Tennis Pro

2009-05-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like my last blog was totally in vain...

One of the things I want to talk about in THIS blog would be my annoyance of the school district to decide to split the Junior High into two high schools. What does that do?? Splitting all of the students, for the sole reason of boundaries and distance, isn't a good idea, as the ninth graders need the support from the friends they've had three years to make!! In the future, I really hope they change that boundary majiggr.....

I'd actually like to post this poem I found in my english class. Pretty good...

Smile
Barbara Hauck

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
and wrote him a thank-you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank-you
that he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
bet the whole thing on a hunch.

The next day she picked up her winnings,
and gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.

After he finished his dinner,
he left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.)

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
and took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
to be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked 'til he woke the whole household
and saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued
grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
that hadn't cost a cent.

I really liked this poem, because this is pretty much exactly what this world needs. We all don't realize that if every one of us helps out even in the teeniest way, we can change the world so greatly.

And here's just another random poem.

Sharpen, Sharpen, Sharpen
Sharpen, sharpen, sharpen.
I crank the handle fast.
Sharpen, sharpen, sharpen.
Until it's sharp at last.

Scribble, scribble, scribble.
Hey wait! It still won't write.
Sharpen, sharpen, sharpen.
I crank with all my might.

Sharpen, sharpen, sharpen.
It must be done, I guess.
Scribble, scribble, dribble.
Oh goodness, what a mess!

Darn it, darn it, darn it.
I guess I'll start again.
Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!
I need another pen.
--Kenn Nesbitt

Last words....

Well, as this is (really, this time) the last time I'm going to be "blog"ing, i'd just like to say goodbye, and I'll miss you all, thanks for replying (you can take that sarcastically if you want), and see you in high school if you're going to the one i'm going.

I'll miss you all!

2009-05-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Since this is probably one of the last blogs I'm going to write, I'd just like to impress upon all y'all the fact that I don't have to write here anymore, which means this'll probably be the last you'll get to hear from me!! MWUHAHAHA!

(Oh, and I meant, "I don't GET to write here...." because, of course, I just LOVE writing about 500 maniacal words here every darn week!

Just Kidding, Thompson, I LOVE writing here....don't get me wrong.....

anyways....... four score and seven years ago, our teacher, Thompson, brought upon this course, a new task, conceived in tediousness, and dedicated to the fact that he just loves to torture us!!!

Kiddin', again!!

But seriously though, I'd like to spend this blog, this last, precious blog, to mess around, which has been what I've always wanted to do this whole year, but scared to because my grade was in jeapordy......

but...when life gives you the last blog of the year.... shove it in everyone's face!! yeah!!

Last blog, last blog, last blog, last blog, last discussion topic!! That was typed insanely fast by the way, which is really ironic because the "insanely fast" part was typed at literally half a word a minute.

I think I really am hyper right now, although I haven't had anything to eat yet, although it's in the early afternoon!!!

So what the heck am I doing here!!?? see you all layta!!! I'm outa here.......

Oh, and I seriously love and am going to miss you all!

seriously :P

Science Olympiad NATIONALS!!

2009-05-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

These past few days, I've been in Georgia, for the National Science Olympiad tournament, and I'd like to post here my stressful yet fun and pleasing experience over there!

Thursday

I wouldn't call it a day, as we left at about three in the morning, and I had only gotten no more than two hours of sleep the previous day/next early morning. So, I pack and get ready for the tournament until about one in the morning on Thursday, then take a rest and wake up only a couple hours later.

You can imagine what it would be like that day, having only two hours of sleep.

The airport went ok, except for the fact that the device I built for one of my events was so big even when we took it half-apart, that we had to pay around one hundred and ninety dollars to get it over to Georgie! Now, imagine the size of the package, and imagine me carrying this big as a truck piece of cardboard through the airport!

The flight, overall, went pretty well, and was very exciting, even though I've been on tens of flights over the pacific before. The takeoff and landing didn't bug my ears at all, which was a surprise and relief to me because the most recent flight I had before that hurt my ears so bad that they were still hurting after I had gotten out of the airport!

We arrived in Georgia mid-day, and begun our long and tedious drive to the city where the tournament was, since the place where we were headed didn't have an airport. After about three or four hours, we arrived at the hotel we were staying at and we checked in. The rest of the day was mostly just relaxing and waiting for the next day...

Friday

I got up at about five in the morning, to do my usual morning routine and eat the free breakfast provided by the hotel. At around seven, we took the device my partner and I built and we went to the place where we would compete to calibrate it. Unfortunately, the temperature and humidity, and other factors, were very different from Utah, and we had to start over on the calibrations. And, to add even more issues to the already stressful and big problem, halfway through our FIRST try at our new calibration, the air conditioning was turned on, which changed every one of our calibrated marks again! The material we used for the device wasn't very constant, varying very much with the slightest changes, so the calibration went bad, leaving all of us nervous for the next morning, when the competition was.

The calibration ended at about two, and we headed back to the hotel, staying there for a couple of hours, before it was time to go to the opening ceremonies of the tournament.

So, the team went (in separate cars) to the college that was hosting the event, Augusta State University, and we entered the auditorium. Now, this wasn't your normal auditorium. This auditorium was GINORMOUS! And, if you think about it, it'd have to be in order to fit 60 or so teams from about 46 states!

After the opening ceremonies, there was a trade-off, where you brought random things and traded them with others. It was fun, and it was also the most chaotic thing I've ever been a part of. You had no idea where you were, and you could literally get run over by a stampede. But, luckily, no one died. ;)

Saturday

Saturday was the day of the competition, which I'll skip unless you'll want to be reading this for another five hours.

The competing ended at about four, and we went outside of a building for pictures. The award ceremony was at night, and it lasted until ten at night. After the awards, we went back to the hotel, and all the kids got in one room, and trust me, it was chaos. But, with us teenagers, all chaos is fun. (Unless, of course, you're so loud that someone opens their door and asks all the parents to keep the kids quiet. Yes, that really happened. But, I don't think we were any quieter. XD)

Sunday.

Early in the morning, we drove to the airport, and on the way, stopped at a restaurant, which took so much time that we were in a BIG hurry to get on the plane. Talk about even more stress! The plane ride was as good as the first one, and we arrived at about three in the afternoon, arriving home at four.

And from that point on, I've just been doing my homework, which was stockpiled from the two days of school that I missed.

Tomorrow is NOT going to be good!! (I also missed my CRTS!!!!!)

The trip was fun, and was a great experience for everyone.

Mothers! Yay!

2009-05-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, since it's Mother's Day, I'd like to spend some time to talk about my dearest....

dad..

haha joking.

anyways..I guess we all know it's true when we hear that our mothers are the ones that love us the most. There are millions and billions of examples every single one of us could give about certain times or circumstances where our mothers have sacrificed everything for our own good.

Mothers are the center of this world, and without their teaching and constant guidance to point us in the right direction, this world would be lost.

I can recall so many times when, if I needed serious aid, such as forgetting something at school, or needing help on an assignment, my mom was always there, spending hours more than I would myself to help me.

Mothers are the center of every home. Without their teachings, a child wouldn't know good from bad.

The best kid would not be so good if is mother didn't care about him. There is a very close comparison between how much a mother cares, loves, and teaches her child and the way that the child turns out in the future. How and what a child becomes in his life is a reflection of what his mother has done, and so far in my life, my mother has done the best she can do, sacrificing everything she has for me, so that I can have a better life than she had, so that i wouldn't have to go through the hardships and trials she had to go through.

My mother would, without question, sacrifice anything, including all their time, efforts, and even money for their children. Whenever I needed anything in my life, whether it be a small toy, a small snack, or tools for a school project, my mom would, without any hesitation, go out and get it right away. She is always selfless and cares nothing about buying too many things for herself. She always puts her sons and daughter first before anything else, and is, in fact, right now on her way to send my sister over back to BYU, on Mother's Day, when her day should, in fact, be spent on relaxing and enjoying her time. But instead, she is taking care of her daughter, and is so selfless that she can take several hours out of her time so that her daughter can go and study to get a good grade, which will lead to a perfect and healthy life.

Mothers are never selfish towards their kids, and always put them first. They are loving, kind, and teach their children the values and standards they want them to know. They are always looking out for them and they would go through anything to see them lead healthy, happy lives.

A New World

2009-05-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is the essay I wrote for the CHANGE MY WORLD essay contest. Feel free to comment on any errors I might have (and probably have) made, and to express your own opinions on how to change any passage. Here it is!

