Assignment 9: BOO

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.
(This prompt comes from blog 6. Thank you, Ned Katz and Bram Dutch)

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

Describe a moment in which you were fraught with peril. Tell it as a ghost story.

Happy Halloween!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 4 at 11:59 pm

Well color me nostalgic.

Writing Territories
Fears - growth
Annoyances - born entitlement
Accomplishments - trust
Confusions - emotions
Sorrows - loss 
Dreams - legacy
Idiosyncrasies - affectionate
Risks - trust
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then - cd player, 120 ct box of crayons
Problems - secrets

It still upsets me that I don't know where my box of crayons is.  It's caused a few fights between my mother and me, actually.  I can't help it if I'm sixteen and my favorite pastime is still coloring.  I know it's a shared interest with other high schoolers; they just aren't as passionate as I am about it. And crayons are better than colored pencils and markers.  They fit in the hand better.  If they break into tiny pieces (and we all know what that's like) they can be melted into original colors and new crayons.  They remind us of what being a kid is.  They allow all of the memories to come back of kindergarten, of the cards we made for our moms on Mother's Day, of the first time we didn't go outside any lines.  The word itself just looks so creative.  If only I had my box...

Writing Territories

Fears: Heights, Not being good enough

Annoyances: BEING LATE

Accomplishments: Getting into NYLF

Confusions: People

Sorrows: Not trying hard enough Freshman year

Dreams: Becoming a surgeon

Idiosyncrasies: Books

Risks: Helicopter!!

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then:  Goloso (then), my sisters (now)

Problems: Motivation

This summer I went to Boston for a leadership Forum. We were broken up into smaller groups for MED Sessions. We were the Williams Group and our "team leader" was Hysem Eldik and the first thing he said to us was: "You're all late. From now on, get here five minutes early. Five minutes early, or you're late." So every morning, we'd be the first to get up and to every event, we'd always be the first to arrive. For most in my group, it took a while getting used to; but for me, I absolutely loved it. Then I came back home. When my parents and sister decide they will be early, then they will be on time. Then and only then will we be on time, otherwise we are late, as usual. So whenever I want to get to school at 7:30, I tell my parents I need to get there at 7:15. Because the worst thing for me to be, is late. 

I Come From a Land Down Under

Fear: The Future
Annoyances: Attention Seekers
Accomplishments: Growing Up
Confusions: Not thinking of Others
Sorrows: Drama
Dreams: Being on SNL, Living in Australia
Idiosyncrasies: Dumb Blonde
Risks: Putting Myself Out There(Vulnerability)
Beloved Possessions: Then- Bitty Baby and my Bankie(it's a blanket) Now: Music and Bankie
Problems: Motivation(for certain things)

I am not a fan of being cooped up in tight places. My legs feel tight after awhile, I can't find a comfortable position, my butt goes numb, I get hot and I just want to be able to stretch; yet one of my biggest dreams is to live, for any amount of time, in a place about a 20 hour flight away. I would love visiting and hopefully in college I will get to study abroad there. I don't know where my love of Australia grew from, I honestly don't. I just know I love the animals there, the scenery, the accent and all the open land. I can tell you some random facts about Australia but to be honest I haven't even done that much research on Australia, I just know I'm in love with it; if being in love with a country is possible. You may think you don't have to do research on a place to know about it and like it, but to me I want to know everything and everything so I research any and everything. My way of showing my love of something is to research the crap out of it, yet the only thing I haven't done that with is Australia. That could be because it's the one, it's the place for me. I don't need to research it to know I want to go there. It seems like such a lovely place and I also like that people don't occupy every inch if Australia. Yes it may be just a place but I've got to visit it before it gets too late. I don't know if I could ever leave America for good but I know if I did, it would be to my dear Australia.

#8 Writing Territories

Heights
Repetitive sounds
Learning to play guitar
People who don't care about others
That I'm slow at picking up/learning things
To go out of the country
Prep (Somewhat... I guess)
Riding my bike without a helmet
My TV (Then) My dog (Now)

Though I have a fear of heights, I am always on a constant conquest to conquer that fear and get past it in any way possible. Throughout the years I have been zip lining, gone on airplanes, gone on roller coasters, the top of tall buildings, etc. I hope to someday go skydiving, along with other small victories that signify my overcoming of my fear. I admit it as being a fear here, but most of the time I deny it as being a fear around my friends completely. I act as if there is no problem, but inside as I step onto the ledge over a 100 foot drop, I am having a panic attack. I view it as a positive thing that I am able to overcome my fears and that they do not hold me back from anything that I want to do. If I do not have enough willpower and allow the fear to hold me back one day, I ask that you will remind me of this blog post and tell me how I am missing out.

Writing Territories (Blog 8)

Writing Territories
Failure
Incompetence
No notable accomplishments
Social interactions
Overestimating my own abilities
Finding a job that meets my expectations
Geek
Driving
Video games and computer (then); video games and computer (now)
Procrastination

Social interactions, to put it simply, are something that, outside of the internet, I do not understand. Supposedly, there are many more facets to it than simply just the words leaving one's mouth, including body language, tone of voice, and emotional reactions. Furthermore, unlike on the internet where I have the time to properly formulate my responses, one-on-one conversation face-to-face involves thinking up proper reactions immediately. Not to mention, there are many references to popular culture that I am apparently supposed to understand and respond to properly which is much harder to explain to someone's face that I do in fact not get the reference than to someone online, usually because online, he or she is able to link me to a picture or youtube video of what he or she is referencing. Worse yet, and perhaps the most unconquerable issue so far, are slang words and phrases used in real life that are not at all used on the internet, and the moment it becomes obvious that I am not familiar with these, conversations tend to be awkward. All of these factors contribute to my overall discomfort with face-to-face conversation as I am constantly worried that others will judge me for not understanding basic slang and other typical conventions of conversation to the point that it stresses me out quite a bit. Lastly, it is rare that I find others interested in the same topics as I am, so even if I do manage to navigate around the battlefield of conversation, the conversation itself often ends abruptly as neither of us find common interests. It is for these reasons that I typically avoid conversation whenever it is possible and as a result, why the art of social interaction will probably continue to remain a mystery to me for quite a long time.

writing territories

writing territories

clowns

hypocrites

i'm not dead yet

my mom

that my jogie is going to die. period.

marrying a southern man and having really cute kids

being a princess

trusting people

then-my blankie now-friendships & my blankie

trust

one of my greatest sorrows in my life is knowing that my grandfather (jogie) is going to die. he is not sick or anything but he's 65 and it would be naive of me to think that he was going to live forever. my jogie is my favorite family member, above my parents, siblings, aunts, cousins, everyone and if i could move out and live with him and my gramma i would be perfectly happy. ever since i was little my jogie and i have had a special bond, it may be because he was the dominant male in my life because my dad was never around, and it may be because my jogie and i are so much alike. no matter the reason my jogie and i are very close and the thought that one day he will not be here with me anymore saddens me, i have accepted that my parents one day will die and although i will be very sad, that sadness will not compare to the sorrow, heartache, and grief i will have when my jogie dies. but for the time being all i can do is enjoy the time i have with him, this summer we are going skydiving, after that i will have a real accomplishment!

