Assignment 9: BOO

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

OR

Explain what scares you the most and why.

OR

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

Happy Halloween!

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

Writing territories

Writing Territories
~I have a fear of being harmed by a stranger.
~ People who just don't listen annoy me.
~ I have accomplished many things in life. Fencing results would be an example.
~ I am confused about where I am going in life and what I should do to get there.
~ It sorrows me to hear about amazing acts going unrecognized.
~ I dream about the future.
~Idiosyncrasies for me: fencing.
~ I don't take risks much. I like to be in total control. 
~Beloved Possessions would now be my dogs. Then, my diary was absolutely my beloved possession.
~Problems: balancing all parts of my life.

Of these 10 points not takings risks and being in total control most likely have the largest impact on me. I have to be in control. I get paranoid when some activities go haywire. I like to have a plan. Many people try to just have events go as they flow. I don't, well can't, do that. I have to know that after we see a movie we will go to dinner then to... the mall. This will allow me to know the exactly what I an doing. I then could slightly off then plan. I have to be in control with school. I could almost say I am a perfectionist or a near perfectionist. I desire for every action I complete to be right, and near perfection. Risky actions are extremely hard to make perfect; as well, I do not like to put my life in dangerous situations. I do not understand people who enjoy doing stupid actions on a regular basis to have fun. I must stay in control of the situation I am in and my actions must at least be near perfect.

Writing Territories

Fears-not being in control

Annoyances-when people are unoriginal/ narrow mindedness

Accomplishments-i've won reflections contests with photography and was requested to paint a horse for horse mania in 2010

Confusions-ignorant people

Sorrows-lack of sleep

Dreams-traveling the world

Idiosyncrasies-control freak

Risks-going to an expensive college

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- then: a stuffed bear, now: my camera

Problems-procrastination

I return home from school. My mom and stepdad are packing their things. They both leave and I'm home alone. I don't know what to do. I try to leave but the doors are locked from the outside. I go to my cell phone but the call won't go through. Nothing is in my control. Nothing is going how I want it to. My mom returns home. She is talking about moving and leaving my stepdad. She isn't acting normal. I try to talk some sense in to her, but she won't listen. I wake up.

This is a normal nightmare for me. While it goes more in depth than this-it usually goes somewhat like that. The theme here is that I am not in control. No matter what I do, I can't control anything. My mother won't listen to me, I can't leave my house, nothing I do can affect anything. This is what my fear is, as well-not being in control. This problem seems deeply rooted in my past. My parents divorced when I was a child, and I had no control over this. I went to see my dad two summers ago, and when I came back, a stranger was living in my house. He is now my stepdad. It seems as if these past experiences have built me up to have a fear of not being in control. And for this, I have recurring nightmares of a more extreme level of not being in control.

Writing Territories

Fears: Falling in the middle of a show.
Annoyance: People with bad attitudes
Accomplishments: Plays 10 different instrument, triaining to be a Pokemon Master
Confusions: If youre driving a car at or faster than the speed of light and you turn the lights on what happens
Sorrows: The rabbit is never going to get any Trix.
Dreams: The rabbit is finally going to get Trix.
Idiosyncrasies: Band Nerd
Risks: Social Suicide
Beloved Passions: Music (then), Music (now)
Problems: Procrastination


One thing i have learned since becoming a band nerd was to stop caring so much. Stop caring what other people think, stop caring what other people do, stop caring about things that dont matter. This might sound like a bad thing but its not. It gets you asking yourself "Does it matter? No? So why should i care?" This "i dont care" attitude is what helps us survive high school. Some people consider band to be "social suicide", but these are the people who care what people outside of band think and say. Band isnt cool? Why not?
And to the bandies who act like they arent in band or like they are ashamed to be in band, if you think this makes you seem uncool, get out. If you want to please the people who think expressing yourself is "gay" or "nerdy", leave. Never walk through the band room doors again. You obviously dont like it either, so just quit. If you like it and you just dont want to seem uncool, you can leave too, or check your priorities because if you care that much what other people say, the rest of your life is going to consist of you trying to please the people around you so you can fit in, and do you think that will be a fun life? Didnt think so. So to the bandies, quit caring. And to the people who hate on band, we dont care.


When i say quit caring, i mean about the pointless stuff. Care about things your passionate about. Be able to differentiate between things that matter and things that dont

Writing Territories

Fears- spiders

Annoyances- very obvious grammar mistakes

Accomplishments- becoming a better dancer

Confusions- my future

Sorrows- my grandma

Dreams- becoming a professional tap dancer, traveling the world

Idiosyncrasies- horses

Risks- my dreams

Beloved Possessions- my passy (pacifier)-then, family and friends-now

Problems- being easily annoyed by people’s actions

I have decided that I will talk about my dreams. It has always been one of my biggest dreams to travel the world. Unfortunately I have never been out of the country. During college I would love to study abroad in Europe. The world is just so intriguing to me; there is so much out there that I don’t even know about. All my life I have been limited to the U.S. and it’s culture when there are so many different countries and cultures out there that I would love to explore. However, this does not fit very well with my other dream. A couple of years ago I started to get really interested in tap. I have been dancing since I was two and a half and have always been indifferent about tap. A couple years ago I started to get better in tap and it made me realize how much I love it. One day I would love to be a professional tap dancer, but it is so hard to make it in tap dancing. Tap is something that is not as famous as other types of dance and to be able to make a career out of it you have to be amazing. Also it does not really fit with my other dream because traveling the world would not leave me time to tap and tap would not leave me time to travel the world. Therefore my dreams are probably not going to work out together so eventually I am going to have to pick one over the other. Thank goodness I don’t have to do that right now.

Raed and Enojy

Fears: Being robbed

Annoyances: My Mom

Accomplishments: People to People Student Ambassador

Confusions: Batman is a “superhero”???

Sorrows: Dying

Dreams: To be an entertainer

Idiosyncrasies: Kanye Westism

Risks: I don’t like to take them

Beloved Possessions: an iPhone whenever I get one (now as in the future), and my iPod that I have right now (then as in the present)

Problems: Procrastination

I guess the one that needs the most explanation is my idiosyncrasy “Kanye Westism”. For those who don’t know who Kanye West is; he is an egocentric, conceited, rapper/producer/artist/designer/star. The first two traits I named of “Ye” are the definition of Kanye Westism. A person suffers from Kanye Westism if they are egocentric, conceited, and has a star/celebrity attitude/personality. For those reading this and thinking James isn’t conceited or egocentric, yeah… yeah I am, I just try to hide it when I’m at school. And if I completely misinterpreted what idiosyncrasy means, then oh well.

P.S. Pitch Perfect hilarious!! If you haven’t seen it yet go see it.

meredith probz

Fears: If you ask anyone I know, they’d say it was about being kidnapped. I obsess way too much over this. But really, my biggest fear is settling in life.
Annoyances: Bare feet. Don’t put them near me or touch me with them. But for Heaven’s sake, DO wash them and put socks on them. My family likes to make sure they freak me out with this one.
Accomplishments: Never getting in with a bad group of friends
Confusions: Crocs
Sorrows: Never stepping out of my comfort zone and taking chances
Dreams: I know it sounds cliché, but just to be happy in life. I have family members that thought getting certain jobs would make them happy but it doesn’t. I just want to be happy with whatever I do.
Idiosyncrasies: Constantly getting lost while I’m driving (I just tell my mom I’m going on explorations)
Risks: Writing this blog somewhat late
Beloved possessions: Then- my books. Now- my room where I can be alone (oh, and my friends and all that I guess)
Problems: Being selfish

I’m a constant worrier and freak out over everything, so I’ll talk about my fears. While I have many, I’m really afraid that I won’t be able to do what I want in life because I just kind of gave up half way. Like, I don’t want to settle for a college that I only partially like or not go to a college that I really wanted to go to. And I don’t want to settle for just a regular job when I’m older. I don’t want to be 25 and have already peaked. I don’t want to settle and marry a man that’s ‘safe’. I want to marry someone I love lots and don’t think I could ever stop loving. I don’t want to be finished with all I’m going to accomplish or do before 50. (I do want to be a hip grandma)

I’m just afraid I’m not going to do what I want to do with my life.

