Right Now- Anne Russell

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, music is being played. Music is being made. Songs are being sung, guitars are being strummed. Finger tips are dancing over piano keys, lyrics being written about painful memories. Someone plays violin as a bride walks down the aisle, while someone listens to music as they run a mile. Children dance to music while through the house they roam, church groups singing to local nursing homes. Someone smiles when they learn their first chord, someone else watches them feeling slightly bored. A girl fights nerves before her first fame chance, a boy waits in line hoping to catch a glance. A song pops up on the radio, but it's changed cause it's one they don't know. A high school boy band practices in a dark garage, hoping for their gig tonight to attract some applause. A girl sits in her room strumming her feelings into the night, her tired family hopes she'll soon turn out the light. Not a day goes by when music is not around you, open up your eyes, it just might astound you.

Right now- Amelia Rogers

Right now, somewhere in the world, a baby was just born. Maybe it was a born in a pristine hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses and family. Maybe it was born in a nice house with a few people to help. Maybe it was born in a tiny hut and the mother was all alone. Maybe this baby has light brown hair and hazel eyes. Maybe its hair is jet black. Maybe its eyes are blue like the sky. Maybe its skin is dark. Maybe its skin is fair. A tiny little person, a brand new life has just entered the world. Who do you think this baby will become? Someday, they may do amazing things. They might be a scientist. They might be a teacher. They might run an international business. They might cure cancer. They might become President. They might go to space. They might live in space. What will their world look like? In their life, they will face challenges and pain. They will know love and happiness. They will create their own identity. They will be different from anyone else who has ever lived. But every moment in their life will trace back to the one moment that connects every human on earth- the moment of their birth. Right now.

Right Now - Anthony Tamasi

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, there is someone laying in bed, dreading the inevitable hour at which they will have to return to school. There was a huge snowstorm, one that made it into the record books, making travel difficult. Oh you had plans? Whoops. You want to go out? Nah. You need food? Forget about that, hope you stocked up. Despite the days you have had to spend inside your house, doing absolutely nothing (except for Mrs. Dewees's calculus homework of course), you would still rather continue that than to go back to school. Even though you will finally have that human interaction you craved for the past week, it will not be friendly, but filled with teachers harping at you over dress code violations and ironically giving 30 minute lectures on wasting time. In addition, we take the ACT that helps determine the quality of the rest of your life within a week of our return. So I hope you got your rest, all of you who are laying on your bed, with nothing to do. You will need it tomorrow morning.

Right Now-Noah Welch

On a planet quite similar to ours, people are struggling to survive the bitter winter. One group of people named Los Pobres is suffering in the snow.  These people do not have the advantages of heat, shelter, power and other conveniences that we see as natural rights that everyone deserves.  These people live in squalor and thank their lucky stars if they survive the night alive.  They have the clothes on their back and maybe a blanket or two. They will be fortunate if they sleep in a room; but could be forced to sleep outside.  Their circumstances have driven them to this but their government can help.  But will it? That’s still to be seen. The Pobres are disenfranchised and do not have the same power as the leading faction in their government, the Licanrepubs.  These people believe that the Pobres deserve to be living in such squalor because “they were lazy or irresponsible or foolish. “  These Licanrepubs forget their roots and are foolish enough to believe that they will never be in the Pobres situation again.  Fortune spins like a wheel lifting some up and dashing others down.  To be a united strong planetary force, the strong must look after and protect the weak, help them to obtain the advantages that are some Licanrepubs take for granted. The Pobres should be given more protection and if that means raising taxes on other citizens it should be seen as  investing for a better future, one in which no Pobres are forced to live and die in the cold.

(Pobre is the Spanish word for poor and you would have to ask an elephant who the Licanrepubs are)

Right Now - Emily Cashman

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe…the mailmen/women are delivering mail to everyone’s homes. I know this is happening because my mom just made me go get the mail from our mailbox by the driveway. Going outside for about 45 seconds to get the mail was very cold and very not fun. It gave me a new appreciation for the mailpeople who have to drive around in the snow and stop at literally every single mailbox in order to give everyone their mail. It seems like a very boring job, driving those small white van thing’s that don’t have real doors, stopping and starting every 50 feet to put some envelopes in a mailbox, and doing that same thing every single day, except Sunday of course. I feel like the mailpeople must relate to Uncle Vernon in a way because he said in the first Harry Potter that his favorite day was Sunday because there’s no post(mail) on Sundays.

