Scammers, Hackers, and Evil-Do-ers

[The person mentioned in this post's first name was Nigie. If you are worried that you may have this person added, just shoot me an e-mail (blazesilverfist@gmail.com) and I can provide you their last name. I just don't want to post it out in the open.]


Hi everyone. I just was on my Wizard101 Facebook and I got this chat:
(Read through it and I will discuss after)

Them:
hey
can you shared your wizard101 account pls!!!!!

Me:
I'm not giving you my account and password. That's against the rules
You don't even know me

Them:
pls

Me:
I don't even know you for that matter
Nice try. Cya

Them:
pls i see you every day in wizard

Me:
Who are you

Them:
my name there is cody dragonblade

Me:
I don't know a Cody Dragonblade
Sorry

Them:
oh
pls
maybe your lvl is lower

Me:
No. It's against the rules. I've worked hard to level my characters. I'm not just going to give away all my hard work

Them:
i am a legendary of fire and life

Me:
Good bye
That's great
I like my account
See you

Them:
pls

Me:
I said no

Them:
pls
why

Me:
You're just making me angry

Them:
every one can trust me

Me:
It's against the rules. I've worked hard on my chars. I don't know you. I'm not trusting someone I don't know. I'm not stupid
Blocked.


This was a classing case of a scammer. They try to come off nice and innocent and sometimes stupid, but all they really want is your account. 

Now maybe you'd say "oh, well, he's just a poor kid who is having a hard time with the game." Well 99% of the time you'd be wrong. There's bad people out there, and if I were to give him my username and password he could easily access my parents' credit card, my e-mail, and other personal information.


Even if this was one of your friends, you still shouldn't give out your username and password. Why? Because when you registered for Wizard101 you had to sign an agreement saying that you wouldn't give out this info, otherwise they could remove your account. This is 100% true, and I have no doubt that they've had to do this numerous times because people are careless and don't read the 'End User License Agreement' when they sign up for something. (That's the thing where you have to check the box where it says you agree.)


The reason I'm posting this is just to keep you all aware of scammers and other people that break the rules and could hurt you. (And possibly your family with the information they get.) If you need to know the consequences, your family could easily lose their house, money, and even all the computers in the house, just because this one person gained access to this seemingly harmless information.


I don't want to keep rambling on and on, but just be aware of what can happen, and think before you give out information. (Or ask for it. People may think these things about you and get the wrong idea.)


If you're having a hard time with the game don't get frustrated. It just takes time and hard work. It took me a year to get my first wizard to Grandmaster (lvl 50.) If you need help, there's plenty of nice people in this community that you can ask for help. And always remember, it's just a game.


Happy Gaming

Wizard101 Central Banner Contest

Hi everyone, just wanted to make a quick post to tell you the story with my banner.

So the other day (Sunday) was the day that the W101Central banner contest ended. It said 12:00pm EST, without thinking I figured that meant midnight when the date would change to the 24th, as this is how most contests end. Just to make sure, I checked the post on the homepage. It hadn't been marked as closed, so I didn't think anything of it. That night at 7 I put the finishing touches on my banner design and worked really hard to make it look nice. I go to the submission thread, and guess what? It was closed! So I pm'ed Jester and he told me he couldn't accept my submission and that he's had to turn down many others.

Now, if I were running a contest like this, I would value all submissions. I honestly wouldn't care if it was a few hours late. I mean, if it were the next day I'd have to say no, but if it's the same day, then there wouldn't be any hesitation with me accepting it. True, if it was just one person, I might turn them down, but if it was a bunch of people, I'd snatch up those entries in a minute, I mean, it's for the good of my website, why not accept it?


So anyway, I couldn't get Jester to take my work, but here it is. (Yeah I put a watermark on it.)

As usual, you can click to make it bigger. I mean, I think I did a really nice job on it and it would've had a good chance of getting picked, but I guess I just need to hurry to submit net time. So, let me know what you think, and don't forget to enter MY contest. (Yeah, I WILL take entries on the night of the 31st. ;D)


Happy Gaming

Contests x2

Hi guys. It's another snow day. That's 3 in the past week (and we had yesterday off for Martin Luther King day.) At this rate, we'll get out in July. Haha.

Anyway. I've just been noticing a lack of feedback since I've starting blogging again and I just want to make sure that you guys are still listening. I think I'm doing good stuff. I'm having a contest, I do polls, I mean, I love you guys. I just need to know you're there sometimes I guess. I've only gotten 3 entries so far in the contest and I haven't heard any feedback on my Facebook deletions. (Which I suppose isn't a bad thing.) Please, though, even if it's just a quick "hi I love your blog." I'd be happy. I really like hearing from you guys.

