Assignment 20: Angela Maske

How to get the perfect cat eye makeup

Now, I know not everyone can use this how-to...but then again I can't use David's how to tie a bow tie so I'll just go ahead.

The cat eye liner look is a classic look, and it's definitely sought after...but it can be really hard to achieve. Here's how I've learned to do it:

1) Apply an eye primer. This will prevent the eyeliner you worked so hard on perfecting from smudging and flaking.

2) Start by using a black pencil eyeliner. Create the basic shape of the eyeliner by drawing it out to the outer corners of your eyes and then adding a line that points up toward the outer tip of your eyebrows. This will make it a lot easier for you to create the shape using liquid liner.

3) Use black liquid liner to go over where you originally applied the pencil. Be extra careful around the outer corners of your eyes and make sure the "flick" of the eyeliner is clean and sharp. Ideally, the eyeliner should be thinner toward the inside of your eye and become progressively thicker as it moves outward before ending in the flick.

4) If you mess up, all is not lost! Dip a q-tip in a little bit of makeup remover and clean up the smudges or mistakes.

5) If you have trouble following this tutorial (which is understandable) find a tutorial on YouTube or Pinterest. Photo/video tutorials are usually a lot easier to understand.

6) Voila!

How to be happy: Grace Goulson

So I know you're all confused as to why grumpy, quiet Grace chose to write about being happy. And my response is that though I don't really give off an air of warmth and cheeriness, I strive everyday (well, most days) to be the happiest person I can be. And while I don't consider myself a real expert, here are some tips I have for being happy. 

- first, like Olivia already said, do what makes you happy. Don't let the rules and strictures of others define how happy you are. If you don't like a certain sport or activity, then quit. There's no use torturing yourself when you don't even enjoy what you're doing. Conversely, if there's something that you're passionate about or some weird hobby that you're interested in, then go for it. 

- don't hold grudges. They're so silly. If someone does something to offend or hurt you, move on. Or at least accept the fact that they shouldn't be the reason that you've got negative feelings cooped up inside of you. 

- just remember that nothing really matters THAT much. So you get B-- whatever. It's just high school. So you lose a game-- move on. It's not going to define your life. You may think that stuff really matters but usually it doesn't. (Side note-- this doesn't mean that you shouldn't take anything seriously.)

- spend more time outdoors. 'Nuff said. 

- live a little, enjoy the life you've got. Make the most of what you have and just think that it could always be worse. Then take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you and have fun with it!

- spend more time alone. I don't know about you guys, but people just flat-out annoy me sometimes, and sometimes you just need a break from all that. 

- appreciate everything in life. Now I'm not just talking about material things like your house or food. I mean every little nuance, every bird chirping, every smile, every hug, every positive influence, every snowfall, every vacation, every song, every moment, and every day. Just live it up and love life. 

Assignment 20 - Angela Tseng

It took me forever to decide on a topic for this assignment because the only thing I can really say I do well is playing flute, but I honestly have no idea how to explain how to do it. In fact, I suck at explaining pretty much everything. (Which is why I could never be a Teacher.) But I finally decided on something I could teach you how to do, which is how to appear busy even when you're not. This is something I have to do quite often because I'm extremely awkward and often end up in situations that I don't want to be in and need to avoid people talking to me and/or asking what I'm doing. I've found that the best ways to do this are either to walk at a brisk walk so that it looks like you're in a rush to get somewhere. This way people will think you have somewhere to be and won't stop you to talk to you or question you. Another good thing to do if you can't be walking around is to be on your phone. Usually with this pretending like you're talking to someone, or even better actually talking to someone, is more effective than playing a game. But whichever you'd prefer is fine.

Assignment 19: Angela Maske

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received in my life was definitely rather unconventional. It was my eighth grade year, and I was visiting a family friend in Boston, Massachusetts. We were talking about my grades and I mentioned that I had received straight A's that previous semester. I vividly remember her telling me: "you need to get a B sometime." At the time, I rejected this piece of advice. After all, I thought, why would I purposely get a lower grade? But what I have come to realize is that she didn't want me to aim for a B, but rather not to take grades so seriously. To the typical high achieving student, that still sounds bad. But I think she wanted me to realize that it's okay to live a little, to let loose, and most of all, it's okay to make mistakes. It's taken me a while, but I've started accepting the fact that my life right now is really just a small piece of my life overall, and an infinitely smaller blip in the grand scheme of things. Failure is inevitable, and what better time to come to terms with it than during the time in which I am forming my personal identity and sense of life?