How to - Caleb Combs

Money management is a skill that every person should possess and be able to pass on to their children.  Learning how to manage money is essential to success in life, as it will shape your future.  Everyone should at least possess the basic techniques for managing their money.  One big one is to set aside a separate bank account that is designated as an "emergency fund."  In the event of emergency, it is important to have a supply of money to provide for the family.  Another useful technique is to put money in a "sinking fund" when hoping to make a large purchase.  Avoid taking out mortgage on your home, or taking loans from the bank.  This is an ineffective way to manage your money.  Finally, avoid spending money on recreational items excessively.  The spending of money on things such as fast food would be better spent elsewhere.  Follow this advice, and you will be better off in the future.

Plastics - Caleb Combs

One piece of advice that has always stuck with me is to treat others the way that I would want to be treated.  Before doing or saying something, you should always consider the effect that it has on other people.  For example, if someone bumps into you in the hallway and makes you drop your books, you would probably like help picking them up.  The same goes for if you are the one knocking books out of someone's hands.  You should stop and help them, as this is what you and most other people would appreciate.  I've also always been told to be honest.  Lying is a sin that you can't come back from.  When you are caught in a lie, people will doubt everything you say, as you lose their trust.  Winning back someone's trust is a huge challenge, and one that can be easily avoided if you just be honest.

Right Now- Mckenna Elliott

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, there is a teenage girl sobbing because she hates snow and Marlene is going to give FCPS a whole week off. She is in bed reading and moping about not being able to come into contact with human life other than her family for a few more days. She has only left her bed once today, of course only to use the restroom. Her brain is rotting from laying around and doing nothing all day, and she feels helpless because of the snow. The blizzard is ruining her life! She should probably be happy that she does not have to go to school today, but the fact that she cannot do anything else because the roads are bad put such a damper on her mood. Yes, that girl is me. :-)))))

Plastics- Zach Whitehouse

One piece of advice I have rreceived is to always be kind. No matter what be nice to people. For example their is the old saying, kill them with kindness. I very much like this piece of advice as well. I try to be ad nice to everyone as possible. I want to treat peoplethe way iI would like to be treated and this goes a long way. If you are nice to someone, they will be nice to you and this goes a long way. If one day you need a favor, if you had beennice to ssomeone there is a good chance theywill help you wwith a favor. There is no need to be mean to someone for any reason. I mold my life around being as nice as I can be to everyone. I even still wish Iwas nnicer. This advice has made me a lot of friends to this day, friends I very much care for and I hope it will make me more in the future.

How To- Zachary Whitehouse

How to hear B.o.B... See the thing is, you don't listen to B.o.B, my favorite rap/hip hop/pop artist, you hear B.o.B. you experience B.o.B. you absorb B.o.B. Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. Is more than a musician, he makes art. He is an artist. You dim the lights, draw yourself a bath, gets some bubbles up in there and you turn on some B.o.B. you have to hear whathe is saying . Don't just take it at face value like you would with those other terrible musicians, you have to really hear what he is saying. Read in between the lyrics. He is wonderful. I have mastered the art of hearing B.o.B and experiencing the art he creates. He follows me oj twitter. 1 out of less than 50 people he follows. Most rappers you just listen to. You throw on their music real loud in the car and shout their meaning less bars but B.o.B, nah man, he speaks the truth. You put on your Beats by Dre, sit in a chair looking out the window and let Bobby Rays music flow through you olike a waterfall flows through a mountain.

Assignment 21: Right Now

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

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

How to- Scott Street

I know that making it through the day is tough enough as it is. From maybe not getting enough sleep at night or whatever the reason may be, (maybe you're just having a rough day) some days are just seemingly impossible to get through. That's why I am going to tell you three ways on how to make it through a rough day of school.
1: Sleep. Teachers may not encourage this, but sleeping really helps me feel better if I'm having a rough day. Probably wouldn't be smart to sleep through Dewees' class, but maybe a lighter one in which you could take a cat nap, and you will feel like a million bucks.
2: Comedy. Comedy is key whenever you need to be cheered up. Surround yourself with funny people. Even crack a joke or two yourself. Anything to get you through.
3: Eat. I don't know about you, but I LOVE eating. It kind of helps me take my mind off of anything that's going on. If you can munch on some goldfish or some cheez-its in class, you will start to feel the results soon.

Plastics- Scott Street

When I was very young, I didn't really like to swim because I wasn't very good at it. I told my coach that, and he was very disappointed to hear me. He told me that I should absolutely never give up on anything that I do. Ever. As a young kid of maybe 7 or 8 years old, that didn't mean that much to me back then. However, looking back on it, that moment has been one of major importance in my life. There have been many times in which I have wanted to give up on many various things, ranging from swimming to school or really just anything. Yet I keep on living on and persevering through tough times, and I believe that I am doing just fine, and that I am much more fortunate than many others in the world. If others can struggle way worse than I can, I can definitely make it through whatever the issue may be. That is why those words that my coach uttered to me have stuck with me throughout all these years.