Now, I'm not here to just whine and complain.

I've also got some cool news for you guys. Wizard101 Central is holding a banner design contest. Since I love graphic design (and obviously Wizard101) I've decided to enter.) I'm not going to be able to show you guys my work until the contest is over (in case people try to pass it off as their own.) and even then, I will put a watermark on it.

Thanks guys.

Happy Gaming

Merry Christmas, Gardening, and [Music Video] Preview (CONTEST PART 1)

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been blogging for a long time. I wasn't allowed to use my computer.

Anyway. I'm here to let you all know that I missed you very much and to get all my blogging needs out of my system after being bottled up for about two weeks. :)

While I was gone, the gardening feature went live. Now, before I give you all the info on how to garden and whatnot, I just want to rant a little.

One of the many reasons I like love Wizard101 is because it's not one of those games that you have to go one every single day  and get your stupid daily bonuses or what have you. Putting this feature into the game is just going to turn Wizard101 into just another 'Webkinz.' (Not that Webkinz wasn't a ton of fun for about a year in 4th grade. It just got really old really fast.) I just don't want that to happen to Wizard101. It doesn't deserve to go in the Gaming Graveyard and be put in the same category as.... x shudder x Neopets.

I understand that you don't HAVE to have a garden, but I mean it's cool and another way to interact with our housing.

"But, Blaze. How could we make gardening a better feature and not have Wizard101 be a 'Boring Everday' kind of game?"

Well, my Inquiring Reader, simple. Just create an option so that the timer for your plants' needs only runs while you are logged onto the game. That way, our plants don't die while we sleep, or have to go to school, do homework, etc.


So, after that, here's your newsletter on the 'Feature Which Shall Not Be Named.'

Hello everyone! Professor Moolinda Wu here and I'm excited to tell you all about a new feature in the Spiral: Gardening! To get started on your path to a greener thumb, come visit me in my classroom in Ravenwood if you are level 12 or higher.

Students at Ravenwood can plant and grow amazing plants in their Dorms and Castles! Wizards of all schools can garden, so my hope is that every student will learn the joy of shepherding new life!

A plant's journey of life begins as a seed. There are many types of seeds, each with a different destiny. With enough energy, you can prepare soil of your choice in your Castle (if you have one) or a planter in your dorm. Then you can place the seed into the readied soil. After a time, it will begin to grow. You can shepherd its growth through spells and other means of caring for it, creating an environment for it to thrive.

After you've planted your seed, it starts to grow, from seed to seedling, young plant, mature plant to elder. You can use a number of helpful spells to usher it along as it grows, keeping it healthy and happy. Once you have planted a seedling, either in a plot or in a pot, it cannot be moved.

  This is a seedling, the youngest phase of life for a plant. You will need Energy to plant a seed in a planter or the ground. After a seed is planted, you can use plant growth spells on it to help it flourish. Plants require some things to thrive and survive: water, sunshine, pollination, magic and even music.

  This is a young plant, in its next stage of life after seedling. You can observe your plant's growth visually and you can move your cursor over your plant to Inspect it. This provides you with information about your plant's health and needs. You can also affect your plant by using some simple spells: The Plow spell allows you to remove a plant or dirt pile, if you wish to do so. The Revive spell allows you to transform a dead plant into a new seedling, ready to grow once more.
  This is a mature plant, in the fullness of its growth. When a plant becomes mature, it can be harvested. You can harvest a plant by interacting with it. Each type of plant yields a different harvest: reagents, pet snacks, gold, treasure cards, or more seeds! You can harvest from a plant as long as it's in its mature stage of life. When a plant is in its mature stage that doesn’t mean that you can harvest it right away or that it’s continually harvestable. It means that once every day or so it will be harvestable so long as it’s in that mature state.

  This is an elder plant, the final stage of a plant's life cycle. Many plants won't reach this stage! An elder plant can be harvested one final time, with much greater possible rewards. Once an elder plant is harvested, it disappears and cannot be revived.


I'm sad to say that gardening isn't all nurturing and happiness. Plants can be endangered by some very real threats.

  This plant is wilting. It will die before too long if it is not taken care of. Plants can die if their needs are not met, if they are in surrounded by things they dislike, or if they are killed by pests. Plants have likes and dislikes, things that encourage or discourage their growth. A plant's likes are things it enjoyes being near. These can include other types of plants or gardening items. A plant will flourish if it is near things that it likes, while things it dislikes will cause it to become unhealthy. An important part of gardening is learning how to arrange your plants, and create a healthy garden for them.

