Somewhere in the Universe Jonathon Humphries

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe is the key. It’s not the key to a door, unless that door leads to understanding, and it’s not a key to a lock, unless that lock is ignorance. The key isn’t singular in a location, unless you count everywhere as a single location, and it isn’t real in the sense that it exists. To explain, every action is the result of another action; Nothing will continue to be nothing and every change must come from change its self. This is how our universe functions on scales grand to minute. In better understanding these mechanisms we can deduce that everything happens for a reason. Not the spiritual “bad things happen for good reasons” bull, but merely because they have to. The universe acts and is most accurately through math (even if we have a nasty habit of approximating everything). As surely as 1+1 = 2, the universe obeys constant laws and functions as an oversized equation. As bleak as this seems, because it reduces every thing down to cold hard numbers and facts, it is the key to everything. If we knew everything there was to know about everything, then we could predict, without error, anything. We could see into the future with clarity and describe the past and present without a second guess. This key, as I stated above, doesn’t exist though. This is an unfortunate by product of the fact that we live in this universe. We are part of the equation, and we have swum too long in ignorance for us to clear the muddied waters of our pond. This is why we approximate; this is why we will never know everything about everything, or even everything about something. This is why we remained shackled by ignorance and lock out from understanding. The fact that we live in a universe with a key keeps us from ever wielding it for our betterment.

Sorry for the Crushing Mr. Logsdon- A How To by Jonathon Humphries

            Although not as popular as flappy bird or as addicting as clash of clans, candy crush is an entertaining and habit forming game.            When the need to “crush” arises during your daily dose of English you may feel the need to refrain so that you may listen and pay attention. Well I’m here to help you overcome this urge to forgo candy crush in attempt to read and write “gooder” English.

How to play candy crush in English class

1.     You must have 3 basic things in order to play Candy Crush in class. You will need a device capable running candy crush, the app candy crush, and most importantly, an English class. Once you have gotten these three things, you are 1 step close to achieving your goal.

2.     Next you need to play candy crush. You should start off with level one and work your way up from there.

-It will start out fun and fast paced, but just wait until you’re hooked and the levels start looking like a helish candy land.

3.     Eventually, once you have become sufficiently addicted to candy crush, you will find it hard to not play for extended periods of time. One of these periods may be your English class and if this is the case play on my friend. Don’t deny yourself the urge to crush in the name of expanding your reading and writing capacities. Crush and crush until you get tired of those infernal multi-colored candies, which will, inevitably, make you want to throw your phone against a wall. Crush to your hearts content because your English teacher doesn’t care (well yeah he kinda does… but you’re paying some attention right?) and because you know you’ll never reach the end. There will always be the next level, always more candy to crush, and always more English that you can avoid learning. That is until you’re told to put away your phone by your teacher who has had enough of your insolent crushing.

-       To avoid any liability, I do not condone the playing of games while in English class. I am not to blame for any phones confiscated by your English teacher while trying to play Candy Crush. This “how to” is merely a reflection of my skills and should not be carried out under any circumstances

End note- If everyone is on their phones playing then Mister Logsdon WILL ban them… so PLEASE don’t ruin English class for me. Oh and to Mister Logsdon, sorry for my habitual crushing.

Assignment 21: Right Now

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe...

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, March 9th at 11:59 pm

Will Atkins-20-How to

Hi! My name is Will Atkins! How are you today? I'm so glad you decided to tune into us today! Today, We'll be discussing....

HOW TO NOT GIVE A CRAP

Step 1: Give a crap.
While some may find this step counterproductive, through my research it can be shown that one cannot fully not give a crap without first comprehending the pain, suffering, and overall stupidity of giving a crap. Not giving a crap does not mean don't care about your grades. That is never the message. It's what people say about those grades that you should not give a crap about. I cannot tell you how many times I've gotten back a math test with anywhere from a 99 to a 92 (An "A") and had my parents not congratulate me but instead ask me, "so what'd you miss?" My thoughts before I started giving a crap? I better study more so I can seek their unachievable approval. This step is necessary for full ability of not giving a crap.

