Lucas Soard, Assignment 19- Advice

“Look all around you son, this entire town was built on losers”

My grandfather took my father to Las Vegas on a business trip when he was a young kid. Casinos and show-houses are constantly popping up and being renovated, and my dad was understandably in awe of the bright lights. My grandfather took dad on a drive down the Vegas strip at night, showing him the wonders of Sin City. My dad still tells the story like it was yesterday. My grandfather looked at my father and said the quote above. I think it's hilarious, and seems to sum up what Vegas is in one phrase.

When I was little, I didn't get it, and thought the city was literally built on dead losers, but when I got older, I got what my grandfather was trying to say.  Life can screw you, and then take advantage of your weaknesses. Be careful, not only with your money, but with any major decision. You’ll need to gamble at some point, and you may win, but when you gamble, understand the risks involved.

Basically, don't be a loser. 

Assignment 18- Lucas Soard, Bucket list

High School

Complete my athletic goals. I'm not the most athletic guy, just like I'm not the prodigy that some of the academy kids are. But I take pride in being the cliche of "hardest working guy in the room", both in and out of the class. Athletically, I want to start offense and defense of the football team, becoming a reliable, every-down player. And above all at this point, i want to be an all-state wrestler, placing at the state tournament in February. 

College

                Be more outgoing, and don’t seclude myself. Most of the time I’d much rather stay in on the weekends rather than go out with friends. I gotta stop being such a loser, basically

                               

Life

                Ultimately, become a man: Become someone who can provide for a family. Make enough money to secure a future for any children, but not so much to where I lose touch of where I came from. Work a job that I love, and that I can tell my kids and grandkids about without boring them Travel with my family. I want to take kids to the national parks so they can see what I've seen, and have memories that stay with us.

Travel with a sports team. There’s an entire demographic of old people who just follow their favorite college sports team around for the entirety of the season. That’s the dream for my retirement.  

Assignment 16- Lucas Soard, Rotten Tomatoes

I reviewed Birdman, by Alejandro Gonzalez Inaritu (I don’t have a RT account)

No review of “Birdman” complete without first mentioning Michael Keaton. Keaton was, simply, brilliant. It’s easy to make connections between Riggan Thompson and the former star of Batman, and that was the first thing I noticed when I learned about the film last summer. It’s likely true that the biggest compliment any actor can receive is that the movie would be incomplete without their performance. Any other actor in this role would’ve made the film weaker. The wonderful thing about this film is that while it stars Keaton in what will likely be the defining role, the all-star class of actors in the film aren’t outshined. Ed Norton as the selfish and drunken Broadway actor, Emma Stone as the druggie daughter of success, and Zach Galifanakis as the worrisome and manic friend all turn in powerful performances that refuse to be forgotten.

But the real star of the film is director Alejandro G. Inaritu. Likely known only to frequenters of foreign film houses before this movie, Inaritu took an amazing risk during production. The dark reds and blacks that mark the cinematography match perfectly the mood of the film. The tracking shots ultimately win the day however. Every scene consists of a single tracking shot, shots that often required actors to learn upwards of 12 pages of dialogue. One friend of Inaritu’s offered that the film would be a failure, suggesting that the comedic timing of the script would be thrown off by the awkward direction (Keaton kept tabs on which actors made the most flubs, Emma Stone made the most, while Galifanakis made the fewest). These long shots make the viewer feel like they are watching the story unfold in a more personal way, often following characters from one room to another, from one interaction to another.

The film was both ambitious and brilliant. Ultimately, the casual viewer as well as the avid cinema junkie will leave the theater in awe. The actors deliver, and Inaritu’s bet paid off. The style is unmistakable, and the score matches perfectly with the cinematography, matching the script in every way. 

Assignment 21--Jacob Young

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe I know that there is a very fat leprechaun singing "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede while at the same time running across a river of purple sheep that have feathers instead of wool. This may seem far-fetched, but I can assure you that this is true. I know it to be fact because there is no evidence that this could not be possible. Who's to say that it is impossible for a sheep to be purple? Or have feathers? Or for a very fat leprechaun to be singing Blue Swede music? That's right, it is possible. Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law? It says that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Well I say that it is also true, going by the same logic that anything that is possible will happen. So because it is possible for my speculation to happen, it must happen. And it must happen right at this very moment. Do you know why? It must be at this very moment because why wouldn't it be at this moment? There's no reason for it not to be occurring right at this point in time so it must be happening somewhere in the universe right now. Maybe not in America, maybe not on Earth. But somewhere out there this is all happening.

Assignment 20- Jacob Young

How to open a door with a toaster:

Now, you may think that this is the most mentally and physically challenging task of all. Some of you may never master this technique. Millions of people all throughout time have never been able to accomplish this task. However, I have come up with a simple process to finally solve the mystery of opening a door using only a toaster.
The first step in learning how to open a door with a toaster is you need the correct materials. For this you will need a door with a door handle attached to both sides of the door. Secondly, and most importantly, you will need a toaster. A standard toaster will do just fine, one with two slots for placing bread into and an electrical cord attached that will allow one to plug said toaster into a wall outlet to power it up.
Now that you have all the correct materials, there is a small caveat that you need to know first. Door handles come in all shapes and sizes, but the two most common ones are the simple spherical design and the handle that is more horizontally structured and curved. You know what I mean.
These two door handles come with two very different processes for opening with a toaster. I'm going to tell you both.
For the horizontal door knob, it is a very mentally challenging problem. However, all you have to do is stick the door knob into one of the bread slots in the toaster and turn the toaster so the handle lifts with it. Ta-da! You've opened the door.
For the spherical door knob, this task is nearly impossible. Because you can't do the same process as before because the knob won't fit inside the slot. Instead, you must use the toaster to smash a sizeable hole in the door or just completely knock the entire door down. Don't use your hands, you could break them. Use the toaster.