  This plant is dead. Now all that can be done is to plow it over, or to revive it. The greatest threat to plants are pests. Pests can infest a plant and hinder its growth. If pests are not eliminated, eventually the plant will begin to wilt and die. When a plant is infested by pests, it cannot be harvested. To eliminate pests, you must use pest fighting spells. To eliminate a pest, the spell must be of high enough rank. You can purchase pest fighting spells from vendors throughout the Spiral, or even win them as treasures. It's a sorry state to see plants doing so poorly, but it's important to know what risks there are when gardening.

"But, Blaze. How do I garden?"


Let's find out.

Where do I get Seeds?
You can get seeds from gardening vendors throughout the Spiral. Farley is the gardening vendor in Wizard City's Golem Court, look for his cousins Marley, Charley and Harley in other worlds. You can also earn seeds as rewards through defeating enemies in magic duels, or get them in other ways.

---

How do I Plant?
  To prepare an area for planting outdoors in your Castle, you must cast a soil preparation spell. Soil preparation spells cost Energy. To garden in your dorm room or an indoor space in your Castle, you must buy a planter from the gardening vendor. There are different sizes and types of plants, but some types of plants cannot be planted indoors.

When you're ready to plant a seed in prepared soil or a planter, you must select the seed from your Gardening panel then select the location. This places the chosen seed into the soil or planter, where it can begin to grow.

Plants require attention to grow in the form of plant growing spells. All plants have needs that must be met, and plant growing spells fulfill those needs for a period of time. Plants needs include water, sunlight, pollination, music and magic. Plant growing spells cost Energy to cast, and are cast through the garden interface in your home.

  Plants have likes & dislikes, conditions that can help them grow or hinder their development. A plant will grow faster if it is surrouned by things it likes, and it will grow slower if it is surrounded by things it dislikes.  You can learn what a plant likes or dislikes by using the Inspect spell on it.

 

Plants go through several stages as they grow, from seed to seedling to young plant to mature plant to elder plant. Once a plant is mature, you can harvest it by interacting with it. A plant can be harvested repeatedly until it reaches the elder stage. Harvesting yields rewards such as reagents, pet snacks, gold, treasure cards or other seeds. When a plant reaches the elder stage, it can be harvested only one more time. This harvest will yield the greatest rewards. After this, the elder plant will disappear.

Gardening Tools
  Utility spells are useful for many aspects of gardening. The plow spell removes a targeted plant or dirt pile. The Inspect spell lets you look at a targeted plant's characteristics and progress. The Revive spell lets you turn a plant that has died into a young plant of the same type. 

  Pests
Plants can sometimes suffer from pests. Pests are annoying critters that will cause it to wilt and die if they are not dealt with. To get rid of pests, you will need to cast the appropriate pest fighting spell. Different types of pests require different types of spells. Pests are ranked and require spells equal to or greater than their rank.
  If you have a high enough gardening rank, you can cast pest prevention spells to keep pests away from your garden. You can buy pest fighting and pest prevention spells from certain trainers throughout the Spiral, you can buy them at the Crown shop or you can earn them through treasure rewards.  Each plant differs by how easy they are to garden, how long they take to grow and mature and how long they live.

As you continue to garden you will earn gardening experience through successfully harvesting plants. There are 10 ranks of gardening:

1. Novice
2. Neophyte
3. Apprentice
4. Initiate
5. Intermediate
6. Journeyman
7. Expert
8. Adept
9. Master
10. Grandmaster

The types of seeds you can plant may be restricted, requiring a minimum gardening rank. Additionally, some kinds of gardening equipment and spells require minimum gardening rank to use.\

"Is that all that's been added to Wizard101, Blaze?"

No, my friends! there's more!

Celestian Furniture
Yes you read that correctly! Celestian Furniture has come to the Spiral, as well as recipes for furniture from our newest underwater world!

Keyboard Shortcuts
The Keyboard Shortcut to enable/disable the Quest Tracker has changed from T to CTRL-T. This should prevent many young Wizards from accidentally disabling their Quest Tracker when attempting to chat.

Menu Chat
New phrases have been added to Menu Chat, including a quick 'You're Welcome' for our very polite Wizards!

No Trade Items
No Trade and No Auction stats have been removed from many Celestia items.

Pets
Zombie pets will no longer be stuck swimming.
The Myth Imp pet spell is now properly casting to dispel both Life and Death spells.
The Seraph pet's card will no longer show damage to all enemies.
Pets with 'May Cast Trap' will no longer be casting those traps on their owners!

