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I'm actually not a big fan of April Fools' Day. It's like I'm on edge the entire day. Always watching for some crazy thing to hap-- WHERE DID THAT ANVIL COME FROM

Always watching. Good, I'm out of range in case he points that water hose at me. Always vigilant. Okay, Google's site preview shows the site is fine. Always two steps ahead. I saw that shadow from behind the door, you can come out now. 

In the end, however... always paranoid.

The best April Fools' Joke: Legitimately release something totally awesome at midnight. Watch as people squirm for 24 hours, possibly more. That just sounds amazing... and totally better than what I'm doing.

Take a guess at what I haven't been doing lately! (hint: the answer is anything involving other people)

Public service announcement: A dictionary is not an authoritative source on the set meanings of words, but rather a report on how words are used by people. No, seriously. Words change meaning over time, and definitions aren't set in stone; dictionaries adapt to reflect this.

More thought processeses

*Setting: small dorm room with a sink*

Me: I should brush my hair now.

*gets out hairbrush, looks out window*

Me: Wow, it's a pretty day outside! I should open the window.

*leaves hairbrush on side of sink, opens window*

Me: Ahh, fresh air.

*glances back toward sink*

Me: That's right, I was doing my hair.

*walks back, glances at computer*

Me: I should probably turn that music up a little.

*taps volume once, notices water bottle*

Me: I'm thirsty.

*drinks water*

Me: That's better. What was I doing--

*glances at sink*

Me: Drat, I forgot again!

*walks back, glances at other toiletries*

Me: I should probably shave as well. After I brush my hair, of course.

*picks up brush, train passes by*

Me: Can't hear my music very well at all... maybe I should turn it up again?

*walks over to computer, notices stuff lying on shelf*

Me: Hold on, I should put that in my pockets.

*walks over to shelf, puts stuff in pockets*

Me: There. Now what was I doing again--

*noise stops, train has already passed*

Me: Oh yeah... guess I don't need to turn the music up anymore.

*glances back at toiletries*

Me: That's right, I should shave.

*walks over to sink*

*notices hairbrush*

Me: NOT AGAIN WHAT THE HECK

~This has been Thought Processes with WillWare. Tune in next time to hear WillWare say...~

Me: I should write a blogpost!

Mediation

When two people are arguing and a third person comes in to mediate/bring in a different viewpoint/whatever, I see a few different methods of handling it. I do this a lot myself, actually, and having watched a couple of methods, I have one that I chose as my favorite; however, I get a few bad remarks when I use it, so I wanted to lay out my logic here in the hopes that things are a bit clearer.

As an example: one kid took candy from another kid, claiming that he was owed that candy. A mediator of some kind, be it a parent, a teacher, or another kid, sees the situation and acts on it to bring some resolve. There's three main methods that I see people use in some variation.

Subjective - The mediator chooses a side from the start that they'll support. Perhaps it's not entirely blatant, as it could be an emotional bias that sways their judgement, or some sort of intuition; but whatever it is, it's not entirely logical. Sometimes this is based on good intentions (my friend/son/star student wouldn't do that!!).

Outcome: The favored kid receives retribution from the unfavored kid.

Pros: Usually an emotional bias tends to be for good reason; the kid had to get that reputation somehow. It places less stress on the mediator, with a high chance of being correct, and brings judgement to the situation. The mediator also has a sense of satisfaction for helping.

Cons: It could be a bribe, or the parents could have too much faith in their kids, or it could otherwise be wrong. In fact, it might require a second mediator to determine whether this is true or not. In any case, the mediator can be accused of taking sides.

Most used by: Friends, parents

Objective - The mediator listens to both sides equally and searches for facts and morals. When both kids have had their say, the mediator chooses who is right based on as much logic and evidence as possible. Justice is then dealt out based on the situation.

Outcome: The kid who is deemed the victim receives retribution from the kid who is deemed the offender

Pros: The correct justice is often laid out...

Cons: It is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to be objective! Almost all of the time, there is some sort of emotional bias - even if the mediator has never met these kids before. Any use of fallacies completely destroys the mediation as a whole, and even moral "absolutes" vary from person to person. Also, since one kid is told that they're wrong, the mediator can be accused of taking sides.

Most used by: Judges

Impartial - The mediator listens to both sides, attempting to calm the nerves of both kids where necessary. The mediator then tries to get them to forgive each other, without choosing sides or dealing out punishment.

Outcome: Both kids get candy from the office.

Pros: The tension is removed, and the mediator distances him/herself from the situation as much as possible.

Cons: Whoever should have gotten punished did not. In fact, they get away scot-free, and the kid who was wronged receives nothing!

Most used by: Teachers, counselors

Could you tell from my vocabulary which one I like best? I try to be objective, which doesn't always work out for me. But I've been accused by three people now of taking sides when I do this, so I just wanted to make one thing clear:

That's the freaking point!

I hate impartiality! It just promotes further tension between the two parties, because the situation is never fully resolved (so both think they're still right). And it also promotes that the bad guys get to do whatever they want, because the victim does not get any sort of solace, and the offender is never told that what they did was wrong... except by the other party, who they're not listening to anyway.

So yes, I choose sides - after I hear what's going on. Because I'm not going to sit by and watch someone be a jerk to someone else. Even if it means I get into the fight myself and have a chance of being wrong.

Took fourth place in this week's GameXplain tournament. I had first at one point! Then the other players beat me out. Oh well, I'll take it. Congrats to everyone involved!