Network

I love the holidays! Streets full of palm trees, and litter, and the occasional homeless junkie who's friendly enough to give me a wave. I offered to let him stay in our guest bedroom, but he declined. Too bad, luckily it's not too cold about here. I gave him some money for clothes and a hotel room instead, he seemed happy enough with that.

Still, that's not why I love the holidays, I love the music, and the lights, and the decorations, and the smell of peppermint everywhere. Oh, and of course, so many baked goods.

I've begun reading a wonderful novel called "Ready Player One". It's a wonderful story, and feasts upon nostalgia in a way that is incredibly unique to a novel. I suppose some of it's splendor comes from that, and so maybe it's not as good as I believe; however, I do find the writing clever and fun, the story's enticing and full of laughs and page turning excitement. It's a really wonderful novel, and I intend to use it in my literature class next semester I think.

I love skittles! Brilliant things, not as good as a Jammie Dodger, but really nothing is so it's fine enough really. But fact is it's brilliant, delicious and wonderful, and I have now purchased a ridiculously large bag of them for incredibly cheap at a local market thanks to post-Halloween sales. I'm eating them regularly, with my tea, and it's helping me to do edits in my book.

CLARA! My darling Clara, I do believe I have discovered, on the google machine, that the man we were speaking of the other day. The one who implanted his face in your chest and shook his head about, was actually committing a brazen form of foreplay or mating ritual called: "Motorboating". It's a bit absurd, as I do not believe any motors, boats, or water for that matter ever came into play.

I intend to do further research upon motorboating. So far, in my explorations in the physical realm, I have come to find most find it odd, offensive, and a few found it amusing. Nothing much more than that though.

Still, I think perhaps I'll go onto doing research here abroad, open to all humans and humanoids alike. I have come to find really only females seem to play victim here, but it's open to all so as not to leave any stone unturned.

Motorboating: Does it work as a mating ritual? Yea or Nay.

Nice to know that regardless of where you are, blokes will still decide it's perfectly acceptable to harass you on the street by leaning down towards your chest, shaking their head and growling. Really. Just how I wanted to end my day.

A potential alien super structure? Oh that'd be absolutely fascinating. KIC 8462852, as you humans have designated it, though, is not home to an alien 'superstructure', though really I should keep my mouth shut and let you all discover it on your own. No, it's really just broken up comet debris, and a couple of scavenging ships from the habitable planet several light years away from KIC. Yes, the aliens exist there, but they're a cranky bunch, and you'll likely never run into them. They keep mostly to themselves.

I have decided to start playing football; and no, not that silly game Americans play that they call football because you play mostly with your hands (I mean, really, were people just confused?).

But yes! I do intend to play real football. It turns out I'm quite fantastic on it, and apparently did a bang up job the other day making someone 'break their bank'. I don't really know why my footwork would do anything in regards to breaking one's financial institution, but still I took it as a wonderful compliment.

I really wish this dream would stop repea

Well that was a disappointing meeting yesterday. "Your module proposal was rejected because the chosen literature does not meet the requirements for an advanced course."

Then again, the ridiculous requirements and emphasis on test scores and not learning probably have something to do with that. I mean, Chinboy and i have had this conversation before, on what constitutes a 'classic' or why other books are considered to be one or the other. I would think that challenging ideas or looking at themes in a new way and how they can help shape us would fall into the whole idea of expanding knowledge and personal growth. There is more than just ticking off certain books on some arbitrary list if you ask me.

I miss England on days like today. I really have no reason to miss England as much as I do, I simply... do miss it. It's sad really. I love my home here, and my jobs here, but England is home and I feel a strange quench to visit soon.

Watched the Super Blood Moon the other day; rather brilliant really, though not as impressive as the Diamond Moon of Ragtoroknor... hope I spelled that in Earthling correctly, it really doesn't translate right. There's meant to be a sound that isn't represented in the human language.

Regardless, brilliant moon made of diamonds, and when the sun gets behind it it creates a prism of rainbows all across the planet. Very beautiful, incredibly dangerous, and half-mined by the Rag people for quite some time. But don't worry, they've replaced it with synthetic diamonds.

I am in the market for a new television show to watch, can someone give me an idea for one?

