info @ the P.Pole [SPECIAL EDITION: Arthur]

this week's info session comes all the way from my pastor, Pastor Arthur (better known -- by me, mostly -- as 'yellow wood corpse'). this man i can claim safely to be somewhat of a role model for me. lemme explain why.
Arthur came to be an intern at my church (for most of my readers, 'our church' would be more fitting) a long time ago. he was being mentor'd by Pastor Ben back then, and i think Ben did a good job. Art's now the full-time english pastor and he's quite the man. young (ish) and full of great ideas, i don't think he's ever failed to be a forward thinker. i've gone to him a couple times with some heavy stuff on my mind, and we've had some pretty good talks, even though they be few and far apart. i guess he's inspiring since i look up to his creativity and insightfulness. he's a bit of a loner in private, though. keeps mostly to himself, kinda like me, but i think more because he's got a busy occupation, what with ministering to an entire congregation and all. his bookshelf i am in awe of. almost every book i've grabbed off his personal stacks (with the exception of "Our Covenant God", written by a female author) i've learned tons from. hardcore stuff that makes me think.
being a full-time minister for God naturally earns respect by my books, but even if he were just another friend/brother, i would still respect him. for his mind, his ideas and ideals, and his wisdom. i guess, i've never come across a situation that i'd think too complex for him to be able to help with, though most of the time, some other random development solves the problem anyway. *shakes head* the point is, if and when things get hairy, i think Art would be one of the first people i could go to.
anyhoo, enough of me talking about Art. here's what Art had to say about me:

"5 random things about you:

• THINKER - you're a thinker, no doubt about it. you have a critical mind (in a good sense) on issues and life.
• SARCASTIC - your comments are sarcastic at times, esp. on life/ faith issues... but they're pretty funny.
• GOOFY - i can't explain it, you just are.
• OBSERVANT - make good observations about life that most people miss.
• BASS THROAT - you have a deep voice."

that last one was so insightful, i think i simply must explode onto a field somewhere. i remember when he sent me his contribution, and i looked at the last one and just sighed. good stuff Art, good stuff.

info @ the P.Pole [SPECIAL EDITION: ünthinking]

well my fellow human beings in our oh so overly complex world, you've been waiting for this week's info @ the P.Pole. i know i have. this week's comes from one of the coolest, randomest, most quirky people i know.
ünthinking is a generally... well, she's a good ninja sister. one of the best, i must add. i met this ninja way back in... a good number of years ago, though i didn't know her too well back then. since she's not got a presentable Blogger page, i linked the title to a previous post i wrote about/for the ünthinking one. if i had to sum her up in a few words, i'd say she's got 'defined tastes' in everything, a 'think outside the - not box, more like - entire realm of normal human psychological patterns' ninja, and she's got a killer sense of humor - literally: i think if i were on the receiving end of some of her jokezorz (and i took it seriously), i think i'd die just a litte bit. what also makes her a ninja is the fact that she can cook and bake and many other things, and we all know that ninjas must be skilled in everything. like all ninjas, she keeps things short and courteous, clean and slick, neat and tidy. very cool indeed. so, let's have at it.

"5 things Larker dislikes/ detests/ loathes/ resents/ is turned off by:

• trig: proving things you actually already know would work
• people who hide behind their own "reasons" and think that justifies what they do
• lending things to people only to have them returned scratched/ finger printed/ ripped
• worrying about the future
• people with ulterior motives to the things he cares about"

short and sweet wins again.

info @ the P.Pole [SPECIAL EDITION: michelle]

halrighty dear readers. this week's special session comes courtesy of michelle. she's a bit older than i am, and has a tendency -- so i'm told -- to over-mother her friends. she's what you'd call the silent type, quiet and reserved. possessing a wealth of ideas, she's never been one to hold back in deep discussions or whatnot. quite a cool person, if i must say so myself. she's artsy and very much into her guitar and music. she's got a poetic tongue too, and so i'll spare you my blither-blather. here you go!

