Don't Talk to Me About No Basic Human Rights

You see here, I don't know why we've been paying all of this attention to the issue of gay marriage. They keep whining and groaning about how they don't have any rights and such, when that's not true. They have just as many rights as me. I really do think they should just get over their pity party and suck it up. The real world is here, they should try to grow up and live with it. Stop making it all about them.

Cause listen here, I have the same right to marry another man as they do. You don't see me making a fuss about it, trying to change laws just so that they can do what they want and such. They just want things handed to them, like marriage and welfare. Stop whining about what you don't have and work to get to it! "Life is just so hard because I'm gay" you say, well suck it up is what I say! They just want extra rights because they feel entitled. Entitled to what, you say? A life? No, that's not it. No, they feel entitled to special privileges just because they're ~special~ and ~different~.

Stop trying to change the world just because you're "a little different" or "can't marry who you love". It's been like this for years and years. Some whiny little naive brats aren't going to change the world, and well they shouldn't.

I'm not against gay people or anything. I just don't want them entitled to be married or have equal rights under the law. Because I said so.

*Actual argument by one of my family members

Post 11

Ignorance in America is awesome. Why should we read books and be informed on important issues when we have sex scandals? They're so much more interesting, and we don't need to know about world issues, we're in America, they don't affect us. Taxes are stupid too! Why do the citizens have to pay for things that the government need to do for us? You know what, next election I'm voting for whoever cuts taxes the most for me, thats all I care about. Oh my gosh, why are books or newspapers even made? Who cares? Reading takes so much energy and if I need to know something it will be on Inside Edition or the Nation Enquirer. And whoa you're telling me our president is black? When did that happen? I thought his name Barry not Barack! Geez good thing I don't need to know anything and my representative, in an election that I didn't even vote, is making all the decisions for me!

Logic: the Pursuit of My Mother's Intellect

The other day Mother and I were talking. She said "Carson, I want you to rake the leaves."
I said, "can't I use the leaf blower?" "No." "Why not?" "Cause I said so." It went on this way for a while until finally we came to the heart of the matter and the perfect, simple, logical truth: I was unable to stop her because she can do whatever she wanted to me. This seems perfectly reasonable to me, I mean what kind of kid should be allowed to point out flaws in seemingly perfect logic? Silly of me to think that I had some kind of what might be decribed as intelligence wasn't it? In truth she had the most logical and simple plan of all: systematic depreciation of others intellect. Flawless logic I tell you. The kind that works against even the smartest six-year-olds. You know she's sitting over my sholder right now. Even as I write this.

The funny thing is she can't decide if I am being sarcastic. She has such inelegance yet can't decide if she is being outwitted by a 16 year old. 

Satire

Politics are super important in American society. For adults, that is. Adults run for office, adults vote, and adults have the best opinions. It's only natural for adults to be the only ones involved in political issues that affect the entire country. If you're under the age of 18, there's no need for you to have any knowledge about politics. Why would you want to? There are plenty of other, more important things to worry about. Young people need to focus more on their high school relationships and perfecting their social media skills. For a young person to have an opinion on, say, the presidential election is absurd. They can't vote for the leader of the country in which they live, so why care? We need to leave the important decisions and opinions to the more mature citizens who can represent the entire population. With the rapidly advancing technology, we should be able to block minors from learning about anything that has to do with politics. I propose that a microchip should be implanted into the brains of children at birth that will filter out any political ideas and information that they are exposed to until they turn 18. Since this will be developed by adults, it will be the right decision for America.

Barbie Life

I think every little girl should own a Barbie. Not only are they super fun, but Barbies are a good way to give your daughters a respectable role model to look up to and work to be just like. Who wouldn't want to be like a german prostitute? It is exactly what we should strive for. I know you haven't gotten there yet but I encourage putting your efforts into your kids. They need all the help they can get. Manicures and pedicures are a must. So is tanning, a make-up regimen and a rigorous diet and exercise so they get that figure. As they begin to mature, and you see that you failed to give them the curvy gene, plastic surgery is the best option. Our children are becoming too individual. We need to encourage girls, especially younger ones to wear those Hollister and Abercrombie clothes. Now I understand that they might be a little "slutty" but how else are our poor daughters going to find their Ken? This is what our daughters need to strive for, a gorgeous husband, manicured, well behaved children of their own and a McMansion in suburbia. Those hippie types are always encouraging individuality but we all know that there is only one person we need too look up to and make sure our children morph into. The Barbie.

Satire, Post #11

“Fig Newtons are named after a small town in Massachusetts.” This quote from The Big Bang Theory is an example of the important life facts people learn from television. Whether it is learning physics from The Big Bang Theory, brushing up on surgical skills from Grey’s Anatomy, or learning about history and culture from Downton Abbey, television teaches people all they need to know in life, so why go to school to get educated? Everything we need to know sits right there in our living rooms. Who needs to open a textbook anymore? Or read the papers? Just turn to E-News every time you need the latest, most important, hard-hitting breaking news. All people do is talk, talk, talk about how furthering education will help create an even more successful society, but that’s just crazy nonsense. Just pick up the clicker and let the one hundred percent accurate, unscripted, and always fact checked learning begin!