Writing Territories

Spiders
When people look over my shoulder to look on my phone
Cool programs I have gotten to do
How some technology works
Seeing people upset
Traveling
Babbling 
Swimming for the first time
Then- Blanket, Now- Cell Phone
Time Management/procrastination

They have eight legs. They can bite. They have way too many eyes. How could anybody not be scared of the creepy, crawly spider? Though I know that my fear of even the non-poisonous spiders around me is irrational, I cannot help it, spiders are just scary. Many people always say ask, why are you scared of something that can do you no harm? I simply do not know the answer, but I just look at the unpleasant creature and picture it crawling on me and get the jitters. I am not so scared of spiders that I will scream, cry, or freak out if I see one, but I will be startled. For some reason, spiders just get to me, more so than any other bug I have encountered thus far. With the Halloween season in the air I should be prepared to see more spiders because many people decorate their houses with fake ones for the festivities. I guess they too understand how spooky spiders are.

#8

Fears- spiders
Annoyances- opinionated people who can't see the other side
Accomplishments- two time state champion
Confusions- other peoples stubbornness
Sorrows- uptightness
Dreams- law
Idiosyncrasies- athlete
Risks- lying
Beloved Possessions- stuffed raccoon Miku (then), my car(now)
Problems- motivation

Problems-
At a rather unfortunate time in my young life I am experiencing an intense lack in interest and motivation for most things related too or associated with school. I wouldn't call it anything close to a depression because it relates solely to school. Leading up to one of the biggest processes I will face in my life it is greatly disappointing to me that my brain's school related work ethic cannot match its ability. I pray that when college comes around I will be able to pull myself out of this slump but I fear that it will not be possible and that my dreams could float away from me to the point where I may never be able to recover them and I could lose some great opportunities that might occur later on in my life.
Every high schooler has their fair share of minor problems, but I am deathly afraid that this problem is not so minor and may have a larger more negative impact on my life that I could ever imagine.

#8

Loneliness

Stupidity

None yet

Marriage

love capability

happy life
ketchup usage
choices of entertainment
nothing(then or now)
motivation

My idiosyncrasy is ketchup usage. I think it’s the best condiment ever created. It tastes good on anything, from french fries to spaghetti. But not only do I put it on everything, I also use huge amounts of it. My lunch table is constantly joking about the excessive amounts on my chicken patty. Three packets go in the sandwich, another in my hand to be squirted on before each bite. When going to other countries, I have found that (if they even sell any) their ketchup is not nearly as good. I have started bringing packets along with me during travel. Also, during eighth grade, I would carry ketchup in my backpack for the days when the cafeteria ran out. This may seem disgusting, but I just can’t get enough of it. If the saying, “you are what you eat” were real, there is no doubt that I would be a bottle of ketchup.

 

Territories

Being alone emotionally and physically
Hypocrisy (especially when I'm the hypocrite)
Never met someone who wasn't my friend (except Dave, I don't like Dave (JK))
People
Never really done something remarkable
In Color, and do the things I want
Contradictorily logical yet rash
Laziness
My ds lite (then), great friends (now)
Laziness

I have always felt that people are my friends I mean what are we if we don't have friends. Isn't that a boring existence? to live alone? I mean I couldn't do it you can see my fear, I hate being alone. I know that some may be very reluctant to let others in but my problem is that I have a hard time being alone. I feel like I need someone to give me encouragement and feedback every step of the way so I let everyone in even if I shouldn't and it all blows up in my face. Wow. That was uh really overly personal please no one read this. Anyway back to what I was saying. As for those of us who are reluctant we all need, sorry to be cliche but, "somebody to lean on" I couldnt do without a person or people that is why I am so thankful for new friends. Wow this has really derailed but I'm glad I got this off my chest in a hopefully unread, yet accessible manner.

Writing Territories

Failure

Bad grammar
Making many wonderful friends
My purpose in life
Helplessness
To make a difference in the world
Popping the knuckles in my toes
Opening up to people
Kindle (now), Blue Bear (teddy bear, then)
Trying to do everything right

Some people are scared of the Boogieman, and some are afraid of death, but the one thing that I fear the most is failure. Any kind of failure, be it in my school work, social life, or religion, frightens me to death. I think the thing that scares me the most is the fact that I don't know if it's going to happen, but there is always the possibility that it could. It's not that I don't have confidence in myself and believe that I have what it takes to succeed, but rather that something could always happen to change my personal plan. Since it's pretty much all I think about from August to May, I'll give the example of my school work. I've never earned anything less than an "A" in a class since 4th grade, and I take great pride in that. Because of this track record, I am very confident that I can continue getting these grades throughout high school. But there is always the possibility of failure (with the high standards I've set for myself, getting a "B" would pretty much be a failure for me. I know most people would disagree with this, but that's how I personally feel and I can't help it). In one of my classes, I currently have a very high "B". There's plenty of time left in this semester and I believe that I will be able to bring it up to an "A", but there's always the possibility that I could bomb a test or forget a huge assignment. So, for the rest of the semester, I will be stressed out because of that one grade and I will be in fear of getting a "B". This is just one example of my fear of failure, but hopefully you can get a sense of what I mean.

Writing Territories

Writing Territories

Spiders

Chewing with mouth open

All American Lacrosse 

How to tie shoes

Family deaths

Owning own ice cream truck

Go getter, big balla

College Lacrosse 

Then-Ant Farm Now-relationships

Being late  

I am really scared of spiders. I know it is embarrassing for me, but I make my girl friend who is way smaller than me kill them. I cry when they touch me. I think it is due to my viewing of the movie "Spider Attack 2000". It is not a real movie. My cousin made it at art school and forced me to watch it, then let his pet tarantula crawl on me when I fell asleep when I was 6. This is why I am terrified of spiders.

