"A blog post is never late. It always arrives exactly when it means to." Right?

So.... Yeah. I'm late. I know!

Anyways... I have never seen the Star Wars movies. Never. I know that's probably a sign of childhood neglect, but I've just never been exposed to them. I like Star Trek, though. One thing I love about both of these movies is the music. Star Trek has some super-powerful pieces that I love to listen to, and Star Wars... Well, it's Star Wars! Amazing music.

Between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings... That's a tough one. I have always loved the Harry Potter series, both the books and the movies, but something about Lord of The Rings just makes me happy. I love them both, but if I had to choose between having a Harry Potter marathon and a Lord of the Rings marathon, I'd have to pick the second! Or just have a double marathon and not sleep for two days.

Now I need to go watch them. Darn. Sorry, U. S. History.

Fantastical Fights

I've never been much of a fan of startwars or startrek mainly due to my lack of knowledge about them. I think I too young when they were first introduced to enjoy it and. Although i remember watching starwars the memories about them are pretty vague. Harry Potter versus Lord of the Rings on the other hand is much more recent (at least in films). Lord of the Rings is much more dark and sinister than Harry Potter but both are based off of the most well known story of all time: good versus evil. Harry Potter is much more easy to follow and is more intriguing in many ways to a younger audience because of the youth of the main characters. Yet between the two I would have to go with Harry Potter, although Lord of the Rings are also exceptional movies (I’ve never read the books) Harry Potter defines our generation.

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins."

In my personal opinion, Lord of the Rings tops everything. I do not really get into Star Wars or Star Trek all that much, and I have never seen or read any of the Harry Potter stuff so Lord of the Rings is the only one I really have an opinion on. I just love everything about Lord of the Rings. The storyline was amazing! So much action and drama and comedy all in one plot. There was never a dull moment. I have never read any of the Lord of the Rings books but I have heard they are incredible. The great thing about Lord of the Rings is that the author created a story where there is so much wiggle room for creativity. There is so much that you can elaborate on and turn into a new chapter or a new book. The story wasn't boring at all. The movies were very well-produced as well. The fight scenes in the movies were some of the best action scenes I have ever watched. I also love how the relationships between the characters were developed. Frodo and Sam have got to be the greatest best friend couple ever. One other thing I like about Lord of the Rings is how much is parallels with the Bible. It is the classic good vs. evil story where Sauron is the Devil and Gandolf the White is resurrected into the "godly" figure. Sauron represents the dark and Gandalf the White represents the light. All of the Lord of the Rings were classics and will forever reign as some of the greatest movies/books ever.

The One Series to Rule Them All

It's a bit hard to pinpoint just why I like Star Wars more than Star Trek seeing as I've only ever seen two episodes of Star Trek, but those two episodes didn't seem to make too much of an impression on me. The atmosphere of it seems a lot more dialogue-oriented than Star Wars, and less full of action. And beyond that action, I appreciate Star Wars for its level of groundbreaking film technique, but also in its re-imagination of the story of the archetypal hero. At its time, it was a shot in the dark to make a movie such as this, but George Lucas managed to turn it into a huge success against all odds, and that's why it upholds so much more of a legacy than Star Trek.

As for Harry Potter, I, like everyone else in this blog, grew up watching the Harry Potter films, and I'm sure that those others feel that same nostalgic connection to it that I do. It's a fantastic update to the coming-of-age style genre, and the fact that the movies had such high production value gave them leeway to be as creative as they needed to be to bring the magic to life. However, Harry Potter wasn't the only series with high production films being released at that time. J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings was hugely popular, and it's massive fan base made it a box office hit. Honestly, when Lord of the Rings first came out, I had no interest in it whatsoever. Only after all three films had been released on VHS was I able to watch them, and at that point in my life, I really didn't get the movies. But having viewed them again within the past year, I have gained a huge understanding as to why they are so appraised, and I can confidently say that the Lord of the Rings series is the better series, at least in terms of movies. The reason is that with Harry Potter, the first three films are fantastic, but as they moved along in the series, there were some very specific things that I simply had some qualms with. In Lord of the Rings, all three films are very cohesive, so it is difficult to say that I like one film better than any of the others, and thus, I love the entire series of films equally.

Why compare?

If the two series aren't competing against one another, how can you, or anyone else for that matter, make a claim as to which one is better? There are so many attributing factors that go into both novels and movies and so many subjective concepts that directing requires that it's almost impossible to compare the ideas of Rowling to those of Tolkien or Lucas to Roddenberry. I think it's stupid that we consistently find the need to qualify things like this so that one always has to be greater than the other.

Again, these forms of art are so open and broad in their styling that comparing two vastly different styles is rendered ultimately pointless. It's like trying to compare classic rock to ghetto rap (which I wouldn't mind doing in another blog post if possible). There are a few common elements that you can qualify, but everything is done in such a different manner that there is no reason to qualify them.

star warsssssssssss

i would definetly have to say that star wars is much better than star trek. despite the bias of having a few star wars films come out during my childhood, i believe i have a more fair view on the subject than most, as my father is a star trek fanatic and forces me to watch it all the time. i find the star trek series to be quite entertaining, but the aspect of it being a television series rather than a movie series really turns me off to it. in order to follow the story it requires much more time and effort, and also more money must be expended to get the whole story. i can buy one set of 6 dvds for the whole star wars collection, which is a lot less than all the seasons of star trek. this has led to me actually watching every star wars movie, fully understanding, appreciating, and liking the story it presents. i have fond memories of going thru the series as a kid with my uncle, watching all six movies in the order they were meant to be watched in, and in the HD digitally remastered versions. this is the reason star wars is better to me.

does anyone else notice the new blogger formatting

Okay, first off Star Wars beats star trek. I say this even though I have seen maybe a total of two hours of star trek and every star wars movie at least 3 times each. I am biased and totally unqualified to compare the two, but I do anyway. My dad loves star trek and star wars, but he is upstairs and I am too lazy to get his opinion for this blog. Star Wars was crudely made and riddled with inconsistencies, but the juxtaposition of it with freaking awesome characters and John Williams made it worthy to occupy a large amount of my hard drive. John Williams lead my emotions, by the hand, through the sequentially crooked series; just as Star Wars themed legos seemed to conduct most of my residential childhood activities.
Okay now I actually have seen both Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series, but only read the books of the latter. The LotR books eye me down from their perch, high upon the tallest shelf; and they kind of do take up the entire shelf. The two are almost equal in greatness but LotR takes the cake for best series. It might be the extraordinary story line, the textbook-like detail of peoples and languages, or the cinematic war scenes that tip it over Harry Potter, but its definitely not a huge coltish fanbase (harry potter owns one of those). Harry Potter does have emotion, a few characters that might or might not have been changed out after a few movies, and the mysteries of magic, but it's seven books do not trump the LotR's 3 (plus the hobbit).