Preferably one that both Clara and I could enjoy... considering she'd likely watch at times, and I don't want to hear the sighs, or eye rolls. It has to be scientifically accurate though, or about magic. I like magic, it's a fun little thought.

I've got to say, Clara is a brilliant chef. Fish Fingers and Custard was the best I've ever had, and I'd tell her how amazing she is at Jammie Dodgers, but she didn't make those. But excellent purchasing skills, and a brilliant apologist. Still, not necessary to apologize.

All that being said, everyone is doing better I hope? Good, brilliant, glad to hear it. I've been up for two days straight and am wired. Does anyone need anything built? I'm good at building, been tinkering all night.

This whole violence and crabby business is a bit baffling to me, not sure what could cause such a massive outburst of anger and irrationality; obviously there are many different factors that contribute to moods, mood swings, and all of it being chemical it could definitely be something in the air.

Though, I'm hazarding to guess it's something to do with the dreams, and it's a supernatural, otherworldly sort of thing; perhaps a telepathic influence from someone's dream? I don't know, but it's about time we begin coming up with ideas for dream filters. Something that somehow keeps the dreams relatively local, locked in on single individuals having them, rather than the whole community. To do that, we'd have to actually monitor someone sleeping while they're having the dream, and find out if these dreams create multiple avenues.

Oh, wait, WE DO! Haha, I have been strapping my head to a machine every night, much to Clara's chagrin I'm sure; though, in all honesty, at the moment all is to her chagrin. Regardless, I haven't been dreaming much more anymore... snippets here or there, not really showing me much of anything. But what I do notice is that quantifiable changes occur both in the dream centers of the brain and long term memory centers of the brain, as well as short term. Usually a blurb in the short term, and then a huge data spike in the long term. I need more extensive research though to really know if I can find a way to see how the dreams are capable of extending beyond ourselves.

Robin Hood!

So I have taken into consideration the dreams that everyone has been having, and certainly I'm by no means the only expert on this network so please offer critiques or support or what have you to anything I might be saying.

Still, I've been running through my head the concept of 'destiny'. I can attribute this to my lovely, and wonderfully brilliant roommate, who has made me actually stop and contemplate the very existence of these dreams and their role in our own society.

Stop and think if you will, we all know they're there, and I think most of us agree they're memories more than simply dreams. From the data I've managed to gather at any rate; question is though, does those being memories then alter our personality, make it even more confusing, or does it become a choice? Some would argue that having those memories return has to ultimately change your personality, right? Of course, because you've now experienced those things.

But you've also now experienced so much more, so then the question is, does it alter your personality, or actually does it simply now play a part in it?

I ask this because it seems that sometimes, some of us do not want to be the person we are in our dreams. And I guess I'm asking is how do you all feel about it? Do you feel you're destined to be that person? Can you make the conscious choice not to be? It seems easy to say 'of course I can', but you may not have chosen. It may have just happened overnight.

Because I'm beginning to theorize all of this might be a bleed over from a supremely thing reality barrier, and that our 'former' or parallel selves are actually bleeding into our own beings, and so we're getting a tiny, or large, bit of that personality. Is it true? I'm not sure, and wish to find out.



... oh, and also! Watch the movie Ex Machina, fantastic film!

It astounds me time and time again how people react to fear. Why is it people lash out and try to fight what they fear instead of trying to understand it? The thing they fear is not always what it appears to be.

[Filter to John Smith and Troy Handsome]

Sometimes being the Doctor is a burden.

I have finished my book! And I reached out to an Editor and they wish to look at it, which is brilliant of course. I just need to find a title for it, haven't quite come up with one yet.

It's a bit hard, titles, aren't they? I always hate a title, either tells you too much, or not enough... just read the book. They say a title catches your eyes, really why not just read all books?

[Filtered to John Smith]

John. We need to talk, discuss things. I feel as if we haven't for some time.

I'm beginning to think the constant turning of the earth is just a bit of an annoyance, has anyone ever asked it to slow down? It's a bit difficult to keep track of it while also not getting dizzy, even with this rather big brain of mine.

Wait... that was a bit egotistical of me wasn't it? Apologies, my brain is actually no more larger than an average human's, it just holds a vast amount of knowledge.