Blog #8

Animals, guns
Upside-down stop signs
Cello
Any type of history
Quitting, Losing people
To be successful with whatever I want to do
Talking about gymnastics too much, Biting my nails (unfortunately)
Driving
Barbies (then), Friends (now)
Procrastination, being timid

The thing that I am probably the most confused by is history. I personally cannot get into it, and I am almost always confused with anything that I learn. I really did not enjoy world history, but this may have had to do with the teacher that I had. Also, whenever I have any sort of history homework, like reading, I can find at least 10 different interesting time-wasters to do, pushing the history off to the side. I guess this leads to my procrastination territory, but that is a whole other topic.
Interestingly, I would much rather lose myself in math or science, where things just click in my mind (most of the time). These subjects are also the ones that will lead me into my dream profession of being a pediatric physician. I don't believe that history will be that important to my future (even though I realize that it is a nice knowledge), unless it is about medical history. So, because I can't really wrap my mind around the whole subject, any type of history will continue to confuse me.

writing terrritories

dark
when people take my phone
varsity golf
why people enjoy baseball
animal cruelty (ASPCA commercials)
marine biologist
lazy
procrastination
Pets (then) pets (now)
procrastination

As you can see procrastination appears multiple times on this list. It is no secret I tend to be a little lazy from time to time. So, procrastinating plays a major role in my life. As you can see I have waited until the week is almost over before posting this blog. This is a trend that can be followed through most of my academic career. Because this trait I posses involves so much of my life (school), it can be described as three of the topics above. Obviously I have no problem admitting that I am lazy so that takes care of the idiosyncrasy. And, each time I procrastinate i am risking not turning in an assighnment on time which can be a big risk for a highschooler. And, it is probably the biggest problem that I have because it has such a negative impact on y production at school.

Post #7: October 12 1871

On October 12 in 1871 President Grant condemned the Klu Klux Klan. The KKK was a violent organization that hurt, terrorized and often killed African Americans in the south just because of the color of their skin. This condemnation shows the governments recognition of such horrors that the Klu Klux Klan was involved in. With out the president speaking out against them, many people may not have realized the threat that they caused. This is a good event because of the recognition the it brought of the Klu Klux Klan to our nation. After the Civil War when many people in the south still had negative views of African Americans, it was very necessary for someone to let everyone know that it wasn't acceptable for an organization to act as the Klu Klux Klan did. If this was not made clear, many other organizations might have sprung up with similar interests and the nation would've been in a much worse situation than they were at this point.

#6 My Adventure

1) What is the greatest invention of all time?
2) What are some good reasons to learn a foreign language?
3) Why do we become attached to our domesticated pets?

I have chosen prompt #3. When an animal becomes your pet, it is no longer just an animal. It is your friend. However, I believe that dogs are the easiest to get close to... as they are my favorite. Dogs, aka "man's best friend," connect with people in a way that no other animal or person could. Dogs show unconditional love to anyone. I have a memory from when I was younger... I had the flu and spent multiple days just laying around trying to feel better. My dog at the time would lay around with me all day attempting to stay as close to me as possible and comfort me as if she could sense that something was wrong. I think this is a true example of the love that dogs have for people.

Post 8

Rats
cockiness
Varsity
french
things i didnt do
nfl
jock
kala
Friends(now), stuffed animals(then)
keeping my mouth shut

I started taking french in 7th grade. My teacher madame renot was crazy. There were these twins in my class named cory and kyle who were from michigan. One time madame renot was stretching and we saw her stomach. Cory then raised his hand and asked her why she had a happy trail, the whole class started cracking up and she kicked him out of the room. French is also where I met some of my best friends like Kylan and Snoop, then the year after that Eamon was in my class too. In 7th grade snoop and javonte would make madame renot pissed then shed take it out on us. In 8th grade madame renot was absent one day, Eamon walked into the room and asked the sub "Is madame renot dead?" and she sent him too the office. Around ten minutes later, I asked the sub to read a question for me and she sent me to the office. So for the rest of class me and eamon were sitting in the office across from each other just telling jokes and having a blast.

"The Most Human, Human Being"

Writing Territories

Fears - Heights, mediocrity

Annoyances - Doing something because other people do/don't, breaking the spine on books, dog-earing books...

Accomplishments - Being in the classes that I am, keeping friends

Confusions - How to be honest without also hurting peoples' feelings

Sorrows - Average, mediocre, etc

Dreams - To get one. Alt ver: move to a big city such as Chicago and also to travel the world.

Idiosyncrasies - Shipping

Risks - College (anything and everything) not knowing what to do with my life

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then - Box of memories (then), laptop (now)

Problems - See sorrows, inability to distinguish myself

Music floats from her speakers as she sits typing at her computer. A look over her shoulder would probably give a glimpse of a blog, maybe an instant messenger conversation. Maybe she's not even writing, maybe she's simply reading something, a website of some sort or maybe it's a fanfiction for her favorite show. The music stops now and she doesn't notice it immediately, just continues to type on. Whether she eventually notices the lack of music or not doesn't matter, as right now she is lost in her routine, what she does. 

She flicks her trackpad up and flips to another tab on her computer, a big "Youtube" symbol emblazoned at the top. She flips to a different video, the generic strains of pop music begins over her speakers now. The title at the top of the page reveals the fact that it's a pairing video, not that it would have mattered anyway. She flips back to whatever she was doing before, maybe even begins singing, and who knows, maybe she's bad, maybe she isn't that terrible, but that's never been something she cared about, particularly. It's a love song of course (what music isn't, really?) and perhaps the song she sings is something she can relate to, or maybe it's something she has never experienced herself. 

All in all, nothing too interesting, nothing out of the ordinary. Any number of teenagers' names could be used here, to describe this scene. Their stories would be different, of course. It's not necessarily the fact that she's a cookie cutter, but more so the fact that she isn't particularly interesting. On a Sunday afternoon, she could be doing all kinds of things. On a Monday she could be doing whatever she wanted, granted it was after school. All of those days that she gets, she could use them to be something, to distinguish herself from the crowd. However, her activities and goals, while not the exact same as anyone else's, hardly bring anything new to the table. Maybe there's one thing she does better than some people; but even then, it's probably something useless. 

Does people ever talk about her? Probably, but what they say will remain unknown to her. What is said about her is not what she worries about. Indeed, her parents might actually even worry about that more than her. Like perhaps, when she wanted to get a really short haircut right before going into high school and her parents worried that it would earn her the reputation of "the lesbian", and that didn't actually happen (not that the haircut might have still been okay, it was completely terrible in case anyone cares). In general, her number two fear might simply be that she is mediocre at everything (except maybe going into panic attacks because of her number one fear, whatever that might be). 

Whoever this person might be, she appears to be very good at writing too much on her blog posts. And naming posts after quotes that don't even have anything to do with the post itself.

Writing Territories

Fears: Wolves

Annoyances: Bring It On The Musical

Accomplishments: Friendships

Confusions: Math and spelling

Sorrows: Grudges

Dreams: Going anywhere and everywhere

Idiosyncrasies: Knowing all/most songs to musicals. By heart.

Risks: Germany

Beloved Possessions: Books (then), Stories (now)

Problems: Procrastination

There is a difference between books and stories. Books are possessions. Stories are life, ideas, memories, dreams and secrets. Books have always been dear to me; my mother is an English teacher after all. Lately though I've come to realize that it is not the books that I love but they stories that they hold. That is one of the reasons I love history so much. It is one long, really really long story that never stops being interesting. I mean who could just come up with something like the Egyptian Pharaohs or Marie Antoinette, and to think that it’s true is amazing. Any form of entertainment to me is about the story, whether it be musicals, movies, TV, books or songs. But the most precious stories are those that are true and that you share with friends or family. Memories, even secrets, are the most important thing about living. They are your own personal history with fabulous plotlines of tears and laughter and a lot of embarrassment and they are always there to look back to and cherish. Knowing that life is about making memories is why living my life to the fullest only makes sense.