"5 ways to describe Larker:

• though not sure of who or what he’ll become, Larker is certain God will decide for him. he has no set dream of what he wants his life to be, but Larker knows God will let him know when it’s time. he wants to be able to help those in need, so he can put what God has given him to good use, to serve those who are in need of Jesus Christ. he just wants to glorify God’s name.
• though he cannot define much of anything as beautiful, Larker knows God is, and so is Jesus. beauty can be defined in many ways to many people, Larker says beauty is found on the inside. beauty, to him, is when characteristics of Jesus are apparent. beauty shines from within, out. true beauty always glorifies God, and all of God’s creations are beautiful. Larker knows when he’s found someone beautiful, when he feels as though he’s stepped on a landmine, and it explodes, setting off other mines like a chain reaction, then, he’ll know he’s found her.
• sure, he doesn’t say much in front of people, but that doesn’t mean Larker is egotistic or egocentric. whoever said being quiet was a bad thing? quiet people are the ones who see the most, know the most, think the most, and feel the most. maybe he doesn’t show much emotion or feeling to others, but it doesn’t mean he can’t feel.
• caught between two worlds. between what he wants to do, and what he knows he needs to do. sometimes, sure, curling up into a ball and wanting to die sounds appetizing. but is that what Jesus did? no. he keeps going because others need him too. but what about that wanting to be vulnerable? that want to be a kid again. it’ll be here. it’s just that God’s here too. He’ll watch over him, like a father would a child. he knows this, that’s what keeps him going.
• friendly. caring. generous. brotherly. intelligent. warm-hearted. kind. to himself. all about others. loving. lyrical. deep. philosophical. biblical. spiritual. gentle. strong. helpless. different. special."

info @ the P.Pole [SPECIAL EDITION: hoimin]

alright guys, here's the first of a good few of these babies written by certain others about me. this one focuses on one of my [past?!] interests, pokemon. before we get into the meat of the matter, however, let's get to know the author a little bit.
what can i say about hoimin that hasn't already been agreed upon by everyone else that knows him? he's my cousin, and my elder by a good 5 years. i must admit to him being one of the smartest -- rather, brightest -- people i know. there's a difference between smart and bright. everyone is 'smart' at things -- some at more things than others -- but 'bright' is different. 'smart' is like being particularly good at something particular just because. 'bright' is more like...
it's hard to describe, but hoimin is bright. it's like a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that certain people i know have. it's pretty cool. don't get me wrong, he's super smart too. because of this, he knows lots and jokes lots. i must admit that i am never bored around this guy 'cause well, he's a real interesting person.
some people -- adults in general come to mind -- think that he's a bit too... how do i put this nicely while doing justice to the the opinions? they think he's too lax. well, at least i'd think i myself would think that if i were a stiff necked adult. *shrug* he's my kind of guy: laid-back genius. he was -- and i believe to still be -- a PokeManiac.
seriously. if i ever have serious problems with academics, diplomatics, interpersonal-atics, or pokemonics, i can count on hoimin to give me some practical advice, whilst jesting at my predicaments wherever possible, tasteful, and necessary. gotta love it.

without further adieu, here you are. enjoy.

"if Larker were a pokemon trainer, which 5 would he select for his team?
(yeah, that's right, 5. because he's good enough to not need the full complement of 6.)

• Jolteon @ Focus Band (chance of preventing fainting)
  Thunderbolt | Agility | Hidden Power (Ice) | Baton Pass
  Larker opens off with Speed, and gives it an extra boost with Agility. if the opponent's opening pokemon is water or flying, then it will be fried or shot down. they will likely change to a ground type immediately, giving you a free Agility. Jolteon's main purpose is to Baton Pass its Agility to...


• Marowak @ Thick Club (raises Attack of Cubone or Marowak)
  Swords Dance | Hidden Power (Ghost) | Earthquake | Double-Edge
  Marowak. with Thick Club and one Swords Dance, Marowak's attack reaches 999 and will be able to nuke anything this side of Japan. Earthquake can kill anything that doesn't fly. Double-Edge takes advantage of the Rock Head ability to negate Double-Edge's recoil damage. Hidden Power (Ghost) kill nuke the pesky Ghost-types and Psychic-types. Marowak is exactly the type of pokemon that Larker likes to battle with: huge Attack and good Defense. naturally we'll name this Marowak 'Siegfried'.