Assignment 19: Grace Goulson

Is it weird that I don't remember any piece of advice that I've been given in person? Because most of my favorite words of "advice" come from song lyrics or lines from books. For this post I will choose a line from the song Awake my Soul by Mumford and Sons: "where you invest your love, you invest your life." You can interpret this a few different ways. I take it to mean that what you love to do defines who you are. And the people you love influence you to make you the person you are. What you do in life that makes you happy, what you invest love in, determines what your life will be like. Whomever you give your love to will tremendously influence you as a person and will mold you into a better person. So surround yourself with people that you love, and people that reciprocate your love. 

Assignment 20 Ryan Collins

There are some people in this fine world that are very extroverted. They strive to engage in conversations and interactions with other human beings wherever they are, which is fine if you are also one of those people. however, not everyone is like that and some people just want to be left alone when buying toilet paper or picking up dry cleaning This is how to get random suitors of conversation to leave you alone in 3 steps or less.
1- NEVER make eye contact. once you meet their gaze it is game over, and they will assume you have taken an interest in their attempt to socialize. instead, try to look anywhere else that isn't the person, preferably the ceiling or the floor. NOTE: if you live in a small town or are somewhere where your reputation matters then do not preceded and just stick with step 1. going further may result in people thinking you are deranged.
2- If you do make the almost fatal mistake of making eye contact there is still hope to send this overly friendly Fred back to where he came from. The next step is to make frequent, high pitched noises. make sure to make them right in the middle of when your attacker is talking, preferably mid sentence. this will catch him/her off guard, scare them, and make them reflect on why they chose to strike up a conversation.
3- if they continue to persist through the spasmodic noises, you should then execute the final step: participate in the conversation. If someone is dedicated enough to still want to talk to you after you looked at the ceiling and made odd, inhuman noises, they are either someone you want to meet or someone who has to tell you something incredibly important.

Assignment 20 -Olivia Dixon

Want to learn how to find the perfect gift for a friend? Well you came to the WRONG place. I usually tell my friends, "Sorry I don't have anything now, I'm working on it" and then wait until the next special occasion to use the same excuse.

What I can teach you is how to have perfect hair everyday. Actually, I can't. But if you find the answer to this please report back to me IMMEDIATELY.

So I know nothing about gift giving or good hair days but I do know something about making the perfect cup of hot chocolate. Make sure you're paying attention. With this Kentucky weather, you may drink a cool class of lemonade one day and a steamy cup of hot chocolate the next!

Materials:

-Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate With Marshmallows hot chocolate mix (two packs)

-Reddi Whip whipped cream

-ceramic mug (preferably with something happy like kittens playing with yarn)

-chocolate syrup

-2% milk

-spoon

1. Pour milk into mug. (Leave enough room for the mix!).

2. Place mug in microwave and heat up for 3 minutes.

3. Take mug out of microwave and gradually pour one pack of hot chocolate mix into heated milk.

4. Use spoon to slowly stir until hot chocolate mix completely dissolved in milk.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other pack of hot chocolate mix.

6. Take a couple sips of hot chocolate if you possess no self-control.

7. Spray Reddi Whip whipped cream over hot chocolate in a spiral shape (think Jimmy Neutron's hair).

8. Gently drizzle chocolate syrup over whipped cream in a zig-zag formation (if a little bit drips down the side then great! The artsier, the more likes on instagram!)

