Friday, October 22, 2010
Papa Stalin?
For those of you who have heard of the Smurfs, you may also know that some people consider them to be Communists. I myself have never watched them, so I can't judge, but it seems a little odd to me that little blue people could be victims of Joe McCarthy judgment. I know Papa Smurf supposedly looks like Lenin, Brainy Smurf resembles Trotsky supposedly, or something like that. And they do share everything alike. But Communism? Isn't that taking things a little too far?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Freegans part 31
Matt
Kestrel said, "We need to keep moving. The Junkmen will probably send out more robots."
"Where do they get all of them?" asked Cara.
"They were prototypes the government created. However, they turned out to be defective, so they were thrown down in the basement, like everything else the government fails at. The Junkmen found them, and decided to reprogram them for their own use."
"How do you know all this?" I asked.
"I'll explain later. Come on."
I shot a glance at Lucy. She looked about to collapse...again. However, she caught me watching, and said, "I'm fine, Matt. Really." She gave a smile that didn't look very convincing. However, Ben gave me a note that said, "I'm helping her. It's no problem." As if reading my thoughts, Kestrel said, "We just need to go a little farther. There's a place where we can hide and rest."
Now reassured, we headed out.
As we crept down the tunnel, I noticed that Madiza was acting strange. Well, stranger. She was wringing her hands as she walked, rocking back and forth slightly. Her eyes didn't seem completely focused on anything, and she was muttering something under her breath. I cocked my head to the side, and managed to catch that she was saying, "...almost there. We're almost there."
"But what will we find?" she asked herself in a different voice. "They might try and take your soul again. In fact, I bet that's just what they'll do."
"Don't be ridiculous!" she said in her regular voice. "He's a good boy, isn't he? He won't hurt us!"
"HE won't. We don't know about the rest of them!"
"Do you think he'd be with trashy people?"
"You can't be too careful nowadays. Remember the Eiffel girl?"
I turned to Ben and raised an eyebrow. He grabbed out his pad and pencil, and scribbled for a long time. Then he handed me the pad.
'A few months before she went mad, a fellow inmate was placed in her cell with her. It was a consumerist girl named Paris, and they sort of became friends. She told Madiza that she wanted to escape and go to the Freegan hideout. However, it turned out that Paris was actually a spy trying to get information out of her. Madiza found out in time, and told her that she knew. Soon after they took Paris away. And a few months later, they did something that drove Madiza absolutely bonkers.'
"Were you there?" I asked. Ben shook his head no. He took back the paper, and wrote, 'She told me. In one of her more sane moments. It really shook her up. It's a wonder that she trusted me.'
Kestrel said, "We need to keep moving. The Junkmen will probably send out more robots."
"Where do they get all of them?" asked Cara.
"They were prototypes the government created. However, they turned out to be defective, so they were thrown down in the basement, like everything else the government fails at. The Junkmen found them, and decided to reprogram them for their own use."
"How do you know all this?" I asked.
"I'll explain later. Come on."
I shot a glance at Lucy. She looked about to collapse...again. However, she caught me watching, and said, "I'm fine, Matt. Really." She gave a smile that didn't look very convincing. However, Ben gave me a note that said, "I'm helping her. It's no problem." As if reading my thoughts, Kestrel said, "We just need to go a little farther. There's a place where we can hide and rest."
Now reassured, we headed out.
As we crept down the tunnel, I noticed that Madiza was acting strange. Well, stranger. She was wringing her hands as she walked, rocking back and forth slightly. Her eyes didn't seem completely focused on anything, and she was muttering something under her breath. I cocked my head to the side, and managed to catch that she was saying, "...almost there. We're almost there."
"But what will we find?" she asked herself in a different voice. "They might try and take your soul again. In fact, I bet that's just what they'll do."
"Don't be ridiculous!" she said in her regular voice. "He's a good boy, isn't he? He won't hurt us!"
"HE won't. We don't know about the rest of them!"
"Do you think he'd be with trashy people?"
"You can't be too careful nowadays. Remember the Eiffel girl?"
I turned to Ben and raised an eyebrow. He grabbed out his pad and pencil, and scribbled for a long time. Then he handed me the pad.
'A few months before she went mad, a fellow inmate was placed in her cell with her. It was a consumerist girl named Paris, and they sort of became friends. She told Madiza that she wanted to escape and go to the Freegan hideout. However, it turned out that Paris was actually a spy trying to get information out of her. Madiza found out in time, and told her that she knew. Soon after they took Paris away. And a few months later, they did something that drove Madiza absolutely bonkers.'