Imagine a world of harmony. Imagine a world where all individuals show compassion, express love, and exercise charity. Imagine a world of peace, where wars and battles are unheard of and where people go out of the way of their own lives to help those in need. This dream, the hope that this world could be a better place, is in the hearts of every single individual living on this earth. Therefore, if I could change one thing in this world, I would give everyone the mutual understanding they so clearly lack, to have them realize that, in the end, their hearts all desire the same thing – a peaceful world of harmony and love.
In this world, there are many rumors and predictions of wars, as well as battles taking place this very moment. Ask yourself, “Why do we fight and murder?” “What can be so different between countries that it results in bloodshed and ruthlessness?” All these conflicting countries need is just some mutual understanding towards each other. So what if countries disagree on certain things? So what if one country has issues and problems? Is any reason to fight enough to make up for the hundreds and thousands and millions of lives murdered in war? We, as one unified people, need to think. We need to learn from past mistakes, not live them over again. Weren’t World War I and World War II enough lives lost? We are fools if we think that fighting is the only way to overcome worldly problems. If we are given the ability to solve problems and issues with compassion and reason, instead of wars and slaughter, we will certainly make this world a better place, where each and every country coexists in peace.
Not only do we need to work together in peace as a world, but also in our own separate nations. Civil wars have split many countries apart, resulting in more deaths and more conflicts. One could understand why nations fight and go to war, but why would a nation go against itself? Take the United States campaign parties for example. Why are the Republican, the Democratic, the Constitution, the Green, the Libertarian parties and all those others fighting and fighting, when they all want the same thing? Doesn’t each party want the best for America and its citizens? If we exercise mutual respect and tolerance toward each other, we would be one, understanding each other and working together towards a common goal – the good of the people and the nation.
Finally, we also need to have a more mutual understanding and greater kindness in our families and personal friendships. In my life, I have experience several, several times where conflicts and discomfort resulted in fights, whether verbal or physical. Surprisingly, however, most of these arguments were caused by small problems, ranging from stealing a potato chip to beating someone at a video game. It isn’t worth it to cause so much pain over such little things. If we understood each other’s values and standpoints, we could very well see life in a brother or friend’s point of view, thus resulting in peace and love. If we are patient and tolerant towards those we are close to, we will be sure to greatly diminish, if not eliminate, the times we fight and argue.
In conclusion, I would give everyone the love, tolerance, and understanding to know that the right solution to a problem, no matter how large or small, is not fighting. It is not an argument, and is most definitely not murder and war. It is finding peace within ourselves to see and use reason to solve problems to create a world we all dream to have. If every individual realizes this, that understanding and loving one another is better than fighting, than the world will truly, finally, be a better place.

Slower agin? (Magazine Review for Science)

2009-04-26T12:28:00.001-07:00

Ranjana Mehta, “Survival Mode That Protects Cells When Oxygen Is Low Also Slows Aging”, Science Daily
A possible way to slow aging and fight old age disease?? Might that really be possible?? The answer is yes; a biochemical pathway that helps keep cells alive when oxygen is low also plays a role in longevity and resistance against some diseases of old age, which researchers are trying to use to find a way to not only slow age, but fight diseases.
Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have found that nematode worms live longer if their genetic make-up permits their cells to turn on the hypoxic response, a cell's protective reaction to a drop in oxygen, under normal oxygen conditions. Not only do these worms live longer, the researchers noted, but their cells are relatively free from the toxic proteins that accumulate and clump together as an animal ages. Researchers state that defining cellular mechanisms that prevent accumulation of these proteins may point to new therapeutic targets for devastating diseases that often accompany old age in people.
This being said, I think it is amazing how science is evolving and changing. It is breath-taking how we are on the verge of maybe finding a way to longer life spans. This research and technology, if successful, could and should be used to help those who wish to prolong their life and definitely those who are suffering from a disease caused by old age.
This new technology and research would be terrific, as it would greatly benefit those suffering from old age diseases. In the article, a researcher states, "What we're focused on now is figuring out how HIF is protecting the animals from aging. In both worms and people.” Kaeberlein agrees. "This is a completely new pathway for aging and age-associated disease. If we can understand at a very detailed level how HIF is slowing aging, we may be able to use that information to develop effective therapies for treating age-associated diseases in people."
In conclusion, it would be marvelous if scientists and researchers succeeded in finding the way to prolong age and maybe halt old age diseases. There are many who are dying from these diseases every day, who suffer from Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and several other degenerative conditions that afflict the elderly. This new method and technology could change the world as we know it.

Day of the Play

2009-04-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

In our French class, the third years have to prepare French plays, and perform with the Spanish class (who, obiously, prepare Spanish plays) for a whole school day! The plays were about a month ago, and it was probably one of the most rushed and stressful days of my month! I'll tell you why.

Unfortunately, the day of the play was on a monday, and, as we all know, mondays are the most likely days to forget about important events, due to the stressless and fun weekend. Well, the day started out pretty casually, with me getting up and doing my usual stuff. I left home at about 7:30, which is when I usually depart, and I went to my first period class (science) and just chilled.

Well, being the careless person that I am ( XD ), I didn't realize why so many people were gone from our class, and it wasn't until some minutes into reading time when two of my friends entered into the room, with their French costumes on, looking at me like some maniac; I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE PLAYS!

Now, the last day of the week before the day of the play, friday, we were practicing in the activity room, and since I had finished all of my parts, and I had nothing left to do except wait and wait for the bell to ring so I could go to lunch, I had decided to leave early as some people had already. Little did I know that before class ended, during the period that I was gone, the teacher had told us to come about an hour and a half earlier on the day of the play - monday. Although there were texts going around, and Facebook was smothered with reminders, I still didn't know about coming early on Monday.

So, after my two friends came in to get me, I sprinted down to the activity room, to find that the whole class was already dressed up in their costumes. I wasn't in my costume, and the plays were starting in about ten minutes!! Talk about STRESSFUL!

Surprisingly, though, I wasn't the only one who forgot. Another friend, who played two parts in our four French plays also forgot, and we were both in the same situation.

But, although the day was crammed, and I had to make up a ton of homework, not to mention a test I had to take in Algebra II, the day went by quickly, and it was a blast. The plays went well, and we were all very pleased. It was a highlight of the class!

Walk Two Moons- Review

2009-04-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

It started out as an english assignment, my reading of "Walk Two Moons". However, I soon became obsessively addicted to the book, and finished two days later. There were many reasons I was drawn into this book, but I mainly loved it because of how it was so masterfully written, and how, while reading, I realized how closely my life compared to Sal's.

The story is one of a young girl, Sal, who travels with her grandparents to see her mother, who left her and her father some years ago. On the long trip, Sal's grandparents request a story, and Sal decides to tell them of her life after her mother left, after they had moved away to her previous home. The unique way the author wrote the story was outstanding. As Sal tells her story to her grandparents, the reader feels as if he/she is with them on the trip, listening to every word, bawling to every sorrow, and jumping for joy in every scene of happiness. Occasionally, throughout the book, the story is interrupted as Sal's grandparents comment on their feeilngs at the moment. Whatever they say, the reader finds him/herself completely agreeing. It is as if Creech wrote the novel, knowing exactly how to make the reader feel the way she wanted. There was one point in the climax of the story, where, again, it is interrupted by a commentary conversation between Sal and her grandparents. Annoyed, the reader would trudge along to find, in joy, that the grandmother insisted on the continuation of the story. I felt a deep connection with Sal and her grandparents while reading the novel because Sharon Creech wrote in such a way that the reader never felt left out, that the reader always felt included in the story.

Sal's life was filled with sorrow at first. She found herself wrenched from her farm home, which she adored, to a city house, with only a small patch of grass in the front. One can only imagine how the young girl, so attached with nature and her surroundings, felt when she was stripped of the willow trees, the singing larks, the sweet aroma of flowers, and the beautiful meadows. Life was good and life was perfect, making a perfect opportunity for something to creep in and ruin eveyrthing. In her new school, her class studies mythology, and Sal is required to give a report on Pandora's Box. If you don't already know, Pandora's Box was filled with all the evil and darkness of the world. There was only one good thing, and that was hope. Sal ponders:

"That night I kept thinking about Pandora's box. I wondered why someone would put a good thing such as Hope in a box with sickness and kidnapping and murder. It was fortunate that it was there, though. If not, people would have the birds of sadness nesting in their hair all the time, because of nuclear wars and the greenhouse effect and bombs and stabbings and lunatics. There must have been another box with all the good things in it, like sunshine and love and trees and all that. Who had the good fortune to open that one, and was there one bad thing down there in the bottom of the good box? Maybe it was Worry. Even when everything seems fine and good, I worry that something will go wrong and change everything."

At this point in the story, I felt the deepest connection between me and Sal. My life was once exactly as hers was. I always had the fear AND hope of being happy, having joy. If my life got too perfect, something would always come along and ruin it.

In conclusion, I loved this book, because of the deep understanding I shared with Sal, and because of the way the novel was written. Sal tells the story as a means of reflecting on it and coming to accept it, and that is what I have to do. You cannot change what life has given you, but you can change what you do with it.

Ender's Game- READ IT

2009-04-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

At first I wasn't very interested with this book when my brother became obsessed. But, last week, I guess I decided to give it a shot, due to its augmenting popularity in my school.

I read Ender's Game in two days, spending almost every minute of my time flipping the pages. I love this book. Ender's life often reminds me of mine, because he was a tool, a robot, used for others' purposes. He hardly ever had time for himself because he was doing what others insisted on him doing. When I saw this book on various shelves of my friends, all with a five star rating, I couldn't resist. It has now become one of my most valued and favorite books.