Buckets and Buckets- Scott Street

High School Bucket List:
-Receive good Grades
- Make the best friends that I possibly can
-Perform to my fullest capability in swimming
- Go on a spring break trip with some friends (possibly senior year)
- Be a proud member of the Catholic Church
- Conduct a sports radio broadcast (maybe lowkey) with some friends.
College Bucket List:
- Continue to be a good student
_- Hopefully continue to swim
- Make connections with people that will last for my entire life
- Excel in the subjects that best suit me for my career
- Go to MANY concerts with friends
- Receive an MBA
Life Bucket List:
- Start a family
- Be successful in whatever endeavors I may encounter
- Teach people regarding the knowledge that I know
- Raise my kids well and send them to college
- Retire happily with my wife
The ultimate goal: To be happy no matter what I choose to do.

Hooray for Hollywood- Scott Street

Quentin Tarantino may be one of the best directors ever to live. His movies tend to lean towards the action-adventure side, yet there is always something to be learned in his films. Two of these which I will discuss are Pulp Fiction and Django: Unchained. Both movies are critically acclaimed, and both movies are among my favorites. Tarantino's style is very present within the two, which tends to be very gory and violent. Scenes such as the infamous street chase scene in Pulp Fiction and the infamous house battle scene in Django both clearly depict this notion of Tarantino's style. However, what really makes the movies great, are the scenes of greatness that teach moral stories to the audience. For example, "Ezekiel 25:17" and the last scene of Django teach us that with all the bad that goes on in life, there is good within every bad action that takes place.

Plastics- Andrew Collins

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing." -Benjamin Franklin

This quote gave me a very different perspective on what my goals are. Of course, I'm not shallow enough to solely seek to approval of others, but this quote is still very important. If I'm not helping others or otherwise changing them, I might need to stop and reconsider my actions. English certainly isn't my forte, so I probably won't write anything worth reading. And doing something worth writing is actually surprisingly simple. It can be as easy as having your name on the top of a successful transcript, or being in a list of successful auditionees. So really, following this advice is actually pretty spread out across every part of my life. Continuing this example, doing this blog post contributes to having my name written at the top of a transcript with a good English grade. And practicing my instrument brings me closer to having my name in a list of members of an honor band. In short, this advice helps me to consider the results of my actions more carefully.

Buckets and Buckets- Andrew Collins

Before I leave High School:
1. Make an All-State Band- This is the crowning achievement in any High School Musician's career, to participate in a band with the best high school musicians in the state, and sometimes even the country. The participants get to work with some of the best directors the country has to offer, all while spending half a week in Louisville's elegant Galt House hotel. This is an especially impressive achievement for a saxophone player like myself, as saxophone combines one of the most competitive groups of players with the fewest number of spots. (Making GSA is a very similar priority, along with a similar level of competition.

Before I leave College:
1. Land a dream job- I'm not entirely sure which field I'd like to enter, but I'd certainly enjoy the comfort of having a solid job right out of college. Whether I'm a mathematician, an Engineer, or a Physicist, having a job where I have room to grow would be beyond comforting. Bonus if I know that it's a job that I could feasibly continue all the way to retirement.

Before I leave life:
1. Besides the obvious "I want a strong family, etc", I want to be notable enough to have a Wikipedia page. It may seem simple, but if someone else deems fit to create a Wikipedia page of me, obviously I've done something in my life to affect the lives of others (I will add the condition that I would like this to be something positive, not about something I did to negatively affect others).

How to- Andrew Collins

How to... make ice.
According to many of my friends, I have "magic ice", so I think its safe to say that I have above average expertise in this field. So just follow the instructions to impress your friends and your enemies with your magic ice?

Step one: Have a broken Ice maker.
     The Ice maker in my refrigerator broke a few years ago, and we were quoted what my dad deemed      a ridiculous amount (we have since gotten a better quote and had it replaced). In order to chill our      now warm drinks, we needed to find a new solution.
Step two: Buy some plastic ice tray
     You can buy these from anywhere, the solid plastic ones are much better than the flexible silicone      ones.
Step three:
     Get a Brita water filter. This is the key to the "magic" properties of the ice, as the brita filter                removes the minerals and thus makes the ice purer.
Step four:
     Pour the filtered water into the ice trays and place in the freezer.
Step five:
     Wait until the ice looks frozen all the way through, and then viola, Magic Ice! Share the great taste      with your friends and family and enjoy the endless stream of compliments!

