Assignment 19: Plastics- Alex Cooper

My dad once told me that not everything comes easy but if you persevere it will come eventually. This piece of advice has been very important to me because I lost my dad, freshman year, to cancer. He took his own inspirational advice fighting for his last breath up until the very end. Perseverance was his favorite word and is now mine too. Many people were inspired by his fight, for example the Henry Clay Softball team now gives out the Kenny Long award each year to the girl they think showed the most perseverance and strength through a hardship during the season. His courage and fight inspires me every day to continue pushing against any challenges I come across. Any time I am ready to give up and stop fighting I think of him and how strong he always was. I will always cherish that small piece of advice he gave me.

Assignment 18: Buckets and Buckets- Alex Cooper

High school:

·         Register to vote

·         Go to prom

·         Run a 10K

·         Plan an epic promposal

·         Go 24 hours without any technology

For my high school bucket list running a 10K is most important to me. This is because I take health and fitness seriously and I think it would be very beneficial to be able to train and finally run a 10K all on my own.

                College:

·         Study abroad

·         Participate in a campus tradition

·         Go on a road trip

·         Go on a spring break trip

·         Graduate

For my college bucket list studying abroad is the most important to me. I think it would be amazing to be immersed in another culture and have the opportunity to learn so much while you are having such a great experience.

                Life:

·         See the seven wonders of the world

·         Visit every state

·         Have a successful job

·         Have a happy family

·         Foster dogs

·         Get a tattoo

For my life bucket list having a happy family is the most important to me. I would like my kids and husband to be happy along with myself, and just be having a good time.

Assignment 16: Hooray for Hollywood- Alex Cooper

The two movies I watched were Catching Fire and Mockingjay, directed by Francis Lawrence. I loved watching these movies just like I loved reading the books. Lawrence does an astounding job of keeping the books alive and not cutting out or altering too much of the original plot. I can not say which of these two movies I liked best because they both had their strengths and weaknesses. For example in Catching Fire the action scenes, I thought, were done better than in Mockingjay but that could be due to the fact that there was more action that needed to be focused on in Catching Fire. On the other hand I believe Mockingjay follows the plot line in the book much closer than Catching Fire did. In both movies the acting was great and both had an overall great outcome. I am looking forward to seeing the last movie soon.

Assignment 22: Fictional Character, Fictional Life

Out of all of the books, all of the movies, and all of the television shows you have watched, consider your favorite characters. Then, answer the following:

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, March 15th at 11:59 pm

Lucas Soard, Assignment 20- How to…

How to take a sweep single shot with a low finish in wrestling. You don’t care, but I’m good at that and it’s late.

                First things first, you have to maintain good position. Head up, bend at the hips and the knees, with your hands in front, just in case they want to shoot. Grab the left triceps and a collar tie of your opponent, making sure that you keep your arms inside of theirs, so that you can keep control of the situation. Circle away from the leg that you want to shoot at. So, for instance, in my case I would circle right until my opponent slips up and places their left leg forward. There are many ways to execute the shot itself. I like to take a good shot (falling to your heel, then your toe, and finally onto the knee), grabbing behind the leg with two arms, slipping my head to the inside, and circling behind to ty and grab the far ankle. Once you have each of your opponent’s ankles, circle further behind them straightening their legs, forcing them to their back or until they give up, giving you a take down. 

Assignment 21: Lucas Soard, Right Now

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, something great is happening. Whether it’s a prospect putting up shots in an empty gym, or a prodigy sharpening his craft. Greatness is everywhere, and we have to find ways to capture it. There’s also kids like me, who blew their whole weekend and are trying to finish their homework. There are millions and millions of things happening at this very moment. I don’t know what’s happening out there, or how those things will affect me. Something great out there is happening, and there is also something horrible happening. Something marginal and unimportant is happening. I don’t know what these things and neither do you. Now that I’m near the 150 word limit and stretched this prompt as far as I can take it, and in the process written something boring and terrible, I’ll pull a David Chen and stop right… here. 

