Children of the Storms- ABC Story

Thunder rumbled behind them, the sounds gaining on them and rattling their bones. Everything shook. Loud cracks of the storm bounced off of abandoned cars and empty houses, echoing all around them. Roads were lit by white, aggressive flashes, spontaneous and unwelcoming. Sprinting along the lonely road, they finally realized they couldn't outrun it anymore. What was the point? 

On the day the world fell to pieces, if we were left living, Dan thought,  why should we run from the likes of a storm? 

Unfortunately, all we have left to run from is our own species...those who we used to call members of our race. Danger is found only among them.

Violet was still running, but Dan slowed down, turning around to look at the black, booming front that was overtaking them. Before this all happened, they had this thing between them where they'd say the alphabet when they were scared, to calm them down. His poor Violet had been saying the alphabet in her mind for five years now.

"X...Y...Z...." she said, slowing down upon noticing Dan's absence.

"You know, we've spent enough time running," Dan yelled to her over the pounding thunder and oncoming rain, "and I think it's time we make the choice to enjoy something!"

How could she enjoy a life like this, when everything she once loved, once cared for...

Finally, a smile slipped onto Violet's lips. (A smile... she had forgotten what that felt like...)Children of the storms, they were young and happy long ago, splashing and running in the scariest of storms. Invincible. 

Over the sounds of the storm, he could hear her laugh-- the most beautiful sound the world has heard since the day. 

Quickly, they ran to each other and turned to face the storm , the rain inching toward them in a loud, rushing curtain. 

Just when Violet started to question their safety in this storm, the first drops hit her... then more... and then she was surrounded by a storm, only able to see Dan inches away from her nose, looking up at the heavens and baring his teeth in a wide grin. Kings of the world, children of the storms. Genuine happiness was scarce in this world, and they had found it, if only for the duration of the storm.

Cracking a smile at her, Dan jerked her arm, and they ran. Not away from the storm, not to anything really... they just ran: for fun, for the sake of their memories, they ran. Zealously sprinting for the sole purpose of joy-- not survival. 

Many years had passed since the day everything went wrong; many lives were lost, many tears were shed. Perpetual happiness does not exist these days, but you are able to see sparks of what once was in those moments when you finally let yourself have peace. 

Put a Smile on your Face!

This review is not a very controversial one, I am mostly commending whoever put together this page of 39 Hilariously Honest Notes From Kids. This really put a smile on my face when I was in a bad mood so I thought I'd share it with the rest of the class. This is a compilation of 39 childhood notes that perfectly show their brutal honesty and lack of understanding of other peoples' emotions (which make for some hilarious situations). I posted a few examples here but I encourage you to go to the link and spend five minutes reading them if you need a good laugh. From incredibly violent to unknowingly dirty, these notes will make great stories later in the kids' lives.

Haim- Worth a Listen

A new band that everyone should check out is Haim (pronounced like hime). This band consists of three sisters who sing songs reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac and also 90's R&B, according to listeners. I recently heard this band when they were the musical guest on Josh Hutcherson's episode of SNL. I fell in love with the feel-good aspect of their music! It is fun to listen to, fun to watch, and the sisters blend incredibly well together. Some people may find certain songs odd for their taste, but I encourage everyone to look up Haim's songs 'The Wire' and 'Don't Save Me'. If you like those, check out the rest of their album, "Days Are Gone". You won't be disappointed.

Looking at this map of "The World According to Americans", you may be thinking that you don't stereotype areas of the world or different cultures like the average American does. However, I think there is a lot to be said for this map, by Alphadesigner Yanko Tsvetkov. Whether or not you consciously stereotype different countries, we all have certain ideas (good or bad) of places we've never been. When I first looked at the map I saw 'Ice Cap' for Greenland and 'Pirates' for Somalia and I realized that those are real stereotypes that I have in my mind about those countries. Some of these are bad to have in your mind, such as 'Housekeeping' for Mexico and 'Savages' for Mongolia. However, a lot of these stereotypes go away after meeting a person from the country. On the other hand, stereotypes like Saudi Arabia's ('Terrorists') are often strengthened by our own prejudice. I think this map has value and people should take a second to look at it and evaluate their own prejudices.

For a larger map, and 56 other maps that will 'challenge what you thought you knew about the world', visit this site:
57 awesome maps of the world

Found Poem: A life in college

Spread the word. Anyone and Everyone is welcome

Just imagine what you could create

The faces-- Big ideas, bold adventures, 
sick, genius,billionaire.

Running with the big dogs,
surround yourself with healthy music.

Where global agendas affect you, 
imagine a big picture.

Working the world, 
become tomorrow’s friend.

Brighten the world,
keeping an eye on the good.

A gentle breath of fresh everything,

This is a life you have to reach.

Live, my friend.

This is your day.