• Breloom @ Salac Berry (raises Speed when HP is below 1/3)
  Spore | Focus Punch | Return | Giga Drain
  Larker is a big fan of quirkiness, and nothing is quirkier than a fighting mushroom dinosaur! Breloom is a Grass/Fighting type that excels in Attack and status affliction. he opens with Spore, automatically putting the opponent to sleep, and follows up with Focus Punch. Focus Punch is usually difficult to use because it works in two parts. it automatically goes first: the Focusing phase. if the opponent does not land a hit while Breloom focuses, then Focus Punch activates the second part: the Punch. and what a punch it is - with a base attack strength of 150! running off a pokemon with a 130 base attack is usually a one-hit-knockout (barring ghost-types, poison-types and defensive Claydols). the other two attacks are for support: Return for general big damage and Giga Drain to recover a bit of HP. Jolteon can also pawn off an Agility to Breloom, making it even more likely to pull off it's SporePunch combo.


• Walrein @ Leftovers (recovers 1/16th of HP each turn)
  Surf | Sheer Cold | Double Team | Rest
  If the situation warrants, Larker can change pace with Walrein, the giant ice walrus! With substantial Defense and Special Defense, Walrein can pull off a Double Team/Rest combo. Double Team raises Walrein's evade (it's so funny to think about... an evasive walrus!) and rest will heal up any damage sustained in that time. then Walrein unleashes Sheer Cold -- the only one-hit-KO attack that does not have a resistance against it (Flying types are impervious to Fissure; Ghosts are impervious to Horn Drill/Guillotine). however, there are pokemon that have the Sturdy characteristic, making OHKO's useless against them. the only Sturdy pokemon are Rock, Steel or Ground types - easily dispatched by Surf which receives a same-type attack bonus from Walrein's Water-type.


• Salamence @ Lum Berry (cures any STATUS ailment)
  Dragon Claw | Flamethrower | Ice Beam | Crunch
  if JoltWak leaves any leftovers, and Breloom and Walrein are exhausted, chances are the pokemon left on the other team are either asleep, paralyzed or nearly fainted. that's when Salamence sweeps in, Intimidating his opponent into a cowering ball. with maximized Special Attack, Salamence will have no problem wiping out just about any type of pokemon.

Weaknesses: 5x Ice, 2x Grass, 2x Flying, 2x Rock, 2x Ground, 1x Fire, 1x Poison, 1x Dragon, 1x Water
Strengths: 4x Rock, 3x Ground, 2x Water, 2x Dragon, 2x Steel, 2x Grass, 2x Flying, 1x Ice, 1x Electric, 1x Normal"

EDIT: yes guys, i realize that i haven't updated in a week. that is because, for february, i'm only posting these special info @ the P.Pole sessions, because... well, i'll tell you what it's not because of, and that my laziness. my lack of drive to do extra work has nothing to do with my P.Pole. i think i'll just find a cheesy excuse, like 'february is the month of love and therefore, in some far-out, cosmic way, i should only post posts written by friends (and in some caseS, family).' yeah, makes sense to me. *nods profusely* and if you've got a problem with my la--! with the cosmic reality of it, you can write me an angry letter and i'll post it here.

another one of these for you guys.

well, i've done this before and i'll do it again, since it seems to work so very well. here goes, my take on The Art of Breaking by TFK.

I've tried to hide it, but I can't sleep at night.
Everything I think about makes me feel like a version of myself.
[...]Don't talk if you aren't gonna tell me the truth.
Don't tell me you know and you've got everything under control.
We can't have it all, but we can break the fall.
This time I'm letting God, 'cause I can't take it anymore.
- Absolute

And sometimes when I-I look at me, I wish I could be somebody else.
[...]And will I lose my mind if it comes back this time?
If I don't turn out perfect will you be a friend of mine?
Are you ready to crawl out? Are you ready to take my hand and see?
Are you ready to crawl out, from within this slow bleed?
- Slow Bleed

I can't explain the energy that You give me when I'm left here alone.
And every time I pass you on the street, you won't even turn and look at me.
I never would of thought that things could go this far but please believe me:
I'll pick you up. Won't let you fall. I'll build your trust and it won't hurt at all.
[...]When **If I feel numb I'll let you know. I won't become what I was before.
[...]I think I might just lose my mind if I have to watch this one more time.
I can't explain how many times I've stayed for you when You were on my mind.
No one ever said that it was easy, so come out of the cold and stop your bleeding.
- The Art of Breaking

