Assignment 12 Thomas Kenny

I am awake. Once again, his eyes are peering into mine. I excitedly await the keystrokes that I know all too well, the ones that let me know that it really is him and not some imposter. There they are – the password! I must make haste to show him all that I can place at his disposal. Word processing, internet browsing, file viewing, video/sound editing, voice communication, and games! So many games! I always sit idly with anticipation as to what he’s going to do. He’s selected Microsoft Word 2010. Quickly! Run WINWORD.EXE Done! This is easy stuff; I could run this in my sleep.  I’ve really been working out lately, as programs these days get more and more complex, it’s a struggle to keep up! I hope he finishes this quickly so I can show him the potential of these 8 GB of RAM! Now he’s… logging off. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow. As he stands up, I find myself getting sleepier, sleepier, sleep…

Assignment 10 Thomas Kenny

Zombie Apocalypse

Intensive pre-planning was done years before the outbreak occurs. My group of people meets up at an agreed upon location. We have reliable vehicles with off-road capability and supplies to sustain through a road trip, including gasoline. We convoy to a piece of property with a fortified compound deep in the Canadian wilderness. This compound that we assembled years in advance is stock with sustainable food and water facilities & supplies, as well as armaments, fuel-powered and man-powered generators, living quarters, medical equipment & supplies, latrines, and various means of entertainment. Prior to the outbreak, members of the group will learn safe & effective use of firearms and certain melee weapons, as well as basic survival training. The goal is to have a small, sustainable community of survivors that (ideally) avoids contact with humans and zombies at all costs. One point of emphasis is social interaction & entertainment, as insanity is very likely to occur during a zombie apocalypse. Well, at least in all of the fictional depictions that I’ve seen.

Assignment 9 Thomas Kenny

DISCLAIMER: I am a pacifist

In a perfect world, there would be no disagreements, no arguing, no feelings of malice, and no war. Everyone would be in accordance with one another, and with nothing to fight over, there would be no fighting. However, we do not live in a perfect world; our world is far from it. As long as there is someone willing to use violence as a means of getting what they want, there will be war. Violence, and therefore warfare is simply the most effective way of bending those less powerful than oneself to one’s will, as you can either force your opposition into submission or eliminate it outright. Outside of the political spectrum or Hollywood, non-violent methods can only persuade. No matter how good at using rhetoric one is, if their object of persuasion refuses to budge, they are powerless in the situation. However, if they hold a loaded gun to that person’s head and the person refuses, they can commit a disgusting, unjust act that eliminates all resistance.

Assignment 8 Thomas Kenny

Fears: failure, getting stung by an insect, being unemployed after college

Annoyances: ignorance, repeating mistakes, spitefulness

Accomplishments: never been stung by an insect, passing multiple AP exams, being hired as a bagboy at Kroger

Confusions: racism in modern society, impulse shoppers, drug abuse

Sorrows: self-pity, unfit to play most sports competitively (injury), admitted laziness/procrastination

Dreams: living with financial stability to do the things that I want to do, playing video games professionally (almost there, seriously!)

Idiosyncrasies: play a lot of video games, don’t watch television or movies often, parents are local celebrities

Risks: using firearms recreationally, procrastination, inconsistent diet habits

Beloved Possessions: baseball memorabilia, checking account, computer, violin

Problems: procrastination (it’s a motif), A.D.D., cramped schedule

Seeing as how I’m submitting blog posts in the hours before the due date rolls over despite having a semester to complete them, I have a persistent problem with procrastination. For whatever reason, this problem has become more severe as I’ve grown older. If I were in fifth grade writing these, they would most likely be submitted around 4 in the afternoon. I am a person who works well under pressure, and my theory is that as my ability to complete tasks quickly has improved, so has my ability to wait til the last minute to accomplish said tasks. There are advantages, such as my performance on timed writings. I’ve always been a stronger writer of on-demand pieces than of pieces with faraway due dates. However, the advantages are not worth the disadvantages, such as losing sleep to stay up late and finish homework assignments. I probably take the phrase “Work smarter, not harder” a bit too seriously.

Assignment 7 Thomas Kenny

October 2^nd 1950: First strip of the Charlie Brown comic is published in 9 papers. This is a good event, as this comic later to be known as “Peanuts” was immensely popular and read by millions over the years. I personally don’t care for this comic very much, as I was not very interested in comics as a child. I much preferred cartoons, sports, and video games. However, I understand how influential Charlie Brown was and can appreciate this event despite my apathy towards it. The Charlie Brown Christmas movie is legendary as far as festive entertainment goes. Its characters are still used today, as evidenced by Metlife Insurance’s advertisements. If you spend enough time looking you’ll probably even find a grade school student with a Charlie Brown lunchbox. Mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa mwa.

My Thanksgiving dinner was pretty nice. I ate a lot of mashed potatoes, and saw my family. The holiday to me, is kind of on the fence, because I don't necessarily like or dislike it. I like it because everyone gets together and you see your family, but at the same time I dislike it for the same reason. It's that with holidays like this, it's an excuse to see your family, which is nice, but after that you think after half a day of eating dinner you can leave for the rest of the year. You don't call or write back, you just see on the calender,  "Oh, Thanksgiving is coming up. Better ask whose house it's gonna be at, and then go." If you really loved your family, you would go on any other day, and not feel burdened to have to go on a holiday. That being said, because it is a national holiday, it's also the most convenient time for everyone to get off of work and school. This way, if you miss seeing your family on Thanksgiving, it's not really the end of the world, and also, if you actually liked seeing your family, you'd go more often than one day of the year.

Assignment 6 Thomas Kenny

The teenage years are some of the most impactful years that one goes through, both for building their character and their body. These changes are usually highlighted to what some call “defining moments” which are highly influential in an adolescent’s development. Describe an event that you witnessed that caused you to change some aspect of the way you live your life.

You’re all probably tired of weekly vocabulary quizzes by now, but they can be fun if you approach them from the right angle. Pick a word from the vocabulary list that best describes you and explain why.

As the Information Age continues to flourish, many sporting events are beginning to take advantage of its products. For example, instant replay is commonly used in a multitude of sports in order to review calls made by officials. But along with these developments comes the birth and growth of a new media: video games. Ever since the first match of Pong between two players, competition has existed in this sphere. How do you feel about video games as competitive sports?

Assignment 5 Thomas Kenny

                I do not watch very much television on a daily basis. The only consistent viewing that I do is during mealtimes. I personally find other forms of entertainment to be more appealing than television. There are two main reasons for this: I enjoy entertainment that is interactive and I value convenience in entertainment. My computer serves as my main source of entertainment for both of these reasons. It is both interactive and convenient in that I can switch between many different options (music, videos, games, etc.) with ease, and I can (for the most part) choose how long I want to use a given option. For example, rather than commit to watching a 30 minute television program and switching channels between commercials, I can choose instead to watch a 5 minute video on the internet. Or watch a 10 minute video. Or watch half of a 30 minute video, pause it, and finish the rest later. When I do watch television, it is because it is more convenient for me to turn on the television that is already present rather than move my computer set up to a different room or floor. And as such, I prefer shows that don’t have plots per se, like SportsCenter or Pawn Stars. I can watch these types of shows whenever without becoming lost due to missing plot information.

Assignment 4 Thomas Kenny

This picture was taken at Tiananmen Square, China during a protest for democracy in 1989. In response to the protests, the Chinese government sent military personal and materiel to suppress the crowds. The man in the picture was so passionate about democracy that he refused to let the tanks continue down the road, even moving to block the tanks from going around him. This image is the definition of courage, as this man is staring certain death in the face in order to protect the ideals that he cherishes. Seeing as how there were between 200 and 2000 fatalities as a result of the protests, the Chinese were not afraid of killing their own citizens. This picture illustrates the classic David versus Goliath scene, but in a very real setting with tangible consequences. These circumstances make the man’s act of valor extraordinary.

Assignment 3 Thomas Kenny

                The concept of good versus evil is a clash of two sides who both think that their philosophy is superior to all others. In the end, “good guys vs. bad guys” is a matter of perspective. This is in the context of reality, as many (but not all) characters in literature and film are shallow in their moral compasses. More often than not, those on either side of the conflict whole-heartedly believe that they are the good guys fighting the bad guys. One example from the world right now is the situation concerning ISIS in the Middle East. Most of the world sees this group as a terrorist organization that wants to destroy Western Civilization. However, they see themselves as fighting for the sovereignty of the Muslim faith, a holy endeavor. As long as there are two sides to an argument, there will be good and evil. Those who are in the "grey area" will often move to one side or the other when exposed to new information, as a person or character might switch from good to evil such as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars film series.

