The San Diego Auto Show

            I visited the 2011 San Diego Auto Show with my dad and brother. Located in the Convention Center in downtown San Diego, the auto show was not exactly what I expected, but it surprised me in a different way. There were tons of car dealers, more than I could count on my fingers and toes. All the car dealers were showing off their latest models, and I could tell all the dealers were really trying to hype up their economic cars. Here is a picture of one of the "Economy" cars.

I think this is the Nissan Leaf

         There were also a few sections with luxury cars and some old cars. There was also a small section with movie cars. They had Herbie from Herbie, and they had K.I.T from the car series "Knight Rider". They also had my personal favorite, the DeLorean from "Back to the Future".

Back to the Future DeLorean

         One of my personal favorites was this stick car with gears and cogs.

Stick Car

            There must have been hundreds of cars in this one building, as you can see from a shot I took from one end of the Convention Center. 

 San Diego Car Show

         There was a new Volkswagen Beetle, I had not seen one before the show, and I must admit, the new Beetle looks a little more sporty. This is a picture of me inside of one, a nice bright yellow one, definitely not my type of car.  

The new Beetle

          Overall, the car show was a success, I enjoyed the cars, and while a little disappointed with the lack of old classic cars, I enjoyed the full supply of new and debuting cars. The huge expanse of cars tickled my car bone, and I enjoyed every moment I was there.

Dissecting Quotes #13

         This is the thirteenth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"Every gift which is given, even though it may be small,

is in reality great, if it is given with affection."

-Pindar

         You either love Christmas time or you hate it. Personally, I love the spirit of the season, and the way most people are more joyful. I know a few people who do not like the holiday season, and with all my trying, I cannot see why they would not like it. Some of these people who do not like Christmas argue that nowadays, everyone is selfish and they only think of Christmas as a time to receive what they want. This is understandable, but not everyone is like this. Some like to give thoughtful presents to friends and family, brightening the recipients day. This quote suggests something similar, that if an individual puts thought and care into a gift, it can mean more than any material thing. Recipients of gifts desire thought, not necessarily expensive gifts. These gifts dramatically outweigh the gifts given without thought, the gifts that are picked up and bought at the last minute. With this in mind, though Christmas is a few days away, try to give gifts that are given in love, with affection. These gifts may be the best gifts the recipiants may ever recieve.

White Elephant

         A few days ago I attended a Christmas party with a White Elephant gift exchange. For those of you who do not know what a White Elephant gift exchange is; it is an activity where everyone brings a gift, and one by one, a person grabs a gift from the pile or chooses to steal what another person has. It is really fun and sometimes the gifts received are funny. I wondered why it was called a White Elephant, so I did a little research, and this is what I came up with.

        A long time ago, in Southeast Asia, white elephants were praised for their beauty and looks. I didn't know elephants came in white, so I found a picture of one.

White Elephant

         So back to the story. These white elephants were praised and sought after because of their beauty. The owner, who would pay a great price, would not use the elephant for work, just for show. So now in the modern times, the phrase "White Elephant" was meant to mean an item not used too often. Participants were encouraged to bring something they hardly used, so as not to be too devastating of a loss. Now, some people still play the old way, bringing unused items, but the majority of gift exchanges are with low cost items, sometimes things people buy. This Christmas season, if you find yourself playing the White Elephant gift exchange, now you know what the real reason is.

Christmas Statistics and Unknown Facts

          Well, it is almost that time of year when Christmas is in the air. Christmas can be a magical time, or it can just be a nightmare. Either way, here are some fun facts and statistics about the holiday season.

          -Many people think Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is the busiest shopping day of the year. It is only the fifth to tenth busiest day; the busiest is the Friday and Saturday before Christmas.
          -The average household will mail out 28 Christmas cards and receive 28 Christmas cards.
          -Christmas trees can be eaten. If for some strange reason a bomb went off on Christmas, families could eat parts of the trees that are edible, such as the needles or even some bark.
          -Many retailers make 70% of their yearly income on the weeks leading up to Christmas.
          -7% of mall Santa's have a criminal background.
          -The amount of money generated by pictures with Santa is around $2,255,750,000.
          -If Santa was to visit every house in the world, he would be making 842,000,000 stops and would have to travel 4,796,250 miles per hour.
          -The amount of presents in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is 364, one less than the amount of days in a year.
          -In the season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Visa cards are swept almost 9 times per second in the United States.
          -50% of Americans wear holiday themed clothing during the holiday season.
          -Christmas lights were introduced in 1895.
          -20% of Americans finish their Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve.
          -28% of Americans re-gift their presents.
          -Each consumer this year is estimated to spend almost 800 dollars.
          -December 21st is the busiest delivery day of the year.
        
