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Too much

I don’t imagine that anyone else is drowning. I don’t imagine anyone else is as weighed down as I am.

When asked to think about drowning, one normally doesn’t imagine it without water.

One doesn’t normally imagine that someone could be perpetually weighed down by what was, in actuality, nothing tangible--by just the immensity of their own thoughts.

One doesn’t normally chastise a victim for not lifting their arms and paddling to the surface, because they are a victim, after all. Victims are meant to be pitied, to be treated with as much fragility as allowed without letting them know their own delicacy.

One doesn’t imagine these things, ponder these things, because they seem to be unrealistic--a developed handicap is not caused by metaphors and similes. It is not caused by subconscious thought racing and racing throughout the mind, taking over the conscious and rendering it unimportant and desolate. It is not caused by need, the need, to be better, stronger, faster, wiser, and everything else in the world that is more than what already exists.

One doesn’t imagine these things because they don’t see that the world is full of water. It is full of things and people and ideas and expectations pulling and pushing you left-right-up-down at the same time in the search of a perfect happy place that exists only in the dreams of those daring enough to hope for something better.  It is full of doubts and hesitation and reluctance and no time--oh, how there is so little time--which makes lifting the arms or kicking the legs to climb back up and out of the darkness that is reality a near impossibility.

But most of all, one doesn't imagine these things because they are unnoticeable. Undetectable. If it were any other way, no one would be able to swim up. Knowing that the water is there makes the escape from it that much harder--knowing makes it impossible.

So we trudge on. We work and work and work in hopes of making something better, or at least making the next day better. We work and work and work and when nothing comes of it we tell ourselves to keep working, it will be finished tomorrow. But then tomorrow is followed by another tomorrow and then another and another and another and, sometimes, we dream of a yesterday that we can look forward to.

We trudge on. We kick our feet, force our arms up through the waves, fingers grasping for the sweet nothingness in our fruitless efforts to breach the surface, which no one will ever do. We look around at everyone else and assume they are breathing that clean air we wish we breathed; we see them walking freely as if they have nothing restraining them. We see them as if they are not drowning.

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Best Book in Harry Potter

I could go on and on about the different complexities and implications of relationships and justice (don’t get me started on justice, that could be another paper) that were introduced in this novel, but it’s clear that POA has introductions and explanations that are unmatched by the other books in terms of establishing Harry Potter as one of the best series on the market. If you still want to say that your favorite is the Goblet of Fire, go ahead, but you can’t say that it’s the best; a good plot can be found anywhere in the series, but the turning point into the darkness of the Wizarding world can’t be found anywhere else.

For anyone who has read and enjoyed the Harry Potter series in its entirety, which book (or movie, if you’re a plebeian) should be esteemed as the best of them all is a popular query. In my experience, The Goblet of Fire, or perhaps The Chamber of Secrets, is ranked first among those I’ve questioned. At a first glance, I would agree -- they have action and, a constant suspense in regards to what will happen next that makes it not only a worthwhile read, as all novels by J.K. Rowling are, but an easy one.

However, I think the title of “best” has to be earned in more ways than one -- an esteemed actor is not awarded an Oscar for being able to portray only one emotion, as a book shouldn’t be ranked first among seven in a reader’s mind based on only one aspect, even if that aspect seems to overshadow any other elements of a story. In my opinion pPlot is the most prominent characteristic of a story, followed by characters and then setting. But when the setting and characters maintain a certain constancy-- as series tend to allow for-- the plot becomes much more complex.

Allow me to explain; in a single book, the plot is just that, a plot. It is the way it is, with nothing else to add to it or complete it in any way, shape or form. So, when judging a book such as To Kill a Mockingbird or The Count of Monte Cristo, the evaluation of a plot is simple, since there is nothing else but the events in that book, and that book alone, to take into account. A series, though, presents a plethora of complications for a seemingly simple rating system. Not only does one have to determine if the book is enjoyable in itself, but its place within the entire series has to be analyzed. In a situation where there is a prequel and sequel, the comparison of how the two stories would stand alone tends to be a big factor. In a long series with a long, complicated plot and an extensive amount of details and backstory, a single book seems to play a much bigger role than just advancing the story-- it advances the entire environment.

This is why I simply don’t agree with the fact that the fast-paced Goblet of Fire would be the best of the Harry Potter book, or the edge-of-your seat Chamber of Secrets. When looking at the hero-villain relationship, character development, and critical background story development, the book that is undeniably the best is The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Let’s look at the Prisoner of Azkaban (POA) at face value to start. POA has just as much action as any other book in the series. With the introduction of Sirius Black, and infamous serial killer (and serial killers and murders tend to be one of the most universally interesting topics, which already gives this book an edge in comparison to the others) right at the beginning, Rowling was able to add an air of suspense throughout the entire novel, since the reader has no idea when or where Black will show up. This keeps the reader on the hooked, especially once it’s revealed that Sirius Black was actually a good guy-- then it came to be about the strive for justice, another appealing story line.

But what’s most intriguing and fantastic about this book is the newly introduced complexities between relationships-- the Wizarding world becomes much more gray.

The relationships between the protagonists is the first indicator of the blurring between right and wrong. Throughout the first two books of the series, the only serious contention that had existed between the characters was between Hermione and the already established pairing of Harry and Ron. That, however, is solved within the first few chapters the heroes are at Hogwarts. POA is the first book where a conflict splits the friend group apart; the boys were mad at Hermione for a considerable amount of the book, the hostility peaking when Hermione got Harry’s broom confiscated for fear that it was jinxed by Sirius Black. This contention, though inevitable in terms of having a group of friends be the protagonists of a novel, shows that their relationship is fallible-- it’s not a guarantee. The heroes won’t always be there, as the naive approach in the first two books might have the readers thinking. Friends--heroes-- can turn on each other, which actually turns out to be a major theme in the book as well as the series as a whole.