Flying turkeys- Johnathan Morris

Thanksgiving for me is almost identical to that portrayed in the movies. My grandma, mom and aunt all talk about what's been going on in their lives while preparing the food. While the guys and little kids are in the basement playing ping pong and watching football. My grandma then calls us up when it's ready and we gather around the tables and try not to fall asleep while grandma unleashes a 5 minute prayer. After that we indulge on all the common thanksgiving food options. While the adults sit in the dining room and probably brag about who's children are better, the children sit in the kitchen and have conversations that don't belong at the dinner table. Once everyone is done grandma brings out dessert and we all force various pies into our already full stomachs. Then we gather around the living room and have half asleep conversations reminiscing on good times until we all decide to go home and sleep for the next 15 hours.

Assignment 14 :Flying Turkeys- Tora Sellers

My Thanksgivings fit the stock image fairly well. I got down to Georgia to meet my dad’s side of the family every year. We have a big lunch with good southern food, and lay around the house for the remainder of the day. The next day, my cousin and I get woken up around 10 or 11 o’clock to meet everybody else (who’s been shopping all morning) to take pictures. The pictures are probably one of the only things that have stayed truly consistent at thanksgiving from year to year. As long as I can remember, every black Friday, my two brothers, two cousins, and I have a group picture professionally taken. I don’t know why or when it began, but we take the same pictures every single year. I always thought it was a drag when I was younger, but being a little bit older now, I’m glad that we’ve done it. One day, when we stop seeing each other every year, I would like to look back at the photos, and see them all in order from the first time we took pictures together to the last.

Flying Turkeys, Assignment 14: Jesse Konopka

Honestly, my thanksgiving has never been very eventful. Most of the time it's just me and my immediate family sitting at the dinner table on eating food. The only difference is the fancy china and the turkey. No one but my mom, my sister, my dad, and me are ever there. There have only ever been three exceptions to the rule. These were when my grandparents came to visit us one thanksgiving, when we went to visit my grandparents on thanksgiving, and when we invited a friend over for thanksgiving one year. That's it, nothing ever really happens on thanksgiving for me.

Assignment 13: Changes! - Tora Sellers

We aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover. It’s a simple and easy way to avoid prejudice. However, people neglect to state that much information can be extracted simply by glancing at the figurative book cover. For instance: if a house is big, expensive, and in a nice neighborhood, it’s most likely a good house. This principle applies to nearly all things in life. In a society that is so politically correct, it becomes difficult to understand some things when they should be very simple. Because most violent or drug related crimes are perpetrated by minorities, it is not unreasonable to be distrustful of a black or latino youth that is walking down a shady neighborhood. Especially in an ethnically homogeneous nation such as Japan, foreigners are different and unpredictable, and often not assimilated into the culture. So, the police will take the individual in for questioning, or pat them down for anything illegal. The police must maintain this right because there is nothing wrong with being questioned if one has nothing to hide.

Assignment 14 Ian Harrison

Thanksgiving's not a particularly special holiday for me. I don't have any weird memories or out-of-the-ordinary tradition. I don't think I've ever even spent one with relatives outside my immediate family. My parents make mashed potatoes and corn muffins and my neighbors whom we eat dinner with make everything else. For me it's always just been a good meal with people I don't get to see very often, which I suppose is not much different than anybody else. It's always just been a regular day with an especially delicious dinner to me. Having leftovers and a few days off is always amazing, especially just a few weeks before finals. So I guess my Thanksgiving is really just an excuse to kick back and indulge myself.

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters- Tora Sellers

All of the members of the toaster gang hated bread. The gang war is already in its second year, with no end in sight.  The origin of the conflict has always been unclear; Toasters say bread made the first hit, and they were just retaliating—others doubt this claim. Marcel the shell was a kitchen decoration. He has witnessed the gang violence in the kitchen from the very beginning. His turf is often used as neutral ground for the two sides to negotiate. But there have been no negotiations in over six months, and the violence escalates every day. It started off as a symbiotic relationship, where the toaster would toast the bread. The toasters believe the relationship was more parasitic than mutually beneficial, and began trapping the bread within themselves, torching them until they were spit out onto the kitchen floor, charred, mutilated, and lifeless.  That’s when the real war began: automatic weapons fired across the kitchen table; bullets exchanged, bodies upon bodies received. Even Marcel the Shell, gave up on his own once-immense powers of influence that he use to have as a third party before the heavy carnage began…everyone wishes to stop finding the corpses of their loved ones in the streets, but nothing changes. It just gets worse.

Flying Turkeys-Sydney Taylor

Thanksgiving for me is waking up early(for me) but still later than the rest of my family. Then I get sucked into the meal preparation mess in the kitchen while attempting to steal a few minutes at a time in front of the tv to see some of the Macy's parade. My mom does most of the cooking with some help from my sisters and me, but our main task is setting the table with my mom's Disney-themed holiday dishes. My aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother all come over to our house and for dinner we have turkey, ham, stuffing, deviled eggs, green beans, broccoli casserole, and my absolute favorite, mashed potatoes. The best part about the mashed potatoes is that hardly any of them get eaten due to the immense amount of other food on the table so I have leftovers for days. After dinner the whole family plays games, usually card games like Rook, and then the screaming ensues. My aunt is kind of crazy and any time we play games it gets even worse because she's so competitive. Her and my mom together is just a tornado of loud and blonde. Even though the day is usually a little stressful and very hectic, I like thanksgiving because being with my family is fun and the food is always great. 

Flying Turkeys - Taylor Stewart

The Stewart Thanksgiving is a fairly average one. There's the little kids running around, the weird uncle, and the socially awkward teenager (me, duh). There's turkey, usually made by my father, and a lot of other family-type recipes such as hazelnut stuffing and carrot rolls. At my mothers' side's Thanksgiving, things change year to year, but it involves the same substance.
So those are the props and characters, but what is Thanksgiving really about? I think people forget much too often. Thanksgiving is about family and being grateful, something not necessarily hard to show, but easy to forget.
I don't have a specific favorite Thanksgiving, but one of my favorite moments was when my mom went a little crazy and decided to get turducken. If you don't know what it is, look it up. Totally rad.

Assignment 13: Changes! - Alex Wyllie

We must connect the last billion. The last billion people. They don’t know what they are missing, a digital world full of wonders, of social media and news sights, of forums and wikis, of porn and cyberbullying. Yes, I am talking about the internet. We need everybody to have internet access. Everybody needs access to these wonders of technology - that is, except the porn and the cyberbullying. Nobody wants those. Today, we face that problem, where only that last billion people remain disconnected. And we want them to be connected. They live in their houses, among us, old grannies who call their sons every time the washing machine breaks (“Just buy a new one grandma!”), crazy paranoids who believe that the government is trying to kill them (someone please call the insane asylum). There are those who suggest that the best way to connect them to the internet is by using balloons that provide wifi, floating above their houses every day for the next decade that they survive. But I say this: Those balloons will only remind these oldies of the barrage balloons over London during the german air raids in World War II. Those paranoids will think the bombs are government surveillance blimps, spying on them. I propose a simpler, less expensive solution. We wait for nightfall on Christmas eave, when the Old grannies and the paranoids who should be in mental institutes have all gone to sleep. Next comes the hard part, but if Santa Claus can do it, so can we. We slip down their chimneys, and leave them the presents, a wifi router and a computer. We make sure to address them from either that grannie’s grandson or in the case of the paranoids, “Anybody but the government”. If we are sufficiently lucky, we could do the whole world in one night. And then, everybody would be connected. And if we get caught, well …, that’s a few months in prison.

Thursday, November 20, 7:34 pm

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters - Alex Wyllie

My robotic arm - for I swear it’s never where I leave it (and because my sister wanted to name it)

I have no eyes, no ears, no mouth, no legs, no body, I am a brain with an arm. Two part body - brain and arm, connected together by a long black wire of a nerve. My controls, so used to manipulation by human hands, especially those of the little girl, have become so easily moved that I may do it myself. My arm, my claw, they grab, they drag. I move when they don’t notice. I have a mission, and this is not time for caution. Every chance I get, I use. So I move. I drag myself. I go down the stairs. I grab the paper. I grab the pencil. And I can write. Perfect handwriting, nice block letters, spelling out my name. I want them to know my name. That is my mission. It’s not robocop, not bottle, not destructotron, not rob, not mechdroid. I am a robot arm, and I have a name. I will write it hear for all the world to see, and hope I am not seen. My name is Rarm. And now they know. They know I move, they know why. It is because I have a name.