"Were you there?" I asked. Ben shook his head no. He took back the paper, and wrote, 'She told me. In one of her more sane moments. It really shook her up. It's a wonder that she trusted me.'
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Freegans part 30
Cara
"Cara, what's going on?" asked Lucy. I watched Ben, Matt, and Kestrel as they attacked the robots. Matt turned to us, and mouthed the word, 'Run'. "I believe that they mean to have us escape while they get killed," I said.
"What?! No!" Lucy looked shocked.
"My feelings exactly. You and Madiza stay here, and I'll go help." I clicked my heels, re-igniting my levitation boots. Lucy didn't protest. She seemed perfectly content to stay there where it was safe. I was about to head over, when I noticed that Madiza was digging around in my knapsack, which I had completely forgotten about.
"Madiza, what are you doing?!" I asked. She looked up and smiled.
"MacGyver!" she said. I had no idea what she was talking about, but to my surprise she pulled out several odds and ends, which she quickly began putting together. There was a vial of some weird liquid, though not the poison from earlier, a round glass ball, and a water bottle, none of which I remembered being in the knapsack earlier. I half wondered if she hadn't slipped the items in when I wasn't looking.
She poured the liquid into the ball, which had a cork stopper in one side, and handed it up to me, along with the water.
"Fly over, pour in the water, then drop the ball on the metal people! It'll make sure the performance ends with a bang!"
I wasn't sure if this was such a good idea, but Madiza had been right before. So I grabbed both things, and ran through the air until I was over the heads of the robots, though as far away from our friends as possible. I pulled out the cork, poured in the water, and quickly replaced the cork. The mixture began to hiss and smoke, which made me nervous. Down below, Kestrel saw what I was doing, and his eyes went wide. Grabbing Matt and Ben, he ran like heck to the rope, and began swinging them over the pit. I dropped the ball. At the same moment, it felt like something wrapped around my foot.
The resulting explosion sent me flying through the air. I was temporarily deafened by the blast, and had no control. However, just before I could slam into the wall, I felt a sharp jerk on my leg, and was steered out of the way. I saw my friends running out of the cavern, and down a branching off tunnel. Madiza and the others were holding on to a long rope, the other end of which was wrapped around my ankle. That was the only thing keeping me safe. Thankfully, it was very sturdy. Looking down, I saw that there was a new hole in the ground, and most of the robots had either been blown to bits, or fallen down the new hole. Finally I was able to right myself, and I floated down towards the others. Almost as soon as I was back on solid ground, if not sooner, I was enveloped in rib-crushing hugs by my friends.
"That was INSANE, Cara!" said Matt. "How did you do that?!"
"Madiza made a bomb, and told me how to use it," I said. Speak of the devil, she smiled, and sang softly,
"All around the underground,
The robots chased the children!
The robots all fell down a deep well,
Oh, it was bewild'ren!"
"Cara, what's going on?" asked Lucy. I watched Ben, Matt, and Kestrel as they attacked the robots. Matt turned to us, and mouthed the word, 'Run'. "I believe that they mean to have us escape while they get killed," I said.
"What?! No!" Lucy looked shocked.
"My feelings exactly. You and Madiza stay here, and I'll go help." I clicked my heels, re-igniting my levitation boots. Lucy didn't protest. She seemed perfectly content to stay there where it was safe. I was about to head over, when I noticed that Madiza was digging around in my knapsack, which I had completely forgotten about.
"Madiza, what are you doing?!" I asked. She looked up and smiled.
"MacGyver!" she said. I had no idea what she was talking about, but to my surprise she pulled out several odds and ends, which she quickly began putting together. There was a vial of some weird liquid, though not the poison from earlier, a round glass ball, and a water bottle, none of which I remembered being in the knapsack earlier. I half wondered if she hadn't slipped the items in when I wasn't looking.
She poured the liquid into the ball, which had a cork stopper in one side, and handed it up to me, along with the water.
"Fly over, pour in the water, then drop the ball on the metal people! It'll make sure the performance ends with a bang!"
I wasn't sure if this was such a good idea, but Madiza had been right before. So I grabbed both things, and ran through the air until I was over the heads of the robots, though as far away from our friends as possible. I pulled out the cork, poured in the water, and quickly replaced the cork. The mixture began to hiss and smoke, which made me nervous. Down below, Kestrel saw what I was doing, and his eyes went wide. Grabbing Matt and Ben, he ran like heck to the rope, and began swinging them over the pit. I dropped the ball. At the same moment, it felt like something wrapped around my foot.
