Let’s compile a list of each and every event in my life of the past two days that has been completely and utterly absurd:

  • Following the release of iTunes 7, my iPod decided that it didn’t want to mount as an iPod anymore, but rather as a data device.  Nor would it interact with iTunes at all, preventing me from formatting or updating it.  After a trip to the Apple store today for them to format it, my iPod is minorly less depressed, but the stability of the arrangement is pretty dubious.
  • A freshman debate novice is convinced that his place in life is the position of that one annoying person who contradicts every word out of your mouth, including but not limited to:  economic theory that isn’t my own, research skills, and the proper operation of a Treo 650.
  • The rest of the debate novices are 100% clueless.

    StabbedInnocence: lol, makes sense, now about proper attire, evry1’s gonna b like wearing suits and stuff right?
    effing penguins: Right.
    StabbedInnocence: i went shopping with my mom 2day and my dad’s pissed @ me cuz i didn’t buy a suit, instead i bought a dress shirt which is pretty sophisticated and high heels that look pretty proffessional, and i’d b wearing that with a black skirt, would that b okay or would i absolutly haf 2 get a suit?
    effing penguins: That sounds perfectly okay.
    StabbedInnocence: okay, good, now where do u get a note book?
    effing penguins: OfficeMax, or something.
    StabbedInnocence: ok, any specific brand u think would b like best 2 use? (stupid question, but im desperate and still freaked)
    StabbedInnocence: ok, on the medical consent it’s got a line and then says NOTARY PUBLIC State of Florida at Large and then My commision expires:_____
    StabbedInnocence: no clue wat any of those means
    effing penguins: You have to go to a notary to sign it.  They have them at the bank.
    StabbedInnocence: wat’d u mean a notary? (wat’s a notary?)
    effing penguins: It’s just.. a person, who’s a notary.  That’s just what they are.

  • My Young Judaea community service hours are being rejected for a variety of reasons that are both invalid and too excruciating to even consider typing.  Suffice it to say that unless my parents get involved, my IB diploma is in serious jeopardy.
  • Did I mention how excruciating debate meetings are this year?

Speaking of maddening debate novices, here’s a conversation between me and the one who enjoys contradicting me, dating back about twenty minutes:

confirno: Hey, about your bill-can we discuss it?
effing penguins: What’re you stuck on?
confirno: Well, first me and my friend misinterpreted and just added a 10,000 dollar reimbursment instead of deductions, whch (sort of) worked with the median American income (as of 2002)
confirno: but then we worked in the deductions for a single child-two partnet family, and we dont really see where the government would get profit, as millionaires, however many, could not make up for most of the American populat
confirno: 42,000 (2 parents and a child) is nearly equal to american median income
effing penguins: What is the goal of a government?
confirno: To help its citizens
confirno: but how can help its citizens without money
confirno: 42,000 is merely bread and circuses, what about health-care and other issues, such as education
effing penguins: While I, and a whole bunch of philosophers, would argue that you’re wrong… we can work with that. What the goal of a government is not, however, is to “make a profit,” as you called it. The government is constantly leaking money; we operate on deficit spending. That’s just how things work. The big idea here is that while we are reducing tax income, we’re paying less out in the form of welfare block grants and direct payments. The bill reduces the relevance of massive welfare.
confirno: Well, I know its far to late to revise this bill, but giving 42,000 handouts (on average) and receiving less, would increase the deficit to a breaking point, possibly strengthening our reliance on China (to owe our government owes the most debt), and altering the geopolitical sphere-irrevocably
effing penguins: Who’s giving $42000 handouts again? Because as far as I know, that’s not in the bill. And by the way — I’ve done debate for long enough to not be impressed by babble that you picked up by hearing commentary on TV; “geopolitical sphere” sounds impressive, but is meaningless.
confirno: First of all, I am far more intelligent then you-lets get that out of the way-also, a deduction amounts to a handout in this situation, as the governement would be “giving away” its taxes.
confirno: Don’t try the grammar card either, in my opinion language is how you speak it
effing penguins: I’m sorry, kid, but this is the point where I leave you on your own. Best of luck tomorrow.
confirno: Gut nacht, faggot

Will anyone really object if I quit debate in anguish?