As we reach the close of October (technically right now it's already over), I'm remembering how much I love November. Mainly, I just love Thanksgiving as a holiday and Thanksgiving week as a much-needed break.
November is the calm before the storm that is December. December is great - don't get me wrong, I love Christmas - but it's always crazy. Along with Christmas come vacation plans and presents to buy and parties to attend. There's also the dreaded finals week. Ick. December is just generally busy and somewhat stressful of a month, as superficial and feeble attempts to salvage the last bits of the year create an underlying sense of panic.
November on the other hand is a respite to the year that passes by like a blur. For me, fall guard ends this month, and Winterguard starts. By mid-month, we're done with one season and making a relaxed entry into another. Plus, I get to go home on Fridays for the first time since the beginning of the school year. November also follows a big Bengali celebration that although enjoyable, tends to be quite a massive (and hence stressful) event to put on. It's that type of event that's great, but you're relieved once it's over. Last but not least: this is the month when we get our first real school break of the year. Our county doesn't believe in the idea of a fall break (for reasons that escape me), and therefore the longest breaks we've gotten in the past three months were two 3-day weekends. Which is honestly pathetic - highschoolers are busy, we need breaks! Anyhow, this makes me appreciate Thanksgiving break that much more.
My family has stayed in town the past few years on thanksgiving, and so our large feast is a pleasant intimate gathering of my immediate family: four people. It sounds rather lonely, but to the contrary I feel more comfortable than I would with any additional people at the table. Since my Mom usually cooks dinner every night - and mind you, she's a fantastic cook - on Thanksgiving my father and I take over the kitchen. It's been a tradition for the past few years now. Since neither of use are very talented in the culinary arts, we generally use clippings of recipes from newspapers and magazines (and of course, the handy dandy internet) to create our menu. Both my dad and I are very math-y, detail-oriented people, so we come up with exact grocery lists and a sketch of the logistics of executing the dinner. If you see our plans, it looks as if we're attacking some fancy industrial engineering project. Over the years, these plans have led to a few house favorite dishes and a few not-so-favorited more infamous dishes. It's a learning experience.
I also have this fond attachment to thanksgiving food. Butternut squash anything is absolutely delicious. Pumpkin pies and spice lattes, cinnamon flavored stuff, cider, etc. Even though turkey and beans and potatoes are quite mediocre on their own, their attachment to the "thanksgiving feast" makes them meaningful and therefore tasty.
That brings me to my favorite part of thanksgiving. The food and the traditions are delightful, but what I really love about my favorite holiday is the meaning behind it. First of all - there's no religious connotation to it, and being a not-so-religious person I like that. Second of all - it's the most universal holiday. Every single person on this earth has something to be thankful for. If you are living and breathing, you have the holy gift of life to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is a day when we forget about the things we normally complain about. We forget our desires and don't bother with gifts like all the other holidays. Thanksgiving is when we remember and focus upon the thousands of things we do have. Before eating, each of the four people in my family (I start since I'm the youngest) talks about what they're thankful for. It's the type of the thing that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, and I'm even getting sentimental just writing about being thankful. I'm always left with a humble reminder of all the things in my life that are going right.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Safety on the Streets
When I was a little kid, dressed up in
a sparkly princess dress or cheap witch costume, I
remember running up and down the streets of my old neighborhood,
knocking on every door and demanding my share of candy. There were
houses that gave out the good stuff, houses that slacked but still
put effort, and random dark houses with nothing to offer. My friends
and I would check every house no matter what, but the dark ones never
proved to be worth our time. Now that I'm older, I can only wonder
who the residences of those silent houses might be. Sure, there are
some innocent old people who are too tired to stay up, and some
adults without kids who simply lack spirit, but they could also have
been SEX OFFENDERS.
According to the
article I read, the 900 sex offenders on parole in Georgia have to
stay locked up in their houses tonight, on Halloween. From 5 to10 pm
the sex offenders will have to have their lights turned off, doors
are locked, and refrain from distributing candy. Parole officers
will be checking the houses between these times to make sure these
orders are being followed. The extreme measures that the state is
taking to ensure the safety of children is actually a positive thing
that the police force can spend their time doing, for once. For that
I applaud them. Although it can't prevent all possible harm, it is a
huge step to improve safety.
Since I stopped
writing this blog to more or less trick-or-treat, and just came back
to it now, I have to say I was curious when I passed those dark
houses. Although we got a late start and most people were done
anyway, I wonder if some of the empty houses were sex offenders. I'm
glad to know I was apparently being protected from these dangers. I
even saw a cop car parked in someone's driveway, although it could
have been unrelated. At the very least, this can ease the mind of
parents. Hopefully everyone had a safe night.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/registered-sex-offenders-being-watched-on-hallowee/nSsJh/
"Institutional Racism"
Earlier this month, North Atlanta High School principal Mark MyGrant was abruptly removed from his position, along with five other administrators at the school, all of whom were charged with "institutional racism." MyGrant's attorney is now asking the Board of Education for a hearing, in the hopes of clearing up these allegations. He believes that MyGrant deserves an opportunity to face his accusers and clear his name, even though because MyGrant was a contract employee the Board of Education does not have a legal obligation to give him a hearing.
Although their is no legal obligation, I believe the Board of Education has a legal obligation to follow through with this request and grant MyGrant, along with the other administrators, a hearing. These accusations are a form of defamation, and therefore they need to be investigated thoroughly. Whether or not these administrators are guilty of "institutional racism" is a separate issue, but they deserve a chance to disprove (or for the board of county to prove) this accusation using real evidence.
The constitution grants trials to anyone who is accused of a crime, and this principle should be clearly applied to this case. In an obvious parallel, MyGrant is the accused, and therefore he is granted the right to a fair and speedy trail. In this case, the trial is in the form of a board hearing that although will not grant him his job back, it has the possibility of clearing his name. Not giving him this opportunity would be analogous to throwing someone in prison without any trial or plea bargain.
An Atlanta Public Schools Spokesperson has confirmed that he received the request; however he has declined to comment.
Although their is no legal obligation, I believe the Board of Education has a legal obligation to follow through with this request and grant MyGrant, along with the other administrators, a hearing. These accusations are a form of defamation, and therefore they need to be investigated thoroughly. Whether or not these administrators are guilty of "institutional racism" is a separate issue, but they deserve a chance to disprove (or for the board of county to prove) this accusation using real evidence.
The constitution grants trials to anyone who is accused of a crime, and this principle should be clearly applied to this case. In an obvious parallel, MyGrant is the accused, and therefore he is granted the right to a fair and speedy trail. In this case, the trial is in the form of a board hearing that although will not grant him his job back, it has the possibility of clearing his name. Not giving him this opportunity would be analogous to throwing someone in prison without any trial or plea bargain.
An Atlanta Public Schools Spokesperson has confirmed that he received the request; however he has declined to comment.
Meaningless questions
I can't help but wonder if the choices
I make are emulations of someone else in the past—if I'm traveling
down some easily foreseeable road that has happened to a million
people in history. Who am I, really? How are we different than
those who made the same mistakes before us? How many people have
literally walked on the ground my feet are standing on? I can't even
begin to imagine someone else's life besides my own. Knowing that
everyone feels, thinks, and sees things just a little bit
differently. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you got a
feeling—an emotion you couldn't describe—that has never been
repeated again in your mind and you can't help wondering what it
means? It's almost like you were another person for just a second.
It's all conceptual, and nothing that I am looking to prove, but I
have an idea that we are all connected by some force around us that
can't be seen.
“When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now”
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now”
-Pink Floyd
Goes without explanation I hope.
Okay. What are the strongest emotions
you've ever felt? I've always wanted to compare mine. What is the
lowest, worst, most miserable point in your life? And what was the
best, most beautiful, most defining moment? Did you want to sing?
Did it feel like the sun was shining through your skin and the whole
world around you was bathed in your afterglow?
Some people say happiness is a mindset.