The resulting explosion sent me flying through the air. I was temporarily deafened by the blast, and had no control. However, just before I could slam into the wall, I felt a sharp jerk on my leg, and was steered out of the way. I saw my friends running out of the cavern, and down a branching off tunnel. Madiza and the others were holding on to a long rope, the other end of which was wrapped around my ankle. That was the only thing keeping me safe. Thankfully, it was very sturdy. Looking down, I saw that there was a new hole in the ground, and most of the robots had either been blown to bits, or fallen down the new hole. Finally I was able to right myself, and I floated down towards the others. Almost as soon as I was back on solid ground, if not sooner, I was enveloped in rib-crushing hugs by my friends.
"That was INSANE, Cara!" said Matt. "How did you do that?!"
"Madiza made a bomb, and told me how to use it," I said. Speak of the devil, she smiled, and sang softly,
"All around the underground,
The robots chased the children!
The robots all fell down a deep well,
Oh, it was bewild'ren!"
Freegans part 29
Ben
Next I went to get Madiza. She wouldn't want to leave the fight, but what was important at the moment was that she be safe. Oh, and the others, too. She was zapping her tazer like a crazy person (Yes, I know she is), hitting a robot with every shot. However, more and more kept coming. I hoped Kestrel had a lot of plasma shots. I grabbed her arm. She turned to me.
"Hi, Ben-ben! Isn't this fun?!" she asked delightedly. I pointed to the rope swinging over the pit, which Lucy had now been freed from, then to Madiza. She got the hint almost immediately.
"But Ben, I'm having fun!" she protested. I paused quickly to kick the legs out from under one of the robots, then smashed the dome open with my hand, and pulled out some of the circuits. I pointed to it in a way that said, "It's too dangerous."
"Tell that to him!" Madiza pointed to Kestrel. I looked at her firmly, determined to make her go where it was safe. She glared stubbornly back. Suddenly I got an idea. I made big Bambi eyes, and made my best pleading look at her. Sighing, Madiza nodded. Turning away, she suddenly ran to the edge of the pit, grabbed the rope, and swung across with a loud Tarzan yell. She jumped off at exactly the right moment, and landed just behind Lucy, who was curled up in a fetal position, and Cara, who was trying to calm her down without actually touching her. I whistled to Matt, and waved him over to me. Now we would need to give Kestrel backup. Hopefully we would give the girls a chance to get away, even if it meant losing our own lives.
By now Kestrel had run out of plasma shots, and was instead smashing the robots with his rifle and other fighting skills. We went to join him. This looked like the end. However, I planned to use all my strength to the last.
Next I went to get Madiza. She wouldn't want to leave the fight, but what was important at the moment was that she be safe. Oh, and the others, too. She was zapping her tazer like a crazy person (Yes, I know she is), hitting a robot with every shot. However, more and more kept coming. I hoped Kestrel had a lot of plasma shots. I grabbed her arm. She turned to me.
"Hi, Ben-ben! Isn't this fun?!" she asked delightedly. I pointed to the rope swinging over the pit, which Lucy had now been freed from, then to Madiza. She got the hint almost immediately.
"But Ben, I'm having fun!" she protested. I paused quickly to kick the legs out from under one of the robots, then smashed the dome open with my hand, and pulled out some of the circuits. I pointed to it in a way that said, "It's too dangerous."
"Tell that to him!" Madiza pointed to Kestrel. I looked at her firmly, determined to make her go where it was safe. She glared stubbornly back. Suddenly I got an idea. I made big Bambi eyes, and made my best pleading look at her. Sighing, Madiza nodded. Turning away, she suddenly ran to the edge of the pit, grabbed the rope, and swung across with a loud Tarzan yell. She jumped off at exactly the right moment, and landed just behind Lucy, who was curled up in a fetal position, and Cara, who was trying to calm her down without actually touching her. I whistled to Matt, and waved him over to me. Now we would need to give Kestrel backup. Hopefully we would give the girls a chance to get away, even if it meant losing our own lives.