          I hope this holiday season is the best ever, and even though some of these statistics are a little strange, some are truly interesting to share with family and friends.
       

Dissecting Quotes #12

          This is the twelfth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"A people free to choose will always choose peace"

-Ronald Regan

         Many people have thought about world peace, about why it is so hard to achieve it. Peace is a precious thing, and even though many people do not work to see peace, deep down they really desire to have peace and there not to be any strife. Without any other people telling them what to do, humans really want peace, the only reason they go to war is for peace, which is ironic in itself. We should think about what we would choose if we didn't have anyone over us telling us what to think, or what to do.

Short Story #1

           This is the first edition of the series "Short Stories," where I write a short story about anything. The topics can range from sci-fi to a real story that happened to me. I hope these short stories brighten your day and keep you occupied with a dying form of entertainment, literature. This specific story is a true story, something that happened to me when I was about 12 years old.

          I had awoken to the crash of waves, feeling the cool spray of water. I ate a breakfast, a feast of sorts, with pancakes and bacon. I enjoyed the day down on the beach, riding powerful waves until my face was red as a tomato. I made my way up to our camp, and now changed into clean clothes, got ready to leave for the train station. I was going to take the train down the coast on a hour ride, where my dad would pick me up, and then take me to baseball practice. My mom bought my ticket for me at the train station, and I walk to the train. I pick a good seat, one by a window. The train starts up and the ride flys by while I am lost in the wonder of being on my own in the real world.

          Before I know it, the train reaches my stop. I hop off the train and look for my dad. Being young and naive, I did not stay where I was, like I should have. After looking around desperately and not finding my dad, I walk to the train stop and change a dollar into quarters. I find a call booth, but not knowing how to use one, was not able to call anyone. Worried I would not find my dad, I run to the train which is just getting ready to leave. I dodge a lady and just as the doors start to close, I enter the train. I sit down nervously, worried no one asks me for a ticket, because I do not have one. The train arrives in downtown, and I notice people have on baseball jerseys, because there is a game downtown tonight. I am distressed and worried, because I have nowhere to go and nothing to call my parents with.

          All of a sudden, I have an idea; my aunt lives in one of the high-rise condominiums near where I was. Hoping I could somehow get past two security doors and a elevator, I walk to the side of the building. To my unbelief, the door is open a crack. Happily opening the door, my heart sinks when I realize I have to get past the second door also. I approach the door when a woman walks out. Luckily, she does not close the door all the way, and I am able once again to open the door and move on. I walk inside, rejoicing that I was able to get inside. Now I only need to activate the elevator to get to my aunts floor. I pretend to get a long drink of water while waiting for another person to activate the elevator. Eventually someone comes along who has the key for the elevator, and I follow him into the elevator and push the button for the floor I need.

          I arrive at her floor, and walk to the door where my aunt lives. Hoping she would be home, I knock on the hard wooden door. I wait for her to open the door, and just when I think she may not be home, she opens the door. Exasperated from my journey, I walk into her apartment and collapse on her couch. She asks me what happened and when I try to tell her, I realize I am crying. I wait until I calm down, then tell her what happened. She eventually finds out what happened, and she comforts me by giving me some gatorade. I call my mom, who in turn calls my dad, who comes to pick me up. From this tramuatizing experience I learned more about the real world, and also if I am ever lost, to stay put.
       

Dissecting Quotes #11

                This is the eleventh edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking. The quote today is an quote requested by a friend of mine, and I will try to dissect the quote best as I can.

"Be more concerned about your character than your reputation. Your

character is what you really are and your reputation is what others think you are."