That you can trick your brain into thinking everything will be
alright if you just have a good attitude. I don't understand that.
I wish I knew and I could feel it. I wish I could see just how
different two people can be. If there is such thing as
reincarnation, I wish I could see into my past souls and understand.
The problem with these choice blogs is
that I never know if mine actually counts as a blog or not. I don't
even know what my subject is. I can't write about anything else
right now without being fake.
I actually can't write at all.
Sometimes I think I have ADD, but I do have hypochondriac tendencies,
especially with mental disorders. Another problem I have is feeling
selfish writing them. I'm sorry I'm so self-absorbed and I can't
write about animals rights or something. I'm sorry. I am passionate
about animal rights. Someone blew out the candle in my room while I
was gone. Word count=445. Minus the 36 words for the quote. 409.
I can't do math I hope that is right. 409>400. Okay thanks for
reading, I feel a lot better now. Goodnight, and happy Halloween.
Treats for Troops
This Halloween, local dentists are
joining up with a nonprofit company in California to buy back kids’ Halloween candy
and send it to the troops in care packages. Children get $1 for every pound of
candy that sell and can earn up to $3 total (quite a lot for a toddler). Dentists
around the Atlanta area will be collecting candy on Thursday November 1. This
sweet gesture to the troops was started in 2007 by a Wisconsin dentist working with
Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit company that sends care packages to overseas
troops. In the first year of operation alone, 300 dentists around the country
gathered 20,000 pounds of candy. This number has since risen to 250,000 pounds
of candy donated by over 900 dentists. Local dentist, Dr. Danny King at
Children’s Dental Zone, stated that this program not only reminds that troops
that the citizens of the United States recognize and are grateful for our
troops’ hard work, but that it also keeps kids from eating too much candy and
prevents cavities. The program has since expanded to include schools, churches,
and other businesses, and the candy can be exchanged for money, coupons, toys,
or dental products. The fact that local dentists have caught on to the program will
not only help brighten troops’ days away from their families, but it will also
help fight cavity and gum disease in children, a growing concern around the
Halloween time. Kids will also learn the
importance of sacrificing something for the good of others, even if it is just Halloween
candy. By encouraging kids to give up their hard earned candy for the troops
that are keeping them safe, we also teach them the pride and happiness that
comes along with volunteering and helping someone in need. The troops will be
able to feel closer to their families, and the children will learn a valuable
life lesson. Sweet!
SAT
The SAT. Three letters that strike fear unlike any other three-lettered acronym. A standardized test that every high school student will have to take at some point in their academic career. The SAT, to many students, seems like the determining factor that will define us for the rest of our lives. A bad SAT score equates to a bad career. On the contrary, a good SAT score equates to a prosperous career until the day you die. After hours of tutoring and preparation for my December 1st test, I am left wondering only one thing: why does the SAT matter?
The SAT's most basic function is to determine which of the hundreds of thousand of high school students have the best skill set to extract information and to apply known concepts. However, if the SAT is a large determining factor that colleges use when admitting applicants, how can they tell who is best suited for their university? Of course, people who do well on the SAT should get some sort of reward, but acceptance should be primarily based off of the bigger picture.
And what is the "bigger picture"? In order for a college to admit the best suited students for their college, they need to know the student's assets. What is his or her GPA? Does this student have a history of disciplinary issues? SAT's do not have any insight on what a student is truly like, which is why I, like many of my peers, view the SAT as a costly test that requires costly preparation.
However, aside from GPA, I strongly believe that extracurriculars and college essays are the most critical components when applying for college. Extracurriculars give colleges an indication of what the student is actually interested in. For a college like Georgia Tech, where engineering is a specialty, students who are truly attracted to physics and math should be the primary applicants who are considered. Furthermore, a student who is heavily involved with a club that focuses on engineering-like aspects, such as a club revolved around math or physics, should be a huge contender.
To all students who are worried about the SAT like myself, my best advice would be to study hard, but to focus more on things like your GPA and especially your extracurriculars. Show your dream colleges why you should be a student there and always maintain a good personality.
The SAT's most basic function is to determine which of the hundreds of thousand of high school students have the best skill set to extract information and to apply known concepts. However, if the SAT is a large determining factor that colleges use when admitting applicants, how can they tell who is best suited for their university? Of course, people who do well on the SAT should get some sort of reward, but acceptance should be primarily based off of the bigger picture.
And what is the "bigger picture"? In order for a college to admit the best suited students for their college, they need to know the student's assets. What is his or her GPA? Does this student have a history of disciplinary issues? SAT's do not have any insight on what a student is truly like, which is why I, like many of my peers, view the SAT as a costly test that requires costly preparation.
However, aside from GPA, I strongly believe that extracurriculars and college essays are the most critical components when applying for college. Extracurriculars give colleges an indication of what the student is actually interested in. For a college like Georgia Tech, where engineering is a specialty, students who are truly attracted to physics and math should be the primary applicants who are considered. Furthermore, a student who is heavily involved with a club that focuses on engineering-like aspects, such as a club revolved around math or physics, should be a huge contender.
To all students who are worried about the SAT like myself, my best advice would be to study hard, but to focus more on things like your GPA and especially your extracurriculars. Show your dream colleges why you should be a student there and always maintain a good personality.
Malone's killing leads to a Nation's admiration
Vanessa Malone was killed one day when she was returning to her apartment where she found about six men armed with handguns robbing the apartment in the opening of her doorway. She was shot several times and delared dead at the scene while her roomates were in the rear of the apartment listening to the whole thing.
Malone's roomates were in their apartment when 5 to 6 men barged into their apartment, stole the mans' wallet, and tied them up and put them in the bathroom while the robbed the place. Malone came in, minding her own business, and saw the men standing in the living room, both her and the men were startled but Malone had to pay the price. The roomates stated that they heard he screams and then several gunshots followed by silence from both the men leaving and Malone dying at the scene. Campaigns, Facebook groups, and Twitter hashtags have all been created in Malone's honor. The purpose of this article is to show the reader that no matter what you do, if you show a sign of courage or risk your life to save someone else, you are honored and loved by the country and you are supported in everything you have ever done. Even though Malone's courageous acts were not intentional and she didn't know it was going to happen, she is still considered an American hero and adored by many.
Malone's roomates were in their apartment when 5 to 6 men barged into their apartment, stole the mans' wallet, and tied them up and put them in the bathroom while the robbed the place. Malone came in, minding her own business, and saw the men standing in the living room, both her and the men were startled but Malone had to pay the price. The roomates stated that they heard he screams and then several gunshots followed by silence from both the men leaving and Malone dying at the scene. Campaigns, Facebook groups, and Twitter hashtags have all been created in Malone's honor. The purpose of this article is to show the reader that no matter what you do, if you show a sign of courage or risk your life to save someone else, you are honored and loved by the country and you are supported in everything you have ever done. Even though Malone's courageous acts were not intentional and she didn't know it was going to happen, she is still considered an American hero and adored by many.
Word on the Street Is.....
Christian Baumgarth
Economos
AP English Language
1 November 2012
As if the traffic in Atlanta wasn't bad enough, reports are coming in about just how many worn down roads and potholes there are in the city and its metro areas that are not being fixed. Atlanta public works commissioner Richard Mendoza says that workers in Atlanta should be doing more than five times the work that they are doing now just to keep up with the usual wear and tear of roads. However, this job would take millions of dollars in tax money to accomplish. He also told reporters that workers pave an average of eighteen miles of road per year when, ideally, the city of Atlanta wants them to work on more than eighty. To meet its current needs, Mendoza says that the program would need ten times the amount of money that it is being given now. However, outside of the city, most other road work plans are beginning to improve
The road work plans of Cobb and Gwinnett counties were each give more than $10 million last year to help rebuild their systems. In Cobb County, Bill Shelton, who is one of the managers of the counties road maintenance group, says that complaints about potholes have cut down twenty percent in the past year. He says that his crews have fixed over 1600 potholes in the county's 2500 miles of road. This inspired the city of Atlanta to want to improve its roads more as well.
