#11 Neighbor- Haley Longworth

I've known Rhoman since fifth grade, and over the years I have gotten to know him pretty well. He is funny, joking, and likes to laugh a lot. I think one of his best qualities is that he can hold a conversation with anyone and can always find something to say. If I could give him a color I would say he is yellow because he always appears to be happy and has a sunny personality.
Some things I know about him are that he plays football, he has an older sister, he went to Ashland elementary (in fifth grade at least), attended Winburn middle school, used to play baseball, he likes to wear camo a lot, has to get hair cuts a lot, he has a buisness called Cloud 10, he enjoys buisness and making money, and he likes to socialize. Overall, Rhoman is a nice person and he is amusing to sit beside in class.

Assignment 11: Do you know your neighbor?

You are juniors. You are in the Academy. You sit next to each other in Mr. Logsdon's class. You've been here for 13 weeks and only 5 to go until the end of the semester.

I think it is safe to say that you know at least a little about each other. Your understanding of each other may include extra curriculars, favorite TV shows, hobbies, but your level of familiarity may also extend into knowing each other's personality. Are they intimidating, carefree, honest?

This week, write about the person you sit next to in English class. What do they do? What are they like? What color would you characterize them as and why? Where do you see them in five years? What type of animal are they like?

I know you're in a seating chart, but you are writing about your peers. Getting to know for the past few months, I have seen you as genuinely nice people and so I expect genuinely nice things in your posts. It doesn't have to be all puppies and ice cream cones, but your entries shouldn't cut anyone down.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 3rd at 11:59 pm.

Sydney Smith: BOO (Blog #10)

Zombies have attacked! Oh no! I have spent my whole life thinking this would never happen, and now it's all so real. I never thought this day would come!

The first thing I do is go to a UK football game, because no one is ever at those, so the zombies would probably never look there. But there are a ton of zombies tailgating in the parking lot (who knew zombies ate food and drank alcohol?) so I realize that it's no longer a wonderful hiding place...

So then I decide to load up on ammunition. I head to Bud's Gun Store and pick up some guns and ammo (silver bullets, of course- I think that's a thing for zombies). Then I go to the place where you turn into Henry Clay from Richmond Road, because everyone in the entire city generally congregates there in the mornings to make it harder for me to get to school.

I wait for a while, and I don't see any zombies. Then, all of the sudden, one shows up and eats me. Drat. So I guess I'm a zombie now or something?

The End.

BOO! Jania Stevenson

So the zombie apocalypse has finally happened. The first thing I would do is gather up a group and go out and start stealing stuff.  What's the point in paying for supplies when everyone's going to die anyway. But we'd have to get there fast because it's going to be like Black Friday out there. You have to start early before everything is gone. First I'll start out with the essentials. Break into a gun store, load up on weapons and ammo. Then I'll go to a grocery store. My partners and I will split up and  get a bunch of food, water, medicine, and probably more food (You can never have too much) Then we"ll go break into a Best Buy and steal pretty much everything. TV's, video games, phones (zombies can't destroy cell phone towers right?), DVD's, CD"s, and anything else entertaining because we're going to be pretty bored for a long time. And we can't forget to take any and all money as we go along. It may be usefulsomewhere. Then after all that, we'll gas up a car, steal some extra for the road, and go live somewhere nobody's ever heard of with a small population. There's less zombies to kill that way. I'm thinking Clinchmore, TN. Once we get there all we can do is try not to die and hope for the best.

What is it Good For? Jania Stevenson

Obviously war is never good. Many innocent people are killed and things are destroyed, but sometimes violence may be necessary. If a country is attacked, you must retaliate. You never know if it is a single attack planned, or if there will be multiple attacks so you can't just sit there and possibly let more innocent civilians be harmed. But when you think about it, why would a country need to attack another country anyway? There are other ways to solve problems. And if that country is really important to you, like with resources and other things, you'll probably try your best not to ruin your relationship, especially with something like killing it's people. Sometimes you need to make a point, like when you curse or yell during an argument; show that you mean business. But there are also nonviolent ways to do that. So in my opinion war may be necessary at times, but it can actually be avoided before it even needs to be used.

BOO! -Chelsea Southworth

So, there’s a zombie apocalypse occurring? Awesome.

Step 1: Call Sam and Dean Winchester and make them get their zombie-killing butts to me as quickly as possible.

Step 2: Find somewhere safe to stay, and get there fast. A cabin in the woods would be ideal, but anywhere isolated or on high ground would work. If I’m not sure what kind of supplies the safe house has, I’ll bring all of the essentials with me: canned foods (and a can opener), water, first aid kits, a radio, and all-weather appropriate clothing (who knows how long I’ll be there). The Winchesters will take care of transportation and weaponry.

Step 3: Reenact Les Mis and build a barricade. There should be a way out, but not one that the zombies could find, like a secret tunnel. Otherwise, board up everything and make the house impenetrable.

Step 4: Listen to the radio for news, but otherwise become a hermit, leaving the house only to go on supply runs.

Step 5: Try not to die.

BOO! -Hans Stromberg

Zombies are attacking and now you must survive. Hey, look on the bright side; you don't have to go to school anymore because it's every man for themselves. (Unless you group up). Anyway, if this zombie invasion is anything like the movies, the zombie outbreak is always in a major city like San Francisco or New York, so you have time on your hands because what zombie in its right mind would want to come to Lexington, KY? The best option would be to hop on the next flight to Hawaii (I'm assuming zombies can't swim thousands of miles.) and find a nice golf course to live on. I would just let the zombies take over the continental United States while I live in paradise in Hawaii. On the unfortunate chance you can't hop on a plane to Hawaii, by this point in time, you are most likely already a zombie now, so go do whatever zombies do and enjoy your never ending undead life.

BOO- Lucy Wan

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: PLAN G.G.G.