Man eating dog.

Fears- the Goosebumps books

Annoyances- incorrect grammar, rude people

Accomplishments- balancing my undying love for sleeping and school and swimming

Confusions- life, people

Sorrows- not taking enough risks

Dreams- getting a pilot license, being successful in my job

Idiosyncrasies- my obsession with anything Italian

Risks- trying to pet my ferocious dog

Beloved Possessions- (now) relationships with friends/family (then) my play house that I was so excited to get that my parents thought I was having a seizure

Problems- stress

Susie the flesh-eating dog.

Let me start of by saying that Susie is a dog that I have had since I was 3. When we picked her out it from the pound it was between and my pick (her) and my brothers pick (her sister). Obviously, me being the baby of the family, I got my pick. Ever since we have had she has always known that I am the youngest, which in her mind translates to the bottom of the pole. So she has always been kind to everyone, except me. When I was little I used to try to run all 70 pounds of her. We would all be out back in the parking lot behind our house (we live behind the UK softball and soccer complex) and play with her and not once, but twice I tried to run her. Both times ended with my whole front side bloody and me barely being able to move my body for 3 days. Which even though it may not be her fault, I still blame on her. But even when I try to pet her she growls or runs up and sits on someone to get away from me. And now that I'm done writing this I realize none of this even makes any sense. 

I don't understand extroverts.

Fears- socialization
Annoyances- extroverts who are obnoxious
Accomplishments- Laziest person in the world. Good grades, I guess, but the laziness trumps that, in my opinion.
Confusions- extroverts
Sorrows- the death of fictional characters
Dreams- Getting to go to LeakyCon every year for the rest of my life
Idiosyncrasies- obsessive
Risks- wanting to go to Scotland for college
Beloved Possessions- Then (and now pretty much): my blankey. Now: Harry Potter paraphernalia
Problems- motivation

I could go on and on about how dejected and morose I can be when I think about some of my favorite fictional characters' deaths, but I will not bore you with my ramblings on about how JK Rowling is a cruel person for murdering all her characters.

Confusion:
Yes, I don't understand extroverts. I've even spent long hours evaluating them to try and decipher their actions. I just can't seem to understand why a person would willingly want to start up a conversation with someone they don't even know very well. I've had to spend my whole life telling people that, "No, I'm not lonely sitting here by myself," and "No, I would not like to come sit with you." That's always been one of my pet peeves. Any time I've been in a social-type situation where I happen to be without my friends (i.e. second lunch when my friends all have first), I end up sitting by myself. I don't think I look pathetic and lonely, because I'm not, but that's what it must appear to other people. I can't count the number of times that people that I kind-of know have approached me to inquire if something was wrong with me or if I wanted to come sit with them. That's the thing that confuses me about extroverts. In their mind, they can't seem to fathom why a person would just want to be alone, when I don't mind it, and in fact, take pleasure in being all by my lonesome.

I also don't understand how people can carry on conversations so flawlessly with people that they are only acquaintances with. I am really only able to speak comfortably with people whom I know exceedingly well, like my best friend or my family. It truly gives me anxiety to think about having to socialize with people that I'm not very familiar with. Sometimes I am even uncomfortable being alone with my own brother because I don't know what to say to him occasionally. I suppose that is why I take such pleasure in staying home reading rather than going out and being with my peers.

Occasionally I try to observe extroverts to see how they carry on conversations and what they say to one another, but I can't seem to grasp the technique of socialization. There was one specific day last year, after school, when I just observed my best friend, Annie Bradford, whom I deem to be an extrovert, having a chat with Cullen Smith. They are fairly close friends, but I still couldn't imagine how they were carrying on their conversation. This is how it went:
Annie: "Cullen, did you get a haircut?"
Cullen: "No, not recently."
Annie: "Oh. Well then did you get a new head? You look different."
Cullen: "Not to my knowledge, no."
Like it was the most normal thing in the world to be discussing Cullen's swap in heads. I never would have even thought to say something like that. I guess you just have to be born a socialite. It was then that I asked Annie to teach me her knowledge in conversing. I don't think it has particularly worked.
Well, now ends my ramblings on about that subject.


 

Territories

Fears- not doing well in school
Annoyances- people who need everyone to like them
accomplishments- getting better grades, athletic accomplishments
confusions- motivation
sorrows- regrets in life
dreams- mastering everything in my life at a point
idiosyncracies- overly attached to tv/books/music/other stuff
risks- not studying
precious possessions, legos (then) phone (now)
problems- finding motivation to do everything well.

I'm going to elaborate on the last of my writing territories which is finding the motivation to do things and do them well. This mainly has to do with school but it applies to almost everything I do in life because I constantly struggle with this. I'll start with school because it has really been bothering me of late. At the beginning of the school year I feel like I started out on task and giving it my all, but now I feel as though I have lost the motivation to do anything above the bare minimum on my own. Maybe Ive just not been assigned as much homework compared to the last few weeks, or maybe its something else, or maybe Im just being paranoid. My grades have slackened a little and maybe thats whats causing me to feel this but I think I will try and reverse this feeling and start trying a bit harder.

Then I started thinking about how better off the self motivated individual is compared to someone less motivated like myself. Someone who doesn't need the D on a test to get their stuff together. And it doesn't just apply to grades. Athletically for example, self motivation can not only help someone perform well in sports, it can help them live a fit lifestyle. My brother for example runs five or six times a week and does pushups everyday. Why does he do it: he likes being fit. Simple as that. No other motivation than himself. This has left me convinced that someday my brother is going to be a very successful individual and I am going to have to try hard to keep up with him (he approaches grades in the same way).

A Girl Likes Engineering? What?

Writing Territories

Fears

Annoyances

Accomplishments

Confusions

Sorrows

Dreams

Idiosyncrasies

Risks

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then

Problems

Writing Territories

Black Widows

Ticking clocks

Volleyball Division Winner

Friends

Grandmother

Designing magnetic levitating cars

Engineering/Building/Flying Airplanes

Liking Engineering

Mr. Cow (a cow stuffed animal) and Wooden Giraffes from my grandfather

Relatives getting sick

Idiosyncrasies- I love Engineering. Why is this my idiosyncrasy? Simply because I am a girl. Many girls like fashion or politics or literally anything else, but I love engineering. I have literally grown up surrounded by engineering. Both of my parents are engineers-my mom is a mechanical and aerospace engineer and my dad is an electrical engineer. From when I was really young to present day, I love visiting my mom's two labs with her college students. There are always past projects hanging up on the walls, and new ones being worked on in the middle of the lab. I have traveled to Denver, Colorado at least 5 times with my parents on a college project trip sending a payload to the edge of Earth's atmosphere and flying around taking pictures. The projects that my mom runs range from designing safer jumps for horses (the prototypes were used in the warm up arena of the World Equestrian Games) to designing model airplane wings that simply bend their shape to fly (like a bird) to building things that have ended up on the space station. My dad usually coordinates his student projects with my mom letting his students figure out the wiring and my mom's students figuring out the outside design. Listening to all of the talk about what the students are accomplishing and what the students are testing has always led me to want to do the same things. I learned how to solder (bind two wires together) when I was nine and I have always have been designing new ways to improve things like water quality or the horse jumps or anything else. I love building the things I design and seeing if they work. This is my Idiosyncrasy. I could go on and on and on about engineering and building because I love it so much. 