The Georgia Public Works Department claims that it receives about eighty to ninety complaints about potholes on an annual basis. In 2010 and 2011 only 75 percent of these problems were solved within three days. They knew that something had to change. So in 2012, the program made a pact to increase the quality and quantity of the work that they do and were able to solve 91 percent of problems within three days. Also, even though it is not nearly enough, The Georgia Department of Transportation increased the amount of money that it funds this program by over a million dollars. The program used this money to buy to new pothole patch trucks to bring its total to four. Mendoza and the rest of the employees of the program know that this problem will not be fixed immediately, but they hope o continue to grow and one day be able to say goodbye to the problem for good.
Economos
AP English Language
1 November 2012
As if the traffic in Atlanta wasn't bad enough, reports are coming in about just how many worn down roads and potholes there are in the city and its metro areas that are not being fixed. Atlanta public works commissioner Richard Mendoza says that workers in Atlanta should be doing more than five times the work that they are doing now just to keep up with the usual wear and tear of roads. However, this job would take millions of dollars in tax money to accomplish. He also told reporters that workers pave an average of eighteen miles of road per year when, ideally, the city of Atlanta wants them to work on more than eighty. To meet its current needs, Mendoza says that the program would need ten times the amount of money that it is being given now. However, outside of the city, most other road work plans are beginning to improve
The road work plans of Cobb and Gwinnett counties were each give more than $10 million last year to help rebuild their systems. In Cobb County, Bill Shelton, who is one of the managers of the counties road maintenance group, says that complaints about potholes have cut down twenty percent in the past year. He says that his crews have fixed over 1600 potholes in the county's 2500 miles of road. This inspired the city of Atlanta to want to improve its roads more as well.
The Georgia Public Works Department claims that it receives about eighty to ninety complaints about potholes on an annual basis. In 2010 and 2011 only 75 percent of these problems were solved within three days. They knew that something had to change. So in 2012, the program made a pact to increase the quality and quantity of the work that they do and were able to solve 91 percent of problems within three days. Also, even though it is not nearly enough, The Georgia Department of Transportation increased the amount of money that it funds this program by over a million dollars. The program used this money to buy to new pothole patch trucks to bring its total to four. Mendoza and the rest of the employees of the program know that this problem will not be fixed immediately, but they hope o continue to grow and one day be able to say goodbye to the problem for good.
McWilliams, Jeremiah. "Th Atlanta Journal Constitution." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. (2012): n. page. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/atlantas-pothole-and-paving-challenges-cost-taxpay/nSrmZ/>.
Tweet Tweet
I'm sure you have heard about the worldwide phenomenon called Twitter, but then again who hasn't these days. I don't understand why people have an obsession with telling people where they are and what they're doing at all hours of the day. I have a Twitter and I still don't understand the satisfaction of telling someone that they haven't started their homework yet...no one cares. We, as in Twitter users, feel as if everyone cares about what we have to say or what people we talk to and what we do with those people even though it doesn't make a difference in that persons' life.
Twitter is used in almost everyone country and has 100 million people that use it everyday. Most people have a Twitter just to say they have one, but what does that say about you? Does it make you cool for you to have a Twitter? Everyone on Twitter tweets about the same things and thinks each tweet is original everytime. Everyone works to get as many followers as they can with following the least amount of people they can. It's just another form of competition that we have in our world. There are Twitter fights and indirect tweeting which only causes problems in society now a days. So why do we use it? We all claim that it's where we get our information; information about what? What Lauren wore to school today, or what Hannah did after the football game. My reason for writing this blog about Twitter is to show you how much Twitter doesn't matter, or world is becoming more technologically advanced day after day no matter if it's for better or for worse. I believe that the world would be better, kids' lives would be different, and grades in school would be higher if everyone just held down on the Twitter app and pressed the X in the top right corner, deleting it from their life.
Twitter is used in almost everyone country and has 100 million people that use it everyday. Most people have a Twitter just to say they have one, but what does that say about you? Does it make you cool for you to have a Twitter? Everyone on Twitter tweets about the same things and thinks each tweet is original everytime. Everyone works to get as many followers as they can with following the least amount of people they can. It's just another form of competition that we have in our world. There are Twitter fights and indirect tweeting which only causes problems in society now a days. So why do we use it? We all claim that it's where we get our information; information about what? What Lauren wore to school today, or what Hannah did after the football game. My reason for writing this blog about Twitter is to show you how much Twitter doesn't matter, or world is becoming more technologically advanced day after day no matter if it's for better or for worse. I believe that the world would be better, kids' lives would be different, and grades in school would be higher if everyone just held down on the Twitter app and pressed the X in the top right corner, deleting it from their life.
Dentists Buying Halloween Candy
Dentist in North Fulton are joining forces with a
California nonprofit organization to buy back your Halloween candy. Some might
think that the dentist buying back their candy is a little bit of an extreme
effort for them to keep you from eating your delicious treats, until you
understand why. These dentists are buying back the candy so that they can ship
it to our troops overseas. They are paying each person a dollar per pound of
candy up to three pounds. For the dentists this is a win-win situation because not
only are they donating candy to the troops but they are also taking candy away
from children, therefore reducing cavities and obesity in those that choose to
participate. The dentists are sending the candy as a part of a care package
that consists of toiletries, snacks, and letters.
Through collecting candy, the dentists and all of
those who are sold their candy, and demonstrating to the troops that they care
about them and are thinking about them. This is a nice gesture because it
allows the soldier to have a reminder of home, for they probably have fond
memories as a child on Halloween. It is important that our troops have a high
morale, which is easy to lose when many people are condemning America for being
too active in the Middle East, because they are fighting to protect us and our
freedom.
The main two main issues in this upcoming presidential
election are the economy and foreign affairs. Our troops play a major role in
our foreign affairs, for they represent us in other countries. For our troops
to have high morale it is important that we support them, because if our troops
have a low morale it will reflect negatively on the United States. The American
troops sacrifice their lives and their limbs to protect us, so the American people
should support them whenever they get the opportunity. What’s a better way to demonstrate
that we care and are thinking of them than to send them Halloween candy?
Poole,
Shelia. “Dentist To Buy Back Halloween Candy To Send To Troops.” The Atlanta
Journal Constitution. AJC. 31 October
2012. Web. 31 October 2012. <http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/dentists-to-buy-back-halloween-candy-to-send-to-tr/nSsRZ/>
Winter School Mornings
As the first semester of school begins to draw to a close,
winter is just starting to kick in. The harsh wind and chilly air whistling by
outside is a frigid reminder of winter’s grip on the world...and on our
mornings. Nothing, I repeat, nothing can possibly be worse that climbing out of
your warm, soft bed and into the chilly morning air that seeps into your room
through the windows, knowing that you have to drag yourself to school that day.
I can
remember waking up to the makes-your-ears-bleed sound of my alarm every
morning, only to be assaulted by the cold air on my face. It’s a lot like how
people tell you not to test the water in the pool before you jump in. Once I realize
how cold the air is just on the other side of my comforters, I seem to become
physically unable to get out of bed. I would always lie under the comforter continuously
checking the time while steeling myself to climb out of bed. This often
resulted in my getting up late and having to rush through my morning routine. Once
I did finally get up, I would have to hop across the mats on my bathroom floor
like some crazy game of hopscotch in order to avoid the ice-cold tiles.