1. GATHER
Find all possibly useful materials. Grab all non-perishable foods and cooking essentials; a pot, a pan, possibly a small camping stove. Make sure to have plenty of water/other liquids to stay hydrated. Also bring proper clothing and necessary personal items. Dress in layers that are easy to move in, but adaptable for the weather. Thicker materials, such as leather, are recommended as they are harder to bite through. Arm yourself. Improvise items into weapons until you can be properly armed. A shovel? Bash a zombie in the head. An Ax? Decapitate a zombie. Guns, although useful in an emergency, are the equivalent of ringing a dinner bell in a zombie-populated area. Close combat weapons make much less noise and are equally effective, just aim for the brain. Make sure you have enough materials to maximize your chances of survival. You'll want to travel light, but still be prepared.

2. GROUP
Stick together. While you don't want to be caught by zombies simply because you aren't moving fast enough, there is truth to the saying "safety in numbers". By sticking in a group, you'll be able to attack smaller zombie mobs if necessary and combine resources to increase survival chances. Within your group, assign tasks to each member based on their skills. This will allow your group to remain mobile and efficient.

3. GET THE HECK OUT
Most likely, the zombie outbreak will be due to a virus and spread through biting. Keeping the relatively slow-moving pace of zombies, the best plan of action is to leave the affected area as quickly as possible. Air travel is optimal as zombies will remain on the ground and cannot disturb you. However, as most people will not have access to a plane or helicopter, traveling by car will be the optimal choice. Leave quickly. Roads will soon become congested and especially vulnerable to zombie attack. Drive fast and stay alert. The last thing you want is to become trapped in a car with an oncoming zombie mob. Keep an eye out for mobs while moving as fast as you can. Drive to larger cities/higher ground. If you know a city has not yet been infected, get there as soon as possible. Most major cities will be barricaded so it is imperative to be within the city before this happens. If you cannot make it to a larger city, move to higher ground. Elevation will give you the advantage against a zombie mob and it will also make it easier to spot groups of zombies. Move fast, stay alert, and be prepared.

BOO!- Rachel Hart

So it  finally happened. Zombies are all around. What caused the outbreak or more importantly how do you stop it? Any successful plan begins with reminding yourself not to freak out (this works in the movies, right?). After you've taken that moment, you realize that you are going to need supplies. Those doomsday preppers aren't so crazy now. Since you procrastinated, it's you against them in the battle for your life. All odds are against you. You peek out the window attempting to not be seen, and notice that there are no zombies in sight. You slowly and carefully move out your window and down the street heading for the nearest superstore. Oh, silly you forgot to bring anything to protect you and now there is a pair of zombies on your heals. You quickly dash out of the way and find an alley to duck into. Lucky for you there are other survivors here. Desperately, you beg for their mercy and request that they allow you to take refuge here. Without hesitation they allow you in. You've hit the jackpot and they are stocked up on everything you could ever need. You decide to camp out here and see what comes next..

What is it good for?- Lucy Wan

War is a necessary evil.

While I am certainly an advocate for peace, there comes a time where war is inevitable. When a nation refuses to cooperate, when human lives are put at stake through non-action, or when peace negotiations have been exhausted, war is the best option for the sake of maintaining a structure within the world. Although war is sometimes the right choice it comes at a great cost. The nations fighting, the civilians within the war zone and the lives that war touches are all victims of the consequences of fighting. Yet, despite the cost of going to war, it is the worlds duty to ensure that the lives of the greater are secured by the lives of the few. War is gruesome. It is destructive, harmful, and painful. But, we as citizens of not only our countries but of the world must realize that some wars must be fought. From the wreckage of battle grows new hope. From the terror of war grows new peace. And from the fight of nations grows new balance.

BOO- Zac Byrd

Good luck surviving with a bunch of zombies running around.  They are dead creatures that walk slow but don’t stop no matter what, except for fires.  I can’t shoot a zombie because even though it may slow them down they are already dead. And I can’t run away from a zombie forever, especially if there’s a monstrous amount of them (monstrous, monsters, zombies, get it? J ). 

This leaves fire as one of my better options.  To make this happen I need a place high enough so that I can see all the zombies coming from any direction.  Somewhere like a hill or a mountain would be ideal.  This spot would need to be ready beforehand as a self-sustaining asylum.  It needs to be stored with food, be near a water source, and be near a place able to grow food.  I then would have to create a massive bonfire around my house.   With all the zombies walking around it can’t just last for a couple days, it needs to last for at least a couple weeks.   I would have to have firewood all ready to go, extra gases, torches, followed by a massive amount of zombies acsending to my house.  The zombies would be the fuel to my fire and after awhile they’d know not to come to my house.  Sadly this is the best I can think of, so I wouldn’t try being near me during a zombie attack.  In other words, good luck surviving.

BOO - Jasa Harris

Amber alerts are just awful. Whenever one is signaled over the radio and TV it just seems like everything is frozen and all this chaos is happening around you and soon something is going to come and suck you up in a black hole or something- it freaks me out. Whenever that siren sounds I instantly become nervous. And then on top of that scary sound the voice that follows with all the details is alarming. It reminds me of Orville Redenbacher and his old commercials which I hate because it’s just weird and disturbing that this dead, old guy is selling popcorn. The voice and siren combined seem like some kind of voodoo wanting to take your soul by forcing you to pay attention to them. It’s good to try and get the message out to the public to try and save someone, but they don’t have to make the alerts so scary. After hearing one I just want to hide because I feel that something bad is going to happen to me. I understand that the message is urgent and all, but it doesn’t have to be so frightening. 