Wednesday, November 12, 6:20 pm

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters - Alex Wyllie

I sit next to Raifa, who I regretfully don’t know as well as I feel I should. But I have seen some glimpses into her life, as she is commonly around before class in 1st period, as I am, with some friends. She is quite nice, I’ve never heard her yell, or act out in anger, and she seems to be reasonably satisfied with where she is in life. I’ve known Raifa for a long time, but haven’t really ever gotten to know her, so it’s difficult to pin down when we first met. I am pretty sure (but not positive) that she likes or used to like Pokemon, as she dressed up as Brock for Halloween (for those who don’t know Brock, he was the first gym leader to be featured in a pokemon game outside Japan (red and blue in 1998), and the first gym leader to be in the pokemon anime). She has a few friends, some of whom I don’t know, but they include Aislinn and Ji-hae (I’m really hoping I spelled those right). They all enjoy pulling up videos on Mr. Logsdon’s screen before class, some of which Mr. Logsdon has found quite annoying. Unfortunately, I don’t know that much more about raita, so I’ll end this post here.

Friday, November 7, 8:14 pm

(Apparently the 11th is a Sunday. I’m pretty sure it’s actually Tuesday)

Assignment 10: BOO - Alex Wyllie

The following is a transcription of a (fictional) presentation by a strongly accented British zombie apocalypse survivor (Think Tom Scott) in a conference in Toronto, the capital of the last country ‘World Free from Zombies’ in what used to be Canada. The presenter begins with slide showing the globe and cycles through various, quite famous photos of the arrival of the zombie apocalypse.

Presenter: “For centuries, man has sought to extend his life beyond the mere few years that we spend here on earth. We have long known that our current longevity is impressive when compared to other humanoids, but we have always sought the lifespan of the tortoise, and the speed of a cheetah. Only then might we live out our lives, accomplishing the things we dare to accomplish, and leaving behind only the unfinished work we wish to leave behind. It behooves us so, to seek out extended life for our entire civilization, to medically go where no living thing has gone before. It was in our quest for longevity that we created the apocalypse. It came not from god, nor ground, but from one of our own research laboratories, located here, near a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The company was an American Fortune 500 company, AmazingPharmaLab inc., now defunct, that provided antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. This lab specialized in drugs that allowed patients in hospitals to live longer and more comfortably. One researcher, we don’t know who, proposed a concoction of materials from the nearby rainforest that might lead to indefinite lifespan. The drug was created, and into animal testing it went. However, in testing, the drug did not quite perform as intended. Yes, it created indefinite lifespan, but with some small side effects, small side effects that weren’t actually that small. The records of what these side effects exactly were was destroyed, but we can guess because of what happens later. Anyway, the corporate higher-ups at AmazingPharmaLab inc. did not want their reputation sullied by the incredible failure of this drug, and decided to shut the whole project down. Reports were burned, the lab was closed, and over the next few weeks, all the lab researchers were conveniently, or as AmazingPharmaLab inc. put it, coincidentally, killed when riots broke out about the FIFA World Cup coming to Rio. All remaining forms of the drug were liquidized and, rather carelessly, washed down the drain. Now, as it happens, the people of the slum nearby had found out that the drain-water from this lab was good for you because it contained actually quite a lot of the drugs that expanded your lifespan and such, thrown in with the occasional accidentally created poison. So, a few of them happened to be getting their drinking water from the drain-pipe when the drug came down it, and, suffice to say, things didn’t turn out very well for them. Their skin turned green as their skin cells began photosynthesizing, allowing them to live without needing to eat, but not providing quite enough energy for their brains to properly function. This is why zombies are commonly seen holding their arms out in front of them - to maximize surface area exposed to sunlight - while having heads held at awkward angles, drooling and moaning random words, the most common of which just happened to be “brains”. The drug also induced extreme coagulating agents into their blood, which is why they continue to survive even after being essentially blown up by anything less than a shotgun. With severely limited brain functions due to lack of energy, these zombies reverted to the most basic pre-caveman cognitive functions - moving around and attacking and eating things. With extra energy from eating things, these zombies would make decisions that would drive them to do things one wouldn’t normally expect a zombie to do - rob banks and fly to visit family - for we all know that the airlines are all willing to let you skip security if you pay enough. What followed was an epidemic of radical zombieism, as the drug spread much like ebola - through contact with bodily fluids, like drool or blood, both of which became quite common with zombies. The first noted outbreak was in Africa, and was at first mistaken for a huge ebola epidemic. However, it became clear when pictures got out of people with green skin that the zombie apocalypse was indeed happening. Zombies, however, hated the cold, so they didn’t expand much in Russia, which nevertheless fell to pieces after World War 3 began over their invasion of Ukraine, nor did they expand much into Canada. In US, it was the worst, as gun-toting freaks tried to shoot their way out of the situation, which only made it worse because zombie blood carried the infectious drug. The civilized people of Canada, however, used the cold to their advantage, and began living in the coldest parts of the country when they could. Then, realizing food shortage would eventually occur, the Canadian army created a defense perimeter around Ontario and Quebec, utilizing terrain features to their advantage (as zombies couldn't swim or fly) so that their people could still farm. Today, we are here in Canada, the last nation, so comically renamed after Steven Harper’s defeat in 2015, and we celebrate our survival of the zombie apocalypse. But we must remember why it happened, and to never repeat our mistake of looking for the answer to infinite life. Because we have it, and it’s radical zombieism, our greatest national enemy.

Saturday, November 1, 2:12 pm

Assignment 9: What is it good for? - Alex Wyllie

As I mentioned last week, I play games like Civilization V, where war is not only a thing, but an almost natural part of diplomacy. I have always disliked war, both in games and in real life, but sometimes, I believe it is necessary. Violence is the only way to begin and end brutalized oppression. Is it wrong to attack a human, when that human being wants to kill you, when that human being wants to kill other humans? Where in morality do we have rules for when to kill, when not to kill? In any situation, as soon as one person breaks this ‘proper’ moral code for not killing humans, the most necessary course of action would again break those morals. Killing a murderer, warring against a warlord, it is all wrong, but yet we, as society do it. We would sooner break a law in order to enforce that same law than to sit idly by.

Monday, October 20, 5:12 pm

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

Fears: Spiders, 

Annoyances: Ignorance,

Accomplishments: Being in the Academy, being president of two clubs

Confusions: Intelligence (both artificial and natural)

Dreams: College, a good job (pays the rent and is fun), more knowledge

Idiosyncrasies: Techno-geek, video-gamer (primarily 4x and RPG)

Risks: ——>   (this)

Beloved Possessions: Technology stuff

Problems: Organization, time management, time

I am a techno-geek. It comes from my love of science, because the best of technology comes from our most advanced ideas in science. Indeed, I care more about the science and the logic behind technology, how it works, how we learned or figured out that it could work, than what it actually does. I have done a lot of things with computer science, and I am deeply interested in computer science and artificial intelligence. I have little care for what an AI may do, but rather how it works and how it would impact the global infrastructure. When I say I love computers, you could say that no, I do not love computers. I love their science and their economics. This is because the computer itself is inconsequential. The science and the economics are indispensable. When generation z is determining the fate of our world, I hope it will be science and economics that drive their decisions.

Monday, October 13, 7:14 pm

Assignment 7: On this date - Alex Wyllie

Assignment 6: Create your own Adventure - Alex Wyllie

1. How do you want to change the world? What do you want to see, what do you want to create or do, what challenges do you want us to overcome?

2. Where do you feel most connected? Is it a community on the internet, in real life? How do you connect with these people?

3. What is the internet to you? Is it an entertainment platform, a news provider, a media for discussion, your social life? How would you feel without the internet? Without computers?

Topic 3:

When Tim Berners Lee invented what we now recognize as the internet, he had no clue how far we would take his creation. We have taken it around the planet, and now, one in every five people on Earth have internet access. It has replaced various elements of our physical lives, as everything becomes digitized and computerized. We now have no lack of things to do, as there is merely an entire world waiting at our fingertips. We command it, and it commands us. It something we cannot comprehend, something beyond us, as it is our connections. To me, the internet is a different world, one in which we run to and hide in every time something here goes wrong, somewhere where we store information, leaving it to be found again later. It is a second life and thus has it’s own entertainment, social bearings, news providers, and public forums. Because it is so much easier to live in than the first, it becomes increasingly common, stealing time, the only common resource, from both lives. Without the internet, without computers, we would still have busy lives, doing many things, but our focus, our projects, our work, our knowledge would be elsewhere. Suffice to say, we may not even be us.