Assignment 19- Jacob Young

Once upon a time, there was a heroic figure that lived right here in America. He lived a normal life, working several jobs and barely being able to make enough money to support his family. He had an old car that couldn't even make it to the hospital in time (well, sort of) when his wife was going into labor and then had his baby right there in the car. This person inspired and changed the lives of many and they didn't even know it. But out of all of those lives that he changed, the one he impacted most was his son's. He told his son the most inspiring, helpful, and overall the best piece of advice that any father can give to his son, and it is by that piece of advice that I strive to carry out my day to day life. This person, of course, is the one and only Reece Bobby; and his advice was that "If you ain't first, you're last." I can"t begin to tell you how much this quote has influenced my life and the lives or millions all across the world. His words have made me the person that I am today. Of course, he was "high when [he] said that."

Assignment 18-Jacob Young

I have yet to fulfill all that I wish to accomplish before I finish high school. There is so much out there in the world to discover that I have yet to explore. The major thing that I wish to achieve before I finish high school is that I want to drink a full bottle of Gatorade while riding a great white shark in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. This would be my greatest achievement in life, and I want it to happen soon, before senior year ends. The number one item that I wish to achieve before I finish college is not as prestigious. Before college ends I want to travel back to Israel on a study abroad program as well as Europe. I wish to do this more so than the previous example, but I have been to Israel before and I've never ridden a shark. However, the number one thing on my bucket list before I finish living is of a much higher caliber. I wish to fly a helicopter first through a ring of fire and then through one of those inflatable obstacle courses while having a conversation about theology with the most interesting man in the world from the Dos Equis commercials while all at the same time juggling double-edged swords. Quite the bucket list, I know. But I believe I can accomplish all of my goals.

Right Now - Weiran Liu

     Right now, somewhere in the universe an insomniac lays awake pondering life and all the things that they have procrastinated throughout the day. Why do them right? It's not like those menial tasks interest her anyways. In fact – they don’t even compare to all the stresses of life that she’s blocking out. Fueled by energy and creative juices she opens the window and runs. She runs with no end goal or end destination in mind, just with determination to clear her mind. Slowing down and gasping for breath she approaches a great oak tree and leans on it. Admiring this great being, the girl walks around, noting the tranquil aura it elicits. Covered in marks and indents, the tree stands tall. Bracing all types of weather, the tree stands still. Enduring change and uncontrollable events, the tree stands strong. The girl stands in silence only to be snapped out of her hypnotized state by a chilling wind. She decides to run back home – only to grab a jacket and a notepad. Settling down in the grass she begins scribbling. Her hand flutters across the page without hesitation. Pages are spent in the quest to capture the awe of this great oak. Hours pass and the first rays of the day break through the dark skies. The tree is cast in the light of the sunrise and the girl lifts her head. She sighs knowing the significance of this tree to her cannot be captured so simply. Heading home, she resolves to sleep, only to retain more energy to come back and sketch the tree yet again.

Assignment 21- Sam Vandiver

      At this very moment, somewhere in the universe... there is at least one thing
to be excited for. Jupiter has moons with oceans of frozen water, Khal Drogo is going to play Aquaman, the Oscars are on. The sheer amount of reasons to stay positive is almost overwhelming. People are being born and getting married and waking up healthy after having the flu for a week. There are thousands of movies and songs and games and books that you would love and haven't experienced yet. You've all made bucket lists and there is time to go check things off of them. Even if things are rough, there are tons of small things to appreciate. Maybe your nose isn't runny right now despite the weather, maybe you haven't stubbed your toe recently; what's important is that we don't lose track of the positive things just because bad stuff happens (sometimes a lot of it at once) but that we instead appreciate everything good because of the bad. Yeah we have to go back to school, but it could be worse, and maybe we'll even have a delay.
     

Assignment 21: Right Now- Rena Childers

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, a being that looks exactly like me is living out my biggest and wildest dreams. As many of my classmates know, I have a collection of far-fetched goals, but despite hate from some contemporaries, I plan to accomplish all of them. A few of these include becoming a senator, traveling to space, being a diplomat in various countries, and marrying a Lakers player. I like to believe that my other self (across the universe) is fulfilling all of these dreams. Although the Lakers player part may be a bit tricky in a world where basketball may be uncommon, perhaps there is something similar to it on her world. Not only is she fulfilling my aspirations, but she is combining them in a magnificent way: she is a diplomat to another world. Rather than international affairs, she is participating in intergalactic affairs.

Assignment 20 - Aislinn Langley

It's pretty easy to find information on how to build a fire in any survival manual or scout handbook. However, these painstaking steps don't cut it when you have twenty screaming kids running around and their tin foil-wrapped dinners needing to be cooked, and a potentially dangerous summer thunderstorm about to break over the mountains at any time. So here's some instructions on how to build a fire like a camp counselor. People who build fires for survival or ambiance will object to everything I'm about to suggest, so please bear with me.
Step One: Set a giant piece of laundry lint or scrap cloth in the center of your fire circle and then cover that thing with as many tiny little sticks possible. Stuff some unlit matches in there too - you're not on Survivor so you can afford to go crazy with the crappy cardboard matches.
Step Two: Light that sucker up. Just keep striking matches and adding them until you have a small flame going. Then carefully pile on slightly larger twigs.
Step Three: If you're still with me after the huge breach in fire-building code (that of using obscene numbers of matches), brace yourself for another shocker. The most important thing at this point is speed; sometimes your have to give up the luxury of efficient fire-building when it's a matter of feeding your kids and getting them to the storm shelter. One of the most basic fire facts is that fires burn faster and hotter when they have more oxygen, which is why fanning a fire is a good of way of helping it grow. But any fire guru will tell you to not fan the fire once its gets going because it makes the fire too hot and makes you go through wood more quickly. But guess what, that thunder's getting close, so grab a dustpan and fan the fire like your life depends on it.
Step Four: Only stop the frantic fanning to add more and larger wood to the fire. Once you can get a grate over it, start putting the kids' foil packs on. Sure, the high flames and temperature cause the food to cook less evenly, but the kids couldn't care less and you need to be fast.
Step Five, the second the last pack comes off, grab water bottle and take a swig. Then spit the water into the flames. Repeat this until the flames are mostly down. Then just start pouring water into the coals to put everything out. This is another big breach of conduct, but you won't need the fire circle until next week and the heavens are about to open up anyway. Hopefully one of your coworkers remembered to prepare and roast a pack for you too.