#7 This day in history

On October 22nd, 2008 Itunes reached 200 million application downloads. iTunes started the electronic downloading era and revolutionized music, videos and applications forever. Artists make so much money off of iTunes and it has changed the way music has been sent all throughout the world. Application making companies have also skyrocketed because of the app store. Anyone can make an app and put it on the itunes store and make money from it. The popularity of apps changes so much that there will always be something new becoming the best app. Hundreds of thousands of apps are downloaded each day and many of them make thousands every day. An app does not take that much money to produce and after it is made, it is just copied and after that it is straight profit. Now that everyone has iPhone's the number of 200 million has probably doubled by now! And in no time, that number will reach 1 billion.

Blog #10 BOO: Erin Holbrook

So ZOMBIES are attacking. Great.  Fun. Here's what I do:

1.) The first most important thing in a zombie invasion is not to get eaten or infected. So, the first thing I would do is arm myself against zombies. That means layering up in all the shin pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards from sports as a kind that hopefully still fit as bit protection. Thick magazines and duct-tape can also be used to improvise armor against the un-dead.

2.)After armor comes weapons. I've got a lacrosse stick and a bibi gun: not much help. I would probably want to make a supply run for weapons, as early in the invasion as possible, before it hits Lexington. A handgun, a rifle, and a flamethrower would suffice. Flamethrower would be best, considering I don't know how to aim anything, and there's a substantially smaller margin for error with a continuous streak of flame.

3.) The next thing anyone needs in the apocalypse, once they've survived it, it food, water, and shelter. For this it is best to go into the most remote area possible, somewhere high up and easily defended. Hopefully somewhere with a few other capable humans who actually know how to shoot a gun. I'd probably go out towards the mountains, stopping for supplies on the way wherever it seems safe.

4.) Now we wait. I stay in my little fort and let the zombies destroy their own food supply and slowly die. In the meanwhile, I do everything I can with the goal of NOT dying. A lot of improvisation is likely involved.

5.) Assuming I've survived this long, which really isn't likely, it is eventually time to start fighting back. The zombies are running out of food, meanwhile the human survivors are becoming faster and smarter. We take the fight to them, overwhelming small groups and joining up with other survivors. Eventually we dominate the planet once again. And we all live happily ever after. Until the aliens...

Blog #9 Erin Holbrook

One could argue that there is never a time for war. One would have a good argument. War is nothing but destructive. Thousands are killed in conflict. Resentments over a war lead to dangerous conflict for several years to come. And rarely, if ever, is the end result a positive solution to the initial problem. The bigger group with the most guns wins. Not the right group, not the smart group, not even the group representing the majority of a population.

What does it say about an advanced civilization that we still solve disputes with war? To decide who is in the right, to decide who deserves to make the rules, we say who is best at forcing the other to comply? We live in a civilization that comprehends why war is wrong. We know that logic, reasoning, and compromise is the better route to solving a dispute. We have the academic and technological abilities to replace the primitive war with better problem solving methods- at least in theory. Yet war is still the primary way to get things done. Want a change of power? Fight for it. Rebels dispute my rule? Fight them. Still the budget for warfare is the most demanding and least disputed aspect of the US National Government. We become more and more advanced and nothing changes.

If it were as easy as it sounds to end all war, we probably would have done it. In fact we've tried. One treaty- the Kellogg Briand Pact- was signed in the 1900's as a declaration to end all war. Many countries signed it. The treaty was just a promise though, and promises are easily broken. It wasn't long before someone did go to war and the treaty became worthless. We also tried to create the League of Nations and it's more successful replacement the United Nations. Today people across the world are much more at peace than they once were, and diplomacy is often used. But war still persists, as there will always be someone who can't or won't operate by diplomacy, and attempts force instead.

So while a world without war sounds wonderful, there will probably never be a time for it here on earth. Solving problems by force is human nature, from playground squabbles to everything else. That isn't going to change anytime soon, however much we might hope for it.

Assignment 11- Do you know your neighbor?- Karl Werner

I sit next to Zach Wolfe in English class. I met him back when I switched schools in seventh grade and, after a while, we became good friends. On a superficial level, he's a tall guy who's pretty good at soccer when he's not getting red-carded. As a person, Zach is highly intelligent, extremely unmotivated, competitive, great at math, and terrible at fantasy football. Seriously, he is the Khloe Kardashian of fantasy football. I would say Zach is similar to a sloth, because he is extremely lazy and doesn't do any of his work. He could also be seen as a kangaroo because he jumps really high. He is not a wolf. His last name is Wolfe. I'm not going to be that basic. Zach is the color red, because Georgia is red and he loves Georgia, and also red is the color of violence. Zach can be really violent sometimes. In all honestly he's fairly calm these days; I just have 'Nam flashbacks of our bus rides in seventh grade. Being as both our last names start with W, we're grouped together more often than not, and because of that we've become close friends (no, not really because of that). Zach is a funny, smart, lazy guy who's great to pass time with in class and on the weekends (as long as its not for a group project...). I'm very happy our last names fall so close together.

8 Alexander Reese

Fears: rejection, failing, disappointing people

Annoyances: stupid people, pop music

Accomplishments: not many to be honest

Confusions: US History

Sorrows: failed relationships, not working out

Dreams: not to be scrawny, wealthy, happy

Idiosyncrasies: nerd, weird

Risks: strange parasailing kind of rig in Mexico

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: video games (now and then)

Problems: doormat 

    What's a doormat? Something (or someone) everyone walks over without thinking twice about. A doormat isn't going to get up and say "Hey! You can't do that any more!" A doormat will always be passive, never taking what it wants or being a leader every now and then. I tend to exhibit this sort of behavior unfortunately. I don't particularly know what it is that makes me feel I don't need to stand up for myself, it's just become a part of me. Maybe it's a fear of other people or disappointing them. Maybe it just gives me something to whine about. I don't know why, but I just can't (won't?) do anything sometimes. For example, my first girlfriend was a horribly controlling person, and when I tried to do something other than talk to her, she threw a horrible fit. Another example being my favorite game. It has a chat for communicating with your teammates, and it is imperative you coordinate. A good portion of the time however, people just use it to rage at teammates. Almost always, I just sit quietly and try not to let it happen again.