A Slow Process

Failure
Hypocrisy
Recovery
Acceptable Social Behavior
Perfectionism
Travel the world (and write about it)
Foreigner
Application (fear of rejection)
Material objects/Self-Obsession vs. Value of Family
Time/Stress Managment

Every child goes through a period where all they feel is intense hatred towards their parents and I can not deny that I was above the influence of such temptation. Those days are filled with screaming "I hate you!" or "Stop controlling my life!", relentless of door slamming/locking, and cold-shoulder treatments so icy one  would think the modern marvel of heating had never come about. But lets face the hard truth, children are idiots. Apparently, or so I've been told, such a period for me began in 8th grade (because it always does take root with middle school drama). There were days on end where I would remain sequestered up in my room coming down only to feed, like an animal in the wild - hiding from the predators relentlessly (i.e. parents) and emerging momentarily to throw morsels of food down to my stomach, small enough to be eaten quickly and without chewing but enough to keep me satisfied until the next "safe" opportunity presented itself. There was no routine family dinner, no sitting at the table discussing the days events. It was several minutes of grunting in between intervals of rapid chewing, then a quick excuse for leaving and back to hiding it was. Once more, I'll say children are not intelligent. I believed my "drama" to be so devastating and monumental that it was beyond repair when in reality it was so trivial that looking back now, I feel shame for the way I acted towards my parents. I can proudly say I no longer behave in that manner and have no intention of ever returning to a time in which I did. One could say I have "rediscovered" the significance of the parent-daughter relationship. I couldn't ask for anything more than the bond I curernlty have with my mother. There are days in which such "trivial drama" does affect me but its a relief knowing that I have someone who is willing to listen and offer advice no matter the situation. I treat my mother as my best friend and I honestly consider her to be one. After everything she has done for me, there is no way I could say otherwise. I guess all it took for this realization was just a matter of growing up and maturing. Patience is truly a virtue in this case.

Blog Post #7

On October 14, 1884 a patent was made that would eventually effect my life and the lives of many others. This was the day that George Eastman would patent paper photographic film; Eastman founded Eastman Kodak Company. Photography is one of my passions, and this patent was one of the steps in bringing picture taking to the greater public. Before digital cameras, that require no film, people had to use standard cameras that worked on this principle- a chemical reaction on the film. Film consists of many different chemical layers so that it can properly capture the colors of an image. It’s made up of chemicals such as cellulose acetate and silver nitrate; silver compounds are light sensitive (change color when exposed to light).  In 1727 a German scientist named Johan Heinrich Schulze was mixing a batch of silver nitrate when he saw when it was exposed to light it turned purple. Now our film has a top layer of scratch resistant chemical, then a layer of silver compounds sensitive to blue, green and red light. On your camera when you push down the button and hear a “click!” you are actually hearing the sound of a shutter at the front of the camera opening and closing very quickly. This exposes the film for a split second and allows your image to get burned on the film with different chemicals to which it is sensitive. As you can imagine, as the demand for photography went up, so did the demand for film. Eastman’s patent was the first step to more film and more cameras. Our cameras have evolved into completely different technology that no longer needs film and can even fit into your cell phone. But if it hadn’t been for Eastman none of that would be possible. 

Assignment 7

October 11, 1939 Albert Einstein writes a letter to the president detailing the potential of the atomic bomb.

Although the letter itself wasn't entirely important it does mark a turning point in the world. Obviously, bringing atomic bombs into the world changes everything, no doubt. But what could have happened if he hadn't written this? if he hadn't made the bomb. I would consider this letter to be a great thing which affected the entire world. After writing this letter the Manhattan project took went into full swing. If he was not able to convince the president here then who knows what might have happened. What if Japan had just kept on going, what would the world be like today. With all of these possibilites out there you must recognize the extrreme effect that the bomb and in turn this letter had on every city in Japan, the US, and probably Europe. It greatly affected Japan for obvious reasons, and really it changed the landscape of the entire world. This letter convinced the most powerful man in America of how to become the most respected, feared, powerful country on Earth. Frankly, I'm not sure I would like to live in a world where this wasn't the case.

Assignment 8: "I never had to choose my subject- my subject rather chose me"

Writing territories are a range of ideas that one generates to spark their writing. In general, it is just one of the many ways one can brainstorm for different types of writing.

This week's blog is more undefined than others because it depends so much on your unique personal experiences. Below, is a list of 10 writing territories and you'll begin by answering them. Your answers do not have to be lengthy, they only need to be definitive enough so that you, the writer, could look back at it weeks from now and it could trigger what you were thinking about.

Writing Territories

Fears

Annoyances

Accomplishments

Confusions

Sorrows

Dreams

Idiosyncrasies

Risks

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then

Problems

For instance, my list looks like:

drowning

rudeness

family/marriage

organization

anger

retirement travel

nerd

pilot's license

comic books (then), friendships (now)

Organization

Simple, right?

Now, once you have your list, choose one topic to expand upon in-depth (or at least 150 words). This may be as simple as an explanation of this topic (e.g. Organizationis a problem of mine because...). It may turn into to a short-story or a beginning of a short story. It may turn into a narrative of a memory. It may turn into a social commentary. It may turn into 150 words of freewrite. It may turn into something all together different and weird and delightful. Whatever you wrote down in your list, reflect upon it and allow it to guide your entry for the week.

"There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges." -Ernest Hemingway

Due Sunday, October 21 at 11:59 pm

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack

I don't care if I never get back

Let me root, root, root for the Cubies

If they don't win it's a shame

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out

At the old ball game

When anyone in my family hears that song we think of Harry Caray singing it at Wrigley Field. And no matter where I am it's not "home team" it's "Cubies".

My dad and oldest brother are Cincinnati Reds fans but my middle brother and I are Cubs fans. 

On October 14, 1908 the Cubs beat the Tigers 4-1 in the 5th World Series ever and that marks the last time the Cubs have ever won a world series. This is great that the Cubs won the world series, but it marks the last time they have ever won one so it is kind of no bueno. 

This for sure did not have an influence on a world or nation, but on the Cubs fans. Cubs fans are dedicated people that do not let the shame of the 104 no World Series win streak get to them. Being a Cubs fan when I mention I am one, or the World Series comes around people love to poke fun at our streak. But after awhile us Cub fans can poke fun at ourselves too. 

It's hard to describe how I feel about this event since we haven't won a World Series since 1908, but hey the Cubs have at least one 2 that were consecutive.