Olivia Faulkner: Math Enthusiast / BA MC

Territories:
Fears: the ocean, sharks (sorry Bay)

Annoyance: stupidity, rudeness, my brother

Accomplishments: having a poem published
Confusions: what nonsense people consider socially acceptable these days
Sorrows: the great amount of divorce that has happened in my family
Dreams: travel, study abroad, design my own house, become a teacher.
Idiosyncrasies: I don't know if this counts but Josh likes to think of me as, "I am woman, hear me roar."
Risks: future risk would be going to study abroad I guess

Beloved Possessions: Now: memories ? Then: stuffed animals (except for the ones that talk. those are freaky.)

Problems: probably this "I am woman, hear me roar" thing.

I really like math. In the future, I have decided I'm going to aspire to be a math teacher. Or a Spanish teacher. I haven't really decided. However, I know I'm going to teach in high school, and I am leaning towards math. My favorite thing to tutor kids in is math. I like the fact that it's formulaic, I like the fact that there is ONLY one answer, yet a variety of ways to come up with the answer, and I like the same that "it's the same in every country."

To justify my decision to teach in a high school environment, I have really enjoyed almost all the teachers I've come to meet in my high school career. I feel like when you're in high school, you are allowed to have that different relationship with the teacher. You can make weird jokes and not feel inappropriate, you can come to them for advice, and you can really come to feel like you're actually making a new friend. Sure, it's weird on the first day, and sure, you're going to find ones you hate, but who doesn't? Not all people are meant to get along, and that's okay.

But one can't really deny that there are some teachers who you feel like you know on a personal level. There are some teachers that you feel like you could come to and ask for a favor and they would grant it to you, understandingly. And you can't deny that it's a great feeling when you can come to that conclusion.

More than that, I really don't agree with the way that education has been limited. Logsdon's Ted Talks make me think, "Holy crap, that's so true. Why aren't we giving these kids the same opportunity?"

In the words of Mr. Pope, "I DON'T KNOW!" But "it makes my heart burrow like a mole."

In thinking about these things, I want to be a teacher because I want to change the way that people look at education. I think we should be catering to these kids as much as is reasonable, resonable being anything that doesn't including raising each and every kid that is in the class.

I'm aware, though, that some kids don't know respect, and that they can't be blamed for this. It isn't their fault their parents gave them everything they ever wanted in order to get them to stop crying. So in order to shoo some kids away from me, my list of rules will be composed of things I feel are common sense.

• *If you are in my freshman class, know the difference between their, there, and they're (and other words like them)
• If you are in any of my classes, you had better know how to read.
• If you are in high school, you shouldn't in any way expect someone to just do your work for you.
• If I assign you homework, you had better expect me to check it, and to be frustrated with you if you don't remember, or just plain don't do it.
• If I don't, you have my permission to be angry with me.
• For math specifically:
• Know your multiplication tables.
• Know how to divide.
•  Realize when I act like math is cool, I totally see you in the back laughing at me for being such a nerd. I know who I am, and I'm okay with that person.
• *If you don't, I feel I should have permission to send you back to kindergarten.

I guess my last point to this is that I really feel like people should be, and for that matter, want to be educated. When it comes to things you can learn in your life, 

 

Writing Territories

Fears-Dissapointment

Annoyances- People who always think they are right.

Accomplishments- KY Ambassador of Music

Confusions- US History

Sorrows- Seeing others in pain

Dreams- Play clarinet for musicals on Broadway

Idiosyncrasies- Counting days until I am eligible for my permit. (237)

Risks- AllState Auditions

Beloved Possessions, Now-Clarinet, Then-Dance

Problems- worrying too much

 

Realistically I am going to college to major in Engineering and minor in Spanish. But if I could do anything in the world when I was older it would be to be part of the orchestra for a Broadway musical. This will never happen; I am not good enough at clarinet, its too hard to find a job, and I don't want to be scraping by with not a lot of income, but I would love to.

 

Dont get me wrong, I love math and I thouroghly enjoy Ms. Dewees' review sessions! Its just that when I go to the UK Fine Arts building every monday night for my clarient lessons and you can hear everyone practicing in the rooms around you, I just sit there and absorb it all. I feel at home. I will always keep playing clarinet and I hope to be able to keep playing where ever I may go to college, but this is only a dream and bittersweetly reality sets back in.

Writing Territories by Zack

Fears-Bees

Annoyances-The acronym "YOLO"

Accomplishments-32 on my ACT

Confusions-Latin

Sorrows-Divorced parents

Dreams-Chaos

Idiosyncrasies-Moving

Risks-Not studying

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then-PS2, Kia Forte

Problems-Patience

 

Going into the subject of my fear of bees, I really cannot explain my irrational fear of bees, and I mean IRRATIONAL. In my mind, I am aware of the fact bees abstain from stinging humans unless absolutely neccesary, as well I am aware that bee stings are not particularly threatening to life and limb, however, I still am terrified by bees. Even now as a soon-to-be-employed high school junior, whenever a insignificant yellow and black insect comes close to me, I begin to shake and jerk out of the way of this seemingly tyrannical, insurmountable bee. On the flip side, my feline friend that can easily cut into a blood vessel with a accidental scratch or bite, and still survive the incident, I pet and actually attempt to get the thing to touch me. I know, it's crazy but I seriously am shaken to the core whenever I hear a faint "bzzzz" wirring around, and see a black and yellow bumblebee innocently pollinating flowers, producing honey, and all those other daily activities of our good ol' friend the bee. 

Blog #8

Fears: Heights, tight spaces, crowds, oblivion, failure
Annoyances: Arrogance, not being listened to, incorrect grammar
Accomplishments: Working as well as I can under circumstances
Confusions: Life, the future, etc (Too many to accurately list. I'm perpetually confused.)
Sorrows: Losing friends
Dreams: Be remembered for something
Idiosyncrasies: I'm obsessed with being as unique of a person as possible.
Risks: Speaking honestly about my feelings.
Beloved Possessions: Then: my dolls. Now: my friends.
Problems: Stress, procrastination

I'm going to elaborate on my annoyances, because who doesn't like talking about things that anger them?
I'm constantly annoyed when there are people who are clearly above my intelligence level that make sure the whole world knows it. I hate the people that pride themselves in one-upping everyone else's intelligence and putting down other people if they don't meet their level.
I also become annoyed when I'm speaking to someone but once someone else starts speaking they completely stop listening to me. It makes me feel like what I was saying was not important or worthy of being listened to. I, of course, react passive-aggressively like any teenage girl would and stop talking to see if anyone noticed that I was completely cut off when I was talking.
And finally, who doesn't list incorrect grammar as one of their pet peeves? (I am aware that I have already used that sentence structure. I don't care enough to change it right now.) Anyway, incorrect grammar is my go-to answer when I'm asked what my pet peeves are. It's simple and, unless I'm wrong, everyone can understand it. Incorrect grammar just makes me cringe internally.

