Back on Board!!

[concrete_Angel]

Oh, you say that to all the girls who've tried to kill you.

[kalle]

We should spar and see how easy or not I go down.

[Kei Nakamura]

Kalle, you currently on contract?
Sifu Long, how about you?

[kalle]

Hi Kei.

I am freed from the last contract actually. We can discuss the terms and if I will not violate the terms of the last contract, then all is OK.

[Willie Long]

Oh, you say that to all the girls who've tried to kill you.

***

Lazlo doesn't give much notice, Ms. Nakamura, but until something comes up, I got time. What did you have in mind?

[Hannah]

Hi Everyone

I wasn't really tryin' ta kill Willie, I just wanted ta get him away from Eilonwy. Then I could have decded if I was gonna kill him or not.

Anyway, things seem to be runnin' a little better at school now, though my Biology teacher is actin' strange.

I went ta speak ta her about a test we had this week, about evolution. I failed the test, but when I compared my answers ta those who got stuff right, they were the same answers. She told me not ta worry 'cause this evolution stuff is just what the state wanted me ta hear. She gave me the wrong marks so I'd talk with her and learn the truth about how God created everythin' an' how God was looking out fer me and was gonna save me from tha sinners.

It was like talkin' ta someone back home at tha compound. She made me think about all my cousins and friends and my Ma and my horses and it made me something awful homesick.

Hannah

PS: She also told me ta be careful, she said there were people out there who were lyin' ta me about stuff.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

Hannah, there's a huge debate between Evolution and Creationism. Most (almost all) scientists subscribe to the Theory of Evolution. The opponents to Evolution argue that God created everything, erego "Creationism".

If you don't subscribe to the Bible as being a book to be taken literally all the time, the two theories aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. I believe that's where the Intelligent Design theory comes in, I haven't studied the topic myself.

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
Albert Einstein, "Science, Philosophy and Religion: a Symposium", 1941

Having faith and believing in God doesn't mean you can't accept scientific theory and fact. The people who rail the loudest against evolution are the same people that still say the earth is only a few thousand years old and that dinosaurs didn't exist despite solid proof. Science, reveals the majesty of God's world. Remember, the Bible and the recorded religious works were written by humans even if you believe they were divinely inspired. As we learn more it may invalidate some of the specifics (say the world is only 5,000-some years old) but if you look past the "specific details" given you can still see the underlying truths if you believe in them. "Well, did he really mean some odd thousands of years or did he just want to impress upon that it was OLD?" There are many many inconsistancies when it comes to religion, most people of faith accept the fact that it was written by ordinary people and focus on the teachings behind the pages.

[KonThaak]

Actually, Intelligent Design is pretty much just Creationism under a different name. It holds absolutely no bearing in the classroom...

Keep in mind, evolution is a *scientific theory*, not just a "theory" that some wackjob thought up and got people to subscribe to. That sort of thing would be labeled as a "hypothesis"; evolution is a "theory" because it has pretty much been proven as fact, save for a few minor details... In this case, we know the evolutionary pathways that many species took at different eras, but there are centuries of time that we can't seem to account for; the fossil records don't provide enough information to tell us how different species got from point A to point B.

Nevertheless, we know it to be true.

"Intelligent Design" is NOT A THEORY, it's a HYPOTHESIS, which states that everything came into being "because God said so". It supercedes evolution altogether; we aren't here because God made us evolve the way we did, we're here because God created us that way. "Intelligent Design" ignores all the facts that science has proven, and is basically just the neocons' way to teach Creationism in school...unless something's changed since the last time I heard about it.

Personally, I agree with the Pastafarians. If we're going to teach such tripe in schools, we should teach about the Flying Spaghetti Monster, too.

[kalle]

Evolution happens.

Why?

[GhostSpider]

Keep an eye on this teacher Hannah. Something seems odd about her.

[Shadowstalker]

I have to agree with Ghost here keep an eye on that teacher.
Ron have you said anything to the school administration yet?

[A. Pendragon]

Maybe we should just remove the teacher from the situation ourright? Just kidding. but you never know, the teach could be a daemon in disguise!

[Bert_the_Turtle]

We could tie up the teacher and see if s/he floats!

No, wait, that's how you tell if someone is a witch.

[Ron Caliburn]

I did.

Apparently the teacher does not recall ever having the convorsation and Hananh's mark was entered in the records as an A.

[concrete_Angel]

Oddly enough, I had this same debate with Will a while ago. Eventually, we ended up trying to think of exactly how long one of God's days is. Probably by the time he had a second day, all his protozoa turned into sapient creatures.

As for your teacher, Hannah, either you've been sniffing the gym shorts too long (which I doubt), or that hag's trying to start trouble with you. Don't talk to her without Ron next time. If nothing else, he'll shut her up.