Star Wars and HP

The Star wars vs. Star Trek battle has a clear victor for me simply because I've never really seen any of the Star Trek movies or shows.  Star Wars has been the only of the two I've seen and I enjoyed the plot and conflict.  It was very compelling.
           
Harry Potter vs. LOTR is a little trickier.  I've read Harry Potter several times and loved the story and characters, but I never really enjoyed the LOTR books as much.  For me, I thought LOTR was too focused on creating a fantasy world rather than telling a story.  And I know that LOTR has a whole meaning behind it and has an adventurous story, but I feel more connected to Harry Potter because he lives in our world, not some fantastical land in the imagination.  However, the LOTR films were much better than the Harry Potter films, but I think this has more to do with target audience.  Harry Potter was being targeted towards a lot younger crowd than what LOTR was targeting so the scenes in LOTR were not afraid to show violence or make complex plots.  On the other hand, Harry Potter movies had to make it simply for their simple audience so I did not enjoy them as much.  So all in all, I liked Harry Potter books better than LOTR, but the LOTR films were much more developed than Harry Potter.

haha please don't hate me

Honest to truth, I am a deprived child.
When I was a kid, I tried to avoid reading at all costs. It took my sister forever to get me to read Harry Potter because I would either just leave it there lying on the table where dust began to accumulate, or make up some excuse not to read it on the car, like "I get carsick!" or "I'm sleeping!" When I finally did read it, it was like my whole world lit up (with magic!).
Harry Potter was the extent of my reading. (I might be kidding about that.)

These competitions between Star Trek and Star Wars, and Harry Potter and LOTR are not fair for me because I have never seen Star Trek or Lord of the Rings, let alone read it. My friends hate me for that...
Plus I've only seen the first Star Wars movie, which apparently isn't even considered really good because the later ones were better. Not that I would know. Thus, if we're basing this whole "Which one is better?" competition on my lack of knowledge of what really went on in Star Trek and Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter win.

But if we consider the extent of my Star Wars fandom, Harry Potter takes the gold! Well, also because the series is my most favorite series. The movies were rather different, but still epic because I have read the books and at least knew what was going on.

It's dumb.

You're welcome to have opinions about your favorite series.  Personally, mine is Harry Potter, because it deeply affected my emotions and childhood.  However, fighting about which is better is just stupid and futile.  You can't change someone's opinion by simply arguing with them.

That said, I enjoy reading Harry Potter more not because of the quality of prose, but because of the universe, the characters, and the themes.

Some can argue that the Lord of the Ring's universe is deeper.  It isn't depth I'm looking for (even though JK is delivering plenty with Pottermore), the universe is just so enticing.  I don't enjoy saying so, but HP magic is better than LOTR.  The HP universe is set in real life, just in a pocket of it.  It seems so tangible.  And you want to live in it.  If you did live in it, life would not be hard.  The LOTR universe is medieval, harsh, and daunting.

The characters are amazing.  Every single one is characterized brilliantly over the span of 7 books.  There are a rare few static characters.  All change and grow through the books, which was a great experience if you read them as they came out.  You grew up with the characters.

The themes of LOTR and HP can be claimed to be very similar.  They both exhibit themes of loyalty, bravery, and the triumph of good over evil.  Throughout LOTR, these themes are exacerbated by darkness, danger, and suffering.  There are a rare few happy meals with elves, dwarves, or Rohan men until the very end, when all the characters exchange a tearful goodbye with Frodo.  Oh, don't forget the fact that the Shire, the Hobbits' home, was burned to the ground.  Happy.  HP balances these themes using light and dark elements.  At the end there is an upbeat feeling, the characters were wounded by the deaths of friends and family, but there were kernels of hope for the future.  At the end of LOTR, everything felt weary and near-death.

Regarding movies, I'm afraid there's no comparison.  Lord of the Rings is a clear victor.  The experience of the Harry Potter movies was probably better.  I've heard/watched so many beautiful stories of friendships formed over 10 years of filming together.  However, the HP movie series is marred by frequent director changes, rewrites, and lack of following the books accurately.  The Lord of the Rings had a very solid cast and crew with brilliant director Peter Jackson at the forefront.

I love both series.  They're both great book and movie series, each holding a special place in my heart.  I think it's stupid to fight and to try and change each others' opinions and to hold these opinions personally against each other.

Tolkien, I don't even know where to begin.

Harry Potter is good; don't get me wrong. I loved the books, but it doesn't compare to The Lord of the Rings because the world always just seemed so amazingly simple. Rowling wrote seven books AND created Pottermore is an attempt to thrust her readers into this world that she created, and despite this, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter always seems so amazingly flat. Harry Potter is a character driven series and the Lord of the Rings [The Hobbit, and most importantly to me, The Silmarillion] is driven by the extensively complex world the Tolkien dreamt up. Most people haven't read The Silmarillion (and I can hardly blame them; it is a DENSE book.), but I powered through it and it's currently my favorite book. It explains the entire cumulative history of Middle Earth, from a creation story up until after the events of The Lord Of the Rings. And Tolkien had it all in his head. It's baffling to me. As a person who is constantly daydreaming, Tolkien's work appeals to me much more than Rowling's.

Eh. Star Wars. I never really got into Star Trek. William Shatner is apparently an asshat, but Patrick Steward is fantastic. This is probably the debate that I would say I don't care about.