Interestellar! Amazing film, a bit off though. Missing a couple of key points, but it's fiction so it's fine. Still, fantastic bit of fun really. But now I'm out of fish fingers, need to get some of those.

Clara, I'm making you a meal tonight, you'll love it!

It's a bit odd, isn't it? Seeing things you really never truly understood from a completely different light and then suddenly you understand them; what's more, to know that the more you hear about what is and isn't, and then to know that what is and isn't, you find that what isn't is, and vice versa, and it's really quite thrilling.

Regardless, I've just finished a bowl of custard, been craving it, but it's missing a bit of something. Not sure, I'll work on that; in the mean time, anyone catch the meteor shower? No, probably not, no one knew it happened really. Kind of sneaks by you a bit, but they're not even meteors, just tourists really.

Also, bread pudding. I need some bread pudding, anyone make it, and anyone who makes it well?

The human brain is actually quite brilliant. In the face of trauma or torture, it can create an elaborate delusion that life is normal and block out what has happened, and the person has no idea. Except there are signs that eventually start showing up to make you wake up and remember.

So that begs the question.

What's to say that all of this, the lives we feel we've lived, Orange County, all of this is real? What if it's the actual dream, and the dreams we keep having are our subconscious trying to make us wake up?

I really don't understand wearing your trousers so low that your pants hang out. I know where it supposedly originated from, but how did it become a thing outside of that? I saw two guys today at Starbucks, one whose jeans were practically around his knees. How is that even remotely comfortable? I just don't understand.

Do you ever see physical differences in yourself or your friends in dreams? Like they don't match with what you know from the waking world?

Ah, home sweet home. At least almost. One short layaway and then I'll be back in my own bed! Nothing like snuggling with your own pillow, let me tell you! But then I'll be off again, only one day back home. Still, I think a vacation up north will be brilliant! Watch out San Francisco, here I come!

On my dream note, I'm scared I'm falling more and more into this time and space travel. It makes me wish it was possible here. The adventures and even the dangers I'm slowly becoming use to. And the Doctor...well, I feel like I'm starting to fall for him too. He's like no one I've ever met before, a mixture of brilliance and sadness. And I never want to leave his side.

I can only hope that never happens.

Alright. These dreams of mine are much like watching a patchwork quilt being made. This Doctor fellow is quite the intriguing man in many ways. The first one nearly rivaled me in crankiness levels. I still want to know how that fur coat thing the second one had didn't sprout legs and walk off. The third one had quite the brilliant automobile. I don't understand how the fourth wasn't strangled by his amazingly long scarf. Seriously, how did people not step on it or pull on more frequently? Anyway, back to the point. Why did the fifth one wear a piece of celery on his lapel? The sixth one actually had a patchwork coat that was a bit reminiscent of his personality. The seventh one was...a question mark, I suppose. The eighth was quite the dapper fellow.

I don't quite know why I'm talking about these here, but there seem to be a few of us who share these same sorts of dreams. Still waiting for how I personally fit into this puzzle, though.

[Filter to Clara]

Clara, I've not heard from you in some time. I want to make sure everything's alright with you, and I feel we should talk. I've kept a few things under wraps for a bit, but I do feel we should get something in the open.

[/end filter]

Just finished A Farewell to Arms again, and once more I cannot tell you how amazing of a writer Hemmingway is, and yet an author whose works I just find so dry, and solemn, and full of a real lack of hope or future. So brilliantly done though, and speaks on a level most can't dream to touch, but that level and message is just so hidden in a really somber outlook. Always need to watch or listen to something upbeat afterwards.

Just finished the film: "Whiplash". I believe it was up for one of the Oscars this year, so decided to give it a watch and a rather brilliant film. It relies heavily on strong acting and intensity to really push it along, as the story leaves a bit to be desired. It's a simplistic one, more or less predictable, but it's the intensity of the film that really drives it, and the incredible acting.

Also checked out the Lego Movie, haven't watched it yet... been too busy grading papers heading into Spring Break here in a few weeks. That's always a bit on the dangerous side, most papers before Spring Break are just intolerable messes.

Well, looks like the dreams have gone from the mundane to a bit more adventure-y. First some orangisation that was uploading peoples' consciousness or something onto some sort of data cloud. Very creepy. And then the next one which involved going to a ring system of Ahkaten for the Festival of Offerings and ending up saving it and the people because it was actually a parasite and not an old god that wanted to eat the soul of a little girl.