9. Take picture.

10. Enjoy!

Assignment 19- Olivia Dixon

I think some of the best pieces of advice sound the most cliche. With that said, "do what makes you happy." A lot of times we feel like we have to live up to others' expectations. We strive to please our parents and other relatives, friends, community leaders, and sometimes total strangers. But the truth is, you'll never succeed at something you don't love. For two seasons, I battled with myself, trying to decide whether to quit volleyball or not. Because I wasn't passionate about it anymore, I found myself not caring whether we won or lost. I wasn't improving because I had no motivation to improve. My mom had high hopes that I would get a college scholarship and I felt like I had to continue playing for her, and my dad, and my brother, and my teammates, and my coaches. By quitting the sport, I felt like I would be quitting so many relationships I had built up over the years and I didn't want that. Hindsight is better than foresight. Quitting volleyball was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Instead of struggling through practices and tournaments playing a sport I don't love, I have been able to spend more time with my youth group, get more involved with the children's ministry at my church, land the role of Pinocchio in "Shrek the Musical" at HC, gain about 15 pounds from eating all the junk food a fat kid can dream of at sleepovers and other get-togethers because my weekends are always open, and finally, I've been able to get to know myself better, which is important. At first, my decision to quit volleyball made some people upset, but they've accepted it now because they just want me to do what makes me happy.

Buckets and buckets (Kelsey Halbert)

1. - Get accepted to a good college: this is sort of a high priority since coffee is very important.
- Get all A's and B's. I'm okay with some B's but I would like a majority to be A's.
- Paint my bedroom. We're moving to a different house in the spring and I would like to paint my room something other than the olive green it is right now.

2. - Remain friends with the close friends that I have in high school.
- Pursue a major that makes me happy. My parents want me to be a doctor, but I would rather do something that I enjoy better. Plus being a doctor takes so much time with medical school and whatnot.
- Get my own place. Like an apartment or duplex so I can feel more like an adult in college.
- Go to at least one college party. Apparently they're awesome so can you really blame me.

3. - Skydiving. I believe that this is a staple to every bucket list. #basic
- This might be weird, but I want to go to Connecticut and be in the audience of the Maury Show. I seriously love this show.
- Live in California. I've visited there before and I absolutely love it there.
- Be in the audience of Jeopardy. I watch this show every night with my parents.

How to play a french horn (Kelsey Halbert)

I would say that I am somewhat good at playing the French horn. The French horn is one of the most difficult instruments to play. This is due to the close intervals. If you unravel the tubing of a French horn, it is the same length of the tubing of a tuba. This is going to be an instructional post about how to play a Bb major scale. This starts on an f for French horn, since you have to transpose concert pitches. The notes in order are f, g, a, bb (b flat), c, d, and f. The fingerings for these notes are 1st finger for f and b flat, open for g and c, and 1 & 2 for a and d. Obviously, you'll have to know how to read review clef. I'm not going to do a how to post on that. The French horn is an awesome instrument and it sounds really pretty if bff someone plays it well.

Assignment 18- Olivia Dixon

High School:

-Go to a bonfire (Grace, I'm counting on you!)

-Paint up for a football game

-Go on a road trip with friends

-Get a part-time job

-Watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off

-Participate in Color Me Rad

-Learn how to play the piano

-Pay for the meal of the person behind me
-Run a lemonade stand
-Get Mr. Junker to fall in love with me

College:

-Go on a missions trip

-Skydive

-Fly in a hot air balloon

-Visit the Holocaust Museum

-Rope swing into water

Life:

-Rollerskate on Venice Beach

-Be part of a flash mob

-Ride an elephant

-Learn sign language
-Meet Joe Jonas (or all Jonas Brothers)
-Put a padlock on the Love Lock Bridge
-Read a book while floating in the Dead Sea
-Go to the Olympics (as a viewer, not an athlete GOSH NO)
-Stand on a mountaintop and worship God
-Get a pug

Maybe I should've listed "become more decisive" somewhere above. How am I supposed to choose one item from each category when these are all things I have repeatedly dreamed of doing?

Since it is first on my list, I'll expand on the idea of a bonfire. Grace, I'm seriously counting on you. I imagine a giant bonfire in the middle of an open field. Some people are either sitting in lawn chairs or truck beds, eating the burnt marshmallows they just toasted. Others are up and dancing to some Luke Bryan song (could be a result of seeing him this past Friday). Most likely, there is someone trying to "accidentally" light things on fire. The best part is everyone is having the best time.