9 Alexander Reese

     War seems to be an eternal plague throughout human history. Very VERY rarely does the entire world experience a time of global peace. But sometimes, in order to defeat monsters, we must be willing to become monsters. For example, if no one decided to stop Hitler (they waited quite a long time to do anything and that didn't work out very well for Europe), he would've captured all of Europe and become virtually unstoppable. If we didn't challenge him, he would be left free to create his master race. As long as people are unreasonable and greedy, war will always be around. War is better than doing nothing, but not necessarily always justified. The morality of a war depends on why it started, because sometimes stopping something like genocide is worth going to war. Could we really sit around and do nothing while something already costing human lives is continuing unabated?

My Subject Chose Me- Cassie Adams

Fears: Not being good enough, being alone 

Annoyances: People who use the incorrect forms of your/you're and there/their/they're, people who ask questions they could easily find the answers to themselves, inconsiderate/disrespectful people 

Accomplishments: the Academy, passing all the AP tests I've taken 

Confusions: What I want to do with my life (college, career, etc.)

Sorrows: So much to do, so little time 

Dreams:  Have a job that I am successful at and that I also enjoy doing, traveling the world

Idiosyncrasies: Always sleeping with the fan on in my room so that it is cold to the point that I have to use like at least five blankets, picking off my nail polish, somehow managing to be really organized and messy at the same time 

Risks: I don't take them 

Beloved Possessions: phone, my grandmother's necklace

Problems: Being so indecisive, overthinking, procrastinating 

I was sitting here writing this blog post and I couldn't choose which topic to elaborate on and that's when I decided that the root of all of my problems is my indecisiveness. I thought about discussing the things that annoy me because that's a pretty long list and, let's face it, who doesn't want to go on a 150 word rant about the things that they hate? And then I thought about talking about my desire to take risks and how I usually talk myself out of doing things for fear of the consequences. And then I thought I might write about how I have no clue what I want to do with my life or my career or what I want to be and where I want to go and want I want to do. And I then then I realized that all of this comes back to me being indecisive. I am always in conflict with myself. I never know exactly what I want and I am constantly changing my mind. And I'm not quite sure whether or not it's an entirely bad thing. 

Assignment 10: BOO - Updated

ZOMBIES HAVE ATTACKED. Detail your survival plan.

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.

OR

In the vein of David Sedaris write an observational humorist piece related to your daily life: school, home, social, etc.  (don't be mean)

Happy Halloween!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, October 27th at 11:59 pm

#10 BOO Haley Longworth

There are a few things that never fail to scare me: needles, tornadoes, and any of your typical "scary" haunted houses/trails. First off, I can't remember a time I haven't been scared of getting a needle shoved into me. The anticipation, the small stab, the sliding out, and the dull pain afterward. It is gross, painful, and I always freak out! What makes it even worse is that I have to get at least one shot per year, even though I always beg not to. Second is tornadoes, although I have never actually seen/experienced one in real life. Just the thought of one ripping away my house and carrying away my family is scary enough to me. Third is haunted houses. I refuse to go through a haunted house to experience the thrill and adrenaline rush from being scared. It is not appealing to me and I know it will affect me longer than just the walk through the house. I'll have to check outside the shower curtain to make sure there is not a clown waiting for me when I get out, and I'll have to sleep completely under the covers so I won't open my eyes to find an evil creature staring back at me. I just can't do it. A week or two ago I travelled an hour and a half to a haunted house with a few friends (Olivia Dixon was there) trying to muster up the courage to go in, but I ended up standing outside chatting with the police officer. Not only did I not pee my pants, I also saved a few dollars. These three things are not all of my fears, but they are the ones I was able to think of most quickly, so they must be pretty scary to me.

What is it good for?

War, what is it good for? Well as Edwin Starr would say its good for “Absolutely nothing”.  Take a look at our most destructive war for example, World War two. Its legacy consists of the dead millions, the razed cities, the broken countries, and the loss of an entire generation of bright young individuals. With so much death and destruction, as well as the atrocities committed by the Nazis, it is hard not to take Starr’s mentality. Death on that scale would have ripped through the hearts of families world wide causing pain and sadness on a monumental level. Think about it, for every soldier killed in combat a mother and father lose a son or daughter. With so much pain why would war exist in the first place though? Well as with many things war isn’t all bad and contrary to Edwin Starr war is good for something’s. Even World War 2, with its death filled legacy, was good for a few things. A World War 1 method of making ammonia, a deadly gas, is now used to feed the worlds ever growing population (Haber process). The great depression was supposedly ended by an economic uptick caused by the war drive. After the war was fought, all the soldiers came home to their wives and raised a family, which lead to the baby boomer generation. Finally the most important thing war is good for is deciding who is right. Now I don’t mean right as in who has the most moral and logical argument, I mean “right” as in who has the bigger guns and the better strategy. The people who are “right” win the war and ultimately get to portray how “wrong” the loser was in.  In the end, wars usually start over who is right while the other salutary effects of war come as externalities making question of what is war good for still a legitimate one regardless of what Edwin Starr says.

What is it good for?- Jasa Harris

I don’t like war and I don’t completely understand why war seems to be the answer to many disputes among countries. I just don’t think it’s necessary in many cases. However, I do understand that there are several diverse people in this world and there will always be power-hungry people and because of those two factors war just seems inevitable. I think war should be a last resort. Countries decide to go to war for reasons they consider justifiable. However, wars are often accompanied with loss, grief and destruction- all of which show the negative drawbacks of war, yet these shortcomings aren’t enough to stop war because of our own desires to get what we want and protect what we have.  There may be several who don’t think what is gained from war is enough to compensate for what is lost, but there are several others who disagree. And some may not think someone is morally justified to take another's life, but others may argue that in order to protect their own they often have to, which is why war is so confusing.  I guess it all depends on the circumstances. Overall, war is going to take place I just rather it wouldn’t. 