A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, There Was a Boy Who Lived

Growing up in the middle of nowhere, stranded in the BFE, I had no friends to play with. As an infant, this had little impact on me given that I spent half of my time sleeping or eating, and the other half crying because I wanted to be sleeping or eating. Yet when I matured and encountered the desire to socialize and make friends, my geographic isolation hindered me from doing so. Thus, I turned to the only natural alternative— possessing and playing with a collection—no small civilization—of thirty-or-so stuffed-animals. We passed days on end talking and pretending. My favorite game to play with them was a tournament-style death-match. Every time I hosted such a tournament, like a young Michael Vick, Mr. Kill-Bunny (a blue stuffed Easter Bunny), would emerge the victor.

And despite the fact I to some extent tortured them, occasionally throwing them into ceiling fans to soar across the room and slam against a wall (yet again, this was an activity in which Mr. Kill-Bunny excelled— his weightier and more coarse internal beads were more inclined to absorb the momentum of a ceiling-fan blade) these stuffed-animals were my best friends. Hell, I couldn't speak intelligibly till Kindergarten, so I figure they were the first people to understand me, to think I was bright, and funny. So I slept with all of them till the Third-Grade. And even then, when I retired them to the closet in which they still presently reside, I only did so reluctantly. Yes, I was by all accounts aware that my relationship was thoroughly bizarre for a Third-Grade boy. I felt immature, strange and embarrassed by their numerous presence. Yet, putting them away, whispering to them my guilt-ridden, apologetic good-byes, left me empty, and once more alone in the middle of damn nowhere.

So here I was. About 8 years old. Chubby (soon to be obese), yet strong. A football playing boy. And the star pupil of my class. Yet still, I was a bit on the periphery of it all. Inward oriented. Quiet, yet confident. The way years alone tend to make a kid. And I read everything. Dozens and dozens of books, endlessly, all-year long.

And, as you would expect, I eventually stumbled across a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I didn't think I would like. For I had a cousin and a God-brother (who himself was once my cousin by marriage) who were both crazy about that. And I suppose even then I was a contrarian, a quasi-hipster.

Yet, I read it, and fell in love. I finished the first. And went on to the second. Then the third. The fourth. And the fifth when it came out. Then I read them all again. And again. And again. And again. I have read the fifth one about seven times, I believe.

And I look to why I loved it. And I see why. I could escape. And make friends with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Imagine myself to be a powerful and famous wizard loved by all, who occasionally was hapless with girls, unsmooth, and often poorly spoken. I could escape isolation, that address on Privet Drive, and enter magic through the doors of Hogwarts. And I did so extensively. Perhaps even too much so. For after I turned twelve, there was not a single day I did not check my mailbox for a letter from Hogwarts, for a chance to meet Harry in person, become his best friend (sorry Ron, and hello, Hermione) and get my own wand from Ollivander's.

However, that letter never came. There must be some sort of application process of which I am not aware. Yet, I maintained my love for the books. I was first in line for the last one. I read the whole thing in a night. And I cried when I finished.

My love for Star Wars was about the same. Revenge of the Sith came out. And I saw it. It was my first Stars War movie. And I was hooked. I got all of the old one's in a DVD box-set, and watched them. Again and again and again. On two different occasions I watched all six in the same day.

I bought all of the gear. The video games. The light sabers. The action figures. The attactix. The Lego At-At's. The Lego Starwars Video Game. The snow globes. The Pez dispensers. The T-shirts. The watches. The toy blasters. The voice changing helmets. I read the books. The fan fiction. I did this for years. Summers were light saber battles. School year's were action figure battles.

And Star Wars put in me hope. For the way of the Jedi is a trust in love and all that is good. A fondness for life. And a surrendering to the universe for a hope in the majestic, for something greater, a force, something that could move, push and pull, leap, throw and electrify. And when your a kid, powerless, save for a mind and imagination, you need that. When you are alone and friendless, you need Yoda there to tell you in whatever quagmire you may find yourself that, "Do or do not. There is no try."

What I'm saying I bet hardly makes sense. For I can't fit my heart and soul through my hands, through a pen, onto a page. But you ask why I love Harry Potter? Why I love Star Wars? For the same reason that I had—no, have— thirty stuffed animals. For the same reason I go straight to the toy-aisle whenever I'm at Wal-Mart. The same reason I couldn't sleep after seeing Episode I in 3D. The same reason I won't date a girl if she hasn't read Harry Potter. Because they both possess the magic necessary to craft from thin air the best set of friends an overweight, secluded, friendless, lonely, awkward, gap-toothed third grader could ever ask for.

I don't care

Honestly, all of these things are pretty silly. I have only seen 1 and a half Star Wars movies (if that), and it seems like a pretty decent science fiction series, even though I’m still not entirely sure how people could get so obsessed about it. The only Star Trek I have seen was the most recent one with Chris Pine (the only reason that someone who isn’t really interested in science fiction would go see it). Harry Potter does have a really interesting plot, and the special effects of the movies are genius (but I have no interest in reading the book), and Lord of the Rings is just a no all the way around.
               
When it comes to movies and books, science fiction and magic doesn’t really appeal to me. I know for a fact that all this doesn’t exist. People don’t live in space, unless on a mission by NASA for a few months; you can’t have a giant bear on your army while in space; Hogwarts only exists in Harry Potter World and I don’t know anything about Lord of the Rings, other than it has a ring. If these different series had never come out, my life would still be the same as it is now because that’s how much they affect me.

Harry Potter

I have seen/read Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. But I have to go with Harry Potter solely because it defined my childhood. To me, the difference between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter is the level of difficulty. As a child, it was easy to read Harry Potter and enter the world of wizardry, but Lord of the Rings was a bit too complicated when I first tried to read it. I think that people who read because they enjoy reading would appreciate Lord of the Rings whereas Harry Potter fans read for the enjoyment of the book itself. Therefore, when I was little and valued plot more than the actual writing, Harry Potter seemed so much more intriguing and I became a fan. With that said, I would also say that I like the Harry Potter movies as well. Although Lord of the Rings has great artistry and is a great depiction of the book, it doesn’t have the familiarity of Harry Potter. In Harry Potter, I truly feel like I am a Hogwarts student and can relate to the characters, and the world of wizardry doesn’t seem so impossible because Lord of the Rings is a bit too fantasy-like. Plus, I love Alan Rickman and he’s in Harry Potter.  