Science Olympiad 2009

2009-04-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

It was the 26th of March. I had to wake up at 6 A.M., and I got home at about an hour before midnight. I had to work hours a week, and I hardly had time for anything else. But it was worth it. What was I working so hard for? The answer is SCIENCE OLYMPIAD. Despite others looking down on us, and despite how much time and dedication we had to have put in to succeed, all the members of our team still pulled through, leading the school to its, once again, state championship.
Science Olympiad was tiring, stressful, and tedious, but the joy we had when we walked up to receive our medals and trophy made it all worth it in the end. We all met at Fairfield Jr. High in the early morning, and traveled by bus to Weber State University. There, we went to our homeroom, and we all went our separate ways, to each of our events. My day was jam-packed, because not only did I have four events to arrive and compete at, but I also had to sacrifice another hour of my time to carry and impound my trajectory device at the Dee Events Center.
Overall, however, it was a fun and exciting experience. Before my fourth event, “Compute This”, I had time to run back to the home room. Once there, I gorged myself and stuffed my pockets with junk food. Now, picture how hyper I USUALLY am, and imagine how much more hyper I would be if I had a thousand cheeseballs, two Twinkies, three ding dongs, a muffin, and four juice boxes in my bloodstream. Luckily, however, that did not affect my partner and my results in the end. We received first place. I had also received two silver medals, and would have received gold in an event that we chose to drop.
Science Olympiad has been a great experience throughout all of junior high, and I have learned so much from it. It’s been an outstanding way to make friends, learn, and have fun.

Crammed

2009-03-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Has your day, or week, or month, or year, or even LIFE ever been SO crammed that you can't have even a minute to yourself? Welcome to MY world! Of course, I exaggerated a bit when I said I didn't even have a minute to myself, but it certainly feels like it! My usual schedule for a normal school day is school, homework, piano, and probably sleep. I hardly have any time for anything else. So, knowing that this probably won't change for a while, maybe YOU could learn from this. DON'T cram your life up with things you know you won't have time for. Every day, I have homework, school, tennis, violin, piano, reading....etc etc etc. Most of the time, I don't even get to half of those things. What does that result in? You can do everything but you can't do anything, if that makes sense. The youth need time for themselves, because rest is vital and stress really destroys them.

In my life, I hardly ever have time for myself. Most of the time I am doing just what my parents insist on me doing, such as piano, or schoolwork. But life isn't just about working, working, and working. It should be balanced between work and play, so one won't feel so overwhelmed. When we get overwhelmed, we do worse on everything, which defeats the purpose of parents pushing you in the first place. A life where all you are doing is what others want you to isn't a life at all. It is like you're a robot, and people program you, giving you no choice or mind of your own. You do what they want you to do, and never finding joy at any time of any day.

Doing all the things I do really puts on a lot of stress. For example, this last week, there was the science olympiad state competition, and I spent the whole previous week calibrating my trajectory device. I didn't have ANY time to practice piano, and I had barely enough time to even do my homework. Now, if your time is taken up THAT much, then something is really wrong. It shouldn't be like that. You should be able to rest as much as you work, because without rest, your work will be meaningless, and unaffective. If you rest occasionally, or frequently, you will actally do much better than if you worked tediously non-stop.

So, I hope you can take my advice when I say, don't put to much onto your shoulders that you can't carry, because it will really bring you down. Do not cram your life and push your own time out of the picture. Find time to rest, because if you don't, the stress will build up more and more until you feel like you can't take it anymore. There should be an equal balance between hard work and rest, and we all need to understand that.

2009-03-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Around the dreadful age of teens, the youth do not realize that violence is not the answer! (Well, the guy teens anyways..the girls have their own type of fights XD) You hear stories of some kid insulting another this other kid, and how this other kid punched the first kid, which got the first kid mad, so the first kid had the latter kid in a headlock!! All for what?? Just some dumb insult! Is a mere insult, "Yo, you suck!", an excuse for a bruise, a scrape, and a weeks suspension from school? We need to realize that violence is not a good way to solve problems because it results in even more anger and the problem is worse than it was when it first started out.

In school, it's not that rare to hear someone say, "Dude, I hate that kid. I wanna beat him up." What sense is that??? I mean, would beating a kid you hate up solve anything? Never have I heard of a case (I would bet anything that anyone else has either) where some kid beat another kid up and the next day they were best friends! It just doesn't work that way. If you hate a kid, why don't you go and talk to him? It's save a lot more time, and it would be so much more effective than punching their nose into their brain. Golly, common sense, people! Whenever you get into a fight, your relationship with the other person or people just gets worse! Why would you go and do something that didn't benefit you? Sure, you get the pleasure of seeing them with a huge, bulging, pulpous eye the next day, but the only thing that will come out of it is anger, which may lead to even more violence and aggression. In my life, I haven't really HATED anyone. There were only a couple times where a kid annoyed me, but I didn't really think of starting a fight mainly because I knew the consequences would be a lot worse than if I just ignored him when he turned all obnoxious. Turns out, a couple years later, it all has passed. The kids moved on. The consequences that came out from ignoring the annoying, obnoxious kid are so much better than if I had slammed my fist into his face.

So, in conclusion, remember to think about what you're doing the next time that little dork of a punk comes and annoys you. It's better to ignore him than to get overly angry with him and start a fight. Let it pass, and you'll see that it doesn't really matter in the long run.

Free to Bars

2009-03-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was reading the news on my Wii the other night, and, unfortunately, in my point of view, any public person can now walk into a bar without registering.

In my opinion, I absolutely do NOT think this is a good idea. Before, people who wanted to enter a bar had to sign some papers and other stuff like that. But now, papers don't have to be signed, which means ANYONE can go into a bar!

Now there is a bigger chance of bad things happening. Do we really need the extra risk?

Passion for Piano

2009-03-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is an essay I did for a requirement for honors english:

Whenever I answer the question, "Hey, can you play today?" it always seems to be "No, I need to play piano." When hearing that, people always give me this look that means, "Wow, get a life!" They don't understand why I practice so much. I love producing music because it is a way to express myself, it is a form of communication that everyone understands, and it is a skill that will last forever.

Stress balls, meditation, and rest, are some of the many ways people use to control anger. But does music work as well? Absolutely. Having experienced much stress in my life, I have found that music is a fantastic remedy.

Being of Asian heritage, many peers ask me to translate something into Chinese. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all spoke the same language? Music is that language, the one thing that ties this whole world together. when one plays piano, he or she knows that those listening will listen and understand. It is great to know that.

IPods, computers, and cell phones have dominated the world. But these things break: they cannot last forever. A skill, such as playing the piano, will stick with you for the rest of your life. It is something that you cannot break or lose.

Playing the piano is my passion because it expresses my feelings, can touch anyone of any background, and will stick with me until death. Music can touch one's life forever.

Comma Rules Essay - Television

2009-03-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

Technology has taken its slow but deadly course, and something has crept into the society of the twenty-first century: television. Conquering the youth, television has taken over what was once hard-working, diligent, and responsible minds. Television, though millions could argue otherwise, is very destructive, because it wastes valuable time, can become very addictive, and it distracts individuals from school, work, and home.
According to the A.C. Neilson Co., the average daily household TV viewing is about eight hours, and the average American watches about four hours of TV every day. Do we have time to waste four hours every day staring at a TV screen? There are definitely more productive things to do!
Television is addictive. We all know that. Taylor Stoehr, from the University of Massachusetts, states, “The media function very much like drugs and alcohol, whether or not one thinks of them as addictive.” And she is absolutely correct. The youth of this country are, if not already, becoming severely addicted to television. Most kids are so addicted, that they are even willing to ignore the threat when their parents yell, “Turn that TV off and get to bed or you’re grounded!!”
Children and teens who are addicted to television are becoming more and more lazy when it comes to schoolwork. One of my teachers has exclaimed, “Students nowadays just don’t care anymore about schoolwork or grades!” It’s true. Television, and other factors, have affected the progress and performance of today’s students greatly. It’s time to take a stand.
As you can see, television is ruining the lives of the world, because it is so highly addictive and distracting! So the next time you are about to turn on the TV, think about what you are doing. It is not worth it to stare at a television screen and waste valuable and precious time, when you could be doing other, more productive activities!

Persuasive Essay

2009-03-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

As practice for my english class, we had to come up with an essay and have it scored by computer means. I'll try my best to recollect and write what I composed...the issue was this: The legislature is thinking about passing a bill regarding requiring one to earn a high school diploma in order to receive their driver's license.

Legislature,

Many teens have died in car accidents. In fact, teens have the higher tendency then any other age group in getting into car accidents. Why is that? Teens are still young, which means they haven't yet developed their responsibility enough to understand the risks of driving. For these reasons, I praise your decision in requiring pre-graduates to earn their diploma before driving. This bill should be passed because teens are still young and careless, the goal of driving could push students to study harder, and because no one has the right to put other lives in jeapeordy.

First of all, the youth are still young. Most teens cannot grasp the fact that driving, though fun, can be extremely dangerous. They need time to become more responsible, and going through high school will do just that. Young teens can be reckless, and they sometimes can lose control. But not only can passing this bill lower the risk of crashes, but it could also benefit other causes.

Imagine your average teenager. We all know that one of every teenager's dreams is to finally be able to sit in the driver's seat, kick the pedal, and let it rip!! But, if with the new bill, the students would have to work hard and earn their high school diploma. If they don't, then there goes their hopes of driving. Students would work harder, fearing not being able to graduate from high school, and not driving.

Lastly, letting teens drive before they are ready not only could severly injure or kill themselves, but would also affect the innocent lives of others. It isn't fair to lose one's life because some careless teenagers were messing around at the steering wheel. No one has the right to jearpeordize innocent lives!