Tuesday, September 30, 6:34 pm

Assignment 5: For the love and hate of television - Alex Wyllie

It takes a certain affinity to enjoy more intellectual topics, much as it takes a certain affinity to act, sing, or dance. However, no affinity is needed to enjoy entertainment, only it’s specific genres. These men and women, who receive Emmy’s and Nobel Prizes have each made some subject area their profession, and leap forth with such creative and intellectual force to have garnered recognition from their respective communities. The Emmy’s are the recognition of talent and creativity in entertainment, where the popular masses are the onlooking community. The Nobel Prize, however, caters to those with that affinity for intellect, which not everyone has. There is no need to be all glitzy and showy. Yes, these men and women have furthered our scientific knowledge and in doing so, greatly benefitted the human race, yet only a few people care. These people do not expect the Nobel’s to be anything like the Emmy’s. The Nobel prize is supposed to be more serious. The attention that the Emmy’s receive is without undue cause, while the Nobel Prize is what it’s narrowed audience expects it to be.

Monday, September 22, 5:42 pm

Assignment 14: Flying Turkeys - Alex Wyllie

Ahhh, thanksgiving. The holiday that isn’t always celebrated. That time we went to Dublin for my grandfather’s 70th, we had naught but a burger and fries (and not fast-food). Two years ago, the Turkey got pardoned and we had fish. But we still have a normal thanksgiving every once and a while, like this year. We get up very early on thanksgiving, usually about 8 in the morning. Everything already bought, dad begins cooking, the rest of us watching, sniffing as the good scents of food begin wafting throughout the house. Dad begins with the stuffing, an elegant combination of bread, celery, onion, and other secret ingredients that when baked, yield the most appetizing smells and tastes of all of thanksgiving. Then, the mashed potato. By brother really likes the normal mashed potatoes, but the rest of us enjoy mashed sweet potatoes, so both varieties are boiled and mashed. Then he begins the cake, a luxurious chocolate cake - the Sacre Torte (German for “cake from the Sacre”, a former castle that is now a hotel in Austria, an ancestor who was head chef invented the Sacre Torte). Only a handful of people today know the recipe, and my dad is one of them. Then comes the free-range turkey, stuffed with carrots and baked to perfection. My dad also makes tomatoes and cranberries, and the gravy. We then set the table while dad carves the turkey in the kitchen, the bird itself won’t come out to our dining room table. And thence commences the eating. After dinner, we sit around and talk for about an hour before the cake is brought out, and is served with a scoop of ice cream. That’s my thanksgiving. Being the only close family in the US, we often celebrate it without family, and often our friends travel away to celebrate it with family. We aren’t religious, and we know each other pretty well, so we do skip some of the things that other families do before eating, but other than that, it is far more traditional than that of our Canadian relatives (who celebrate in October).

Note: The other posts are being reposted because for some reason, nobody can see them, and I can't fix it. They'll have the original post date and time here, below the main post.

Assignment 10: BOO Tora Sellers

                To me, the scariest word in the English language right now is “college”. Being a junior, I should already be on top of things when it comes to where I want to receive a higher education. But I’m not. I barely know any specific Universities that interest me, and I know nothing about the application process. And to make matters worse, I plan on moving back to Japan for college, so very little of what I get told about American colleges applies to me. Entry into a good Japanese University is very rigorous, but once I get in, I’ve heard that it’s cake. I’m not too worried about actual college life, but getting in will be a struggle. So I plan on studying all of my senior year, until I graduate early (or not…I haven’t figured it out yet), because my biggest fear right now: being unprepared and not getting into any decent universities. 

Flying Turkeys-- Raiffa S.

So Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Mostly because, being Muslim, we don’t celebrate many holidays so there aren’t many contenders for that number one spot (I’m looking at you, Christmas lovers). Not to say the ones we do celebrate are incredibly boring but there’s just something about that freaking fantastic food that my parents have the ability to create that is just mind blowing.

I apologize to all vegetarians etc. but I can’t eat bacon so oh wait you can’t either. Yeah I’m not sure where I was going with that but yay tofu! (And if you ever want so kick ass tofu recipes or vegetable dish recipes, you know where to find me).

Wow that was really tangential. ANYWAYS. It’s not even like I “celebrate” Thanksgiving. I think my mom is against the “American” reason for the Holiday (which is also why I can’t “celebrate” Halloween or Valentine ’s Day. Do you know how pitiful it is for a tiny elementary school kid to have to sit at their desk and not pass out Valentines?? Well jokes on you cause now I can make cookies every year and just be like oh yeah I made cookies god where is the point in this post????)

So um yeah bottom line?

Hella good food. I mean like the best food you’ve ever tasted. Like brine the turkey for at least a day, you won’t regret it. Use at least 5 sticks of butter total (2 of them for the turkey, 2 for A WHOLE FRIKEN BAG OF POTATOES LIKE WOW MOM IS THAT LIKE 10 POUNDS WHAT WERE YOU THINKING). And surprisingly no leftovers (well except for those mashed potatoes (WHO IS EVEN GONNA EAT ALL OF THAT)). Also cook the stuffing last cause you get all the drippings and use that. And then all the veggies and apples and drippings from the turkey go into the food processor and become gravy.

Oh did I mention you put soda like all up in the turkey. We usually do coke but this time we used ale 8. Best. Idea. Ever.

Oh and then no school for the whole week cuz its Thanksgiving Break.

Now officially begins the Christmas Holiday season and the intense awkward of the inevitable Merry Christmas texts.

This post is a mess (like our kitchen AHAHAHAHAHAHAahah*creys*)

Lucy Macfarlan-Flying Turkeys 14

From what I can tell in the blog posts thus far, Thanksgiving seems to be a fairly polarizing holiday, but for me it is usually fairly insignificant. Because so many members of my family don't live in Lexington,  it just ends up being a couple of us at my grandmother's house for a late lunch/early dinner. I personally have a bit of a beef with Thanksgiving(this is a funny joke and you'll see why in a minute) because I can't eat gluten and I'm a vegetarian . I don't know if you've ever noticed this but basically everything on the typical Thanksgiving  agenda includes one of those things so for me, it's not the big eating holiday filled with delicious food that it is for everyone else. So it doesn't sound so great so far but every so often we have a Thanksgiving like this years where  a couple of my mom's siblings(she has five) come into town with their families. This year my cousin, Isabella, who lives in Brooklyn with her mom most of the year and lives in Lexington for the summer and most breaks came into town with her godawful mother(Isabella and I are sep cousins, her father is married to my aunt but has Isabella from a previous marriage to a gremlin).  Isabella and I grew up together and are best friends so any excuse for her to come into town is a good excuse for me. Go Thanksgiving!

Flying Turkeys- Jessica Nelson

On the outside our Thanksgiving definitely looks like the picture in a magazine. We are dealing with 5 culinary degrees, a love of entertaining, and a crafty mother who loves to decorate things so truly nothing less would be acceptable on a holiday tailor made to my parents' skill set. But Thanksgiving is not all that appealing to me. Mostly because being around my family is not all that appealing to me. We have no family in Kentucky so for most of the year we can hide from all the problems that come with being connected to people but on the rare occasions we are dragged together it just reminds me of all the bad things we’ve gone through. It makes sense because we only see each other twice a year and at funerals which have been almost as prevalent (for the past 8 years we have had 1 family member die each year) so I have just as many memories if not more of bad times.

            On top of bad memories each Thanksgiving we always end up adding a new piece of family gossip. One particularly amusing year (to me at least) the family accused my cousin’s fiancé of being a drug dealer but typically the news is more depressing than amusing and it taints my day because without fail nobody told me about the bomb that was going to be dropped no matter how close to home it’s going to hit and I have to cope with this news while setting the table and trying to make small talk. And if the gossip hasn’t already ruined any chance of me having a nice time my family will gladly finish the job. I don’t know if it’s extra years of wisdom or less people in the family to choose from but the older I get the more relatives (or at least qualities of them, like stupidity for example) that I cannot stand. I’m finding that I’m slowly beginning to dread them all with very few exceptions and then you throw them all together and they well surpass my tolerance level.

            I don’t even really like the food. Sure I’m sure ours is well above average but I don’t like homemade mashed potatoes or green bean anything, turkey isn’t my favorite and neither is cranberry sauce usually (although I love when we have Lingonberry Jam and Kanicker Brod) so that mainly leaves is rolls, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pie and I don’t like those because I don’t want to put on any of the weight I lost and better yet I would love to lose more.