Growing up

FEARS: growing up

ANNOYANCES: impoliteness; improper usage of their, there, and they’re

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: NSLIY

CONFUSIONS: Life

SORROWS: Lost opportunities

DREAMS: Traveling

IDIOSYNCRASIES: Unconsciously messing with my cuticles

RISKS: NSLIY

BELOVED POSSESSIONS: phone, friendships, photographs

PROBLEMS: Procrastination/ being easily distracted

Growing up

I’ll be the first to say I want to get out of Lexington, and out of Kentucky, but growing up scares the beejeezus out of me. It’s something that if I think too much about I start getting worried and panicked about. I especially hate the questions “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” Then I start thinking about having to pay taxes, buy insurance, and rely on myself. I think what scares me that most is the seemingly lack of a smooth transition that is, from being completely dependent to completely independent. Sure, college is there to buffer the living on your own aspect, and making your own money and what have you, but you can still technically be dependent on your parents’ taxes until you’re 24. The scariest part is how fast we all seem to grow up. I remember wanting to learn how to drive and now I can legally drive anywhere at any time unless its 12am to 6am. I remember being elated that my mom would let me watch a PG-13 movie and soon I can legally by a rated R ticket in a couple months. I remember when I thought college kids were insanely old and now half my friends are either in college or will be going to college next year. Where will I be in 10 years? Hopefully doing well. 

Validation

Soundtrack: "I Lose" - Girls Names - Dead To Me (Slumberland Records - 2011)

Fears: death/life/human interaction
Annoyances: prejudice; self-righteousness; zealots
Accomplishments: self-releasing albums and EPs from multiple projects
Confusions: existential crises mostly
Sorrows: lack of fulfillment from/general disappointment worldly pleasures
Dreams: having some of my art be well-received; finding true enjoyment
Idiosyncrasies: obsession with continuity and structure.
Risks: creating anything revealing about my own thoughts and feelings
Beloved possessions: now - record collection/sound system; then - legos
Problems: illegitimate/selfish/internal

My greatest dream is for my artistic endeavors to be truly validated by some external body, not by my own satisfaction. I seem to spend the majority of my time working on various project - music, poetry, creative writing, film, etc. Even more time is spent poring over the works of my idols to try and determine which techniques would allow me to achieve such beauty. However, a great many of my own works appear inadequate to me, so I abandon them entirely. When I do judge something to be semi-acceptable and cast it off into the webosphere, it seems that I am never truly recognized. All I want is to create something that resonates with others - something that others are able to either connect to or simply enjoy in an aesthetic sense. Obviously, as I publish more things in the future, the greater exposure might lead to this sort of validation, but for now, I am constantly worried that I am pursuing realms where I simply possess no talent.

Writing Territories

Writing Territories

Fears-ending up a failure.

Annoyances-people who just follow what their friends do. 

Accomplishments- Good grades

Confusions-my mother

Sorrows-losing a friend.

Dreams-becoming a CNN news Anchor

Idiosyncrasies-my love hate relationship with the piano.

Risks-sneaking downstairs at midnight to cuddle with my dog. 

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then-My tumblr (now) and my giant PSAT textbook (then) *i wish i was kidding about this

Problems-being too hard on myself. 

I decided to talk about my idiosyncrasy: my love-hate relationship with the piano. On one end of it, I absolutely abhor the piano. I hate everything about it. I hate how every time i walk down the stairs, it's sitting there staring at me. I hate how I was forced into it when my 4 year old self dreamed of playing the saxophone because it looked cool. I hate how competitions and recitals take up too much time. I hate how I have to constantly practice on days where I have other priorities. 

But on the other hand, I love everything about it. I love the physical form of the piano. I love how I can sit down at one and play anything I want. I love how I can sight-read pieces I've never seen before with ease. I love how I can play songs like "A Thousand Miles" or "100 Years" and sing along. I love how I can be a dork and "express" myself through dramatic Beethoven movements. I love how it is something I am accomplished at. I love how it brought me to the Governors School for the Arts last summer where I gained unbelievable experiences. So yeah, it kind of makes sense that i both love and hate the piano. 

Writing Territories

Fears: spiders, butterflies, crickets, BUGS.
Annoyances: being interrupted
Accomplishments: moving past failure
Confusions: magic tricks
Sorrows: Sibelius 1
Dreams: music
Idiosyncrasies: dork
Risks: driving
Beloved Possessions: plastic barbie shoes (then) and my instrument (now)
Problems: expectations

They are creepy and crawly and, I swear, they can sense fear. Spiders with their disgustingly thin legs slowly but surely come for me. Butterflies with their hairy faces and fluttery wings land all around me. Worst of all,the crickets know just when to jump. I pray they won't be alarmed or make sudden moves but when the tension reaches a climax, they jump a mile high and land WHO KNOWS WHERE! Bugs, on top of being gross, are evil too. I see them sometimes in my very own house. But they never appear when my fearless mother is around. No. Always when I'm alone, when I least expect it. They think they're clever, lurking in shadows until the coast is clear. It's pure wickedness. My parents sometimes say I overreact, but it's not me! The bugs are cruel!

99 problems

Fears- losing a family member

Annoyances- my cat 

Accomplishments- surviving junior year so far

Confusions- physics

Sorrows- losing my dad

Dreams- get in to a good college

Idiosyncrasies- Caroline Hoertz

Risks- going to sleep without taking my makeup off

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- dance (then) friends (now)

Problems- organization

 

I got 99 problems and organization is one. I cant tell you how many times I have lost homework due to my lack of organization, but i have improved greatly on my organization for school this year. My room on the other hand...is a different story. My room is always a mess. Always. And its not that I'm gross, i just don't like putting things away. Especially clothes. I have a Mt. Everest in my room of clothes. Okay that's a little exaggerated, but not very. We have even tried to have an organizer come and organize my room but all she did was throw away my barbies so it didn't end that well. My life would be so much easier if I actually knew how to clean. So if anyone has any tips for cleaning or wants to organize my room, hit a girl up. (ill pay you in gum)

Writing Territories

Failure
Loud or high pitched noises
Straight A student
Teenagers
Losing my Grandpa
Being a dad
I'm extra alert in unfamiliar locations
Spent 7 nights in a Central American village with rampant gang violence
Then- card collection Now- Knife from my Grandpa
Stress

Losing my grandpa was the toughest thing I've ever gone through. I spent a lot of time with him as a kid despite the distance between where we lived. It's been almost two years now since I lost him, but it's often hard knowing he isn't here anymore. From when I was little we shared a love for the outdoors and the kind of sportsmanship enacted with a gun and rod. We'd stay up late into the night, and I'd be hanging onto every word of his stories dreaming up wilderness scenes in my mind. He loved to hunt and that passion was passed into my life. It was our bond. I'm often haunted by the fact that we never shared a day in the woods on the hunt nor a day at the range together. When I miss him the most those things pile up on me, but I have the fond memory of a few months before his passing when I took a Nerf gun to his house and despite his being confined to bed we each took a few shots at a target I set up across the room. It isn't quite how I pictured my grandpa and I would share what we loved, but I'll never let go of that memory and it will always be the one what if I don't have to live with.