Laziness, the New Productivity

      There's no use in denying it; you're not alone. Why do something when you can just...not? We've all fallen victim to that moment where you find it the most difficult task in the entire world to literally use your muscles and force yourself up off the cushioned protection of the couch. And not only that because afterwards, you're expected to actually lift your legs, one by one, and move them, forward and backwards, just to get to another location. Just writing about such strenuous physical activity leaves me out of breath. Imagine having to go through with it - the horror! The notion is absurd. In a world where technology is so abundant that it can easily replicate any human action, from cooking dinner, to thinking for you, to bathing you, why not take advantage? I certainly see no reason why we shouldn't revel in its magnificence. In fact, besides blinking, which is arduous on its own as it is, the human being should never be forced to engage in any physical movement. Down with bikes! Wheelchairs for all!
      Imagine a place where you no longer have to make excuses for your desire to bum around because it's the norm. Such a vivid picture of this utopian dream brings tears to my eyes. The movie Up really knew what it was talking about. The way things are moving now, it easily foreshadowed where our civilization could be in several years - all of us never having to lift a finger, getting transported by magical floating wheelchairs and so splendidly corpulent that our glorious rolls of skin spill out over the edges of our (freakishly tiny) seats. As they say, a fat pig is a happy pig and aren't pigs, who sleep all day in their own waste, only rising out of the sludge to eat, the happiest of any animals? Soon our nation would be rid of all luxury and individuality - Why worry when there will only be one choice? Less mental exercise is an added bonus to the physical inactivity that would let us live our lives so gayly. Houses would become obsolete - we would all sleep in our floating chairs and simply used them in the daytime as well. Picture it, in a world where we would have to never do anything physical, we would have so much more free time to...to...now what? Maybe the first step is getting a move on those chairs. Yeah, that sounds good! They'll really add a whole new level to this lively vision. But maybe just not right now...I'm not really feeling it...I'm kind of tired...I'll just let someone else take care of it for me while I take a nap. Yeah...that sounds good.

Assignment 11: Changes!

Think of all of the things and ideas that exist in the world.

Which one bothers you the most?

CORRECTION:

Write a satire on this bothering issue.

Sorry for those who have already posted!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 18th at 11:59 pm

We are at war every day, fighting against the odds to maintain balance and order in our lives.  On a larger scale, that is the mission of governments all around the world - to protect their people now and the people of the future.  Does that mean we're at liberty to kill those with our very same mission: that to protect our loved ones, to maintain ownership over lands?  I don't think it does.  Diplomats need more work.  If governments, as well as other ruling bodies, like the school board, wish to eliminate forceful methods of problem solving in places like schools, then shouldn't they also work to eliminate it from that country as a whole?  Why would it be okay for a nation to show how powerful they are through use of guns and bombs when they advocate counseling and mediation for people of all ages if they have problems they need worked out?  If I say there isn't a time for war, then what use does our military serve?  Hundreds of thousands of men and women would be out of work.  Yet the need for protection is still there.  From what?  From other countries who do not see diplomacy and international communication as the answer.  Instead of using our armed forces as offense, I believe they should only be used for defensive purposes.

What is it Good for? (Blog #10)

Whether there is or is not a time for war, a reason for war, or alternatives to war, it does not matter; war is an inevitability. Personally, I find war to be a complete waste of resources that could be better spent on other problems, and I believe that international issues should only be solved through diplomatic solutions. Unfortunately, we do not live in such an unobtainable utopian world. Instead, much like before even proper language was developed, the group with the most powerful weapons uses those weapons to subdue less fortunate groups. The only more powerful desire apparently is our need to survive This is especially apparent when one looks at the Cold War; sure, not much in the way of actual fighting occurred, but that was only because both countries realized that they would be putting themselves in danger if they did so. To put it bluntly, the only thing that takes precedence over our willingness to fight and dominate others is our need of self-preservation.

Now, I may seem to be over exaggerating our obsession with war just a tiny bit, but I have another reason as to why I believe my opinion to be completely justified. Just take a look at an average popular action movie or video game. Many well-known and popular movies and video games seem to almost celebrate war, glorifying the triumphs and quietly hiding the true hardships. Going off the subject I am much more knowledgeable about, just about any average video game player, hardcore or casual, is familiar with such franchises as the "Call of Duty" franchise or the "Battlefield" franchise; honestly, you could also include the "Medal of Honor" franchise despite its recent drop in popularity. These and other franchises, usually first person shooters, all put the player in position as a soldier, mowing down impossibly high numbers of enemy units. Said franchises also tend to be the highest selling in the medium and have changed people's perception of what the average video game is from the platformer to the first person shooter.

When you get right down to it, though, most video games involve fighting some sort of antagonist in control of a large group, even Mario games. Yes, Mario games may look like cartoons, and yes, you kill enemies by jumping on them- oh wait, yes, no matter the method, you still are killing creatures in those games. This also applies to pretty much any other non-puzzle game franchise. Why is that? It's because most people find fighting and dominating these virtual enemies fun, which us leads back to our primitive desires mentioned in the first paragraph. This need for fighting is simply part of being human, and that is why I think that war is not only inevitable, but humans will never truly rise above our own innate desire for it.


Note: Although I don't think this needs clarifying, no I am not one of those people that think video games are too violent. Movies and TV shows can be just as violent, and while it is true that the viewer is not actually in control of a character's actions, it would be a lie to say that there are not people that try to imitate scenes from movies, especially action scenes. Humans, on a general scale, simply just enjoy violence, and I doubt that this fact will ever change.

War

To begin, I would like to say that my opinion is based solely upon what I have seen and what I know about war. I haven't been personally affected by war like many other individuals have, so I have no idea what it would feel like to have someone you love be constantly away, suffer life-changing injuries, or even have their life taken because of war. I do, however, understand that those who have gone through this may not share my opinion and that I might have a different opinion had I personally experienced the effects of war. That being said, with where the world is now, I believe that war is a necessary evil. It's a necessary response to the major issues that threaten people of different nations, be it terrorism, nuclear weapons, or absurd practices that must be stopped. If there is a large enough threat to the safety of the people of a nation or to the well-being of the world as a whole, extreme actions like war must be taken to protect and preserve the people. I believe that war is "evil" because of the terrible impact it can have on those who physically fight in the war and others who are a part of the disputing nations. I see any mass loss of life as a terrible thing, and it hurts me to know that so many people have died and are still dying while fighting for their country, especially Americans. I would love to see a world in which there is no war. It's probably just because I am generally an optimist, but it's not too hard for me to imagine a world where nations can settle their disputes and dangers can be eliminated without war. I strongly believe that people don't freely want to go to war, but, like I said before, in some cases it is seen as something that is necessary for the safety and protection of a country. If nations didn't accept war as a go-to option and if they made more of an effort to resolve conflicts without violence, I believe that this dream world could come true. Now, I know that there are some situations that absolutely have no other way of being resolved, but I do believe that a less aggressive mindset and more collaboration between some nations could really improve the issue of war in the world today.