What is it good for? Hans Stromberg

War is always a touchy subject. No one really wants to answer because either way about half the people in the world are going to hate you. If I were to guess, most people think it is morally okay to go to war, but they would never go out and say that. In all reality most people and I have no authority to call that shot, we have never been in a country at a time of war, let alone fought for our country in a war. We have no idea what the soldiers and their families go through so that is really not our call to make. However, if I was forced to give an answer I would say that there is a time for war and with proper justifications, it is also morally right to go to war. Some people that the world should be happy and everyone should love each other, and world peace will eventually happen, but that's just a bunch of baloney. It's human nature to fight for what you believe in, even if it means going up in arms. If your country is attacked, you fight back; you don't try to make peace because that will never work. The people who attacked you aren't going to magically say, "Wait, you are right, we should just make peace." Instead they are going to keep on attacking you, so the only logical answer is to fight back. I am not just saying that the only time for war is when you are attacked, but there is also a time for war when one's country feels threatened. For instance, if a country says they are going to drop a nuclear bomb on your country, you don't wait for them to do that, you go to war to prevent that from happening. Self-defense is a very proper moral justification for going to war. To continue on with my example, there is no other option besides going to war that makes any logical sense. There is no in between, no alternatives, just countries at war or not at war.

#9- Zac Byrd

There is a small window where a physical war is acceptable.  A war of words is much more acceptable.  The tragedies that follow, the heartbreak that undoubtedly looms ahead, the cries of new widows receiving a dreaded phone call is unimaginable til’ you go through it.  And nobody should have to go through something of that magnitude.  But there are times where it is morally right and is the last resort. 

When a brother can’t get the message across to his sister to stop bugging him after countless years of telling mom and saying stop, other measures are taken to ensure she won’t annoy him for at least a week.  For myself I might try something like a light shove that somehow sends her spiraling across the room.  But that’s just me.  When a country can’t get the message across to stop testing nucs, some measures have to be met.  Not only to ensure the safety of people there but to ensure the safety of our own country.  When a threat is posed, war is not the first option, but should be a fallback plan if negotiations and meetings don’t go well. 

A nation needs to always look out for itself but needs to consider the consequences of war.  People in the other country may not have any say in the actions of their own country so why should they be killed or put under great danger?  Is that fair for a country to involve others that aren’t the problem?  There are times when war is necessary for the country’s own defense and safety of people even at the expense of others. But meetings and peaceful protests are effective.  Ghandi led the most widely known peaceful demonstration and was very effective with changing policy.  Alternatives are always there, but they are very hard to achieve.  And if not organized right, could look more like a joke than an effort for peace.

What is it good for? -Chelsea Southworth

There is no easy answer to this. While clearly the two extremes of always fighting or never fighting are completely impractical in today’s times and not the most morally sound positions (because it’s so easy to think of exceptions to always/never statements), which shade of the grey area is the right one? As for war being justified, it always is – at least from a certain side’s viewpoint. To whoever initiates the war, of course it’s justified to them; why else would they spend all that money and put both their country and their soldiers at risk if it wasn’t? To Hitler, the “war” against the Jews was as reasonable as America’s decision do get involved in Vietnam a world away. The point is, anything can be justified depending on which side you look at. However, just because it’s justified doesn’t mean it’s right. Personally, I don’t think you can make a hard and fast rule with something as complicated as warfare; each case must be considered carefully and independently to come to the best decision possible. 

#9 What is it good for?-Rachel Hart

I believe that war is unnecessary. Why should people be killing others in order to settle whatever dispute has arisen? Killing another person to solve any conflict in the United States is considered illegal and can be prosecuted for. However, when it comes to settling a foreign conflict, war and violence are typically a solution. Some governments, ours included, believe that it is right to plunge their countries into warfare against another country to settle an injustice against another. These governments in this situation feel that they are protecting the lesser man against the stronger country when they go to war. But is this any way to make a lasting change? Or does this simply cause a larger problem? If country A goes to war against country B as an action of protection for that country’s opposition (the lesser country that has been treated wrongly, country C), what is stopping country B from treating country A the same way? By involving themselves in a war against country B, Country A could be causing an even bigger problem not only for their country but for many other countries too. So the necessity for war may not be a real necessity. As we all learned in elementary school, violence is never the answer. If war equals violence, then war is never the answer either.

BOO - Kyle Luo

Ahh zombie survival. This has been popularized in modern culture (World War Z, The Walking Dead, The Last of Us) and a post apocalyptic world is quite commonly the subject of movies, video games, TV shows, etc. I've always been terrified to think of being in a situation involving a zombie takeover, but at the same time is has fascinated me. From my first hand experience of surviving zombie invasions, I believe that I have come up with a not-so foolproof plan for survival. The primary key to surviving a zombie apocalypse seems to be staying on the move, which makes sense. If you stay in one location, the chance of being overrun by zombies is higher than if you stayed out in the open and moved constantly. However, others have been able to create a safe haven from zombies (see The Walking Dead), and have established a crude form of society. I believe that if possible and if given the ideal conditions, establishing a fortress would be ideal, but in the case of an actual apocalypse I believe it unlikely to be gifted these circumstances. The other number one way to survive a zombie apocalypse is weaponry. In order to survive a zombie invasion, you must have several ways to defend yourself and you must be prepared to use them all. Guns are obviously an ideal weapon because of their ability to mow down legions of the undead, and should thus be prioritized. However, the loud sounds will attract other zombies. In cases of isolated zombies, a weapon such as a knife/sword would be the weapon of choice.

