Sentence fixez. sentence fickes. Sentence Fixes

That Shit

*Updated to include the 5-8 sources for the research paper, linked down there
"Post that shit"
My topic is about genetically modified foods, and if they are safe alternatives to natural foods. The controversy regarding GM foods is whether or not they are safe for consumption, because scientists have gone in and altered the genes of some crops and we do not know if they create adverse reactions. In Opposing Viewpoints, I have found a good argument for allowing GMFs, and a good argument against allowing them: ...
The article concerned with banning GM foods is helpful because it takes careful measures to disprove the the main supposed benefits of GMOs, systematically listing and disproving many ideas. He references many scientific studies, and uses specific examples of times when instances disproved the claims of GMO promoters.
The other article is interested in allowing the continued use and study of GM crops, citing the constant testing of the GMOs and the constant not-worrying results. He also talks about the benefits like the resistance to climate, diseases, bugs, and how it may be the future of sustainability for third-world countries--this paper is good because it actually swayed my thoughts a bit!

Am I complaining too much?

Oh my god, are they that obnoxious? The regular scene in one of my classes has a whole group of girls chatting away, laughing loudly, and even playing music off their phones for everyone to suffer through. My sardonic comments complaining about this situation to my other classmates is seemingly just quiet enough to not be heard by the offenders, and something inside me just isn't prepared to tell them to stuff it. Maybe it's that I feel that the teacher should handle these miscreants, or that I think they should realize their own callousness and start to apologize profusely to the rest of the class. But of course this doesn't happen, and I seem to be forcing myself to be content with the relentless annoyance, rather than give the girls my opinion to their face. Some of my reasoning is that I don't want to be the asshole who spoils their social time, and some is that it's not worth the hassle. But it's this little part of complacence to let them be, and let them be obnoxious, that is scary to me because it could be indicitive of future meek actions. I hate that word by the way, 'meek', because it just sounds so...meek. But I refuse to let that happen. I will not be meek or weak or run over, I will stand up for my comfort and my wishes, and not cowardly stay silent in my discomfort to be loud or righteous. Next time they dare impose their slaps unto our non-consenting ears, I will stand up for the class and tell them to turn their damn devices off, shut up, or get their asses out of class. I will demand silence from them, and I will get silence from them. Or maybe it's not actually too annoying, I guess I can deal with it and not bother them...Ha. But what I can do is speak up for myself in a respectful yet forceful way. Which I will do.

Leadership

        Leadership is something that is necessary for operations to run smoothly and for work to get done. Leadership is something that colleges look for in their prospective students. Leadership is something that you want everyone to have little of, but not everyone to have a lot of. Leadership is the quality of having the charisma, the foresight, and the power to lead others to whatever may be the goal.
       Having someone in charge, and in the position of the leader is essential to so many different organizations' success. Restaurants need managers, schools need principals, armies need generals, and projects need someone in charge in order for goals to be completed and decisions reached. Leadership allows there to be someone to break a tie, settle a dispute, decide on a path of action, and take responsibility. Leadership is a quality that people in positions of power must have, for without it they will not have any credibility or actual power, let alone respect. A good leader takes all points of view into consideration, and is impartial enough to choose the best-fitting one while still being able to give reason for their decision. Futhermore, they are sympathetic yet professional, and they do not go back on their word as a rule.
       Leadership in someone can be recognised by their actions, such as stepping up to do an undesirable job, sticking up for something or someone, rallying a group or being a mediator between factions. They rise above the squabbling and they offer solutions, they become the problem-solvers. A leader must be able to make the hard decisions for the greater good, looking past their own wants and considering the wants of the larger group. Leadership provides accountability to owners, it creates order out of chaos, and it provides direction for others.
      For leaders to be successful and working at full potential, it is best for them to have full power given to them and respect from their subordinates. To gain respect, a capable leader should be able to show mastery of the duties the subordinates perform because it is relatable to the workers. They should also conduct themselves with care and be rational. Power should be entrusted to leaders because they are made more effective because of it and it allows them to back up their claims and policies.
      A leader in a restaurant will make sure that good relations are formed between the wait staff and the kitchen staff, customers are taken care of, employees are acting professionally, and if necessary, he/she will jump in and do any needed task and discipline and fire any insubordinate employee. A leader presiding over a project to market a new device to the public will make sure that all ideas are heard and respected, people work productively, deadlines are met and that disputes between workers do not interfere.
       Leaders are people that can guide people to greatness and can 'be the bigger person' in arguments. They make sure that work is getting done, a course of action which agrees with the majority is taken, and that nothing gets too out of hand or stalled because of a lack of a decision. They run the place.