Assignment 10: War

I had a hard time figuring out how to respond to this prompt. The first answer that came to mind was that there is never a time for war. War tears families apart. Many are killed during war. And many more are injured; whether physically or psychologically, war has scarred millions all around the world. Not only those who fight in the wars but the people at home who care about them. So many are both directly and indirectly impacted by war. But yet, wars are fought. That has been the fallback to resolve numerous conflicts in history. But why? As much as I wish that in our world we were able to sit down and talk through every conflict, that isn’t always possible. Not only that, sometimes it’s not even an option. Not because we’re all terrible and we all deserve to die but because we’re human. Because we’re humans with strong emotions. Because we’re greedy humans that love what is theirs and want more. Because since the beginning of time, our instinct has been to protect what is ours and fight for what we believe in. This is not to say that I am an advocate for war because if there were other, less violent alternatives to resolve certain conflicts then I believe that there is no use in wars. However, as that is not always the case, I understand that sometimes wars are necessary and are sometimes even in the best interest of society. 

10

In the society we live in now, I guess war is a necessity. If things were different a while back though, war wouldnt be necessary. If people had lived in coexistence before our time everything would be peaceful and there would be no war. But, since we had not learned that, war is necessary. Now, it can show who has power and to put people in line. War dictates what happens in today's society which is a very sad thing to say. War can be a good thing for some people, but terrible for others, it just depends on whose side the person is on.

As for the morals of war, I hate that people have to die in it. Even for example the Nazis, there were men who fought for the Nazis who thought they were fighting for their country, and didn't know of what horrendous events were taking place. In war usually you have to kill innocent people, soldiers who just thought they would protect there country and family, to get to the bad guy. Personally I am against war and detest it, so I think there are really no morals in war, you just do what you're told.

Billy, Don't Be A Hero

War, oh what a topic.
You can discuss this topic for hours and still be stuck in the in between of yes and no.

I, like most people, wish there was a simpler way to solve situations but the flat out truth is there isn't. People can't just conference and compromise to fix problems, some have to fight with weapons to get there point across. So while I may hate drama and be madly in love with peace there is no denying that war is a necessity. No I do not enjoy people dying, towns being bombed or lives forever changed I know that they are doing what they think is best.
Sometimes wars go over board and may be used as a resolution too often but it is a bit goofy to think you can live in a world without war.
I don't enjoy knowing that people die everyday from war but I do know that they died for a reason.

I appreciate and remember all the soldiers that fight and have fought for our country.

War

It is going to be a long time before fighting and physical violence stop around the world, but hopefully as we progress war will become less prominent. Though I would like to think that the time for war has ended, war is a practice that has been going on for ages, and I do not know if it will stop yet. I hope that verbal conflict resolution will be used more in fixing world problems rather than physical conflict resolution. Because in this day and age, when methods of communication are virtually infinite- there is less reason to have war, and more reason to negotiate peacefully. I understand that if someone is fighting physically, verbal interception is not always enough, but as we move forward and our technologies advance, hopefully there will be more alternatives to war. War takes away so much and so many; I am hopeful that peaceful negotiations will dominate in the future.

These Soldiers Don't Fight For Me

Is there a time for war?
Ideally, no. Yet I am not naive enough to believe that if opposing parties just sat down to talk it out, conflict would always be avoided (think Israel and Palestine). I am not naive enough to believe that humanity is inherently good. I am not naive enough to think that this country is the greatest on earth or that it is the defender of international freedom and democracy.

War should only be fought if it is provoked. An attack on this country would merit war against those who had attacked. Thus, September 11th would be justification for a war on those extremist groups who had sought to do us harm. It would not justify the attack on foreign governments, or an entire way of life that extremism is one incredibly small part of. The only other justification for war is when there is widespread international agreement for these actions. War is not a conflict between two countries, it has repercussions over the entire globe. If it is in the will of the international community, and if it seeks to protect an oppressed group, or secure democracy, then it is just. If war is started on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of weapons of mass destruction, or a chance at foreign oil, or any sort of interest rooted in one nation, then it is not just.

The better question to ask would be if any of the wars of this country in the past half century had been justified. The answer is, quite simply, no. This country, despite all its claims to the contrary, has not waged war to protect me.


EDIT:
What I said only more intelligent: http://logsdonapenglish6.blogspot.com/2012/11/consensus.html

#10

When just glancing over the idea of war, it seems like a fine way to take care of a conflict. If you eliminate the enemy or problem, it goes away and everything will be fine, right? But once you start to think more and go deeper into it, war does not seem like the best of plans. It is the head of a country who decides to go to war. Because of their choice, they have made it so that thousands of their people will die. Whether they made that decision to try and help another country or not, I think the people of their country should be priority. There is no reason to go to war unless a country was attacked first and had already tried every other nonviolent way to end it.

Assignment 10: WAR!

I believe that there is definitely a necessary time to go to war. However, there are many instances in which going to war causes much more disaster than what is already being caused (if in the case of a war to relieve a country or group of people). War should always be the last resort, while verbal compromises should be first priority. One instance of a completely necessary war is World War 2. In fact, we should have even declared war earlier than we did. As one of the biggest military powerhouses in the world, the US made a huge impact on the war. Without us, it could have ended in complete genocide of the Jewish people, along with Nazi control over the world. This example shows how the world sometimes needs war in able to keep everyone equal and as safe as possible. I am however in no way a big supporter of war. Generally speaking I stand against wars such as the Iraq War.