Energy
Since your Energy is shared by both Pets and Gardening, Max Energy has been increased. Energy now begins at 40 at level 1, and increases by 1 at each even-numbered level.
References to Pet Energy are now just "Energy".

Quests
The Final Countdown quest can now be completed by a solo player. There is no longer a timer to activate the power crystals and there is also no longer a timer for the two set of creatures that trigger the doors to be opened that are right before Malistaire's room.

Crowns Shop
When an item is on sale in the Crowns Shop, you will now see both the full price with a strikethrough and the sale price, so you can see how much you are saving.

Polymorphs
Players should no longer see their names change when they use a Polymorph spell.

Treasure Cards
Polymorph Treasure Cards now have level requirements and will not be received as rewards for duels.

Spells
Mildred Farseer has something interesting for you!
Helping Hands will now heal on the first round, and resurrect fallen players.

Travel
Mounts can now be used in the Spiral Chambers of Marleybone and MooShu.

Recipes
Equipment, furniture, pet snack, treasure card and transmute recipes have been added to Celestia!

Furniture
Heavy Dining Table can be placed in more locations now.

Reagents
Sandstone and Sunstone can now be found on bosses in The Solar District and the Trial of the Spheres.  

The one of those that excites me most is the 'Helping Hand' spell change. As all my fellow sorcerers out there know, when you cast the spell, it would heal the next round, not on the round casted. Also, you were able to cast on fallen players, but since it healed the next round, it would disappear before then and do nothing. But, now with this update, I'll finally be able to heal a significant amount without treasures or amulets. (I do have an amulet with a Seraph and Satyr on it. Just can't equip it yet. It's level 56, and I'm like 52.) So that's really cool.

Polymorphs. We won't get to see Arlen as [Can't remember. Need to check picture] anymore.

[PICTURE HERE!]

Celestian furniture! Huge deal with that! So pumped! I can make the main room of my house a sick Celestian room now! I love it. 

Level requirements for polymorphs! So awesome! Now we don't have to deal with those crazy kids running around PvP with 9 billion health. (I've never actually seen that happen, I'm just assuming it did.)

'The Final Countdown' can now be solo-ed. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean, a huge part of the "Malistaire's Lair" event of the game was getting together with your friends and banning together to fight this huge powerful wizard boss. But, now that it's not required. I don't know if that takes away some of the significance of that battle. I mean, sure, it will be a huge challenge to solo and I'm sure some players were itching for that to be possible, but I'm not sure. Let me know what you guys think.

Oh, before I forget. I can't post any pictures yet, so just be patient. I got a new computer for Christmas and all my files haven't been transferred over yet, so I can't really post any of the pictures that I have locked up in the Picture Vault, just yet.

And by one vote. The song choice for my Wizard101 Celestia music video will be:

[Drumroll Troll]

The Saltwater Room by Owl City.

Great choice, everyone.

Here's the runners up and the song:


Under The Sea - The Little Mermaid - 2 votes
Umbrella Beach - Owl City - 2 votes
Everything Is Not What It Seems - Selena Gomez - 1 vote
Magical - Selena Gomez - 1 vote
Magic Carpet Ride - KSM - 1 vote
Magic - Selena Gomez - 1 vote


The following songs received no votes:


Part of Your World (Little Mermaid) - Miley Cyrus
Part of Your World (Little Mermaid) - Jessica Simpson
Part of Your World (Little Mermaid) - Skye Sweetnam
Bottom of The Ocean - Miley Cyrus
Magic - Honor Society
Magic - Meaghan Martin
Strange Magic - Steve Rushton
Disappear - Selena Gomez
You Can Do Magic - Drew Seeley
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Mitchell Musso
Some Call It Magic - Raven Symoné






I will be using the 'Ocean Eyes' version, just because that's the one that I have. (If you guys would rather me use the 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' version, just let me know, and I can do that instead.)

I will be needing two singers for the video. (And a few dancers. About 5.) I'll get 3 understudies for dancing / singing because as we all know, time gets in the way 99% of the time.

So. If you want to enter in the contest. Just post a comment in this post. and the next post I will make which will be all about the video. Thanks. :)

(As always, click to make the pictures bigger.)

Happy Gaming

Life Soaks (Responses to My Previous Post.)

Note: Guys, keep in mind that I started this on Friday, so some of the issues with this have been resolved.

------------------------------------------

I've gotten very mixed reactions to my last post.

Victoria Spiritblossom left a very encouraging comment on it.