By now Kestrel had run out of plasma shots, and was instead smashing the robots with his rifle and other fighting skills. We went to join him. This looked like the end. However, I planned to use all my strength to the last.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Freegans part 28
Lucy
I felt a little nervous, but figured anyone was better than the Junkmen or the Vice President. Our new friend said, "It's best if we take this way out, so there will be less bloodshed. Come on." We were about to follow, when Madiza walked right up to him, a slightly suspicious look on her face, and stared him right in the eyes. She stood like that for several seconds, as if she were looking for something. Suddenly she smiled and said, "You're a good boy." Then she stood up on tiptoe and patted him on the head.
The man, who quickly introduced himself as Kestrel, led us down a tunnel, his plasma rifle cocked and ready. Madiza skipped along, a wide grin plastered on her face, as if we were going on a picnic. Cara and Matt were slinking as quietly as you please. Seeing how well they could adjust to the situation made me feel loud and clumsy, and as stealthy as a water buffalo. Which, in fact, I probably was. And Ben? Thankfully, he stayed by me, to help me along. I felt a wave of gratitude towards him. He was so nice all the time.
Of course, our escape was slightly ruined by the fact that somehow the Junkmen found out we had escaped, and sent out robots after us. Thankfully, we now had Kestrel, so we had better chances. Instantly he fired off another round of plasma, blasting most of them into pulp. He waved us behind him, so that he wouldn't accidentally hit any of us. However, more and more robots just kept coming. We backed up slowly, moving down the tunnel. Suddenly, we couldn't go any farther. With a touch of deja vu, I saw that we had another giant pit behind us. Without wasting time, Cara clicked her heels and blasted into the air. Then she got one of the grappling hooks out of her pack, and attached it to a pipe in the ceiling.
"Come on, guys! You can swing over!" she called. While she was saying this, she walked on the air to the other side. Instantly I got a wave of vertigo. The idea of swinging over what looked like a bottomless pit made my legs go weak. However, the next thing I knew, Ben had grabbed the rope and was tying it around my waist.
"What are you doing?! I'll die! Or fall! Or something!" I shrilled, feeling terrified out of my wits.
"Relax, Luce," said Matt. "Cara will catch you. There's nothing to be afraid of." Ben reached out a hand and pushed my eyelids closed, which I interpreted as telling me to do that. I nodded, squeezing them shut. The next thing I knew, I was whooshing through the air, and suddenly Cara had me, and was untying the rope.
"See, silly?" she asked. "I knew you could do it."
I felt a little nervous, but figured anyone was better than the Junkmen or the Vice President. Our new friend said, "It's best if we take this way out, so there will be less bloodshed. Come on." We were about to follow, when Madiza walked right up to him, a slightly suspicious look on her face, and stared him right in the eyes. She stood like that for several seconds, as if she were looking for something. Suddenly she smiled and said, "You're a good boy." Then she stood up on tiptoe and patted him on the head.
The man, who quickly introduced himself as Kestrel, led us down a tunnel, his plasma rifle cocked and ready. Madiza skipped along, a wide grin plastered on her face, as if we were going on a picnic. Cara and Matt were slinking as quietly as you please. Seeing how well they could adjust to the situation made me feel loud and clumsy, and as stealthy as a water buffalo. Which, in fact, I probably was. And Ben? Thankfully, he stayed by me, to help me along. I felt a wave of gratitude towards him. He was so nice all the time.
Of course, our escape was slightly ruined by the fact that somehow the Junkmen found out we had escaped, and sent out robots after us. Thankfully, we now had Kestrel, so we had better chances. Instantly he fired off another round of plasma, blasting most of them into pulp. He waved us behind him, so that he wouldn't accidentally hit any of us. However, more and more robots just kept coming. We backed up slowly, moving down the tunnel. Suddenly, we couldn't go any farther. With a touch of deja vu, I saw that we had another giant pit behind us. Without wasting time, Cara clicked her heels and blasted into the air. Then she got one of the grappling hooks out of her pack, and attached it to a pipe in the ceiling.
"Come on, guys! You can swing over!" she called. While she was saying this, she walked on the air to the other side. Instantly I got a wave of vertigo. The idea of swinging over what looked like a bottomless pit made my legs go weak. However, the next thing I knew, Ben had grabbed the rope and was tying it around my waist.
"What are you doing?! I'll die! Or fall! Or something!" I shrilled, feeling terrified out of my wits.
"Relax, Luce," said Matt. "Cara will catch you. There's nothing to be afraid of." Ben reached out a hand and pushed my eyelids closed, which I interpreted as telling me to do that. I nodded, squeezing them shut. The next thing I knew, I was whooshing through the air, and suddenly Cara had me, and was untying the rope.
"See, silly?" she asked. "I knew you could do it."