LOTR: Loetr? Lahter?

As Don Draper once said, "Nostalgia – it's delicate, but potent." Owing to the fact that I myself experience this feeling quite often, I cannot agree more with Draper's statement. Nostalgia is indeed a very powerful emotional feeling; one that is able to overwhelm the body mentally, physically, and emotionally. Because of this, humans tend to favor those items or ideals that bring back distant memories of times passed – the good times. This is true especially in regards to the glorious innocent days of childhood.

I had my first experience with Harry Potter at the age of 7. My 1st grade teacher insisted that I read The Sorcerer's Stone instead of the novel that the rest of the class read. So everyday I would spend my reading class hour alone in the library, reading Harry Potter. And you know what? I loved every moment of it. From the very first sentence to the very last one, the wizarding world of Harry Potter grasped me in a vise of interest and refused to let go. I can honestly say that some of my happiest times were spent reading the Harry Potter novels and waiting in line for the next in the series to be released to the general public.

My introduction into Tolkien's fantastical realm wasn't until I entered the 7th grade. As a fan of the Inheritance Cycle, I was eagerly anticipating the release of the third novel, Brisigr. In order to appease the anticipation I had, I decided to read the inspiration for Paolini's work: The Lord of the Rings. Needless to say, I was taken aback by the sheer scope and depth of Tolkien's work. Christopher Paolini really took a great deal of time in his creation of the languages and the history of Alagaesia, but in comparison to Tolkien's Middle Earth there is a large discrepancy in depth. However, his writing is in need of praise as well. Tolkien weaved an intricate story with flawless form and ease, and the result is one of the best trilogies of literature

I would be lying if I didn't say that I experience much more nostalgia when reminiscing upon Harry Potter. So as nature would have it, I would be much more inclined to say that Harry Potter is the better series. However, I will not say this. Although happiness swells up inside of me at the very mention of J.K. Rowling's beloved series, I cannot with good conscience claim it is the better of the two works. Harry Potter is a fantastic series, however when it is compared to Lord of the Rings, it loses out at a close second. The eloquence and detail Tolkien wrote with brings so much more to the reader's attention. Rowling's simple phrasing and vocabulary, while still great itself, lacks the extra something that would keep it in the same league as LOTR. Furthermore, one just has to look at the worlds themselves to understand that the LOTR has a much more complex and thought out realm than Harry Potter's mortal/wizarding locales.

Harry Potter!

The choice for me is obvious, Harry Potter.  Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Star Trek have all lacked the appeal that the Harry Potter books have shown. I have to admit that I have never read the Lord of the Rings trilogy nor sat completely through the movies. The same is true for Star Wars and Star Trek. While I may have seen bits and pieces of the movies, I've never seen them from beginning to end. On the other hand, I have seen all of the Harry Potter movies several times and read the books twice. For me, the Harry Potter books tell a great story full of "witchcraft and wizardry". The stories transport you and have almost every reader wishing they could be part of this world. While I was able to go years and years without reading Lord of the Rings or seeing Star Wars and Star Trek, I can never wait very long after the premier the see the new Harry Potter movie or read the book.

LOTR NO COMPETITION

Are you kidding me??? I'm insulted that this was even asked for consideration! Lord of the Rings blows all 3 of the other choices out of the water, much less just Harry Potter. The movies of Lord of the Rings, for instance, made a box office revenue of $2,917,506,956 total worldwide. May I remind you that is just in 3 movies opposed to Harry Potter's 8. I do not deny that the Harry Potter movies were entertaining but the Peter Jackson trilogy simply outdid them. The three movies were nominated for a total of 30 awards of which they won 17 including one for Best Picture. I could go into long detail about the books and storyline, but I just must simply say: the LOTR simply has more BA characters, a more awesome world, and a greater impact on society as a whole. In the battle between Gandalf and Dumbledore, Gandalf emerges victorious.

For a reference:
WARNING: Viewer Discretion is advised. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIMoQHpvFQQ&feature=related

Mr. Logsdons Grace...and a late pass

Like any normal cryogenically frozen human being brought back to life 100 years in the future, I am going to be hungry. Consequently, I would check out the local eatery that the future has in store for me. I expect that even the lowly of all restaurants to have a holographic menu that automatically scans my face and by *insert scientific explanation here* is able to read exactly what food would fill me up, taste the best, and overall pleasure me in the greatest possible way at that moment.

After a good meal it would only make sense for me to take a well deserved nap that does not involve me being well, frozen. I can imagine the beds floating in the air with a slight movement that would simulate the rocking of a crib when we were children. The environment around me would automatically adjust to my body temperature and state of consciousness that would allow me to stay asleep and achieve the greatest night of sleep EVERY night.

Cellular Device-My cell phone is one object that you can count on me having every time i set foot out of the door. My cell phone is my form of communication with the world outside of my immediate environment. Without my cell phone i feel disconnected and frustrated if i am not able to contact someone at a particular moment.

Car Keys-Any time that I leave to go somewhere I always have to drive myself to that certain place. Because I have yet to become proficient in the art of hot wiring vehicles, I am forced to start my car the old fashion way: with car keys. Just the sound of the jingling of the metal keys assures me that, "Yeah, it's my car." 

Burt's Bees-As YouTube sensation Tracy Tina once said, "I gotta put some lip balm on these crusty crusts." Translation: My lips are lacking moisture therefore, I am going to precede to put a hydrating lip product on them. Burt's Bees is my obvious first choice for a chap stick because of its natural ingredients and minty tingle. In order to maintain the most kissable lips possible, I make sure that I have this product with me at all times.