If I don't already accomplish it before graduating high school, I want to go on a missions trip. I was told if God wants you to go somewhere, money won't be an issue, so I want to go to Guatemala and build homes for families as well as befriend children at local orphanages all while sharing the Gospel. Right now, God wants me to serve in my community, but he's also calling me to something BIG, outside my comfort zone, outside the United States.

Of course after finding my soul mate, I want to visit France and put a padlock on the Love Lock Bridge. I mean, can it get any more romantic than that?

Maranda Gaines Assignment 20: How to make a smoothie

1.       Choose your fruits. This can be as simple as one or two fruits or every kind of fruit in your house. I don’t recommend apples because it gives the smoothie a gritty texture which grosses me out but some people love that. I usually use a ton of berries and a banana. There are endless combinations! Cut the fruit up if necessary. There should probably be one to two cups of fruit.

2.       Choose your “creamy” agent. This could be banana if you want or milk or both! Either way it’ll make your smoothie ten times better if it’s creamy.

3.       Choose your GREENS! I can’t stress enough how easy it is to add in a couple handfuls of spinach or kale to a smoothie and automatically get a ton of extra vitamins and minerals. I promise you can’t even taste it!

4.       Add a little bit of ice if your blender can handle it (my old blender used to shut itself down if it had to actually blend things) and either water, juice, or milk if you hadn’t already added that in. Blend and enjoy!

Assignment 19 Maranda Gaines

A piece of advice that has really stuck with me is to keep the people who have always been there for you and are important to you, close in your life.  I’ve seen many people around me forget who was there for them in the beginning. Whether it be family members distancing themselves from other family or friends choosing their boyfriends over their true friends, I think people as a whole forget what’s important. Ignoring those who have always supported you will eventually end in you being alone and without anyone. Personally, I feel like I’m always there for many people in my life who prioritize the wrong things and I’ve seen them lose themselves and other people along the way. I know from experience that I’ve distanced myself from friends I’ve had since 6^th grade over only a temporary boyfriend. Learning from this mistake, I’ll try to follow this advice from now on.

Assignment 19 - Angela Tseng

I'd say one of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten is very stereotypical but also very true : "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life." Because there are some people that pick jobs not entirely based on this piece of advice and instead pick a job that they're maybe forced into or do because they know they'll have a high salary. But why would you want to pick a job you won't enjoy when you're going to be stuck with that job for a long time? An example is my great aunt who's parents forced her to go to law school even though she had no interest in it and when she got out, she didn't even end up pursuing that as a career which means she wasted all those years in school. So when I get older, I want to make sure I pick the right job and schools the first time so that I won't be unhappy or have to do it all over again.

Assignment 18 - Angela Tseng

High School
- Get a full ride to one of the Colleges on my list
- Finish another NaNoWriMo
- Have a successful Senior Recital
- Get into and go to GSA

Finish College
- Go on a road trip w/ friends
- Pull an All-Nighter for homework or studying

Finish Living
- Visit each continent at least once 
- Know I've made an impact on someone's life

One of the things on my bucket list before I graduate from high school is to have a successful Senior Recital. This is something that's important to me for a multitude of reasons. The first is probably the fact that my sister, who plays violin, had one and it seemed like a lot of fun even though it meant she had to practice a lot for it. Another reason is because while almost every string played I've known has had one, not many wind players have had one, not matter how good they are and I'd like to be one of the few. The last reason is because after spending so much time with flute in the past, my senior year will probably be my last year taking flute so seriously as once I get into college I'll still be playing it on the side and minor in music, but majority of my time will be spent on studying and such so that I can fulfill my goal of being a pediatrician. 

Before I finish college one of the things I definitely want to do is go on a road trip to somewhere in the United States, but the location has to be a big city near a beach. I've always enjoyed the road trips that I've been on with my family, so I'm sure going on one with my friends would be even better and it'd be a great bonding experience too. Plus, after going to All-State for two years where I've had a ton of fun with pretty much adult supervision, the idea of getting to drive around the country without any adult supervision is even more appealing. 