Assignment 21: Right Now

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

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

I've had a wonderful night... and this wasn't it Jacob Ferguson

Assignment 19:

This isn’t really the traditional oral advice, but my grandmother had this plaque in her kitchen with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Do one thing each day that scares you.”  This is just a great point of advice for everyone, because fear is something that we deal with each day.  The fears of looking silly, of messing up, of awkwardness are all present in our lives.  If you look at the things we can be afraid of, you will find they are often inconsequential, and don’t matter in the long run; if you look at the situation and decide that the good is worth the risk of all the “bad” that could happen, then you can meet new people, try new things.  If we face our fears, by doing something even though it scares us, we can live better and fuller lives.  Scare yourself each day, and eventually you won’t have any fear.

How to do a Roundhouse Kick- Ji-Hae Kim

First, stand straight. Loosen up and place one of your feet in front of the other. It doesn't really matter which one.  Line your feet up straight. Your front foot should be two or so feet away from your back foot. All of your weight should be on your back foot. Turn your back foot so the toes are pointing towards the outer wall closest to your foot. If you are on your right foot, point the toes of your back foot towards the right wall. Face your body to the same side your toes are pointing but keep your shoulders and head faced forward with your front foot. 

Now it's time to do the kick. Turn your front foot to face the opposite direction of your back foot. Shift your weight onto the front foot and swivel your leg with your hips in a semicircle. Keep your kicking leg straight. 

Aim to hit with your shin. If you have good aim, you could hit with the inside crook of your foot or with the ball of your foot. It's important that you swing around with your hips following your foot and leg or else the power of your kick would decrease dramatically. 

Well, it's something like that.

hoW t0 p1aY BaSs0oN Jacob Ferguson

Assignment 20:

 

First off, if you want to play bassoon, you must know what it is.  It's this unwieldy wooden stick with a curved metal stick that you put a reed on:



This is what you look like if you're doing it right (not really)
 

It is a woodwind instrument, so it's sound is made by a reed.  Handmade reeds are preferable (they can be found online), and once you get one you should soak it in warm water for about 5 minutes.  This softens it up so that you can play it.  While it soaks, you can figure out how to put the bassoon together (look up a picture for this), and then put the reed on the bocal (the curved metal part).  To start playing you will want to find some sort of fingering chart, and then put the reed in your mouth.  You don't want your teeth to touch the reed, so you form a sort of cushion around it with your lips.  Once you get used to making a sound, you can fix intonation by dropping or raising your jaw to lower or raise the pitch, respectively.  Buy the Weissenborn bassoon method book (which -as far as I can tell- is THE bassoon method book) and start working through it.  Finding a teacher is almost completely necessary, as no one knows how to play bassoon except for bassoon players themselves.  Under the tutelage of your musical mentor, you can one day do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w75givGyduk

And then your work will be done.

Bwuckets and Bwuckets Jacob Ferguson

Assignment 18:

Before I finish high school I would like to be in the top of my class, to go to prom, to be in some sort of show, and to try new things.  I want to be successful at things I know I can do, and also go out on a limb to do things that I think would be fun.

In college I want to take an awesome trip with friends, to develop a good relationship with a professor, and to take classes that interest me.  I want some personal investment in my college life and to make new relationships.

Before I die, I have a long list of things I wan to do:
     -Hike the Appalachian Trail (either all at once or in sections)
     -Climb Mt. Everest (or some other major mountain)
     -Go skydiving
     -Go to the Olympics
     -Start a family
     -Serve in an elected office
     -Be in a movie
     -Travel the world
     -Live in Lexington

Assignment 20- Harrison Inocencio

               I have been playing the violin for nine years now, and I felt it was only appropriate for me to do a "how to" on changing a broken string on a violin, just in case years from now you ever encounter a life or death situation in which you need to know how to do this. First you need to remove the broken string or strings by turning the peg associated to that string at the top of the instrument in the direction opposite to its tightening. (This may vary between clockwise or counterclockwise depending on how it was originally tightened.) Remember if removing multiple strings to only remove one at a time in order to avoid loosening the bridge. After the peg and string have been sufficiently loosened, remove the string simply by giving it a gently tug. Make sure to unhook the bottom ball bearing of the string by first pulling the bearing towards you and then outwards. Insert the new string bearing at the bottom by pushing inward and then pulling away from yourself to lock in place. After, insert the open end of the string into the small hole in its peg, and the turning counterclockwise, away from yourself, until tightened. Make sure that the string is tucked in its slot on the bridge as well as the fingerboard and then your done! 

Assignment 19- Harrison Inocencio

              One piece of advice that has stuck with me, I guess wasn't really direct advice, but rather a quote from President Obama in one of his State of the Union addresses in 2011. "Don't be interested so interested in the winner of the Super Bowl, be more interested in the winner of the Science Fair." for me these words held special importance, because as a student, I felt like he was talking directly to me, and to me he was simply reminding me to be more active in my education. Encouraging me to stand out, and work harder in order to achieve something great. I always remember these words, whenever I get frustrated with school work, or am making a decision about whether or not to go that extra mile to be exceptional. It has taught me that in order to stand out among the crowd, as must provide more than the minimum effort on a task sometimes, and push aside the distractions in order to create something that is a true reflection of what I'm capable of. Make it something important to me, and not an annoyance. 