#teamHP

Harry Potter. The name of the series that made my childhood the best it could have ever been. I've read every book at least 3 times and seen the movies and equal number of times. They never get old. The magic of the wizarding world was never fully described until J.K. Rowling started writing on that napkin so few years ago. The thought of children defeating the evil villain while still getting good marks on their OWLs during the school year was a magic in itself. Maybe I'm biased, I, like Silvia, have never actually read the Lord of the Rings or seen the movies (well actually my youth minister once used a fighting clip of trees and a dam to relate it to the Bible... don't really remember what it was relating). I read the Hobbit and I loved it but it still didn't give me the same love and satisfaction I felt after reading like Harry Potter still does. For the past couple of summers my summer swim team friends and I have been running around meets with scars on our foreheads just to show how much we love the series (that all started when I realized there was a lightning bolt on the gatorade bottle and turned it into a Harry Potter smiley face). If Harry Potter isn't the better of the two, then why exactly would Universal have spent millions on the theme park? Point for HP. Plus... Buckbeat is wayyyyyyyyyy better than that creepy Gollum character. #teamHP

Lord of the Rings

Oddly enough I was wondering what the best fictional universe was just the other day after I began watching Dr. Who. I decided that a solid criterion for judging such was the state of the universe- is it peaceful or chaotic-, how creative it is, and what opportunities are available to participate in whatever makes that world great. Now when it comes to Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings, I'd honestly pick Lord of the Rings because it more perfectly fits my criterion. Lord of the Rings is the fantasy universe that most others are inspired by; taking its own inspiration primarily from Norse myth Lord of the Rings took all that made those myths great from the crafty dwarves to the elves which were more than man- only leaving out the gods- and made a fantastic adventure world that inspired others including most likely Harry Potter, whose wizards and witches might be inspired by Gandalf. Furthermore, almost anyone in Lord of the Rings can be an adventurer. Not only does the series main conflict encompass most of Middle Earth and this influence all of those who dwell there, but the series clearly shows that one could easily become an adventurer; there are giant spiders to slay, mithril armor to protect even the frailest of hobbits, dozens of amazing locations to explore, a number of kind and diverse races of creature, and a number of evil races to thwart. Meanwhile Harry Potters world seems limited to the adventures of those at Hogwarts and only to those who shared the same graduating year as Harry. The only aspects in which the two worlds are matched is both are semi chaotic with a period of war then peace then war. Not to mention Gandalf would beat Dumbledore in a fight.

HERRY POTTA

I will shamelessly admit that I have not read The Lord of the Rings...or seen the movie...

BUT, in my defense, my love for Harry and his wizarding world is so strong that I will have no hesitation in picking it over Tolkien. In fact, it should be a valid consideration that I have not seen/read Lord of the Rings even though it is fairly accessible, while reading, rereading, watching, buying, and rewatching all of the Harry Potter books and movies. This does say something, that a teenage girl who grew up reading all day errryday has no STRONG desire to submerge herself into the world of hobbits and whatever other creative creatures lurk in the towers or searching for the ring. Sure, I will eventually read the books and see the movies…after I reread a few more of the Harry Potter ones!

Tolkien is better (the y chromosome is the reason y)

I am not really in a position to make a claim about the Star Wars versus Star Trek battle, as I have not seen enough Star Trek to have an informed opinion on the matter. However, I can say with certainty that Lord of the Rings is better than Harry Potter. The first reason is the depth of the world created in Lord of the Rings. While Rowling created a slight wizarding world, the bulk of the world in which her story occurs is the actual world. Tolkien, on the other hand, created a massive world in which his story occurred. The thing which truly sets Tolkien’s world apart from other fictional worlds is the level of depth that he went to in creating it. Tolkien actually invented several fully functional languages to be used in middle earth and developed the history of the world thoroughly in the Silmarillion, which reads like a textbook due to the level of detail that is used. Rowling has a shallow history for her world which basically serves only to set the background for her story, which makes her fictional world inferior to Tolkien’s. Even assuming the rest of their merits were the same, which they aren’t, the level of detail that Tolkien goes to makes his work vastly superior to Rowling’s.

Because it has Guns.

Personally I think that these are silly. This is partly because I have only seen two of the four movies that have been pitted against each other, but are not in competition with each other. How would I judge two movies where I have only seen one of the two? The other part of the reason I find this silly is because I personally feel that I have better things to do than compare movies to each other. Why not settle for the fact that both are enjoyable, when time and place agree? Is it not enought that I liked both Star Trek and moderately enjoyed Harry Potter? While I would argue that Star Trek was much better than Harry Potter, I am a biased audience because I didn't particularly enjoy Harry Potter even when it was a book. Not only that, but I feel that each movie has its own redeeming quality and a certain intended audience, and so the plot is tailored to that particular audience. If you are not that audience, you will not enjoy the movie. For example, I favor violent movies with lots of combat (but not guns. Guns are stupid), and so I will watch a movie aimed at someone who enjoys that type of thing like Wrath of the Titans or Troy, and I would not enjoy something like a war movie. Because it has Guns.

Assignment 24: Fantasical Fights

Star Wars v. Star Trek
Harry Potter v. Lord of the Rings

Or do you think all of these are silly? Why?


Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, April 29 at 11:59 pm

Assignment 26: The Future

Your done.
Your Junior year OVER.
Tell us about it.
Successes? Failures? Lessons Learned? Risks taken? Mistakes made? What will you do in the Summer?  What do you want for your Senior year? How do you plan to reach your goals?

Minimum of 150 words - due on Sunday, May 13 at 11:59 pm
Due Sunday, May 20 at 11:59 pm

to carry

despite having one of the more boring objects that is always with me, nonetheless many people can sympathize with my need to constantly carry... gum.
many people also carry this neccessity with them, and i cannot speak for them, but to me it is completely neccessary to have this for all times of the day. any time i have to eat something, i need gum afterwards. it may be because one of my biggest pet peeves is people that have bad breath. teachers especially, with their rancid coffee breath as they lean down to help you with your work. but other students seem to do this as well, eat food and have nasty breath after, and seem completely oblivious as they get in your face talking and nearly suffocate you. i never want to be that person, and also i cannot stand the taste of food in my mouth after i have finished eating it. that awful aftertaste, who can stand it?
call me vain, or too self conscious or whatever you want, but one of my things i carry with me every day is gum. it is completely a neccessity for me.