October 14th

On this date 48 years ago Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was thirty-five in 1964 and the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize. MLK won for his non violent resistance to racial prejudice in America. The year before he led his famous march in Washington DC where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The year he won, two very important things happened for the civil rights movement; the ratification of the 24th amendment, which abolished the poll tax, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities. Awarded the Peace Prize in October, King donated the all of the prize money, around $54,600, to the civil rights movement. Only four years later Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Known as one of the greatest proponents for peace in the modern world, King is revered across the states and the world for his work still today. His contributions to the civil rights movement as a leader were many but he is well known for his want of non-violent change. I believe one reason he is so revered as he is today and was then is that he did so much, was such a great influence without letting his anger influence his actions and lead to violence. King claimed that "at the center of non-violence is love." He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his love of humanity and his devotion to a cause that touched so many people.

On a lighter note and because I just couldn't exclude it, today in 1926 was also the day Winnie the Pooh was first released.

On This Date

1066 - Battle of Hastings, in which William the Conqueror wins England
      This battle occurred on October 14th. Normandy completely took over England who was under Harlod II. He died during the battle and legend has it that he was shot in the eye by an arrow. The Battle of Hastings took place at Senlac Hill. This had an everlasting effect on the world. It changed the British culture tremendously which most likely has some effect on myself if traced back far enough, however I have no personal feelings towards the event due to how long ago it took place. It is an interesting event in history and was a very captivating event to learn about. One can learn several leadership lessons through this that prove to be very helpful.  In order to make decisions in the present it is ever so important to know and to learn from the precedent of the past.

FNCOD

October 11th is National Coming Out Day.  In 1987, 200,000 gay rights activists marched in D.C. to ban discrimination and ask for more help to combat AIDS.  They felt ignored while almost every other health issue around the globe was being rallied around.  The courthouse was targeted due to a recent ruling upholding the right of a state to prosecute individuals for partaking in homosexual activity in the privacy of their own homes.  Twenty-five years later, that event's mark is still felt.  Although the issue isn't resolved, and the problem has evolved, the States are more tolerant of homosexuality.  Although I feel disheartened at our country's inability to resolve this issue, I know that, like the racial and gender issues before, it will take time.  But how much time are we willing to take?  Like abortion, this issue stems from failing to keep religion separate from state.  I digress.  This day has given hope to those who have yet to tell their families about their preference for people of the same sex.  Hope is the least anyone can ask for.

so yesterday

on October 13th, 1775, the United States Continental Congress ordered the establishment of the Continental Navy, which was later renamed the United States Navy as we know it today. this event is significant to me because a lot of my family members as well as family friends have been in the Navy. The Navy as well as all of the branches of the military (marines, army, air force, coast guard) are all beneficial, and necessary to our country. but they do not only help us, but other countries as well. without the United States Navy, our country would be more vulnerable to any naval or amphibious warfare, but with our multiple branches of military it is not left up to one branch to do everything. by breaking the military down into branches it allows for more specialized training so that the men that enlist to protect and fight for out country will have the skills they need.
                                                        

On This Date

When Saturday rolls around, there are some things I always look forward to. Obviously, there's no school, which is nice, and I get to sleep in, which is a hobby of mine, but there's also something that occurs on many Saturdays way after the events of those days. On these days, at 11:30 PM, Saturday Night Live airs, sometimes live, sometimes recorded, on NBC. What does this have to do with this blog post? Well, on October 11th, 1975, Saturday Night Live debuted on television. Though this is not a well-known, life-changing event, I believe that this had a huge effect on television and its viewers. I think the fact that the show is still on today, after more than 35 years, shows how big of an impact it has had on American viewers. SNL has definitely had a positive influence on the United States (although my opinion is biased because I absolutely love the show), being a sketch comedy show that can surely make anyone with the slightest sense of humor let out some giggles. Most people these days know what SNL is, since it has been on the air for so long, and many can retell their favorite sketch, whether it's Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd in "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" or a more recent Kristen Wiig as the Target lady. Just bringing up the topic of the most well-known SNL sketches to my mom and grandma got them talking about the different sketches and cast members that have been on the show throughout the years. SNL is a great television show that has had a lasting impact on television and I believe that the show will continue to be aired for a very long time. I greatly appreciate SNL and it has become one of my favorite things to watch on TV.

I had to go back and watch the Target sketch. Not sure if you've seen it, but I hope you think it's as funny as I do.
http://www.hulu.com/#!watch/72441
I also hope this link works. Fingers crossed.

On This Date (Blog 7)

On October 12, 1960, the leader of the Socialist Party, Asanuma Inejiro, was assassinated in front of a live audience as well as all of those watching the televised broadcast of the debate that he was currently participating in. Said debate was over the upcoming election of the House of Representatives. Now, when people hear the word "assassinated," they think of one pulling the trigger of a gun in order to end the life of another person. In this case, though, the man who assassinated Asanuma, Yamaguchi Otoya, rushed on to the stage and delivered Asanuma's fate with a Wakizashi, a type of Samurai sword. Quite honestly, upon reading this, I was surprised at the audacity of such a murder considering that most people including myself see the Japanese in general as being much less forward, but I suppose that there are exceptions to every general belief.

This incident resulted in an outcry across the country for a more peaceful country, which is rather commendable, because they could have just as easily been divided even more by political opinions. That's not to say that political opinions weren't further divided, as they were, but these divisions never affected anything beyond politics. Perhaps the biggest change that occurred in the wake of this event was the creation of the Social Democratic Party in January of 1996. The Social Democratic Party has gone on to become one of the larger parties in Japan.

Now, you may wonder why I decided to pick out such an obscure event.... Well, the answer is quite simple really: if I picked out something that I had even the slightest idea about, then I would not have learned as much from writing about it as I would have from writing about a topic that I had never heard of before.

Imagine

On October 8th, 1971 John Lennon released the song "Imagine". This was a good thing because I enjoy this song, and it sends a great message. The message is to imagine a perfect world, without violence, segregation or anything bad. That message influenced millions of people who listened to the song. I appreciate this "event" because music touches so many people and this song touched people in the right way (don't take that creepily). I am very thankful that this song was made for people to enjoy and to have them open up their minds.

10/11, a time odyssey

I decided the best thing to do was to wikipedia a date I could make a witty pun on so i did the 11th and found that this day doesn't exist in 1582 in certain countries because of the Gregorian calender being implemented so my question is this. What happened that didn't happen? Since the day doesn't exist whatever happened didn't happen so what would you do if you had the ability to have a day that no longer exists? I think I would simply sleep through it. I'm afraid of what I might learn on that day. I am kiknd of tired of this mental effort so I think I'm gonna go find another event... Ok even better SNL started its broadcast on the eleventh in 1975. This has had a huge impact on pop culture. I mean what would our lives be without Taco Town or Baby Spankx? I mean it truly changed comedy and our sense of humor in general the impact of this not existing I don't even want to imagine.