Assignment 18- Harrison Inocencio

What is the number one item on your bucket list before you finish high school?

At the top of my list, will definitely have to be my grades. Straight A's have always been at the top of my list since I entered the first grade, and I'm not planning on changing it any time soon. True I could have some objective more interesting, like joining a club, or accomplishing some big project, but making good grades is something I've always felt strong about, but have never been very good at doing. I'm easily distracted, and I haven't yet met anyone lazier than me, so I feel like if I don't keep my grades at the top of this list, they simply won't happen.

What is the number one item on your bucket list before you finish college?

Survive to finish it. No seriously, I feel like unless I keep myself in check with a priority list like this, I'm never going to finish college.

What is the number one item on your bucket list before you finish living?

 Make a difference in the world. I want to do at least one thing in my lifetime that will have me be remembered, whether that be finding the cure to cancer (unlikely) or establishing the first astronautic base on mars (also unlikely) I want to accomplish something note worthy enough that someone decides to sit down and write something about me, that can be passed down through history even after I've already died.

    

Assignment: 16- Harrison Inocencio.

                 For this series I chose to differentiate within the sci-fi genre, and I chose to do this by comparing and contrasting the film E.T, to the Star Troopers series, which is a fairly old series that displays the conflict between humans and the giant insect aliens that now assault them all over the universe. Other than the fact that both of these films involve aliens, they are opposite in every way. E.T, is a child friendly movie, that teaches us not to judge others for their appearance, and shows us the true value friendship through loyalty over authority, while Star Troopers is an extremely vulgar series, in which the aliens are the only enemy, and thousands of soldiers fight off swarms of  giant bugs on distant planets far from home. Filled with blood, gore, and sex, it is the polar opposite of our moralistic children's movie E.T. I believe that when these two blockbuster films are placed side by side, it shows you how diverse the sci-fi genre really is. The range of its audiences and age-groups, surpasses any other genre. In sci-fi, literally anyone can find something that appeals to them no matter their ideology, or age.    

How to Push People's Buttons - Charlie Grimes

In this blog, I will be going through a variety of ways of getting on people's nerves and/or pushing their buttons.

1.) Twist people's words to make them sound much more ridiculous and extreme than they actually are.

2.) While in the middle of a sentence, simply stop speaking, and act as if you just finished your sentence. This will leave people confused and frustrated, especially upon doing this multiple times in the same conversation.

3.) Continually take the shortest route to your seat in all of your classrooms, even if it involves climbing over tables, chairs, and other students (hey Mr. Logsdon).

4.) Make confused faces at people after they answer a question aloud in class, as if what they said is the most inconceivably stupid thing you've ever heard.

5.) While sitting at a stoplight with people in your car, pump the brakes to the beat of the song that is playing. This is not only sickening but annoying as hell.

6.) Make radical political statements to incite specific people's rage; then, while they are trying to argue back, simply make loud noises to nullify any points that they may or may not have. This will really get people going.

Assignment 20: How to

How to procrastinate on blog posts. So its currently about 10:26 on a Tuesday night. Okay so blog posts are not due until Sunday. So am I really procrastinating? Why yes I am. See for the next 5 days I will be in D.C at a conference and will most likely not have the time or the energy to do my blog posts. So really for me they are due tonight. So first step, forget that blog posts are even a thing. Its second semester, all my semi-good habits of not forgetting blog posts have vanished and my habit of spending Monday nights catching up on blog posts are gone because well, "whats a blog post?" I ask. Step two, remember that blog posts are a thing but just find reasons not to do them. Examples include: math homework, quality Sunday night TV shows, Sunday night laziness, Sunday night depression etc. Step three, remember that blog posts are due in a week and appropriately think "CRAP" then dedicate one night to finishing your blog posts. Now if you are an overachiever in the area of procrastination, such as myself, you will put off one single blog post for the day after you decided to be blogger. Then once again, you forget about blogs. Until it is 10:26, and you have to get up in what is about now 3 hours to drive to Louisville to catch your flight, and you are finally in bed, ready to attain these 3 glorious hours of sleep when... BAM you remember you have one single blog post left, A measly 150 words separate you from sleep, But alas, you know its now or never. So you drag yourself sleepy butt out of bed to write the post, decide you are incapable of thinking about anything you actually know how to do and decide to recount why you are now about to get 2 and a half hours of sleep. Congrats, you my friend, are now a procrastinator, And it is your own dang fault because blog posts are easy and fun but you are just too good at procrastinating. Now go get those 2 and a half hours of sleep!

Assignment 19: Plastics - Charlie Grimes

The wisest advise I have ever received came from an impossibly unwise person: a 17-year old camp counselor in my cabin at Camp Seagull four years back or so. This counselor, Will, had a crazy personality, almost constantly upbeat, boisterous, and hilarious. But in an hour of "down time" after lunch one day, he told me and my cabinmates to "respect your parents." Taken at face value, its pretty simple advice; but Will accompanied this statement with some reflection on his own life that was rather sad, and it really penetrated my mind. Also, hearing this advice from someone who was only a few years my elder made it seem all the more important and real. I feel that when we receive advice from adults, it often times fails to really stick with us because we are unable to relate to them. Very few statements have really stuck in my mind like Will's, and I believe it has bettered my relationship with my parents, and allowed me to appreciate everything they have done for me. Of course, my relationship with my parents is not always perfect, but occasionally Will's commentary will pop back into my mind and change my perspective on how I should act towards my parents, and as a result, everyone in my life.