Senior Proj. Update

Wow, there are so many things to think about this time of the year with the college applications, essays, sports, work, and every other activity we participate in that senior project just seems like another unwelcome burden. It seems hard to get going, but luckily I was able to move ahead with my project today. I met with Shirley Clauss, the ROP coordinator at the Napa Valley Office of Education today to talk about meshing our two projects--hers being the promotion of the ROP classes to students, and mine putting on a career fair--to mutually benefit each other and to help one another out. We agreed on a few ideas and hashed out a general plan of what we could do, which, as of right now, includes having the ROP classes team up with correlating professionals (Fire Science with Firefighters, Medical Science with Nurses) and present the classes and the career to students to get out information and let students get a feel on how the professions they are thinking about really are. After this, she agreed to becoming my mentor, and I unexpectedly proceeded to conduct the mentor interview right then, which was great because that deadline had been looming and drifting closer for some time. So I seem to be right on track with my progress, and although it is still somewhat of a burden, it is also fun and will force me to interact with professionals and get me out of my comfort zone. Now my next step besides typing up the spontaneous interview will be to go around and start talking to the different ROP class teachers, collaborating on ideas, and then also extend myself to the professionals who will be at the career fair in order to give them an ample amount of time before the planned feburary date.

Wanted: True Selflessness

Between Thomas Sowell's "Needs" and Peter Singer's "The Singer Solution to World Poverty", in taking their arguments to heart and following them closely, everyone in the USA would be just surviving, and all of our wealth would be sent overseas. Sowell rightly defines 'needs' as anything we can't get along with by not having them, and 'not getting along with' means surviving. So, if we only spend our money on what is needed to keep us alive and healthy, then we could be sending upwards of 50 and 75 percent of our earnings to charities! Great for the overseas recipients, but sort of a standard-of-living drop for us here. And also a sort of switch in perspective and roles. Both authors present extreme ideas in order to make us stop and think about what we are doing or not doing. The idea is to see these far-off arguments and make us wake up, so that we can realize what we actually truly need, what we are fooling ourselves in to thinking that we need, or how little we are actually doing to help alleviate fixable world health problems while we lavishly overspend on our own aesthetic tendencies.   

       Vidal has made some excellence arguments for the legalization of all drugs, and the lowering of their prices dramatically. It is somewhat of an anarchist or republican point of view to argue that we as mankind should be able to do as we please without infringing on other's liberties, without law to tell us otherwise, but I do agree with the premise. We should all be capable of making our life's decisions by ourselves. We know that drug-related crime is all based solely on the acquisition of the drugs the vast majority of the time, in order to steal them, steal money to buy them, or take them forcefully from others. With Vidal's arrangements, there would be no need to hurt and steal, as the drugs would be legal and very cheap, foregoing the need to get large sums of money to feed the addiction.
        The implicit assumption isn't very easy to believe, because of statistics that say "26%  of Federal prisoners said they had committed their current offense while under the influence of drugs", and the occasional horror stories of atrocities committed while under the influence. I think that they are threats to their neighbors just because the drugs can affect their judgement, and something like a governmental tracking system to keep track of users and more readily available protective services would be required in order to keep everyone safe. The system overall wouldn't be effective because the few who would go ahead and use the drugs would be hazards to all of us choosing not to participate in the usage. Drug-abusers are always threats to themselves and others, and therefore have no place in a society.