This is yet another big eye-opener for us. People should have the right to like whoever they want, and not be ridiculed because of it. You're brave to post this, and I've been trying to make one with the same intentions. I'm just not very good with words. Another sad part of this post is that some of the world hasn't accepted other nationalities into their lives. Just as Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for African-Americans' rights, our generation needs to stand up for these rights. And not just our generation. We also need to encourage our parents and the other adults in our life to accept this. We need to understand that homosexuals are not the wrong ones, but the people that make fun of them are. I respect you a lot for this, and I hope that other people can pick up this attitude.

~Victoria Spiritblossom

Thanks for so much support, Victoria! I apparently will need it. Alex posted a comment as well.

Blaze why on earth would you post this? this was a waste of my time :P

That's really helpful, Alex. Really helpful.

Victoria responded to that amazingly well.

@SitherDEMON I realize that writers need criticism every once in a while, but do you have to be so mean about it? It really stings to have a story or a post or anything that you wrote be talked about like this. Trust me. How would you like it if you had worked all day long on a post (or four months on a story) and someone came along and said that it was waste of time? In the words of every adult I've met, if you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything.

I don't know how you do it, Victoria. You're fantastic.

When I went on today, I hung out with Alex and Emily. Alex was very upset that I posted this. I explained to him how I was standing up for what I believe in and am trying to make a difference in the world. I know I'm only one person, but so were Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, and Harriet Tubman. They had huge impacts on society, as I hope to in the future. I really think Alex undertsood this. Unlike his brother. Here's the conversation I just had with him.

Me: People are getting killed because they're gah
Me: It's not funny
Kyle: o. O
Me: Read the stories I posted
Me: They're not funny.
Kyle: I'm sorry Blaze, but xD
Me: Stop it!
Kyle: o. o
Kyle: xD
Me: This is why I hate you guys!
Me: You don't feel.
Kyle: It's not my fault I can't control that I think it's funny xD
Me: You think everything is a joke!
Kyle: Not really :P
Kyle: xD
Me: THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING KILLED FOR WHO THEY LIKE?
Me: IT'S TERRIBLE!
Kyle: So if you got hurt, you think I would laugh xD
Kyle: xD
Me: Yes, I do.
Kyle: THAT'S A LIE!
Me: No, it's not.
Kyle: Wow :P
Me: Cause you don't understand what I've gone through.
Me: I've been made fun of every single day for sven years, Kyle.
Kyle: And you never told me that you have :P
Kyle: o. O
Me: Cause people think I'm gah
Kyle: Wait a minute o. O
Me: I know what these people have to deal with.
Me: It's NOT funny.
Kyle: um I. I
Me: It hurts.
Kyle: Blaze, not to be rude, but did you just say that basically you are I. I
Me: I think you need to realize what you're saying.
Me: I'm not gah
Me: People just think I am
Alyssa: I think you are
Alyssa: xD
Kyle: I. I
Kyle: xD
Me: Thanks, Alyssa.
Alyssa: xD
Me: You're really helping.
Alyssa: Sorry :P
Kyle: o. O
Me: No. Your're not.
Alyssa: Geez.
Kyle: Blaze even thinks I would laugh if he got hurt! :P
Me: You all think it's funny that people are getting killed just for who they like?
Me: It's awful!
Alyssa: It's just my opinion.
Me: This conversation is going on my be log.
Kyle: x Digs hole in dirt to get away from Blaze x
Me: Fine.
Alyssa: Don't let it go to you're head.
Me: It's has gone to my head for sven years, Alyssa.
Me: People make fun of me every day.
Alyssa: x Hides from Blaze x
Me: You should be glad I haven't been killed yet.
Kyle: o. O xD
Me: People are being killed everywhere, Alyssa.
Me: It's not funny at all.
Alyssa: I never said it was.
Me: Then why are you laughing?
Alyssa: I wasn't.
Me: xD is laughing, Alyssa.
Kyle: xD
Me: Leave me alone.

x Removes Kyle and Alyssa x
x Exits Game x

I hope you all can see why I removed them. I can't believe that they think it's funny that people are getting killed. That's just sickening. In the middle of this conversation, I got texts from Aedan after he read my post about this issue.

Aedan: Very bad stuff in here and I can't believe Alex is so mean.
Aedan: You're a good man.
Me: Thank you :(

------------------------------------------

I understand that some of the things that Kyle and Alyssa said are a little hard to believe. But, I do have the screenshots to prove it if they deny saying any of it. In the words of Friendly: "Screenshot or it didn't happen."

If you go through the comments you will see that there was a bit more to the story with Wolf. I still feel bad for him though, and I honestly think Alex gets all this. Kyle and Alyssa, I'm not so sure about. I hope Emily and Alex can help them see how serious this all really is.

Getting on the game right now. I'll let you know what happens.