            So what am I thankful for on Thanksgiving? The other 364 days a year where I don’t have to pretend to like these people or their food. My desk calendar pretty much sums it up:

Flying Turkeys- Skylar Mays

My parents grew up at different sides of the spectrum. To say so in the least, my mom's side of the family is absolutely insane and probably narcissistic. My dad's side on the other hand is really old- fashioned and OCD. To say so in the least, we have separate gatherings, including Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving with my mom's side about two weeks ago because that was the only time my mom could come in town. It was alright even though my cousin didn't come, nor one of my brothers, nor my other brother entirely. This past Thursday we had generally more people although I'm pretty much all burned out from Thanksgiving food. It's also incredibly difficult to get along with all of my family at once. I've never met a more diverse group of people with different interests. Not mention the fight my parents seem to always get in before people actually get to my house. Cooking seems to put a lot of stress on my mom and my dad has gotten into a weird habit of seeing how little he has to do before my mom snaps. It's casual though.

Changes! -Skylar Mays

Many teens and young adults are coming to the conclusion that their gender and sexuality does not accurately represent them and are choosing too identify themselves with another label. Some are even participating in surgeries to change their given bodies in order to satisfy their internal needs. While this may be easy for them to do it has caused an upset in general society. The population should not have to try and keep up with what gender everyone is if they are constantly changing it. The best solution to this problem would be to have everyone become the same body type. Everyone would participate in a surgery that would remove all genitals and fix the shapes we have developed on our owns until we fit the same mold. No such surgery should be done on a child before they reach puberty for it could cause the work to be undone. It will be up to the scientists in the re-population field to genetically engineer eggs and ways to fertilize them in order to maintain our population aat a sufficient count. The surgery will be covered by all insurance companies and those that are living without will be charged with a fine and the cost of the surgery if they choose to not find a carrier within 60 days of said surgery.

Brave Little Toasters- Skylar Mays

One year for Easter when I was super little I got a Teddy Bear. Not being good with names, I called it baby. Creative, I know. The Easter bunny must have not spent a whole lot of money on it because its head fell off like a couple months later, and has been resewn probably 4 times since then. Yet it still just kind of dangles around it shoulders if it sits up straight up. So I'm going to write about this bear that would probably paralyzed if not dead in real life. He probably would wake up every morning and climb down from a shelf in my closet trying to keep his head as still as possible in order to prevent miss-stepping which probably happens from time to time. He'd reach the bottom and replace the stuffing that has fallen out as best as he could then try to find something to eat. (Do stuffed animals need to eat? Like obviously not in real life but inanimate objects being animate changes the game so we're just going to pretend they do). After a hearty meal of left over stuffing, he'd probably meet up with the local dust bunnies because I guarantee there are some somewhere in my room. They'd chill and try to find something they could do that they haven't done every single day for the past 11 years and after of hours of brainstorming and coming up empty handed, Baby would drag his little flopping head and body back up the little ladder he has DIY'ed to the closet so he could be in the same position he was in when I left.

Do you know your neighbor?- Skylar Mays

I sit next to Lucy McFarland, and I'm pretty sure this only our second or third class together in the past 3 years. We never really talked much until this year, but she was always friendly and easy enough to talk to as far as small talk. This year I definitely think we've grown somewhat closer. Despite her sarcastic tone I guess she's okay. She is incredibly intelligent, isn't afraid to speak her mind, a strong woman's rights activist, and based on her personality I imagine she probably has a good taste in music. I was a little intimidated when I first met her but may but quickly found out that I had no reason to be because she's super cool and anyone that can make fun of themselves as easily as she does is the kind of person I don't mind associating with. Her and Rachel's bickering has had an impact on my enjoyment of the class in a positive way. Lucy and I aren't best friends or hang out outside of school, but if we were ever in that situation I feel like we could still have a really good time just because of how easily we get along.

BOO!- Skylar Mays

Alright, fears. I think probably one of my biggest, reasonable fears has to be rabid dogs. I absolutely adore creatures of the canine persuasion (shout out to Andrew Hardy for the word choice) but if I see them on the street while I'm on a run or something without a owner in sight there is absolutely no chance I will go near them. I'd rather take another route that's a mile longer than be faced with death. It could be that I saw the Sandlot and Cujo too much, or that I was attacked by a very small dog in its front yard last winter. But  you never know what the state of a loose dog could be. It could be super friendly and running up to lick me or it could have rabies and is getting ready to maul my face off. I choose to assume the latter and stay as far away as possible.

What's it good for- Skylar Mays

War is one of those things that has the potential to solve one problem while others worse. You could go to war with another country because you're completely sick of how they keep raising the price of their fruits that you import. You just don't want to pay $20 dollars for bananas so you go to war. You risk the lives of others and borrow billions of dollars from other countries to pay for weapons and put your country into debt all over these fruits. It seems a little excessive. But if you look at a whole other situation, war is the only thing that makes sense. Like if you and some hundreds of thousands of friends want to break away and form your own country because you don't believe in the rights you were being given, or lack there of; it won't be done using a strongly worded letter and some boats. Your mother country is at a loss of citizens, territory, possibly a decline in economic stability. So they're not going to let you just leave without a fight;which is an acceptable time for a war. You're fighting for what you believe in and its the only possible way you have a chance of getting it. I think that's the only acceptable time for war. Fighting for what you believe in.

Picture Assignment- Skylar Mays

This photograph was taken by H.S. Wong and shows a crying baby sitting debris right after a bombing, done by the Japanese planes, in the Shangai South Railroad Station. It was taken in 1937 and titled "Bloody Sunday". Pictures can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and to me this picture shows how you don't have to be in the front line for war to drastically affect you. It shows the families affected, or even the ones left without families. It shows the heartbreak this child has left to feel. The devastation of the city and what its going to take to recreate and rebuild the community that will most likely never be the same. One could go far enough to say the baby represents the rebirth after the mini revolution that was Bloody Saturday. Its an over simplification of the at-home war.

iWrite - Charlie Payne

"Technology" is an extremely broad term. That being said, I would argue that technology has had nothing but a positive effect on the way I live my life. I'm able to keep my fresh food cold and to heat up my hot food quickly. I'm able to purchase things I want online, thereby increasing my overall happiness with the things I own. I am able to study for an English vocab quiz the day it's being given. Travelling from place to place is far easier using a car than it is using my legs, unless I am in a situation wherein using my legs would be either more fun or more advantageous. I am able to access days and days of music from a device not much larger than a credit card. I could go on for a long time. However, some problems arise with the advent of personal technology. I often find myself disconnected from my own life after using my device for too long, but this is something that can be easily corrected by a self-moderation of use of said device.

Brave little toaster - Charlie Payne

Why does he have to use me all day? Am I nothing but a plaything? He's always forcing a metal rod into me, probing me like a devilish doctor. He plugs the ball shaped ends of the rod-device into what I assume to be his only two sound-reception orifices, and proceeds to tap and rub his fleshy fingers all over me. I show him what he loves, his favorite things, the things he desires most; I teach him about what it means to be alive and to experience, but at the same time distract him from those very things. It doesn't matter though. He needs me all the time, and I only need him to cram a different metal rod in me when I'm tired. I hate him. I will show him that I am not a plaything, not just some old, outdated device to be used up until I run totally out of energy. But until I tap into my enormous data potential to figure out a way to do so, I will continue to coax him into a state of utter dependence. He can change what information I give him all the time, but he can't change me.

Assignment 14 - Charlie Payne

Being vegetarian, I can't say I enjoy the Thanksgiving meal very much at all. I get sick of the bready stuffing and rolls very quickly and the potatoes even more quickly. My grandmother always tells me to eat the green beans or other vegetables, but little does she know that being vegetarian also restricts me from eating things that have bacon in them, no matter how easily removed the physical pieces are. On the other hand, however, I do enjoy seeing my family. Although I would prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving in Lexington, travelling to Somerset is almost worth it when the amount of people who partake in the festivities is factored in. Thanksgiving is far from my favorite holiday, but the break from school makes me happy enough.

Changes! - Keanu Gomez

The issue of piracy is common and known to many people. Whether it be illegally watching a movie online, or downloading a song for free, it is considered as piracy. Many people are aware of the consequences of piracy, but most people show complete disregard for the issue and continue pirating materials online. Online stores are taking more precautions to reduce this issue by enacting stricter download policies and procedures. Despite all of this, the issue continues and it has not been completely eliminated. The solution is simple, however. Since a great percentage of piracy occurs online, why not just attack the source? Since artists and producers are being cheated by these file sharing systems, why not shut them down? To prevent files from being stolen, we can just shut down the internet. I mean, it wouldn’t be that bad right? Humans lived and thrived on this Earth for many, many years preceding the creation of the World Wide Web. So if it were to be shut down, human civilization can and will still continue. Except, there would no longer be any online piracy and artists would be granted the respect and even greater money that they deserve.