Pasta

Fears- Speaking to my grandmother about politics

Annoyances- Hypocrites

Accomplishments- Eating 36 ounces of pasta in one sitting

Confusions- Why is it so "cool" to like bacon?

Sorrows- Not stepping up when I had chances.

Dreams- To find out why people watch Tyler Perry movies.

Idiosyncrasies- Television... Just television

Risks- Eating 36 ounces of pasta in one sitting

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then- My family

Problems- Being able to eat 36 ounces of pasta in one sitting

 

      As much fun as it would be to joke, but not be funny, about Tyler Perry, I would prefer to speak of my 3rd love: PASTA. First of all, lets set the scene. I'm primarily Italian, so my blood is basically marinara sauce because I grew up wolfing the stuff down. Now, my cousin was dating an Italian girl who really knew how to cook, and one night we had a family dinner where she made a ginormous batch of penne pasta. She covered it in a homemade red sauce with mounds of lamb and beef meatballs, all with a side of homemade bread smothered in garlic and butter. It was a meal fit for the mob, and needless to say, my heart melted. The whole time I was eating this heavenly creation, I was thinking if my cousin didn't marry this girl that I just might. I sat at the table, eating this pasta like it was The Last Supper, throwing it down while my stomach expanded to the size of a hot air balloon. And I don't know what it was, but I somehow got into The Pasta Zone, and I just couldn't stop. Being a type 1 diabetic (thats not the fat kind, people), I weighed all the pasta that I ate, and when I added it up at the end of the meal, the final result was 36.2 ounces. I felt more stuffed than Jessica Simpson at a pig roast, and felt even more amazed that I threw down over two pounds of a food group that is definitely not part of the fruits and veggies.

      So what does this say about society? I mean, am I representative of our culture because I can eat endlessly without stopping myself? Or is it just because I was a growing teenager who needed some extra food for my hollow leg? Whatever the case is, I count eating that much food as an accomplishment, but also as a problem for Fat America.

 

P.S. Don't tell Michelle, she would be so angry if she heard this story

Writing Territories

Fears - Never succeeding
Annoyances - when people are mean
Accomplishments -  Good Grades
Confusions - Life after death
Sorrows - Losing my aunt
Dreams - Be in a movie
Idiosyncrasies - Making jokes at inappropriate times
Risks - I take none
Beloved Possessions - iPhone
Problems - Trying to please everyone all of the time


Life After death is a concept that really confuses me. I have been a Christian for all my life and they have always said to not worry about death because life afterwards is much better. I have several issues with this, but I will speak of mainly one. I am a logical guy, and I rely heavily on facts and proof. Since there is no proof of a life after this one, I am inclined to believe that there is none. One thing really stressed in church is faith. Faith in Jesus, faith that life will get better, and faith in an afterlife. This bugs me for a small reason, you can put faith in anything, but that doesn't necessarily make it true. I can have 'faith' that I am going to win the lottery today, but that doesn't at all mean I will win. Now, if there are concrete facts that the lottery is rigged and I have proof that I will win, that faith is more justified. So is there an afterlife? There very well could be. I have been taught my whole life to believe in one, and I think we should all live like there is one. As for the logic behind it however, maybe there are some things people just can't prove.

Writing Territories-my hamartia

Fears being kidnapped, losing someone very close to me
Annoyances very poor grammar, rudeness
Accomplishments keeping up with academics while still doing other activities
Confusions why I have such a fortunate life but other good (and maybe better) people don't
Sorrows the inability to realize that I can't change the past
Dreams being successful as an actor, writing a book (also being able to sing, but the idea of that is laughable)
Idiosyncrasies obsessive-I frequently get nerdy obsessions with a book, a TV show, a musical, music, etc. (but I also get obsessive about school, which is stressful)
Risks sometimes I trust too many people; there hasn't really been any crisis in particular, but I tell a lot of people things that I should probably just tell my best friends
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then blanket (then), stable foundation/home life
Problems perfectionism-I get too angry with myself when I can't be everything that I want to be


Problems perfectionism-I get too angry with myself when I can't be everything that I want to be
I think my hamartia is that I'm such a perfectionist and that I can't live up to the standards that I set for myself. A lot of times I think of all the things I'll do when I get home from school (go for a run, do all my homework, get ahead in several classes, read for awhile) and I end up wasting my time on the Internet or doing something pointless, which stresses me out later. I also compare myself to too many people instead of just trying to be the best I can be; even though I'm aware that I do this, I can't seem to stop. I don't think this will stop after high school; right now I'm worried about college and in college I'll be worried about grad school and in grad school I'll be worried about a job and I'll keep trying to be perfect and I think sometimes I just need to remind myself to breathe.

Writing Territories

Fears: Tornadoes and earthquakes
Annoyances: Ignorant people
Accomplishments: Being involved in the community and receiving all "A's".
Confusions: The concept of theoretical math
Sorrows: The loss of a family member or friend
Dreams: Working for the State Department or for an investment bank and living in Europe
Idiosyncrasies: I tend to zone out when I am bored and when I focus my attention back to the person, I am usually quite rude saying things like "Are you still talking?"
Risks: I convinced my parents to let me explore New York by myself for a day without supervision.
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Laptop (Now) and my stuffed elephant/Cleveland Indians cap (Then)
Problems: Stress about the future and success

Risks: My exploration of New York

As a child, I traveled to New York several times and I am quite familiar with the City, but last March my dad and I went to visit NYU and I was able to spend the day before my visit exploring what I consider the greatest city on Earth (aside from Paris, of course!). I started my day taking the Lexington Avenue Express from Wall Street to 75th Street on the Upper East Side and though I know several New Yorkers and the City, the city's diversity did not make an impact on me until that day. From old to young, from Hispanic to White to Asian American, during my ride on the subway I saw more different kinds of people that one could see in  a lifetime at home whether it be children on their way to school, a businessman on his way to work, or a new mom with her baby, the subway is where all New Yorkers come together to share a ride. Because is was an entirely full day, I will only mention two of my favorite neighborhoods, the Upper East Side and Lower East Side. When I alighted from the subway at 75th Street, you are in one of the wealthiest areas of America, you can find cafes, expensive private schools, and sweet Central Park views, but for me besides Dylan's Candy Bar at Madison and 65th, this section of the city symbolizes what you can become in this city of possibilities, you can win big and make a name for yourself just like the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Rockefellers before you. While the UES is the symbol of American success and sometimes greed, the Lower East Side shows me the origins of that success, the hard work ethic and dreams of success that are still fresh in the minds of immigrants that arrive in this city just like the many nationalities that inhabited this neighborhood after surviving a hellish trip from overseas and an inspection at Ellis Island. I guess what I can see most clearly now after this trip is that not only New York, but it is still possible to succeed in this country regardless of what politicians may say, they need only to look at New York as the shining example of success without attention to background.