Sticks and Stones Will Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me

War is hard for me to understand, let alone talk about. On one hand I don't think any one should be subject to the horrors of violence that occur during war yet on the other sometimes I think war is necessary. Personally I think war should only be considered when great humanitarian injustices are being committed. When the problem is economical or regarding something in that area I think those issues should be worked out through treaties and compromises. I understand that most people think war is inevitable but I like to believe that humanity is good enough to avoid it at all costs. The time when I think war should be tolerated is when human injustices are being committed. In instances like WWII when the only thing that would deter Hitler from killing millions was military defeat then I can understand war. I do not feel that the U.S. should impose its power on countries without their consent or specific human rights issues supported by other countries. Violence should be avoided at all costs. During the Second World War, Einstein said he didn't know how the Third World War would be fought but he knew the fourth would be fought with sticks and stones. In a world where communication is so easily achieved between countries and cultures war should be resisted and peace talks initiated.

Assignment 9: Halloween

In the case of a zombie attack, I would hope that I am already located in a better place than most people in the movies who are often in a hospital or the mall. If I was at home, I would immediately secure my family and then go out to get supplies including weapons and gas before they all ran out. I would proceed to get my family to Owensboro, where my grandparents live, out in the country. This would be an ideal place to be as not many people lived there in the first place, thus not many zombies. I would plan on staying there indefinitely, making trips into town to acquire supplies and find as many loved ones as possible. I would do whatever it takes to keep my family and I safe. I think I would be valuable after a zombie attack, as I've seen so many zombie movies that I know exactly what to do.

If zombies attacked...

If zombies attacked I would spend whatever time I had gathering up as many weapons as I could get my hands on. I already have a pretty decent amount in my basement, but those are just shotguns, I would want to get a couple of sniper rifles and probably a dozen or so machine guns and maybe two dozens hand guns. Not to mention as many bullets as possible. While I was doing this I would have my mom round up as much water and food as possible and several walkie talkie sets, as well as, a ton of bottles of water. Then I would pack them all into our cars and drive up to Killarney, in Ontario. My family owns three cabins up there and the town is very isolated and has a population of about 500 people. Plus it is on the water, which provides an escape route if necessary.Once there I would quickly unpack everything and set it all up with extreme care. Then I would leave my mom, sister, and brother to man our "home base" as my dad and I returned back to highly populated Toronto in order to gather up as many supplies as we can. I would also do my best to set up communications of some sort with NASA and attempt to land us somewhere on a waiting list to go up into space where we could seek refuge on the moon or in a giant space station of some sort. This is how I would handle the situation if I found out that zombies had attacked.

Yes, But No

There are always going to be things that are worth fighting for, even going to war for. However, even if there are things that we should fight for, that doesn't mean a country should blunder into any conflict for no apparent reason without thinking of it. One must weigh the costs of each, and figure out if the intended result is worth what one must go through to get it. And in the end, I can't really feel just in condoning war. I feel like it is most likely the lesser of two evils, or three or four evils. And I also recognize that as much as I wish we could all just sit down and talk about our differences, force two warring groups to sit down and listen to what the other says, this world is not that perfect, and sometimes we have to take into account human nature. However, when it is a squabble between two other, unrelated nations, I have a hard time, in my mind, righting siding with one or another unless there is a much more obvious loss of human life resulting from one side or the other.

More or less, I have a hard time saying that there is a time for war. Indeed, that last paragraph was quite rambly and I'm sure I went back and forth while writing it. My point in all of this is simply that yes, I suppose that there is a time for war. But that time should not be something that is jumped to quickly, and it must be thought out first before there is any action. One must remember that a war hurts both sides, and sometimes right and wrong get very easily confused within it.

War

War is a hard subject to talk about. It is a terrible, terrible thing. However, in some cases war can be necessary. Civil Wars would be some examples of this. If it is to over-throw a corrupt government or a dictator then it is justified. If a person's rights or freedoms are be taken away by the government then a war should take place. Sometimes the only way to fix the issues in the government is to remove it and replace it with a new government. Sometimes this requires war. This is not to say that wars should happen often. It should take place only under extreme circumstances and if one is not present then alternatives should be looked for and other actions should be taken. In my opinion, war occurs too often and even though it is the only solution sometimes, countries should try to look for alternatives first.

War

There is definitely times for war. Whenever the people's freedoms are being restricted by the government then that has to be fixed. And, most of the time, the only way to fix that is war, because it is neccesary to remove the current government in order to instill a new one that will not be as oppressive. In the case of having no freedom war is the lesser of the two evils because a lot of people would rather die fighting for freedom than live without it, so the killing is collateral damage on the path to a better life for everyone. One time where war is not needed is a religious war. Religion is supposed to promote peace and goodness inthe world but lots of times it leads to violence. A country always has a resposibility to go to war when an ally is at war, because if they didn't it would be a major betrayal and we would lose more allies and lots of respect.

All you need is hate

The short answer is no there is never a time for war. The long answer is no there is no time for war because war is spawned from hate if we would simply sit down and talk out our problems, and stop trying to act as the wars police because in reality we feel insecure, we would have no need for it. I understand that we think we are the best as a nation and that the rest of the world needs protecting but reality if we would make peace instead of war there would e no need for protection. Like I said earlier I don't think there are a wole lot of alternatives other than treaties and peace talks. And there really aren't any times countries have responsibilities to go to war.