Step 2: Don't give a crap
This step can also be referred to as the, "in-one-ear-out-the-other," technique. Your peers don't like the way you dress? Nod to humor them and go to your happy place. You want to know mine? It's sitting at my computer watching How I Met Your Mother or playing Xbox. Being dead serious. An acquaintance of mine talked to me last week saying, "Hey Will do you remember the time when Alex made fun of your tie?" I didn't remember. Apparently he made the comment a few weeks before. I think I was playing Madden in my head.

Will Atkins-18-Bucket and Buckets

Before I finish high school I want one thing and everything. I want to continue to develop my friendships to the point that I stay connected to my friends for the rest of our lives. I honestly hope I have a class with my best man right now. I hope that he will tell stories of us clowning around as high school juniors. I hope that my future-child's godfather tells my kid about life through stories of me in my high school youth.

The number one thing I want to do in college before I graduate is this: start the end of my life. Some of you may see that as a boring goal, but I find it exhilarating. While I don't plan on finding my dream girl in college I do plan on getting a job or getting into a graduate school that will allow me to grow as a person, let me move up in the world, and keep me, my future wife, and our future children more than comfortable.

Before I die. Wow. Thinking down the road here.

Whenever I think about this I remember a story I heard when I was in the third grade.

"A teacher walked up to me and said, 'What do you want to be when your grow up?' I said happy. She said, 'I don't think you understand the question.' I said, 'I don't think you understand life'"


So that is what I want to be when I grow up. Some might say that they want to skydive or bungee jump. Some might say that they want to start and raise a family. Yet none of that matters to me. I don't care if I have kids or find my dream girl, but if I am happy. Who cares, right?

How to- Cassie Adams

How to paint your nails 

1. Pick the perfect color. Now, I know this may seem to you a daunting task. Nail polish literally comes in every color imaginable. Not only that, you also must take into consideration the glitter and textured nail polishes and nail-art designs. Should you pick the nice shade of coral or go with the salmon? Don't panic. When in doubt, I've found that a dark gray/black works nicely. Keep it simple. 

2. Next, you must remove ALL polish currently on your nails. Don't even think about painting over the chipped remnants of your light pink manicure with a dark blue hoping that it will cover it up. It won't. Trust me.

3. Before you even think about opening the bottle of nail polish, or even nail polish remover, ensure that you are a safe distance away from any and every object that you mother might scold you for staining. I've made this mistake a number of times. (Just so you know, nail polish remover does not do nice things to a stained and finished wooden side table.) 

4. Now that you're in a safe location, you can open the bottle. Believe it or not, this can at times be the most difficult step. If you're anything like me, you're favorite color is most likely caked and glued shut by dried polish, so this may take a little effort. 

5. All this prep work and we have only just gotten to the main point. Begin painting the center of your nail and extend outwards. As hard as you try not to, you WILL get nail polish on the skin around your nail. It's simply inevitable. 

6. Wait for the first coat of polish to dry. This step is the most commonly disregarded of them all. Do NOT try to immediately paint on another coat. Do NOT get on your phone. Do not move. Don't even think about moving. Because the second that you do, you will mess up a nail and ruin all of your hard work. 

7. When you do disregard the previous step, as I so often do, you're going to end up with clumpy nail polish that refuses to dry and/or nails with chips and steaks. In which case, proceed to step 8. 

8. Give up and take it off. There is nothing left for you now. Admit defeat, and pray for better luck next time. 

Will Atkins-19-Plastics

I will admit, I had trouble thinking of a single piece of advice I had heard. I had an even more difficult time thinking of my single most important piece of advice that has managed to stick. I did however come up with one.

Stop giving a sh*t. That was the advice I actually got from myself midway through last semester. You may call me arrogant, but frankly I'm going to stick to my own advice. It came to me as a small epiphany as I began thinking about the number of people in our academy class who don't like me. I can't for the life of me remember what I was doing when I thought of this idea, but I remember thinking about a name someone had called me not long before this realization. I remember thinking, "should I continue to be nice to her even though she has been everything but to me?"

