After the party? Your office called, the police are conudting an investigation- she disappeared apparently. Hasn’t been seen since ten last night. It’s about two o’ clock now, I let you sleep through the day. She was supposed to have an appoinment with some customer from work, but she never showed up. Strange, isn’t it?”

chapter 11: http://www.tellury.com/2012/12/click-chapter-11.html

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NBA Gets One Billion Views

It's a marking point in the NBA's fifty something history span. Today, the NBA has reached one billion views of diverse, devoted, and determined sports fans.

Those without the time to watch their beloved basketball games on T.V. find it so much more relaxing to be able to relive the experience on YouTube.

This is the first professional sport to have ever reached one billion views online.

You can find the videos that contributed the most to these views online here:

1. LeBron, Dwight, Shaq Dance Off (2007): 18.9 million views
2. Kobe Bryant’s Top 10 Plays of 2007: 7.9 million views
3. BIG Color spot (Nov. 2012): 7.2 million views
4. Blake Griffin’s Insane Dunk (2012): 5.9 million views
5. Top 10 LeBron James Plays of 2009: 5.8 million views
6. Kobe Bryant Top 10 Plays from 2009: 5.2 million views
7. Blake Griffin’s Top 10 Dunks of Nov. 2010: 5.0 million views
8. LeBron Underhanded Halfcourt Shot (2009): 4.5 million views
9. LeBron James' Top 10 Plays of 2007: 3.7 million views
10. Kobe and LeBron: Mutual Respect (2009): 3.6 million views

T_L

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