Banneker Analysis->      here

On George Orwell

George Orwell states in his essay "Politics and the English Language" that the English language has become decrepit. It is full of cliches, overly pretentious and unnecessary words, and purposefully complex arrangements of words that confuse and distort meaning. He urges us to follows some basic rules of writing to the tune of simplifying word choice and cutting common and foreign phrases out. For the most part, I wholeheartedly agree with his argument. Based on the five examples of how convoluted the use of the English language has become, anyone could agree that we are complicating a simple process. It certainly is good sense to remove the overused metaphors in order to inspire the creation of new ones, and he makes many good points in his different classifications of bad writing, especially his section on deceptive language, where I can see many parallels to current usages. His examples in this section are particularly apt. But I also disagree to a certain extent with what he is saying, as the English language has hundreds of thousands of words so that we can express ourselves as specifically as possible. Otherwise, following his logic, we would reduce the number of frequently used words tremendously. I'm sure that my writing in this response is clashing with a couple of Orwell's tenants already. For example, some of his examples of "Pretentious Diction" are definitely not common definitions of pretentious language, such as "effective, basic, objective, promote". I use these words frequently, as do many of the people around me. Orwell does make great points, and although some of them are dated, his main ideas come through, and we can agree that writing should never be made complex and difficult to understand just for the sake of being complex and difficult to understand. One thing that was particularly helpful was his line about how we should choose words for their meaning, and not just substitute phrases in haphazardly to fill the space. I think George Orwell is telling me to stop writing now, for I have written too many words.  

My topic is about genetically modified foods, and if they are safe alternatives to natural foods. The controversy regarding GM foods is whether or not they are safe for consumption, because scientists have gone in and altered the genes of some crops and we do not know if they create adverse reactions. We haven't had GM foods around for long enough to fully understand them. To fully research my topic, I will be using the Napa Main Library, online databases, and the larger web to find appropriate sources. My "emotional investment" comes from my parents, as they are very against GMOs and usually buy only organic foods. I would like to solidify my understanding of the topic and help inform them more as well. I am wondering if there are enough studies and informative papers out there for me to research.

A great blog I found on TIME's "The Best Blogs of 2011" was The Big Picture, which also was on Mrs. G's list. The Big Picture's style is to report on a subject through high-resolution photographs, with captions and small articles/paragraphs attached. The pictures are 990 pixels, and they usually depict some stunning visual, with the subject varying to fit the news story. This is put up by the Boston Globe, and their professionalism shows through. The stories are informative with some commentary, and the pictures all have some personal aspect to them; the person's name is included, their story is told, or the picture itself is intimate and revealing. It is set up so that you see an image of one subjet, and attached to that one picture are 20-70 other related pictures, so that you can look more in-depth into the subject. The audience is the general public, as the issues are of all-encompassing subject matters. It's effective because it's short and to-the-point, which is good for news because you can find what interests you faster and bypass the negative shit. The pictures are clear and are usually stunning, and I like them so much that I've followed them. So take a look at this blog, it's really worth your time!

Baja compare and contrast with Hood River  

        

            Baja, Mexico and Hood River Oregon are two places that my family has vacationed multiple times. They do however, have vast differences as they are in different countries, but they are similar in some regards as well.              

          We drive in our large white Eurovan (VW) whenever we go on vacation, because there are five members of our family and we need a lot of space, and so we start off both of these respective vacations the same, just in opposite directions. From there on, we have a lot of different experiences. In Baja, Mexico, it is sandy and borderline desert along the Sea of Cortez, and we camp in tents and a RV alongside the coast.

The atmosphere is relaxed and carefree, and we engage in sports all day and go spearfishing every so often. In Hood River, we stay with friends whom we had met when passing through town a few years back, and so we get the comforts of their house when there. It is green and luscious there, and we regularly go berry-picking as a fun and delicious way to bond. We have a great bond with the daughters of our friends, and we spend time with each other and use their trampoline a lot. It is also a relaxed and fun atmosphere there, although it is closer to the rules of our civilization, and so not quite as carefree.

         In Baja, the rules are relaxed and it really feels like a true vacation. We are mostly unplugged, we walk around barefoot or in sandals, and we do whatever we feel like. Years before I ever had my license I was able to practice driving our car in Baja, and so it really feels like a second home there. But there are some stark similarities between the places and our experiences there. For instance, my dad and I both kiteboard in both areas, and we are with close friends in both locations. Many people from the Bay Area vacation down in Baja with us yearly, and so it is a welcome get-together every year. 

