A Post Where I Just Talk.

Hey, have any of your ever had that feeling? That in blogging, no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone better? Not nicer, prettier, funnier- just better? I mean, if you get a 100 followers, I guarantee somebody else has 1000, and somebody else has 5000.

Yeah. That feeling.

Nobody ever gets it all at once, I think. They just get it sometimes, in little amounts. Like, no matter how awesome your design is, someone has a better designer or is better at HTML. Or has longer, more thoughtful posts- that you can't help but love because they're just so darn thoughtful.

Yeah, well, I'm here to tell you something: don't bother trying to copy everyone. Because if you did, you'd be in one hot mess. Besides, what happens when someone is better than the person your trying to copy?

Dr. Seuss put it better than anybody:

 Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

So, why try to be someone else? Who really deserves to have two of them upon this earth anyways? I mean, that wouldn't be fair to the other six billion, nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine peeps on the planet, now would it? You're you, and your blog should reflect that. Not Awesome McAwesomescreenname's.

So, I've decided something.

I usually stay away from touchy topics like politics on this blog. The only truly universal topic I've ever blatantly given my opinion on [here] is home/unschooling. But I've decided something: who cares if someone doesn't agree with me? It's my blog, the world and it's actions filtered through my lens.

 I used to be afraid to make enemies and upset people just because I didn't agree with them on a topic like whether or not the President is doing a good job - and I think he's doing great, with all the stones people hurl at him. There's nothing wrong with being polite, but I also think you're entitled to your opinion too- and no, that does not mean you can talk straight up trash about somebody. I mean about more national/universal things.

 As in: why do Christians consider Muslims their mortal enemy, again? They are not all terrorists, just like Christians are not all evangelicals. And don't start with the suppressing women thing, because while it may be very, very true, Christians do their fair share of it too. Enough with the stereotypes, people.

Or: why don't homosexuals deserve basic human rights? I thought the idea (of homosexuality) was a little surprising at first, but in the end, why is it our business? And as for abortion, what are you going to do if the fetus you save is gay? I don't condone abortion, but I don't think people should just straight up decide when it comes to someone else and their child's future.

*silence at Annika's jawdropping opinions*

I know some of you might not agree with this, and that's okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Because I like to think that for every hater in the world, there is a lover. And by that, I don't mean people who simply disagree with some of the stuff I said. Of course not, that wouldn't be reasonable.

<3

Sticks and Stones...

...May break my bones, but words will never hurt me.


We've all heard it, and it's possibly one of the biggest lies since humanity invented lies. 

Yesterday, an unschooled friend of mine commented on a YouTube video about Unschooling vs. Homeschooling vs. Formal Education. And while I did not watch the entire video because I got the gist of it, the entire thing seemed to be about proving how 'ignorant and unprepared' unschoolers are. Homeschooling was barely mentioned, I will note.

 She was understandably offended by this, but one user had the nerve to say things such as that she would have been able to respond better -and her comments were very well written- if she'd had a formal education and that her dream of writing a book was 'low class' and easy. Now, any writer worth their salt -channels Delores Umbridge- knows this is. a. lie. He also made comments that she basically couldn't learn when it was time and that her definition of success was reserved for people who are failures or who never amount to anything. This in response to when she said that as long as you're happy with what you do, money doesn't completely matter.

 My friend kidded that she would become an engineer if he wrote a successful book. He replied that he didn't have anything to prove, but she did and that her wanting to write a book was wherein the problem lies:  

Why do i need to write a book? i have nothing to prove. YOU, on the other hand have something to. I make good money and have a skillset that can be productive....you on the other hand want to write a book. No, see, here is the problem. You have no reading comprehension. Where did I say that? Did I say I hated what I do? No. 

No, it means you'll never amount to anything other than having an easy profession, like book writing. And your point is blatantly wrong, had you a proper education you'd realize that. Working hard is one thing, but certain people are simply not fit for certain jobs, be it physically or mentally. 

You cant become an engineer anyway, by your own admission. Is this what your "unducation" teachers you? Tell 1 person you couldnt become an engineer without an education, then tell me you can without one? Like I said, anyone can write a book, you are on the same level of sarah palin, congrats. 

Now, a moment of silence for this to soak in. 

Okay, moment over. Let's see... this person has horrible grammar and spelling at some points, a narrow minded, ignorant point of view and no knowledge of the person he is stereotyping besides the fact she is unschooled. 