Assignment 19: Plastics

Whenever I am asked about the advice I have received a few quotes from my parents come to mind. The two I think of first are "Never let your happiness depend on others"- Mom and "Never eat ice cream in a place that used to be a tattoo parlor"- Dad. My dad is an interesting man as you can tell but other than humor and one less ice cream shop I can eat at it, it hasn't really impacted my life as much as my mom's. You see my mom has been telling me this since I was a little girl. When I would cry because other little girls were being mean to me on the playground, or my friends didn't invite me somewhere, or a boy broke my heart. The advice is timeless. And for the most part I think its a valid statement. Whenever I got down in the dumps and realized that I was focusing all my energy on what others did or thought or said, I would hear my mom's soothing voice in my head telling me never let your happiness depend others. However, as I have grown up I have also learned that sometimes other's happiness does impact us. When someone I love is in pain or suffering, my happiness does depend on theirs. But my mom's point was that we create our happiness. No one can give it to us, or take it away from us, unless we allow them to, but that is our choice.

Assignment 18: Buckets

Before High School Ends: I would really love to go on a road trip with my best friend, Hannah. I have always wanted to just get in my car and go anywhere and just leave little old Lexington behind. To me, this is the quintessential high school experience and I couldn't think of a better person to go with me than her because she's crazy and we have fun no matter what.

Before College Ends: I am of Scottish decent on both sides of my family, and it is something my family and I embrace a lot. So we have always wanted to travel to Scotland and visit with the friends that we have there and just explore. I would like to do this before I finish college because I mean why not?

Before My Life Ends: The ultimate bucket list priority for me is just to be happy. I have known four people that have passed away in the past year, and there is such a significant difference between those who are afraid to die, and live an unhappy life leaving bitterness in the lives of their loved ones and those who embrace life  even till the day they die. I want to be the one who embraces life. I want to have no regrets, mistakes, yes, but nothing I look back on and say "If only". I want to be married with children because I need someone to experience my life with and I need kids to love. I also would love to own a cabin in the woods somewhere because that is where I find peace. I want to live the kind of life where people miss me when I am gone, but aren't saddened by my death because they know I lived the good life.

Assignment 16: Hooray for Hollywood

I am not a very critical movie viewer. I mainly go to the movies for fun and unless a movie is just out of this world fantastic (Interstellar, August of Osage County) or downright awful (2012), I rarely even remember what I saw. So I choose to do the comparison. Be prepared for the classic teenage girl movie stereotype, I will be discussing Nick Cassavetes who directed, you guessed, The Notebook! He also directed My Sister's Keeper. Now both of these films are tear jerkers. The Notebook is obviously a love story and My Sister's Keeper is about a family dealing with the cancer of their daughter. Both were originally books. The Notebook stayed truer to the book, while My Sister's Keeper's ending deviated and in my humble opinion ruined the movie. Cassavetes utilized bright colors and upbeat songs to show the hopefulness of life even in the worst situations. In both films, Cassavetes had to focus on several characters which he executed with close up shots of individuals to create emphasis. Ultimately, neither of these films are outstanding award winner, but whenever its late at night and I am looking for a good cry, these are my go-tos. And in all honesty, that is their purpose, so job well done.

Assignment 20: How to cope with getting roasted every day

Well, as many of you know, I am a common source of entertainment.  Not because I am inherently funny, I think I'm comedy, but because my fellow Academy Party Animals thoroughly enjoy making fun of me.

With this roasting, comes a lot of frustration and anger, leading to
aggression, which has led to my earning of the name, Walt the Salt.  Dealing with this aggression is rather easy, it just takes physical activity.  Here is what you will need.

You will need access to a weight room, preferably with free weights.  The free weights provide more satisfaction 0because you are physically moving the weights.  With this you will also need bumper plates, so that you dont damage the floor or weights when performing deadlifts.  Deadlifts are the best because the best feeling in the world is picking up 350 lbs from the ground and dropping it letting it slam into the ground.
And when you are done getting swole, work on dunking.

Assignment 20: How to Catch a Fish - James Apo

Fishing is a fun sport that I am sure many of us have done at least once in our life. Going to the lake with family and friends and fishing on the docks - or if you're lucky the family boat - can always be enjoyable, but it is definitely more enjoyable when you are catching fish instead of when you aren't catching fish. In order for you to be able to catch a fish, you will need a few tools. First off, you must get yourself a fishing pole, probably an inexpensive one since we are not going to catch any bigger salt water fish that require a larger tension pole. Now that you have your pole, you are going to need to get things like line, lead, some night crawlers, a hook, and maybe even a bobber. Now that you have gathered all your materials, you must tie your line, which you do by putting the line through the eyes of the pole and cutting off the excess line when you are done. Also,make sure to tie the lead to the end of the line so it will sink to the bottom of the pond, and do not forget to tie the hook. You're almost in the water! Now just bait your hook with the worm and make sure no part of the hook is visible, as that is not very appealing to a fish. Finally, cast your line, be patient, and when the fish bites your line, set the hook with a jab upward with your pole. Once you have the fish on, reel him/her in carefully, and WAH-LA, you have caught a fish.