         Because Baja is in Mexico and Hood River is in the US, they are fundamentally different. Obviously in Baja the signs are in Spanish and there are many Mexican restaurants, but besides that there are other

features that stand out, including: dirt roads at some points, military checkpoints and an altogether larger military presence, and a more relaxed atmosphere. Hood River is a hub for kiteboarders, and so the town is polished and is friendly towards visitors, and it also is more developed. It is a nice small town and we have had some great times there.
      Our diets are different as well. In Mexico, breakfast is usually some papaya and yogurt, which is followed by quesadillas, fish (bought or caught), and then some dinner at a local restaurant which usually includes a chicken or beef dish. In Oregon we usually have cereal and berries or cherries, and then lunch can

be sandwhiches or someting else. So we definitely adopt a different diet while in Baja.             

        



On being a senior citizen.

I Want A Husband: Style Imitation of Judy Brady's "I Want a Wife"

            I want a husband. Life would be much easier and less stressful if I were to acquire a husband. There are a great many number of reasons to have one, here are a few. 

            I want a husband who will bring home the money. I want a husband who has a very high-paying job, but can have flexible hours to spend time at home as well. I don't want to have to be forced into needing a job. But I want a husband that can provide extravagantly for us, and can buy me whatever I desire. I want a husband who buys me flowers, and surprises me with vacations to beaches far away. I want a husband who gets me jewelry on our anniversaries, and who takes me for shopping trips. 

            I want all the Barbecuing done by the husband. I also want a husband who can cook dinner regularly for us, so that the responsibility of dinner can be shared. He must be a good and willing cook, and he must always clean up after himself in the kitchen. When we are having a party, I want a husband that will entertain and feed the guests with his grilling, as well as interact well with the kids. In order for us to function regularly, my husband must be well practiced in house and yard work. The lawn mowing, pool maintenance, and occasional digging must be done. I want a husband who will clean the gutters, change the light bulbs, fix the electrical problem, and trim and cut back the trees and bushes. He must be able to paint the walls, hang the shelves, and assemble the furniture we bought unassembled. I want my husband to be handy in all situations, and to be good in all situations. 

            Our cars must be maintained. I want a husband who will want to clean, detail, wax and dry our cars. My husband should also know how fix some problems with our cars, and if he doesn't, my husband should take the car to the shop to have it fixed. I want my husband to be sensitive to what I want to do, and attentive towards my needs and wants. I want him to listen to what I have to say, and to care about it. I want a husband that protects me from any physical danger, and that stands up for me in all situations. My husband should make me feel safe, and should be able to make me laugh. With all this taken care of, now all I have to do is relax.

English class and swing dancing?

Embalming Passage

           My first thoughts in reaction to reading "Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain" by Jessica Mitford were ones of disgust and horror. Sure, the descriptions of the gruesome details were grim, but it was the routine matter of it all and the fact that this process is almost forced upon the grieving families of the deceased which is what really disgusted me. Because of the secretive nature of it and the high moral and financial costs, I am thoroughly against the practices of embalming and restoration. Some of the reasons for the establishment of this morbid practice are: ensuring that the friends and family of the deceased are allowed to move on as painlessly as possible, monetizing the industry of death and the associated niceties, and keeping morticians in business. Certainly, morticians believe in their role as "grief counselors" in that they assist in the process of accepting the loved ones passing, otherwise they would not be able to bring themselves to perform their tasks doubtless. But, becasue they are reluctant to share the details of the embalming process, and they hardly ask permission to start the costly steps, they are obviously in the business to make money on the ignorance and helplessness of their customers.
         Of chief importance in the argument against embalming comes the fact that the practice is downright unnatural. The deceased's body is subjected to all sorts of probes, blades, ointments, creams and tools, which all seem to take the dignity away from the dead. In the process they pump the body full of chemicals, and cover it with still more, which is bad for the earth in which the body will slowly decay in. The mortician uses all kinds of tricks which mutilate the corpse into a picture of peacful youth and health even in death, which deceptively alters the body in to something that it is not, and something that the loved ones will remember and take with them. It can change the memories of the deceased into something that isn't the true unaltered form they came into this life with. This may not and isn't always done by the customer's express request, and yet it is the loved one of the customer's that is getting tainted with unnatural chemicals, and it is the customer that gets stuck with the hefty bill. I would never want this done on myself let alone anyone else I know, and I know I would not be alone in this sentiment where there to be full disclosure on the part of the mortician.
        Society seems to cover up and propigate this by quantifying the love for the deceased by how expensive the funeral service is and how grand it is, which are both misguided sentiments.