For the thing that I'd like to do before I 'finish living', I picked knowing I'd made an impact on someone's life, maybe even multiple someones. Being able to die knowing that you'd changed someone's life would be a great thing to know. Whether it be by inspiring someone, saving someone's life, anything really if someone in the future could say that I'd made an impact on their life I'd be very happy.

Assignment 19 Ben G

Piece of advice:
You can't always trust someone until you get to know them

Think of all the crap that's happened to the world because person/country X blindly trusted person/country Y. Case in point- World War II, specifically the relationship between Fascist Germany and Stalin's USSR. in the nonaggression pact between the two, they secretly split up Poland. When the Germans invaded Poland, the Sovs did too, and everyone was satisfied. Stalin thought he could trust Hitler to keep his word, and not attack him. Unsurprisingly, he did, and it wasn't without precedent. He did happen to break his word to France and England at the exact moment the Germans crossed into Poland. Just look at how it ended up for both parties-- Germany was utterly wrecked. The USSR lost 97% of its males between the ages of 15 and 45. Utter destruction.

Granted, Stalin didn't really try to get to know Hitler, but that's beside the point.

Assignment 18: Ben G

So.... a bucket list.

Before I finish High School:

I want to flesh out my unmanned cargo idea. I won't go into detail, but if you put a Reaper, a Sikorsky Skycrane, and a shipping container together, you'd get the gist of it.

Before I finish college:

I want to get a patent for the aforementioned idea. It's not in the patent office's records as already done, and its going to happen eventually. Better I do it than some big company like Boeing.

Before I finish life:

I want to learn how to write intelligibly. Oh, and how to spell decently in my first language. I can spell pretty well in Spanish, but English? Puh-leez.

Assignment 20-- Ben G How to remove a computer virus

Step 1: Download the anti-virus software Malwarebytes Anti-Malware at https://www.malwarebytes.org/ .

Step 2: Run a full scan.

Step 3: 

Locate the offending file/program/whatever. 

Step 4: Copy the location of the offender into the address bar at the top of "My Computer"

Step 5: You've found it? Great. Now, make sure it isn't important.

Step 6.1: Assuming you have the most current version of MBAM, you can't do step 6.2. However, you can just mash that Delete key once you've selected the offending entity.

Step 6.2: On a previous version, MBAM came with a tool called FileAssasin. This could be used to delete anything on the computer. You'd want to use that. be careful with it though, 'cause if you delete something important like winlogon.exe, you're toast. And I'm going to laugh while you're re-installing the OS.

Cheers!

Assignment 21: Right Now

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

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

How to Tie a Bow-Tie

This tutorial is for the aspiring gentleman. Follow these steps, learn to tie a bow-tie, and you might become a fashion icon. Watch out. Furthermore, you will gain a lifelong skill that will come in handy on exactly three (3) occasions in your lifetime. They are:

1. A southern wedding.

2. Your first day in the work force, in which you try to be different but feel the crushing weight of societal pressure, immediately going back to the corporate self-strangler that is the ordinary tie.

3. Accepting the Nobel Prize for Economics.

For this tutorial, you will need:

One (1) bow-tie, preferably pink, seersucker, or both. Classic black satin will also do.

One (1) mirror.

One (1) collared shirt.

Three (3) hands. You’re gonna need 'em.

Okay, ready to go? Great! Let’s begin!

Step 1: Ditch the clip-on. Seriously. This is not a middle-school band concert.

Step 2: Adjust the bow-tie to the correct length using the hook on the skinny in the middle. If you need a reference, mine are set to 15¼” in length.

Step 3: Now, loop the bow-tie through your collar and let the two ends hang, with one about 2” below the other.

Step 4: Finally, consult this video, because it is impossible to teach someone how to tie a bow-tie without visual aid:

How To Roleplay Online! (Haven)

   Right, time to confess. Most of you probably think I only draw and maybe play video games when I get home. This is only partly true. What actually takes a majority of my free time is online roleplaying. For me, it's a free range of creativity that allows me to express some pent up feelings. So this is my passion. And I'm willing to expose my "nerdy habit" by sharing some simple rules and guidelines I've learned to make RP-ing enjoyable for everyone. It's probably gonna be a long post, so sit tight. 