How To- Caroline Totty

How to Speak Dolphin:
The first thing you need to do is listen to some videos of dolphins screeching to fully understand the language you are about to speak. Study how they interact and how the different pitches mean different things. Your next steps is when you actually want to speak it, you sort of do this thing where you clog your throat and make a dolphin noise. You must make it all choppy though so it sounds like a dolphin and make sure it is high pitched. You will then learn to change the pitch while you are making the noise choppy. You have to be enthusiastic when speaking it or else the pitches with be off. Make sure the noise is coming mainly from the back of your throat but it also has to be high pitched. Once you master this you will hopefully already know the language so you will have no problem becoming fluent. Now whenever you go to the zoo or beach you can communicate with dolphins! How exciting! It is a special talent not many have but once you master it, it is life changing. And that is how you master the language of dolphin.

How To-Leah Noble

How to get your friend to do something they really don't want to do:

We all are familiar with the situation where you have to go to a boring event, but don't want to go alone, so we ask a friend. That friend however feels very little motivation to spend time doing something they don't want to do. Here's where the how to comes in:

1. Do a nice gesture (or gestures depending on how awful the thing you want them to do is) in the days prior to when you ask them.
2. When you ask, be sure your friend is in a good mood and make it seem as painless as possible.
3. If they don't say yes the first time you ask, keep bringing it up to annoy them just a little in hopes that they might say yes just to get you to stop annoying them.
4. Channel your inner salesperson. Treat it like you are selling your friend an item. Throw in enticing things on the side to win them over. Things such as fro-yo afterwards, a movie night, or if all else fails, straight up cash.
5. As a final attempt, remind them of all the things you have done for them throughout your friendship and if they are truly your friend, they will sacrifice their time and energy for you.

How To- Emily Chavez

WordPress is a great website to use if you are looking to create a blog for a business,

organization or just for your personal entertainment. However, knowing how to effectively create a site

that will bring in an audience can be difficult. That being said, the process can be broken down into an

easy to understand process that will have you ready to blog in no time!

First, be sure to plug your computer into a power source. This process could take a while

depending on how long it takes you. Go ahead and make sure you’re connected to a strong internet

connection. Now, open your internet and type www.wordpress.com into the browser. Make sure you

type .com, not .org. The page you should find will prompt you to type in a name for your blog. Choose

carefully, as this can be difficult to change later in the process. I chose my name, Emily J. Chavez, as it is

versatile and opened me up to write about just about anything I wanted.

After you pick a site name and click Create Blog, there will be a series of blanks you will need to

fill in. The first will be your email address. Choose an email you check quite frequently as you will receive

information regarding viewers, posts and other important updates. Next will be your username, which

is not to be confused with the name of your actual blog. I suggest using your name for this as well. After

your username will be a place to create a password. Pick a strong password, but make sure to write it

down! You will then we asked to finalize the name of your site. After that, there will be a blue button

offering to upgrade your blog so it will not have a ‘.wordpress’ attached to the name of the site. For the

purposes of this how-to, we will create a free blog.

You will then be asked to verify your blog via a verification email sent. Click the link they send

you in the email, and then return to the page the website led you to after you filled out all of that

information. It then asks you to create a title for your blog. This is what people will see in big letters

when they go to your site. Luckily, this decision is not final. You can easily change it in the future! The

tagline they prompt you to type in is optional, but this would be a good place to give your audience a bit

of a sneak peek into what your site is all about. If you’re reading this I assume you speak English, but if I

am wrong, pick the language you wish to have your site in and then click next step.

Now, the theme. Scroll through the theme options and choose one you feel will suite your blog well. You can choose a free one or you may decide to buy one, depending on your goals for the site. Depending on what theme you pick, you will get the option to customize it. For example, I chose the Edin layout. I then pressed customize to help add personal touches onto my site. The first thing is the color scheme. Pick a scheme that you think fits the site well, but remember that it is easy to change later. After you pick a color scheme, go to the menu on the right hand side of the screen and click header. This is where you can choose to either keep the header for your blog the same as the one the layout came with, or you can upload your own photo from your computer. Next, click on the tab that says widgets. These will appear on your blog. It depends on what you want, but if you choose to insert a widget, follow the instructions for the specific widget. Click “save” in the top right hand corner and it will take you back to the customization information page. There are any other ways to customize, but we are just creating a simple blog. Click “next step” and the page will prompt you to connect with Facebook and/or Twitter. This is very important when wanting viewers. I suggest you at least connect one of the two in order to get followers and viewers. It will be easy to make tweets and posts regarding new content on your blog! Congrats! You now have a basic WordPress blog. Play around to find other ways to make your blog personal to you. Happy blogging!