Assignment #10 BOO- Karl Werner

There have been countless movies on zombie survival, each allowing a select few characters to survive. Their survival comes down to different things: a immunity gene, inhuman skill, teamwork, and sometimes luck. The only way to survive a zombie apocalypse in real life is the last of those. Luck. There is no solid "survival plan." Stocking up on food and water and fortifying barriers is a mediocre option. These anti-siege tactics are designed with one crucial flaw: they can only be successful if those inside the barrier with the supplies can outlast the siege-rs. With zombies, this is not a likely outcome. Running to the gun store and similar tactics will also get you killed. Ideas like these are the epitome of unoriginal, and a thousand other people will try them too.  You'll get caught up in a massive crowd. And what happens when you get caught in a crowd in the middle of a zombie outbreak? You dieeeee. As for hyper-human capabilities, unless one of you is an undercover, genetically-enhanced secret agent, this is the least realistic option of survival. the only option for survival left is to be an outlier. To survive, you have to do something drastically different from the crowd (or get lucky, or both). My plan would be to just gamble, do something outside-the-box, and pray for a little luck. I would probably go to a nature reserve or a similar site and just try to wait it out. A lack of humans means a lack of zombies. Also, animals would act as a sort of early warning system. There would plenty of water, game, and plants, and many of these resources would be renewable. Crude tools would be fairly simple to create. In conclusion, my strategy is basically to be different and pray the rabbits let me know a zombie is nearby.

#6 Create your own Rhoman James

rWhat inherent rules do you live by? How does this change you as a person? What are your post graduatory plans? Why are these your plans? If you could live anywhere after you retire where would it be and why? One thing I will not do is steal. When I was younger my mom always emphasized how bad stealing was. All of my friends would just go to the store and steal candy, and it looked so easy! I know that I could've done it and got away with it, but at that time I thought of what God was going to do to me more than anything. I would believe every word that the pastor told me when I went to church with my cousins. I'm glad I had that mindset when I was younger because it kept me out of trouble when I was younger. My whole family has intentions to start a business and we already have. I started a clothing line that was pretty widespread throughout the school last year, my sister is a photographer and sells her art, my mom is planning on starting a gelato shop soon, and my dad owns a barbershop, started a barber college and is in the process of buying another barbershop in the idle hour shopping center. I want to start a restaurant on campus in college, while im studying psychology. After I'm done studying I'd like to focus on my psychology degree and have someone to run the restaurant for me. I like to be in charge of myself and make my own rules. If I could live anywhere I would live in either Hawaii or Miami. I like the weather in those places and I love to be at the beach. I want to have businesses running in Lexington while I'm relaxing wherever I live, so that I can never go broke. Also if I lived in Florida my kids could focus on football and maybe I could even get a coaching job, if I play in college or something. I just want me and my family to live comfortably

#8 Rhoman James

Fears- Dying young, drawing blood, heights. Annoyances- Liars, hypocrites, people with power being unfair Confusion- Science, politics, the universe Sorrows- Knowing that I could die any day, not having a clear understanding of God. Dreams- To be rich and live comfortably Idiosyncrasies- I'm not a good reader and I love working with and talking about money. Risks- I try not to take many Beloved possessions- laptop, family, my headphones Problems- I always procrastinate and I always put off homework to the last minute. I've had many peers during my high school career die. One in particular was my God brother who recently transferred from Bryan Station, Patrick Puckett. Me and Patrick had talked so much about this future. He was always talking about football and was going to be one of the best players in the state this year. He never would've expected to have been shot before his senior season, and no one else did either! I cannot imagine him in that situation, in the brink of life or death. I know that he wasn't one to press the limitations of God, but he would do anything to protect what's his. This just makes me think of what's ahead though. I just want to live safely with enough money so that I can live comfortably and take care of my family to where I can provide them with anything they need. I don't want to grow up too fast but since I feel myself getting older, I just have to adapt and mature before everyone else. All I want to do right now is get money and when I can stop worrying, everything will fall into place.

Assignment 9: What is it good for?

Genocide in Sudan

North Korea testing nuclear weapons

Iran creating nuclear weapons
Egypt
Syria

Terrorism

Injustices and threats surround so many lives in this world. When injustices or threats progress to dangerous and harmful levels though, it seems logical for war to come into play as a way to combat the situation. . .or is it?  The conservative Christian group known as the Mennonites believes that war (violence) is never appropriate.

Is there a time for war?

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

If there isn't a time, why not?

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

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

Due Sunday, October 20th at 11:59 pm

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:

Fears: drowning, loosing family in catastrophe

Annoyances: rudeness, expecting fairness in this world

Accomplishments: still being married, being a dad my children want to be around

Confusions: inequity (different than fairness)

Sorrows: anger management, weight, (totally working on both but to be honest "weight" is harder than "anger" 'cause food is goooooooood)

Dreams: retirement, travel,

Idiosyncrasies: nerd, paper/pencil RPG (redundant?)

Risks: pilot's license (want), jumped out of an airplain (did)

Beloved Possessions: comic books (then), friendships (now- i know, cheesy)

Problems: 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. I discovered I had an anger management problem when I realized that I was taking out my frustrations on my family. . . .). 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 13th at 11:59 pm

My Subject Chose Me Jania Stevenson

I was afraid of almost everything when I was younger. Heights,scary movies, drowning, and confined spaces were pretty big fears, but my biggest fear back then was bugs, and that's a fear I still have today. I can handle most bugs nowadays though, but there's just one bug I can't seem to not be afraid of, and that's the cave cricket. If you don't know what they are, I'm sure you'll be afraid of them too once you look them up. They're always in my house and they're just so gross looking. They're legs are unnaturally long and they hop super fast! And once you're actually able to catch them you have to hit them two or three times in order for them to actually die. A couple times in the past they've shown up in my room, but I can't kill them because I'm  afraid that they will hop on me, so I end up having to sleep on the couch. I can actually kill them myself now, but I still freak out whenever I see one crawling around.