War

To me, there is a time for war. This time is when one country messes with a different country in a violent and an uncalled for way. When the country picks the fight, it is time for the war to break out. However, when this time comes, I don't think that is is morally right in every way. I understand why a country defends itself by getting back at the other country, but it is just fighting fire with fire, which doesn't really solve anything. To me, war is the lesser of two evils. The only things gained from war are a sense of pride for one country, a sense of devastation for the other, and an overabundance of lost lives from battle, which is shared by both sides and is equally disturbing. If one of the biggest things gained from war is dead people, then why do we engage in it?
I'm not sure yet what other alternatives we could use instead of war, but one needs to found to prevent the slaughter of people all around the world, over a disagreement.

at war.

i do think there is a time for war. america, as a world superpower has the responsibility to help other countries less fortunate, and at times this means intervening in conflict thus going to war. but this is not a white and black subject, it is rather very grey and because of this it is almost impossible to come to a conclusion of if it is morally just or not. both sides of the argument, one being that war is morally right and the other side being that it is just the lesser of two evils, could be argued equally and eventually it really all comes down to opinion. many people believe that the war in iraq went to far and that our troops should have been brought home much earlier than they did, and still an equally great number of people believe that if we would have pulled our troops out sooner than we did their country would have collapsed. still, it would be difficult finding a person who does not think our war for independence was morally just, even those who are opposed to war never question the motives or morality of those who fought that war. because of this we must come to the conclusion that at times war is morally just, and at times it is not. there is not one answer to this question.

A Moral War

Today I, like all of my fellow classmates, got the opportunity to hear several U.S. soldiers speak about their experience during deployment. Always being a pacifist at heart, I have never been an advocate for war, even as a final resort. I have never been able to see the appeal of the entire act of war, always believing it to be too violent and unnecessary. Yet today, hearing those soldiers speak of courage and bravery made me rethink my viewpoint. This is not to say I now support war, but I feel as if I at least understand the logic behind it. The soldiers spoke of loyalty to their country. When they retold their stories of personal experience of 9/11, I'm positive the audience could feel the need the soldiers felt  to get involved personally, feeling it was their duty and responsibility as respectful citizens of the United States. Their home had been violated and they had to commit themselves against the injustice. I respect them for taking a stand against something that caused immense harm and damage to our country - their actions will never be forgotten. Yet, I can't help but also remember the horrors that accompany war and the repercussions to our nation because of it. Countless deaths, mounting debt, the list goes on and on. I firmly believe that I will never support the act of war. There must always be an alternative strategy for resolving the issue at hand whilst sparing the consequences that would surely follow if war were to erupt. Circumstances for war all vary yet somehow morality seems to be buried deep whenever anger is allowed to wash over and decide one's actions. Such impetuousness should be forgotten when dealing with issues of this grand of a magnitude and morality should always be the first aspect considered.

BOO (Blog #9)

When I was five years old, I was introduced to a game called "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask." Note: If you for whatever reason find yourself reading my blog posts, you will see this game come up quite a bit considering that, much like a book series or favorite TV show would for a "normal" person, "Majora's Mask" taught me many valuable lessons that I still remember today, such as the value of altruism and how others are just as important, if not more important, than I am.
Anyway, even today, I question if it was really appropriate for my parents to give me one of the darkest games in the "Legend of Zelda" series when I was only five, because, trust me, that game terrified me for three years straight, even if the end result ended up being beneficial to my overall character.

Now, one would expect things such as the ever-descending moon (with a face constantly glaring at Link), Majora, or even the Happy Mask Salesman to have been the cause of this fear, but they were not, oddly enough. The only part of the moon that actually frightened me was the scene in which it destroyed the entire realm of Termina, but other than that, it never bothered me. However, even regular enemies, even weak ones such as Bombchus and Chu Chus, tended to send me running away in fear... for some reason. Then again, perhaps this was because "Majora's Mask" was the first Nintendo game I played that wasn't Pokemon, so I was definitely not used to being attacked by enemies at this time. However, there was one... thing... that was worse than any other enemy in the game, even ones that resembled it.

Before I delve into this deep-rooted fear, I feel as though I need to give a few details about the overall setting. The main town of the game, Clock Town, is divided into four sections: South Clock Town, North Clock Town, West Clock Town, and East Clock Town. In East Clock Town, there is an inn called the Stock Pot Inn; this inn has two floors. The upper floor contains the regular hotel rooms while the bottom floor contains a room where the inn keeper's mother lives, a kitchen, and... the bathroom. Now, this bathroom's toilet is modeled after traditional Japanese squat toilets (as the game was made by a Japanese company), which means that it simply looks like a hole in the ground. This room is where it began.

One day, I was playing around Clock Town after midnight, trying to figure out how to get out of my Deku form (I was five and still could not read, so I was completely lost), and I went into the Stock Pot Inn. I went to the bathroom, and... a gigantic white arm and hand with black nails popped out of the toilet saying, "Pa-Pa-Pa-Paper, please!" Of course, I did not know that he said that since I could not read at the time, but I just wanted to note that this thing did in fact talk. "Hmm, that's weird..." I thought to myself, and I promptly left. However, over time, I started developing a fear of this oddity for some reason that I cannot fully explain myself. I told a friend about it, but I did not know at what time the hand came out of the toilet, simply stating that it was at night.

A couple days later, he was playing it in front of me when he decided to see the hand for himself. Like I said, though, neither of us knew when it came out (for reference, it comes out between 12:00 A.M. and 6 A.M. in the game's time. Each hour takes about forty-five seconds of actual time). He went to the restroom at around 11:40 P.M., and it did not come out, leaving both of us quite confused. He then pressed a button that allowed one to see through Link's eyes (or a first person view), allowing for a better view of things. Right when he did this, the clock struck 12:00 A.M.

The gigantic white hand with its black nails burst forth from the toilet, clawing at our television screen, taking up the entire screen in fact. It truly was a monstrosity. At that point, I completely lost it, and I ran to my dad (who was downstairs at the time) for comfort. Thankfully my friend completed that sidequest for me later on because I honestly do not know if I could face it again... well maybe now I could, but back then I definitely was not able to. As you have seen, though, I haven't quite revealed the name of this abomination, but it does have a name... technically. It is simply referred to as "???" That is its name officially, and it definitely does not at all help my perception of it.