Despite
having had to do this every winter for 12 years, I still have not come up with
a fool proof way of avoiding the morning chill. Frankly, my parents refuse to
turn on the heat under the pretense that I can just “put on a sweater” to keep
warm, though they really never felt the dreadful morning chill before (their
room is abnormally warm in the mornings...). I have done everything from
putting my next day’s clothes under the comforters with me the night before (so
I didn’t have to put on cold clothing the next day, though this method couldn’t
keep the chill away) to just flat out dragging my comforters to the bathroom
with me (which didn’t work and knocked over a bunch of stuff in the process) in
order to stay warm in the morning. Despite the almost crazy amount of effort I have
put into this problem, it has all been in vain. Every morning I am still assaulted
by the frigid winter air and it seems that it will always be that way.
a sweet idea.
when i was younger, i can remember keeping my halloween candy in my closet for months. like literally months. it would be about easter time when my mom would finally come in and throw away whatever candy i hadnt devoured during the past six months. my candy was like my treasure, but even i knew that there was no way that i could eat it all. it would be impossible.
dentists in the Atlanta area have decided to buy halloween candy from children to send to the men and women in the armed forces defending our country. the dentists are giving children one dollar for every pound of candy that they give. children will be able to get up to three dollars. dentists day that they love giving children a way to help out and a way for them to stay healthier. last year, dentists across the united states donated a total of 250,000 pounds of candy to the troops. this year, the dentists expect to have even more candy to donate. along with the candy, american troops will be receiving snacks, personal letters, and toiletries. the dentists believe that this will be highly beneficial for parents, children, and especially the troops who will feel supported and encouraged.
i think that this is great way for children to get involved in supporting their troops. also, it gives children an opportunity to stay healthy and prevent cavities. obesity is a major problem in the united states, and this is one way to help encourage children to not eat an unhealthy amount of halloween candy. this also teaches children how to sacrifice things. they worked hard collecting all of their candy, but they learn the value of hard work when they sacrifice their candy for other people. although it is just a small example, this is a very effective way of teaching character to children. also, i believe this is important because it gives children a healthy option to do something positive with their halloween candy.
so if you went trick-or-treating, tomorrow you should think about donating some of your candy for such a good cause!
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/dentists-to-buy-back-halloween-candy-to-send-to-tr/nSsRZ/
dentists in the Atlanta area have decided to buy halloween candy from children to send to the men and women in the armed forces defending our country. the dentists are giving children one dollar for every pound of candy that they give. children will be able to get up to three dollars. dentists day that they love giving children a way to help out and a way for them to stay healthier. last year, dentists across the united states donated a total of 250,000 pounds of candy to the troops. this year, the dentists expect to have even more candy to donate. along with the candy, american troops will be receiving snacks, personal letters, and toiletries. the dentists believe that this will be highly beneficial for parents, children, and especially the troops who will feel supported and encouraged.
i think that this is great way for children to get involved in supporting their troops. also, it gives children an opportunity to stay healthy and prevent cavities. obesity is a major problem in the united states, and this is one way to help encourage children to not eat an unhealthy amount of halloween candy. this also teaches children how to sacrifice things. they worked hard collecting all of their candy, but they learn the value of hard work when they sacrifice their candy for other people. although it is just a small example, this is a very effective way of teaching character to children. also, i believe this is important because it gives children a healthy option to do something positive with their halloween candy.
so if you went trick-or-treating, tomorrow you should think about donating some of your candy for such a good cause!
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/dentists-to-buy-back-halloween-candy-to-send-to-tr/nSsRZ/
Picking up the pieces
Hurricane Sandy is now over, but the damage it has done cannot be repaired as quickly as it was destroyed. Thousands of flights have been grounded (JFK airport is finally back open) and millions of people, across 4 states, are still without power. In Georgia, most people aren't personally affected by it, as Sandy only gave us a cold front as it was moving through. However, I have family in New Jersey, my grandma, my uncle, my pregnant aunt, and their 8-year-old son. They all live in Parlin, a city inland enough that there won't be storm surges roaring through the neighborhood, but still close enough to the Raritan river that it will be affected.
As we found out through a phone call, they are all fine. None of them got hurt, but their car did get totaled due to a tree falling on it (which we found out through pictures they posted on Facebook before their laptop ran out of power). As the power is still out for their section of the state (some areas in New Jersey, like Jersey City, do have their power back), they are trying to find gas to power their generator. They are the lucky ones. Nothing flooded, nothing broke, and nothing was set on fire, which is more than can be said for many others.
Even though Hurricane Sandy is gone, the damage it has done will leave lasting scars, both physically, through the damage it has done, and mentally, through all the people who have lost loved ones. While Frankenstorm might be a thing of the past, we'll still be picking up the pieces it scattered for many months to come
As we found out through a phone call, they are all fine. None of them got hurt, but their car did get totaled due to a tree falling on it (which we found out through pictures they posted on Facebook before their laptop ran out of power). As the power is still out for their section of the state (some areas in New Jersey, like Jersey City, do have their power back), they are trying to find gas to power their generator. They are the lucky ones. Nothing flooded, nothing broke, and nothing was set on fire, which is more than can be said for many others.
Even though Hurricane Sandy is gone, the damage it has done will leave lasting scars, both physically, through the damage it has done, and mentally, through all the people who have lost loved ones. While Frankenstorm might be a thing of the past, we'll still be picking up the pieces it scattered for many months to come
Happy Halloween
Halloween is by far my mom’s favorite holiday.
Throughout my childhood my mom has always decorated the house to the nines. Spider
webs covered the front of our house; we had a melted witch and pumpkins.
Furthermore, the outside of our house was not the only part of our house that was
decorated, the inside was as well. As I grew older, my mom’s fascination with Halloween
grew more and more, but not with the corny, fun decorations. Her rule for
buying decorations is the scarier and creepier the better.
For Halloween two years ago, we created a graveyard
in our front yard complete with a grim reaper and a fog machine. My mom also
put up gargoyles that have now become permanent decorations. We also had scary Halloween
music playing and my mom dressed up and wore white out contact lenses. However,
this Halloween was much different. Considering that mom is usually the lady
that goes all out, it surprised me that she refused to participate in Halloween
this year. Then she began to explain to me her reasoning. She did not want to
participate because Halloween was during the work week. Due to this grim fact,
kids must begin trick or treating earlier in the evening, so they can be home
at a reasonable hour. For my mom, if you’re not trick or treating when it’s
dark outside, you mine as well not trick or treat at all.
Seeing as my mom was participating in Halloween this
year neither was I. However, this was not because I did not want, for I dearly
wanted to go out and have participate in the childish festivities known as
Halloween, but because I had homework and I had to study. This was the first year
that I have not gone trick or treating and this greatly upsets me. I was quite
jealous of the children who were out trick or treating, while I was locked
inside my room studying. Both my mom and I have come to the decision that
Halloween should only be on a Friday or Saturday because then all parties:
children, teenagers, and adults can participate.
No more fear
Happy Halloween.
First of all, thanks a million to my teachers for having so much due tomorrow. I'm glad they have stumbled into the secret knowledge that teenagers do not have anything they want to do on Halloween. I really apreciate it.
But the one dose of Halloween I did get to enjoy was dropping my brother and his friends off at a party tonight in a bustling neighborhood that used to be my stomping ground for Halloween. As I drove through the neighborhood I noticed so many familiar sights that vivid memories dragged me back to days of dressing up as a pirate or superhero. A time of excitement and fits of candy obsessed energy, but something was off. Something vital to my childhood about this wonderful day was missing.
When I first thought about it, I thought that just more people did not go all out with decorations. I thought did some proverbial "good- O'l days" thinking about when the decorations were just scarier and bigger. But when I really thought about it, I came to the realization that the decorations were just as scary and just as big. So what was missing? Nothing about the neighborhood has changed, so it must be me. It must be that as I got older, I lost the ability to see some plastic skeletons and Styrofoam tombstones as a graveyard that could be my untimely demise. Somewhere along the line, I lost the ability to just be afraid of the simple.
And that makes me sad.
It shows that I have lost my ability to fear what should scare me. I have come to a place where I am so much more mortified about a AP Physics test tomorrow than I ever could be from a horror movie that a studio spent millions of dollars in hopes to scare the crap out of me. I have become so jaded that I can no longer get that pure, almost giddy, adrenaline rush that comes with fear, and have replaced it with the mundane and eternal fears of stress and worry. As I reflect on that sad fact, I feel as some part of me is gone; a part of me that I can never get back, no matter how hard I strive toward it. And I guess that is the scariest thing of all.