Writing Territories

Getting in trouble
stupid questions
good grades
what to do with my life
not focusing on 1 thing and becoming good
uncontrollably laughing when nothing is funny
relying on others for rides and consequently being left/riding with poor drivers
phone and friends, cape
trying to be perfect student and taking classes way too difficult

When I was little, my parents urged me to try new and different things so that I would become a well rounded person. While I appreciate this, I wish that I had chosen to focus on 1 or 2 things (sports in particular). Throughout elementary and middle school, I played soccer, basketball, cross country, track, tennis, lacrosse, golf, and swimming. I played every sport that was available at my school and continued during the summer. I consider myself to be a good athlete and I was decent at all of these sports (except lacrosse I was terrible) but not exceptional at any.
I regard swimming and running to be my best sports. I swam year round for a few years and I was very good when I was about 9 or 10. Then I left my previous team and swam for Wildcat which I hated. I had few friends there and I practiced at inconvenient times, so I quit. I regret this decision because I feel that I could have become much better than I am today, but I was too lazy then and now to reach my potential. The same thing happened with running. In 4th grade I was the best runner in our "Area" of Kentucky and participated in the AAU National Cross Country Meet. Then I did not get any better for a few years and quit to pursue other sports. I wish I would have kept up with swimming or cross country because I am sorrowful for not reaching my potential.

Blog Post #8--Writing Territories

Writing Territories

Fears:  natural disasters

Annoyances:  incorrect grammar

Accomplishments:  I've kept a Straight As all my life

Confusions:  my future

Sorrows:  the loss of friends

Dreams:  Travel, Actress (Sorry, I can't choose between these two.)

Idiosyncrasies:  I play with my hair constantly (unconsciously)

Risks:  I chose to leave the country on my own for three weeks.

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then:  iPod (now), blanket (then)

Problems:  Stress

 

Stress

In high school, we're all given challenges to face and overcome.  Whether these challenges aren't too difficult--can I get this homework assignment done tonight?--or whether they could take years to overcome--which college should I attend?--we, the students, need to get through them now so that we can handle even greater things later on in life.  Some people are able to overcome these curveballs better than others.

I would be a portion of the "others."  I have a major problem trying to deal with all of these challenges given to me.  When I tell people that last year I ran on an average of three or four hours of sleep every night, they ask me, "What on earth did you do, Anna?!"

I reply, "Well, I had homework, and theatre for a portion of the year."

They laugh.  "Anna. You can't be serious.  You got so little sleep because of homework?  I'm in the Academy, too.  I got all of that work done in a couple of hours, and I had *insert some time-consuming sport*."  Then, they walk away because they assume that I'm one of those people who wastes my time on other things that don't matter.

Truth be told, I do.

My problem is balance.  I simply don't know how to manage time well.  There are so many things I want to be able to do:  read all of the books, perform in all of the plays, get all of the grades.  I get overwhelmed easily, and all of these things just came crashing down on me last year.  They're starting to this year, too.

I'm easily distracted.  I don't sit still.  I care too much about everything:  grades, friends, extracurricular activities.

I'm a person who is easily susceptible to stress.

Writing Territories - Laura Doll

Writing Territories

Fears - being kidnapped

Annoyances - when people talk about things i don't care about

Accomplishments - lifelong straight As

Confusions - the concept of the universe going on forever

Sorrows - not doing more productive things with my life

Dreams - write a best selling book

Idiosyncrasies - i almost always smile when i talk

Risks - being depended on to get places (i have no sense of direction)

Beloved Possessions - my phone (now), my teddy bear (then)

Problems - laziness

Dreams - write a best selling book

When people ask me what kind of things I did when I was little, my mind goes straight to writing. I wrote short stories and books in my spare time, even when I could barely read. I had (and still have, somewhere) hundreds of notebooks that I started writing stories in. When I tell people of my writing as a child, my mind goes to one particular time. Once I locked my mom out of her room (she had the only computer in the house at the time), and I wrote and typed a book called “Transportation”. I was six years old and I remember people being freaked that I could spell transportation by myself, and insert clip art into my book and everything. I still have the original copy of this book that I printed and I love showing people and telling that story. This love for writing is still a part of my life now and I would love to write a successful book.

My List

Writing Territories:
Spiders
Stress
High School
Studying
Obligation
Music
Culture
Desire
Family
Childhood, then and now

I guess what Id like to go off of would be obligation, because it leads into all of the writing territories. Basically since day one Ive known what path im going to go into and ive never had an issue of what I am going to do with my future because it has always been laid out for me: do well in high school - maintain good GPA, extra curriculars, standardized testing - Go to a good college 4 years, med school 4 years, residency 2 years, fellowship 2 years, get out of school when im 32, be 200 thousand + dollars in debt and then settle with my life. That is what path I am tied to. I have succumbed to the obligations my parents have set for me and sacrificed my dreams as a result  What are my dreams? that doesnt matter anymore, I cant go after them. I am not saying I am forced into this path, Its just this is the path I am obligated to follow, why? Because my culture tells me to do so. Its almost daunting: starting into the face of your future day in and day out, knowing that you will ultimately work until you become too exhausted to work any more, then youll settle, and look back knowing you lead a perfectly mediocre life. Having this thought in the back of my head every day... it does something to a person, makes them lose hope...makes them become cripplingly cynical and apathetic. But alas, this is my obligation and it is the path I have chosen.
Oh also I hate spiders more than anything. One time on Winter vacation a spider bit me in a very tender area and I had to go to the ER for 3 days and my brother wouldnt stop making fun of me and telling me where the web would come out of and yeah... I hate spiders. Oh and I like some preettayy good music, heres a good instrumental:

The Great Chicago Fire

On October 9^th, 1871 a fire started in a barn near DeKoven Street in Chicago, Illinois. The fire spread quickly because of the drought that the city was in and because the city used wood for building all of their homes and buildings. The city underestimated the risk that the fire had on the city and did not deal with it properly. The fire burned steadily for two days until the city had rain that put out the rest of the fire. Around 300 people died and 100,000 were homeless. At this time the fire was bad for the city because it destroyed many people and their lives leaving them out on the streets. But, in the long run the fire was good for the city because it helped it rebuild and become even more prosperous and successful than it was before the fire had occurred. This even t had a huge influence on Chicago as well as many other major cities in the U.S. and Britain because of their money donations to help get the city back up and running. It helped put Chicago where it is today. I don’t appreciate the event or loathe it. I don’t appreciate that it killed 300 people and left one third of the city homeless but I also don’t loathe it for doing this. It helped to make Chicago what it is now so I don’t appreciate it or loathe it I stand in the middle.

Writing Territories

Fears- getting stabbed with sharp objects like needles and knives
Annoyances- people who won't shut up
Accomplishments- straight A's since I started elementary school
Confusion- Managing time
Sorrows- Procrastination
Dreams- UCLA winning the Men's Basketball National Championship in my lifetime
Idiosyncrasies- Outsider, Nerd
Risks- moving all over the country (from Cali, to Oregon, and then here)
Beloved Possessions- Now- the trust of my parents. Then- my collection of NASCAR diecast replicas (over 100)
Problems- concentration

Concentration

I don't know whether I'm only one who has this problem or not, but concentration is a major battle before I can get anything done. It's as if our society is making it almost impossible with all this new technology that we use 24/7. Once my mind starts racing a billion miles per hour, I can't do anything about it. As a consequence, my homework takes longer and I have less free time. Our lives are full of so much stuff that its hard not to think about. It would have been so much easier to live in the seventies, eighties, or even early nineties because there wouldn't have been so much junk to keep track of. But since we live in 2012, we're forced to live with all the distractions that impact our ability to concentrate effectively. It sucks, but I have to deal with it.

On the Day of October 14th...