Compare and Contrast: Men and Women as Consumers

Link to google Drive document

Writing topic essay->


                                               essay

            Jonathan Kozol's structure consists of an introduction to the topic, his body of information and examples, and a summation of what we should take from his essay. His plethora of very human stories is an effective way to drive home the point on the scope of the problem. Giving examples instead of solely spitting out countless statistics is a way to appeal to the reader's pathos, and it works well. His structure seems to be presenting facts about the daily living of an illiterate and then following it up with a quote or example from a real life story. He gives a variety of examples from both genders and different ages groups to show the pervasiveness of the problem, although some do not invoke pity as the person has obviously squandered their opportunities away, as in the example about the illiterate girl who had just finished her school career.
             His structure of balance of pathos with logos, or hard facts with emotional stories of real Americans interspersed, is very effective because your mind and heart are targeted, which is a good method. You see the numbers and then you can connect with the individual illiterate, and the message is compelling for you to sympathize with the non-privileged. We who are literate take this most basic skill for granted so often, and this essay tries to dispel the notion that everyone around us also shares this ability. It shows how crippling it is to not posses this essential ability, and how it destroys some of the values of our country by not having a fully educated voting base.
            Although the examples mostly follow after the hard facts about the existence of an illiterate are presented, there is a section of the paper that is essentially quotation after quotation, each outlining a different experience in which the illiterate person feels inadequate and incapable. It is a bit overwhelming, but at the same time it brings a shock and wow factor that really speaks to the reader in an intimate way. Kozor is successful in his structure as it allows his writing to be understood and remembered very effectively, and because he uses a balance of presentations to get his point across. He couldn't have picked a better structure or else the argument and point he was interested in relaying would be very one-sided and only reach a certain type of person, whereas this paper was more all-encompassing.     

            Blog Theme

         
           "Think of a place that makes you feel happy and relaxed," they would say. And I would hardly have to think before it comes to mind: Baja. Just thinking of it makes me long for it to be time again to pack up everyone including the dog and get down there. This amazing family tradition started before I was born 25 years ago, when my dad and uncle drove haphazardly down Mexico with their spear guns catching fish and exploring the coast, looking for a good place to be. They found what they were looking for in a small fishing town on the tip of Baja, an unaltered and isolated town not yet widely known to tourists. They lived by catching their own food and living off of very little money for awhile, all while enjoying the beaches and waters by windsurfing, swimming, and spearfishing.
             They liked it so much that it has become a yearly tradition to make the 32 hour drive over 2-3 days down to the same spot, and enjoy the relaxed and chill lifestyle that it entails. What's made it even better is that we get to share the experience with our cousins, who come down with our uncle as we come down with our dad. We've also been around to witness the year-by-year transformation of the town from small, dusty and devoid of  technology to a busier and popular town geared for tourists and sports enthusiasts. Anyways, the town is small and fun, and a lot of people who we know come each year in the winter to have fun there from the bay area. We usually are able to stay there for two whole weeks each winter break, and it is simply rejuvenating. You wake up in the morning, hear the sounds of the surf on the beach 50 meters away, listen to the absence of industrial sounds, and have the freedom to decide: a walk on the cool beach with my dog, yoga in the sand with my dad, or should I have a nice fresh breakfast of papaya with fresh-squeezed lime juice? What's so relaxing about it all is the disregard of time and date, the freedom to choose whatever, the company of friends and family, and the proximity to the ocean and beach. It is more laid-back in terms of laws and rules as well, which adds to the feeling of the vacation. It's very freeing and refreshing.    

My cool narrative.

          In “Greasy Lake”, by T. C. Boyle, the main protagonists who are wannabe badasses are put in a situation that really tests if they are ‘hard’ and ‘bad’. They prove to be rather tough characters, but they do not have the stomach to be really “bad”. They are forced to be rather brutal in their reactive fight, as they had mistaken the identity of a scary man for their friend, and so their brutality can be understood. Everyone has a reactive and survival instinct in them if they are in danger, so the boys just did what they had to to save themselves, and they fact that they were shocked and scared about their actions goes to show that they weren’t bad in their nature. They had just been fighting to save themselves from being beaten up by the man. The rush of adrenaline and fear, however, does not serve as an excuse for what they tried to do after. Their “primal badness” is just an euphemism for attempting to rape the “fox”, and it is truly inexcusable and disgusting, no matter what experience they had just gone through.