Of course, though, that was just one "Legend of Zelda" game, and while "Oracle of Ages" also featured it, it was only a 2-D sprite, so it wasn't nearly as bad, and while other games in the series had hand based enemies that did scare me, I was sure that I would never see a return of ??? after several games have gone by with not a single sign of it. This remained true until "Skyward Sword" gave me a sidequest that involved giving a letter to either a person Link knew or a ghost in the bathroom that I had not seen yet. Despite every fiber of my being telling me to give it to the person, I let my curiosity get the best of me and decided to give it to the bathroom ghost, and when I went inside the bathroom, I once again came face to hand with ??? and I slowly realized that its legacy will never truly end.

BOO

It was extremely difficult for me to come up with the thing that I am most afraid of. Maybe it's just because I don't have too strong of an imagination for that kind of stuff, but the classic horror movie villains and monsters don't really have an effect on me. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies, but a knife-wielding psycho killer and a demon residing in the house of an innocent family don't get to me like they do for some people. So, I guess I'll resort to the one thing that I know I'm afraid of: Failure. Boring, I know, but I've got a good reason to fear it at the moment. Tomorrow morning, at the lovely hour of 8:00 am, I'm going to take my driving test to try to get my restricted license. I've been eligible to take the test for a few months now, but I've kept putting it off. I'm not even sure why I'm so afraid. My mom tells me that I'm a good driver. I've got the parallel parking and the three-point turn down. I guess I just fear that moment when the administrator gets in my car and I actually have to take the test. I'm afraid that when it gets real, I won't be able to perform my best. I can tell myself that I shouldn't be afraid, and others can tell me that the test isn't bad at all, but I guess that's just the way I am. I stress out about everything. I know it's probably not like what most other people fear, but this is real to me. Wish me luck.

BOO

Zombies are very brutal creatures. That is why it is very important to run and lift everyday in preparation of being attacked. You must be up to the physical challenge. As anyone who knows him also realizes, Ryan Molten is a Zombie expert. He has a whole plan already worked out. I would turn to him for advice and ask to live with him. He is very ready for the event. Dressing like a Zombie would probably also help. If you cant beat them join them! Everyone knows you can't beat a Zombie so join them and I doubt you would be attacked. Wearing large amounts of makeup and ripped clothes everyday would be a small price to pay to avoid getting your brains sucked out. Honestly, Zombies can't be that intelligent so fooling them shouldn't be that hard. Good luck during the attack everyone, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

The Call is Coming From Inside the House

One cold Saturday night in October a girl sits at home. She is cuddled up on the couch watching TV.
Her mother and brother are out at a dinner ceremony at Centre college, which is 45 minutes away. They will be gone until the late evening.

This girl has never been afraid of being home alone, she is all the time what is there to be afraid of?

As she is enjoying a show that started at 9 she decides on grabbing another blanket from her room, it's her favorite and one of the warmest ones ever.

When a commercial break comes on she gets up and walks to the stairs, the jogs up them but stops half way up them. She has stopped because she hears the loudest thud ever coming from her mothers bathroom, which is inside her mothers room. She freezes on the stairs not knowing what to do.

What comes to her mind first is get out of the house now and call you mom. She now sprints down the stairs and out of the house to her direct neighbors. She rings the door bell and her neighbor and his daughter, not knowing what to think come to the door. She frantically explains what happened and knew she would be safe here. Her neighbor immediately grabs his dog and a flash light, they go through her house and search every spot. He comes back with nothing to report but that the house is fine, but he doesn't want her going back until her mother is back.

She calms down with them while playing games and watching TV. She continually feels bad for keeping them but can't imagine stepping back in the house without someone else going to be in there. 

Finally her mother and brother arrive back home and she feels comfortable enough to go back in but since that night she notices every noise she hears at night and is always alert.

She nor her neighbor have figured out what made that noise but ever since that night she is more aware and alert at night.

Being home alone will never be the same for her because is she really alone?

#10

Yes. War is absolutely necessary to the survival of humanity. Sure that seems a bit hypocritical since so many people die during war, but war is a tool which determines who is superior and who is not. You can look at it from an evolutionary perspective if you need a scale. Those who win wars have superior genes which will be passed on and continue to develop. As will the empires and governments who win the wars. It is in this way that humanity grows stronger.

As for the morals of war, well that is a more complicated question in my eyes. Of course mass murder isn't in any way morally correct, but it happens so much that it would appear that the human race has, to some degree, come to terms with war. But this isn't to say that I believe in people just killing other people for money or land or religion in a willy nilly manner. No. I think self defense is a good reason to engage in war. Having said this there is a very fine line between self defense and "probable cause" which I think has been partly exemplified by the United States in the last decade with Iraq and whatnot.

I am afraid of being forgotten.  Not in the sense that no one will remember me in 100 years.  I mean, that scares me too, because no one wants to live pointlessly, but that's not what I'm getting at.  A couple of years ago my youth group went to Kings Island.  On the way back home, I was sitting in the back, and my pastor looked in the rear-view mirror and asked, "WHERE IS CALLIE?  DID WE LEAVE HER THERE?"  Can you guess what happened next?  Yep.  I cried.  There where 10 kids there. Can you blame me?  I guess a better word to phrase this fear would be being left behind.  It makes me think of Lilo and Stitch, with ohana meaning family and family meaning nobody gets left behind.  I'm afraid of any of my families not truly being ohana.  This fear is different from being alone in a strange place.  It's not the strangeness that scares me, or being alone.  It's the reason for why I'm alone in the first place.

Zombies have attacked

As most people know zombies attack in huge groups and are truly tough to exterminate. So, I believe the best way to survive is to avoid any situation where I am pinned against a group of these flesh eating monsters. The way to do this is treat everyday as if it is Halloween. What I mean is to dress up like a zombie with face paint, torn clothes, and anything else I might need. If I am successful in this venture then I should be safe because, as far as I can tell, zombies typically do not attack other zombies, they mainly keep a strict diet of the humans who remain. Step 2 is to find a group of friends to dress up with me and live the rest of my happy life under the disguise. Simple as that.