Time Travel Episode 2

The first time I time traveled was a major milestone for me. In Time Travel Training (T3), there is a lot of technique that needs to be mastered for you to be safe and comfortable, and so you don't end up in the wrong situation. I had a lot of glitches in those first few months where I'd travel back a few seconds on accident, and then get stuck in a circle where I just kept traveling back a second before and doing it again. It's like when you accidentally tazer yourself and then you can't stop...i guess? It's hard to explain. It felt like extreme deja vu for ever and ever until my mom helped me get out of it. 
So when I finally traveled back more than a couple minutes, I was ecstatic. I decided to go back to my favorite moment in time-- when my dad taught me to ride a bike. Although, I wasn't paying much attention to details. I saw the sunset and the smiles on our faces but I was too dumbfounded to notice anything of importance. But sometimes when I'm in a bad mood I go back to that moment to relive the memories of my real father. 
--------------------------That same day-------------------------------------------------
I couldn't take it anymore! Mr. Stupid Stepdad Richard was getting on my last nerve! I needed to go somewhere that I love, and I knew just the place. 
I cleared my mind  and laid down on my bed, crossing my arms over my body and picturing the scene. Suddenly, I felt the pressure on my lungs like I was dropping from the top of a rollercoaster. Opening my eyes, yellow lines dashed around my head and my hands and feet were curled up toward my torso as to not get burned. I closed my eyes again and the green grass rose up beneath my bare feet. I was home. I walked from the back yard to the front sidewalk and hid behind a tree, watching my dad gaze at me, full of pride and excitement. Then, he let go and let me soar down the block. I never get tired of watching this scene. However, this time I decided to take a different perspective, and I climbed up onto the roof of my old house. From there I stood tall, turning to face the backyard and the outline of Chicago to the north. Then, something caught my eye. A figure walked out from behind the backyard pine trees and made his way toward the house. He took out a key and jiggled it in the back garage door, looking around frantically. Looking around just enough for me to catch a glimpse of Richard's face.

The Magic of Street Art

In a lot of cities, street art and graffiti are considered as rebellious, wrong, and detrimental to the city's aesthetics. But when you travel to cities like Paris or London, street art is a part of their culture. The walls of their cities are covered in vibrant colors and inspired scenes. What is so wrong about that? Graffiti artists give the city a personality, and stamp it with the thoughts and ideas of the people who live there. 

This website: 70 Amazing Examples of Street Art gives a look into how street artists express themselves. When cities are filled with color and creativity, they come alive. These artists should not be frowned upon for their reputation as vandals, they need to be put in a new light. Their art is transforming our cities for the better.

A day in the life of a "Professional" Time Traveler

My family really hates my job. And when I say job, I'm referring to time travel. The newest and most innovative technology in the world still has a few kinks to work out. But, somebody's gotta do it, and that person is me. When you reluctantly come back home from college to a house with four children and two "adults", you will do anything to earn some money and get out of there. And believe me, I'm earning money because nobody else wants to fricking time travel. Why, you ask, would people live in their boring lives and work their dead-end jobs when they have the chance to surf through time? Don't get me started.

1. It would be ideal if time travelers could just disappear when they surf. Where do they go anyway, right? They aren't in this time period anymore. They're being propelled through time and space, for crying out loud! Take their body there too! But alas, no. When time travelers are called on to work, our bodies go limp, our eyes roll back into our heads, and we drool. A lot. While our mind is travelling, our body is comatose. If your boss wants you to work early, make sure he warns you so you get a chance to get away from any ledges and sit down. 

2. Time travel causes extreme physical side effects. Nausea and diarrhea almost always occur once you land in a different time period. If you reach out of your cognitive roller coaster ride to explore the link between times, you will literally get burned. It burns your flesh. 

3. Lastly, it's really irritating to keep having to explain to people who I am so they will just calm down already. For instance, yesterday I was called in to work on an emergency case while I was in my pajamas. When I showed up at the embassy in Tehran, it was 1979 and I was surrounded by frantic diplomats. In my pajamas. They were confused and angry and it took all my strength to not just leave them to their own defense. But I helped them and then erased their memories, like a good time traveler. 

Sigh. Why didn't I major in Business?

Photographers Need Guts

Ben Zank's photography- link (written Jan 23,2014) viralnova.com
This photographer shows what it means to do anything for his passion. While some of his photos have put him in some very dangerous situations, Ben Zank understands that risks make the best photographs, whether you are a photojournalist or an art photographer. He ventures into small crevices and under sheets of ice to get breathtaking photos. This risk taking has gotten him attention for his work, which I think is well-deserved.

In this photo, he is standing into a manhole in which he let off a smoke bomb. This picture is incredible and surreal, and I am amazed that he thought of this idea and executed it so well. Photos like this one are why I love photography because they show emotion and risk and take a lot of planning to pull off.

