So it cut off like half of my last blog, so let's try this again. Just for a reminder, the quote is:
"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." -JFK
So i was talking about challenge. And about why we should seek out challenge. I support challenges. I think that if you try hard at something difficult, you still succeed.
But the mountain thing is what really gets me, even more than the comment about Rice and Texas, which is probably more similar to JFK's point. People climb mountains not just because they're hard, but because they're there. Curiosity is such a driving factor in humanity. That's why we go to the moon, too. Because we want to know what's there. OUr daily lives wouldn't change if we didn't know what was on the moon, but we look anyway. We invest billions of dollars in research, because we want to know.
This was bad, i'm sorry. It's gotten all confused because my blog cut me off and stuff. Next quote series will be better. I promise.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Quotes part 2
So this is one I heard on a mixtape by a dude called DeLaZoo. He used parts of the speech this was from as an intro to a song called "to the moon." I didn't like the song, but I did like the quote.
"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." -JFK
So this looks like a doozy, and it is, so we're gonna split this up into two parts, one for each paragraph.
He asks a good question. Why? why go to the moon, why climb mountains, why play above your head, why take up these challenges. Would it benefit Rice to play Texas, to get creamed? Or would it be better to play some tiny division 3 school for an easy win. Nobody would think badly of Rice for avoiding Texas.
"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." -JFK
So this looks like a doozy, and it is, so we're gonna split this up into two parts, one for each paragraph.
He asks a good question. Why? why go to the moon, why climb mountains, why play above your head, why take up these challenges. Would it benefit Rice to play Texas, to get creamed? Or would it be better to play some tiny division 3 school for an easy win. Nobody would think badly of Rice for avoiding Texas.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Part 1 in the exciting new quotes series!
So i'm trying something new.
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is."- Derek Zoolander
So I'm sitting here watching Zoolander with my family, having convinced my Grandma she'd love it. And I realized that among the idiocy, Derek kinda has a point. Which is kinda the point, but I digress.
This is gonna be pretty stereotypical, so get ready for the "teenager trying to find himself" blog post.
There's all sorts of levels of self-awareness I'm trying to dig past here, so bear with me for a minute.
I have literally no clue what I want to do with my life. zero. zip. zilch. Not even a little bit. It's freaking terrifying, man. I could end up being an accountant in Florida, or a mountain climber in Alaska. I could be a businessman in Cleveland, or an athletic trainer here in Maryland. I just don't know.
I've lived in the same house my whole life. I've left the east coast 3 times. Once to visit my sister in Ohio, once to visit the university of Michigan. The last one though, is the one that's important. I went to Wyoming. Clear across the country, with no idea what I was getting myself into. And the thing is, it was the best experience of my life! I immersed myself in a completely new world, and never wanted to leave. Getting on that plane home was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
So back to the point! I'm gonna go far away, and go do things! I haven't really told my parents yet, but there is no way in hell I'm going to the University of Maryland. College is supposed to be about finding yourself, and changing, and becoming a better person. I don't want to do that 10 minutes from my house. My parents aren't gonna like it. But here's the deal. Absolute WORST case scenario, I can go to Alabama. They've offered me full tuition, and I could get a job or take loans for room and board. Because I swear to god, I'm not going to Maryland.
I'm getting the hell out of here, and I'm not looking back.
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is."- Derek Zoolander
So I'm sitting here watching Zoolander with my family, having convinced my Grandma she'd love it. And I realized that among the idiocy, Derek kinda has a point. Which is kinda the point, but I digress.
This is gonna be pretty stereotypical, so get ready for the "teenager trying to find himself" blog post.
There's all sorts of levels of self-awareness I'm trying to dig past here, so bear with me for a minute.
I have literally no clue what I want to do with my life. zero. zip. zilch. Not even a little bit. It's freaking terrifying, man. I could end up being an accountant in Florida, or a mountain climber in Alaska. I could be a businessman in Cleveland, or an athletic trainer here in Maryland. I just don't know.