Plastics - Isabel Jenkins

I guess I'm a sucker for inspirational quotes. I have a plethora of sticky notes littering the inside of my desk, numerous scrawled words in the margins of my agenda, and way too many wallpapers saved on my computer. No, not like cheesy cat posters, but valuable tidbits from great thinkers - Maya Angelou, Ghandi, C.S. Lewis. Yet... I can't seem to find one that truly "sticks" with me. Currently I'm flipping through some colorful notecards I dug up. There's no denying this stuff is deep - "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." (C.S. Lewis), "Normality is a paved road: It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it." (Van Gogh), to name a few  - so why have they been collecting dust in my desk drawers? I like something, so I write it down. And then forget about it? How does that make sense? Perhaps it's because I'm distant from these people, these disembodied names. The piece of advice that has stayed longest with me did not come from any book, or influential figure, or person of authority in my life - it came from a friend, and of all places, in seventh grade.

In middle school, I was considered rude. I didn't realize I came off that way, but I was blunt, to say the least. (Because god forbid an adolescent female actually realizes how ridiculous pubescent drama is...) Back in those days it was still a thing to write cute sparkly little notes to each other, and I got into some pretty serious (and multicolored) conversations seventh grade year. One in particular became so long that we no longer wrote notes, but letters, and a topic that just so happened to come up was my "inherent" rudeness. My penfriend was the epitome of politeness and diplomacy, and formulated a list aptly titled "X's rules of being NOT rude," a 16-step plan that I took to heart. In fact, there is a bright pink transcription in my desk right now.

I shamelessly say today that I have only accomplished 4 out of the 16 requirements, and probably won't get much further (I'm still stuck at #2: STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES SO MUCH). But that's not the point. The point is that it gave me new insight about myself, and helped me become more self aware. I don't think I'll ever be a completely not-rude person - at least according to my friend's standards - but I'm making the effort to improve, and that's what matters.

Plastics- Kaitlyn Nunnelley

The majority of the advice I get, I give to myself. Outside of me, my mom probably gives me the best advice. She gives really good advice about boys, especially at this age. She usually tells me not to worry about people I don't need and going through college will bring me a new group of friends. She has always called people out on their faults that I refused to acknowledge in the past and has always been right about how people will turn out. The people she doesn't like usually end up going down the wrong path, so I always try and listen to her judgments. But the one piece of advice that has stuck was to not worry about events outside my control, that what will happen, will happen. I repeat this to myself a lot in situations I find stressful. It calms me down and pushes me to think of other things that I can control.

How To - Kate Sommer

One of my favorite places to be is New Orleans. I've probably been there around 20 times in my lifetime. And considering I'm going to New Orleans in the next couple days I decided to teach you all How To Visit New Orleans.

1) Food. Don't knock it 'til you try it. One of my favorite foods to get in New Orleans is a Po-Boy (Poor Boy), but the best place to get them from is actually a gas station. The gas station Danny and Clyde's might look like a total dive but it has some of the best Po-Boys in the city and it's constantly packed with people. Personally, we always have to get Pop-eyes fried chicken - but that might be because they took all the Pop-eyes away from Lexington. Also, you HAVE to get Beignets. They're basically a french doughnut with powdered sugar - but they're delicious and if you have the opportunity to have them you need to.

2) Tourist locations. City Park - A park in Midtown New Orleans with a playground, a sculpture garden, and art museum, and even an amusement park. If you happen to during Christmas time it's a ton of fun because they have a large month long event called "Celebration of the Oaks". Magazine Street -Blocks and blocks of stores. Any store you could think of is on this street. Music stores, art stores, clothing stores, restaurants, bakery's, thrift stores. French Quarter - What you think of when you hear New Orleans. It has a majority of the street performers/artists/musicians and the original Cafe du Monde (known for their beignets).

3) Mardi Gras. If you're given the opportunity to visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras, do it. Here's a tip, if you're there for the parades, the best ones are actually the ones the weekend before Mardi Gras. The Saturday and Sunday before the super Krewes, Endymion and Bacchus, have their parades. In these parades one float is actually 3 floats put together. Tons of people turn out for these parades and they're lots of fun. Both Krewes usually get famous people to be the Grand Marshalls/Kings of the Parade. For example last year Bacchus has Hugh Laurie and this year they got John C Reilly. Also last year Endymion had Norman Reedus and Ian Somerhalder and this year they have Jason Aldean. If you're looking for a parade that's a bit more low key but still good quality, I recommend Hermes. It passes right by Magazine street and after spending some time shopping you could down to a great parade.  