Gradual increase of stuff in Pockets

Over the last year, I've started carrying around more than just a pencil in my pocket, like I did Freshman year. I started carrying my iTouch (I just have a dumbphone and an iPod Touch, not an iPhone/smartphone). This provides a lot of entertainment in the boring parts of classes through my music or many eBooks I keep on it. It doesn't really matter that I can't get on the Internet during school.

When I was earning hours on my permit, I started carrying my wallet with ID around so I could ingrain this habit and so I could earn hours by driving home when my parents picked me up from shool or somewhere else. And just last week, I got my car, so I started carrying around my car and house key on the same ring as my flash drive. I've learned through experience that you never want to be locked outside of the house.

Sometimes I carry earbuds with me, but recently, I just store them in a secure pocket of my backpack to avoid damage. Within the last 3 weeks, I've been through 8 pairs of earbuds, each time they malfunction to the point of losing all auditory capabilities. I think of it as a sign my pockets are too rough on the poorly made electronics

My life

My purse- the great abyss that holds everything important in my life. My purse holds everything I care about: my phone, my lipgloss, my eyeliner, my mascara, my gum, my glasses, my money, my wallet with all my cards in it, EVERYTHING. If I were ever to lose my purse, my life would be over. I think that I would just go cry in a corner, rocking back and forth in the fetal position. I might just go cut myself... a piece of cake while I watch a romantic drama! My purse is very valuable to me because it's a fashion statement and a convenient way to carry all my belongings around with me wherever I go. I love my purse especially because it's zebra print which is my favorite print in the entire world. I carry my purse everywhere, even to places that it probably is unnecessary just because I feel lost without it.

To Carry

Like many of my classmates and friends the one thing that I must have with me at all times is my phone. Without it I feel almost incomplete. It is probably the single thing that I use constantly throughout the day. Whether I am standing in line so I decide to play temple run on my phone or need to call my mom telling her I'll be home late. Out of the many things that I cant find and misplace every day, my phone is not one of them. This brings me to my driving permit which is also constantly with me everyday. Its inside of my phone case because like I said before, my phone is always with me and its easier to find when you can call it and it buzzes. The third thing that I really carry around with me are my keys for the days that I take the care to school which is basically every day. These three things are probably the only things that i have with me all the time. My phone allows me to be in contact with anything that i could possibly need like my contacts or the internet. And my keys and permit allow me to go wherever i need to, what else would I need?

Witty page title

Let's be honest right now. I don't really carry a lot of things on me that have that much of significance towards the way that others view me. And beyond that, the only real defining character that I see myself portraying for others to see on a daily basis is that of a highly emotional one. By that, I mean that when I get mad, I get MAD. When I'm happy, I'm overjoyed or in a laughing fit. And this rule applies to all of the emotions that I feel throughout my regular school day.

Again, I don't really carry many tangible objects on me that really define my character, but the things that I do have pretty accurately describe my life. I typically have a portable game system, a Nintendo DS or a Game Boy or something that I can use to provide myself entertainment at any appropriate time. As well as that, I have a lanyard that I regularly carry that contains all of the deal-cards to all of my favorite fast food places, as well as the keys to my Jeep (guess why). I've been seen many times around town carrying a trombone for whenever I'm needed to play it, and that's really about the maximum of things that I'm carrying on me at a single time.

At this point, writing anything more would just be giving empty words on a page, so I'm pretty much done here. Yeah.

Pockets and Watch

Everyday, I carry around four things in my pocket. The first is my phone. I always have my phone with me in case I need to contact someone or send someone an e-mail. It's also extremely useful if I need to look something up on google or if I'm bored and want to play a game to pass the time. To go along with that, I carry around a pair of headphones to listen to music. During school, if we have extra time in class or when I'm working, I usually wear them and block out all the noisy chatter. The next thing I carry around is my keychain. On this chain, I have my car key, my house key, and other membership cards that I need to get in to other places. Since I drive to school everyday, this is essential. The last thing I carry in my pockets is my wallet which holds my I.D and driver's license if I need it for whatever reason. It also has some extra cash in case I get hungry or need to buy some gas. Outside of my pockets the only thing I wear everyday is my watch. This is mostly out of habit now, but I also find it useful since its digital and I can time things to the second and I can check the time without having to check my phone.

What I carry

In regards to what I carry, there is a sharp dichotomy: school Zach and other Zach. I like to think that school Zach is my alter ego. Instead of being my usual laid-back self, I am quite concerned and nervous while at school. Because of this, I make sure not to take any chances. Therefore, I fill my backpack with everything I could possibly ever need for my classes–and more. Besides my usual textbooks and papers, I make sure to always have at least 10 writing utensils on hand. Yes, 10. Call me paranoid, but I don't feel the same without the security of knowing that in the unlikely event a pencil thief was on the lose, I'd have enough spares to get me through the day. I also carry around my seminar binder as well. I really only need it for Tuesday mornings, but I still lug it around just in case Mrs. Barbour were to spring a pop binder check.

Unlike school Zach, other Zach only carries with him the most basic of necessities: my iPhone 4S, my wallet, keys (if I'm driving somewhere), and a pen. While I don't use my phone as much as many of my peers, I still feel incomplete without that chunk of glass and aluminum in my pocket. It connects me to the world and serves as a universal tool that allows me instant access to people, and also freedom from boredom. In my wallet I carry only a few things: my ID, money, and any membership cards I may have. Finally, a pen or pencil is always in my pocket in case I need to write something down.

When speaking of metaphorical items, however, I like to think that I travel pretty light in that regard as well. I carry around confidence, but my ego is smaller than most of the people I know. Besides this I carry with me my morals and my fashion sense. As a Christian, I try to have be as upstanding of a citizen as I can be. I try to be as honest as possible and as kind a possible to whomever I interact with. As for my fashion sense, it is really what defines me. Not just because it allows me to express myself, but also because I am known for being well-dressed. It's really the one thing that separates me from most guys my age.

