A Slice of Stranger.

"Smith could see 

the blast of icy anger that Jubal 

was hurling toward the man, 

a blast so furious that, 

had one Martian hurled it toward another, 

both 

would 

have 

discorporated 

at 

once."

Valentine Michael Smith is a human who was raised on Mars and only recently made his way back to Earth. Here, he is watching the human Jubal Harshaw exchange words and threats with a policeman. Apparently, on Mars, if a Martian even so much as thinks a bad thought about another, he is in danger of immediate discorporation (not exactly death-- plainly ceasing to be).

My first reaction went something like this,

'Oh, how wonderful! If only the world I live in could become something like that!'

But then I got to thinking,

'Wait, then people would only be non confrontational for the sake of self-preservation. So that's kinda lame.'

See, the magical thing about these Martians is that this whole discorporation thing hasn't conditioned them to be kinder, more patient, or avoid confrontation. They just are, by nature, all of these things. Discorporation is not the rule which keeps them in line. Discorporation is the rightfully dramatic result if ever a Martian acts so unnaturally out of anger or frustration.

Also.... it was the Cause & Effect Spring Party last night. Click here to see the awesome invite.

The party was, as promised, full of laZers, smoke, bubbles, and fun. Also... a photobooth.

Zak and his coworker, Alex

Zak and Allie: round two

Zach vs. Zak

The lovely couple