I've lived in the same house my whole life. I've left the east coast 3 times. Once to visit my sister in Ohio, once to visit the university of Michigan. The last one though, is the one that's important. I went to Wyoming. Clear across the country, with no idea what I was getting myself into. And the thing is, it was the best experience of my life! I immersed myself in a completely new world, and never wanted to leave. Getting on that plane home was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
So back to the point! I'm gonna go far away, and go do things! I haven't really told my parents yet, but there is no way in hell I'm going to the University of Maryland. College is supposed to be about finding yourself, and changing, and becoming a better person. I don't want to do that 10 minutes from my house. My parents aren't gonna like it. But here's the deal. Absolute WORST case scenario, I can go to Alabama. They've offered me full tuition, and I could get a job or take loans for room and board. Because I swear to god, I'm not going to Maryland.
I'm getting the hell out of here, and I'm not looking back.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Live from Ann Arbor!
Holy poop this place is awesome. I'm in a bit of a rush now, but basic summary
Big
Awesome Campus
Big
Ann Arbor is cool
Big
The stadium is huge
Big
Cool Dorms
Big
Big
Big
Big
Awesome Campus
Big
Ann Arbor is cool
Big
The stadium is huge
Big
Cool Dorms
Big
Big
Big
Monday, November 12, 2012
Lets do this!
1. What book are you reading now?
oh god this is embarrassing. My reading habits feel so... personal. I'm reading "Godless." It's about a water tower.
oh god this is embarrassing. My reading habits feel so... personal. I'm reading "Godless." It's about a water tower.
2. What are your favorite books?
My stock answer is always "the giggler treatment." A dude gets poop placed under his shoe by mischevious blue creature.
3. How did you learn to read?
Mi madre y mi padre.
4. What foreign languages do you read?
Spanish, I guess.
5. What’s the funniest book you ever read?
A book I read back in my middle school days called "The Day my Butt Went Psycho." It's sequel was "Zombie Butts from Uranus." Not even joking.
6. What books have changed the way you look at the world or the way you live your life?
Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell. No question.
7. What books have affirmed what you believe about life or the way you look at things?
"A Civil War." It's about the army-navy football game.
8. What are some of the scariest books you ever read?
A book called "The Eyes of Kid Midas"
9. About how many books do you think you have read in your life?
Way to many to count
10. How much would you say you’ve paid in library fines in your life?
Way to much. over 100 bucks.
11. How many books per month do you usually borrow from the library?
8?
12. Do you read in bed?
all the time
13. Do you ever read while walking or driving?
all the time
14. OK, let’s get real. Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever read a book?
On the top of the mountain.
15. Do you listen to audio books?
No, too slow.
16. Has anyone ever read aloud to you or you to them?
yeah, but it gets annoying.
17. What was the most difficult book to read?
Wuthering Heights. That was awful.
18. What books do you intend to read but keep putting off?
ASOIAF
19. Do you buy new or used books, paperbacks or hardcovers, leather or collector’s?
All of the above
20. How do you feel about writing in books?
Against
21. Do you lend books?
yes
22. What were your favorite books as a child?
all of them
23. Do you ever read the ending first?
Hell no
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Patagonia
This post was inspired by two things. First, my backpacking expedition this summer. Second, a documentary called 180 degrees south on Netflix. In the documentary, the main dude just up and leaves his whole life to head all the way down to Patagonia.
Is it bad that I have dreams of this? Of waking up in the morning and not having obligations? Of going where the world takes me? When I went backpacking this summer, the thing I loved the most was the sense of freedom. When I woke up, I had the whole day in front of me to do what I want. My group could decide to hike an extra mile to another possible campsite, or not. It was up to us, and it was incredible. It wasn't just the choice, it was the environment.
Which brings me to another issue. It's kinda related, I guess. I think I might want to go into an environmental/earth studies major, and maybe into environmental law or something. There's a conservation program at the University of Montana that looks absolutely incredible. It's too late, and I'm to exhausted from today to go any farther tonight, but this'll be finished tomorrow.