Things That I Carry

Because I hate my pockets being full to the brim with useless stuff, I'm somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to carrying things around with me, but it really depends on the occasion. For school, I require myself to bring a minimum of two mechanical pencils each day, and if possible one pen. My phone is always a must, even if I am at school, and I never bring my wallet to school because there have been too many occasions in the past in which I've lost it. Any other time I'm going out of the house, the wallet comes with me, and as of late, my key chain does as well, which in itself is a different collection of objects: about 4 keys, an FYE discount card, and a guitar pick holder. On any random occasion, I may have my 3DS with me as well to make sure I don't miss out on any StreetPass opportunities, idle communications made by two passing devices that get you free stuff. Beyond these aforementioned "essentials," that's about all of what comes with me depending on where I go.

strange habits

What I always have on me 24/7 are my phone, money, and lotion!

The phone is essential to any teenager's life. I don't think I could live without it because it's not just a cellular device for calling, it's for texting and playing with apps when I get bored. It keeps me from getting lost. For example, when I went to Harry Potter World last winter break, my phone died and I literally could not find my parents until after nearly 30 minutes of running around the place. Actually, without my phone, I would not just be physically lost, but also mentally and socially.

I always keep some money on me when I go out, even if it's just to school. It's not because I'm an impulsive buyer but because I like to buy food. I don't know why, but my stomach is like a black hole, and I'm nearly always hungry. It might have to do with the fact that I don't like eating big meals, but small meals with snacks in between. So, money is a must in order to keep up with my eating habits!

Lotion. I always need lotion, especially in the winter, because my skin gets really dry. After playing tennis for so many years, I've gotten in the habit of carrying lotion around (because, who wants to show off all that dry skin when wearing shorts?). Super duper important!

quid est portatur ab me?

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a lot of hair. To keep this “mane” (props to Elizabeth Burke) tame I make sure to always have bobby pins (they are the BEST!) and a hair tie. Sometimes the time calls to just put up my hair and if I didn’t have a hair tie I would be in trouble. Away from those two hair “necessities” (I understand I don’t need them, I just NEED them), I also carry my phone. I take that thing everywhere, who doesn’t? It’s the way to keep in touch with friends, listen to music and take pictures! Just the other day I was hiking (I’m an outdoors club officer, of course I hike in my free time) and I saw a little box turtle and took a picture. If I hadn’t had my phone, I might have forgotten the little guy (or girl...).

The non-tangible items I carry include my morality. If one didn’t keep in mind what was morally correct our world would fail. However, my morals seem to be a lot stricter than most others. I’m a Catholic, I see things as incredibly wrong that others see as just fine. With that, I carry the burden of being very very judgmental. 

The things I carry

Of course I carry the tangible necessities that help me function like a normal person in society: a cell phone, car keys, my ID. So instead I'm going to talk about the more internal items I keep with me, whether I like it or not. However, even these things don't differentiate me from the rest of the population by any large amount. I carry with me a rather prominent sense of agnostic atheism, just as any minister would believe the opposite. Naturally, this affects my daily life and my moral code, similar to the effect of religion. Another thing that I carry - the thing which, in retrospect, probably led to my atheism in the first place - is my incredibly pervasive skepticism. If I am presented an idea, I usually require proof to accept it as fact. If I see a new movie or play a new game, I can't help but criticize it as if I was Roger Ebert or Yahtzee Croshaw. And when it comes down to it, I suppose this shows another inherent quality that I carry every day: my lack of total faith in anyone but myself. Of course I trust my friends to be there when I need them and to come to me when they seek something; that notwithstanding, when it comes to matters that I want done and done well, there really isn't anybody but myself who knows exactly how I think it should be done. This policy tends to eek its way into most of my ideologies. For example, my libertarian philosophy speaks toward my distrust of the government and its decisions. At most times, I don't even trust my parents to know what's best for me. But this wariness isn't a bad thing. As far as I see it, it's a buffer to my self-confidence.

What I Carry

Everywhere I go, I carry a purse. I used to carry over-the-shoulder bags because I have a tendency to forget things. But as I have gotten older, I have made the switch over to purses. My purse is medium sized but the one I use currently is on the larger end of medium. Over time, I have realized my selection of purses has gotten bigger and bigger and of course, heavier and heavier. I tend to throw everything in there and it just starts to accumulate. Inside my purse, I always include my phone which is a must in life. I waste so much time on it, it’s depressing. I also have my wallet and I carry exactly $11 in bills and whatever change I have left. To me, $11 is a perfect number because it doesn’t feel like you’re carrying too much money, but you certainly won’t be short. I also include my intermediate license because I drive now, and a keychain of keys and membership cards. And I always carry extra contacts just in case something happens. My eyesight is so poor there’s no possible way I could go five minutes without them. So because I have Dailys, I can just use a new pair.

Good for learning.

I don't know how I could write 150 words about things that I carry around. None of it has any importance to me. It all just helps make life easier. I've got my telephone in case I need to contact anyone. I've got my headphones in case I get bored (a word of advice, invest in a good pair of headphones. If you just use Skullcandy or Apple ones you're missing out big time.) I've got my wallet in case I need money or to drive. I have my house key, which sometimes will have a car key attached if I've been driving; I don't have my own car yet. If I'm going to school I lug around a massive backpack with all of my homework and calculator and my DS (gotta have pokemon accessible at all times). I also keep a deck of cards in my backpack because my math class is pretty much just cards. Every day.

Me, Myself, and I: A White Man's Baggage

Venturing through airport security this Spring Break really made me realize just how much junk I carry around.

Like any other compliant and dutiful soon-to-be airplane passenger, I step up to the conveyor belt and remove my sandals. Even though they look like shoes, and feel like shoes,  the Sanuk company vehemently asserts they are sandals, not shoes. But what else could you expect from some liberal, hippy, surfer company whose name means "happiness" in Thai. Nonetheless, I use their pseudo-self-identification as sandals to forgo wearing socks. Which leads to me having to walk across an airport security section barefoot.

You know, I really like being bare-foot, and would be so at most times if their wasn't a threat of stepping on the broken glass of a crack pipe,  or the HIV-positive needle of a used syringe. During the summer I never wear shoes. And when I was a little kid, I'd purposefully walk barefoot through my yard in the bone-chilling death grip of winter over dead grass, hard earth, and painful rocks. I thought it would make me tough. I suppose that marine slogan, "Pain is just weakness leaving the body," (a honest-to-God testament of "military-intelligence"), had a profound affect upon me.