How To - Charlie Blondell

How To Do Something Moderately To Very Important Is What You Are Expecting To Read As The First Sentence/Title Of This Passage, And With Most Posts, You Are Probably Correct, But Not This One
That was my title. Pretty clever, if I say so. Cleverness or irony has to come from a source of fact or relevant, tangible truth. With almost every blog post below or above this one, a step by step list or drug-on, eye-dulling "how to" is refrained through the eyes and keyboards of my classmates. It's boring and repetitive, and I hope to give you a break. Instead of an instruction guide on how to ride a bike or build a tree house, the following will be a brief manual on how to write a "how to."
The instructor must first have endured or taken the challenge on himself. No one can give full conviction on a material without prior knowledge and hands-on experience. The subject matter must be studied. No detail may be overlooked if this product or activity is to be replicated through the works of another engineer. One must fully understand how the system or technique works; they must know EXACTLY how every gear shifts.
Very important is the plan-of-action. What I mean is that the individual developing this "how to" must sit down and come up with a perfect guide that will lead to success. What must they include? What mustn't they include? Is this important? Is that? No they won't need this. Oh, I have to put that in. That has to be clearer. No it doesn't. Yes it does. No, it DOESN'T. Yes, it DOES. QUIT ARGUING WITH ME!
Details. Details. Details... They cannot be overlooked. As stated before, the details are never ample; you can never have enough. Explicit explanations give way to a momentum of understanding. They allow for an actual, conceptual grasp of what must be worked through and completed to reach a final destination. So many authors of these "how to" guides give vague, inefficient writings to accomplish said goals. Their ideas seem coherent on paper, but on a larger, real-life scale, some are about as easy to follow as a physics equation. One must really work on creating a visual in the mind of the learner, making it easy and enjoyable to complete the task at hand.
To all of those mediocre "how to" writers out there, I pray that I have given some to maybe a LOT of insight on making your job a little more painless. To all of those pompous, know-it-all "how to" "scholars," have fun getting dozens of emails about how your guides simply suck.

assignment 20-logan cox

how to kick a soccer ball.things you will need include some shoes, soccer ball and that's about it. so to kick a soccer ball you first need to make sure the ball is perfectly inflated. if the ball is not perfectly inflated it will be harder to kick the ball and it wont go as far. so if your ball is deflated you need to find a pump and inflate your ball until you can really push it in at all. next you will need to find an open area so that you didn't hit anything when you kick the ball.after you have found an open space in which to kick the ball, you need to put the ball on the ground about 5 feet in front of you. this is where it really gets tricky. when kicking a soccer ball, you always place your plant foot, or the foot your not kicking with, next to the ball with your toe pointing towards your target. you want to kick with your dominant foot so for example I write with my right hand so I kick with my right foot more naturally. once you figure out your dominant foot you need to take a running start and plant your non kicking foot next to the ball and lock your ankle on the kicking foot an kick the ball with the laces of your shoe. now you have successfully kicked a soccer ball.

Assignment 19: Plastics - James Apo

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given was from my dad, and at the time it was given it just related to a sport that I am passionate about, but as time went on it became evident that it was also very relatable to my life. My favorite sport is bowling, and I have done it since I was three years old of age. There are 10 frames in a bowling game, and often one can find themselves in a hole early on in the game. When I was younger, I always used to freak out when I started the game in a bad manner, and instead of recovering I would frequently end up making it worse. This is when my dad told me that "it's not how you start, it's how you finish." This has been a motto of mine in several key situations in tournaments and matches, and it has helped me to comeback from the depths of defeat and disappointment. Now when it comes to my life currently, one of my biggest goals is getting straight A's every semester. Although I have done that except for one B I got back as a freshman, it has never been easy. Often times I have started off semesters with mediocre grades, but due to the advice given to me by my father to always strive to continue and never give up, it has helped me in the department of school as well. Bowling is mentally draining at the competitive level, and so too is school, so this piece of advice has been helpful in both places.

How to get hired as a babysitter -Rena Childers

Today I’d like to explain how one might go about getting hired as a babysitter/nanny. I have had two nannying jobs and countless babysitting jobs. And yes there is a difference. Nannying implies a regular, consistent job in which you take care of a child/children at least twice a week. Babysitting is more random, and often includes last minute calls. To start off, I suggest creating flyers or writing letters that let parents know that you are available to watch their children. Include your number and email address so that they can get ahold of you. Once they have contacted you, tell them the experience you have with children and give them a few references (even though they probably will not contact these references.) When the parents ask you how much you charge, give them a scale so that they do not feel pressured if you charge too much. For example, I always say I charge anywhere from $7 to $10, but in reality I almost always receive $10. When you babysit the kids for the first time, ensure that you have lots of activities and games planned so that they think you are a “cool” babysitter. When it is time for bed, be stern but playful in getting them to brush their teeth and change into their pajamas. This creates a loving but respectful relationship. Be sure to let the parents know what wonderful children they have, and tell them you’d love to sit again. If all of this does not work, there is a good chance you’re not meant to be a babysitter.

Assignment 20 -Sam Vandiver: How to get a shiny Pokemon

     So you've done it. You've finally caught 'em all and yet you are still unfulfilled. You still want to be the very best that no one every was. You still have that burning passion in your gut that channels Daft Punk and says "Work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger. More than ever, hour after our work is never over." You have decided that you now have to pursue the second most elusive aspect of any Pokemon game (right behind Pokerus): the shiny Pokemon. Here's how to do it.

     Without this guide, your chances of happening upon a shiny in the wild is 1/8,192 per encounter. Good luck. However, your chances can go up to 1/2,048, 1/1365.3, or even higher (depending on the generation) with the Masuda Method or your chance can be calculated with the formula 'Chance = (14747- 40*ChainNumber)/2621440(41-ChainNumber)' while chaining with the PokeRadar.

     First things first, I'll explain the Masuda Method. This entails breeding two Pokemon from different countries in the Day Care Center. This increase the chance of an egg containing a shiny Pokemon from 1/8,192 all the way up to 1/1,024 if done in VI gen up with the Shiny Charm (obtained after beating the game). 

     Chaining involves walking around a patch of grass with a repel in effect, not touching certain patches while using the PokeRadar whenever it recharges and moving into the shaky patches of grass until you see a shiny patch of grass. That will contain your shiny Pokemon. The more shaking patches of grass that you encounter without breaking the chain (explained better here), the higher the chance that a shiny will appear. You can also chain while fishing by standing in the same spot, knocking out or running from every Pokemon you hook and reeling in every cast.  Both of these methods were introduced in Generation IV.