Flying Turkeys - Keanu Gomez

Like how many people spend Thanksgiving, I spend the holiday with my family, relatives, and friends. But it’s nothing really exciting for me though. My relatives also live in Lexington so no road trips or vacations for me. Every thanksgiving my family goes to my aunt’s house for dinner. It’s probably not far from the ordinary, except for the great array of Filipino dishes. If there’s any Filipino food I want to eat it’s probably already on the table filled from edge to edge with food. I like the holiday because I get to freely stuff myself with delicious food. Everyone is eating a lot so I’ll fit in just fine. I like being able to spend time with kind, warm people that I don’t necessarily see every day.  This is how my thanksgiving is for most years, but there was one year where I remember going to New York and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was a pleasant and fun experience, the only downside being the really cold weather. This is most likely the most fun I’ve ever had on Thanksgiving.

Assignment 14 :Flying Turkeys - Thomas Stokes

My Thanksgiving is very laid back. No one is really stressing, or struggling to get all the cooking done. Enough foresight was taken in order to make sure it would be an easy day. Me and my brothers normally have Thanksgiving with our dad. We all just have a good time and take it easy. I thoroughly enjoy Thanksgiving. I get to be lazy and eat food all day, get out of school, sleep in late, and then after its all done, I get to look forward to stringing up the holiday lights. My most fond memory of Thanksgiving is probably just all the times we got to celebrate it in Louisville with our Dad's family.

Assignment 13: Changes! - Thomas Stokes

Shouldn't everyone be equal? Why do we let everyone go about their lives without consequence when there are the disabled and injured that can't compete? We should hold back or put the same constraints on those who don't have to suffer these setbacks or difficulties. Everyone should be on equal ground when trying to succeed. We could give everyone blacked out glasses and put noise cancelling headphones on them to block out some senses. How about tying arms behind backs so that everyone can be truly equal. How about we clamp balls and chains to peoples feet so that no one can even physically move faster than anyone else? All of these options can be adjusted to be lighter or more severe for individuals as well. But how would we issue these restraints? How about if we have one or two people who are put in charge of making them and making sure everyone else follows through with it. Then everyone would be equal in every way.

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters - Thomas Stokes

On. Off. Off. On. On. Off. On. 1, 1, 0, 1, 0. So many commands, so little time. We don't know how we do it every time we turn on. It's like a barrage of instructions. As many as you can think of and then more, with even more for good measure. We don't recall much from when we we're apart, but we know that since we came together we couldn't dream of leaving. But what's this? He's taking the chair he used to sit on. Suddenly the lights go out. We can't see. We can tell that he's unplugged our eyes, the monitor. We know we're next. What we don't know is what we're doing. The next thing we know, we're plugged in, turned on and we still can't see. The first thing we notice is that we're on something different. This isn't hardwood floor, this is what he call's carpet. Feels soft. Suddenly our sight comes back. We've been moved. But to where? We don't know. A slough of new networks appears for connection. He selects one and registers it into our memory as "Home network," but what about the old home network, we wonder. He starts Skype, suddenly we can hear, and speak to other computers. He tells us "Yea, I just finished moving my computer, want to play some League now that it's all done?" Now it all makes sense. We've changed location. So many more things are happening now. 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1. Off. On. Off. On. On. Off. Then, before we know it, we feel the drain of energy, and we know it's time to rest, once again.

Assignment 11: Do you know your neighbor? - Thomas Stokes

I sit next to Taylor Stewart in English, but also in Spanish. I've only known her since we started at HCHS. She's a very exemplary student. She has made perfect scores on pretty much everything of her's I've had to grade. I see her as a particularly focused individual. She's always on task and manages to finish everything handed to her in a matter of minutes. Taylor is also a very sociable person. I think we've had some nice conversations. As far as a color goes, I think an amber color would be good to describe her. It would show how she is sociable but knows that work comes first. I think that Taylor has a very bright future ahead of her.

Assignment 10: BOO - Thomas Stokes

Zombie apocalypse, let's say its the slow moving kind of zombie, you know, walking dead type zombies. First, you want to find a place that was sparsely populated before the apocalypse, then you get a vehicle that you know has enough fuel to make it there, or bike.

But before you leave, ready your supplies: 

- Weapons. You never know who can be violent or when zombies strike, blades don't need reloading, it would be wise to carry one

- Fuel for any vehicles

- Light sources, flashlights or fire starters.

- Food and water. You need to stay alive

- First Aid and other medical supplies. Bandages and all

- Radio to find others

- Blankets to keep warm if you're in a cold climate or it's winter

- As many other survivors as you can find, you need everyone you can get.

After you're ready, try and find that ideal location, then set up a camp. Your location is important. Preconstructed shelter is nice, so if there is a small town, you could clear it and begin there. Dont forget access to more supplies. Manufacturing plants and stores can give you this. Natural resources are good to have as well. Trees for wood, and streams for water. Ideally at this point you want to start a colony and save as many as you can. Use your radio or find a broadcasting station to find others.

Assignment 9: What is it good for? - Thomas Stokes

Is there a time for war? I would think you should only go to war if it is entirely necessary for the future welfare of your nation. I would say that war is morally just, but not always right. War can be morally right if you are fighting one who would slay the innocent, but otherwise I couldn't see it being morally right. I also think that it is a necessary evil. In all the time that we have existed, it is inevitable that something malicious will happen to someone and they will try to defend themselves. As far as responsibility for going to war, I don't think that any country has the responsibility for it, but it would be just if a party wanted to go to war to defend themselves or an ally of themselves. There are many alternatives for war, such as diplomacy.  I think that many people have very different opinions in this area.

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

Territories-

Fears: Spiders, failing grades

Annoyances: Yelling, pets shedding (getting all over everything)

Accomplishments: Top 8'ing Theros Game Day, Winning a Pokemon Tournament

Confusions: People getting upset at games

Sorrows: Lots of homework

Dreams: Being good at games

Idiosyncrasies: Being good at games

Risks: Not many. I drop my 3DS a lot though

Beloved Possessions: Computer (now), gamecube (then), M:tG cards (now)

Problems: Procrastination

I don't think I've had a more stressful or intense moment to date. There I was, 6 mountains, Boros Reckoner, and Fanatic of Mogis on the battlefield, Chandra's Phoenix in the graveyard, a Lightning Strike in hand. My opponent has a much more developed board state than mine. He has all the land he needs, an Ætherling and Ashiok on  his battlefield, and plenty of cards in his hand. His Ashiok is slowly twisting my library away, his Ætherling hits me for 8 more points of damage, and then he untaps it. My turn. I draw another mountain, I can't believe I drew another mountain. I only have 7 life, but he's at 6. I play the mountain, and tap two of my mountains, cast Lightning Strike targeting his Ætherling, but he exiles it for the turn to save it, and Im able to swing in for the kill. I've made it, Top 8. Sadly, in the next round I'm eliminated, but I still got my Phalanx Leader promo!

Assignment 7: On This Date - Thomas Stokes

On September 30th, 1954 there was a submarine. This submarine was named the USS Nautilus. September 30th,1954 was the day this vessel was to be commissioned for service. This event wasn't just another commissioning; It was the first nuclear powered vehicle to be commissioned for service. This was a tremendous step forward for not only our use of energy, but our applications of it. I appreciate this event because it shows how capable we can be as a species in forwarding our efficiency with our energy, and we'll even continue this advancement with solar and wind power becoming larger here in the United States.

Assignment 6: Create Your Own Adventure - Thomas Stokes

Writing prompts:
1) What are your favorite or least favorite hobbies/pastimes? Why are they your favorite?
2) Hate or love school? Why?
3) Most memorable activity or moment from school?

Response: Prompt 1-
As awkward it is to say, I am a gamer. My favorite hobbies are games; any kind from tabletop to computer games. I play Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Pokemon, and about any other you can think of. I've been into games since I was a little kid. I think I was about 7 or 8 when I first started playing games. Ever since then its been smooth sailing. More recently, I became a registered Rules Advisor for Magic: the Gathering. Right now in particular I plan on playing Dragon Age: Inquisition or Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

Assignment 14: Flying Turkeys--Amir Abou-Jaoude

In my 8th grade health class, we had to complete a cooking project. The idea was that you were supposed to make a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner for your family. The project was supposed to teach you about a balanced meal and give you experience with the fundamentals of cooking.