Then, interrupting their attempted sexual crime, comes a car with two men in it that are sympathetic with the man they had just “murdered”. They scatter in all directions, scared of the jail time they face for committing two felonies, and horrified of what they had done and that it had been witnessed. The whole essay is interspersed with humorous lines such as he “streaked the side of my mother’s Bel Air with vomit”, I “chipped my favorite tooth”, and the humorously bad excuses he thinks of giving his parents for the state of himself and the car such as “a tree had fallen on the car, I was blindsided by a bread truck, [it was a] hit and run, [and] vandals had got to it”. These pockets of funny interjections help the story in the relief it gives to the other serious things that are going on at the same time.

Greasy Lake seems the perfect place for all this to happen, as it is described as a place of lawlessness and a place with a potential for exciting events. The presence of a dead biker floating in the lake conjures up images of a similar scene occurring earlier, but with a different ending. Alcohol and drugs are associated with everything, as the boys themselves have smoked pot earlier that night, the lake is host to many acts of drug usage, and the girls looking for Al are wasted or high. He also mentions the phrase, “This was nature.” in the exposition and ending of the descriptional essay, to tie the story together and call to attention that nature is chaotic and raw and rough, we as a society have just grown civilized and soft. All the acts committed that night really are caused by natural feelings and desires, let loose with no restraint and executed, as nature is.

Essay with description about topic and abstract idea.

Description Exercise

The river winds through a landscape of decaying and growing organic matter: the cycle of
life exemplified. The river has no water running through it, so it is just a wet riverbed. That’s exactly what the 3 meter-long water track leading to an iron drain seems to imitate in every way, save the size. Dead leaves litter the “banks” of the waterway, and tufts of delicate grass push up through the muddy tracks. A pattern reminiscent of the Nazca lines appears nearby, but is revealed to be the imprint of the sole of a Vans shoe only. The watermarks indicate a fork in the flow of water, with a raised median separating them, only to have them reconnect shortly after to enter the western-facing side of the drain. The bed of the water way is worn smooth, and small pebbles have collected at the beginning and end of the flow. It is perfect in its imperfectness.

Box Man Discussion Afterthoughts

1. Something that I learned about the passage that I hadn't noticed on my own was the structural progression from short paragraphs to longer and more explanatory paragraphs. It did this because the essay turned into more story-tellings and hypotheticals than before.

2. During the discussion I wished that we would have actually focused more on how the meaning was presented, and not about what the meaning was, the structure, interesting quotes, and other topics. Good job though as the facilitator Eddie.

3. I wish that I would have mentioned that the meaning was presented by contrasting examples of solitary people, as this could have incited more discussion about the how, not what.

-N

I Am A _________ Essay

Title: “Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman!”  Author: Richard P. Feynman

Subject: Science/Physics/Biography

Link to Long Form

 

-Nicholas

Senior Project

For my senior project, I wanted something original and something that would help me with the big desicions coming up in life. So immediately things such as running a marathon or half-marathon weren't in the picture,  (no offense to anyone doing that project) or doing another oft-repeated experience. I've always been interested in food, so I tried to think of a project that had to do with cooking or interning at a retaurant, but I know how to cook and it seemed that anything else wouldn't work out. So while keeping the "big decisions" like college and career in mind, I enlisted the help of my dad to help think of ideas. He wanted something to help me and my classmates to see how different careers actually are, and I thought of a job fair immediately. We thought of a few more details, and agreed that it would be a challenging and rewarding adventure to go forward with.

So, I have the idea, and some information that I collected from my classmates about what careers they thought could be in their future. That will find its way into my research paper probably, which I decided to be about the changes in most popular jobs from 25 years ago to present day. A compare and contrast paper with analysis of why the trends happen and what will be next is the general gist. I had hoped to find time during the summer to get an early start on everything by completeing my research paper, but despite the available time I haven't brought myself to start it. Which is not to say that I won't or it's too late, but it's looking increasingly doubtful.