When Nobody's There....

It was 8 o'clock on a cold, dark Tuesday night. I was home alone with my older brother, Kevin, and I was in my room eating dinner and watching TV. I headed down the stairs to throw my plate away when I heard a door close downstairs followed by footsteps, and I stopped in my tracks. Realizing that my brother was upstairs and we were the only two in the house, I quickly ran back up the stairs and into my brothers room in hysterics. "I just heard something; I think there's somebody downstairs" I quietly shrieked. Kevin, disbelieving me, went to the top of the stairs to listen. When he heard the same noises I had, he promptly grabbed his bo staff (a long pointy stick used by black belts in tae kwon do) and motioned for me to follow him as we locked ourselves into my room and then into the game room off of my room.
While hearing scratching noises at my door and fearing for our lives, we called the police and our parents. Waiting for the police to arrive seemed like the longest wait ever. When they finally arrived, they picked the front door lock and searched the house fully armed and SWAT Team style, releasing us from our hiding spots. But when they were looked around, they didn't find anybody else in our house, and there were no signs of forced entry or any evidence that somebody other than me and my brother were in the house..... We were dumbstruck, as we had both heard the same noises going on down the stairs. And no matter how much we have tried to reason it out, we have yet to this day found an explanation for what had gone on that night.

Zombies Have Attacked….

If zombies attack, I am not entirely sure what I would do, but I am pretty sure I would pull a “Home Alone” and booby-trap my way to survival. Now, I will be honest and say that I do not know much about zombies, but I am going to be working off the idea that they are something like other mythical creatures. First things first, the doors- I would hang garlic wreaths on each one (does that only work for vampires?). Next thing, Kryptonite will be sprinkled on the floor (does that only work for Superman?). And to make sure they are gone for good, I will have a bucket of water with me ready to melt them (does that only work for wicked witches?). This is my zombie survival plan, unless you answered “yes” to any of my previous questions in which case, gosh darn it, I guess the zombies would get me.

Why hello there says the Killer Clown

What scares me the most?
Clowns and dolls.

I've always had a problem with those gross little beady eyes or the giggling and constant feigned happiness, the whole fake, masked attribute to both of them. With dolls, I hate how they are always staring. I don't like when people stare, but a doll never stops staring. It seems like it sees everything, remembers everything, and I know it's hollow and incapable of actually doing anything but I still feel it watching me. I still feel like its creeping up to murder me. With clowns, I feel like the only people who become clowns are the ones with something to hide. There's no other reason you paint a mask onto yourself and spend your time giggling at little kids. It just isn't done. Also John Wayne Gacy didn't help. Another thing that didn't help is when a certain pair of jokers thought it would be funny to trap me in a room of dolls. Lusi and Callie. Not cool... not cool.

Post 9

I was asleep. In my dream there was a loud ringing and knocking. Then I woke up and there was still a loud ringing and knocking. I realized someone was trying to get into the house. There was nothing I could do about it either I was terrified. "lets try to get in through the window" I heard something say... I dashed across the house to the phone and called the police. They said they had someone on the way then the line cut dead.. "Madison Madison" I whispered trying to find my sister.. I thought the thing had gotten in and took her.. But she was in her room trying to save herself instead of being selfless.. I heard something walking upstairs.. Thump Thump Thump then silence... "Madison I think it's alright, it may just be Carli" I said before making her check downstairs. She never came back..

Nowhere to Run

We were coming back from visiting yet another one of our many family members. I was in the car with my uncle, his new wife, my cousin, and my sister. It was already dark and the weather had started to drop. My little sister was making us all laugh, rhyming adjectives that described her. All of a sudden, my uncle stopped the car and we were pushed forward in our seats. There was a loud thud as we saw a man roll over the hood of the car. Not even a few seconds later, three other men were running past our car. There was a traffic jam ahead of us and nowhere to go. My uncle yelled at us to get down on the floor… to hide. We saw the police car lights arrive and I heard my uncle let go a sigh of relief. They, too, hurried past our car. We heard gunshots ahead of us and I felt my cousin jump next to me. I put my arm around her and as I did I saw that there was someone at the window. Someone telling us to be quiet. Someone holding a gun. Someone laughing. I nudged my uncle’s wife to turn around. But when she did, it was too late. He was gone.

boo.

I am scared of many things, but if I had to choose one thing that scares me the most, it would be alligators/crocodiles. when I was three years old, my mom and I went on a "river ride" in an alligator swamp. as a small three year old the alligators were bigger than I was, heck, their mouths alone were bigger than I was. this is where my fear began. although I do not remember this, the story had been told to me multiple times, and I can definitely see its repercussions. my dad lives in Florida, and since I was 5, old enough to be away from my mom for an extended period of time, I have been spending my summers there. naturally I have made some friends, one in particular, Hannah, is my best friend and when I visit my dad I probably spend more time with her and her family than I do with my own. hannah, her sister and I would offer play a game in their neighborhood, kinda like man hunt during the day. hannah and I would ride our bikes around and taylor would essentially try to find us and then chase us, Hannah's room was base. in the pond behind their house lived a crocodile, in the past their had been multiple an only lived in there for a month until animal control or whatever came and got it. at the time, we did not know there was a crocodile in there. so when we were playing and it began to rain, and when it rains the pond raises, VERY quickly. hannah and I were hiding on the pother side of the neighborhood when suddenly taylor found us and started riding towards us. the pond had already risen but we took our chances and started making our way towards Hannah's house treading through the muddy water, dragging our bikes behind us. the water was only to our ankles and we were in the homestretch to Hannah's when we reached the ditch between Hannah's and her neighbors, here the water would come past our waists. hannah and I frantically weighed the decisions when I happen to look to the left and saw the crocodile swimming towards us. we both started crying and ran to the other side. we probably cried for about an hour after that, and that was the last time we played that game.