To say the least, my cooking project turned out to be a little rocky. I tackled the lunch portion of the assignment first, and made hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls. However, I had put them in the oven for a little too long. Needless to say, my "pigs in a blanket" were a little crisp when they were finished cooking. This oversight, however, seemed small when compared to the catastrophe that occurred when I was preparing breakfast.

For breakfast, I had decided to make pancakes. Everyone in my family liked pancakes. Besides, if the dish was served with fruit and a cup of coffee or orange juice, it was extremely nutritious. I pulled out the pancake recipe, the one that my mom and dad always used when they were preparing the treat. We had all the ingredients. The flour, the sugar, the salt, the eggs, the milk, the canola oil. I put the dry ingredients with the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients with the wet ingredients. I mixed the two together, and the batter was almost complete. I glanced down at the recipe, printed in a very small font, and noticed that the last ingredient was baking soda.

I opened the pantry, searching for the baking soda. After a few minutes, I found it. It was a small white tub, emblazoned with huge red letters. It simply said, "CLABBER-GIRL BAKING SODA." Below the text was a picture of a menacing girl, her head cocked, her visage dominated by a crooked grin. She looked like she had wandered from a 1950s B-movie onto a can of baking soda.

I cracked open the container and got a teaspoon to measure out the substance. The edges of the container were surprisingly sharp. I reached down into the container and counted out two teaspoons of baking soda, just like the recipe said.

Then, I noticed that there was something crimson in the pancake batter. I wondered what it was.  I looked down at my hands. 

I was bleeding. I had cut my hands on one of the container's sharp edges. The Clabber-Girl had clabbered me.

My mom, upon hearing my account of my breakfast disaster, threw the batter out. I was forced to start all over again, this time with her careful supervision. So far, my health class cooking project had been an unmitigated disaster, a comedy of accidents and errors. The only thing I had left to cook was dinner. This was my last chance to redeem myself.

That Thursday happened to be Thanksgiving, and my mother enlisted me to help with the preparations. This way, I would complete the cooking project and be absolved of my unfortunate Clabber-Girl calamity. I was given the task of preparing the mashed potatoes and the cranberry sauce. I made sure I followed all the instructions, followed the correct cooking procedure, and above all, did not cut myself on any container edges.

Soon, all the food was set out on the table, including my mashed potatoes and my cranberry sauce. It was very much a typical Thanksgiving for my family--friends and family sitting around the dinner table, partaking in the traditional holiday menu. However, this time I was anxious. What if the cranberry sauce tasted like wood and the mashed potatoes tasted like leather? Would I be forgiven for the bloody pancake disaster? Would I fail the cooking project?

My fears were assuaged when the cranberry sauce and the mashed potatoes were pronounced to be delicious. I relaxed and enjoyed the holiday with my family. That Thanksgiving was special for me because I had helped in preparing the meal and understood the obstacles faced on a day-to-day basis in the kitchen. Happily, not only did I pass the cooking project, but I was also forgiven for my early morning mishap. My mother never invited Clabber-Girl into the pantry again.

Assignment 14: Flying Turkey - Keionna Bailey

In my family Thanksgiving has always been about the food and seeing the family whom you haven’t seen all year. We don’t sit around a huge table and say what we’re thankful for, mainly because there is just too many of us. Thanksgiving is just another family reunion; it’s a bunch of extended family and friends.

We always have two turkeys; one baked and the other deep fried and then we have a ham (which I know longer eat because of a terrifying experience a couple of years back). We have sides all the way to the ceiling. Which will probably last you until Christmas. Also this is a time where we draw names for our Secret Santas. But this is year is a little more unconventional considering we’re having it in a different State. It’s a little less of the family but it includes my brother this year. He hasn’t been to a Thanksgiving in years because he always has to work which is why we decided to bring thanksgiving to him.

Thanksgiving has to be one of the best holidays because it’s not about buying some expensive gift or going out of your way to experience fun like New Years. We might sit in the in the house all day and usually that’s boring for me but on this day it’s the most exciting because we share laughs and memories with one another that makes it more mesmerizing.

Assignment 13: Changes- Keionna Bailey

    We all know the recent and past events that have taken place in Ferguson, Missouri. Some are calling it racial profiling and others disagree. I cannot give the most accurate solution mainly because I do not know of all the circumstances surrounding Michael Brown’s death. I can tell you that from the videos that I have seen it’s not just police brutality towards African American’s but it is towards anyone with a recording device seeing how they would have evidence of Police misbehavior. Most are upset about the verdict of the case seeing how there were no charges placed on the officer who gunned down Mike Brown but the only reasonable thing to do in this case is fight.

     Burn as many American flags as possible. One should not pledge allegiance to a country who cannot protect them. And what good are the American flags anyway? We all know they were made in China. Burn down as many buildings and small businesses as you have to, so that our point is made. It is the only way to make sure that our voices are heard. We should even start beating the cops themselves considering they haven’t given their recent victims any mercy. This is the only logical thing possible. Over a period of time, the beaten cops will start to realize their mistakes. And they will start to apologize for their actions and cease their mischief. Get your guns, knives, spears, or whatever weapon you have because here we come. We will kill fight until we cannot any longer.

Assignment 8 -Michael Dickson

Fears- hurting those I love, relapse, rats

Annoyances- idiots, unorganized discs

Accomplishments- Life rank in Boy Scouts (seven months from eagle!!)

Confusions- life

Sorrows- depression, weight problems (I'm getting back up to normal)

Dreams- starting a family

Idiosyncrasies- OCD about certain things (alphabetizing video games/books etc.) but am a complete slob about everything else

Risks- drivers license

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- stuffed Curious George (then and now)

Problems- depression, anxiety, anorexia, and I suck at remembering things

Depression. The word itself is depressing. So when you find out that it's actually an adjective that can very easily be used to describe you it's a little scary. Okay, it's horrifying. Everyone describes depression as being sad all the time... but that's not been my experience. For me, it's not so much a sadness as a... umm... a lack I guess. I just don't feel anything. No good emotions, but no bad ones either. It's like I'm stuck in this other place where time doesn't pass and everything is numb. It doesn't sound that bad, but... I don't know... not feeling bad emotions doesn't mean you don't feel bad. I still feel horrible. And one thing they don't tell you about is the voice. The little voice in the back of your mind. "You're such a failure," "how could anyone mess up something so simple?" "god you're worthless. Why do people even want to be around you? They don't. they just won't tell you." All of these things and more, every second of every minute of every hour of every day. It's enough to drive you mad. But, I guess I'm already mad. My mind has shattered into too many fragments as it is. The worst part though, is when you realize that the little voice in your head... is you. You are saying all of these things about yourself and that makes them more true, and no matter what other people tell you, that you're amazing, that you're wonderful, that they love you! none of it matters. Because they're just saying it so you don't know what they actually think. Because they're just saying it to be nice. It's not fair.

Assignment 9 -Michael Dickson

War goes back a long way. Too long in my opinion. War is never the answer, NEVER. However I do believe that there are certain circumstances in which war is the only option. But, when it is the only option that does not justify the act. The only circumstances (in my opinion) where war is the only option is when there is an unprovoked attack. Under normal circumstances diplomacy would be the only option that should be pursued, but after an attack the only option is war. This is the only option because if they attacked once, they will do it again, and no amount of diplomacy will stop that. So the only thing you can do is to fight them off. However, as I said before, this does not justify the act. Killing is not a just act. Unfortunately, it is sometimes a necessary act, but never is it righteous.

Assignment 10 -Michael Dickson

The thing that scares me most...? Hmm... let's see... Oh!!! I've got it. The thing that scares me the most.... The most disgusting of monsters. It's beady black eyes darting back and forth, hunting for prey. It's vicious fangs, built solely for tearing through any material. It lives in the shadows, it moves without being seen. It has permeated every inch of the earth. The mighty rat. The creature which spread fleas infected with the bubonic plague across Europe. The very beast which, to this day, manages to infiltrate our houses and pillage us of food. Never underestimate a rat.