   NUMBER 1 - THE SETTING AND THEME

   This needs to be clear and set first and foremost, because without it the in-universe rules are unclear. This can either be the easiest or hardest step, depending on where you are. You can pretty much boil down your options down to three places:

      - Some one else's forum/chatroom with their rules. Easy mode. In a forum     the first post will detail the situation (it's a high school murder mystery!),           usually along with a character form. Chatrooms don't have this luxury, but         most people are kind enough to let your observe the situation before               hopping in. This IS someone else's "universe" though, so you have to play by     their rules. Still, this is a good option for newcomers because it doesn't             require a lot of maintenance and you can stop and go whenever.

      - A fan forum/chatroom. This can go a lot of ways, but it requires intimate     knowledge of the franchise. Because fans can and likely will point out flaws,       especially if you're roleplaying as a canonical character. So it can be risky,         but the good news is if you DO have a lot of knowledge about whatever you     don't have to think about the setting at all, because someone else made it       and it's known to everyone involved already.

      - Your own chatroom. Hard mode. If these restrictions have been getting       under your skin then good news, making your own rules is totally an option!     But they have to be at least somewhat developed, or no one will be                 comfortable on what's okay and what's not. I personally use this system in a     kind of "anything goes with reason" fantasy universe, but there are still             definite places and limits on powers my friend (I'll call her Zasi) and I               created. Your own rules allow the most creative freedom, but allow needs         the most maintenance.

    The theme also helps define the in universe rules of a roleplay. If you're in a romantic themed, for example, murder is probably best kept to a minimum. That's better suited for a mystery or horror. Simple as that. 

   So pick whatever you're most comfortable with, and jump in with your character! Which brings us to...

   NUMBER TWO - CHARACTER.

   Again, depending where you go the difficulty can vary. I'm not going to list the options like I did with number one, but know you don't have to be an artist to describe what he/she/it looks like. But unless you're going to be roleplaying as canonical character in a fan forum, I severely recommend you put as much thought as possible into your character. Too much thought. Who are they and what do they stand for? What would they say this very moment? 

   (Jak: I think you're insane and creepy.)

   You can find character forms easily on just about any corner of google, but these along cannot be the entirety of their being. Roleplay is like a collaborative story, people want to read and interact with interesting and well developed characters. There's also specific guides on this subject alone, so I'll try to be brief and just say you're going to be this or possibly many many people. Not characters - people. So you should think of them as such, and you'll probably have an easier time using them.

   NUMBER THREE - SHORT/LONG FORM

   This is pretty simple, since it's just deciding how you want to write. There's two generally accepted forms and they each give off their own tone. Short form resembles a script, and looks and feels more casual even in the more tense moments. It really boils down to this:

    Jak: What? Why am I an example again? Don't you have any other names? *sigh*

   There's other ways to convey action, but using asterisks is fairly common, and no one's going to attack you for using something different. Alternatively, there's long form, resembling a proper paragraph. It also details the environment and the character's inner thoughts more than short form does:

    Jak glanced around the stark white room, feeling annoyed. There was nothing but words. Words that spelled how to do something or another, but there was a message just for him. Say something. "What?" he said with some annoyance. "Why am I an example again? Don't you have any other names?" He let out a sigh.

   It's a minor point in the end but it can affect your experience in the end. You're just about to start! But like most things there's some universal rules to remember...

   NUMBER FOUR - DON'TS. 

   These are like laws, you just don't do them because it annoys other people. Everybody follows these few guidelines.

   1. No "God Modding." This refers to a character that is invincible. They cannot be stopped or defeated. There's an urban dictionary entry for this exact thing if you need more detail. But it's a solid rule because it's unfair to the other players, not to mention irritating or, at worst, offensive.

   2. No "Puppet Mastering." This means making another player's character say or do something without their permission. This can come up innocently in fight scenes (Zasi and I usually put the action *tries to ...* in these situations with the other confirming if the attack landed or not), but otherwise it makes the offender come off as a control freak jerk face. Don't be a control freak jerk face.

   3. No Mary Sues. This is a complicated issue that is annoying to both deal with and explain. Fortunately, there's a litmus test. It's a pretty good if long form that helps explain what makes up a Mary Sue and helps you avoid making one. I try to take it any time I think of it, just to make sure my main character isn't becoming too unbearable. 