My Subject Chose Me- Lucy Wan

Fears: being inadequate, not being able to figure out what I really want to do in life
Annoyances: ignorance, rudeness, wobbly chairs
Accomplishments: being happy, taking on more responsibility
Confusions: prejudice
Sorrows: lack of self-motivation
Dreams: to find a career that I love, travel
Idiosyncrasies: I bounce my legs up and down all the time (yes, I know it's annoying, sorry)
Risks: the entirety of my bucket list
Beloved Possessions: childhood blanket- then, laptop-now (it's the truth; I cannot fathom living without it)
Problems: procrastination

I'm not scared of dying. I'm not scared of being hurt or killed. What scares me is disappointment. More intimidating than the black void after dying, disappointment is the black void during life. I am oftentimes insecure in who I am and what what I want to do. There's always a sense of inadequacy whenever I attempt new things. "Am I good enough?". "Do I have what it takes?". "What happens if I fail?". Being in high school with specific goals I must achieve and the pressure of my parents amplifies this sense of impending failure. There always seems to be the question of whether I am going to fail this time. Whether I can actually live up to my potential, or crash and burn in the process. So yes, I'm scared. Quite frankly, I'm terrified. Life has somehow become this circle of hope, despair, self-destruction, and eventual achievement. Although I seemingly always end up at my goal, the path that I took is filled with doubt and disappointment. It's a vicious, vicious cycle, but somehow I still can't break it.

Will Atkins-My Subject Chooses Me

Fears: Failing, Death.
Annoyances: Dumb people, too much noise
Confusions: The continuation of the two party system in America, long stop lights
Sorrows: Going to The Lexington School, having long hair
Dreams: Being a billionaire, end up on TV
Idiosyncrasies: Ridiculing other on the verge of being cruel, not smiling
Risks: Driving, walking in rough neighborhoods.
Beloved Posessions: Now- My car, my phone.
Then- My gameboy, my basketball
Problems: my college decision, motivation

While many seniors speculate what they will be doing with the next four years of their lives, many juniors begin this process that is oh so grueling. This causes many of us to answer difficult-to-answer questions like, "Do you want to go to a big or small school?" "What region of the country are you thinking of?" This causes many of us young and indecisive children to panic. These are one of the biggest problems of kids our age. My one, "thing," that I have going for me is my running. I have contacted coaches through my cross-country and track abilities. This has helped me enormously in my need to narrow down my choices. While this does help my situation, my problem still exists. That is why my problem is my college decision. Plain and simple

My Subject Chose Me- Chelsea Southworth

Fears: Failing, not doing anything important
Annoyances: Stupid people, people who ask about/judge my opinions and don't let me explain them, people who walk slow
Accomplishments: Grades, test scores, leadership, NaNoWriMo, surviving junior year (so far)
Confusions: Why people are so prejudiced and judgmental
Sorrows: All the people I want to meet are British and/or fictional, the wanton animal cruelty that occurs every day
Dreams: Meeting said British/fictional people, living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and studying bonobos for a living
Idiosyncrasies: Fangirling and all the flailing, squealing, and gushing that comes with it (seriously, watch out when fangirl mode activates)
Risks: Does joining a new fandom count? Doing NaNoWriMo is fairly risky as well
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Now: My TIP termbook and lanyards, my flashdrive Then: I love my stuffed golden lab (his name was Heartley. It came with him)
Problems: TIPression (ie the sinking, eternal pit of depression (no joke) that follows leaving the most amazing summer camp/family ever (TIP) and knowing you can never go back)

NaNoWriMo came up twice (so did TIP, but that’s way too emotional to even think about writing about), so I guess we’ll go with that. This year, I’m undertaking something I’ve never tried before: worldbuilding. I’m creating an entire new world, with not one but three separate nations that will be included. What follows is a brief description of one of the great trading cities in my favorite land, which is tentatively called Allahalea (uh-lah-huh-lay-uh).

Even squinting through the sheersilk veil K’hallama had given her, with the sands whipping around her face, the city was not hard to miss. The wall was massive, and the great spiraling towers and domed palaces rose even above that, yet it was not the sheer size that drew her eyes; it was the color. The wall itself was nothing special, made of the red-brown rock that she’d seen so much on her way there, but the tops of the buildings within were like nothing she’d ever seen, glittering with the colors of more gemstones and metals than she could name. It was clear even from afar that this was no blocky, grey-stoned city of her homeland; this was a city that gleamed with wealth, and was not afraid to let the world see its prosperity.

#9 Haley Longworth

I believe there are times when a country should go to war, but it is not always a feasible solution. Countries are responsible to go to war when citizens of that country are being threatened or harmed by other parts of the world. There are also times when a country should not go to war, like when the threat is not from a country but rather a group. Terrorism could go either way. If a country's government had its citizens commit  terrorist acts on another country it would call for war, but if it was a small group from that nation you could not call for war because it was not harm coming from the country, but instead a radical group. Overall, war does not always seem like a good thing, but it can help countries get past a difficult situation, and is sometimes necessary when citizens of a country are being harmed.