Happy Gaming

A Very PG-13 Discussion

NOTE: I understand this is my longest post, but I really encourage you to read it all, as it is worthwhile. Also, please do not read this if you are not 13+. Even if you are 13+, please get a parent's permission before reading this post. Thank you.


Ok guys, today I'm going to talk about an issue in society that really bothers me. If I lose a few followers or maybe a few friends off my list because of this, oh well.

Let me start off by telling a story. (Yes, Silverfist Storytime, I know, it's exciting.) Ok, so yesterday I was over Kyle's house jc (just chilling) with him and a few of his friends. I had to go afk for a few minutes and walk my dogs. Apparently I missed a lot. Alyssa was there too along with another friend of mine, Nicholas Firerider. Apparently Alyssa's friend, Paige, ported and then one of Paige's friends, Wolf, ported in. Wolf, proceeded to kiss Paige, Alyssa, and then Nick. Alex was inside when this happened.

When I came back from the real world, Emily was very upset with Nick because she thought something happened between him and Alyssa, and was worried, being the protective older sister she is.

Emily told be everything she new and I went inside and talked to Nick and Alyssa. Alyssa told me everything. (I suppose it's good that Alyssa feels comfortable talking to me. [I also don't know if she figured I would tell Emily. But oh well.])

I went back outside and Alex was yelling at Emily. I told Emily the story and she and I both felt bad for this Wolf guy. I was determined to find him and talk with him about this. Alyssa was able to port to Paige and she said a guy there, named Mitchell knew who Wolf was and had him on his list.

After a long time of waiting for Mitch, who runs a restaurant at his house, we learned that he knew a Wolf, but it wasn't the right one.

I had to leave W101 because I was going out to dinner that night with my mom, David, and his mom.

Today when I logged on, Alex was on. We talked for a bit and then, moving on to a new topic, Alex says "haha we got that faggot, Wolf, banned last night." I immediately started defending Wolf because I can't stand people making fun of others. I say "What did he ever do!?!" Alex responded with "things I don't like to say."

I can't believe people. You report a guy for kissing someone? I understand this is a kids game, but it's not like we don't kiss our parents goodbye before going to school or see it in movies. What is so bad about kissing a person of the same gender? Because it's different? Is that why so many people hat gays? Because they're different? Well, so are Africans and Asians and Indians. Have we accepted them into our society? Of course! Why can't we do the same for homosexuals?

Read the following and see what these kids have to go through just because people are so cruel.


Facts:

=On October 7, 1998 a boy named Matthew Shepard was in a bar in a town called Laramie, Wyoming. Matthew was 21. Two boys, Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, decided to pretend to be gay and lure him into their car. Matthew was very innocent and gullible for a person his age, so he trusted the men. McKinney and Henderson drove just outside of Laramie. Feeling they were safe, they suddenly turned on Matthew. They beat him and took his shoes and tied him to split-rail fence. Almost 18 hours later he was found by a cyclist who had just happened to turn down that road. The man mistook him for a scarecrow untill he saw Matthew's hair. Matthew was taken to the hospital, where he died on October 12, 1998. The attention to his murder was nation-wide. Though Matthew's death was a tragedy, it opened the world's eyes to the fact that hate crimes happen every day, and every town has people who hate.

=Almost exactly four years later, on October 4, 2002, a seventeen year old girl named Gwen Araujo was at a party in Newark, California. Her supposed friends thought they knew her. She had had sexual relations with many of them. But one of the friends knew something the rest didn't. Paul Merel's girlfriend was at the party. She somehow checked Gwen's genitalia in the bathroom of the house, though the court account doesnt record how. She discovered that Gwen was, in fact, Eddie Araujo, a transgender. She told her boyfriend, Paul, who in turn told Jason Cazares, Mike Magidson, Jaron Nabors and his younger brother, Jose Merel. They forcibly checked Gwen's genitalia, and after discovering this was true, became enraged. Mike Magidson began to choke her in the hallway. Other guests that had been there began to leave. Once everyone had left, three people began to assault Gwen Araujo. Jose Merel struck her over the head with a frying pan and again with a can of tomatoes, leaving a gash in her head which bled profusely. Jaron Nabors hit her with a barbell weight. Mike Magidson kneed her head into the living room wall. The blow was so forceful that her head caused a dent in the wall. Araujo was taken into the garage of the home, where she was strangled by a rope. (Stories conflict on whether she was strangled by Mike Magdison or Jaron Nabors). She was then hog-tied, wrapped in a blanket and put in the bed of Mike Magdison's pickup truck. They drove her body to a parkland in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada called Silver Fork and buried her in a shallow grave. Almost three weeks passed. Finally Jason Nabors slipped a word to a friend. The friend called the police, a Jason Nabors was arrested. The police were led to Gwen's grave on October 16, 2002. The rest of her assailants were charged for murder and hate crime.