   1hings

How to do a Flip Turn- Jamie Smith

Swim freestyle (the normal one on your stomach) into the wall. Breathe about three strokes away tom the wall. When you are about one stroke away, use this stroke to pull down and forward into a somersault, keeping your head down and tucked into your body. Use your arms to somersault your body until your feet hit the wall. During the somersault, blow bubbles out of your nose to avoid getting water up your nose. As soon as your feet hit the wall, bend your knees and push off as hard as you can. While pushing off, twist from your back to your stomach. Make sure to put your arms in a tight streamline (put both arms over your head with one hand on top of the other and squeeze your ears with your arms). Also, once you are off the wall, kick your legs as fast as you can, accelerating up to the surface. Once you reach the surface, resume swimming, but do not breathe the first stroke.

Plastics : Mark O'Brien

My Grandpa has a saying that, "You will be successful as long as you implement the 7 P's in your life every day."  What are the 7 P's?
1. Prior
2. Proper
3. Planning
4. Prevents
5. Piss
6. Poor
7. Performance
 My Grandfather was in the marines for around 20 years and he said that as a commanding officer these were the words he would impart on every soldier below him in rank.  They were given to him as a Private by his commanding officer when he was in basic training.  Some days I know I have not lived up to the 7 P's, but it is still an incredible motto to live life by.  My grandfather imparted this wisdom on my father, and intern my father has lectured me on the 7 P's more times than I can count.  I am thankful for this.

Assignment 20: Mark O'Brien

How to hit a green side bunker shot.
Hitting the perfect bunker shot is one of the hardest shots in all of golf for amateurs.  Professionals however love bunker shots.  They can spin the ball and control their shot with more ease than if they were in the thick rough that surrounds most tour greens. There are a few fundamental things you must do to hit a bunker shot correctly.  First, know that the club never actually touches the ball, but rather it slides under the ball displacing the sand and propelling the ball out with the sand. Your stance should be open which means your feet are aimed to the left of your target.  Then, dig your feet into the sand to ensure you don't slip. Gary Player, the best bunker player of all time,  always dug the outside of his left foot deeper, and the inside of his right foot deeper.  I do this as well because it helps to ensure you don't come in shallow and hit the ball.  Then you must open the club face exposing the bounce of the club which is the heavy part of a wedge where it is thick at the bottom.  Take an agressive  swing without decelerating.  Try to stop the club shortly after the club passes through the sand in order to get more spin.  This is the opposite of what you do for a fairway bunker shot.  Good Luck it takes practice.

How to get a computer virus- david chen

To start things off I'm actually the single greatest downloader of viruses ever to skim the internet. The key to success is to know as little as possible about the inner workings of the web and computer. I personally don't know how my computer works, what the exact process is to download and install anything, and I don't read the fine print as i'm too lazy or in a hurry. Now, once you've obtained enough mediocrity the second step is to develop greed and laziness. I don't have the time to buy or purchase legitimate services on the internet. I don't use netflix, i don't order stuff off of ebay, I don't use the mainstream web service providers for anything really. Find some good old black market websites for things you want to buy and torrent movies and games to one's content. Now, i'm not saying i've ever illegally downloaded anything and you can't prove it if you tried haha. But, what i do recommend is that if you ever want something new for little to no hassle, always read the fine print or a stream of viruses will rain excrement on your head.

assignment 19- david chen

There are many pieces of advice that has given me a new outlook on life. The one that likely has had the most impact is to enjoy life as it inevitably ends and to do all that one can before the time is up. I've been more outgoing and sociable because of this. I take more risks yet i balance what i stake. Knowing your limits is vital to one's success but every once in a while, to step out beyond that line separating the known and unknown helps give perspective. Most of the time, advice i receive is worthless because its either highly specific or too generic to the point I already know it. To enjoy life as it still goes is quite vague, yet it can be held up to different interpretations based on the individual. However, no matter how one takes the meaning of it, the end result of experiencing something new and wonderful really is priceless.

assignment 18-david chen

My number one item on my bucket list for high school would be to maintain my gpa and just enjoy whatever time i have left. Junior year has been much more demanding than any of the previous ones so far and i should probably stay focused to succeed. There is much more work and the requirements are higher but i know fully well that if i can make it through this last semester, senior year will be a breeze. My number one item on my bucket list for college will most certainly be to determine what i want to do with my life. I have a general idea of what i'd like to do but the journey to get there is an uncertain one. I'm always fluctuating between what i want to do because of the fact that many get rich quick schemes pass through the grape vine and i only know a few are even viable. What is the number one item on my bucket list before i finish living? I really don't know because there are many things i would like to do. By that, i mean that i'd like to do everything there is. I'd like to experience all that this world has to offer before my short human life is up.

How to Sail: Sloan Warner

Explaining this without visuals may be much harder than I anticipate, but I am going to try it anyways. There are more pieces to a sailboat than the average person may imagine, but I am going to just explain the basic parts integral to sailing. First of all, you have your rudder which is how you steer the boat. The rudder is in the back of the boat and you steer with the tiller which is a stick attached to the rudder. If we were comparing a car to a sailboat, the wheels are the rudder and the steering wheel is the tiller. Now steering a sailboat is a little counter intuitive. If you want to go to the left, you push the tiller to the right and if you want to go right, you push the tiller to the left. You get used to this the more and more practice you have. In order to steer the boat, the boat has to be moving. This is a little more difficult. You can maneuver the sail by pulling in the main sheet (a rope) or letting out the main sheet. The general idea is to get the sail perpendicular to the direction of the wind. There are some instances when getting the sail perpendicular to the wind is impossible, which is when you are sailing upwind (into the direction the wind is coming from) in which case you just pull the sail in as much as you can. This is why sail races are difficult because when you are sailing upwind, you must maximize your speed but take a good angle so you don't have to turn back and forth hundreds of times. If you sail directly into the wind, the boat doesn't move. I hope you learned a little bit about sailing, and if you didn't, you can always just youtube a video that explains this 100 times better than I can.