So, in conclusion, I hope you go forward with this bill, and I sincerely hope it will pass. This is the right thing to do because letting the youth drive at this young of an age could be risky, and it could help in the studies and grades of the students. The passing of this bill would ensure greater security and safety of the public, and I support you in your decision.

2009-02-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

Not like it wil affect me anyways, since I'm going to be in high school, but is it good to switch to a block schedule next year?

What are the pros and cons of a block schedule? Theoretically, since a block schedule only has 4 class periods a day, the result would be less homework each night, compared to 7 class periods a day; where it is possible to have 7 periods of homework in one night. A block schedule can also allow more time to complete daily homework for example, if a class is taken every other day; then the students have the extra day, given in a block schedule, to go into the teacher's classroom and ask questions on problems not understood which could be very beneficial.

So, in my opinion, I think I would like the block schedule, although, since I'm moving on to high school after this year, it wouldn't really matter to me what the junior high did. A block schedule would be fun.

Television

2009-02-22T17:32:00.001-08:00

16

2009-02-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

Only about one year till I get to drive. Excitement is a biggie. But it seems so.....weird that I'm almost going to be driving! When you're small, you always think of people that drive, people that are in high school as huge, OLD...people. But when you get to the age, you feel like maybe you're TOO young.

Animals For Scientific Research?

2009-02-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

Should we be using animals for scientific research? Is it right?

In a way...we are animals, aren't we? So why is it all right to test drugs on mice, or monkeys, etc. when we believe it's cruelty and un-just to test on humans?

But in another way, medical technology wouldn't be what it is today without the tests and experiments on "animals". So is this a good or bad thing? The animals will die in a few years anyway right?

I don't agree that we should test drugs on and murder innocent animals, even IF they'll die in a few years anyways. But it's is probably the only way. Maybe, after time, we'll be able to create artificial animals to test on.

Favorite Subject

2009-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

When asked what my favorite subject, I often become confused. I can't tell if the people are trying to say, "What's your favorite class or period to be in?" or "What subject of school do you enjoy doing the most?" Of course, I don't really think of it that much, because, well...it's school. And in ANY teenager's eyes......i'll leave it at that.

If I was asked the latter question, the answer I would give would most likely be math. Why? Math comes very easy for me, although the LOADS of homework we get in my class are irritating, frustrating, and tedious. So if asked the FIRST question, I wouldn't say my math class. My favorite period of the day would probably be seminary. That time of the day is always calming, peaceful, and never gives any stress.

I think math gets a little TOO complicated. Why in the WORLD would someone spend ten hours figuring out when Jack and Jill would finally see eachother if Jack left two minutes after Jill did, and their houses were 253.84628463721548 miles apart, if Jack was biking at 7.162548 miles per hour and Jill was jogging 3.1643659 miles per hour?? Come ON!! All we want to do is just GET THROUGH COLLEGE!! Is that too much to ask? Ok, a little off topic, so back to the point. Let me rephrase my thoughts. I like math, when it isn't so complicated and frustrating that i need a rest!

2009-02-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Winter: probably my least favorite season. Why? Because of the snow and the rain. You're probably thinking, "This guy is CA-WAY-ZEE!!" But I have a good reason. I don't mind the snow and the rain, OR the cold weather, but i DO mind it when, because of the snow and the rain, they park officials TAKE DOWN THE TENNIS NET! Can't they build a huge roof or something?? It drives me mad how for a whole fourth of a year of my life, I can't play tennis like I usually do, because of something called nature! Everybody says practice makes perfect, but I can't practice anymore. They only way I can play tennis this time of the year is every week, when I have my private lessons, but lessons are never the same. It's better and a whole lot more entertaining to play and mess around with your friends.

CRAMMED!

2009-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Life really needs variety. This is my schedule every school day of the week: get up, school, come home, homework, read, and piano!!!! I wouldn't say working is BAD, but it certainly IS when the ratio of work to play is 10,000:1!!! Some parents think it's WISE to force their kids into working 24/7, when it's one of the most FOOLISH THINGS TO DO!! Parents need to let their children have a good balance between work and play, because it can extremely stress them out, and it's IMPERATIVE to have some rest after tedious work.

Stress: a MAJOR factor in an average teen's life. I know from experience that stress can be disasterous. In my life, I'm stressing all the time, whether it be from piano, homework, school, or simple matters at home. As we all know, that doesn't feel good at ALL. Too much stress could result in total mental breakdown (haha i can SEMI-relate to that....) and could affect schooling, and other work, which would be ironic, since parents are trying to get their children to do WELL in those parts of their lives. It's very foolish to force your kid to work hard and well, when, in the end, it'll stress them out and they'll do even worse.

Have you ever wondered why school's have recesses or lunch breaks? The obvious reason is most likely because students need rest from their schooling. When in elementary, I've always looked forward to the half-hour breaks of the day, as most of us all have. A good play refreshes the mind, and clears out some stress.

As you can see, it's really important for parents to ease up on their kids, because stress can be terrible, and the play time relaxes the mind. Parents need to see if they are too hard on their kids, because it would be an abomination to try and work your kids to death, which would go against their main goal.

2009-02-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

I miss eighth grade! I miss my english class, because we didn't have to do the tedious AR tests! Why do we even have to? Shouldn't reading be a student's choice? When reading is forced, it trains all of us students to HATE reading. Schools need to think of a new way to get us to read, or simply just dump the idea of FORCING us to read. We shouldn't have AR tests because they don't really evaluate how well a student has read and understood the book, they can DISCOURAGE reading, and it's not right to force students to read.

I've taken many tests where they were made carelessly. These tests don't evaluate how well you REALLY have understood the book. It's just a bunch of questions. If schools wanted to see how well their students have read, they should have teachers talk to them, and have the students tell and explain what happens in the book, and what they think about it, not take a test on 10 or 20 questions that just ask what happened.

People can cheat on AR tests. All someone has to do (Don't look at me, I'm just guessing.... ) is just ask someone who has already read the books to tell them about it, and they would have the main idea of what happens, and most likely pass the test. I know someone who had to take a test for science and didn't even read the book. He passed the test, which shows how accurate the tests really are....

When people like us are forced to read, we don't enjoy it like the schools are trying to make us. Books should be read for FUN, not for grades.

2009-02-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

I really need a new computer!!

About three weeks ago, my computer at home broke down, and, unfortunately, my dad won't let me use his laptop. tch! So these past weeks, I have had to go to our neighbors to do all my homework. (Thompson, if you're reading this, HINT, HINT!)

A good thing is, that I'M GETTING A NEW COMPUTER! YAY! I think after five or six years using the new computer, I'll break it so we can get a newer one... haha joking!!

More Sports in School

2009-02-01T17:33:00.001-08:00

One thing that really bugs me about junior high, is how they don't have as many sports as, in my opinion, high school does. Yes, it has wrestling, volleyball, basketball, but what happened to football, soccer, and TENNIS???? Junior high schools should have more sports, because teenage interests aren't just volleyball, basketball, and wrestling, people who like other sports need to wait till high school, and more sports are fun!

There are so many more sports out there than volleyball, and wrestling, etc. And I'll bet anything most people out there prefer football over volleyball. So why does the school district insist on the current sports? Is volleyball cheaper or something? School would be so much better if they had more sports.

Sports encourage exercise. If there were more sports, then people's interests would be suited more, and more people would start playing sports. If junior high had tennis, I would probably be playing and exercising 24 hours a day. But they don't, so I'm this hobo that stays at home doing homework and reading... blech. I had to wait three years, and I'm still waiting for the high school tryouts to come.

Football and tennis, and all those other sports would make school so much fun, because it would suit the interests of more and more people. School HAS to be more than just volleyball, wrestling, track, and basketball!!

Another Pet Peeve......

2009-01-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

Another pet peeve of mine (Yeah, I know, you're probably going, "What the heck is wrong with this kid.........he needs a life..... he needs to find something else to do than writing a thousand words for his honors english blog and listing all his pet peeves....) is when, at school, people judge you when they haven't even bothered to try to know you. I wish people would first get to know me before they thought of me as something I'm not. (Or maybe I am............maybe i'm lying.... which doesn't really make sense, because, if i'm lying, that would mean I'm actually telling the truth, because I was lying about lying, which would mean I was really lying......anyways...back on topic.) You should get to know people first, because first, it hurts their feelings, (and I sound like a 5 year old.......) and second, because you're going to have one heck of a time making friends in high school and the rest of your life.....

That happens occasionally to me, and it drives me (yes, again..) up the wall. But whenever that happens, I just ignore them and move on, thinking, "get a life...!"

For Those Who Think Anything That's Not "Playing" Is A Waste Of Time......

2009-01-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you (as I mentioned before) who think piano, and reading, and other things like that are wastes of time, YOU BETTER READ THIS, BECAUSE I'M NOT JUST WRITING 1000 WORDS FOR NOTHING!

It's another one of my biggest pet peeves when, when I say I play piano a couple hours a day, they laugh and say that I have no life. So I'll just go on thinking, when you grow up and have a mediocre job, and I'm a concert pianist, or doctor, or lawyer, or business manager, I'm the one who's gong to be laughing at you, bub!!!!! I'll be going, "get a REAL life". Things like that aren't wastes of time, because they will help you later on in life!