And then it hit me. Stop caring. You don't want to be nice to me? fine. Cause if I continue to care and worry? I'm going to become miserable, and miserable people never win. So I'm done worrying now, and to quote the GREAT 2 Chainz, "I ain't worried 'bout nothin'"

Zach Wolfe #20

How to get away with not doing your math homework:
1. Take really good notes whenever your class starts a new chapter
2. put numbers next to each problem to make it look like homework
3. Each day, renumber the paper(s) so that it appears you did the correct problems
4. When the teacher walks around to check, flash each page so that they can see the writing but they don't try to check its accuracy
5. Ace the test by paying attention in class and using your above average math ability so that your teacher believes that it makes sense that you would've done your homework
6. Repeat for the next chapter

Of course I've never done this, but I know seniors who have due to their senoritis and not wanting to do homework.

Zach Wolfe #19

One of my greatest loves is sports, specifically soccer. I once heard "represent the name on the front of the jersey, and people will know the name on the back." I have realized this to be true in the past few year. Firstly, I recognized the truth of that quote when playing for Henry Clay during my Freshman year. I scored a number of exciting free kick goals which caught the attention of varsity head coach Bernardi. He remembered my name and talked to me throughout the rest of the year, even after the soccer season was over. He used to ask me about my club season in the spring and how I was doing. In my sophomore season, I got the opportunity to play on the varsity team as an underclass man. Another example is how I play for my club team, Commonwealth SC. In my five seasons there, we've won four tournaments and one league title. I've been the top scorer four times in those five seasons and team captain twice. As a result, when we got a new coach and a new club director this year, they both already knew who I was before I met them; remembering me by my unique last name of Wolfe. Knowing that my favorite quote is true. It makes me play my hardest and give full effort every time I step on the field. I have been able to be a member of both high school and club teams that have had very successful seasons, and it makes me enjoy playing soccer even more. 

Zach Wolfe #18

1. Before high school ends, I want to win a state title in soccer. Next year Henry Clay will have a good chance with 9 of our 11 starters returning as well as possessing strong talent through our bench. Over 80% of the team will be back and everyone will be upper class men so we will all have post season experience. 

2. Before college ends I want to maintain over a 3.5 GPA. This would be higher than my high school GPA and if I really applied myself, I feel like I could accomplish this. It will make it easier to find a job after college as well, and give me a better chance to be accepted into graduate school if I so choose. 

3. Before I die I want to go skydiving. It seems very thrilling and I hope it can help me overcome my extreme fear of heights. Being a tall guy, not many people understand why I'm afraid of heights because I'm "used to being high off the ground".  Haha funny joke, but heights are my biggest fear. They make me dizzy and my balance is thrown off. Jumping out of a plane from thousands of feet could either help me overcome this fear or just make it worse. 

Assignment 21 Right Now Karl Werner

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe...Michael Bay is finishing up the new transformers film. This film, without a doubt, will be awful. Michael Bay's understanding of plot and character development is on par with my comprehension of particle physics. Explosions are not plot twists. Gargantuan, identical robots hissing and firing in a maelstrom of violence does not equal a story. However, this new movie is to include the Dinobots. And I freaking love the Dinobots. Grimlock is the greatest robot of all time bar none. He turns into a MFING T-REX AHHHHHH. Plus, new villains from older generations of transformers are primed to make a comeback (UNICRON MY BOY). I shouldn't be typing things like this my junior year of high school but whatever life is short. You might as well spend it watching massive machines morph into massive machine dinosaurs are wreak havoc. And eat sour patch kids while doing so.

Plastics- Hans Stromberg

My momma always told me, "be polite, Hans, it will get you where you want to go." I never really thought anything about it at the time because I was so young and naïve. Even though I didn't think about it, I unconsciously was polite anyway just because that was what I was taught to do as a kid. My mom always told me to say please when requesting anything and to always say thank you when something was done for me. As I go through life I notice less and less people saying these magic words, "please" and "thank you". I always think to myself, if only they remembered what their mother told them about manners, I would be thinking just a little bit better of that person. You never know what that little token of appreciation and politeness will get you, so you might as well do it anyway.  I believe that this life lesson has made me a better person and separates me from other people. Some people say that the little things in life make the biggest difference so that is why I always remember what my mutti taught me.