Is it bad that I have dreams of this? Of waking up in the morning and not having obligations? Of going where the world takes me? When I went backpacking this summer, the thing I loved the most was the sense of freedom. When I woke up, I had the whole day in front of me to do what I want. My group could decide to hike an extra mile to another possible campsite, or not. It was up to us, and it was incredible. It wasn't just the choice, it was the environment.
Which brings me to another issue. It's kinda related, I guess. I think I might want to go into an environmental/earth studies major, and maybe into environmental law or something. There's a conservation program at the University of Montana that looks absolutely incredible. It's too late, and I'm to exhausted from today to go any farther tonight, but this'll be finished tomorrow.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
of posts yet to come
This isn't so much of a blog post as it is me telling all 2 people that care that I'm planning out another long, relatively impressive blog post. It's about my grandparents. So get excited!
Sorry this so lame :(
Sorry this so lame :(
Thursday, November 8, 2012
A retrospective
So like the title says, I have so much damn stuff I want to write about, and I'm only doing one blog a day. So up first is soccer, because it's a long one and I'm home with a messed up shoulder.
Soccer's always been a huge part of my life, going back to when I was just 5. I've always played club, and indoor, and pretty much played every day of the year. When I got to high school, I scaled it back. I decided that I wanted to expand myself, branch out into new things, and that with that big of a commitment I couldn't do that. I still played for Indian Creek, but it was a step down. I didn't have multiple practices a day, and I wasn't playing as competitively. I hated it. There were some kids on that team who made me hate going to practice every day. That doesn't mean there weren't some good times. Even though there were the kids I hate, there were also kids I consider some of my best friends to this day. I have some terrible memories from that first season of Indian Creek soccer, but some great ones too.
Then sophomore year rolled up. I wasn't sure if I wanted to play, but I decided that I couldn't give up on such a huge part of my life. I couldn't let some jerky kids take away my identity as a soccer player. So I played. I kept my identity as a soccer player, hung out with my friends, and did my best to ignore the jerks.
Junior year was the difference. That was when I really started to enjoy playing soccer at Indian Creek. It was when I started to get confused when my friends would complain about practice, like it's some sort of terrible obligation. I absolutely loved practice because it was 2 and a 1/2 hours every day where I got to do one of the things I love the most. We had a new coach, and I "got" him. He cared. A lot. We pulled together as a team. We made the playoffs. Then we lost. It left an awful taste in my mouth.
Then there was this year. Objectively, it was about the same season as last year. Same record, same loss in the first round of the playoffs. But this year was by far the best year of Indian Creek Soccer I've ever been a part of. It was the attitude amongst the kids on the team. We took it seriously. It reminded me of playing club, where people loved the game and practiced like they meant it. In our playoff game, I got hurt. The athletic trainer wouldn't let me play the second half, and I sat on the bench thinking. I remembered all 4 years of soccer, and I got so sad. When the game was about to end, coach subbed out all the other seniors. As they walked off the field, I saw tears in their eyes. And I felt them in mine. Indian Creek soccer had been a huge part of my life for 4 years, and it just ended. That was it. We walked off the field, onto the bus, and went home.
That was it. No more practice, no more games, no more bus rides, nothing. It's rough. I credit that freshman season of soccer for quite honestly turning my life around. I was the most unorganized slacker to ever hit the face of the earth, and I was terrified of trying to do much because I was just this puny little freshman. When I got to start, and I got this huge responsibility it gave me a much needed boost of confidence. It was what gave the confidence to run for student government, and what gave me a reason to do well in school.
At the start of this year, I figured I was ready to be done with it. It didn't really hit me that it would be the actually end. I was slapped in the face by the finality of it. And it made me realize that I don't want it to end. I'm planning on playing in college now. I can't handle not playing in some way shape or form. Soccer is still a huge part of my identity, and it's not something I'm ready to give up.