[GhostSpider]

Here's another possibility. The teacher wasn't "herself" at the time. Possesion maybe?

[Hannah]

Hi Everybody!

So this week the bio teacher hasn't acted strange or turned into a frog or anything like that, so I guess it was just a one time thing.

So Peter came up ta me this week and asked me what I was wearin' ta the Hallowe'en dance. I dunno why I got so flustered, probably because I didn't know about dancin' and didn't know what a Hallowe'en was. I kinda stammared a few things and I think I blushed and he walked away.

I must have looked like a total idiot, so I guess that's why he decided ta go away.

When I got home I asked Ei about Hallowe'en, she told me some stuff and this weekend I've been doing some research about it too . . . seems really weird ta have a day where little kids dress up like monster, I mean what happens if real monsters come out - I'd hate for a little kid ta get kilt because someone mistook him fer a werewolf or sumthin'

So anyway, I ended up not goin' ta the dance thing this weekend, I didn't have a costume and I don't know how ta dance. Besides, I'm sure Pa wouldn't have let me go anyway, he likes ta make sure I stay aroud the house when he's out patrollin' fer monsters.

Hannah

PS: I did go shopping this weekend and finally got myself some pants . . . it took forever ta find a store that sells stuff in my size that doens't ride so low that my underwear peeks out.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

Awwwwww! Hannah has a Boooooyfriend! hehehehe.

[KonThaak]

Halloween was originally "Samhuin" or "Samhain" to the ancient Celts... They held the belief that it became winter because throughout the month of October, the gates to the realm of the dead would begin to open... On October 31, the gates would open fully, and Death wouldn't be able to keep all the restless spirits of those who were upset by their deaths inside... They would return to the world, embittered by their experiences, and would bring their hate of those still living.

The ancient Celts would dress up as monsters to scare away the angry spirits (who were still human, and still frightened by monsters), or would dress up as the dead to fool them, for they believed that if an angry spirit saw you for the day they roamed the world, they would latch onto your soul, and you would die during that winter...

When the Christians came to those lands and saw these people in costumes, they didn't realize that they were simply costumes; they believed that the Celts were summoning demons to attack them. They decided that if they were loosing evils on the world, they would cleanse it. November 1 became "All Saints Day", a day when every spirit ever named a saint was called back from Heaven to walk the world, and clean up the evil spirits that had been called here by the pagans.

When they found out why the pagans did what they did, they simply incorporated their holiday as the Eve of all Saints--or All Hallow's Eve--or simply Hallowe'en, in an attempt to bring them into the church. (Note that for a while longer, All Saints Day was still practiced, to cleanse the world of the evil spirits the pagans believed were coming back on that day, and make sure those spirits were returned to their rightful places.)

THAT's the origin of Halloween. These days, it's practiced for fun. Of course, many people nowadays are ignorant of that history, and believe it to be a Satanic ritual that teaches kids to be greedy... 9.9

[concrete_Angel]

Just as long as you don't start confusing the poor girl with some modern wiccan mess where they try to take a bunch of modern ideas and mush it into one big "ancient" festival. Last time I saw one of them try to explain Halloween, they actually meshed six different cultures into one event.

Oh, and just as a footnote to your descriptions, KT, Samhain is just the Gaelic version of saying "November". Generally looked upon as the Celtic New Year. (I LUUUUUUV Wikipedia! )

[Hannah]

Awwwwww! Hannah has a Boooooyfriend! hehehehe.

Hi Bert,

I don't have a boyfriend . . . he thinks I'm strange or something because I don't know what Hallowe'en was or go ta tha dance with him.

Instead I had ta stay home and give out candy ta kids who thought I was wearin' a costume 'cause I don't dress like normal people do.

Hannah

PS: I'm such a freak. I wish I'd stayed back at the compound with the orthers like me.

[KonThaak]

Hannah... You're less a freak than you know. Besides... To some of us, being a freak is a good thing... I...I was a freak all through my school life, from the time I was in grade school... I hated it then... Hated how everyone treated me so damned poorly because I was smarter than them... Hated how everyone looked down on me because I didn't think like them...

But Hannah...in the end, it was worth it. I wouldn't be who I am today if I weren't a freak.

It isn't easy...but at least you've got friends online to help and support you, and a father who may not fully understand what you're going through, because he got out so much later in life than you did...but despite that, your dad's doing everything he can to make life better for you than it was for him...

I know it's hard...but...you can do this. Start by sitting down with this Peter kid sometime and explaining to him where you come from, and that you're trying to adjust. Make some friends, get some folks to understand who you are, and why you're strange by their standards.

Not all folks are bad or stupid... Some will be sympathetic, and will pry start trying to help you out.

Give yourself a chance, give others a chance, and start carving out your own niche...

Above all, remember, this is just school. It isn't even college. It doesn't have a lot of bearing on your future life, and neither do the opinions of the people in it...