Monday, August 16, 2010
Movie Review
I wanted to mention one of the best movies in the world- and one of the only ones that my dad doesn't think is stupid. It's called (insert drum-roll here) "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", and was produced by the Coen brothers. Basically, it's a Depression-era version of the Odyssey, in which three men who escape from a prison farm in Mississippi and attempt to return home. They are named Ulysses Everett MacGill (George Clooney), the suave, hair-obsessed leader, Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), who is very sweet and naive, sort of like Lenny from "The Grapes of Wrath", except not quite as dumb, and Pete (John Turturro), who constantly challenges Everett's authority, and is rather crabby. Though they are trying their best to get home, they encounter many problems, such as being pursued by a sheriff who just might be the devil, getting beat up by a one-eyed Bible salesman, and encountering a Ku Klux Klan group in the middle of a lynching, to name a few. Despite being rated PG-13, this film is really good, with many hilarious lines, and several good songs. I would recommend this for ages 13 and up, unless there is adult supervision.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Freegans part 27
Matt
As we ran, I kept my eyes and ears peeled. Suddenly I heard the sound of running footsteps behind us. Whoever it was was trying to be quiet, but they were still making noise.
"Hey Cara, do you-"
"I know, I can hear it too. Right. Ben, you, Lucy, and Matt take the left. Madiza and I will take the right. I'm not going to be captured a second time." She left no option for argument. We moved to our respective sides of the tunnel, and soon the owner of the footsteps came into view. It was a tall man.
He obviously wasn't one of the Junkmen, since he was about six feet tall, and dressed in black material. He had a beret cocked to the side of his head, and carried a big gun. "That's a plasma rifle," Madiza whispered. I barely heard the words. I'd heard that those were illegal, but obviously not. It was clear who this was: he was from the vice president's army, probably here to kill us. Or, failing that, to capture us. I didn't want to have either happen to any of us. So, when Cara gave a signal, we attacked.
I tackled his legs, knocking him to the ground. The others piled on top of him. However, he was shown to be a better fighter than we thought. He used several complicated judo moves, it seemed, knocking us every which way. "Don't let him point the gun at you!" yelled Madiza. She pulled out her tazer and fired at him, but he did something with the gun so it sort of absorbed the electricity.
"Wait!" he said above the commotion. "I'm not here to hurt you!"
"Like heck you're not!" snarled Cara.
"No, really! I'm a friend! I want to get you out of here!"
Cara raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Prove it."
At that instant, the man suddenly said, "Get down!" He lifted up the rifle. We ducked, just in time for him to blast the robot and Junkman sneaking up behind us into little tiny bits. We stared in shock at the smoldering mess.
"That proof enough for you?" he asked. After a second, I got up and said, "Works for me!"
As we ran, I kept my eyes and ears peeled. Suddenly I heard the sound of running footsteps behind us. Whoever it was was trying to be quiet, but they were still making noise.
"Hey Cara, do you-"
"I know, I can hear it too. Right. Ben, you, Lucy, and Matt take the left. Madiza and I will take the right. I'm not going to be captured a second time." She left no option for argument. We moved to our respective sides of the tunnel, and soon the owner of the footsteps came into view. It was a tall man.
He obviously wasn't one of the Junkmen, since he was about six feet tall, and dressed in black material. He had a beret cocked to the side of his head, and carried a big gun. "That's a plasma rifle," Madiza whispered. I barely heard the words. I'd heard that those were illegal, but obviously not. It was clear who this was: he was from the vice president's army, probably here to kill us. Or, failing that, to capture us. I didn't want to have either happen to any of us. So, when Cara gave a signal, we attacked.
I tackled his legs, knocking him to the ground. The others piled on top of him. However, he was shown to be a better fighter than we thought. He used several complicated judo moves, it seemed, knocking us every which way. "Don't let him point the gun at you!" yelled Madiza. She pulled out her tazer and fired at him, but he did something with the gun so it sort of absorbed the electricity.
"Wait!" he said above the commotion. "I'm not here to hurt you!"
"Like heck you're not!" snarled Cara.
"No, really! I'm a friend! I want to get you out of here!"
Cara raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Prove it."
At that instant, the man suddenly said, "Get down!" He lifted up the rifle. We ducked, just in time for him to blast the robot and Junkman sneaking up behind us into little tiny bits. We stared in shock at the smoldering mess.
"That proof enough for you?" he asked. After a second, I got up and said, "Works for me!"
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