-John Wooden, NCAA Coach

         Some people get all worked up on what other people think of them. I know I was really concerned about appearance and about reputation. I got better on it, but even now I still worry about what people think of me. John Wooden related this to sports by saying, "Be more concerned about your character than your reputation." This means we should worry more about who we are as a person than who others think we are. We sometimes get caught up on how we are viewed in the eyes of others, but I think we should focus more on our own problems and own self than others. This does not mean, however, it is okay to be a jerk to others because you do not care what they think of you. The second part of the quote just further explains what a character is and what the reputation is. I think we should all realize reputation isn't everything, and that in order to have a good reputation, we need to focus on our character.

Dissecting Quotes #10

         This is the tenth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"A man who wants to lead the orchestra

must turn his back to the crowd."

-Max Lucado

          Leadership is quite a precious thing, those of us who are leaders know what it is like to be looked up upon. It can be stressful for leaders when they are in charge or are being followed by others. But it can also be very profitable, leaders are the ones that become famous and the ones that are praised for victory or success. There is a way normal people become leaders, and the ways can be different for every person. One popular way, as Max Lucado said, is to go your own way, not to follow the crowd. The crowd follows, and you become one of them when you join the crowd. In order to be a leader, you need to not follow the crowd, but to go your own way, provided your way is appealing to others and is profitable for others. There are ways to come about being a leader, and while they are not necessarily impossible, they are not simple. We need to have determination and desire to reach the top and be someone who is looked up to as an individual.

Dissecting Quotes #9

        This is the ninth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"Always desire to learn something useful"

- Sophocles

         Desire can be a powerful thing. It can move mountains, and can alter lives forever. If used properly, desire can change the world for the better. If we as humans have the desire to learn, we can use what we learned to not only help others but to help the world. If people desire to profit from learning, they can change their mindset for the positive. We should learn to learn better, as it can help us and others. 

History of Pumpkin Pies

         Today, I baked four pumpkin pies for a Thanksgiving dinner we are having. After, as the pies baked, I wondered how the pumpkin pie had come about. I assumed the pie has always been around, just like rocks and dirt. But after doing some research, I found out the pie as we know it today has only been around for some 400 years.

         All the way back in 1651, a Frenchman published a cookbook called Le Vrai Cuisinier Francois. In this book, the cook tells how to bake the pie. The recipe is very vague, like the recipes of that time period. All he calls for is pumpkin, some milk, spices, and whatever else opinions want to add. The pie recipe must have been brought over to America, for in 1796, a cookbook was published in America called American cookery, by an American orphan. This cookbook explains the pumpkin pie as we know it today, with delicious spices and a creamy filling.      

  

        Pumpkin pie can be amazing to eat, unless it is made without dedication and contains the wrong ingredients. The best way to eat these pies, personally, is with whipped cream and a tall glass of milk. I hope all of the pies eaten this holiday season are good and filling.

Dissecting Quotes #8

        This is the eighth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go

 back to its old dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. 

          The mind is an amazing thing. One second it can be changing humanity for forever, the next it can be dumb. The mind is influenced by everything around us, every little detail and experience. With these experiences, the mind is in a new state, the old cannot be achieved again. So good choices create a good mind, and bad choices create a bad mind. The choices we make should be made with our brains in mind.

Doing the Right Thing

          On Veterans Day, I participated in a school clean-up with environmental club. During the clean-up, about an hour in, one of my friends found a bunch of progress reports strewn about. He brought them over to where we were and I straightened the papers and put them in a bag. I noticed that on the reports, I could see the students grades and also their address. This is not a good thing for a school to be making available to the general public; anyone could have walked on the campus and found those reports. I walked the reports down to the office, but I doubted anyone would be there, being Veterans Day. We knocked on windows and peeked through doors, and finally one person opened a door and asked us what we needed. We told him what happened and where we found the reports. I set them down on a chair and walked back to my friends.
          On the Monday after Veterans Day, I went to the office before school and asked a lady if the reports went to the right person. She said they had not been moved, and so she asked me for my name and where I found the reports. I told her the information, then went to the class I had for first period. I thought about what I had done, and inside I felt good, like I did the right thing, which I did. I could have done multiple things, I could have thrown the papers away, I could have went to the media and told them, or I could have left the papers where they were when we found them.
          I know it can be hard to do the right thing, but if we ever find our self in a situation where we could do multiple things, make the right decision, not only will you feel good about yourself but you will help someone else by making their life easier.