In the future, when you apply for a scholarship, (and if you think that is a waste, you need to sort our your priorities..) anything will help. That includes piano, Rhapsody, Science Olympiad, reading, and most certainly not "hanging out with friends". I'm not saying that we shouldn't hang with friends, I'm just saying we should balance the time. (Or, in my case, unfortunately, it's 99% "productive work" and 1 mere percent of play............grrr....parents....) And what you make out of yourself in college and your job is what your life is all going to depend on.

Guilt

2009-01-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

Now that I've said some good about teachers....I feel sort of guilty. :>

One of my biggest pet peeves is when teachers give you tedious, boring, and useless assignments that, in my opinion, are a big waste of time. These assignments, such as boring crosswords, and worksheets that you don't learn from at all, waste your time, and get in the way of other productive things you might be doing.

I find them in every class. In every class, there are assignments that are boring and are given SOLELY for the purpose of.... homework. ugh! Well, maybe i've exaggerated, not EVERY class. But once in a while, there are assignments like coloring art, or finding jumbles of words in a mass of letters. There might be ONE thing good about those worthless assignments: They give you free points, unless, you're like some people, and you don't do them.

There've been so many times where I arrived home and had to spend an hour or so coloring a dumb worksheet (The long time probably was my fault. I can't color something unless I make it perfect.........) I COULD'VE been playing piano, or reading, or just simply doing other things like that that are productive. (Now for you people out there who think piano, and reading, etc. are wastes of time and are for those who have no lives, I'll get to you later)

So, for you teachers out there, or peers who are going to be in the future, just remember to not give worthless assignments, because they are wastes of time, and take up other, valuable time. They drive students (Well, I'm not sure if other people have this problem...) up the WALL!!

Flattery

2009-01-25T14:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know how this topic came into my head. Perhaps it was one too many looks at that page of persuasive topics in Mr. Thompsons class. Maybe I'm doing it just to flatter the teachers.

Teachers should get paid more. Outrageous right? I figured since my sister is majoring in elementary education, I should finally warm up to teachers....

Why SHOULDN'T teachers get paid more? Without today's teachers, there wouldn't be tomorrow's future. Most of us don't know how hard teachers work. I have a hint of it, because of my sister, and because I've gone to some of my teachers' classes well after school ended to see them still working at their desks. Teachers really deserve more: They work tediously, selflessly, for the good of their students, and they make us what we are.

Teachers (well, MOST teachers...) care more about their students than they do themselves. They would take an hour of time out of their work to help their students understand a concept, or help them get their grades that half a percent higher to acheive an A.

Without our teachers today, we wouldn't be like this nation is today. Teachers are what makes up the lives that keep our government going, and what care for the citizens. We should treat them as we do the doctors or lawyers that we hold in such high esteem.

2009-01-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

The worst part of each of my days would most likely the "waking up" part. Waking up bugs me, because even if I set my alarm, it still doesn't make me get up. Don't get me wrong; the alarm wakes me up alright.....how could it NOT? It's the most annoying thing you could ever listen to! Sheesh, I'm sleeping deeply and comfy cozy when suddenly I'm awakened by this annoying "HONK, HONK, HONK, HONK, HONK....!!!!!"

To make this all worse is that I'm so tired and sleepy that I just let it keep HONKING! I don't even bother to stop it!

2009-01-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

One of my pet peeves is when someone receives a gift......and saves it thinking that it'll be a nice gift to give to someone else. It seriously drives me up the wall!!!!! I mean, what's the point of someone GIVING you a gift if your just going to be rude and give it to someone else!

If someone did that to ME, they'd get a smack in the FACE.

2009-01-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

I think I'll move to hawaii or something, where it's not so COLD!!!!

I hate the cold. My body is really weird.....it never gets cold, or, at least, I never FEEL cold, but my internal organs are probably freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezin. Maybe that's why I get sick or get a cold or get a SORE THROAT...........

I would have SUCH a happier life if there wasn't a such thing called BEING COLD!!!

2009-01-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

If there's a list I have about "the things I hate the most about life", it'd be sore throats.

I absolute DETEST sore throats......and I'm probably writing this now, because...well...i DO have one, and I'm drinking orange juice to help it...

I hate waking up every morning to realize your throat is all clogged up and mushy and gooey and "mucusy".

I hope it isn't a cold. That certainly would be a disaster....due to the fact that I have a competition in two days......... wouldn't be a good thing.

2009-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

I can't wait till this week is over.

This weekend, I have yet ANOTHER huge competition out of state. Preparing for it has been extremely tiring, and the stress it gives is overwhelming. I SO can't wait till monday, when it'll finally be over.

This sounds really...........i don't know how to put it....stubborn i guess.....but I hate losing. Don't we all? But then there's your parents or tutors or teachers that tell you to practice so you WON'T lose...... I mean, it's not like we don't WANT to do our best...sometimes your brain doesn't let you.

I'm excited to feel the RELIEF and STRESSLESS peace of mind that will come to me after I compete......only 3 days...only 3 days...

How does this help???

2009-01-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

It bugs me SO bad when teachers give my classes assignments that don't even help!

I mean, in one of my classes, the teacher gives us this paper, said to be celtic art or something...and tells us to color it.........does this help the SLIGHTEST bit in LIFE??

If we needed to know about celtic art, couldn't looking at it be enough?

And if we colored it, wouldn't it ruin the effect of the original colors?

2008-12-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this morning, I discovered something really weird.

I took a shower when I got up, and I was too lazy to dry/comb my hair after, so I just let it sit there. Well, an hour or so later, I'm getting ready for church, and I look in the mirror, and my hair is perfectly dry, straight, and looks like it would if I had spent twenty minutes working on it after my shower.

I'm going to see if this'll happen again......... that would save me OH so much time!!

Why there's a hole in my brother's wall.....

2008-12-21T17:27:00.002-08:00

Ok, so you know that everybody gets their wisdom teeth out, sooner or later. Well, a couple of years ago, my brother had to get his taken out, and unfortunately, his luck turned on him. After he had the teeth pulled out, he got something called a dry socket. Now, I don't really know what that is... but it happens when you suck on a straw... or...... I'm not really educated in that field...... Well, anyways, it hurts WAY bad, and one night, when he was sleeping, the pain woke him up, and he punched a fist size hole into his wall.

Hopefully, this thingy isn't genetic. (I doubt it) But I certainly hope I don't get into THAT much pain... I can't even imagine....

2008-12-21T17:27:00.001-08:00

I remember back in my elementary school, and our class used to be obsessed with the playground. (Actually... that should be quite normal for kids that age) Anyways, the girls would always go and do their little spinny things on the suspended bars. Well, one day, some girls finally coaxed me into trying it........ and I hesitantly hoisted myself up onto the bar. They told me so many hints and instructions, there was NO way I could have done it successfully. So, remembering all the things I could, I gripped the bar, fell back........ and two seconds later I was on the ground with the wind knocked out of me..... mean huh?!!!

2008-12-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered if the fact that if your teeth were straight depended on how you lost your previous teeth.....

I have a brother and a sister. My brother, like me, would always yank his loose teeth out, not letting it "fall out by itself". My sister would always be careful, and would wait until the teeth fell out on their own.

Well, it turns out that my brother and I have a perfect set of teeth, while my sister's....... well..... they aren't bad. They could be better.

So that led me to thinking that maybe if you yanked out your baby teeth earlier, it might make more room for the new teeth, letting it grow out straighter.

Tooth Disaster..

2008-12-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

People never would know, but when I was in 3rd grade I had my front tooth chipped off.

After I went to second grade... I went to China for a year, because my dad had some work to do there. Unfortunately..... I had to go to school there. It actually wasn't that bad, considering how I already knew how to speak Chinese (You know how little kids learn the native language just by listening? Well, I sorta learned two at once. It's pretty cool). So.... in China.. schools are MASSIVE. There's a huge courtyard in front of the school, and the school is like... 6 stories tall. In the courtyard out in front, there is this flag-post on a stone platform. In the morning, the flag is raised and all of the school watches out in front. Well, the platform has steps leading up, and there are chains surrounding the perimeter... and every morning when I get to school, I run up the steps and jump over the chains, back onto the ground. So, this "fateful" morning, my mother and I are walking to the school, (She taught english there) and I run ahead. She is talking with another teacher, and doesn't mind me. I run up the steps carelessly, and take a jump. I shouldn't have. I jumped too late, and my foot caught on the chains. I swung around, and my face smashed against the cement pavement of the courtyard. I can't scream for pain, because I was literally "DYING"! I couldn't even yell, or signal my mother or the teacher, because I had fell behind the platform, out of sight of them. So I stuck my foot up, hoping they would see, and a short moment later, they run up, and see my bloody face. Ten minutes later, I am at the hospital, I have a huge chip out of my front teeth, and my whole face is scarred up.

Luckily, a couple years ago, back here, I went and got my teeth fixed, and now they are perfectly fine.

Embarrassing Moment

2008-12-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

Everybody HAS to have their embarrassing moments... right? So you won't mind me tellin' ya one of mine.....

I think it was when I was still a teeny toddler........ (I don't remember anything about my childhoood.... nothing... it's really weird.... I think I have long term memory loss or something... i'll see about that sometime later in my life.... ) anyways, once again, my siblings were out with their friends, our neighbors, on a bright saturday morning. I woke up, and saw my brother and sister out playing with their friends, and decided to go and have fun also. So I got out of bed........ and....... was in a diaper. ^_^ So I open the door... and hobble down the long street towards my neighbor's house, without any pants on... and by the time I get there, I'm told to go ALL the way back!