Buckets- Hans Stromberg

1. For high school my number one goal is to win state in golf. This goal may seem a little ambitious but completely possible. We have all the talent we need to win, all we have to do is put it together has one team each time we compete in a tournament. For this feat to be made possile i will have improve as an individual to make the team better while pushing my teammates to do the same.
2. Before i finish college, i want to visit Europe. Speifically, Germany and Sweden. My heritage is in these countries and i feel like i actually need to visit these countries to see what they are all about. I want to visit my relatives in sweden, i want to get to know a different culture other than those in the united states. Also, in Germany i want to visit where the Berlin Wall used to stand. The Berlin wall  was a historic site for all the world to see and when it fell, a historic moment in time. I also really want to have an authentic wiener schnitzel in Germany just to see how amazing they really are.
3. Before i die i must play golf at all the historic and memorable golf courses in the world. I have to go play at St. Andrews in scotland where the home of  golf is. I also can't die before i play at Augusta National golf course. Whether it is actually playing in the Masters or just getting a chance to play. I also want to visit two other scenic golf courses, TPC sawgrass and pebble peach. Both offer scenic views and great challenges to any golfer.

Buckets and Buckets: Lucy Wan

1. The number one thing I want to do in high school is maintain good grades and get into a college of my choice. I want to major in hospital administration (which probably seems completely unlike me, but I like it) and I hope to go to a college that can give me the best opportunities to succeed in the field.

2. Before I finish college, I would like to study abroad. A lot of people probably have said the same thing, but I think immersion into an entirely new culture is a unique and rewarding experience. Outside of college, there may not be as many opportunities for me to uproot from the U.S. and move to a different country, so I would like to have the experience before college ends. I've always wanted to travel to Europe and expose myself to the rich and vastly different cultures there.

3. As for before I finish living, I have an entire bucket list written out and growing. This list started in 7th grade and I have added on to it ever since. It includes such gems as:

• Running through a field of flowers in slow motion
• Learn to play the bagpipes
• Have a lightsaber duel (checked off and completed)

You can see the 7th grade mentality there. Nowadays my goals are more simple and certainly more central to my future.

• Adopt/foster children
• Start my own business (haven't quite decided what yet)
• Be happy on my own terms

Oh and for fun:

• Go skydiving   

Bucket List: Alex Reese

High School: Before I finish high school, I'd like to get a job. I applied for a job at the ice center, but the manager turned me down because I couldn't be worked certain hours because I am not 18 yet. Keep in mind that he employs my fellow minor and works him absurd hours. Needless to say, I was unhappy. I just want to get a job because I never seem to have enough money and feel I could really use the experience. I think it might also help me better appreciate the hard work people in minimum wage jobs do.

College: Assuming any college even wants me, I'd like to study abroad. Travelling is one of my favorite things to do, and nothing would make me happier than spending a year in Germany or a semester in Belize. I was born in Guam and apparently went to a lot of cool places when I was very little. I've always felt like I've been robbed because I can't remember Hawaii, Japan, or even Guam. I like to think this is where I get my affinity for travel. I even enjoy airplanes despite my fear of heights.

Before Kicking The Bucket: One of my number one goals in life is to meet my musical idol Armin van Buuren. He is an EDM artist who makes primarily trance and is easily the best DJ in the world (Dj Mag's yearly poll of top 100 DJs has seen him as #1 five times).

Assignment 19: Alexander Reese

You do you. Honestly, it started out as kind of a joke, but it might be tattoo material for me now. I think of myself as somewhat of a shy person, so naturally I act different around my various groups of friends. But when I really think about it, are people really my friends I have to act different around? I need to be myself, not what others want me to be. It's also a great reminder to not try and make someone a person they just aren't. You do you has helped me through some tougher times as well, reminding me me that I can't please everyone and don't need to. I just had my girlfriend dump me, saying she didn't like labels and whatnot and just didn't see us as being much more than friends. My first thought as this terrible text reached me was something along the lines of "Please not again." but then I realized something. I couldn't expect her to continue in a relationship she wasn't comfortable with, that just wasn't her. Even though it might upset me, I was getting to put my motto into practice.