History of Capture the Flag

          Today during cross-country, I played capture the flag. I had not played this game in a while, and when playing with runners, is exceedingly difficult. I thought back to all the times I had played this game, and when I thought about it, I realized capture the flag is a classic game. The game supposedly originated when soldiers would capture the enemies flag. When the flag was captured, it was a sign that the war was won. My guess is that when soldiers came home from battle, kids would hear stories about the soldiers battle, and then want to "fight" themselves. I personally think that the game evolved through the ages, and became what it is today.

Extreme Capture the Flag

         The game is very fun, and can be an action packed battle to the end, or can be a lame stare down for the whole time. The game I played today was an action packed one, as one can imagine with 30+ runners. I am not the fastest in sprinting, so I was not able to ever get the flag. Our team won, however, with a mad dash right before the game was over. It is a game to remember, and one not limited to children.

Dissecting Quotes #7

         This is the seventh edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to

open it and remove all doubt."

-Unknown

         I have heard this quote before, but never really thought about it until now. What it is talking about is opinions of people, how people judge based on bias. The first part of the quote, "Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool," describes how a person could go about life. Those who are quiet, all of us have met them, are regarded in the eyes of others as respected and even possibly intelligence.  But the second part, "than to open it and remove all doubt," describes how if a person talks and is foolish in doing so, is thought to be a fool. Contrasted to the one who is regarded wise and is respected, I do not think any one of us wants to be a fool. So before we speak, think about what we are about to say. Is it the wisest thing to say in that situation?

Daylight Saving Time

What is it with Daylight Saving Time (DST)? Why do we get so worked up about one hour change? And how did DST start? All your questions will be answered in the following article.

          Back in 1895, a man by the name of George Hudson proposed the idea of setting the clocks forward for the summer time, giving more light to enjoy. While accepted by many, DST was not started in many countries, mainly ones that already receive a tremendous amount of sunlight. One of the other reasons DST was accepted was the lower cost of electricity in the summer days. While this sounds like a great savings, in reality, only four dollars a day is saved. However, over 400 billion is lost in the week following the jump to DST because of tired workers. This past time change, the time went from 01:59 to 1:00, adding one hour to the day. This helps those who need to catch up on sleep, but can be disastrous for those who set their clocks an hour ahead. Many different regions do not follow DST, such as Arizona and Hawaii. In Arizona, there is a region who does follow DST, which has a region inside that does not follow DST. This confusion can be explained in the picture below. The pink is non-daylight saving time zone, and the yellow is. As you can see, there are tiny pockets in regions who do not follow or do follow DST.

Arizona's Crazy Timezones

         While many of us may never really understand DST, I hope the short article above answered some questions. Even though every year the same thing happens, there are still people who cannot get used to a hour change. DST is a confusing concept, but if one really wanted to, they could master why and how DST works. 

Dissecting Quotes #6

         This is the sixth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"Beauty and folly are old companions."

-Benjamin Franklin

          Beauty could be classified as how a person looks. Or, it could be classified as how a person acts. Whatever it could be, beauty has been sought after for ages. Folly, I hope, has not been sought after, but with the search of beauty, many find folly. Folly is a foolish decision, a costly risk that ends with failure. Most people do not think about folly when they think about beauty, but sadly, both beauty and folly could be related. As Franklin said, beauty and folly being old companions means they are related. Beauty could lead to folly, contrary to the beliefs of most people. I want us to think about whether we are in search of beauty and to think if it could lead to folly.

Dissecting Quotes #5

        This is the fifth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"Begin to be now what you will hereafter."

-William James

          Change is hard. I grew up being home schooled, and then for high school I jumped right into an environment I had never been apart of. It was a big change, but a change for the better. According to William James, a notable psychologist, the easiest way to change is to act how you want to act. The first part of the quote, "Begin to be now," describes how if we want to change, we must start at that instant. Putting off change will never change anything except make you more lazy. What will happen to us if we start to change is said in the second part of the quote, "what you will hereafter." If we start to act how we want to act, it will be easy to change. This reminds me of when I was little, I would have a hard time falling asleep. My parents used to come into my room, and to get them not to talk to me, I would pretend I was asleep. It usually worked, not only did my parents not talk to me, but I fell asleep. I hope that if any of us want to change, we will realize we have to start today.