On this day in 1964, Mr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in America. This act of just him receiving the Prize doesn't have as much of an influence as all the things he did to deserve the Prize. Martin Luther King Jr., by winning this Peace Prize, showed the world that not all black are aggressive (like Malcolm X). He also showed the world that verbal and nonverbal acts can be just as strong if not stronger than physical acts. Martin Luther King Jr. winning this Prize gave me a leader, a role model, someone I can strive to be. Was this a good thing, Mr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. winning the Nobel Peace Prize? Some people might disagree, but I think it was a wonderful thing. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being acknowledged for his countless efforts towards the Civil Rights movement and towards nonviolence; helping to shape a more socially equal America. 

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

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

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

Writing Territories

Fears

Annoyances

Accomplishments

Confusions

Sorrows

Dreams

Idiosyncrasies

Risks

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then

Problems

For instance, my list looks like:

drowning

rudeness

family/marriage

organization

anger

retirement travel

nerd

pilot's license

comic books (then), friendships (now)

Organization

Simple, right?

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

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

Due Sunday, October 21 at 11:59 pm

What happened? Was this good or bad?

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

Do you appreciate this event? Do you loathe it?

On This date fall out boy played their last live show.....

thi wsa verrrryyy bad. it was very bad because i love fall out boy..... it had a bad nationl impact!!!! like... it was so bad. because you know fall out boy is one of the best bands in the WORLD ! it is so stupid that they had to brek up.. i LOATHEEEEEEEE this event !!!!! it is so stupid that they broke up.... okay. i just wanted to say that it is very sad that fall out boy is gone fofrver.... they had good songs like: this ain't a scene it's an arms race... and suer we are going down swinging... those were m y favorte. 

First Woman to Walk in Space

Kathy Sullivan was the first woman to walk in space this day, 1984

On this date Kathy Sullivan revolutionized the peoples view of the limitation of a woman, quite literally taking them to outer worldly proportions.

I would have to say that in doing so this event is very good as it set the precedent for what a woman can achieve is she commits to her goals.  Moreover, the fact that it was set in the time of the feminist movement more than likely suggest that this event domino affected to the point that it helped expedite the feminist movement and bring about other changes involved with it.  Although this article may not appeal to me as much, I would say that this event not only influences the city, but also the nation and the world as a whole in showing women that anything ones sets her mind to is attainable.  Despite being a male myself I would say that I appreciate this because, quite frankly, I love women, and if women are happy and successful than that makes me happy. And – in all seriousness- this event lead to the progressive of the world and helped eradicate prejudice, which is inarguably a good thing for everyone.  

This day in history

Today October 14th 1964 was a very important day for civil rights in america and around the world because it was today that Martin Luther king jr was awarded the Nobel peace prize for nonviolent demonstration. Without the work of mr king there is no doubt that our world would be different and this award completely legitimized his work and his mission. It was an important day because people all across the world were able to step out of the dark times of racism and prejudice that gripped this world until less than a half century ago. When you think about it, kids these days including myself don't really appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a time of equality. The idea of equality is still a comparatively infantile concept and yet I never give it more than a couple minutes of thought. That's why this event is so important it completely legitimized common ideology with one of the most well known and respected awards of the day. This day added to the growing movement of change in the USA. 

Also it's my moms birthday. 

Take me out to the ball game!

On October 9, 1919 the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series. Unfortunately, we won't be able to say that the same thing happened this year. It would later be found out that the win wasn't genuine because 8 of the Chicago White Sox were charged with throwing the game. The incident became known as the "Black Sox" scandal. White Sox first baseman, Gandil, enlisted some of his other teammates to help him throw the championship because they resented the rest of their teammates. This event in sports history could be viewed as both good and bad, depending on which way you look at it. It would definitely be positive for the Reds, considering the fact that they won the World Series, even if it wasn't exactly justified. It would also be seen as a negative event, probably more so than positive, because of the obvious fact that the White Sox broke the rules of the MLB in a major and unforgettable way. It has tainted that win for Cincinnati and is still remembered to this day by baseball fans as the BlackSox conspiracy. 

Martin Luther King Jr.

        On this date forty- eight years ago Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest African Americans in American history, received the Nobel Peace Prize for advocating a policy of non-violence. Martin Luther King Jr. had an impact on an entire country. Not just one city, one state, or one race; but, an entire country's future.
        The United States utilized slaves for 246 years. In 1619 the first slaves were brought to the United States by Dutch Traders. From this point until December 1865, when the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, Africans were beaten and forced to work on White's Farms. However, even after slavery was abolished African Americans were not, by any means, treated fairly. The were forced to use different bathrooms, different water fountains, different schools, different job opportunities, and more.
      Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Georgia, where he attended segregated public schools. He later attended Boston University, and became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Martin Luther King was a strong Black Civil Rights Activist. However, he was a peaceful Black Civil Rights Activist. In late 1955, he became the leader of the first nonviolent African American demonstration against civil rights: a 382 day long bus boycott. This boycott forced the Supreme Court to declare bus discrimination to be unconstitutional  On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King gave him famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Both of these acts allowed Martin Luther King to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
       Martin Luther King winning the Nobel Peace Prize is undeniably a great event in history. Receiving this peace award displays the realization that blacks were equal to whites. The award could have been given to President Johnson when he convinced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed most forms of racial segregation. Instead, the award went to a man who nonviolently fought and was killed for what he strongly believed in. Martin Luther King Jr.


I strongly support this event. MLK winning the award was an acknowledgement of African American and White equality. The event led to my ability to go to school with African Americans. So, while this event mainly has an impact on the nation and a specific race; it also has an impact on my life and every other students life, too.

October 14th, 1962. The day the world could have ended.

Yes in 1962 on this date, U-2 spy planes sent into Cuba from the United States spotted and took photographs of Soviet medium range missiles just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. It was unkwown to then President John F. Kennedy if the missiles carried nuclear warheads, which was a possibility, and if the USSR intended to attack America. This unfortunate situation lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis and almost threw the world into a global thermonuclear war, all because of the pictures those spy planes took, exactly fifty years ago today! United States citizens were prepared for the worst and drills were run just like in the classic 1950's "Duck and Cover" propaganda. It seemed as if the war with Russia was inevitably coming to it's climax in 1962. Luckily however, John Kennedy and Russia's political leaders struck a compromise and we avoided nuclear destruction. Yay! Funnily enough, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who periodically puts out a magazine picking a somewhat arbitrary time approaching midnight, with midnight being nuclear annihilation, never stated the time for 1962 and so we never really know how "close" we got according to them. In comparison, today with the heated tension over North Korea and Iran's nuclear programs, the time was 11:55 in January 2012.

October 14, 2012

I know I'm not really looking up an event in history, but today history has occurred. Today, Felix Baumgartner jumped from space. He travelled in a balloon up more than 127,000 feet and broke that world record, then jumped out and achieved the highest speed from a free fall. This is a great event because it is incredible to think that someone is able to fall faster than the speed of sound and survive. The balloon, the suit, and the entire process is groundbreaking technology and NASA received helpful insight. 
This event proves that anything is possible. A long time ago no one would think that someone could travel to space, much less jump from space and survive. Humans have the capability to do incredible things like this and more will occur in the future. I appreciate the event because of its magnitude. I admire Baumgartner because he was brave enough to pursue his dreams and achieve them. He was delayed by poor weather and equipment error, but he persisted instead of simply giving up and he did it. I think this opens the door for many other possibilities for stunts and will be an important historical event. 