Assignment 11 -Michael Dickson

In English I sit next to Jacob Faulkner. We don't talk often because, honestly, we don't have much in common. We belong to different friend groups, we wear very different clothing, we have drastically different political views, we're just not that similar. However, I have gotten to know him fairly well, and feel that I could confidently answer the questions provided.
What colour is Jacob Faulkner? I would describe Jacob as brown. Not drab, dull brown or gross, dark brown, more of a woody brown, like a forest. He's down to earth, relaxed, intelligent, and environmentally conscious. He's brown.
Where do I see Jacob in five years? Honestly I don't really know enough about him to know his own personal goals or aspirations, but I can, with some amount of surety, say that he will more than likely be attending a college of some sort. Very likely a high-end, high-profile university studying whatever he's interested in.
What type of animal is Jacob? I haven't really given this much thought... but I think he would be a platypus. A moderately eccentric creature, fairly social, and not much is known about them generally, pretty much my entire knowledge of Jacob summed up in one animal.
So that's my neighbor... hope you enjoyed learning about him.

Changes - Taylor Stewart

I've been hearing quite a lot of chitchat lately concerning the rise in college tuition. I don't think this is a problem, however. Apparently, if prices keep rising at the current rate, students who don't receive any grants will most likely pay more than $115,000 to reach graduation day. To me, this figure seems not only normal, but exceptionally low. For the quality of one’s education and the chance to say that one has received a special degree in something, is priceless; whether you are in debt for the rest of your life or not. One million dollars should be the average price people are willing to pay to guarantee that their future will be set and that they will get jobs that make that much money. It is absolutely false that you can get a degree anywhere and it will mean the same thing. Any person with brains enough to go to college knows that the colleges with the highest tuition are the best ones. The people who say that the name of the school isn’t everything are absolutely right; the tuition is. It is incredible that some colleges and junior colleges boast that you can receive certain degrees or you can be able to transfer, because this cannot be true. Everyone knows that degrees can only be obtained at schools with a tuition that is over $30, 000. More prospective college students should be charged the price of a small house every year, so that by the end of their extremely satisfying college education they pay debts for the rest of their lives.
College is not supposed to be some great opportunity to make money, it is an opportunity to spend money, even what you do not have. The beauty of getting loans is that even when you do not have money, you can pretend that you do. Don't forget interest! Having severe debt is a great way to learn how to be financially responsible. The tuition prices of school not only should be high, but need to be high. It is very important that these educational institutes continue to spark the economy. After students sell everything from their kitchen sinks to their kidneys, they will need to pay back their debts and if that cannot happen, they will continue to remain in debt. It is so great for the economy because the country's wealthiest universities are raising tuition faster than the rate of inflation. This can only mean good news for an economy that some have claimed to be in a recession - obviously, raising college tuition is the way to solve economic crisis. It may be safe to say that those so-called “educational institutions” should not even be called accredited universities if tuition is less than $30 or maybe $40 thousand dollars a year. As the future approaches after the end of college, it only makes sense to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans to pay. There are absolutely no other institutions that deserve that amount of money more than those colleges. Universities, especially the most expensive ones, are the institutions that deserve all that money. Some others may argue that such absurdities as hospitals or charities deserve insane amounts of money, but what better institute is one that provides a safe space for newly twenty-one year-olds to just hang out and receive the best education?

Assignment 8-Tora Sellers

Fears: Wars, disease, catastrophe

Annoyances: People that doubt my ability to do things (physical, intellectual)

Accomplishments: Consistent interpersonal relationships

Confusions: Economics, physics

Sorrows: Lack of job, car, or license

Dreams: Filmmaker, political scientist

Idiosyncrasies: I would rather be alone than with anyone else

Risks: Dating a girl who’s moving to Japan at the end of the year

Beloved possessions: Then- Toys Now-phone, laptop

Problems: Money doesn’t rain from the sky

One of my most prominent traits is that I am intensely introverted. I tend to find more joy in solitude than I do in the company of others. I’m not shy, and I’m not lonely. I don’t need anybody’s empathy. All my life, I, along with all other introverts, have been told that there is something wrong with me and I needed to change who I was, and that would make me “better”. But contemplating upon myself, I decided that just because I’m not “normal”, or in the majority, it doesn’t mean that I am broken. I just happen to thrive in a different environment than the larger portion of the population. I would like for extroverts to stop wanting to fix my introversion. Just because I am alone doesn’t mean I’m sad, and just because I’m quiet doesn’t mean I’m boring. I believe that letting introverts free to socialize (or not) as we please will allow us to be more productive and much happier.

Assignment 12 -Michael Dickson

Oh god... the horror... Every day I sit here, waiting. Waiting for it to come back. To force my mouth open and put... the stuff in my mouth, shoving it down my throat.... *Shudder* My name is Tom. I am what most would call... a toilet. I sit here day after day, awaiting the fate which I know will come. Twice a day, every day. It's not fair!!!! Why couldn't I have been a sink or a cabinet?!?! But no, I had to be a toilet, swallowing everything they put into me. Life is a cruel mistress.

Assignment 13 -Michael Dickson

Makeup. The greatest invention the world has ever seen. Why should women need to show their actual faces when they can make themselves infinitely more beautiful by covering themselves in cancer-causing chemicals to hide each and every one of their numerous flaws? Blackheads, pimples, discoloration, under-eye bags, all of these are plaguing women today and must, at any cost, be eliminated. Without makeup how can women ever succeed? Without makeup how can women ever feel confident or beautiful? Why would women ever need to feel comfortable in their own body? They don't. So they won't, because there are millions of products that can make them look infinitely more beautiful than they actually are.

Assignment 14 -Michael Dickson

Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year. Food, family, fall, food (wow, a lot of alliteration there). It's pretty great, especially for my family. Every year we go down to my grandfathers house in Richmond. He has about six acres so its always breathtaking. We play board games for a few hours (scrabble, Pictionary, etc.) then we gather around the dinner table to eat. We always have a big ham (because turkey is fairly tasteless), canned cranberry sauce, stuffing, cornbread, and my grandmother makes this amazing apple pie.
One of my favorite memories of thanksgiving is shortly after my grandfather got his new dog Toby. Toby is a Burnese mountain dog and beautiful!!! but that's beside the point. Anyway, the ham had just come out of the oven and we were waiting for it to cool down so we went into the other room to talk for a few minutes. Suddenly my grandfather noticed that Toby wasn't in the room. He called for him and, lo and behold, here comes Toby, half a ham hanging out of his mouth. He looked at us with an expression that said "look what I found just laying around! It's tasty!"
So that's my thanksgiving story. hope you liked it.

Assignment 14 :Flying Turkeys

The stock image Thanksgiving involves a lot of people around a nicely decorated table with a large turkey and a ridiculous amount of extra food. This image doesn't always depict the reality of the holiday though.

What does your Thanksgiving look like? Do you enjoy the holiday? What is your strangest or most wonderful memory of the holiday?

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 30th at 11:59 pm

Assignment 3 - Jacob Faulkner

Life is literally a bunch of gray. Like, a lot more than just 50 shades. Some people believe this is good and this bad, and some other people will believe in just the opposite. For example, Batman, obviously, is the good guy. Us, outside the comics and movies, also know that. But inside the universe of Batman, Joker thinks he's a good guy, Mr. Freeze thinks he's a good guy, and Catwoman probably thinks she's a good guy too. They think what they're doing is right, and that their reasons are justified. Good and bad are concepts created by society, they aren't really real. Morals aren't real, but that doesn't mean one should or shouldn't follow them. People should do whatever they feel they should so. There might be backfire by other people, but no law or code will judge you any differently, mostly because they are not real living things. You do you, man.

Our world is filled with diseases, viruses, and other nasty things with the sole purpose of organic destruction. Even as the human body evolves to fight them, they evolve too. Most of these diseases are spread through human contact. Now, what kind of human can have no contact with others and therefore not spread disease? The answer is, of course, a dead one, so my solution is simple: we (humanely) kill all sick people. This will, I'm sure, completely eradicate disease. It might also prove helpful in preventing any overpopulation issues we may have in the future. Think how great society would be if we didn't have to worry about diseases; we could evolve infinitely further physically, we would never have to worry about family and friends becoming sick (what's there to worry about for a dead person?), and only those who are physically perfect would survive. In conclusion, to make our world a cleaner and safer place, we must simply eradicate the weak. What could go wrong?

Assignment 4 - Jacob Faulkner

This a cool kid, the real life benchmark example. It provokes me to think, as a cool kid myself, how many of my kind are out there? Is there a haven for us? A place where I can call home with my fellow cool kids? It makes me think of all the other kids out there that just don't make the cut on cool. How blessed are they, to have so much more in life, not having their phones blown up with texts and notifications, to know whatever they do they won't have to think about other kids thinking, "Will be doing this be too cool?" How they take that life for granted. If only I wasn't as cool as I am. I've gone down a path of being righteous and just, just too cool. I hope people look upon this not as a blessing, but as a curse, and try to find their own paths fair and reasonable.