Success

          This cross-country season, after a hard workout, the team was informed that our coach had passed away at his house while we were running. It was a devastating shock to our team, and we all miss him. My coach was an ex-navy seal, and knew a lot about life. Right before he left, he passed out a sheet about success. I read the sheet, and it is really a great guide to achieving success. This is what the sheet said:

True success is rare. It's tough to come by, and difficult to maintain. But here is a formula you can use to help your chances in any of life's endeavors.

1) Discover your passion. This is the easy part-but also the most important. Follow your heart. What do you enjoy doing? What are your interests? What are your goals?
2) Discover and map out EVERY step you will need to take to achieve excellence in this area. What do the real pros in this field do to reach the top of the mountain?
3) Be willing to work twice as hard as you think you will have to in order to achieve your goals. It probably will be.
4) Pick yourself up after the inevitable hiccups along the way.
5) Be tough.
6) Don't quit-unless you have honestly determined that by doing so, it serves the greater good for the greatest number of dynamics in your life.
7) Keep your eye on the goal. This is perhaps the most important factor in ultimately achieving your goal.
8) When you come to a fork in the road-take the way less traveled. Challenge yourself. It takes courage to be great. And then find the time to help someone else while you're on your way.
9) Realize that at the end of the day, the person whose face you see in the mirror will often be your harshest critic. So, don't forget to be your own best friend.
10) Make yourself proud. You can't change the past, but there is always the future. Make it a good one. It's entirely up to you! 

I hope this guide will help all of us achieve success, whether it be in the workplace or with our family. I have tried to use this guide in my life, and, while it is hard, I have achieved a little more than I would have.

Tips on How to Avoid Social Awkwardness

          For quite some time, over five years, I have been socially awkward. I have been that person who would not show much interest or care in conversations. If someone gave me a hug, I would pretend to hug back, offending the other person. This year, my awkwardness was magnified in a party where I did not talk to hardly anyone. I was almost at the point of tears when I left, and I do not cry easily. Many people have commented about my awkwardness, and I would shrug it off like it was nothing. I got to a point where I didn't want to have out with people outside of school. My friend, whom I met in my freshman year, decided to write up some tips to avoid awkwardness. So, without her permission, I copy her tips. Some are painstakingly obvious, and others are questionable, but I hope the guide helps.

1) When someone greets you, look at them, smile, and greet them back.
This one is pretty straightforward, just use manners our moms taught us.

2) When someone gives you a hug, give one back.
I know I used to have a problem with this, but I tried to get over it, and know I have gotten better.

3) Do not show your awkwardness, ever.
Doing this will result in an awkward conversation, which you initiated, making you awkward.

4) Do not use too extreme academic vocabulary when having a casual conversation.
I did not realize I was doing this until it was pointed out. I used too big of words, words the average Joe would not understand. I realize now that contributed to my awkwardness.

5) Never admit to anything too personal that it can result in people thinking you are awkward and strange.
This basically says not to admit anything that people would find shocking or could gossip about.

6) Make guests at your house as comfortable as possible.
Without following this simple rule, a person could lose some friendships and become more awkward.

7) Keep a nice posture. Do not be ungraceful.
Try not to be clumsy and do not stumble around.

8) Participate in sports.
Straightforward, unless you have a valid excuse.

9) Do not randomly pause in a conversation.
Doing this will make the other person uncomfortable, making you awkward.

10) Be comfortable while in a group.
Do not look nervous or shy. A relaxed laugh shows you are not awkward.


         These are the tips she wrote up for me. I hope some of you will be able to use some of these tips to avoid awkwardness while hanging out with friends. 

Dissecting Quotes #4

         This is the fourth edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking.

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."  

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

         Life is a struggle. I have been alive for a short while compared to most, and while I have it easy, I can tell how hard life is. Sometimes the best way to learn is to make mistakes. Experimenting makes mistakes easier than any other way I know. In this quote, Emerson says, "All life is an experiment," which shows and proves the point that life is a learning process. The second part of the quote, however, explains the application of this quote, saying, "The more experiments you make the better." This, to me, sums it all up. With mistakes and failures, we can learn and not repeat what we have done before. Experimenting can be a good thing, if it is not misused or taken advantage of. We all should learn from this quote that we as humans are going to make mistakes, it is inevitable. The ones who succeed, however, are the ones who get right back up and learn.

Dissecting Quotes #3

         This is the second edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking. 