Plastics Blog 19 Jonathon D Humphries

As “uncool” and uptight as my parents are, they give some pretty good advice. Granted, most of it is the same old parental worrying crap like “Drive safely” and “Stop fighting with your sister” but, some where in all that worrying is some genuine gems of advice. My two favorite sayings from my parents have lead me to think of life in a more enlightened way, so without further adieu let me share their sage advice with you.

“The key to happiness is low expectations and being prepared” – My dad

            My dad’s usual tid-bits of advice are latently condescending commands such as “It would be very mature of you to walk honey (our dog which he insisted we get)” but this piece of advice, although not too original, has shaped how I view the world. This saying has put a lot of things in perspective for me; if I’m bummed about flunking a vocab quiz I didn’t study for, at least I know why I’m sad. Essentially this advice is an instruction manual on how to be happy. It says even if you work hard, and are prepared for anything, don’t aim too high otherwise you might be disappointed.

“There is no cure for stupid”- My mom

There really isn’t. Every day you have a chance of running into someone who is genuinely stupid, and there is nothing you can do to help them. You can tell someone they are wrong, and even show them how they are wrong, but the idiots of the world will go on completely oblivious to the error of their ways. If you ever run into a stupid person all you can do is agree with them (you don’t have to, its just that disagreeing with them will just exacerbate their stupidity) and move on. Now I’m not saying that we should let stupid people rule the world, what I’m saying is to pick your battles. Sure I would never yield to an idiot on decisions that matters, but if push comes to shove and you’re throwing down with some idiot over which movie is better, Twilight or Pulp fictions, then just let it go. Some people genuinely are idiots, and because of my mom, I know that there is nothing I can do for them. I can try and try and try but, bless their heart, they will still do the stupid things that stupid people do regardless.

#20-How to-Rachel Hart

How to make a flight attendant mad without even trying

Step 1- Bring a hardtop suitcase as a carry-on. Make sure it’s one that will only fit in the bin one way and is a little too heavy, so that you need help from the flight attendant to get it in the bin.

Step 2- When she comes around with the snack cart; ask her what kind of soda is available. She will roll her eyes and tell you that it would take way too much time to tell you. She will then impatiently tap her foot while you try to decide what you want.

Step 3- Don’t finish you food until after she walks past with the trash bag. Then when she comes back up the isle ask her to throw away your food. Once again you will receive an eye roll and a sigh.

Step 4- When disembarking attempt to get suitcase out of the bin with her assistance and accidently hit her when you finally get it out. This will be the final straw even though it was a complete accident. Through her teeth, she will tell you to enjoy your vacation and once again roll her eyes thankful that you’re finally out of her hair.

#19-Plastics-Rachel Hart

"Be you, no one can tell you you're doing it wrong."
Like many, I've struggled with my insecurities time and time again.When you get up in front of a room of over hundred people to speak those insecurities eat at your every nerve. Every single time I still get nervous. The funny thing is- I get those same nerves when I get in front my training class of about 15 kids and their parents. I just have to keep reminding myself that no matter what happens I just have to be myself because no one can tell me I'm wrong. So what if I get I stumble over my words and completely end up on another subject, as long as I'm being myself it's better than acting like someone I'm not.

#18-Buckets and Buckets-Rachel Hart

High school-

·         Before I graduate high school I want to conquer one of my biggest fears. It would be great to go into college not having to worry about one of them holding me back.

College-

·         I want to go on an international vacation. I’ve never left the United States and I want to before I settle down and get a job. I want to go somewhere unique but somewhere safe( being kidnapped is not something I want to do). Perhaps I’ll go somewhere in Australia and get to see some of the wildlife there.

Life-

·         Visit all fifty states before I turn fifty. While it’s not something crazy, it’s attainable. I plan to keep to it even if it means we have to make long detours on road trips so I can check another state off the list. So far I’ve visited Kentucky(of course), Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Alabama, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, West Virginia, Georgia, and Wisconsin. I’m a little behind but I’ve got a few years to catch up.

Plastics- Cassie Adams

The best advice I've ever gotten is less of an actual piece of advice and more of a quote I once came across on the internet somewhere. But, it goes like this:

"You're under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago."