=How many people know the real meaning of the word "fag?" Not many. Fag means "bundle of sticks." Why are gay men called fags? Because during the witch hunts and witch burnings, the people wouldn't just use wood to burn the accused "witches." They would also tie up accused gay men and lay them at the feet of the witches, upon the wood. They would then light the men on fire, signifying that gay men were even worse sinners than the "witches." Over half the men and women burned were not gay nor were they witches.

=Almost no one knows where the term dyke came from. Most people think its those walls in Holland used to keep water back. Those are spelled dike. Dyke is actually the Roman goddess of Justice.

=The Pentagon still has homosexuality listed as a mental disorder, and has no intention of changing it.

=States who have legalized gay marriage: Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Iowa, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Washington D.C.

Countries: Norway, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands

=On May 15, 2008, gay marriage was legalized in California. On November 4, 2008, Proposition 8 banned gay marriage. On May 9, Proposition 8 was upheld by the Supreme court.Maine voted against same sex marriage in early November.

=Homosexuality isn't a disease. Homophobia seems more like the disease to me.

=At almost every school, students who are gay/are believed to be gay are harassed more than overweight or fat students, and students with disabilities, combined.

=Most schools do not cover sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination policies. Only nine states have anti-bullying laws that specifically address sexual orientation.

=Think about how many times you hear the sentences "You fag." "You're such a fag." "That's so gay." "Yeah, it was so gay." Next time your in school, count how many times you hear this. THEN count how many people who say this are your friends.

=Why is it so wrong to marry the same sex? Isn't it worse to marry your own cousin (incest is a sin in the bible as well) or a man fifty years to your twenty, or marry someone just for his or her money?

=GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) youth make up over 30% of suicides each year.

=Every 5 hours and 48 minutes, a GLBT youth commits successful suicide

=Every 14 minutes, a GLBT youth attempts suicide

=Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not special rights. They are endowed to everyone and include marriage, too.

=Many people don't realize how much of a financial problem gay couples have because they cannot be married. Insurance companies do not recognize them as couples. They have to get insurance for themselves, they cannot get it together. Thats a lot of money to pay.

=Many kids are not out of the closet as gay because they are afraid of looks they will get in the hallways, names they will be called, etc. Why make their life scarier and more stressful than a regular teenager's life is?

=STRAIGHT PEOPLE- TRY THIS. Imagine you have a deep dark secret. It can be anything, it doesn't matter. Now imagine that if you told people this secret you would be ridiculed, hated, looked at like you are a freak. Imagine how badly you want to tell someone your secret. Imagine your fear of a person's reaction if you tell them your secret. Imagine you tell someone the secret, but it leaks out and soon everyone knows. Imagine people whispering and pointing at you as you walk down the hall. Imagine people staring at you as if your a freak, as if there is something wrong with you. Imagine people throwing their lunches at you or spitting on you as you walk across the courtyard at lunch. Imagine people taunting you with names that hurt you like a bullet. Now open your eyes. Gays go through this every day. We don't have to imagine. For us, its reality.

Stories:

=I'm a bisexual who wishes she was straight because I'm sick of hiding, sick of the heartacheand I'm tired of not knowing what will happen, what friends I'll lose next, what words I'll let slip, and what questions I have to avoid answering.

=I am the boy who never finished high school, because I got called a fag everyday.

=I am the boy that loved but was lonely and friendless most of the time. I am the boy who gave up on suicide at eleven just for his mother.

=I am the boy who grew up telling himself every single day of his life, "wait a little bit longer, don't say anything, don't act.. Wait..."

=I am the boy who, despite all odds, just kept on standing back up.

=I am the boy who finally promised to himself, "I will be me."I am the boy who finally revealed himself to the world not with shame or regret, but nervousness and the birth of a wavering smile and a light that won't go out. Now, I am the boy who is striding forward, confidently in the direction of his dreams. I am free.

=I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.

=I am the gay kid who is lost, unsure of who or what he is meant to be or do, but worries most about telling his parents.

=I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.

=I am the boy who, after realizing I was gay, cried for hours in a shower because the knife wouldn't cut deep enough.

=I am the guy you threw against lockers, for 5 years until I couldn't take it and had to transfer school districts.

=I am the guy who brought his boyfriend to prom and then got jumped in the parking lot.

=I am the boy you beat daily for years.