POA is also the first time where you learn the complexities of Harry’s background-- particularly why he is the way he is. Many fans might use a similar reason for why The Chamber of Secrets is superior, but the major difference is in the comparison of the importance of the hero’s and villain’s backgrounds. Don’t get me wrong, both are important and extremely interesting topics to expound on within a story, but the key differences lie in the general traits of each archetype: a villain is always created, but a hero doesn’t have to be.

A villain is created, whether it’s in real life or a fictional universe. Most serial killers in today’s world were abused as children, which led to their divergent behavior as adults. Voldemort would follow the same trend-- orphaned as a child, with only the knowledge that one of his parents was an incompetent witch and his disowning father was a filthy muggle. No one like Voldemort could possibly be born-- he had a lot of anger towards the world, which drove him to destroy it.

A hero, on the other hand....heroism is ambiguous. There are people like Abraham Lincoln, who brought themselves from the bottom in order to make a positive difference. But then there are people like Heracles-- a famous Greek demigod who Zeus conceived for the sole purpose of helping the gods defeat the giants-- who were born into the hero role. The degree to which a hero creates themselves allows for some freedom when it comes to developing the backstory of a hero; the hero could’ve started from anywhere, and that affects how they react to certain things, how they form relationships with others, what they value, and so on.

The POA focused on the circumstances that led to the event that made Harry a hero in the public’s eye. It brought up the circumstances in detail that led to his defeat of Voldemort, which was the premise for the entire series. Harry’s survival is more personal after learning this-- it becomes less of a fact that Harry can’t even remember, and more of a pivotal part in his life that has affected him ever since.

The circumstances that led to Harry’s death were important for two reasons: it showed that his parents’ death wasn’t supposed to happen, and that it happened because a friend betrayed them. Peter Pettigrew (better known as Wormtail), was James Potter’s friend at Hogwarts, and had seemed to be right up until the moment Voldemort broke into the Potter home. He was also their Secret Keeper, as Dumbledore believed no one would suspect that he would be chosen over a closer friend, like Black or Lupin. He was considered a friend, a good guy, until Sirius Black, who had suffered the consequences for Wormtail’s betrayal, had his name cleared. This showed that being good or being bad isn’t completely distinguishable: as Voldemort said, there is no good and evil--only power, and those too weak to seek it. That was said in The Sorcerer’s Stone, but the POA brought it to life, and showed how relevant it truly was. It also gave Harry a drive to fight against his parents’ murderers-- the murder was no longer just a fact of life to be accepted and dealt with quietly, but a burning fire that would motivate him throughout the entire rest of the series.

The introduction of two of James’ friends, Black and Lupin, as well as the groups Marauder’s Map connected Harry more to his father, and allowed the reader to see that Hogwarts would be a character in itself (of course, Hogwarts’ history was repeatedly brought up, and was the main point in the Chamber of Secrets, but that’s not important). Harry was just a piece in this constantly changing and evolving world, and allowed the reader to have a macroscopic view of the Wizarding world.  

Also, Remus Lupin. Besides being probably the best character in the entire book, it welded different areas of the magical world together. Prior, creatures had been considered inhuman and beastly, unfit for participation in normal society. But Lupin challenged that prenotion that most likely existed in the mind of the reader by being the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and proving that a werewolf can be docile,and even make friends with normal wizards.

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okay but honestly

okay so ive been reading tons of jamilton fanfiction (as you do) and now i have this weird as craving to cuddle someone ??? but i dont even let my friends hug me ??? and no one i like would date me ???? this is why i dont read actual romance novels i would have a breakdown

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Pokemon Shaming

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Watch Markiplier on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE from Last Night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtZgpEqfoaI

In case you missed it, here is the official clip. 

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congratulations to Minerva McGonagall on her pending retirement today, who is going to look down at her list of first years and see “James Sirius Potter” and just call it a fucking day

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The College Fallacy

Many students and their families extend themselves to pay for a college education out of fear of falling into the low-wage economy. That’s perfectly understandable. But how sound an investment is it?

John Cassidy investigates in this week’s issue.

Illustration by Leo Espinosa

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August 28th

Today is August 28th. 153 years ago today, on August 28th 1833, slavery was abolished in most of the British Empire.

29 years later, on August 28th 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Ran began in the American Civil War. Over the next three days, more than 17,000 people would be killed or wounded. The Union loss in this battle helped convince the American government that emancipating slaves was a military necessity. (Let’s not labor under the delusion that the South was racist and the North wasn’t. Both were racist.)

93 years later, on August 28th 1955, a 14-year-old black boy named Emmett Till was murdered for the crime of speaking to a white woman.

8 years later, on August 28th 1963, hundreds of thousands of Civil Rights activists marched on Washington and Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

August 28th is an unusual date only in that so many widely known moments in history occurred. The truth is, as writers from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Sonia Sanchez have pointed out, the history of race in America is the history of post-Columbus America. Race is not a sidebar or a footnote, and when we treat it as such, we further marginalize people who have been structurally marginalized since the moment Europeans arrived in the Americas.

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How are you doing Jack? Heh, stupid question, I'd think you're pretty stressed out from recording 4 freaking videos a day. You're doing great Jack, keep up the good work! It'll be over soon! We really appreciate all the hard work you put toward the channel :)

Haha thank you :D

Right now all the recording is done since yesterday and its full on edit mode. I edited 16 videos today alone :P

Just 4 left and we’re good to go!!

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A pointillism of Umbreon, made in photoshop