October 12, 2005

On this day seven years ago, the iPod Classic 5th Generation was released. Now, we might look back and laugh while we hold our iPod Touches and our iPhones. And even if we don't realize it now this iPod, along with all the other Apple products that came along both before and after, have impacted our lives. In particular this iPod enabled the public to view photos and videos as well as play games. And it is because I can watch TV episodes and play games on my iPod that it's taken me forever to finish this blog entry.

What Happened Yesterday..

Yesterday's date was one in a series of important steps toward worldwide communication.On October 13th, 1983, Ameritech Mobile Communications provided cell phone service to the general public in Chicago. This was the first mobile phone service for public use in the United States, which is good because it was a change toward innovated technology. It influenced Chicago because it was provided to them first and allowed them to use it, and it influenced the world because it showed just how amazing technology could be. I appreciate this event because without this innovation, I might not have all the technology that I have today.



Here's a picture of the cell phone, and my source: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/october13th.html

Post 7

On October 8th 1971 John Lennon released his song "Imagine". This was very good thing because it is one of my favorite old songs because of its beauty and the message it sends. This song was so good, and so beautiful, that it was able to move millions of people all over the world with the message that it sends, and to this day I have never met a person who would say it is a bad song. I definetely appreciate this event because it is nice to see how music has the capability to affect so many people. Especially because most music being made today would not be classified as "moving" or "beautiful". So looking back to that day I can certainly be thankful that this song was made for the people to enjoy.

On This Date

In the original founding of the League of Nations, Germany had been left out of prospective membership due to its roll as the aggressor in the first world war. However, over time Germany was allowed membership, and in 1926 Germany was allowed in, being seen as a "peace-loving country" now. That hardly lasted long, though, as on October 14, 1933, Nazi Germany pulled out of the League of Nations. Along with its later allies Japan and Italy, Germany pulled out as it no longer complied with the ideals of the League of Nations. As much as that would seem counterproductive, and that the League of Nations should have just done its job, Germany got nothing more than a waggled finger and a warning not to anything more.

While it might not seem like much, Germany dropping out of the LON signified something much greater. It foreshadowed what was to come, and the lack of a response from the other LON countries only compounded the effect that Germany's leave should have left. The significance of leaving and the eventual lead into the second world war effected the world in devastating ways which continue to effect us even now, though maybe not in the most obvious of ways. In that, even something as seemingly minuscule as leaving the LON (which was hardly a force in and of itself) could show how much one thing could possibly leave the world.

That said, I would assume loathing would be the best answer to how I feel about this event, though in all honesty, I don't know how Germany staying in the LON would have helped much more than leaving it, if only to make sure that there really was to reign holding back early Nazi Germany.

The Day of Six Billion

          On October 12th, 1999, the proclaimed six billionth living human in the world was born. The first world population milestone was reached in 1804 with 1 billion people and now, in 2012, the United States Census Bureau estimates our current population to be 7.045 billion. It took a total of 208 years for us to attain such a momentous population and current projections predict that by 2024-2030, we will exceed 8 billion.
          Who's to say if this was good or bad? Arguments for either view could be made based on this huge surge of the public numbers. Yet, one can't seem to ignore how the negative aspects outweigh the positive. Although this event provided for an expansion of our population and unity and diversified culture, its negative impacts were much more overwhelming. This swelling only served to push even more of the public into poverty and provided new economic worries of how to sustain such a large and populous world that at the time was not prepared to bolster it. China can be looked to as a vivid example of the negative impacts of such drastic overpopulation rates where laws have been passed that restrict families to a certain amount of offspring in an effort to minimize the unfavorable effects. Furthermore, overpopulation only serves to increase probability of resource scarcity and possibility of impending global warming crisis.
          This event, taken either in a good or bad light, was inevitable. As rapidly as we are growing, not just by nation but worldly as a whole, in all aspects of society such an upsurge was always in our future and by continuing in the way we are now with increased commerce, manufacturing, and business, we will forever keep heading in that direction. Such an event spares no one as it affects all the inhabitants of the world, some just in more drastic ways than others. Some may not even feel the full effects of the blast but they are nonetheless there, even if it is as small as a limit on the number of produce one may buy at their local grocery. ALthough it has nothing in comparison to the homeless left on the streets to whither away from starvation, no one can deny the effect is present to both parties. I certainly view this event, and all the ones that will ultimately precede and continue its "progress", from a more negative standpoint. Yet, I do not find myself speaking up actively about it, knowing that the action would only bring more harm than good in the grand scheme of the situation. All one can do is hope for the best as the world in which we live in continues to breed at its ever-rapid rate.

assignment 8

I picked today, October 8, for the day of my event. In 1871 a huge fire in Chicago occurred. Burning for two days, unable to be stopped by man, over four square miles of the city was destroyed. At least 200 people were killed in those days as well. This event influenced a city, removing much of its history and architecture. If I had to pick appreciate or loathe this event, I would have to pick loathe since it destroyed so much. But fires happen and a person can’t really hate it for doing what it does best, burn things.  

Assignment 7: On This Date

October 8 through October 14. Those are the dates for your blog entry this week.

Pick one of the dates this week and look up historical events happened on that date. Choose the event of your liking and answer the following:

What happened? Was this good or bad?

What influence did this have on the world? A nation? A city? Your existence?

Do you appreciate this event? Do you loathe it?

Due Sunday, October 14 at 11:59 pm

Livin' In A Van Down By The River

1. If you could trade lives with any other living creature, who would you trade with?
2. What would the world be like if all the colors got switched around?
3. If you could meet any dead person who would it be?

At first I wanted to do anyone, dead or alive but then I realized the list would go on and on so I narrowed it down to people that have passed away.

If I could meet any person that has passed it would be Chris Farley. He died two days before I turned 2, fun/sad fact. I love this man. He is one of the people I aspire to be like and all those people were on SNL. I love every character he plays and one of my all time favorite movies is Tommy Boy (if you haven't seen it don't tell me, it will make me very sad, just watch it. please). He is one of the best to come through SNL and make it bigger after. His size didn't affect his acting at all, hints the fact that he did a chippendales sketch with Patrick Swayze, it actually helped him. He used his size to make people laugh and create characters; he wasn't a big fan of how much they used his fatness, but he wanted the laughs. Chris was very addicted to drugs and alcohol but you can't deny the gift of laughter he gave everyone. It saddens me so much of how young we lost Chris. He was only 33 years old and had much more to give the world. To me, he is one of the funniest people I have ever seen, I just really wished he was still around.

If you feel inclined to learn about him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk_giVshp3I&feature=related

I need another cup of Earl Grey

1. What is the one thing in the world that comforts you most?
2. If you could have any accent, what would it be and why?
3. What would you say on your deathbed and to whom would you say it?