"Ugliest Woman in The World" is Making the World Beautiful

Lizzie Velasquez, Dec 20 2013

How would you react as a high school student if you went on Youtube one day and found a video of a familiar face-- yourself? This video is titled 'The ugliest woman in the world' and has millions of views. Comments tell you that you look horrible and you should kill yourself. Lizzie Velasquez lived through this horror because of her syndrome which keeps her from gaining weight. 

Honestly, what would you have done? Would you have taken their advice? Millions of people want you gone, only for the way you look. She was bullied all her life and was ostracized because of something she couldn't control. Most of us would react the worst possible way.

Lizzie, however, has taken to inspirational speaking, finding the best in her syndrome (such as eating whatever she wants), and giving hope to others who are being bullied. 

It shocks me that millions of people would say such horrible things to an innocent high school student, because I don't know anyone who would do such a thing. However, she has devoted her life to changing things, and this is a video that needs to be put out there. 

After one month, her speech has 4,245,363 views. It looks like she's turning things around. 

Should 'Internet Addiction' be taken seriously?

'China's Web Junkies'
New York Times, by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia
January 19,2014

China has developed treatment centers all around the country to treat what they call 'Internet Addiction', a top concern for Chinese teenagers. At these centers, Internet Addiction is punished by living behind bars and spending your days performing military drills, all accompanied by soldiers and guards. Should this internet obsession really be taken as seriously as other addictions? Should the United States follow in China's footsteps and spend money on treatment for internet addicts?
First of all, I personally think that this is a bigger problem in China than it is here. In the Chicago Tribune's seven-minute documentary, they show Chinese internet cafes full of teens playing games. One boy said he stayed in one of these cafes for three days straight. This issue is not as prevalent in the States, although our teens do spend increasing amounts of time scrolling through Newsfeeds. Treatment centers for internet addiction would likely not be very helpful here, and there would surely be debate over whether our funds should be spent on an 'addiction' that cannot really be defined.
However, after watching this documentary, my skepticism about these Chinese treatment centers has lessened because it is obvious that this is a huge part of Chinese teenage life.
I just think that it is insane how the innovations that we praised at one point can now be almost life-threatening when used the wrong way.

Northern Lights, International Falls MN

Islands in the Sky

Each night when Daddy was home, he would tuck her in tight with a kiss on her forehead and sit down in the pink chair next to her pillow. 
"Tell me another story about your islands, Daddy," she would plead. He would take off his glasses, cough a few times, and take her hand, soon to dive into a beautiful tale of swirling, multicolored islands among the northern clouds. 
"They twinkle in deep greens, and if you listen very close you can hear the hum of lively creatures making their homes among the ever-changing isles."
"Can I ever go there?" she would ask, longing to see pictures in her father's mind. She dreamed of seeing what he saw and playing among the creatures in the islands.
The Islands in the Sky sounded like a fairy tale, and as she grew older, she became more and more suspicious. Her father's death swallowed her imagination when she turned twenty. She still wished to see the Islands in his mind, but she now knew that they did not exist. The clouds are just clouds, the land is just land, and it doesn't move or change or twinkle or hum. The mountains where her dad grew up fed his amazing imagination, but they gave her a false sense of hope throughout her childhood, and she was done pretending. 
Her father had always had a wish for his ashes to be thrown into the lake in Fairbanks, Alaska. So began her trip to her father's hometown in the middle of winter, urn in hand. 
When she arrived in Fairbanks, she found one of her father's old friends to take her out on a boat. She managed to skirt around telling him the bad news, and gave him the excuse of wanting to experience her father's childhood town.
"How's the old man doing? He was the brave one of us, most of us are still stuck here in good old Alaska! Of course I can't complain, it's got its own special beauties once you stay here long enough." He flashed her a grin that she didn't quite understand; it was like he knew something that she would soon find out.
The rickety boat started with a spurt and the propeller struggled into a roar. Night was falling, and the air was getting bitter. There was no snow on this night, however. No clouds. It was too cold for snow or clouds, and her eyes were watery from the icy wind. 
As night began to fall, she turned around to look back at Fairbanks. The mountain that her father used to love towered over the town. But it was not alone.
She pulled her hood back from her face with one big glove. Her eyes widened, reflecting greens, blues and oranges. 
She gasped with excitement and shouted over the noise of the propeller, "The islands in the sky are real!"
"What?" The man asked, grinning.
"Stop the boat!!"
The propeller came to a halt, and there was silence. Swirls of glittering green and orange danced over the peak of her father's mountain, shining bright enough to illuminate the town. She listened closely, so closely that she had to stop breathing... and she heard the hum. The hum of creatures finding homes in the islands, running with each other, dancing in the sky. The hum of her father's voice, talking her to sleep.
She opened his urn into the reflective green water, and let him go, feeling his spirit's presence for the first time. 

Choose A Universe

If you were a double, a twin, a clone,

one of you good and one evil-prone,

which universe would you call home?

Are you good in the heart or bad to the bone?

Which of the twins will take the throne?