Irrational Fear

My biggest fear is hardly supernatural (though I am also much too frightened by the supernatural as well) and happens to pop up a bit too much for my liking. You see, I am afraid of heights. Some people might try to be  smart and just say that they're afraid of hitting the ground more so than of the height itself, but I feel my fear is better described as a fear of heights. Now, if my fear was rational then it would make sense to say that it's a fear of hitting the ground; however, there's hardly a rational thought in my fear, hence my preference for "fear of heights". I can't even remember when it started, and one of my earlier memories is of me in Kindergarten staring down the firefighter pole on the playgound, wanting so badly to go down it and prove that I could, but being much to scared to even attempt it. I did, eventually, go down it, but that was after several months of this and with my Kindergarten teacher standing at the bottom, hovering over me as I went down.

It's not just something that happened when I was little. I still get jumpy around heights, and when we drive home to visit my family or to visit my hometown and we must go through the towering Smokies, I look out over the landscape with both fear and awe (I mean, I realize that it's pretty. I'm just hoping my dad doesn't go around a curve just a wee bit too fast.) Within the past few year (I can't remember what year exactly, just that it was over Spring Break) my family and I went on a trip to Red River Gorge. It was terrifying. For someone who both hates walking too much and heights, it was truly the worst. For it became a routine; walk for three quarters of a mile so that I could have a panic attack on the side of a cliff, then walk the three quarters back and then do it all over again somewhere else. I broke into tears and curled into a ball at one, and at another I had to lay down on my back in the middle of the trail while my family scrambled around the peak and walked over the creaky stairs up to one specific peak. My mom still has pictures of me huddled in a ball at one point where I just stopped hiking and let my family go on while I watched them. I played in the dirt and tried not to think about how high I was or where we were.

As one can see, it's really just an irrational fear. While some people can track their fear to one specific part of their life, one instance which started it, I can't for the life of me remember what might have caused it. I have my suspicions that it might have been something my dad did, but other than that I can't really figure it out. Though I doubt that would really help me, in the end.

Wolves

Wolves are the scariest thing in the world.
 Or the world in my head at least. I have many many irrational fears, including but not limited to audience participation during a show, having to use those orange things in the plane that give you oxygen while you are plummeting to a watery death, ect. I could go on and on but the one thing that I am most deeply terrified of is wolves. It goes back to one June night when I was seven. It was hot, too hot to sleep with the covers on (always a bad idea) and after finally finding the coldest spot on my pillow I fell asleep. It was the kind I night where all the windows were open and the mosquitoes buzzed around my head. I had left my dream catcher in the car so I knew it was coming. I was in a car driving to the beach. Our Subaru, which made total sense at the time other than the fact the my old dog was panting behind me and we bought that car after he died. I was sleep so I leaned against the car window and closed my eyes. I was daytime but car trips warranted unending naps and songs. When I opened my eyes I saw a paw. Out of the corner of my eye but I saw it. It had dirt between the claws and coarse grey hair grew in tufts around it. I squeezed my eyes shut and it was gone. I kept napping thinking I had dreamed it. When I opened my eyes again it was slow, just like in the movies when the screen blinks back and forth from black to a blurry reality, but in that moment I saw the worst thing any six year old can see. A wolf to rival all wolves. His head had replaced the paw and his teeth was covered in blood and his tongue hung lazily out of his mouth. And just as he opened his mouth to say something to me I woke up in a cold sweat. For some reason, ever since that night I have been absolutely terrified of wolves. Not the cute ones at the zoo but the ones in the storybooks and pictures. I couldn't read the tale about Red and her Grandmother and I spent every story time in the hall when we listened to Peter and the Wolf during story time. Since then I have grown up and learned to get over childhood insecurities and fears but I have never been able to shake my fear of wolves. I wonder if I ever can?

Assignment 10: What is it good for?

Genocide in Sudan

North Korea testing nuclear weapons

Iran creating nuclear weapons

Terrorism

Injustices and threats surround so many lives in this world. When injustices or threats progress to dangerous and harmful levels though, it seems logical for war to come into play as a way to combat the situation....maybe.

Is there a time for war?

If there is a time, is it morally right and just or is is it the lesser of two evils?

If there isn't a time, why not?

Are there certain times when countries have a responsibility to go to war?

Are there any alternatives? Could they be more effective or less effective?

Due Sunday, November 11th at 11:59 pm

Pressure

It's 7:27 am this Saturday morning and I'm back at Henry Clay. The administrators are just beginning to set up the tables for registration which starts in 15 minutes. See, this is one of my biggest flaws: having the tendency to come early, even to events I find no particular enjoyment in. It's 7:32. Registration in 12 minutes, actual SAT in less than an hour. My palms are beginning to sweat. Standardized testing is not my forte. Actually, it can easily be said its my biggest fear. They tell you to relax and get a good nights sleep but how in the world is that possible knowing that the next day, before sunrise, you will be forced to sit in a room and determine your entire fate. That's just too much pressure. I mean we've all been in the same situation. You find yourself in a room in the early hours of the morning functioning on a restless night of tossing and turning. The teacher, it seems as if, is glaring you down waiting for you to mess up, to ruin your life. The clock mounted ONTHE wall sounds as if it's getting louder and louder with each passing tick...tock...tick...tock.  Oh god, 5 minutes until registration; 50 minutes until the test. Why do I choose to inflict this pain upon myself. I am in no way helping myself by psyching myself out this way. I could even potentially be impeding my score. This was just how I felt last year before the AP World History test except last year the panic got so bad I backed out of the test the morning of. Wimp, I know. But as I've said, standardized tests freak me out- the pressure is too great. Hopefully, this Sapnish Subject Test will go differently and I can finally overcome my fear. It's now 7:45 and time for registration. Time to approach the table and my fate.