1.  The one thing that comforts me most is from someone who truly cares about me, about my well-being, about my happiness.  It's a genuine smile or a touch of concern mixed with an optimistic dose of it's-going-to-be-alright.  It's from my parents, my boyfriend, or my best friend.  Sometimes it's from my teachers or pastor.  It can even be from a complete stranger.  All it really is is a notion from one being to another that someone loves and cares for you.  That's right, it can be your pet (my cat is there for me all time time.  Her fur is great for soaking up late-night tears).  Knowing someone's heart pulls towards you and your circumstances.  It keeps me going.  Some would say drinking a warm cup of tea curled up underneath a blanket on the couch with one of their favorite books is the most comforting thing.  I completely understand that.  That is what I am currently doing.  But nothing  gives me that warm feeling inside, that cozy burning fire deep within me like Freddie's smile does.  Nothing can remind me of my parents' unconditional love for me like a hand on my shoulder while I'm working on homework.  It's things like those that give me comfort, that keep me going when things get tough.  So next time you see someone with a saddening look in their eye, just shoot a smile their way, and you could very possibly just brighten their day.  Plus, it's only polite to smile at strangers.

Post #6

What were your first thoughts after you had soda pop for the first time in your life?

If you could transport back in time, whom would you meet?

If you could travel the world and only try one new type of food (a certain food group) at each place you traveled, what type of food would you try?

Question Three- If I traveled the world, I would choose to try the local fruit at each of my destinations. The fruits and vegetables that come straight from the earth require no processing before consumption, so I feel they give a true taste of the land. Even if you travel across the country and try the same fruits, you can taste the difference. Fruits can also vary so much, from apples to oranges to avocados. I am always looking for new fruits to try. I know that there are plenty of unique fruits out there, and I am eager to find them.

Create Your Own Adventure (Blog 6)

1. Why are some people able to learn languages simultaneously without getting them confused too much?
2. If one is immortal, is it a blessing or a curse, and are they truly still "living?"
3. How does it feel to be truly alone?

To be honest, I was initially going to respond to my first prompt, but as I started thinking about the second one more and more, I felt that there was more that I could work with.

Immortality is something often sought after by man and the subject of several myths, such as the legendary elixir of immortality. However, is immortality truly the blessing that it is stated to be? To be truly immortal means that one cannot die in anyway, no matter what horrific injuries he or she suffers or what amount of time passes. One that is immortal will seen friends and family die as he or she remains alive. Eventually, people would take notice of his or her immortality, prompting him or her to move away in order to prevent the inevitable ostracizing.

As we are all beginning to notice, as we spend more time on this earth, time seems to go by faster; hours that we experience now seem much shorter than when we were younger. For an immortal, this process would theoretically continue until a human lifespan seems no more than five minutes, thus making any attempt at forming relationships with other people meaningless at some point. Eventually, the sun would consume the earth, and the immortal would be left alone in space. The universe itself could collapse, but the immortal would not only witness it but survive as well, alone, possibly for eternity.

Because of this, I believe that immortality is much more a curse than a blessing, but at the same time, does immortality truly constitute unending life?

I must say I disagree. To live means to die; they are two sides of the same coin. Death is something almost every mortal fears, and rightfully so, because it is an unavoidable death. Death is simply the term we use to describe every person's eventual destiny while living is the term used to describe someone before they reach this destiny. Because of this, one that can avoid death is no longer living as they no longer can reach this destiny. Rather than living, they are now existing, a permanent object that will never reach its intended destination but must instead remain in this realm for an eternity.

To conclude, I believe that immortality is a curse that ends one's life without bringing him or her death.

That... got a little darker than I had originally intended. I need to stop playing Persona 3....

Considering My Prompt It's No Surprise That This Is Long

I want to preface this by saying this is really terrible to have to do, come up with your own prompts and then even answer them. Goodness.

1. So what's so great about superheroes, anyway?
2. Any ideas just rattling around in your head that'd you'd like to share?
3. What's your favorite everything?

And this is all very hard but in the end I suppose I'll go with prompt three.

I love cool weather, not the kind during winter but the autumn weather that's just cold enough for sweaters and scarves. It makes me almost want to leave the house, but then again I just find myself being stuck in the house because of all of the other amazing things I want to do and see. I tend to waste my life on the computer, but a life isn't truly wasted if one actually thoroughly enjoys what one's doing, is it? So my love of the computer is perfectly logical, if a bit lazy. I love reading, whether it be an actual book or simply fanfiction (you'll excuse me if I don't try to pick a favorite fanfic, as not only would that be difficult but it would also probably be pretty embarrassing) but when it comes to books it's hard to pick one that I love the most. I used to love the Tamora Pierce books when I was in middle school, but now I'm lost in that I can't pick one easily. I can just toss Good Omens out there as a good one that could likely make a decent favorite, though. Fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction...the genres really aren't endless, but somehow I feel like they are.

Those same genres carry over from the magical world of books to another world, the world of flickering screens and late night viewings (the best time to do many things, by the way). I've mentioned my favorite shows before, and really at this point it has become a bit like a broken record, I suppose. I love Sherlock, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. Simple as that and I suppose I can move on. When it comes to movies I have recently found myself obsessed with the Marvel-verse, though I can hardly call any of those a favorite. I suppose that honor would probably go to Forrest Gump, though before that I used to say that Back to the Future was my favorite movie. Speaking of something that I have a hard time picking a favorite for, when it comes to music I would have to guess that I have a typical style of music for a favorite, though I tend to avoid music as a topic as most of my friends are all critics. When it comes to bands, The Script, Maroon 5, and Snow Patrol are some of my favorites. Let's not dwell on it too much though, because my silly taste in music has been poked at too much really.

Anyone who has ever had a class with me also probably know that I love to draw, though I don't have a huge range of subjects. I really only draw people, and that means that I usually draw fanart, my original characters, or, when I feel like it, other people in class with me (yes, this means that at one point I may have drawn you.) I also think that it's a lot of fun to look at other people's art, but what I really like is a cartoony style. Realism is cool, but I like being able to see something that couldn't be created with a camera, something that you created yourself, even if the source material was not of your own. I go back and forth between my source material, and sometimes it's even my own characters, with backgrounds and stories that I never get around to writing because my writing isn't nearly that interesting. I love writing as well, but sadly my preferred kind of writing is quickly ditched after middle school in favor of essay writing and the like.

English is one of my favorite subjects in school, though my favorite is History. When I had it last year I really enjoyed Psychology, and this year I'm really fascinated with Sociology. Sadly enough, my love of languages doesn't translate into a particular talent and as such no tengo una buena nota en español. (There was probably a mistake in that.) I'm also interested in other countries and cultures, though that's hardly a new thing.

My favorite planet is probably Jupiter, if you leave Earth out of the running (and remember that, alas, Pluto is no longer a planet.) Any celebrity featured in a Marvel movie is probably my favorite, but Tom Hiddleston and Robert Downey Jr are my favorites for those (even though Thor was not a good movie at all, sadly.) Out of the Marvel movies I am hard pressed to choose between the Iron Man movies and The Avengers as being my favorite. I love night, it's nice time for thinking and doing and being, much better than the morning. I prefer being in cities and I can say that from experience, having lived both in Lexington and near Cookeville, Tennessee (I say near because I really didn't live in a city when I lived there.)