Plastics - Kate Sommer

I have 2 siblings, and I would consider them to both be over achievers. They both excel at anything they put their minds to. My older sibling is very smart, was awarded tons of scholarships for college, and graduated salutatorian last year. My younger sister is great at band, soccer, and track. So a thing I struggled with throughout 8th grade and still sometimes struggle with, is that I would compare myself to my siblings and I would feel I wasn't as good as them. Both parents told me multiple times that I'm my own person and I don't have to try and live up to my siblings. This was really important for me to hear, and I still have to remind myself of that sometimes. Just because my older sibling got great grades and took tons of AP classes doesn't mean I have to be. Just because my younger sister is super athletic doesn't mean I have to be. This is a really important thing for me to remind myself of, especially when my self-confidence is low. I have to remember what my parents told me and remind myself that I might not be as good as my siblings at somethings but there are things that I'm better at than my siblings.

How To-Noah Welch

How to choose the right book:

Choosing a book is a great challenge and one that should not be taken lightly. In my opinion the best way to find the right book is through deep soul searching and self-knowledge. You must master the depths of your soul discovering what you adore and what you loathe.  This is a strenuous process requiring many years of study, travel and meditation.  You must consider your likes and dislikes, your fears and your desires.  Some people may prefer romance novels that describe relationships and life lessons. Other people enjoy seeing the world burn. I recommend that you spend hours talking to your peers, teachers and discuss on the internet. Perhaps you can go through a training montage to complete your soul searching quest.

Once you have completed your journey, you are free to travel to your local book store, library, or other place of obtaining books. Once there take a stack of about 10 books that are compatible with your interests. I would recommend reading the cover and about the first 20 pages of each book. Out of these ten about five will be enjoyable. Now that you have your books, read them and have fun.    

How To - Emily Cashman

How to read a book:

First things first, you'll need to pick out a book to read. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. I prefer going to actual bookstores like Joseph-Beth or The Morris Book Shop to find a new book but the school library, the public library, or Amazon also suffice. Deciding what type of book you want is key. It's hard to finish a book if you're already bored by page twenty. Once you've selected the right book, the next step is finding the perfect location to read said book. This "perfect" location varies from person to person. Whenever it's warm enough my favorite place to read is outside in my ENO Hammock. But since it's winter I have to settle for somewhere indoors. Now it's time to get down to the actually business of reading the book. This part really isn't too tricky. You just start at page 1 and read from left to right until you get to the end..if you can't do that then you probably shouldn't be reading in the first place. Good luck on your literary adventure.

Plastics - Emily Cashman

Unfortunately, I can't think of any particular advice that has stuck with me through the years. Nothing specific is really coming to my mind for this prompt. So instead of making up some heartfelt phrase or inspirational advice and pretending that it has been my life motto or something like that I'm just going to Google some inspirational quotes and share a few. One that popped up that I like is "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination" - Jimmy Dean. Who knew the breakfast sandwich guy was so inspirational (I actually have no clue if that's the same person but oh well). Another quote I found was "People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day" - A.A. Milne. I liked this quote, but I definitely don't think it's one people should live by. Thousands of quotes showed up and I'm sure is some really great advice out there, but I'll just end this blog post with one more phrase. "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow" - Mark Twain.

How to-Anne Russell

How to excel in junior year:

1. Go on college visits at least 3 times during the year.
2. Make a plan about where you want to attend college, what you plan to study, and what future career you want to pursue.
3. Allot an hour a night for each class for homework, and if there is no homework, use the hour to study recently learned material.
4. Complete all homework on time, and study sufficiently for all tests and quizzes.
5. Be heavily involved in clubs and organizations that look good on your resume and college apps, such as Beta club and EAP.
6. Be also heavily involved in outside of school activities, such as regular community service or participation in a church/youth group.
7. Hang out with friends and family regularly to maintain social interaction. Also make time for a significant other, if applicable.
8. Get 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night; exercise 30 minutes to an hour daily; keep a balanced diet.
9. Get a steady job to increase responsibility and pay off phone, car/gas, etc.
10. Engage in stimulating hobbies, such as playing an instrument or reading books.
11. All the while, maintain a 4.0 GPA in the 7 ap classes that you should be taking to impress colleges.

Good luck! Oh wait, this is impossible:)

How To - Julia Wilson

How to roll up into school looking fly:

1. Fall out of bed 10 minutes late. Literally fall.
2. Brush your teeth or if you don't have time just chew on some mint gum.
3. Throw on an oversized sweatshirt from the 80s and some leggings that may or may not be clean. It depends on the day.
4. Don't brush your hair.
5. Do, like, half your makeup but then realize it's time to leave so abandon the whole ordeal.
6. Don't eat breakfast
7. Get in the car without a jacket even though it's 20 degrees outside.
8. Walk through the arctic tundra that is the walkway to Henry Clay High School sorely wishing you either had a jacket or were dead.

and that's how you look fly at school!!!