Pillow fights. PILLOW fights. Apparently a girl couldn't finish her homework over the weekend because she got into a 'pillow' fight with her boyfriend and managed to twist her arm during it. I didn't even think it was possible, first I thought the myths of girls and pillow fighting was just that, a myth; what's more, isn't that the purpose of fighting with pillows? So one doesn't get hurt?

Apparently it began over an argument over something about who was better. Kirk or Picard, which, I was informed meant Star Trek or something like that. It's a crying shame, and it was such an absurd story I had to assume it was true and gave the girl an extension.

It's absurd is it not? I'm not being an old fuddy duddy am I?

Probably.

Anyway, just found a place that sells Jammie Dodgers. Wonderful place, bought their entire stock. I've eaten a full box since Valentine's Day.

So, in the beginning when I first learned about the Orange County style of dreaming, I thought nothing much of it. In fact, I argued that it was a bit strange that so many people believed in it, and it made me curious though not entirely believing myself. Then, when I started having my own strange dreams, I didn't think much of it, just passed it off...

Now I've had more dreams. Far more, recently actually. And they're... so strange, and I feel strange, feel like a different purpose. Has anyone else felt this way? I think the thing that scares me the most, is I've heard friends refer to the same man before, the man I see myself as, even if my face is different. He goes by the title, and name, of The Doctor. I remember distinctly the time he ... I? Chose that name. I... it's a bit strange really. Just strange. I'm sure it's a combination of hearing John and them talk about him, but the realness of the dreams, and the more real they get is surprising.

[Filtered to John, Clara, Rose, and Duncan]

John, the name of the man in your dreams was The Doctor right? My brain isn't burning when I dream, thankfully, but it feels really strong, very real, and I often times wake up sad, feeling incredibly lonely. Not how I usually feel, of course. Still, when I got over the initial shocks of a recurring dream with such strength, I have begun to write them down, the novel is taking form.

I managed to find a bunch of pictures while looking through books. I had forgotten about some of these. Guess I wasn't as done with unpacking as I thought. Now if I could just get used to American spelling for when grading, that would be brilliant. Oh well, you can't win them all.

[Troy]
I'm pretty sure I had a couple of the 'Orange County' dreams. Nothing as fantastical as yours. Not sure what to make of them though.

[Dad]
I'm still mad at

Staying out of trouble?

My vacuum broke, and now I'm fixing the belt... I had to hunt down the proper size, understand how their sizing worked, and numbers, and now am trying to install said belt. I have snapped my fingers three times, smashed them once, and managed to cause the belt to spring up and hit me in the eye just now. I've added tea to my arsenal, and it's managed to calm me, myself, but unfortunately I've also not actually tried re-installing it since bringing out the tea. So I don't know if that really counts as helping.

I hope this is not a horrible thing to say but I'm a bit surprised with how good the tea here tastes. Not as good as home I must admit but still delicious.

So.

I had another dream.

I saw the world end. Our world. I was in a space station, watching as the sun expanded and swallowed the Earth. There were no more humans living on it, but…that was home. Sure, it was so many billions of years in the future, but it felt so depressing. How can I feel so upset over something that hasn't happened? And won't happen while myself or any of my friends are still alive?

I almost got burned alive too. But the Doctor was there…always the Doctor. He may have given me a hard time for wandering off, but he was always there for me; despite the heartache and strangeness of the situation, he was there.

How can I be so interested in a man I’ve only dreamt of twice?

( Private to John )

( Private to Clara )

( Private to Amy )

My kid's idea of torturing me on a sunday night is making me watch the new season of Worst Cooks of America.

... at least I can make a decent taco after my own time on the show. But I never did master making crepes.

Which is ironic, since the best thing I could make before I ended up on the show was pancakes.

Does anyone know how hard it is to live out of boxes? I need to find time to unpack the rest of those boxes. And yet I'm finding time to look around this place.

Thought I would listen to my friend and check this thing out. Hello, I'm Amy.

My kingdom for an In-N-Out burger.