Soccer's always been a huge part of my life, going back to when I was just 5. I've always played club, and indoor, and pretty much played every day of the year. When I got to high school, I scaled it back. I decided that I wanted to expand myself, branch out into new things, and that with that big of a commitment I couldn't do that. I still played for Indian Creek, but it was a step down. I didn't have multiple practices a day, and I wasn't playing as competitively. I hated it. There were some kids on that team who made me hate going to practice every day. That doesn't mean there weren't some good times. Even though there were the kids I hate, there were also kids I consider some of my best friends to this day. I have some terrible memories from that first season of Indian Creek soccer, but some great ones too.
Then sophomore year rolled up. I wasn't sure if I wanted to play, but I decided that I couldn't give up on such a huge part of my life. I couldn't let some jerky kids take away my identity as a soccer player. So I played. I kept my identity as a soccer player, hung out with my friends, and did my best to ignore the jerks.
Junior year was the difference. That was when I really started to enjoy playing soccer at Indian Creek. It was when I started to get confused when my friends would complain about practice, like it's some sort of terrible obligation. I absolutely loved practice because it was 2 and a 1/2 hours every day where I got to do one of the things I love the most. We had a new coach, and I "got" him. He cared. A lot. We pulled together as a team. We made the playoffs. Then we lost. It left an awful taste in my mouth.
Then there was this year. Objectively, it was about the same season as last year. Same record, same loss in the first round of the playoffs. But this year was by far the best year of Indian Creek Soccer I've ever been a part of. It was the attitude amongst the kids on the team. We took it seriously. It reminded me of playing club, where people loved the game and practiced like they meant it. In our playoff game, I got hurt. The athletic trainer wouldn't let me play the second half, and I sat on the bench thinking. I remembered all 4 years of soccer, and I got so sad. When the game was about to end, coach subbed out all the other seniors. As they walked off the field, I saw tears in their eyes. And I felt them in mine. Indian Creek soccer had been a huge part of my life for 4 years, and it just ended. That was it. We walked off the field, onto the bus, and went home.
That was it. No more practice, no more games, no more bus rides, nothing. It's rough. I credit that freshman season of soccer for quite honestly turning my life around. I was the most unorganized slacker to ever hit the face of the earth, and I was terrified of trying to do much because I was just this puny little freshman. When I got to start, and I got this huge responsibility it gave me a much needed boost of confidence. It was what gave the confidence to run for student government, and what gave me a reason to do well in school.
At the start of this year, I figured I was ready to be done with it. It didn't really hit me that it would be the actually end. I was slapped in the face by the finality of it. And it made me realize that I don't want it to end. I'm planning on playing in college now. I can't handle not playing in some way shape or form. Soccer is still a huge part of my identity, and it's not something I'm ready to give up.
Friday, November 2, 2012
My doggy
I have a dog. She's really my only friend. It's kind of pathetic. Ne exaggeration, I spent last Saturday night alone at my house taking pictures of her. Even my parents went to a party. I thought the teenager was supposed to be the cool one who stays out late and goes to parties. My dog's pretty old. I think she's 12 now, and she's gotten pretty fat.
She's been around since I was 4. My mom likes to tell the story of how we got her. She's a shelter dog, and we went to pick her out in the middle of september. My dad took my sister and I to pick one out and we decided on Severn. I ran into the house as soon as we got home and screamed out "OH MY GOD MOM WE FOUND THE CUTEST DOG EVER BUT DAD SAID WE CANT HAVE HER UNLESS YOU SAY YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SAY YES!!!"
And that's how I got a dog!
She's been around since I was 4. My mom likes to tell the story of how we got her. She's a shelter dog, and we went to pick her out in the middle of september. My dad took my sister and I to pick one out and we decided on Severn. I ran into the house as soon as we got home and screamed out "OH MY GOD MOM WE FOUND THE CUTEST DOG EVER BUT DAD SAID WE CANT HAVE HER UNLESS YOU SAY YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SAY YES!!!"
And that's how I got a dog!
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