Talk about embarrassing! Good thing I moved out of THAT neighborhood......

Broken Finger

2008-12-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

The first broken bone I remember I've had would probably be when I was four or five years old. It was my second finger of my left hand, if I recall, but luckily, I didn't play piano back then. My siblings, one brother and one sister, were going out to play a little while with our neighbors, and I, being the usual curios, fun-loving, and FOOLISH kid, tried to follow them out the door. So my siblings go out the door, and I tag along my sister, who is ignorant to the fact that I'm right behind her. So as she walks out the door, she slams it shut, and my hand was caught in the doorframe. I don't remember anything after that point. One moment I was screaming and yelling, and the next, I was lying on our couch, with a brace on my finger.

Battle Scar

2008-12-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

When people look at the left side of my left leg, they always are either, amazed, or shocked.

About a couple of years ago, my friends and I decided to go to these dirt hills with our bikes, and go off the jumps there. Smart huh? Well, we biked down to a little place we call "the hollow", and although it was all downhill, it took us about five minutes. We got to the place, and started riding our bikes around. After about thirty minutes of going off jumps and seeing how much "air" we could get, came the horrible moment. Before the incident, let me first explain how the place is laid out. This place isn't big, there's just a bike path that circles around itself. Well, I was getting ready to go around again, but underestimated this little jump right after you pick up speed. So I'm going about 10 miles per hour down this slope, and I hit the jump. Surprisingly, I got probably three feet of air on this little, miniscule jump. There's this turn after the jump, and i landed on it. In the air, I positioned my handlebar so that the bike would turn after I landed, because I didn't have much time. I turned the handle a little too much, and I crashed abruptly. Apart from the searing pain of my leg, I was alright. I looked down, and blood was trickling down from my knee. You could see the tender white flesh around the bone.

So, when asked how I got the scar, I simply say, "Bike, jump, landed wrong, OW!" I then smile, and say,"Battle Scar!"

2008-12-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

I wonder if there are more flavors out there... like.... we all know there's sour, sweet, bitter.... etc. Are there more? Or is that it.....

2008-12-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

I wonder if scientists will ever develop shoes or something that will hold us up or let us walk on walls........ Will they discover the secret of flies or spiders? I mean... these days.... things invented, such as remote control cars that can go on walls, would've seemed literally impossible one hundred years ago. In one hundred years, maybe things we think are impossible will also just be normal everyday things.

2008-11-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

I need to be more humble about my tennis skills.

Know what's humiliating? To be beaten in tennis, by a kid two years younger, who just won because HIS eyes don't have this dumb thing called astigmatism!

Last week, that happened to me. I went to play tennis with 3 others, and we played doubles first... It was still light out. After it got dark, this one kid decided to play me in a game, and I had to accept. Well, my eyes have this little thingy called astigmatism, which makes it so that i'm WAY sensitive to light when it's nighttime. I couldn't see the ball until it was 3 feet away! SADLY, I lost. I'll face him again, later.... when it's not DARK!

2008-11-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

So... halloween was a month ago, and I was LOADED with candy... I mean, I usually dump all my candy from the pillowcase to my drawer- one of those pull out ones that usually holds clothes- and it was up the the brim!!!

About a week later, there's a couple families over at my house, and, unfortunately, LITTLE KIDS! Now we allllll know that "little kids" + "candy"= Me pulling out rifle and sniping little theives! I leave for ONE MINUTE and half my drawer is gone, not to mention that the garbage can is overflowing with wrappers... they took all my twix, warheads, reese's, and everything that some little dumb 5 year old kid would want !

2008-11-30T16:31:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of GUITAR HERO!? Of course you have! Well, there are probably many people out there, like me, who are wondering..... where the heck is PIANO hero? Sheesh! It'd probably be dumb, but I mean.... if you make guitar hero... and rock band... doesn't there have to be a piano???? Can't wait until something like that comes out!

2008-11-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Once, back in those times where I was a kid and was still obsessed with toys, (perhaps I still am) I found this really cool magnet monster truck thing, and brought it with me WHEREVER I went. It was my favorite toy, until someone BROKE it. I THEN went back to the store, and it was gone. Do you hate that? Where the store USED to have something, but takes it away? Dumb companies!

2008-11-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted a dog, and my brother and sister do too, but our dad is way........ paranoid and thinks that the mess will be too big. Maybe he's scared of them.... who knows. What sucks is that (I want a dog when I grow up) when I grow up, I won't have the pleasure of being little and playing with the dog. I'll just be the dad of the house. I'm missing out so much!

There's always the question of what KIND of dog to get. I know almost nothing about dog breeds. All I know is this: I want a dog (duh!) and it's going to be cute (duh!), nice (duh!) and won't eat my children! (WHAT!?)

2008-11-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

I always wonder what will happen as scientists study and find out more and more about DNA. People say that new discoveries will lead to cures for more diseases, but how will that happen? Maybe DNA is just too confusing for a modern teenager to understand.

How did scientists discover and find out about DNA in the first place? Was there a microscope? I think I need to pay more attention in science class! :P

2008-11-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever lost something, then looked like twenty minutes for it, and realized it was in your hand the whole time?

Or if you're looking for glasses, and you just woke up from sleep, so you wouldn't notice your sight, but they were on you the whole time.

Or in the morning, if you went to put on contacts and suddenly wondered why you could see.....

2008-11-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

Would it be possible if there were more colors? Do our eyes only allow us to see colors of the spectrum?

Someone received an email and it said that there was a kid born who loved art, and his art teacher marveled, because the kid was always trying in vain to mix colors. They believe he was trying to recreate the colors of heaven.

Maybe there ARE other colors. Too gorgeous and breathtaking to imagine...

2008-11-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

I hate being the youngest of the year. I only know ONE person who is younger than me in my whole grade. Heck, some EIGHTH graders are even older than I am, and that is saying something.....

Now that's definitely not a good thing. I'll be the last one to drive... and all that other jazz when you turn sixteen.

Is there anything GOOD about being the youngest of the grade?

2008-11-22T23:23:00.000-08:00

I wonder what forms of transportation will come to pass in the future. Will there be flying cars? Some form of teleportation?

Or, for us teenagers, will there be hovering skateboards, jetpacks...... will there be some form of transportation system if we have flying cars like we do now with road vehicles?

We'll just have to wait and see. Surely, people are working on it right now!

2008-11-22T23:07:00.000-08:00

SO... this past month I went in to get a new prescription for my contacts, but the ACUVUE company couldn't produce the degree i needed, so I had to get some lower brand. Acuvue, is, in my opinion, the best, but I had to go with another one. The new one was frustrating, because the contact lenses were heavier on one side, and when you went to put them in, they would always flop down, and occasionally drop, in which you would have to get on your knees and find them.

I've had some bad experiences with my new contacts dropping. Just this morning, I went to put one in my left eye, and it fell. I didn't find it until ten minutes later, which, by that time, it was already half dry and dehydrated. I let it soak in solution, and, thankfully, it was back to normal.

Contacts bug me.

2008-11-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

UNFORTUNATELY, the park officials of the park by my house have taken down the tennis court net, which isn't good, because I can't play tennis anymore. I really wanted to try out my slice serve, because, since my lesson a couple weeks ago, I haven't had a chance to try it.

I finally understand how slice serves work. You put spin on the ball, and that spin slows it down, which helps you make the serve in. If it's a flat serve, you have to get the angle perfectly, but it's much more powerful. That is why you use slice serves for you second serve.

Sadly, I haven't had a chance to practice my serves yet, thanks to some dumb park officials who didn't care about the public's interest. :(

2008-11-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

It's funny how you hear about various electronics being invented, like ipods or computers, but why don't you ever hear about FOODS being invented...

I mean, why aren't people like "HEY i heard that there's this new thing called pinachios! lets try it!" Why isn't food like that? "HEY let's go have some of that newly invented cheeeeesecake!"

2008-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

Aren't some viruses contained and under tight security?

Like...... I don't know if this is real, but I think i've heard about or seen (maybe i've just seen it in some fantasy movie) that there is like a way deadly virus contained in a tight seal and under dayround security?

I mean, if the virus is that dangerous, why not just destroy the thing and be done with it?

2008-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

I wonder what high school tennis will be like...... i mean..... i'm good, don't get me wrong, but I have no idea how well the other people on the high school teams play.

I've actually played someone from the team.... they sucked. but who knows? Maybe they were the worst.

I can't wait till I get to play on the DAVIS (YEAH) team.

2008-11-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Know what'd be cool?

If they invented cell phones that, instead of pushing buttons to text, you just talked into a microphone, and a computer would automatically convert it into text? Will that ever be possible?

But technically, anything is going to be possible right? With technology advancing as it is..... I'm sure it'll come out someday.

2008-11-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

Know what'd be cool?

If they invented cell phones that, instead of pushing buttons to text, you just talked into a microphone, and a computer would automatically convert it into text? Will that ever be possible?

But technically, anything is going to be possible right? With technology advancing as it is..... I'm sure it'll come out someday.

2008-11-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

It bugs me how, these days, most every movie that a normal teenager watches includes violence, and sexual content, and all those other bad things. I mean, who the heck would make those kinds of movies to ENTERTAIN? Those people should be ashamed of themselves for going that low.