This quote really stuck with me because it's really an interesting concept to think about. To me, it says that if you don't like something about yourself, then you have the complete power to change it. You aren't forced to be the same person for your entire life. You're allowed, and maybe even encouraged, to change and grow and become the person YOU want to be. If you don't like your hair color, change it. If you don't like that you're shy, change it. If you don't like the city you're living in, change it. If you don't like your career, change it. Any choices that you've made in the past, even only five minutes ago, aren't permanent. You always have the power to change.

But now that this is staring to become really cliche-sounding, I think I'll go ahead and leave it at that. 

Buckets and Buckets- Cassie Adams

1. There really isn't anything that revolutionary or groundbreaking that I want to accomplish before I graduate. I hope to continue to get good grades and basically just make it to the end of senior year. I hope that by the time I graduate, I have at least a little better of an idea of what career I would like to go into. Especially considering that, at the moment, I really have no clue. Deciding on a career and what college I will attend will probably be the most difficult choices I have to make, so I just hope that all of it won't stress me out too much. 

2. In college, my goal is to try as many new things as possible. I've always been one to avoid taking any unnecessary risks and stay within my comfort zone to some extent. Obviously, stepping out of this comfort zone could happen in any number of ways and I don't have any specifics yet. But, I hope that I will be able to meet interesting people, travel to interesting places, do interesting things and learn to be a little more daring. After a fairly mediocre and uneventful high school career (at least so far), a little change and adventure would be nice.  

3. One of my main goals before I die is to travel. Anywhere and everywhere. Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, this place is all I've ever really known. While I've visited a fair number of our surrounding states and even Cancun, Mexico a few summers ago, there are still  a number of places I would like to go. I want to see all there is to see in the world, experience new cultures, explore new places, see how the other half lives. I don't know, it all just seems very interesting to me. 

Assignment #19

One of the best pieces of advice I've gotten is from my mom. She told me that complaining a lot isn't going to change the fact that something has happened or that you have to do something. I used to always complain about everything. Mostly when I was watching sports or playing soccer. When watching I would always complain about how stupid the refs were or how dumb the players were acting and when I was playing soccer I would always complain to the ref about the calls that he made. After my mom had drilled this piece of advice into my brain I realized that complaining to the ref wouldn't change his call and yelling at the TV wouldn't change anything. This has really changed the type of person that I am when playing or watching sports or when I am asked to do something. When at first I would wine about it, now I kept my mouth shut and get on with it.

Assignment #18

1. The number 1 thing that I want to do before I finish high school is build friendships that will last me long after high school. I want to have friends that I will still keep in touch with or hang out with after high school is over or into our adult years after college. This is very important for me because I want strong friendships that will last a lifetime and I hope that my friends will always be there for me and I hope that I can always be there for them.
2. The number 1 thing I want to do while I'm in college is at least attend one big college style party. I hear a lost about these parties through social media or movies or online videos. They seem really crazy and lots of fun and I hope that before I leave college that I will have been in one of these parties. While still of course getting a good education.
3. The number one thing on my bucket list before I finish living is to raise a family. I want to have a family with a loving wife and a couple kids and I want to raise my kids well so I can set them up to have a successful life just like my parents did for me.

Assignment 20: How to...

Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?
--Benjamin Franklin

Ben makes a good point. For this week, put your gifts and skills on display by developing a "how-to."Choose something that you have a level of expertise in and explain step by step how it is done.

No repeats though! If two people are both really talented at making ice and one beats the other to the post on "How to make ice..." then, second person - you need to reflect upon your other talents.

So, stop standing in the shade and astound us!

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, February 23rd at 11:59 pm

(Last day to make up posts 18-20)

#20 How To- Chelsea Southworth

How to be Awkward

Some say awkwardness is born and not made; while it's certainly easier if you're naturally gifted, anyone can develop this valuable skill by following these easy steps.


1. Never come out and say what you mean. Skate around the point with unnecessary words, animal-inspired noises, and thoughtful silences. Taking too long to get out a simple thought is one of the easiest ways to make any situation awkward.

2. Compliment your spluttering speech with body movement. My favorites are the Excited Octopus (waving/flailing both your arms and hands), the Lorde-inspired Demon Possession (tilt your head at sharp, awkward angles that add an extra sense of "whaaaat" to your facial expressions), and the OMG I Can't (alternate between covering your mouth and gesturing towards whatever is causing the feels), but feel free to develop your own, as long as they are completely opposite from what a rational human being would do.