WaHo
So much injustice goes on in our society today. We have laws, but they are so easily broken. Our jails are overflowing with inmates who have nothing else to do with their lives than continuously get in trouble. The ‘bad’ people you hear about who have gone to jail, usually have not gone to jail only one time. If they have, it won’t be too long until you hear their name in the news, heading off again into the slammer. Humanity’s rules can be easily broken by the simplest of actions. Especially those stupid laws, like: don’t ride a llama after 2 PM on a sidewalk. I feel like that’s kind of an embarrassment to who ever passed that, or whoever was dumb enough to need to have that law passed.
Crime is inevitable. There are always those bad seeds of society who habitually break rules because of their upbringing or needs and desires. No matter the motive, crime is and will always be a component in everyday life.
Even when you sit down to order some waffles.
Ten days ago, a Dekalb Waffle House was robbed and all the money was taken from the cash register and all of the employees. The robbers just wanted the money. The robbers didn’t take any lives- just money.
It has come to my understanding that most crimes happen because of ‘bad’ people, but their ‘badness’ boils down to two options: insanity or money. No one has ever heard of a sane rich person robbing a bank. Only the down and out crazies attempt such a thing. The risk is apparently well-worth the benefit.
The police have still not found the robbers, but I’m sure that they won’t any time soon..unless the two getaways decided to spend the money unwisely. When big sums of money are spent, the police can easily track the offenders. Robbers stereotypically are also quite brainless. Many robbers are caught because of mistakes they made in their schemes.
So laws are made, then broken, only to hopefully be carried out and made an example of. If you can’t catch the person who broke the law, what is the point of having the law in the first place? I’m not saying we shouldn’t have laws, but laws become pointless when those who commit them get no repercussions.
I hope that WaHo is brought to justice and the legal system does its job by catching these thieves. Otherwise like some waffle syrup, we’ll have a sticky situation on our hands!
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/police-seek-public-help-in-finding-dekalb-waffle-h/nSsbm/
Possible Shooting at Woodstock High School?
Recently, a Woodstock High School
student got pulled out of class and was arrested. What for? For making a
terrorist threat on Twitter. On a random whim, Lake Reynolds decides to tweet, “Planning
on pulling a Columbine tomorrow guys, be prepared!” In his message, Reynolds
was referring to Columbine High School, which experienced an actual shooting in
1999. After hearing of this, administrators of Woodstock High School sent out
letters to students and parents warning them of a possible shooting. But knowing
the high schoolers of the 21st century, it was just another troll. After
Reynolds was arrested, the police informed the public that he was unarmed and
the whole thing was just a hoax.
An event similar to this happened just a year ago
in a neighboring school of Johns Creek High School. In 2011, a student
discovered a message on the bathroom wall saying there would be a shooting on
February 11th. Because most of these threats have been lies, the
school decided to give students the option of whether to come to school or not.
Most of my friends, of course, decided to take the day off and sleep in.
It is very common nowadays for teens
to go around pulling pranks or messing with people’s minds, but it is definitely
not necessary for them to go to extremes. I do not get why they would try to do
something so crazy either—I guess all they have is “YOLO” on their minds. Do
they not realize that if caught, they will be arrested? If we took their
actions to a grander scale, it would be similar to announcing to the world that
they are going to pull a 9/11 on the school. To them, it may seem fun and games,
but they need to realize that their actions will not be taken so lightly.
Resource(s):
The Georgia Police has gone to the dogs
Surprises and cops don't mix well at all.
I've seen it myself. In the health hall a student jokingly reached for an officers ominous pistol dangling from his black belt and then found himself with his face pushed up against one of our fine lockers. Another time a student jokingly grabbed an officers shoulder, same ending. Face full of locker.
And that is alright with me. In a society that has people who don't think kindly for our men in blue, it is understandable that cops would be ready and willing to protect themselves at all times, even from the most unlikely of sources. When it is the officers duty and charge to protect citizens, being able to stay healthy and safe is of course an important factor. They are trained to deal with situations in way that has quick decision making skills in order to save and protect as many lives as possible.
But many Georgian lives are being lost because of officer's quick decisions in tough situations. These lives are not human lives, but the deaths are felt with such a sting that one would think that they were human. When a dog dies for any reason, the pain the owner feels is huge, but when the dogs life is taken by a police officer for just barking like any dog would, it is almost unbearable.
In only two years, about 100 hundred dogs have been killed by metro police officers. Some of these pet deaths sound like horror stories for dog owners.A big, chocolate labs getting shot police for a security false alarm while the family came out with their pet dead under a truck sounds like a nightmare for many. It hard to fathom the hurt that comes with such a harsh reality.
But police also face a harsh reality. All over the country, police officers must make choices that lead to them going home to dinner or never seeing their family again. They must be able to make that hard choice when the time comes, and we as citizens should stand behind the men and women who put themselves in harms way everyday regardless of the emotional pain. When we find ourselves saddened by the death of animals, we must remember the unbearable tragedy of a true public servant laying down his life for his community, knowing full well the sacrifice.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/2-investigates-nearly-100-dogs-shot-police/nSrz7/
jUn!0r
The pinnacle year that defines your life. All of my mentors and head figures in my life have told me a countless number of times how much Junior year defines you as a person. This year supposedly defines who I am: what clubs I join signify what I enjoy to do with my free time, the sports teams I participate in display my athletic ability, and my classes demonstrate my smarts.
Personally, I like to get involved in everything. If I even remotely find interest in something, I make it a bigger part of my life. For example, I joined the Chinese club solely based on the fact that I have many asian friends and thought the club would give me a deeper insight into their culture. I’m not particularly interested in China itself, but I am in the people I know from there. I love to dance, so I joined basketball cheer. I love music, so I play violin. I love to manage people, so I joined class council. I find myself getting so involved and diversified that I don’t know what I’m doing with myself.
In the time that I have tried to discover myself, I find that I am still adrift. As I try to hone in on interests, I find that I like too many things on an equal level.
On top of my activities, grades consume my life. I’m so focused on getting top grades to land me that acceptance letter to the dream school of my choice.
Now that I think about all of this..why? Why do I do all of this anyway? I understand that I join clubs because I enjoy those activities, but why should I join those clubs instead of pursuing those interests myself? I should play my ipod instead of the violin; work out instead of chant; do sudoku puzzles instead of AP Physics. I could find ways to challenge myself. I could find ways of achieving excellence, just not in the way that I do now as perceived in society.
In high school, all that people ask you is, “Whats your GPA? What’s your SAT score? Where do you want to go to school?” I don’t understand why people can’t ask me how much I like my classes instead of how well I do in them. I guess I’m not one who can really say that, since I’m so absorbed by society’s conformities, but I can’t lie and say that it has never crossed my mind. I’ve always wondered what life would be like if I threw away my efforts and was able to relax and actually have a decent social life.
Junior year has been a whirl wind of studying. No more, no less. All I can ever seem to talk about now is SAT and my recent AP Physics test grade. Honestly. And what kind of life is that? Only discussing my grades in passing with people, then shuttled off to my next activity that I find myself wading through only because I’m too overtired to concentrate.
In the year that I have attempted to try and locate myself, I have only become more and more lost in the maze of life. High school is a jungle: the people because of the social pyramid, but also social darwinism has come into play with things such as class ranks and other scores. I feel like I compete with my friends more than I work with them. Why are we called the junior class as a unit, when truly it is every man for himself?
My junior year has so far been a black hole that I can’t seem to comprehend. Maybe someday I will figure out who I am without the societal timeline constraining me.
Mini Ipad Release
When
Apple was first released, it would have been hard to imagine that
Apple would have grown into a mega company with groundbreaking
technologies. Frequently competing with PC, Apple struggled through
its first years, but has accomplished remarkable things since the
release of the first iPod. PC no longer serves as competition for
Mac, because Apple has triumphed over PC sales for 25 consecutive
quarters.