#8 Haley Longworth

Fears: tornadoes, bugs, losing someone I love, throwing up, needles
Annoyances: when people ask me questions I don't know the answer to, too much noise, mean people
Confusions: Government, four way stops
Sorrows: Sad animal commercials, too much homework
Dreams: healthy, hunger-free world; world peace; marry someone I love; nutritionist
Idiosyncrasies: I have to smell new foods before I eat them
Risks: went to a haunted house but didn't go in, driving
Beloved possessions:
Now- phone, family rings, debit card, Bible, house, clothes, purse
Then- Bible, my favorite little cheetah print purse, crystal earrings
Problems: time management, motivation, patience


Health is such an important factor in our lives because it affects how we feel and look. Throughout time and across the world people have been able to survive with many different diets based on their resources and the world around them, whether they ate mainly animals and dairy, or mainly fruits and vegetables. The difference between the cultures that eat what they have access to and America is that the Standard American Diet consists of a lot of unnatural processed foods and chemicals that are harmful to our bodies, and even the earth around us. Another devastating difference is how we prepare meat in the US. We feed the animals huge amounts of grains and even scraps of other animals that they weren't meant to eat. If the animals were to eat grass and herbs that they were meant to consume, there would be much more food to feed the rest of the world, and Americans would be significantly healthier. This focus on natural ways of eating would reduce the amount of chemicals and pesticides used in our foods today, and the world would be a better place. I think that if everyone ate nutritious, invigorating, full-of-life, natural foods the world would be a better place because of the positive affects everyone would experience.

My Subject Chooses Me- Rachel Hart

Fears: Failure, bees (or any other insect that could sting me), passing out

Annoyances: people who stop suddenly in front of me when I’m walking, people who let their dog’s poop on my yard, BBC Mundo, and my brother

Accomplishments: State Senior Animal Science Demo champion, State Senior Consumer and Financial Education Champion, Judy Ellis Lawless Award Winner

Confusions: the future (even as early as tomorrow), what to put for these lists

Sorrows: not enough time in the day, accident proneness

Dreams: Travel outside of the United States, Travel to every state before I’m fifty, Get a NOC title with my dog

Idiosyncrasies: Sticking my tongue out when I’m deep in thought

Risks: Repelling a building, skydiving

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: Now- My dog; Then- my toy rabbit

Problems: Procrastination, memory, getting enough sleep, over thinking things

Melissophobia is the fear of bees or bee stings. Bees. A common fear among people is a fear that I too possess. When I was eight years old I would brag that I had never been stung by a bee. I would constantly watch my step and be paralyzed in fear whenever one would come near. Then one day when playing in my grandmother’s yard I decided to walk across the yard barefoot. HUGE mistake. I stepped on a honey bee. With tears welling up in my eyes and the bee still securely stuck in my foot I ran as fast as I could back to the house. It hurt worse than anything my eight year old self had ever felt. Then in the coming days as it turned purple, then green, and finally black, my fear grew even stronger.

Three years later, hiking at girl’s week, it all happened again. Four of us got stung as we hiked up the trail. The annoying little thing got me in the side of the hand. My first instinct was to turn and smack the hand into the girl behind me. Had I been thinking straight I would have never hit the poor girl but I was overcome with pain. To this day, I’m still afraid of bees. I still stand as still as I can when a bee comes near or move out the way. I hate bees. I don’t think that it’s a fear I will ever out grow.

I chose my subject #8 Jack Humphries

Fears- The future, that I’m inadequate, and spiders (I hate them with a passion).

Annoyances- Being ignored, people who feel entitled, and stupid people.

Accomplishments- I manage to amuse myself daily (Not too difficult to accomplish I guess).

Confusion- Justice, the universe, and language in general.

Sorrows- That I am confused about ^^^. Also that I can’t always get what I want.

Dreams (Aspirations?)- To remembered.

Idiosyncrasies- I am a terrible speller, and I love math.

Risks-  I’m a terrible driver, and yet I still get behind the wheel regularly.

Beloved Possessions- My family, my consciousness, (now and then) and my Gameboy (then)

Problems- Procrastination, my laziness, and soon I’ll have a billion college applications to write.

Humans naturally fear change and the future. We fear the unknown; the only thing we know for certain is the present, so naturally we fear the changing winds of the future. But I fear spiders.

 I fear spiders because I see them, with their eight eyes and legs crawling about, and a little alarm bell starts going off in my brain. My heart beat rises, I get a crazed look in my eyes and I then usually use my time honored fight or flight response to gauge whether I should flatten the creepy little git or simply run screaming like A little girl. Most of the time I run for it.

Even though the future and spiders are nothing alike, humans have evolved to appreciate the two with a good helping of terror. This is because both the future and spiders pose a threat to us.  For example, imagine this, you are the happiest person who has ever lived. In this moment you feel saturated with joy; right now you are so ecstatic with your life that you feel as though your heart could burst. So a black widow crawls up, bites you, and your heart fails in 15 minutes flat. This example , although a dramatization, represents the fact that every day content satisfied people become less and less happy. The future is a gamble in this sense, things can get better, or things can get worse. What is really depressing about the future is that one-day, we will all get old and die. And what is after death? Well nobody knows; to us mortals, what follows death is the biggest unknown in history. This fear of death is where our fear of spiders and the future manifests itself.

Often times the fear of death drives us humans to try and immortalize ourselves, whether it’s through religion, or history. For example in Christianity the ideas of heaven and hell help to prove to us that our time on earth wasn’t meaningless. If we are good humans while we live, then heaven promises us an eternity of deathless joy among those we love. If we are bad humans while we live, then hell/purgatory will punish us in a fair and just way so that we may eventually make it to heaven. In no modern religion is the idea that when we die, we cease to exist popular. Although religion provides immortality for some, others believe history to be the one true path to immortality. Although Einstein, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and other historical figures are dead today, we still care about what them. Their ability to stay relevant millenniums after dying shows how powerful history can be at preserving ones life. To be remembered by historians though, you have to have affected the course of humanity. This is where my 3^rd and final fear arises. What if I waste away my life, never doing anything significant? What if I reach the end of my life, and I have nothing to show for my toil, nothing to be remembered by. This is my greatest fear, and my greatest motivator. Even though death is permanent and terrifying, my achievements and my contributions to humanity could make me immortal in the pages of history.