   4. Don't Break "The Rules." The Rules refer to the rules of the in-universe. If there's no dragons you can't have a dragon. Simple as that. 

   5. Don't Be a Jerk. Be polite. Zasi and I swear all the time and have our characters try to kill each other all the time, but this might not be okay with others. Know what's okay with everyone before you act in a potentially ill way.

   And so . . . that's about all you'd need to know! Good to know I was right, this is a really long post. Enjoy your time!

Passive Advice from my Brother (Haven)

   I don't really get told words of wisdom, or at least I don't remember them. That's probably a problem. Either way, I find myself remembering conversations more than proverbs, and as such I take things that don't sound like advice but use them like they were anyway. 
   That said, my older brother is among several other odd things a casual artist. He does mostly abstract work with pens, and I truly do admire his ideas an creations. So one day, while we were talking about how I was doing in school I brought up how much I've been enjoying art class and it's after school program.
   "I don't really like art classes," he responded candidly. 
   "Why?"
   "I just don't like being told what to draw." 
   I actually don't remember the rest of the conversation, but that stance on classes versus creativity always stuck with me. I actually haven't taken another art class since. Yet I'm starting to find similar restrictions in my creative writing class. Long story short, 50-year-old janitors are less interesting to write about. That's why our's is a (mythical-type) dwarf. But I digress. 
   Of course, not taking classes has presented challenges for me as an artist. Basic rules, like anatomy and perspective are foreign ideas that I can only vaguely try to replicate these. Never mind trying to draw fingers or a nose. Noses don't exist as far as I'm concerned. So maybe a class or two would definitely help, but I'm definitely turned away from the idea. 
   Creativity or Technique? Which is more important today? 

Assignment 19- Cassadi Cordea

"Control what you can control."

This is the best advice that I've been given so far, and probably the hardest for me to follow. In some ways, I can be a control freak. I hate when I'm not in control of a situation, and I hate not being able to help. One of my favorite teachers gave me this advice. He told me to "quit being mother hen." While this is difficult for me to do sometimes, I admit that I am happier becuase of it. I've learned to focus on what I can control and not worry so much about everything else. Trying to follow this advice has helped relieve so much stress that I've built up. 

Assignment 18- Cassadi Cordea

High School

-visit somewhere outside of our country

-swim with dolphins 

-go parasailing

-learn how to drive a stick

College

-study abroad

-go to NYC for New Years Eve

-get a part-time job

-graduate (ha)

Life

-run a marathon

-visit the Grand Canyon 

-skydive 

-live by the beach

I really do want to travel outside of the country. I've wanted to for a long time. I want to experience cultures outside of my own and explore new places. Lucky for me, I'm going to the Cayman Islands this month, so I'll get my chance then

I would also love to study abroad during some point of my time in college, for the same reasons as before. I also want to experience living somewhere far away from my home, just to see what it's like. I might love it or I might hate it. 

I really want to run a marathon at some point in my life, before I get too old for it. I enjoy running so I think it would be a really cool experience and an awesome accomplishment. 

assignment 19 Ryan Collins

One thing that remains constant in life is it's unpredictability. Wether it is a stroke of good luck or a spontaneous disaster, life never fails to throw curve balls at us. The one fragment of advice that has stuck with me throughout my 17 years on this earth is that "everything happens for a reason".  I am not a very religious person, but i do believe that things happen for a certain purpose, and therefore that life is not just a bunch of chaotic vicissitudes. When things are not going well for me, or when i feel like i am overwhelmed and have no control over my situation, it comforts me to think that maybe some good has come out of my unpleasant situation, and that makes it not as unbearable as thinking that bad things just happen randomly. So next time you find yourself in a situation where you are angry, upset, or scared, just think that maybe some good will come out of it. "There is no such thing as mistakes, just learning experiences".

Assignment 20: How to...

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

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

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

So, stop standing in the shade and astound us!