However,
since the death of Steve Jobs, many have wondered—what is the
future of Apple?
Well,
the release of the Ipad mini this week was not promising
for the company's future. While the technology was remarkable,
managing to shrink the ipad to 53% lighter and 23% thinner,
the reaction was unenthusiastic. Many people compare it to the Kindle
Fire or popular tablets, but is about 100 dollars more expensive.
Forced to compromise high screen quality for cost, the screen's
quality is noticeably worse than that of the ipad. Although
Apple believed that consumers would appreciate the addition of a
camera and longer battery life, critics have scrutinized the company
for the decision.
In
my opinion, the enthusiasm for the release of the Ipad mini
proved to be the true problem apple faced. The release received
little news coverage, and there were no camp outs reported like there
have been for the earlier release dates. Has apple lost its
spark? Or has it only lost the face of Steve Jobs? Some reports have
stated that Steve Jobs planned out four years of projects to suffice
for apple after his demise. If this is true, than why are people not
buying?
Well,the
face of Steve Jobs was legendary, but could his image been
legendary enough to serve as the sole member of the marketing
team? People trusted Apple to produce effective and innovative
technologies, but if the only member they believed in has reached his
demise, than the couple may have too.
There
is no guessing what the future of Apple looks like, or what creations
will sweep the nation. For now, all we are aware of is that the
“rave” for Apple is diminishing.
Natina Reed
Natina Reed, former member of the R and B trio Blaque, was hit by a car and killed in Lilburn, Georgia on Friday, October 26th. Reed was walking in traffic at about 10:30 pm when she was hit. Although the police were called and CPR was administered, Reed was pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center. The driver of the vehicle was not charged in the incident, which means that Natina Reed had probably made a foolish decision when she chose her route for that night.
This incident calls attention to either the lack of safe routes such as sidewalks for pedestrians or the falderal of one person, and it also makes me wonder about the ephemeral nature of fame. At one point no less than 10 years ago, everyone knew Blaque. Their debut album went platinum, and they released 7 albums. However, Reed's death was not dramatized as some celebrities' are, and she is almost completely unknown to my generation ( I had never heard of her specifically, though the title Blaque did ring a bell). I suppose this could be a byproduct of the media's current focus on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but it is more likely because she had been unknown to the media for a long. Those who stay in the public eye, such as Kim Kardashian, will inevitably be mourned by at least the media, but those who once were but aren't now seem forgotten.
This incident calls attention to either the lack of safe routes such as sidewalks for pedestrians or the falderal of one person, and it also makes me wonder about the ephemeral nature of fame. At one point no less than 10 years ago, everyone knew Blaque. Their debut album went platinum, and they released 7 albums. However, Reed's death was not dramatized as some celebrities' are, and she is almost completely unknown to my generation ( I had never heard of her specifically, though the title Blaque did ring a bell). I suppose this could be a byproduct of the media's current focus on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but it is more likely because she had been unknown to the media for a long. Those who stay in the public eye, such as Kim Kardashian, will inevitably be mourned by at least the media, but those who once were but aren't now seem forgotten.
MARTA shooting.
11/1/12
In the article, “Murky Details Mean Tough Call in MARTA
Shooting,” the family of a 19 year old was shot to death by a MARTA police over
a year ago, and are about to learn whether or not the police will be held
criminally responsible for his death. So basically here’s the short version of
the story instead of regurgitating the entire article word for word. The 19
year old whose name was Joetavius Stafford was thought to be holding a gun and
the police went running after him because well Stafford was running. A witness
said that Stafford had held his hands to surrender but the police officer
apparently didn’t notice and shot him 3 times as if 1 time wasn’t enough.
Stafford was with his brother, and the officer shot the brother once too. Records
showed that the officer was known to be a little aggressive but nothing was
ever done to fire him. But the officer doesn’t have to wait until he has a
certain identification of a gun in the hand in an event like this before he
shoots. It’s also hard to press charges against the police because it has to be
established that he was criminally reckless and proving that the officer had a
criminal intent is a pretty high bar.
So, this MARTA shooting happens to be in our very own
Georgia, and I’m sure we’ve all been used this certain public transportation to
take us places like the Phillips Arena or Georgia Dome. But did we know that
there was a shooting? While no one else was killed, it still put everyone else
in the area in danger. The officer could have been crazy and gone on a mass
killing spree or Stafford could have actually been holding a gun and shot and
random pedestrians trying to get somewhere. The shooting affects Georgia and
everyone else’s safety and MARTA’s business, I’m sure after this many people
won’t want to take the train anymore and drive instead. Cases like these should
be avoided, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
-Rachel Leong
Halloween Night woopwoop.
Here I
am, on a Halloween night, typing this blog. What I’m thinking right now? I wish
I had candy. I know as a child, Halloween was a holiday I definitely looked
forward to. The free candy, the costumes— it was a blast, but the one thing
that would always disappoint me was when a house clearly with someone inside refuses
to come out and give candy. Now I have become one of those people. Don’t get me
wrong— it’s not that I don’t want to give out candy; it’s that I don’t have
any. I planned on stopping by Kroger on the way home to buy some, but my mom
insisted that I needed to learn how to ignore the kids. So as the sky darkens,
I’m preparing myself for the night. Dim the lights, stay quiet, and lay low.
Hear the doorbell ring? Just ignore it. It sucks. I wish I could hand out candy
all night and see the delightful look on their faces as I add another sweet
treat to their collection. But no, I have got to concentrate. Got to get my
work done—just tune out the screams of children and the constant chime of the
doorbell.
Since
we’re on this topic, I’d like to make a quick rant. I understand that these are
just little kids; they are still in the process of maturing, but is it really
necessary to ring the doorbell milliseconds after when you first rang it? I
mean even if I did have candy, it would take me a good 15 seconds to grab the
basket, get to the door, unlock it, and open it. So kids, if by some wild and random
chance you stumble upon this blog and decide to read this article (if you are
even able to), let me give you a few words of wisdom. If there is nobody at the
door 30 seconds after you pressed the button next to the mysterious door,
chances are there is no candy available in this little house. I’m sorry, and
yes I know, it’s disappointing, but there’s not always gold at the end of a
rainbow.
Halloween is an exciting and thrilling holiday for everyone. Around this time, great thrillers come out for the maturer age group to enjoy a scream, tasty candy is passed out to children dressed in their favorite customer, and homeowners sit on their porch trying to scare away house eggers from egging their homes. It's a great holiday and it all happens in the evening.
Halloween is especially know of its trick or treat. If you don't give a treat, you'll be tricked. Well, here's a story in which a bank didn't treat so it was tricked. Today around 3pm...halfway through AP Lang...a bank in Sandy Spring was robbed! Who knew that candy wasn't the only thing given out on Halloween? Money seems to fit the same role. Anyway, the man got away. What a trick on Halloween!
The one thing I am wondering about is how the bank was robbed. I thought that today robbers robbed banks electronically. I guess this guy wanted to go old school to bring back the tradition.
Are you afraid to be without your phone?
Kendra Wozniak
People these days are always on their smart phones.
Either checking their email. On Facebook. Twitter. Istagram. Pinterest. Youtube. Texting. Playing games.
Checking one's smart phone has gotten to the point where one "might worry that they are going to miss a phone call, an important meeting, miss a contact." Humans utilize their smart phones too much; "we check our phones 34 times a day and often take it to the loo with us." One gets mad when their text does not send fast enough or one does not have service.
In this generation, technology illustrates our lives. Have you ever been afraid or scared when you do not have your phone? This phobia is called Nomophobia, "the fear of being without your cell phone." and yes, this phobia or so called 'irrational fear' does exist.