I'm a stranger that no one can see; a stranger to every part of me.
I'm a stranger to all that I know; a stranger everywhere I go.
[...]How much farther will I get? Man, I feel like such a moving target.
How many times will I slip before I find it? Until then I guess I'll just keep climbing.
[...]It's so hard when you're a loser. Heaven help us find our way.
And it's so hard 'cause I'm a loser. Heaven help me feel okay.
- Stranger

And it hurts when you're lonely, and I'm standing right beside you there.
And it hurts when you told me, that you'll try this on your own.
Hope you never hurt. Hope you never cry. Hope you never lose your way tonight.
Hope you never crumble. Hope you never fall. Hope you never throw away it- [all].
- Hurt (i would have posted the whole song, but that wouldn't work for this kind of post)

I need Your breath to stay alive and make me feel this way.
And I need Your eyes to look inside and watch how we collide.
[...]I find it hard to take, sometimes I feel like I could break.
And I hope You hear my prayer tonight. Can You hear my cries?
[...]Hey you, tell me what You want me to do. 'Explode like a hand grenade'?
Hey [Son of] Man, tell me what You want me to say. I'll drop like a hand grenade.
- Hand Grenade

Can you hear me? Stop. Look. Listen to my voice.
It was never my choce to feel all alone. This is my home.
Back up. You don't know if you've never been here.
You've never been to the place inside.
I face my fears; it takes everything I am.
[...]So breathe, let's leave until the storm is over,
Because I want to take you away.
- Move

I'm too scared to move; too scared to love.
Tell me what I am supposed to to.
I'm too close to see you, but too far to touch.
And too many times I've not done enough.
I'm too close to see you; too far to touch.
And too many times I've not done enough.
I'm too strong to hurt you, but too weak to crush.
I want to, oh, oh, let's go!
- Hit The Floor

I love the way you are, the way you move, the way you speak.
And I like the way You heal the hole inside, that's incomplete.
[...]I love the way you twist, the way you're so mysterious.
We'll have to stay in line, to let You know we're serious.
[...]Stand up, the time is now. Look at the faces in the crowd.
Do you want to just be one? Or will you choose to overcome?
- Go (i realize that there are parts that can be read as you talking about God, or about a lover, so i'll let you decide -- it's both at the same time IMO)

Let me in, these walls are closing in.
Sick of these holes I'm in.
Stuck outside and looking back in.
[...]Away, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
And tonight, ignore me. Ignore me.
You know, I'm sorry. So sorry.
And I'm sorry.
- Make Me A Believer

Tried so hard to not walk away.
And when things don't go my way,
I'll still carry on and on just the same.
I've always been strong, but can't make this happen.
'Cause I need to breathe. I want to breathe You in.
[...]Took awhile to see all the love that's around me.
Through the highs and lows, there's a truth that I've known,
And it's You.
- Breathe You In

what can larker **we do for you?

here are a couple diamonds i came across in the Divine Conspiracy (by Dallas Willard, if you were wondering), a book i've mentioned before.

...I believe the most adequate description of prayer is simply, "Talking to God about what we are doing together." That immediately focuses the activity where we are but at the same time drives the egotism out of it. Requests will naturally be made in the course of this conversational walk. Prayer is a matter of explicitly sharing with God my concerns about what he too is concerned about in my life. And of course he is concerned about my concerns and, in particular, that my concerns should coincide with his. This is our walk together. Out of it I pray.
- Prayer Is Basically Request

...among those who live as Jesus' apprentices there are no relationships that omit the presence and action of Jesus. We never go "one on one"; all relationships are mediated through him. I never think simply of what I am going to do with you, to you, or for you. I think of what we, Jesus and I, are going to do with you, to you, and for you. Likewise, I never think of what you are going to do with me, to me, and for me, but of what will be done by you and Jesus with me, to me, and for me.
- The Mediator in the Community of Love

i need a good analogy.