So here I am barefoot behind a business man in his dress-socks and he is fat upon the prosperity of a sanitized life whitewashed like the walls of the airport he travels in three times a month (six if you count back and forth round-trip), as he says to the Haitian TSA agent, complaining about how invariantly slow, crowded, and inefficient airport security screening is. And you know, I can't really blame the stiff. Because it's about four-hundred sunburnt suburbians, bottle-necked into fat, twisting, chaotic lines leading to the conveyor belt. And everyone is elbow to elbow with one another, and their carry-on's and electronic devices and little kids and little pets on leashes bump into one another and they step on each others toes and feet and no one makes small-talk because that is what you do on vacation not when you're returning home and they—no, I mean we—get poked and prodded and shouted out like cattle by the lifeless TSA agents, "no bottles or containers of vessels or chalices of less than 4 fl. oz. or that is 16 imperial ounces or on 324 ml. and laptops need to come out of the bag, but Kindles don't and have a happy trip. And you brown-man with accent, and blonde lady with the nice rack, please step aside for selective screening." And I can't help but laugh to myself. For I think that if some Jihadist was really wanting to kill some white people, he would just bring an explosive device right here into airport screening. I mean, there is four-hundred of us God-fearing Americans in a tightly crowded circle. Hell, its like a frickin' Christmas present for a terrorist. One grenade could do the job. Or perhaps he could just do the same at the Masters. And I turn to my dad and say, "Man, can you believe that shot that Bubba made yesterday?"

And as I undo my snake-skin belt, and unclasp my watch, and remove my glasses, and put them in a bin, and then get another bin in which I put my unzipped laptop bag, I realize that I sort of look like the guys who follow around the golfers at the Masters. With the colorful shorts and collared shirt. And I wonder how I got like this. To be a prep who has to always match—even when he is anonymous, in a mass of four-hundred people who look fat and old and sloppy and way too likely to make it to age 90. And jeez, what about social security? And I want to puke. And I guess it is my ego. My arrogance. My striving for superiority. It is a cancer I guess. An enormous growth. And if I tried to put it in a bin it wouldn't fit. It's head alone couldn't get crammed into an x-ray machine. Even if you knocked it out with chloroform and tied it down with ropes like they did with King Kong. And even that wouldn't work. The drugs and the ropes would just make it real hot—it would climb some building, rape the prettiest woman inside and tear the whole towering building, or perhaps even two of them, down.  And if I could take my cancerous arrogance and radiate it with the emissions of that x-ray machine till it died, I sure as Hell would. Afterall, vanity is what made Satan. And I realize that I must kill my own white-devil before a terrorist does.

My stuff

I carry a few things with me everywhere I go. But if I was
limited to only carrying a few special items, I would limit myself to the
following things (what I consider to be the most important): a picture of the
people I most care about, my phone, and a hair tie. Nothing makes me happier than the people who I care about. Just looking at a picture of them can turn my entire day around and put a smile on my face. Therefore, carrying a picture around of them while
away from them would keep me content and happy. It's not the same as being with
them, but at least I could see their face. The second thing is my phone. It's
sad to say, but I seriously cannot live without my phone. It is my lifeline
whether I'm having an important conversation with someone or surfing the
internet, or even playing scramble with friends, it's what keeps me entertained
and connected to the world. Finally, a hair band. It's nothing special, but
it's one of those things someone always has to have. A girl with long hair can
tell you that, yes, having long hair is a nice thing, but it can get out of
control and annoying. So it must be tamed and pulled back. Therefore, a simple
black hair tie is always on my wrist when my hair is down.

Elliot's Blog!

The objects I carry with me every day are my backpack, which contain all of my school work, my keychain, and my phone. My backpack contains all of my school work since I can not be bothered to actually use my locker. Though usually I can leave some books at home that I do not use on a regular basis. I like to think of my backpack as a symbol of my slavery to the system, and oppression of free will. My keychain, which many of you may have noticed as I have a habit of swing twirling and fiddling with it, contains the key to my house, my safe house away from the evil of "the man." And last but not least, my cellphone is what I use to communicate with my friends and parents. This device lets me communicate with my fellow cellmates in the prison compound that is Henry Clay Highschool. With this device we are able to organize the rebellion against the man for a free and happy education. Or just call my parents for a ride home.

Things I Carry

I carry surprisingly few school-related objects considering I am a high school junior. However, because I am in the school musical (You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, the show runs April 26 - 29. Go.) I have taken to carrying the script around so that I can review my lines when I have free time. I carry around an emergency dollar because it always makes me feel good when I'm feeling broke and downhearted to suddenly find it wedged in the corner of my bag. And then I remember that it's an emergency dollar so I can't actually use it. I carry around my water bottle because I love water, I always have water when I want it, and it has filter in it so I can drink school water without feeling sick. I also carry around a mini notebook so that when there are quick notes I need to take or things I need to remember or homework to be done I can just whip it out and write it in there, because it's prettier than the school agenda, and also I lost my school agenda.

Standard equips

One thing I tend to carry with me wherever I go is a positive attitude. Let’s face it: life kind of sucks. So I need to keep the best outlook I can in order to prevent the Universe, which is perpetually out to get me specifically, from having its fun. When bad things happen to me I smile and turn the other cheek. In this way the powers that be derive no pleasure from my pain and I in some way win. I’m completely kidding about that, but it seriously is helpful to try to stay in a good frame of mind. If you hadn’t noticed, another thing I carry with me at all times is my sense of humor, which has been described by Time Magazine as “as awful, tasteless, and trite as a Nicholas Cage movie” (not an actual quote from Time Magazine). This again helps me to persevere through the blank and somewhat dull expanse of life while at the same time (I hope) making life more enjoyable for other people. My bizarre sense of humor also acts as somewhat of a defense mechanism, repelling potential mates, which could potentially give me diseases if I came into contact with them. And because I carry these two things with me always my life will always be interesting and I will always be optimistic and alone. Again, I’m kidding about that last part. Gotcha! So that tear you just started to cry for me should now become a tear of self-righteous anger rather than one of pity.