The age group, between 18 and 24, consist of "77% unable to stay apart for more than a few minutes" from his or her phone. And you wonder why high school students are always on their phones, because he or she has Nomophobia. In local Atlanta areas, teenagers utilize their phones for almost anything you can think of.
For example, one time, when I walk in a restaurant, I saw a family with elementary school children sitting at a booth. And each one of the family members had an iPhones and were using them. No one was talking to each other, just staring at his or her screen on his or her smart phone. This family most likely has Nomophobia.
This phobia points out how much an average American utilizes his or her phone in a day as well as never being able to put his or her phone down. Nomophobia draws attention to the values in American society as well as local societies, such as the Johns Creek area. Nomophobia is "handled like any other phobia" and must be treated by a doctor if severe.
If you demonstrate Nomophobia, talk to a doctor to minimize your usage of smart phones in your everyday life. Nomophobia does exist, and this phobia is spreading throughout the United States, so do not ignore your fear.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/19958517/people-beginning-to-fear-being-without-mobile-devices
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2141169/The-biggest-phobia-world-Nomophobia--fear-mobile--affects-66-cent-us.html
People these days are always on their smart phones.
Either checking their email. On Facebook. Twitter. Istagram. Pinterest. Youtube. Texting. Playing games.
Checking one's smart phone has gotten to the point where one "might worry that they are going to miss a phone call, an important meeting, miss a contact." Humans utilize their smart phones too much; "we check our phones 34 times a day and often take it to the loo with us." One gets mad when their text does not send fast enough or one does not have service.
In this generation, technology illustrates our lives. Have you ever been afraid or scared when you do not have your phone? This phobia is called Nomophobia, "the fear of being without your cell phone." and yes, this phobia or so called 'irrational fear' does exist.
The age group, between 18 and 24, consist of "77% unable to stay apart for more than a few minutes" from his or her phone. And you wonder why high school students are always on their phones, because he or she has Nomophobia. In local Atlanta areas, teenagers utilize their phones for almost anything you can think of.
For example, one time, when I walk in a restaurant, I saw a family with elementary school children sitting at a booth. And each one of the family members had an iPhones and were using them. No one was talking to each other, just staring at his or her screen on his or her smart phone. This family most likely has Nomophobia.
This phobia points out how much an average American utilizes his or her phone in a day as well as never being able to put his or her phone down. Nomophobia draws attention to the values in American society as well as local societies, such as the Johns Creek area. Nomophobia is "handled like any other phobia" and must be treated by a doctor if severe.
If you demonstrate Nomophobia, talk to a doctor to minimize your usage of smart phones in your everyday life. Nomophobia does exist, and this phobia is spreading throughout the United States, so do not ignore your fear.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/19958517/people-beginning-to-fear-being-without-mobile-devices
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2141169/The-biggest-phobia-world-Nomophobia--fear-mobile--affects-66-cent-us.html
Father Time is a Pain
Time never feels perfect. It either goes by slowly or quickly. The sad thing is it goes by quickly when you need more time; slowly when you need less time. It seems like Father Time just wants to play with us...in a very obnoxious way.
This last Saturday I debated in four rounds. In each round, my time to speak always felt like it just passed without letting me to finish my arguments. Between each round, I had an hour, two hours, to rest. I didn't that much time! I just wanted to debate and leave. That day I was Father Time's joke.
Although Father Time was a pain that day, I learned a valuable lesson: time needs to be managed wisely whether or not it goes by slowly or quickly. This applied to my speech time, homework time, etc.
Time never feels perfect. It either goes by slowly or quickly. The sad thing is it goes by quickly when you need more time; slowly when you need less time. It seems like Father Time just wants to play with us...in a very obnoxious way...but we need to be head of it by managing our time.
The school provides us with complimentary agendas. We need to make use of it and organize our time with it. I have seen people who scribble in their agendas; others never look at their agendas. It’s time to make our agendas agendas, not sketch pads.
So my summary of this post is that we need to manage our time to the best of our capability. Time will never be perfect...as I have been saying over and over and over. In my last twenty words, I would like to encourage you to be a time manager. In my last two words, good luck.
Ronald McDonald House
When
the average Johns Creek High School student hears the words, “Ronald
McDonald House” they most likely do not know the impact the Ronald
McDonald House has on families all across the country daily. For
those of you that have not heard of the Ronald McDonald House, it is
a place that provides love and compassion to families with children
in the hospital that have to move far from home to receive necessary
treatment.
Dr.
Audrey Evans, Fred Hill, Jim Murray, and Ed Rensi founded the Ronald
McDonald House in 1974 with a simple mission statement:to create,
find and support programs that directly improve the health and
well-being of children. Since its founding, the Ronald McDonald House
has fulfilled that mission statement in many ways.
I
began volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House in seventh grade by
cooking dinners and breakfast for the families at the house about
once a month. Through my years of volunteering, I have found myself
moved by the experiences at the house.
My
eighth grade year, we went down one Sunday afternoon the weekend
before Halloween to host a pizza dinner for the families. I had been
a couple of times before, but this time truly moved me. Two sisters,
sixteen and thirteen, were in the rehabilitation program at the
Children's Hospital after experiencing at traumatic car accident a
month before. The program was a unique one, that was only offered in
the Children's Hospital in downtown Atlanta, just across the street
from Ronald McDonald. Although the sisters were from Seattle, they
participated in the program because of the severity of their
conditions. Halloween had always been the families favorite holiday,
but this year the family would not be allowed to return home because
of the girls' rigorous program; the girls were devastated. However,
the other volunteers and I decided to provide a memorable Halloween
by leaving briefly to buy decorations. The girls were grateful to see
the decorations, and attempted to help us put them up all around the
house. Although the girls would not have a traditional Halloween, the
girls would at least be able to enjoy a small glimpse of home.
This
past Saturday, I returned to the Ronald McDonald House to cook a
pancake breakfast with my mom and 2 other mother/daughter pairs.
Seeing the appreciation the families feel for such a small task
like making them breakfast, I felt truly amazed. I am so
grateful that we are able to volunteer so often with them, and I hope
that we can impact their lives as much as they impact ours.
Watching people objectively
Last Tuesday I got to see the world through the eyes of Ryan Seacrest. I don't mean that in the literal sense, of course, but something about my job at the talent show auditions made me feel like the celebrity as he tries to comfort and congratulate contestants who are, in all reality, probably not going to be the American Idol. Of course, the talent show contestants have a much better chance of being cast in the show, and as they didn't find out whether they have made it during their auditions, the drama level was very low compared to that of Idol. Still, it was one of my more interesting days. Never before had I been so disconnected yet involved in an audition process- although I was privy to all moments before and after contestants' auditions, I had no self-interest dictating who I thought should be cast for the first time ever. I am usually either auditioning for a part or not present at all, and if the situation is the former I spend most of my time focused and stressed out about what I am about to do. Because of this, I have never taken the time to contemplate the behavior of my fellow auditionerss when they are under stress. As a fly on the wall last Tuesday, I was finally able to observe, and now I can report.
There are really two basic types of hopefuls for a spot in a performance, and these are nervous ones and confident ones. The way they wait outside the door is different, and the way they react when they leave the audition room varies with their initial level of nervousness, but the judges see them whether they are nervous or not. In that way, it doesn't really matter how anxious they were; the end results are really the same. The futility of all the nervousness I've ever felt before an audition was demonstrated for me, and this was interesting to see. Perhaps I can lessen my own pre-audition fears from this experience.
There are really two basic types of hopefuls for a spot in a performance, and these are nervous ones and confident ones. The way they wait outside the door is different, and the way they react when they leave the audition room varies with their initial level of nervousness, but the judges see them whether they are nervous or not. In that way, it doesn't really matter how anxious they were; the end results are really the same. The futility of all the nervousness I've ever felt before an audition was demonstrated for me, and this was interesting to see. Perhaps I can lessen my own pre-audition fears from this experience.
Just another one of those Halloween articles.