On this day... We learned How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

On October 14, 1961, the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" opened on Broadway; it starred Robert Morse as J. Pierrepont Finch. Personally I think this is an absolutely marvelous event because I'm just a fan of musical theatre in general and, although this isn't one of my all-time favorite musicals, I still like it quite a lot (in fact, after finding out that it opened today fifty-one years ago, I was inspired to start listening to the music from it some more).
This certainly had an impact on the musical theatre world, but outside of that, there wasn't a lot of impact because of the unfortunate lack of enthusiasm regarding musicals around the world, particularly in comparison to the enthusiasm of sports.
Again, I'm definitely glad that this occurred, though it doesn't necessarily have a huge impact on my life or my existence.

Jimmy Carter wins Nobel Peace Prize

On October 11, 2002, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

Obviously, this wasn’t a bad event and a very virtuous time for Carter. One of the biggest things he accomplished was being able to mediate the peace talks between Israel and Egypt in 1978, but is also notable for many other charity works. He was the third president to receive this award of $1 million.

I think the more important part of this day in history isn’t necessarily him winning the award, but all of the projects and work that Jimmy Carter put into his community and others before he actually received it. He worked with Habitat for Humanity, promoted economic growth in developing countries, fought for human rights, and a number of other service events that strongly influenced the world and the nations and cities within our world.

Before reading about this day in history, I had no idea that Jimmy Carter won a Nobel Peace Prize, but the more I think about it, the more pride I feel for someone that was president while I wasn’t even alive. It made me think about the TV prompt we had about the Emmys vs. the Nobel Prizes and made me appreciate the fact that we still honor people who have made differences and an impact on multiple communities. I feel as if we’re able to look at people like Jimmy Carter who worked for the greater good, we can improve ourselves and society as a whole.

The Birth of Democracy

On October 13th, 1972 the corner stone of the White House was laid. The immediate influence was simply a step forward in the construction process, but in the grand scheme of the modern world this event has huge influence. The modern White House while not being the same building as the one predating the War of 1812 began on that day. This event in history established the building where the United States would later declare wars and create nation and world altering policy. The precedent of the laying of the cornerstone cannot be overlooked. The construction of the White House didn't establish the presidency or create the United States, but the White House is arguably the most important building on the planet. The decisions made in the White House affect the entire globe. The laying of the stone changed created the building that would time and time again change lives, the nation, the world and even history itself. Indirectly the laying of the corner stone changed the world and built the foundation of nation's driver's seat.

Winnie-the-Pooh

On October 14, 1926, the first "Winnie-the-Pooh" book was released. These characters quickly grew to be some of the most popular fictional characters in the twentieth century. Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore became loved by both children and parents-it was an instant classic. Two years later, another collection of tales were published introducing Tigger. This book was spread all over the world and translated into many different languages. This event in history was "good". It gave us a set of characters as children to love and grow up with, learning and imagining with Christopher Robin and Pooh. Because these children stories were spread all over the world, many kids have shared a similar experience growing up with a love for the books and sharing them with their children. That tradition has continued to the present-continuing the legacy of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends. As I grew up, I loved Winnie-the-Pooh. As a child, one of my favorite stuffed animals was Tigger. I usually had a few of them, so I could carry some around with me or keep them at home. There is even a picture of me in my crib with a Tigger toy-my all time favorite. Just looking at the bookshelf today, there is a set of books with all four Winnie-the-Pooh books, a "Complete tales of Winnie-the-Pooh", and a Winnie-the-Pooh pop up book. This event, even though it was way before my time, made me feel like my childhood was complete teaching me valuable lessons and giving me stories to pass on to my kids. 

Blog #7

On October 14th, 2011, the Apple iPhone 4S was released to the public. It welcomed new additions, namely Siri and its new camera. It sold four million units in the first three days, and the reception from the media was favorable. I would say that it was a good thing to happen because, let's face it, none of us know where we'd be without our smartphones (speaking for those who have one, of course.) It doesn't have huge significance on existence but it is something that makes our lives easier all while having cool gadgets and apps. I guess I appreciate this event, since I have this phone and I love it very much.

Saturday October 13th, 1995

 

On Saturday, October 13th 1995. Joseph Rotblat was awarded the Noble Peace Prize. Joseph was a polish-born physicist. He worked to ban  the use of nuclear weapons. His work on nuclear fallout was an important contribution to the signing of the Partial Test Ban Treaty. Although this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, it was. This award was very important because he helped stop the use of nuclear weapons and awarded him for his efforts towards nuclear disarmament. His contribution, even if it seemed minor, could have helped save hundreds of lives. It would be going out on a limb to say that his efforts saved my life, but you never know. After being awarded the Noble Peace prize, he went on to be president of several intuitions and a co founder of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. He also was a member of the Advisory Committee on Medical Research of the World Health Organization  I appreciate this event and applaud him for his efforts in banning nuclear weapons.

On This Date

October 12th, 1492. This date potentially changed the whole entire world, for this is the day that Columbus landed his ship in the Bahamas; also known as "The Real Columbus Day". This, for Americans is seen as a good thing, because had Columbus not landed in America, this country might not be the land of freedom and liberty, and without a country for an example of justice, the rest of the world might still be in a primarily hierarchical system. This discovery  for some, could be considered a bad thing. Unfortunately  the people that would claim this are most likely dead. The Indians, who were living in America at the time Columbus landed there, were laid victim to the brutality and diseases of the new Europeans. Hundreds of thousands of Indians died because of European diseases such as small pox, and the others were often exploited for sexual relations or as free manual labor.

This event had a huge impact back when it occurred. Most people thought that there was not lands west of Europe, and this event disproved that theory, as well as fueling the Age Of Exploration. As a nation, this event was important because this was the first colonization of America from Europe, and they really modernized the nation, bringing it up to speed with the other nations. I'd say that without this event I would probably not be living in the America, because my ancestors migrated to America a long time ago because it was a free and just country full of opportunity  Had Columbus not discovered it for the Europeans to colonize, who's to say how it would have turned out.

I appreciate this event because I understand its historical importance. I do not loathe this event in any way, but I also feel that eventually someone else would discover America had Columbus not. I'm glad Columbus did, however, because the United States could have been completely different in structure in values if someone else discovered it first.

October 9, 1888

On October 9, 1888 the Washington Monument opened to the public. There had been plans to construct this national monument since 1783 but lack of funds and social conflicts prevented further action. In 1833, James Madison formed the Washington National Monument Society and chose Robert Mills' design for the Washington Monument. Robert Mills' design called for a flat topped obelisk. Also included in the design was a statue of Washington in a chariot and statues of several other Revolutionary War heroes. Construction began in 1848 but was halted in 1857. Mills' successor made major alterations to the original design. Today, the monument is a obelisk with a pointed pyramid at the top. Surrounding the base of the monument are 50 flags representing each state. The building of the monument resumed in 1876 and was completed in 1884. The monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885 and officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888. The monument stands 555' 5-1/8" tall and now, the Washington Monument has over 800000 visitors each year. It is seen as a symbol of part of our country's history.

This Day in History

On October 14th, 1947, US Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier by flying faster than the speed of sound. The plane was a X-1rocket plane built by the Bell Aircraft Company. This was a very good thing because has helped innovate the planes to how they are today. Prior to this experiment, people assumed that if you got faster than the speed of sound then the plane would just fall apart but this proved them wrong. This opened a whole new idea to the rest of the world with Fighter planes especially, advancing militairy technology. I think it is crazy to think someone volunteered to try this but luckily it all worked out and let us take huge steps towards innovation. I appreciate not only this event but all that were involved in the making of the experiment.