Assignment 20: Corey McMullin

How to make Meatloaf

Ingredients: 1 pound beef, 1 pound pork, sweet peppers, onion, brown sugar, ketchup (lots of it), eggs, and oats (diced apples are a good gluten free substitute)

Dice the peppers and onion. Mix them by hand in a bowl with the meat, brown sugar, ketchup (and any other condiments you want, I like adding mustard), egg yolks, brown sugar, and the oats. Basically, mix EVERYTHING in the bowl. Once that is done, put it into a bread pan and smother it in more ketchup. Bake it for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees (varies based on bread pan). Now that the hard part is over, take it out of the oven and let it cool. Before consuming the delicious meatloaf, considering adding even more ketchup, because it makes it taste better (a nearly impossible task for meatloaf). If you don't enjoy it, you didn't add enough ketchup.

Assignment 19: Corey McMullin

The one piece of advice that has stuck with me was from the Assassin's Creed video game series: "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." In other words, question everything and be aware of your actions. The truth is hidden among lies. By following blind faith people are lead astray. And if you do not think about your actions, the consequences will crush you. This advice, evident in each new copy of Assassin's Creed, has helped me ever since I first heard it because I was conscientious enough to actually consider how my words and actions would affect others. It matured me, making me into a nice guy that cared about people (a funny thing to learn from murderers). I understood that I could do whatever I wanted and say whatever pleased me, but I would have to live knowing that I would have to live the rest of my life regretting it.

Assignment 18: Corey McMullin

Before I graduate high school, I want to attend Senior Benefit. I have never been able to attend due to my teachers either having a test or review on that day, or my teachers just not allowing me to go, and I am never able to attend after school activities. Every year I am barraged with people relishing the memories of Senior Benefit. They only seem to stop the next year after a new Senior Benefit becomes the talk of the school. So before I leave Henry Clay, I would like to be able to finally join my fellow students as we cherish our memories of Senior Benefit.

Before I graduate from college, my number one thing to do is to get a job. I currently get money about once a month when my neighbors need me to watch their dog. That is nowhere near enough to cover the expenses of life, unless I want to become a bum living in my parent's basement (which is my current situation).

Before I die, I want to visit Canada. Ever since I was a wee lad I have fancied the mystical land of moose, hockey, and maple syrup. Canada is a place that seems bleak and cold, but Canada is full of wonder: the CN Tower in Toronto, the Biodome in Montreal, Niagra Falls. Canada is an amazing place that I would love to visit before I die.

How To Throw a Hook - Weiran Liu

Boxing has managed to find a way to my heart so I will be writing about how to throw my favorite punch: a rear hook. Why a hook? It’s powerful, quick, and like a bullet. First you have to get in the right stance. If you are right-handed, your left leg is out front and your left arm is your lead arm; if you are left-handed, your right leg is out front and your right arm is your lead arm. Now get comfortable standing like that – bend your knees (you don’t want them locked) and stay on the balls of your feet. Oftentimes it is overlooked, but many boxers and fighters are light and quick on their feet. You want to be able to move around and react quickly. Next is something that I cannot stress enough – keep your hands up and by your face at ALL times. You really don’t want to leave yourself exposed for an open shot. Taking your rear arm, bend it at 90 degrees so that your forearm is parallel to the ground. Begin with bending your knees slightly and rotating your body simultaneously as you land your hit. Your core plays an essential role in maximizing the power of your punch. Since we are using our rear arm, you want to make sure you pivot your rear foot (here is where staying light/on the ball of your feet comes in) with the swing so that the momentum carries throughout the whole body, to the bag (or person) you are hitting. While all of this is happening, make sure that the arm you are not using to punch stays in front of your face for protection. Something to keep in mind: make sure to not swing your arm too far out from your body because your control over arm will weaken, as well as the power of your hit. When you get comfortable throwing a rear hook, you can switch your stance, apply the same method to a lead hook, work on strength or speed of the hit.

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 15th at 11:59 pm

(Last day to make up posts 18-20)

Plastics - Jack Phillips

One piece of advice that has really stuck with me has been from a song. I know that it is cliche so I'm sorry for that, but it is just really good advice. I first heard this song when I was playing FIFA 15 (great game by the way) and it sounded like a really good song so I went and looked for it on Itunes (yes I download my music legally, I know lame, but i just dont know what else to do with all the itunes giftcards I get) and much to my dismay, it wasn't there. Nor was it on spotify. So I just listened to it on youtube whenever I wanted to hear it. A lot of trouble to go to for a song, but this song in my opinion didn't just sound good, the lyrics behind it I felt actually meant something, and were words to live by. And that's still the way I feel every single time I hear "The Nights" by Avicii. "Son, don't let it slip away He took me in his arms, I heard him say, "When you get older Your wild heart will live for younger days Think of me if ever you're afraid." He said, "One day you'll leave this world behind So live a life you will remember."

assignment 16 - Jack Phillips

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_will_hunting/

5.0 stars

This movie is one of my favorite movies, and is easily my favorite Robin Williams movie. Coming from a background of stand up comedy and mostly comedic films, one wouldn't think he would do well in a serious role, but he perfected his role in this movie. He provided some comedic relief, but his real genius was in the many scenes working with the young and troubled Matt Damon. Many of the supporting roles were also very well done, especially the performances of Ben Affleck and Minnie Driver. Matt Damon played the part he wrote for himself extremely well, and I'm not sure which was better, his script writing or his ability to make the troubled genius that is Will Hunting come alive. Every time I watch this movie I am left speechless, and I highly suggest it, and think it is one of the best two hours you will ever spend.