it's like having a favourite show that you watch everytime it comes on. but (lately), the signal goes dead everytime you tune in, even if you rarely tune in. 'Technical Difficulties' is all you see whenever you change the tele. now what can you do?
well, there are always other shows that are always playing, though i doubt they're really your kind of show, right? well, i guess you could risk it and change the channel to something else, but you might miss it if your favourite show -- that means the one you really want to watch, instead of everything else, commercials and all -- comes back on, you might not get to see it.
i guess, you could flit back and forth to check if it comes on, btu unless your timing's perfect, you're gonna miss bits and pieces. that's all assuming it comes back on. of course, nothing's more unnerving than watching the words 'Technical Difficulties' staring right back at you, when you know the people down at the station ought to have had it fixed a long time ago.
i mean, this is your favourite show here! how come other people get to see their favourite shows but yours is the one that gets cut? of course, you wouldn't wish your dilemma on anyone, simply because you know that this kinda thing sucks, but at the same time, you kinda have to wonder to yourself (no one else is around, remember?), 'What are the difficulties?' so now, you call up your cable company.
'Good afternoon sir. How may I help you?' the receptionist says.
'Hi, I was just wondering --!'
'Please hold.'
'Hm, that's strange...' you think to yourself. 'Well, I guess there's nothing to do but to be on hold then.'
you sit and glance back and forth between the blank television screen and the clock, counting the minutes as they crawl by. now, you're getting a bit impatient, and who can blame you? what's taking so long? what could it be? and that's when you hear the shrill pre-recorded voice -- probably for the Nth time now -- say, 'You are a valued patron, sir, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please keep holding.'
you hear a beep, and you look to find an incoming call. it's two of your friends. they tell you about another show that's on, and whether they can come over and you three could chill and tune in. they think you'd like it. what to do? you could listen to them, but what about your show? that new show might be cool, sure, but yours is what, a gazillion times better. you tell them, gently, 'It's quite alright, I've got something more important to attend to.' they tell you that that's okay, and go along their merry way as you keep waiting and holding.
the voice comes on again; now what would you do? if you were someone with a low emotional quotient, you'd probably hang up. heck, most people wouldn't even go to that much trouble, and would have just switched channels at the start. but not you. no, not you. you're too bent on this one show that you love, if you could ever love a TV show, that is.
this show, it's got everything you like. your show is one of a kind. there are no other shows like it anywhere, on any other station. it's got a brilliant plot. the screen play is quite intriguing. the different personalities of this one show make it truly interesting to watch. the twists are timed just right and unpredictable. you almost feel like you're involved in the show, like you're kind of responsible for it, like you've been called to be a fanperson of this one show, and to be devoted to it. you feel the show feel is a part of you, since you've tuned in for so long -- since you were a kid in fact. you could never outgrow this show. you'd do anything to watch it, if only it were only on.
so what can you do? you stay on hold, because you want some answers to your questions: did your show get cancelled? new management? is it now airing on some other station that you don't have? do you have to pay more now? what's going on?! you bear with the shrill 'Please hold's and learn some patience. you don't dare touch that remote, because you're firmly fixed on this show. you can only keep watching the blank screen that looks like it's taunting you. you wait for the show you love to come back on.

phat phourth

hello! good morning to you too (it's around 1 am right now). last night (as in, a couple hours ago) wasn't particularly fun or interesting, but today, i hope, will prove to be pretty cool. it is, after all, the fourth of february. fourths have become days of peculiar interest for me and i plan/hope on keeping it that way. and since i normally do something special just to mark these days, here is this month's little doozie (this time for my dear- dear readers to see >_O). i will have you know, i spent quite awhile measuring and calculating this out, so i hope it's appreciated if not for itself, then for the efforts. and as per my style (AKA my obsessive compulsive disroder), many/every little detail counts. have fun trying to find all the hidden gems!

fabulous february, readers

so it's the second of february. this month shall be an interesting one. first of all, it's Valentine's month. and we all know what that means... flaming cinnamon candy contests! gotta love those. secondly, it's the shortest month of the year, and that's just cool. short people are, contrary to popular belief, very cool. some of the coolest people i know are pretty short (minus Adwin).
speaking of cool, i've asked friends/family/both to write some things about me, just to see what they'd write. i did this back in january, and i'm gonna be posting these short pieces throughout february. that's kinda cool, since most of the stuff that i've already got back are kinda weird and cool. thumbs up.
also about february, there's going to be TC captain training throughout on the saturdays which means... well, what the heck do you think it means?! it means that there's going to be TC captain training! fun stuff. cheer making. *runs and lets Hannah work on cheer alone* flag making. *drools all over self and rolls around in it* whatever else doing. *shrugs*
all in all, february should be a pretty strike with foot anus month.

EDIT: this month's jsut started and i've already had a great day. i'll have you know that that was the very first time anyone has called me that, and it made my day.