The general plan for the job fair is to host it in the NHS gym, on possibly two different dates, with around ten professionals in popular careers there to explain their jobs and answer questions. I will have a couple of senior classes visit to learn about the jobs they are interested in, therefore providing real knowledge to me and my classmates about the big choices we have coming up in life. So I will be helping the community by this project, which is a plus.

I'm thinking that this project will be challenging because of the organization of 10+ professionals. Finding willing people, a time that works for everyone, and the information which we will present will be a hard task. But the senior project was never promised to be easy, and easy projects aren't encouraged.

A few assets that I have include my parents, as my mom is a nurse and my dad is a physical therapist, because both careers are popular ones. Also, I have been told that the community is generally very helpful in aiding students with their projects, so that is a welcome bit of news. Ultimately, I'm excited to start working with people to learn about their careers and start the organiztion of the event. I feel confident that the school will be very accomodating in relation to the gymnasium use and with classes coming to visit.

My first priority will be to complete my AP summer homework before moving on to Senior project concerns though.   

Okay, 500 words, I can do this. Let's start with what I think about this blogging homework. I like it actually, even though I'm not a big online presence anywhere, so this will introduce me to the online community more. In this so-termed technological age we are going through, I feel like I've just been a spectator. I go on youtube, but I don't upload videos, I have a Facebook account made by someone else and the last time I logged on was maybe four months ago. I also don't have accounts with Twitter, Instagram, Path, and previously Google Blogger. So this is good for me. Although most of the time I'm happy that I don't have ten social-networking sites to check up on, because then you really are just spectating on the lives of others.

I notice that you can't use 'tab', and that's good because then it's more informal, as a blog should be.

So, I currently work at Gap outlet, and here are the pros and cons about it:
Pros:      1. It's a Job.     2. My coworkers are cool.   3. It pays money-> It's a job.
Cons:     1. It's boring.   2. It pays minimum wage.   3. It's making me look for another job.

Basically I'm trying to get another job, in the food business preferably, like a bakery or restaurant. Although I won't quit until I find another job because I'd rather be working and getting money than not working at all, as anyone with a job will tell you.

For things I like to do, I would include sports. I've been on the track and soccer teams for NHS for the three years I've completed so far, and before that I have always played soccer starting at age six or seven. I like to go on runs sometimes, because I like to stay in shape and a good run makes you feel great during and after the activity. I also go biking at times, although at the moment my bike has a flat, and my temporary solution is to pump it full before the bike ride instead of patching the hole. Lazy, I know, but it works. Snowboarding in the winter is always awesome, albiet expensive. Which reminds me how I was playing with snow the other day, right in the middle of summer! It was in desolation wilderness, on a three day hike on our backpacking trip up to the snow we saw at around 10,000 ft. My sister, dad, family friend and I all went and had a great time. Here are pictures.

I also like reading, with some of my favorites including the Eragon series, Harry Potter (of course!), Cirque Du Freak, the Demonata, Ender's Game, and a lot I can't think of right now. I also enjoy reading some nonfiction like Newsweek, some newspapers, and online news.

I live in a great house ten minutes away from town and twenty minutes away from school, which is annoying at times. We have a pool, an acre of land for a lawn, fruit trees, and chickens, and the vineyards around us are open to us for runs, walks, bike rides, and more. For pets we have the aforementioned chickens, (nameless, although we used to name our chickens around seven years ago) a mini-australian shepard, (Aussie), and a cat (Tiger). My dad, with the help of me and my brother mostly, has built a bridge, a second house on the property, (that one we weren't alive to help with) raised beds for gardening, an arbour and other structures and infrastructure.

Wow, that was exceedingly easy and took an hour only. I just checked the word count...595 before this line!

I'll do a little more though. For college, I plan to stay in California and probably go to a UC. For a major, I'm not sure what I want to do yet, but I definitely know some things that I'm not interested in. Like Russian studies or Asian Languages or Accounting. I just don't want to end up in a cubicle. Something more interactive, stimulating, and creative would be better. And something with some freedom in it. That's not too much to ask is it?

-Nicholas