That's hardly everything but I'm sure no one even read this far, and I doubt anyone would want to read any more of my ramblings, really. I blame Mr. Logsdon for giving us an open ended prompt.

Assignment 6

#1-What is normal?

#2-Why do we wear clothes?

#3-What would life be like without technology?

#3       Life without technology would be somewhat more difficult, yet more personal at the same time.  Many times I have been out running errands or just frolicking my day away and OOOOOPS my phone dies! This traumatic event is usually followed by kicking, screaming, and the purchase of new pants(due to the fact that I just soiled them).  What will I do? What if I get a call? What if for some reason a human other than my own mother tries to come in contact with me? There goes the opportunity to make a friend(this has been one of my top goals since I was voted 'most likely to end up alone with many cats' in the 8th grade). See, having phones everywhere we go and being able to google the best places to buy vegan soy green tea lattes is of utter importance and very handy.  On the other hand, today's technology has taken every personal aspect out of human interaction today.  My own grandma texts me instead of dropping by now-a-days. Regardless of the fact that most of my grandmother's texts are witty, creative, and usually include baby animal emojis... it would still be nice to see her every now and then. On a more serious note: technology has benefitted us individually, but also taken some of our personal interactions away form us.

my own adventure

1. A movie is being made about your life, who would play you?
2. If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
3. If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?

       1. A movie being made about your life, who would play you?

This is an easy question, if a movie was being made about my life and I had to chose the actress who would play me, I would chose Blake Lively. No auditions, no pro con lists, no back ups, her or no one. My reasons for choosing her may be quite juvenile, however they are my reasons all the same. The role Blake plays in a current television series, Gossip Girl, is a rich teenage girl who lives in the Upper East Side of New York City. In Megan dream world this is also who I am and where I live. Although we may not look alike, who wouldn't to be portrayed as this girl? Not to mention she is engaged to Ryan Reynolds!

Create Your Own Adventure

1. Are we alone?
2. What does it mean to be a Christian?
3. Why do so many things come in sets of threes?

I am responding to question #1. I saw this question as a college application essay prompt and it sparked my interest.

Are we alone?
Recently, when my mind is free to ponder whatever it may desire, I have constantly been thinking about what each individual person sees through their own eyes. When I look at the people around me, I can hear their voices, see their actions, and interact with them, and I assume that they are in the same position as me, just seeing it from their own perspective. But do they really see things the way I see them? Is there any way to know? What if the world around me was created for me and only me? The world that I see could have been made specifically for me to experience and manipulate, ultimately leaving me in control of what happens. And, if this was true, do other people have their own worlds that they see through their eyes? Or, if the people I see are just created for me, are there really any other people around to have their own lives and thoughts? This ultimately brings me to the question: Are we alone? If all of this was true, which could be the case, it would mean that I am really all alone in this world, which is a terrifying idea to think about. Now, all of these are crazy ideas that come from my imagination, but they are things I constantly contemplate in my mind. I can tell myself that these thoughts are absurd and that each person that I see obviously has their own life and views things the same way that I do, but, in this situation, there's really no way to know.

Post 6

1. What three things would you save from your house if it was on fire?
2. Are we alone?
3. Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?

I chose to respond to prompt 2. Well to answer that question one must think of who the "we" means, and to what extent. Does "we" mean, ourselves, as in singularly, or as in the human race in regards to the universe? I am interpreting the question to mean the human race. My answer to it then is no, I do not think the human race is the sole sentient race in the universe. The universe is too big for our race to be the only sentient one. Humans look at planets that would be suitable for human living conditions, when in fact another race wouldn't live by the necessities and conditions humans have too.

Questions.. Questions.

1. If a man says something in a forest... and no woman is around to hear it... is he still wrong? Joking of course.
2. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where are the peppers that Peter Piper picked?
3. Are we naturally inclined to answer the third question?

I think I'll talk about the second one. Peter Piper sounds like a pretty shady character to pick pickled peppers so I doubt he would put them in the natural place for a pickled pepper which would be in a jar. So, if they aren't in a jar yet they aren't getting stale since we keep asking the question, I'd say they are either in the freezer or in a cave. Obviously in a freezer they would be found (even that year old frozen spinach your parents bought on a health kick has to be found sometime) thus I say they are in a cave since caves are dark and have lots of good hiding places. So which cave is the next natural question. Well I'd say it's small and secluded (nobody will find it) and so it must be somewhere near a sinkhole. Thus the pickled peppers Peter Piper picked are in a small cave somewhere near a sinkhole.

Why I Quit Coffee

My three prompts are chosen with the help from a Seminar project about college essays. Who knew that college essays could be so amazing? I mean any place that comes up with questions like these just makes you want to go there, or me at least.

So I guess I’ll practice a little:

1.     Why did you do it?

2.     If you were to describe yourself by a quotation, what would the quote be?

3.     What don’t you know?

By process of elimination I have chosen to answer number 1 (because I am incapable of choosing just one quote as I have learned after spending a lot of my time on brainyquote.com and if I wanted to talk about what I don’t know it could take days, possibly years.) Something awkward happened to me last year, a faux pas that one should never, ever make. When you are spoken to in a different language there is a sort of confusion that leads to unexpected answers. In my case the answer was not to say unexpected but more extremely offensive. You see strong coffee does stuff to my powers of concentration. Three shots of Spanish espresso make me into a 5’4’’ three year old. I can pay attention for around four minutes but after that my mind wanders into a land of unicorns and grilled cheese. I was stuck in that unfortunate state on my third day in Spain. It was our first day of Spanish lessons and my host grandma gave me a “weak coffee” which I later learned was probably a plot to sabotage me. We began class talking about school; he asked us what we were doing in math. I answered that I was learning about square roots and then the coffee hit me. I was completely out of it, thinking about a unicorn named Claude, which I still cannot explain, when our teacher, Jose, came up to me snapping his fingers in my face and in incredibly fast Spanish started restating the question. I thought. I caught “la historia” and to any who doesn’t understand, that means history. Naturally I thought about what we were doing in history class and said the first thing that came to my mind. All year we had been studying one thing: WWII. That is what you do in Germany. So, because I did not know how to say “Germans in WWII” I said the next best thing, “Nazi”. There was a collective gasp and a few horrified looks all of which confused me for the rest of class. It wasn’t until after that my friend pulled me aside, looked me squarely in the eye and asked, “Do you really think we are Nazis?” Appalled I said no, you learn to never ever even correlate present day Germans with Nazi’s when you live there. Unfortunately that is exactly what I had done. I learned that Jose had not asked me what we were doing in History class but really what I thought of when I thought of Germany, apparently the “historia” was to give me ideas. No one was happy with my response and I had to go hide under my bed from embarrassment. Lets just say that since that “Nazi incident” as my friends later teased me about I haven’t had any coffee.