Plastics - Julia Wilson

I have learned a lot of things and been given very valuable advice. I'm going to list a couple:

- Eat where the locals go. When traveling it's easy to get sucked into tourist traps, especially in places like Florida. If you're looking for a good place to eat, eat somewhere that's popular amongst the locals, because why would they go somewhere that sucks? Avoid the Bubba Gump Shrimps, Hard Rock Cafes, etc. if you're looking for a great, reasonably priced meal.

- If a street performer is good enough to make you stop and watch/listen, they deserve a tip.

- Worrying isn't going to ever better any situation. It's only going to make you feel worse.

- Enjoy each day. It's easy to live life in a "looking forward to" state of mind. But doing that just wastes away your regular days. Look for the positive in each day and make the most of your time.

- Be nice to people, no matter who it is. Being on good terms with people opens up the doors to so many opportunities.

- Enjoy the physical world. It's easy to get caught up in your phone and the internet, but make sure that you still have real conversations with people and experience real things outside of a screen.

Buckets and Buckets - Julia Wilson

High School:
- Go on a mission trip to Costa Rica*
- Do the color run
- Go on a hiking trip with friends
- Cherish my remaining time as a non-adult
- Spend less time on my phone and more time in the physical world.*

College:
- Have reached a substantial audience on YouTube*
- Work at Disney World*
- Go to VidCon/Playlist Live
- Go to the Kentucky Derby
- Set myself up for a career in the media/film industry*

Life:
- Travel the world. Specifically Iceland, Paris, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, and Hawaii
- Adopt a boy from Africa/Haiti*
- Have a job that I love*
- Leave a positive mark on the world*
- To have loved and been loved in return*
- BE HAPPY AND CONTENT******

* = priorities

Horray for Hollywood - Julia Wilson

I watched 2 action movies that take place in a Dystopian society. The first was The Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games there are 12 "districts" that are governed by The Capitol. Every year each district must send one male and female "tribute" to The Hunger Games, which is a fight to the death until one tribute becomes victorious.  The second film I watched was Divergent. The world of Divergent is divided into 5 factions, each dedicated to a certain trait (intelligence, bravery, honesty, selflessness, kindness). At age 16, children in the world take an aptitude test that tells him which faction they should initiate into to become a full member. There are multiple similarities between these 2 movies. First is that they both have a heroic female protagonist; Katniss Everdeen in THG and Tris Prior in Divergent. They also have worlds that are divided into groups based on certain characteristics. They both are full of action and challenges as Katniss fights against the other tributes and Tris fights against her fellow initiates. They both also have the theme of rebelling against a higher power, as Katniss manipulates the games to anger The Capitol and Tris rebels against her faction leaders.

How to- Anthony Tamasi

Everybody loves a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is quick. It is simple.  But some people just do not know how to make one. Now a lot of this is nae'd on your preferences. What you like is key. First we are going to grab the bread. Wheat, whole grain, white bread, it makes no difference. Then we are going to lay down two slices of bread, and grab peanut butter (JIF Is preferred). Use a knife to spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread. Do not be afraid you will put too much on there. Smother it in peanut butter (and jelly too, but not yet). Go crazy. Next, put the peanut butter back. Grab a spoon and a jar of your favorite jelly. My personal favorite is black raspberry, however choose whichever you feel will taste best. Spread the jelly on the other piece of bread, again not holding back. This final part is most commonly messed up. You have to be quick but precise. Take one slice of bread and place it on top of the other. This can make or break your sandwich so use the utmost care while performing this final step. Enjoy your sandwich!

How to- Amelia Rogers

How to Make the Best Pancakes You’ll Ever Eat

Everybody loves pancakes, right? I’ve grown up helping my Mamaw (double Mamaw blog appearance!) make these pancakes. They’re the best pancakes ever (in my opinion anyway).

Here’s how to make my Mamaw’s famous buttermilk pancakes:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Buttermilk

1 egg

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

            In a bowl, beat the egg. Add the buttermilk and stir. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Then, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and stir until completely mixed. Add the oil and stir. If the batter feels stiff, add a little more buttermilk. The batter should have a smooth and consistency and pour easily.