=I am the straight girl who was ridiculed for telling her best friend that she loved her. The best friend that drinks, smokes and has sex daily now.

=I am the lesbian who held her ex-girlfriend after her father told her how vile she was.

=I am the girl whose girlfriend was terrified to come out until she realized how supportive her friends were.

=I am the girl who will protect my girlfriend from those who don't accept her.

=We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.

=I have a soul too.

=I am the boy who is hated by his father, exiled by his church, constantly a worry to his mother, a complete social reject, who has no one to confide in save his closest friend, I'm also the guy who is threatened daily with death in front of teachers who refuse to do anything for fear of "Being pulled into the Gay thing", who is a pacifist forced to either harm others or be beaten and die. I hate being hated.

=I'm the gay boy who was punched in the face by my best friend for coming out of the closet.

=I am a straight girl who is disgusted with the hate and ridicule and torment the GLBT community has to put up with because of closed-minded, homophobic, and/or bible-thumping idiots.

=I am the straight girl who has to remind her sister that a man with a mildly feminine voice does not make them gay.

=I am the straight girl who tells people that are intolerant of gays, and that they are going to Hell because God wants us to love each other.

=I am the straight girl who once cried because a child at a psychiatric hospital was sent there by his mother because he is gay.

=I'm the girl who got fired from my job because my boss found out that I liked girls.

=I am the girl who cracked her own skull because the names wouldn't stop echoing.

=I am the gay teenager who cant tell his school who he really is, because he is afraid of what they will do to him

=I am the gay athlete who wants to use the locker room, but hears the ridicule of homosexuality just outside the door

=I am the gay friend that only has a few people who actually care, but hardly get to see

=I am the gay boy that wants to cry when he hears fag, gay, or homo in a way that makes me feel less humane.

=I'm the guy who told his best friend that he was a gay, and the only answer that he got was "How long will you be like this?"

I'll spare you from the rest of the very long collection of facts and stories by LezzieLexi2QT2BSTR8 over on DeviantArt. (I don't want you guys up all night.) I do however encourage you to read through it. Here's the link.

If you cry after reading through it all, like I did, I give you +100 Brownie Points. If you didn't cry, but still read it. I'll still give you +100.

So, I hope this post really opened your eyes to all the horrific things that people have to deal with and go through, and maybe realize that gays aren't so different after all.

This is me standing up for what is right. I hope you can do the same.

Everyone can make a difference.

Happy Gaming

Seriously?: A Little Rant

Ok, first of all I'd like to say that last night I went out with my Mom, Dad, David, his parents, his aunt and uncle, and Philly, and his dad and grandparents. We had a wonderful time at a very nice restaurant. Later we all went back over to David's and jc'd. (jc = "Just Chilling" for all those noobs out there. ;D)

But, none of that is the point of this post. Today I am having a little rant because of the comments I received on the previous post. In the post I clearly stated that everyone who entered the contest had guessed correctly and won. I received two comments (it may not seem like a lot but it's enough to make me upset.) asking "lol did I win?" and saying "I feel sad that I didn't win. :( It's not my fault that I don't have a membership. AND I WAS FIRST TO POST A COMMENT! :( x sigh x I hate not being a member." Seriously? Here's the comment I was going to post, but decided making a new post would have a better impact.

@Alyssa and everyone else who is reading this:
EVERYONE WHO POSTED A COMMENT WON! IF YOU READ THE WHOLE POST YOU WOULD KNOW THAT! IT BOTHERS ME THAT YOU GUYS ARE ASKING ME SOMETHING THAT I TOLD YOU IN THE POST. SERIOUSLY. I MEAN, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT MY BLOG? THAT IT'S TOO BORING TO READ THE WHOLE POST? COME ON GUYS.

This isn't even the first time it's happened. Go back through my comments sections and see.

I hope from now on I don't have to explain to someone that if they read the whole post, they would know what's going on.

Happy Gaming

Comment Diet?

The only thing that I can really talk about today is something that's bothering me. I mean, that's a great thing about blogs! You can rant all you want!

So, I'm pretty annoyed by the fact that there are 0 comments on my last, oh let's say 5 posts!

"FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES seriously, I'm not this upset, but it's all in the illusion FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES FUMES" ~The Friendly Necromancer

(The fuming is from here)

(If you read through all the fumes I sincerely congratulate you! [ you get +5 Brownie Points for saying them out loud with an angry face/voice!])

Yeah, Emily and Alyssa aren't even commenting. (Granted, they're the only ones that do, but still. It's a little frustrating.)

I really hope they comment soon, so I know they're not dead. XD

Happy Gaming