Wow.

Even if I didn't know her, I would be offended. First, she is in fact one of the brightest, smartest people I know, an amazing writer and a great friend. Second, I don't favor Sarah Palin, and find this user comparing her writing (or her ghost writer's) to my friend's insulting. It's also very laughable that this person is going on about reading comprehension when he can't even bother to capitalize his Is or properly punctuate. Go figure.  


Did you know Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the almighty light bulb, was unschooled? His mother taught him math, reading and writing without text books. He learned everything else he knew by himself. It is generally acknowledged that he was a pretty smart person. And did I mention he has revolutionized the way we live, work and play beyond what we could have ever imagined before? 

Chew on that next time you turn on a light.

What's In a Name?

   "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."- Shakespeare 

Hiya! Annika here. Today, we're going to talk about names. Despite the wide range of people a name can cover, certain things come to mind when you hear certain names.

What do you think of when you hear Esmeralda?

Billie Jean?

Colette?

Analiese?

Imogen?

Juliet?

Ivy?

Anne?

Helen?

Madison?

Tess(a)?

See? Different things come to mind. For example, Analiese makes me think of a princess. Billie Jean perhaps a turn of the century cowgirl. Juliet- well, Wizards of Waverly Place, to be frank.
But people's perceptions of names are very different. Did you know that some people dislike the name Lucy because they somehow see it related to the name Lucifer? I find this odd, as Lucy Pevensie, one of the most innocent characters I've ever read about, is named this. So in step, I have come to associate the name with innocence.

Now, when it comes to naming characters, sometimes a name can indicate something they don't realize or keep buried. Oddly enough, my nanowrimo novel's protagonist was named Demi, even though she proves to be anything but by the ending. Her name is Demetria, but for some reason she is always called Demi, even going so far as to prefer it over her true name.

Other times it is because they can't stand their full name. For example, George Fayne from the Nancy Drew Mysteries real name is Georgia, but she prefers George. This is justified, as even when the original books were written, she was shown to have tomboyish tendencies.

Something that has always annoyed me in Fantasy and Sci-Fi is that some writers go over the top with names. Even in fantasy, I'd rather use slightly less common Earth names. Or if I make up one, I make sure to still keep it simple. I'd actually use Ivy or Tess(a) or Ava instead of something crazy like Elfiria or Mcedomen.

Here are some great naming resources:

The Baby Name Wizard
Nameberry
Behind the Name
Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names



But what do you think? Do you have any favorite names or traditions for finding names for your characters?

Homeschooling Myths: Debunked

Okay, I would like to set the record straight: I homeschool. Yep.  And I love it. But what I hate about it (besides perhaps a bit of math) are all  the ridiculous stereotypes. So, here I am to debunk them:  


Q: How do you hang out with other kids?
A: Well, besides the fact that a lot of homeschooling families are large, with the children being no more than two or three years apart, what about relatives? The internet? Going out? We get the same exposure to other kids without the bullying and peer pressure factors that come with it.


Q: Do you ever do any work? How do you learn?
A: The SAME WAY you do! We have a teacher, textbooks, the internet, encyclopedia etc. 


Q: It must be amazing to not have to ever do any school work!
A: Um, no. Ask any of us and we will set you straight. No, I will: That is the farthest from the truth I've ever heard! Did you have too many Kool-aid and Skittles?  (Did you know Skittles almost have the same amount of acid as a car battery?! O.o)


Q: You know, you aren't technically qualified to have a Highschool Diploma since you never went to a real highschool, right?    
A: WRONG! We usually do more work than you, we work faster and sometimes do other subjects because we like or just feel like doing them for fun. From what I can tell, a lot of homschoolers are graduating at like, 15. 


Q: You are SOOOOOOO lucky. I wish I could sleep in all day and do whatever I want! 
A: Me too. But mostly only after we do our schoolwork is when that happens.  


Q: EW! You homeschool? You really should stop, because that's only going to get you on the other side of the drivethrough line! Gawwwwd. 
A: I can't even answer that... out of my sheer anger. 


Q: What about College?
A: It's a known fact that Colleges want homschoolers because they'll work harder and represent the school well. So, what about it?


Q: Do you wear pajamas all day?
A: If we feel like it.


Q: Do you have any friends?
A:. Yes, some of us don't. But some publicschoolers don't either.



Annika Elipton signing off! May the Force be with you!