Current Connections: "Healthy is the New Skinny"

The author, Stephanie Cary, of "Healthy is the New Skinny: Throwing a Few Curves at Model Myths" accomplishes her purpose for writing very well. Her purpose was to spread the news about the Perfectly UnPerfected Program. I agree with the article in every way, but I agree most with the fact that all the finished pictures in the media contain so much editing that the finished product and the original picture don't even look alike. I do not however agree with the author by her thinking the Perfectly UnPerfected Program could become viral. I was later proven wrong because if you search the topic, they're several websites about it. I can make a self connection to this article because I myself wish to be smaller. The only way I can think to become a more active participant in my learning is the read more articles over the same topic. Hopefully that would help.

Book Bucket List

1. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter-Seth Grahame Smith
2. Fifty Shades of Grey-E. L. James
3. Vampire Games-J. R. Rain
4. The Boy in the Suitcase-Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
5. Whole Lotta Trouble-Stephanie Bond
6. The Innocent-David Baldacci
7. An Ice Cold Grave-Charlaine Harris (book #3 of Harper Connelly series)
8. Grave Secret-Charlaine Harris (book #4 of Harper Connelly series)
9. Real Murders-Charlaine Harris (book #1 of Aurora Teagarden series)
10. A Bone to Pick-Charlaine Harris (book #2 of Aurora Teagarden series)

What Does Being Human Mean

Being Human

Who's to say what being human really means? In my opinion our being human means being separated from all other species. Humans are extraordinary creatures, and have lived for thousands of years unlike some species that have become extinct over the years. If we can live longer than the dinosaurs, we are here for a specific purpose. Humans are complex and can do nearly anything we set our minds to.

Some people say that humans have evolved from animals, and that we are just like animals. Could we be considered animals with thumbs? Some say it all comes down to the thumbs, and that without thumbs humans would just be a regular animal. I doubt that because monkeys have thumbs. Not only on their hands but also on their feet, and they have a nifty little tail. If it really did all boil down to the thumbs, then monkeys would be walking around on the street, wearing business suits, and texting their friends. Clearly, humans are not animals with thumbs, so we must have some other hidden ability.

Humans have feelings as strong as Sally Hansen nails. We can love, hate, and ignore, and we can be angry, happy, and sad. We are ones who can express our feelings easily through actions, and language, and contact. In the novel, Frankenstein, the creature is just like a human; he wants a wife to love and to be loved and kids to raise just like a normal family. Granted, the creation was not human, but he was made from human body parts of previous people and brought "back to life" so to speak. The creation in Frankenstein was a human made by a different "God," the God that was truly human.

People are extremely intelligent; intelligent enough to control the world. We have the mind to create things animals cannot. This quote in the "Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln, "government of the people, by the people, for the people" is a great quote. It states that people have the mind to create almost anything, including a government and fantastic country such as this great America. People can, not animals. Animals may form little communities, but that's no government.

Overall, humans are a very unique species. Since we are like no other, we have strong emotions, are intelligent, and were made for a specific purpose. The only firm advice I can give to anyone I know is live life to the fullest, laugh the loudest, and love the hardest. Humans will always be different, and that is what being a human means.

Survival Essay

Henry David Thoreau once said, “In wilderness is the preservation of the world” and this supposedly means the whole world started within the wild. I consider this quotation to be very true since everything society is today began in the wilderness years ago. Because we have become so accustomed to the luxurious life of the 21st century, could we really live if we were randomly dumped into the wild? Some say living in the wilderness would be easy; survival of the fittest just plays the game. This is true however in my opinion someone who is not the fittest could still survive with the proper knowledge. The only problem would be overcoming the fear of being alone fending for oneself.  Likewise while understanding how to survive in the wilderness can be arduous and formidable, a few simple tips can help tremendously.

Having nourishment, sustenance, is life and one of the main keys to survival; without the correct nutrition, a human could die quickly. Many edible plants are out there, but deadly plants can be found as well. Brett McKay, author of “Surviving in the Wild: 19 Common Edible Plants” states, “If you cannot clearly identify a plant and you don’t know if it’s poisonous, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Avoid plants that have spines, fine hairs, and thorns, as well as ones containing a bitter or soapy taste. Most other plants can be eaten. More important than food, water can be found in a variety of ways. An article by Joy Montefusco “7 Places to Find Water in the Wild” has several great ideas for water sources. However if unable to be around a stream or river, one can improvise easily, for example, in the morning, bind rags on to one's feet and walk around in the dew to mop up water. A liter an hour can be collected his way. Bamboo also contains lots of water, to obtain this, bend the green stalk and cut the top off, the water will drip constantly. Clearly we have several ways to accumulate food and water for nourishment because amazingly food does not just come from the supermarket and water is not made from a faucet.