3. Showcase your clumsiness. The most classic method, of course, is water-spilling.

4. Essentially, if it will carry a conversation in a normal direction or make those around feel comfortable, don't do it.

5. Own the awk. Tis a beautiful thing.

#20 How To- Haley Longworth

HOW TO: Have a Stress Free Morning
The night before-
1. Pack your lunch or lunch money. You will save a good 5-15 minutes doing this!
2. Pick out your clothes the night before.
3. Finish doing your homework.
4. Get a shower so you will feel fresh and relaxed before school.
5. Go to bed as early as you can. You will feel more well-rested and overall you will just feel better when you wake up.
6. If you're having trouble going to sleep, try to read a book or laying in bed to help you relax/ get your mind off of things.
7. Make sure your room is clean and that you feel comfortable there. Feeling confortable with your room is important because it is a place you go to relax and de-stress.
The morning of-
1. Wake up, and if you feel tired try taking a few minutes to doze and take a couple minutes to get up.
- Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get ready so you don't have to rush.
2. Get dressed/ready with the outfit you picked out the night before.
3. Eat a balanced and healthy breakfast that will keep you full for a few hours and that you like.
4. Brush your teeth, get your backpack ready, and you are ready to leave.

Blog #19: Plastics Erin Holbrook

"It's good to see you, Grampa."
"It's good to be seen."
My grandfather always had something clever to say. From witty remarks to simple advice, that was the kind of man he was. Any childhood disappointment or injury was immediately met with "Are you going to live until you get married?" which was hilarious at the time. An awkward silence was immediately filled with any of the dozens of Irish songs he knew by heart, many of them comedic. One of his most common phrases was "be kind to yourself." Whenever a visit ended and it came time to say goodbye, the room was filled with "Take care of yourself", "drive safe", or "I'll miss you." But my Grandfather's parting comment was always the same: "Be kind to yourself." Anytime anyone was to leave for an extended period, that was what he said to them. It always struck me as odd, and it wasn't until much later that he explained it. The advice he was passing on in full is to "be kind to yourself, because if you aren't kind to yourself, you can never be kind to others". It is some of the best advice I think a person can receive. It's true in many ways. If you are too concerned with your stress, your concerns, your problems, then its hard to remember or be concerned with anyone else. His advice was not to dwell on your failures and misfortunes, and instead to let yourself be happy. His advice is a reminder that it's okay to cut yourself some slack and just enjoy life. And, more importantly, it reminds you what the priority should be: to be kind to others.

How To - Jasa Harris

How to make a tuna sandwich. I make the best tuna, it is delicious and it’s really easy to do.  First you get your tuna, I recommend StarKist because it’s the best, but any kind will work. Next you need to boil some eggs. You get two eggs per packet of tuna you use. After the eggs have boiled for at least 30 minutes, get a bowl out and dump your packet of tuna into it. Then break open your eggs, crush them up, and dump them into your tuna. Then I take about half an onion, dice it up and then add it to the tuna. We use a lot of onion because my family loves it, but you don’t have to.  Then about 2 and half spoonfuls of light mayonnaise, a sprinkle of salt, pepper and sugar and then stir. You may need to add more salt, pepper and sugar just to get more taste.  Put it on a piece of bread and enjoy your tuna sandwich.  

At this moment 21-Zac Byrd

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe somebody is avidly researching all the teams and studying percentages for winning the NCAA tournament.  March is just around the corner and with a 1 billion dollar offer to a perfect bracket some people are going crazy.  Following every team, learning how they win on the road, margin of victory at home, where neutral site games are played, and who the nobody teams are that could emerge as dark horses in March Madness can lead to a perfect bracket.  Of course there are so many possibilities that that person needs some luck.  Less than one percent of brackets predicted Florida Gulf Coast University to make it as far as they did, and if you look at stats from before the odds they’d make it so far were slim.  One billion dollars is a lot, lump sum or divided up over time it doesn’t matter, it’s worth analyzing every bit of all NCAA teams for a couple months.  Especially if that person turns out to be correct.