2008-11-09T17:40:00.001-08:00

Will technology ever let us get far enough to get to Mars? Or maybe find other planets?

Is there martian life? It scares me, because, if there is, then that means that they are probably a lot more intelligent than us "earthlings" if they are still hidden from earth knowledge.

Maybe there is...maybe there isn't. Who knows?

2008-11-09T17:35:00.001-08:00

I seriously hate technology! It makes me mad when I get something all uber super duper and the highest of the high, then the next year, it's totally abolished by something even better!

In this instance, iPods are a good example. It used to be nano's, and now there are touch's and phones..... makes me frustrated.

OH well, you can never have the best right?

2008-11-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

I can't express how much of an impact that teachers and mentors can have on someone's life. I mean, students look up to them, and expect the highest of the high. Every teacher out there should take that into consideration and strive to be the best they can be, because it will effect everyone's lives.

just a random thought.

2008-11-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

To tell the truth, I seriously detest procrastinating homework, such as all this honors english stuff, but I can never bring my self to actually finish it a couple of weeks before.

I envy those people who don't have ANY problems with procrastination and find it a habit to do homework a long time before it is due.

Could it be genetics?

2008-11-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

How rare is it for someone to have the same birthday as you?

I should be REALLY rare right? Well... my best friend's birthday is August 8th and my birthday is August 8th and my DAD's birthday is ALSO the 8th of August. I mean... how many times does that happen?

2008-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be so cool to have a pet monkey?

I've always wondered what it would be like to have one.... I mean... you could just like.... seriously communicate with it and stuff. Because.... aren't they way intelligent?

"Hey, can you get me a glass of milk and some cookies?" hahaha!

2008-11-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

I think I'm behind in all of those recent books that are out. I've read almost all of the books of the popular series, but I forget easily, and now that new books are out, like the most recent of Artemis Foul, etc..... I don't feel like reading the whole series again

I just like reading a whole series at once, not reading one book, forgetting it, waiting for the next one to come out, and having to read the first one again!

2008-11-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

I think I have made progress in sightreading music for the piano, because this past week my piano teacher has given me this new concerto, Rachmaninoff's 2nd, and somehow, I have been faster in learning it than I have other pieces.

I think that the reason for that is because every week in church and every day in seminary I have been sightreading or trying to sightread hymns straight out of the hymnbook.

2008-11-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

I wonder if they will ever make virtual reality movies, in which you are actually a part IN the movie,and not just watching it outside. (if it is even possible). I read a book once: It was about this girl who plays this video game that is virtual reality and has to do it over and over until she wins, because there was a problem with the game. That would be so fun!

2008-11-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

This year I am trying out for science olympiad again, but i'm having a hard time, because I don't want to (If we make it) ((which we probably will)) miss the last week of school. This is the last year, and half of the whole grade will be going to layton, in which I am going to davis.

I really want to go to Layton, but Davis really is a better school academic and athletic wise. That is why my parents want me to go to Davis. My best friend, and this girl are both going to Layton, which makes me really mad! Oh well, there is still BYU! YEAH!

2008-11-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

I miss christmas!

Our family isn't really that much into christmas anymore, because half the family, (my brother and sister) have left for BYU are gone now, so it's just me and my parents. Does that ever happen to you? Where one of the holidays are just pointless because of a certain reason?

2008-11-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

I finally have figured out my serves in tennis!

Ok, about a couple of weeks ago, I started taking lessons from my old coach again. He's really good and teaches at the OAC. Well, last time, we worked on my serves, which I haven't been taught about for several years. He corrected a lot of things, and taught me how to do really good on my second serves. Turns out that for my second serve, he wants me to slice the ball, so that the spin will slow it down, and therefore it will have a much greater chance of going in. I am so excited to try it out on tuesday!

But not only did he teach me how to serve correctly, he also taught me to actually AIM the serves so that they would go to the receivers' backhand, which he/she would have a harder time to return.

2008-10-26T19:13:00.001-07:00

In a previous post, I noted myself winning a piano competition. Prior to the day of the competition, I made a deal with my mother. A couple of weeks ago, I received my phone, and I now text 24/7, which has made my mom very angry and threaten to cancel the plan, because it "distracted me from piano and school". This deal was this: If I won the competition, my mother could never ever threaten to take my phone away. That had a great effect one me. First, it made it so that I had to practice harder for the competition, because I needed that deal. But second, it put a lot of stress on me, because if I lost, then my mother would be able to blame it on the fact that I have a phone, and it "distracted me from my practice"

2008-10-26T19:10:00.001-07:00

Have any of you out there had a situation where, in school, someone has just started to despise you for a reason that escapes your mind? There's this kid in my school that is seriously (I won't get too angry) making me mad. And what is worse is that he has his bunch of friends that he hangs out with, and it has effected their thoughts toward me also (though not that much).

2008-10-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

What is this world coming to? Do you ever have a wish that you would die before it turns any worse? Would you want to raise kids in that kind of an environment, with so much distractions and bad things? I have thought about that a lot.

2008-10-26T18:57:00.001-07:00

For those of you out there who are computer/online game addicts, let me impress upon you how distractive and addicting that may be. A while ago, I was....well...I wouldn't say an online game freak, but I was on the computer playing games very much. It wasn't until after I stopped playing those games, that I realized what an effect it had on me. While I do sometimes still play games online occasionally, it is when I am very bored. Picture this. With all the time you spend playing games, it could be used (I sound like a very annoying parent right now, so bear with me) for more effective things. You people out there should try it. I has satisfying results

2008-10-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend was one of the most stress free ones that I have had this month. Why? Because on Thursday I won this piano competition, which made it so that I had a good excuse to not play piano: "I deserve it" And also, there is not much homework due to the fact that it is the end of the term. So, this weekend all I have been pretty much doing is reading this very long book, The Count of Monte Cristo. I couldn't say that it is tedious or boring, because, in fact, I like it very much. It has a great story line. What annoys me, however, is that it is 600 pages long, and I, having started over 4/5ths of the way into the story, have 350 pages to read in 4 days, which shouldn't be much of a problem for me, since I read very quickly, and have a pretty good idea what will happen.

2008-10-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that i needed new contacts, I had to go to the eye doctor to have my eyes looked at, because they're REALLY bad now. Have you ever had your eyes dilated? I'm sure we all have. It's where they put these drops in your eyes that make your pupils a whole lot bigger. My eye doctor, whose name was Dr. James, told me that my eyes were WAY bad. It's probably genetics. What Dr. James told me was that if my eyes get worse enough, then I won't be able to have the LASIK surgery thingy when I turn 21. Scary right? Dr. James's assistant assured me, though, that that doesn't happen much. My eyes have astigmatism, which makes it so that I have to wear this other type of contacts. I used to only have one eye that had it, but now both do. That one eye's lense is weird, because it has these little marks on its sides that tell you which way should face up. It's been a weird day so far, because, as it takes a long time for the dilation to wear off, my eyes are really blurry.

I had to close my eyes for the trip home, because if I opened them, I would be blinded by the sun's rays. But when the car came to an abrupt stop, I just had to open them. In our ward, there is this CUTEST baby (well, I guess he's a toddler now) that my mom is obsessed with, and whenever she sees him she just freaks out and has to play with him. His name is Caleb Hall, and the Halls are very good friends of ours. If you saw him, you would have to agree that the Halls' baby is cute. When you shrug, and he sees it, he shrugs also. He also blows kisses at you and likes to hit people. (I don't know if that would be cute or not). His face is always a smile, and he doesn't cry much. I think if they voted, all the parents' votes in our ward would be that Caleb is the cutest. My mom is lucky, because she is the children's nursery helper in our ward.

I really hate that feeling when you have loads of homework due over the weekend. You know that you are going to do it anyways, but you can't muster up enough courage to actually sit down and do it like I am now. There is this thing in my english class where all the students' parents have to edit their character sketches. I don't really like the idea of that, because if my dad edits it, it'll take FOREVER because he is a literature maniac. I am jealous of this girl at school, because she had her parents edit hers, and it only took a couple minutes. There is also this other kid who had his done like two weeks ago. Drives me nuts.

2008-10-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all have had mean teachers. Seriously, have you ever had those teachers who act like they hate their job, which passes on to hating kids? I mean, if they hate their job, then why not quit, and save their students the pain of having to learn from them?

2008-10-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

You all know what a wii is right? I marvel at the technology of it. motion sensored....etc. Will it get any better? How can video games get any better than motion sensed? Will they invent some virtual reality thing?

Now, speaking of virtual reality, that would be pretty cool. I don't know if it exists or not. Two of my friends have told me that it does, but I don't really believe them. I mean, that would be so advanced.

2008-10-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

I've always had problems with swimming. I don't mean that I can't swim well, for I am pretty good at it, but for some weird reason, after ten minutes of treading water, I lose my energy and have to hold on to something for support. Does that ever happen to you? It is interesting how my friends aren't even tired, and i'm exhausted! I actually think it is because I'm not breathing right. I remember playing tag with my friends, but I could never get them (well, I got them a couple of times) because I was always too tired and would have to rest. Something is wrong with me!