In another world... - Charlie Blondell

Right now, at this very moment, in some galaxy light years away, on a planet that almost replicates Earth, there is a world of "halves." It is the same as planet earth, but everything and anything is only a half of what it is here. Halves of apples hanging on halves of trees, halves of wheels clunking around the spokes of half-bikes, halves of basketball nets hanging on  halves of basketball rims. Half-people. Half-dogs. Half-cats. A world of half. Beautiful women who are only half as beautiful. Die hard fans who only cheer half as hard. Brilliant scientists who have an IQ of 70. A world with half as many religions, half as many disputes, half as many nations in hunger. Half as many celebrations, holidays, and grand mini-mall openings. Half the goods. Half the evils. The balance is essentially the same. So, would living in this world be worth it? If the hardships only happened half as often, but the triumphs followed the same pattern? This makes us question our own world and life. Which have greater impacts in our life? The successes or the sorrows. The births and new beginnings, or the deaths and crumpling stands. The question may never be answered. If one says that they wouldn't want to live in this alternate universe, is it because they are afraid of the increased boredom that comes with less physical and emotional uproars and downfalls? Or is it because the decreased distress just doesn't justify the loss of joy. I believe one has to realize that although life can be difficult, in essence, the great moments just cannot be beat. A feeling that is "half" as good as the ones we experience today would not cut it. And any situation that would allow for a loss in these tremendous feelings (even to compensate for the decrease in troubles) could not be an option. Be grateful for what you have. Be sympathetic for what others don't. And live life as if there is another world out there that doesn't have the opportunity to experience life as fully as you do.

assignment 21 david chen

At this very moment in the universe all i know for sure is that i'm typing this blog. I could probably guess there would also be many unusual events happening as well but I don't really care for imaging or guessing them. There would likely be many shooting stars going through space, many asteroids colliding in orbit, and many people scrolling through netflix. Currently it is 8:38PM on a sunday, so I would assume its a mostly slow night for the common folk. Now that I think of it, I'm sure one of my fellow classmates that put this off is probably typing this as well and multitasking to finish other procrastinated work. As my ideas for stalling are dwindling to an all time low i'm going to have to wrap this up with an extravagant twist of majestic linguistics to distract the audience as I bid my adieu.

Right Now- Ji-Hae Kim

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, a new life has been set into motion. A journey unique to that individual has started. The individual's allotted time had started ticking. No one can know when the clock will stop. No being can know what kind of journey this one will go through. The path had been laid and the obstacles have been set. The strings of fate had been tied. At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, someone has started their precious story. Their existence has been woven into the intricate tapestry containing existences. Some threads take longer than others to reach their destination--to the end of their journey. Sometimes a thread here or there runs out. Sometimes the thread refuses to move on and gives up. But the threads keep on going and weaving. When one runs out, another continues--generation after generation. Somewhere in the universe, at this very moment, the pattern continues. A new thread has been woven into the tapestry.

Aislinn Langley - Assignment 21

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, someone is being productive. It's not me. I can tell you that with a degree of certainty. Someone is making progress in discovering the cure for cancer, someone is completing their first novel, someone has just started their dissertation, and none of these people are me. Obviously. As I sit reading a book on my bedroom floor, someone is buying their first house and choosing what kind of carpet to put in the master bedroom. As I sit chugging unhealthy quantities of hot chocolate, someone is burning off that elusive twentieth pound they'd been trying to lose. As I sit in my bed for hours to avoid actually getting up, someone is springing out of bed to get back to work on the project of their life.
And that's okay. Good for everyone who's getting something done. Good for everyone who's meeting goals and realizing dreams. Good for everyone who's making positive changes in their lives and communities. And good for me for taking a moment to acknowledge their effort. I'll get right back to work in a minute, honest. Because at some point I'll be that person somewhere in the universe. But for now, I'll just take a quiet minute and watch everyone in their element.

Our invisible world Jacob Ferguson

At this moment thousands, millions, billions, or even decillions of things are occurring at once.  We cannot fathom the amount of complex interactions occurring all around us, many of which go unseen.  The atoms in my fingers are combined into compounds, which produce chemical reactions that are fueling the operations of my cells.  The cells are replicating DNA, converting food into energy, and many are falling off of my body or rubbing off as I type.  In my computer each keystroke activates thousands of calculations; invisible waves travel to it through wires underground and above air to my router.  As I sit here my smart watch retrieves information through the air from my phone.  Radio signals pass through houses, landscapes, and even people; and then are translated into sound by the minuscule parts of radios in cars.   Germs thrive throughout my body, some leave, and some enter as I touch the keys.  And finally, inside my brain, I process ideas into the movements required to translate these ideas.  The universe is a beautiful thing.

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.