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

(Last day to make up posts 18-20)

Blog 19: Miami Advice

I have received a lot of advice over the years, and, to be quite honest, most of it goes in one ear and out the other. Who knows why? Maybe some of it isn’t good, and some of it I just forget. But out of the static, one piece of advice has emerged and stuck with me: Esse Quam Videri.

It’s Latin. I’m sorry if that’s pretentious, but for whatever reason, that little sound byte is embedded within my brain. The basic translation is “To be, rather than to seem (to be).” This idea, to me, sums up everything worthwhile and righteous in life. If you have a goal, you have to work hard for it. To win the golf tournament, I have to practice harder and longer than everyone else. To ace the calculus quiz, you have to know your stuff.

In other words, don’t fake it. You are not made better by appearing magnanimous and intelligent and caring and humble; rather, you must truly be those things. Nothing good comes free, and that is why this advice and/or motto has resonated with me, and will continue to do so.

P.S.: Fans of the Colbert Report: the next time you see Stephen’s fireplace set, check the mantel for the inscription “Videri Quam Esse.” Recognize the inverted meaning. Smile knowingly.

P.P.S.: I'm sorry for the title. I know it's terrible and unrelated to the blog. Deal with it.

Assignment 18: Grace

High school:
- visit all 50 states
- have a Disney movie marathon
- host an exchange student
- buy stock
- visit Moraine Lake in Canada

College:
- study abroad
- road trip with my friends
- raft the Colorado River
- get a part-time job
- purchase my own backpacking backpack and put it to use

Life:
- live in another country for at least 6 months
- go to the winter Olympics
- go to the World Cup
- become fluent in another language
- work at a national park
- stay at the ice hotel in Sweden

Yes, I realize visiting all 50 states is a popular one for true bucket lists, but unlike others I hope to accomplish this before leaving high school (or at least before starting college). I've already been to 41, so really I'm not too far away, even though I seriously doubt I'll be able to make Alaska and/or Hawaii happen. I just absolutely love traveling and seeing what all the states have to offer, and I especially love visiting all the national parks!

I've already hiked the Grand Canyon twice down to the river and back, but I still haven't rafted the Colorado. My mom's side of the family loves the Grand Canyon and most of the them have rafted it at least once, including my grandmother, who defeated the mighty river at age 60. It's one of my absolute favorite places in the world and I hope to experience it in a different way.

I love winter and I love snow and I always get so excited for the winter Olympics. Not only do I love watching all the athletes compete, but I love the whole spirit of the games-- people coming from all over the world, putting aside their differences to have some fun. It would be so incredible to experience the games up-close, and plus I would love to travel to wherever they are! (do y'all see a theme?)

Assignment 19: Parker Carroll

            I feel that I have received more than my fair share of advice for my age. That being said, in my short life I've only ever received one piece of advice worth hearing. I took this piece of advice to heart and embraced it to such an extent that it defines who I am today.
            I began playing baseball when I was six years old. My father, being an ex-college player himself, helped me every step of the way throughout my ten years of playing. I was still very young when he realized that I was far from the most talented player on the field. My father, being the great man that he is, waited until I was emotionally mature enough to tell me that if I wanted to be a competitive player at the next level I would have to work at it. Which I did because I love the game.
             My father was the same type player that I was. He wasn't the most talented guy out there so he had to work hard to earn his spot. His recognition of himself in me as a player led to him giving me the best advice I have ever gotten. He said," Its the same in every sport. The guys with all the talent, it comes easy to them. So they either never work at getting any better or they get bored with the sport. If you're ever lucky enough to find a sport you enjoy and have real talent for don't piss it away because just like in baseball, there will be a million guys out there wishing they had as much talent as you that would actually work at it." This advice really hit home with me because every day in baseball I'd see guys with all the talent in the world wasting it away by not working hard. I always thought to myself," If I had that much talent, I wouldn't take it for granted. I'd work my ass off and reach my full potential."
              Fortunately, I was lucky enough to find a sport I enjoyed and had real talent for, cheer leading. When I was told of my natural ability in cheer leading I remembered all those kids from baseball. I decided not to take my talent for granted, work hard, and reach my full potential. Although, I don't have the love for cheer leading that I do for baseball, I refuse to let my talent go to waste.