2008-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have just entered a state of depression, because yesterday, it snowed! Yeah, that's right, in the beginning of the fall season, there is a three inch blanket of snow covering everything! Don't get me wrong, I love snow, but when it wipes out an entire season, then it gets to be too much. The first snow of the year is always awesome, because it is so packable, and the earth isn't icky or mushy yet. But when you get halfway through the winter, everything is wet, icy, icky,.....you know what i mean?

I believe that the best thing about the snow is snowball fights. Who doesn't like them? I remember one time when My friend and I had a snowball fight with several girls that were in my neighborhood. I forgot what had started it, but it was fun! Towards the end of it, this girl came up and hit my shoulder with an iceball. (This is like the climax of the fight). I remember her running away laughing, and when she got to the other side of the street, I aimed for and hit her head. She pretended to be crying, and they all went inside. Five minutes later, all the girls came out with make up on, and started chasing us! It was sort of fun, until we ran out of breath and had to book it to my house.

2008-10-05T12:02:00.001-07:00

Do people use messenger that often anymore? It seems that none of my hundreds of friends are online that often. I haven't been on for a long while, because a little thing called facebook was invented. It seems that facebook is the new way of communication. For some.
Texting has also dominated the world of communication. Instead of calling people, why not do it the "silent" way? I've always wondered how the wireless texting networks work. Are there satellite signals everywhere?

2008-10-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered what other sweet, awesome things that technology will provide in the future. Everybody has a hope of hoverboards which, I think, will have to be in the next billion years. But, now that they have cell phones, touch screens, new outstanding medical technology, I wonder if we are at the highest level of technology. Can we get any higher? What new things will scientists invent?

2008-10-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I mentioned these twins that were in my neighborhood that caught up to me in tennis. Well, I finally figured out the solution to that problem. (Because I'm selfish and HAVE to be better than them). My mom talked with my past tennis coach, and agreed to continue my tennis lessons, which I had stopped because of numerous piano competitions. So, on Friday, I went over to the Athletic Club that I go to. Othat day, there was a TERRIBLE storm, but still, all went well, because the club had this huge bubble thing over the courts, which protected it from all weather. In the lesson, I learned a more advanced forehand, that the pros on TV use. Instead of using your arm and wrist to swing the racquet, this technique required you to use your hip. I had to twist my hip back, and let it all go to swing at the ball. This helped me relieve the pressure on my wrist. My coach said that I had to practice for a time for my muscles to get used to it, so hopefully, my mother will let me out more often to play.

2008-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I finally got a cell phone. I would've gotten it later had it not been that I had left a note for the UPS guy, or girl, to leave the package with my neighbor. That being said, I was frustrated for a couple of days because my picture messaging didn't work for some reason. That meant that I could not receive or send pictures, or any other type of file. So I called the service yesterday, and they had ACTUALLY FORGOTTEN to add the feature to my new phone! So I had them fix it for free, and I can receive stuff now!
Most people who have phones take them for granted. Before I got my phone, I was SO jealous of those who did. It killed me to see them texting away with their awesome phones, when I didn't have one. So, if you have a phone, be grateful that you do, because when I received my phone, It was like a dream come true!

2008-09-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Are you one of those people who spend 200 bucks on their shoes? I really don't understand that. There's so many people who are obsessed with getting all these "SWEET" brands of shoes, when they're just going to wear away over time anyways. Why waste your money on a pair of shoes? Are people going to judge you by your shoes? "HEY, you have cool shoes! Be my friend!" The only shoes that i've been obsessed with was (this was when I was a little kid) those HEELY's shoes. Ever seen those? Yeah, well, thanks to my friends "advertising", he got me to get a pair, which were actually pretty fun to wear, except I got like.. a billion scars because of them.

2008-09-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered whether, when you grow up, you will move away with your family, or stay in the same area? Since the place i'm living in is so full with kind and loving people, I wouldn't mind to stay, but trying out new places would be kind of entertaining also. Idaho and those other states wouldn't be so bad, because then my kids could drive at age 15, which isn't a really good reason, so I take it back. I guess I'll just have to "let it unravel itself".

2008-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Since my past posts have been on either piano or tennis, i've decided to write on a random topic.

ICE CREAM! Here we go! Have you ever had this kind of ice cream called moose? For some reason, my mom came home one day, with a box of ice cream "moose" flavored! I was a little hesitant to eat it because, well, it was called "moose". You know what I mean? Turns out that that ice cream was GREAT! In it, there were hints of peanuts, peanut butter, chocolate, and these peanut butter cups. Yeah, there were peanut butter cups. Interesting right? Well, these peanut butter cups were the BOMB. I recall that I ate the whole box in two days. That's how good it was.

2008-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Since I am running out of BIG things to say, I think I'll just put several smaller posts. Do some of you out there remember the article about cell phones being related to health? Well....when i heard it...i didn't care. In about a month, I have a good chance of getting a cell phone. Actually, I had to bribe my mom for it. Sighhh....one more hour of piano everyday. Although i need the extra hour for my next competition, which is fairly difficult, I'll have a hard time. It bugs me when people ask if I have a teacher, and if I'm better than him. People think that impressive piano is just playing fast and furious. There's so much more to music than impressing unexperienced audiences with fast fingers. For instance, I have a piece I'm practicing that is very slow, but has to have an EXTREME amount of EXCELLENT tone, dynamics, clarity, etc. It actually is harder than some of my "AMAZING" pieces.

2008-09-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Now that I've done an introduction to tennis, it's time to write about me being frustrated every day because of it. You know summer? Of course you do. Well...it hates me. It was probably the middle of August, and i had planned to play tennis the next day.
It rained.
It rained in the middle of the summer, ruining my perfect day to play tennis. This just keeps on going and going every day. Well, in these days at least. Take today for example. I just came home, and there's a thunderstorm outside. Ever tried playing tennis on a wet court? Not only do you slip, which is really annoying since you have to run and stop, and run and stop, but when the tennis balls get wet, they get ruined and therefore don't bounce as high as they are supposed to. That ruins the whole game, because it messes up your serves, and you can't put much spin on them.
I don't like playing when when it's getting dark either. I don't mean night dark, but just when the sun is setting behind the mountains. It doesn't affect others, but it affects me because my left eye has astigmatism, which makes it affective to light, and therefore, dark. So, when i play at that time of the day, I don't judge distance very well, and mess up a lot.
I guess I'm good at tennis. I always play with these Korean twins in my ward, and haven't been beaten by them in about two years. However, since I don't have a twin to practice with, and they do, they have an advantage, and are catching up fast to me. They practice every day, hoping to catch up to me, and are succeeding.
How do you get better at things? you practice. but what if you cannot? That is what position I am in all the time. I want to play, but can't, because nobody can play.
When I get to high school, I'm going to tryout for the team, and even though it's no cut, i'm going to make it and try to get into the varsity team. The only problem is that I don't know when the tryouts are, or where to get the applications. One time, there were high school people playing tennis in our park's courts. They cahllenged me and James, one of the twins, and we beat them BAD. They said they were on the tennis team, so I guess I have a great chance next year.

Tennis

2008-09-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Most people think of Tennis as a sport where you have a racket and swing at the ball like a lunatic, hoping it will go where you want it to. Is it really? NO! Is soccer a sport where you swing your foot around hoping it will land the ball somewhere beside your teammate or the goal? Very much like soccer, tennis is a sport where skill is required. A lot of skill is required. Those who play as amateurs don't really understand the effects of topspin, slices, backhand slices, second serves, slice serves, volleys, smashes, backspins, sidespins, or the fact that you have to RUN! As you serve, for example, are your feet in position? Is your toss true and straight? Is your grip correct? Are you standing at the right spot, aiming for the right target? Have you decided which type of serve to do? All these things effect the way the game comes out? So....Is tennis really a stupid sport? Many probably argue that it is, because it looks like such an easy sport, but in reality, your hand has to be so coordinated with your eye that years of practice is needed to master the skill. Ever played golf? The same rule applies. The first time I walked up to the tee with a driver, I was saying to myself, "This is got to be the dumbest and easiest sport out there?" Boy, did I prove myself wrong. Believe it or not, that little scrawny ball kept evoiding my darn club. It wasn't until my fifth try that i finally got it going a couple of feet. Do you remember the first time, if you have, that you had a chance to take a racket in your hands and swing at the "pathetic" green ball? Embarrasing? Most likely. Did you chuck the racket across the court, stomp your feet, and yell, "I GIVE UP!" I doubt it. You probably said to yourself in a calm way, "Well that sucked", picked up the racket, and took another swing. Before long, you would actually be hitting the ball over the net, with a wide grin on your face. Was that how you felt? That feeling was how I first became an addict to tennis. In the morning, I was thinking, "Can't wait for noon". At noon, I was thinking, "Can't wait for the afternoon". In the afternoon, I was thinking, "Can't wait to play tennis!" While playing tennis, I was thinking, "This guy needs practice!" And when I was finished playing tennis, what was I thinking? "Can't wait for tomorrow afternoon, when I can play tennis again! If you are addicted to a sport as much as I am addicted to tennis, then you know how I feel don't you? So, in conclusion, tennis is not a boring sport with a racket, court, and tennis ball, it is a sport (yes, it is a sport) where you have to use skill, strategy, speed, and endurance to best your opponent. Well, I can't write anymore. GOTTA GO PLAY TENNIS!

2008-09-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

Hello World!