            Warm a frying pan on the stove on medium heat. Add a little bit of oil to the pan and spread it around (to keep pancakes from sticking). To see if the pan is hot enough, pour a tiny bit of batter into the pan. If it starts to sizzle (but not too much), then the pan is ready. Pour batter into the pan to make a medium-size circle. Wait until the first side has cooked (if you can stick a spatula underneath it and it comes back clean, you’re good) and then flip the pancake to cook the other side. Once both sides are cooked, flip the pancake a few more time to let it cook completely through. Then move the pancake from the pan to a plate and top with butter and syrup. Enjoy!

how to (win Fantasy Football)- Will Mathews

How to win a fantasy football league by the 2014 league champion, a lot of fantasy football comes down to luck, you can’t control whether your player gets injured or not, or if they have a bad game or good game when you need it. So you need to focus on three key things: The draft, the waiver wire, and trickery. So let’s start off with the draft, this part requires some research, you need to find out which players are predicted to do well that year, and get a plan for who you want to draft if you had the opportunity. If you are able to control in anyway what pick you get in the draft, I suggest the middlemost pick, it allows you to get a very well rounded team. Next is the waiver wire, this is all the players who are not on anyone in your leagues team, this is where you can pick up backups for a running back who has gotten injured, or a wide receiver who is having a breakout season that no one expected so they didn’t draft him. By picking up these players you are able to supplement your team with a steady stream of good players who develop over the season; this requires attentive checking to see what good player is available. Finally, there are no friends in fantasy football, my friend who I will leave nameless passed out in my basement at the end of summer so allegedly, took his phone and used the finger print access to unlock it and traded his best players to my team while he was still asleep. That is an extreme measure but you have to at least be willing to “trade rape” someone. This is where you trick a less knowledgeable person into trading you a good player for a bad one, they won’t realize what you’ve done until it’s too late and you have their players, it’s this mindset that will get you the win.  So if you ever play fantasy football use these tips to achieve greatness. 

Plastics- Anne Russell

When my friend and I were going through a rough patch, I went to my youth minister for guidance and he offered me something of this nature: "You have no control over what anyone else does, but you can control yourself." In other words, stop trying to change the other person and instead focus on how you can change. While he was not saying that you never need to talk through problems with people, he was saying that it's not up to you to fix the other person, so you should instead focus on how you can improve yourself and they will do the same. This helped me change my attitude and resolve our differences.

This applies in other areas as well. If you are always seeking to control how other people act, you will never feel in control. But only you have control over whether you lash out or take a breath and let it go. Whether you say what immediately comes to mind or think before you speak. Whether you overreact or turn the other cheek. Life is full of choices and you have enough of your own to make without trying to make other people's for them. :)

plastics- will mathews

A piece of advice that has always stuck with me is “to take time in life” it was given to me by an old lady who as visiting my camp. The reason it has stuck with me is because I have always been ready to be older, but recently I’ve been wishing I was still younger than I am now when I didn’t have to worry about school or any of those such things. I also always seem to want to rush through things, like I want to rush through the school year so I can get to summer, and I always want to rush through summer to get to when I go on vacation or go to camp. So the advice to take time in life calls for me to stop and look around and enjoy what I am doing at that moment no matter what it is because who knows when I will be able to do it again.  

hooray for hollywood- will mathews

American sniper-

A fantastic film, the kind that when it ended even though I was at it with a lot of my friends, no one spoke there just wasn’t anything to say, you were left speechless. The film had everything, intense actions scenes, comedy, love, and tragedy. Knowing it’s based off a true story leaves you in awe. The main character Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is the deadliest sniper in American history, through his eyes you see him achieve amazing accomplishments as he kills hundreds of enemies all to protect his fellow soldiers. But as this is shown you see the horrors of war, like when he has to watch a child is brutally executed, kill a child who threatens the life of the men he is watching, and finally watch his good friends die. But what the movie leaves you with more than anything is not the horror that war itself is, but how the horrors stick with you when you get home, Chris is always detached when he returns state side. He is only able to finally cope with this by helping fellow soldiers who have been hurt in Iraq, because to him this is a way to make up for the men he couldn’t save while overseas. The movie ends with Chris getting in car with a disturbed looking veteran he is going to try and help… this man ends up shooting Chris and killing him. Showing that the things war does leave men horrible disturbed.

How to- Mckenna Elliott

Is your hair ever dull and lacking texture or shine? Do you ever feel like improving the state of your hair but you're not really sure how to?  No worries because there are many many, easy and cheap ways to improve the look and feel of your hair.  

Every night before you shower and do your nightly routine, cover your hair from root to tip with a mixture of egg and mayonnaise in a 1:1 ratio and leave in for 15-25 minutes. This is simple and easy to wash out in the shower, and your hair will noticeably become shinier and softer after only one use. Also, another effective "hair mask" is a mixture of one avacado and several tablespoons of olive oil (depending on the consistency you want or how long your hair is). This will give your hair the moisture that it has been lacking and will give it more life, making it less dull. 

Now your hair's true beauty may be restored and will look better than ever now that you know how to nourish it with vital resources! 

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)