[GhostSpider]

Hannah, i'm weird, a nerd, and a freak, and I like it that way.

Be your own person Hannah.

[DroopyDawg]

Hannah,
Do not worry about being different, or not fitting in. I did not fit in until many years after high school. In fact I decided that I didn’t want to be what was commonly known as “normal.” Now I am at the point where my abnormalities are just accepted as who I am. So I am viewed as being just as normal as the next guy. Just remember the being “normal” is boring.

Society often fears and distrusts that which they do not understand. This is why the common populous refuses to accept, what we hold to be self evident. That the supernatural exists and is apart of the common world. In fact they refuse it to such an extent that they will be willing to deny the proof right in front of their eyes.

This too is why they tend to treat you the way they do. You do not fit what they consider to be the norm. Fitting in is not something that you need to worry about. Just realize that they are going to pick on you to one degree or another as long as you don’t.

At the age you are at now, “face” is a very big thing. This “face” is how a person fits in to the social fabric of a group. How others in the group view the person in relation to the “pecking order” of the group.

So the fact that the “weird kid” , meaning how they see you not how we see you, is making them look foolish is reducing their face within the rest of their group. So then it is up to them to attempt to “save face” by attacking back at you and making you look foolish. Though they may not always get the result they sought after.

There are only three defenses that you can reliably count on to keep these other kids off your back. Firstly you can scare the other kids to the point that they fear the retribution that would come their way if they mess with you. The problems with this are that firstly your dad will probably not appreciate what you have to go through to place such a fear in the kids. Not to mention the parents of those kids as well. And if the schools there are anything like they are here, you would miss too many days of school due to suspension to be allowed to move to the next grade, regardless of your scores.

Secondly, become one of their group or “clique”. I have a strong suspicion that this would be the hardest for you because you would have to work hard to change the way you view yourself to fit in to their group. Also this usually means that you have to start at the bottom of the “pecking order” and move up through the group. Not something I see you being willing to do.

Thirdly, and most likely the best way for you, is to set yourself up within a group of your own. This way you have others who are willing to watch out for you as you watch out for them. My own step-daughter has friends throughout her school. Some of her friends don’t necessarily like her other friends because they are from different groups, but they are all her friends. She even tries to befriend those people who she feels are being picked on.

You can do something much like this yourself. Try to find those people that you share a common interest with. Those who don’t look at just your appearance but see the person you are within yourself. These are not easy times for any of you. Finding those that you are comfortable with now and who you enjoy being with will take you a long way in the years ahead.

Also remember you have a whole world of friends here who are always willing to listen. Not to mention a few who would drop everything to come to your aid. Just remember one of my favorite sayings, “In time, this too shall pass.” As far as I have seen thus far in my life nothing lasts forever.

Droopy Dawg

P.S. Try to go easy on your dad through these years. Being the parent of a teen is a lot like trying to keep an eye on a tiger in the jungles of India. Quite nerve wracking, I assure you.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

Getting and Maintaining popularity in Highschool is a bit like carrying handfuls of water across the desert. It requires constant work and despite your best efforts most of it will slip through your fingers or evaporate into thin air. And once you're done in High School you'll find that you have little to show for the effort.

You only need one good friend in life. And its probably going to be the last person you'd suspect. You can try and warm up to people who share your beliefs and views or you can try to just let it happen on its own. In the end, either way, you'll discover that you have many more aquaintences than friends.

[DroopyDawg]

/Stands and applauds\

You know Bert, for as verbose as I tend to be. I don't think I could have said that better.

Droopy Dawg

[Hannah]

Hi Gang,

I'm not tryin' ta be popular or ta make friends, I just don't want people singlin' me out fer tha way I dress or talk or anythin' like that.

Y'all is tha people I think of when I think of friends, though Pa won't let me go out and spend time with y'all. Says it's too dangerous.

I dunno about that, things didn't go so bad on Hallowe'en . . . 'cept Pa shot the wrong man.

Hannah

PS: I thinmk I'm gonna have ta do something about what's goin' on at school . . . that biology teacher kept me after class ta explain that my history teacher was wrong when he was tellin' me about these Sumerian fellers an' tellin me that they was all wiped out in tha flood, like all the other wicked people.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

Ron, do something about this Biology Teacher before I give the class a cadaver to experiment on.

[Ron Caliburn]

We went to the principal about it, biology teacher denies this incident ever took place and says that she would never undermine another teacher like that.

There aren't security cameras or microphones in the classrooms to document this stuff, so there's no proof.

At the momment the Principal is backing the teacher and cautioning me that Hannah is far too old to have such an overactive immagination.

I almost gave him an overactive fist to deal with.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

If you want I can have a courier deliver a wire Hannah can wear so we can get a record of it next time.