11/1/12
So it’s Halloween and I should not have to do write this
blog. But that is okay, because what is the point of Halloween anyways? I’m
pretty sure we’ve turned a semi religious related holiday into all I want is
candy day. So Halloween is the eve before the Day of the Dead and Saints, and
basically people dress up as ghosts and scary things to scare off the bad
spirits. But I mean who really cares about the long explanation of how
Halloween was founded. All the kids want is candy; it’s all about trading for
the good stuff at the end and throwing away the bad ones. How does a day about
Saints and visiting cemeteries to celebrate the dead turn into one with picky
kids trying to search for the largest candy bars to brag in front of their friends.
Not that I’m complaining, because I’m sure I did it when I was younger also but
still, how? Now that I’m older, it’s sad to know that I’m relatively
indifferent towards Halloween but there’s always the constant ring of the
doorbell to remind me that there it’s still an important holiday to them. I’m
sure the supermarkets all love this day because all their candy sales go up,
but is it really mandatory to have to buy candy? Many people don’t even know
what the point of Halloween is, but they still have to spend their money to buy
candy because everyone else is doing it. Nowadays, kids expect every house they
go to, to have good candy for them to take. But what if people just don’t want
people knocking on their door asking for candy? Are they allowed to put a sign
on their door saying don’t knock?
Basically, the point of Halloween
still confuses me.
-Rachel Leong
Ding dong. Trick or Treat!
Kendra Wozniak
The moment every child has been waiting for is finally here.
He or she has been waiting all week for this night.
Carving pumpkins. Going to haunted houses and corn mazes. Telling ghost stories. Raking leaves. Baking pumpkin seeds. Making arts and crafts in school. All the fun things during this special holiday. Each one of these events leading up to the climax: Halloween night.
When I was little, I loved the dressing up part of Halloween. And do not forget the candy of course. But each year I was extremely excited to be something I have never been before. And the best part is no one could make fun of you for wearing that costume. Like a pumpkin or a princess or a lady bug or a cat. All the little girl costumes that you could think of, I wanted to be. It was the hardest decision for me to choose what to be on the night of Halloween. Sometimes, when I could not choose my outfit, I would wear one costume to school on the day of Halloween and a different outfit that night because I could not choose.
And now for the best part, the candy. On Halloween night, my sister and I would always be the first ones to start Trick or Treating in my neighborhood. My brother was always with my parents, so it was my sister and I that would run around and get the most candy, while my brother would have to walk with my parents to each house.
My sister and I would run through yards and down driveways and up stairs to almost all the houses in my neighborhood. Trick or Treat. Trick or Treat. Trick or Treat. Candy. Candy. Candy. That was how the night went. My sister and I used to use those little plastic pumpkin buckets, but we realized that those buckets could never fit enough candy. So we moved to the next level, the pillow cases. And boy did we get so much candy in those pillow cases.
When we would get home from a long night of Trick or Treating, my sister and brother and I would dump our candy out of our pillow cases. Mountains of candy surrounded my house. We would then make trades and sort our candy, and eating some candy too, of course.
Halloween was my favorite holiday when I was little, but then again I said that for each holiday as a new one approached.
Ding dong. Trick or Treat. A long night ahead passing out candy at the Wozniak house on this Halloween night.
The moment every child has been waiting for is finally here.
He or she has been waiting all week for this night.
Carving pumpkins. Going to haunted houses and corn mazes. Telling ghost stories. Raking leaves. Baking pumpkin seeds. Making arts and crafts in school. All the fun things during this special holiday. Each one of these events leading up to the climax: Halloween night.
When I was little, I loved the dressing up part of Halloween. And do not forget the candy of course. But each year I was extremely excited to be something I have never been before. And the best part is no one could make fun of you for wearing that costume. Like a pumpkin or a princess or a lady bug or a cat. All the little girl costumes that you could think of, I wanted to be. It was the hardest decision for me to choose what to be on the night of Halloween. Sometimes, when I could not choose my outfit, I would wear one costume to school on the day of Halloween and a different outfit that night because I could not choose.
And now for the best part, the candy. On Halloween night, my sister and I would always be the first ones to start Trick or Treating in my neighborhood. My brother was always with my parents, so it was my sister and I that would run around and get the most candy, while my brother would have to walk with my parents to each house.
My sister and I would run through yards and down driveways and up stairs to almost all the houses in my neighborhood. Trick or Treat. Trick or Treat. Trick or Treat. Candy. Candy. Candy. That was how the night went. My sister and I used to use those little plastic pumpkin buckets, but we realized that those buckets could never fit enough candy. So we moved to the next level, the pillow cases. And boy did we get so much candy in those pillow cases.
When we would get home from a long night of Trick or Treating, my sister and brother and I would dump our candy out of our pillow cases. Mountains of candy surrounded my house. We would then make trades and sort our candy, and eating some candy too, of course.
Halloween was my favorite holiday when I was little, but then again I said that for each holiday as a new one approached.
Ding dong. Trick or Treat. A long night ahead passing out candy at the Wozniak house on this Halloween night.
K-9 Drug Searches
It is no secret that
dogs have a pristine sense of smell; perhaps that is why dogs are used for drug
sniffing searches. Just the state of Florida alone has over a 1,000 canine units,
and due to these units the police departments have been able to make over
130,000 arrests this last year. Although, through the success, there have been
many cases were the dogs have been wrong or have wrongly detected.
On Wednesday, two cases
originating from Florida will be judged by the United States Supreme Court on
whether a canine’s alert will be enough reasonable evidence for a search
warrant. American citizens are protected by the fourth amendment which places a
ban on any unreasonable searches so evidence is important. Some people say that
“there needs to be caution against using canines in place of search warrants.”
One person even went as far as to suggest that “A dog and his handler must be
tested on multiple vehicles, and they need to be correct nine out of 10 times.
Over two days a study
was done by researches from UC Davis that experimented with the dogs and their
ability to detect drugs. The experiment started off by informing 18 “dog
handlers” about miniature samples of illegal drugs marked with a red piece of construction
paper that were placed in four rooms of the church building. Through the
testing the drug-sniffing dogs warned their police handlers multiple times, 255
times over all to be exact, for every room in the building. Examiners detected
that the dogs were twice more likely to warn the police officers when there was
a spot marked with a piece of red construction paper when in fact there were no
drugs in any of the rooms. The data suggests that the dogs are triggered by the
suspicion of the “handler’s beliefs” showing that the dogs in some cases are
not completely reliable. In the previous year the Chicago Tribune found that
out of all the drug searches conducted on peoples cars, only 44 percent of them
were successful. The study emphasizes the need to rely on other evidence in
order to conduct a search, but the decision will be up to the United States
Supreme Court.
Time
Yesterday
in physics class, Mr. Maley handed out some old free response questions for us
to work out. While the first thing that most of us read is the question or
problem itself, I looked at the year the free response question was from. 1999
was the answer.
I
know: it’s not necessarily the most mind-blowing thing you’ve heard. But I
think about dates and the past quite frequently. When I see that 1999 on the
paper, I ask myself “who was I in 1999?” and “who answered this test question
in May of that year?” I find it incredible that millions of small variables and
circumstances lined up so that thirteen years after the question was first
printed; it lands on my hands in class.
If
someone had told my four-year-old self that thirteen years from that point in
time I would be answering a physics question in an American classroom, I’d
probably dismiss that person as some crazy gypsy. But it turned out to be true.
How did that happen?
I
think the same way about planets and the universe. Sometimes, I feel that
humans, as a society, are extremely egocentric. After all, we are just a few
tiny people on a small planet whirling around a non-significant star in a
random galaxy. Can’t we ever look past that? Will we ever be able to conceive
the notion that we are tiny – that we live in an infinite universe? Will we
ever find life other than us? Is there life beyond that of this planet?
Well,
that’s all. More random thoughts. I apologize for the terrible writing: I find
it very challenging to put these thoughts on paper. I’m starting to sound like
Carl Sagan.
Conrado
Brenna
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