Equally important a shelter can be as essential as nourishment, especially in harsh weather conditions. in the Call of the Wild by Jack London, Buck the main dog character, did not know how to survive in the Wild without guidance and the proper shelter. Making do with what he had, /buck “proceeded to dig a hole for himself.” He built something to sleep under so he wouldn’t freeze to death in the snowy,cold environment. EventhoughBuck’s shelter consisted of digging a hole in the ground, there are plenty of ways to make a shelter. According to Erik Falk, “Most people cannot survive unprotected from rough weather for more than a few hours.” Rather than just settling somewhere, finding the right shelter site selection can be tricky. Good places include dry, flat land with building materials for shelter, and wind protection, but most caves and crevices will suffice as well. Eventhough being right beside a friendly river attracts you, the insects attracted to the water can become unsuitable when the beset skin.

Lastly fire holds an essential part in living giving warmth, a way to cook food, and light. Three main elements go into a fire, and these make up the fire triangle. As Bridget Brady points out in her article, “Where to Build a Fire at Your Campsite,” “The three main sides of the triangle represent  air , heat, and fuel.” Without even one of these components, the fire will inevitably die. Site selection is equally important. More information from Bridget Brady’s article contains tips; find a dry spot protected from the wind near a shelter. Then clear a circle and build a fire wall consisting of rocks or wet logs; this wall will help contain the fire and direct heat. Start the fire with small twigs and leaves, then move to dry pieces of wood and logs. Keep this up and the fire should roar in no time.
    
Obviously the wilderness is challenging, but challenge the challenge with knowledge. With nutrition, shelter, and fire one could surely survive. Now if you are ever randomly dumped into the wild you will know how to live for at least a few days. The zeal to survive can make you take crazy actions, but these actions can save lives.



 

Works Cited

Brady, Bridget. "Where to Build a Fire at Your Campsite." Discovery Channel. 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/where-to-build-a-fire-at-your-campsite.html>.

Falk, Erik C. "Wilderness Survival Shelter." Wilderness Survival Skills for Safe Wilderness Travel. 2012. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/survivalshelter.html>.

London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Scholastic, 1903. Print.

Mckay, Brett. "Surviving in the Wild: 19 Common Edible Plants." Edible Wild Plants: 19 Wild Plants You Can Eat to Survive in the Wild. The Art of Manliness, 06 Oct. 2010. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/>.

Montefusco, Joy. "7 Places to Find Water in the Wild." Discovery Channel. 26 July 2011. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/7-places-to-find-water-in-the-wild.html>.

Six Word Slant

Survive the wilderness in any way

140 Character Claim

 While understanding how to survive in the wilderness can be arduous,a few simple tips will help tremendously.

Survival Extents

I often wonder exactly what extent I really would go to in order to live. In anatomy we just watched a movie called The Island, this movie was about rich people who would get clones made so whenever they get old or need a new body part or organ, they would just take it from the clone. These people would spend 5 million dollars to ensure their survival. I probably would not go that far because I consider it to be cheating death.

Just because I would not  have a clone made does not mean I will not take action to survive. Because there are so many ways to die, I really cannot give an express how far I would go to live. Someone could be a million dollars if I was held at gunpoint that I would fight to the literal death, whether it be me or the gunman who died, someones going to. No one just points a gun at me and expects to have me by the strings like a puppet. However, if I am laying in a hospital bed brain dead, then I would want my family to "pull the plug" because I don't want to live if living would mean me being a vegetable, not retaining anything, that is not living to me.

Clearly the extent I would go to to survive anything surely varies depending on the situation. Mostly I would do anything, but I really cannot tell just yet because I have not been in a situation to where I had to choose right then....yet anyway.

Junior Year vs Senior Year

As of May 18th approximately 7pm, I consider myself to be a BHS senior. Wow I am excited about my last year of high school. The years really have been great, but I am just ready to go to college, live on my own, and have the responsibility of an adult. I want to show the world (and my parents) that I am capable of more than just my grades and cleaning my room. First though, I have to survive my senior year (and the 2012 apocalypse). Obviously my junior year was by far the hardest, so I'm sure I can live through the next school year.

In my opinion, junior year was rougher than sandpaper! Sure, there were some easier classes like history, clothing, English, and Spanish, but there were also some classes so challenging I could (did) cry. Pre-calculus, Chemistry, and Anatomy were some fit-worthy classes. Throughout this year I made several new friends, met new teachers, and enjoyed several clubs and events. This year definitely has been unique and one I will never forget.

The year of 2012-2013 will be my very last year of Batesville High School; whoot whoot! I will surely miss all the teachers that helped prepare me for the "real world" and my friends who I have loved since the day we met, but just because I will miss them does not mean I will forget all the fantastic memories we had together. I have about two months until I begin my senior year, and about twelve before I walk down the isle to graduate. Oh boy cue the tears.

Anthropomorphism (Lorpiv)

Before I knew the meaning, the word anthropomorphism made my head throb. The gigantic word means a conception or representation, as of a deity. The head throbbing was in the past, now that I'm familiar with the meaning, I automatically think of a ghost or a personification. In my opinion, the meaning for anthropomorphism could have been a much shorter word than 16 letter word, more like six letters could do. For example spirit? No then that would have multiple meanings, okay so i need to invent my own word...lorpiv. Lorpiv is my new word anthropomorphism.