So I've been seeing a load of stuff about crazy dreams. Past lives, or some of that sort of rubbish. I never much bothered paying attention to anything on here until recently when my job became so soul rending I needed to reach out for friends, is that pathetic? Yeah, kind of is.

Is this something that happens to everyone? It seems like it from what I've been reading, but it sounds fuckin' mad to me. Any theories from those of us that, like me, still have a full grasp on reality? I personally can't decide if I believe what these people say, or if I'm just lucky I drink bottled water rather than anything from the tap.

School's kicking right into gear, which is great, already seems to be flying by. A student, today, asked me why we never read what scholars would call 'bad' literature; which, of course, I at first thought of as a ridiculous question. Then it occurred to me, if we're to study literature, the depths of it, why wouldn't a class touch on the very foundations of all literature: what makes good literature good, bad literature bad, and the classics so classical? And then, of course, I began to think out even further--should I begin to implement new forms of literature: comic books, graphic novels, even twitter-based novellas. One student even mentioned FanFiction, which apparently is a form of fiction written on blog-type forums, featuring a particular 'fandom's' favorite characters. Fascinating to me, and regardless of the legal ramifications of such a thing, it is interesting.

So, I'm coming to all of you on the Network; if you were so inclined as to join a literary class in college, major or not, would you be interested in the idea of approaching literature from all angles? The good, the bad, the new, and the weird? I always encourage my students to read, so I'd love for them to read anything; granted, there are things I find so horrifically written that I'd detest reading them, but some people might enjoy them and I should never discourage reading.

I'd just be curious as to how you all thought of such an approach.

What is it with young people and having to socialize via a non-personable machine like a computer? What is the point of letting your eyeballs melt out of your head from staring at a screen for hours on end? There's a huge world out there full of people you can spend your time talking to in person. You know, if that's your thing. If you don't like people then I suppose you can simply sit there behind your computer, continue typing into that machine and let your eyeballs melt out of your head. Either way, no skin off my back.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is hello, this is pointless.

Let it be known that John Smith X is a horrid brute who taunts those who are shorter than him by holding things out of their reach. Don't be fooled by his charms and easy going personality. He's a right git.

Is this the new sort of social networking then? Like the Twitbird or Facebook?

Right then. Clara Oswald, recently moved from Hackney. Not sure what to really do here when I don't have work, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I actually left England and chose California for the weather... seems a bit ironic now, especially today. Looking out of my window the weather is particularly bad. Still, don't have to go anywhere until this evening, so now I shall enjoy a warm tea and some fantastic reading. Which is fortunate, because I can't really seem to find my winter jacket.

I probably left it in England.

I don't normally spend any real time concerned about any TV in general, let alone anything reality based and so scripted as something like "Pawn Stars". However, a student in class had mentioned to me that on one episode, the 'Pawn Shop' managed to come across a First American Edition copy of Jules Verne's classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

I of course became more than a bit curious, most editions were lost in 1872 during the Boston fire. It's widely known that about only 50 - 60 exist in the world, so yes I decided to research the authenticity of this. I went to Vegas myself to see the book and study it closely; the expert they had is actually an expert, and one who I'd take my own books to. Still, when you're an expert yourself you feel the need to look with your own eyes.

I did, that's where I've been since my holiday began, and I must say I was taken back to find that it was, in fact, Jules Verne's First US Edition of Twenty Thousand Leagues. I don't carry the kind of money on me that would be necessary, but after working out some deals... well, I just spent far more money than I really should have on this book, but $10,000+ later, I am now the proud owner of this magnificent find. I don't spend money on much, and as a collector and lover of great literature it was almost a necessity. I think the price tag is worth, and understandable.

I suppose now I'll be eating TV dinners for the next year to make up for it.

Has anyone seen my talking fish? I seem to have misplaced it.

( Trigger warning for violence, death of NPC in dreams. )

Has anyone else had dreams about friends being murdered dying? I should have expected something was going to happen. It was a war after all, but I wasn't expecting that.

If you're happy and you know it don't watch the news.

Well, Stockton was a bust. Got a little too hot for me there. Had to bail out. Fortunately, I hadn't really unpacked, so it didn't take me long to pull up roots and head on out of town.

Been on the road for a while so I thought I'd stop somewhere in Southern California. Then I overheard people talking about this network, and I have to say... you all are crazy. Can I join in?