"People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged

sooner or later to find time for illness."

-John Wanamaker

          Time is a precious thing. We do not think about time, but we are always under time's watchful eye. We can never escape the iron grip time has on our lives. In this quote, by John Wanamaker, he describes what happens to people who do not spare time from their lives to enjoy and have some fun. "People who cannot find time for recreation," means that people may make excuses about not having the time to do this, or to do that, but when they do not make that time, they may get mentally or physically ill. The second part, "...are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness," explains that people need recreation and fun, and without that crucial aspect of their life, they may become ill. The illness described here could be both mental or physical illness, or could just be talking about one type of illness. But aside from that discrepancy, illness is not a fun thing to have. This quote should speak to us, having us make time for doing the things we love. If we do not listen to our what our heart wants, we set ourselves up for illness, something no one wants.   

Dissecting Quotes #2

          This is the second edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking. 

    "Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary,
   great minds with the ordinary." - Blaise Pascal

          This quote, personally, is a good one. I like how it not only speaks the truth but also subtly gives instruction on how to develop a great mind. The first part says, "Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary," which, to me, speaks the truth. I know from my own experiences, I have wanted to change something, to make an amazing product, or develop an astonishing idea. It was here that I was concerned about extraordinary things, as the quote says. But as I became a high schooler, and even just in the past year, I have started to look at the smaller things, the hidden and concealed problems.
          As the second part of the quote says, "great minds with the ordinary," I have been trying to think outside the box, but not so far outside I cannot see the box. I am not trying to say I have a great mind, which I do not, but to possess a great mind, one has to work at developing it. It is here that I have been trying to work, working to stimulate my brain, and thus possibly achieve more than was originally possible. With this quote, I hope all of you can take away what I took away, not to be concerned with gigantic problems or ideas, but to focus on the small ones, the ones that will get us far.

Moral Decisons

          In society, citizens are at different stages of their lives. Noted psychologist,
Dr. Lawrence Kohlberg developed a scale to measure the stages of moral development. His
theory became popular when text book author Foigel wrote an article about him. Wrote in
1996, the article talks about the development of the scale used by Kohlberg. From stages
1-6, starting at one with selfish desires and ending at 6 with sacrifice. Rating citizens,
society can measure where individuals are at morally.

          The first stage, stage one, the individual is thinking only about themselves.
Called the "Me" stage, this stage is one young children are in. Punishment, however, does
help the child learn what is acceptable. The only decisions are decisions made based on what
is fun or desirable. The individuals in this stage act without thinking but do not like
punishment, so their decisions are based on punishment as well. They feel as if they must
obey to succeed. This stage is not a desirable stage to be in over the age of 5.
          The next stage, stage two, the individual is thinking about themselves and one other
person. Known also as the "Me + you" stage, the person is thinking about themselves and one
other person.This stage is defined by personal reward, thinking only about what is in it
for themselves. To them, there is no right or wrong and do not consider others points of view.
People in this stage are typically in the preschool age range.
          The third stage, also known as the "Me + family and friends" stage, is defined by the
individual wanting to please others.Typically having 5-12 year olds, the individuals want to
fit in, wanting to be a good boy or a good girl. Above all else, kids in this stage want to
be a part of a group, whether they rebel against their family or not. The persons in this
stage want to do good, but do not know what is right or wrong. The conscience of this person
makes wrong choices but is essentially moral. Because the individual does not know right from
wrong, this is not a desirable stage to be in.

Kholbergs Moral Decisions

          Stage four, the law and order stage, is known as the "Me + Society" stage. Humans in
this stage accept responsibility and show respect for authority. Individuals in this stage conform
to rules in society, hoping to become a good citizen. If an individual is in this stage, they
can be an adequate role model for others. A society needs at least 80% of citizens in this
stage to be successful.
          In stage five, known as the "Me + Welfare of others" stage, individuals look out for
the better good of others. People in this stage are willing to take risks and strive to benefit
society. They want to advocate change and are willing to work to make a difference. Individuals
use their talents and time wisely. A society should have 20% of citizens in this stage, people
who step up as leaders. This brings us to the final stage.
          Stage six, the final stage, is known as "Me + Sacrifice". This is when an individual
gives up comfort and safety to preserve human dignity. There are a very few of these people;
some examples include: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Medal of Honor recipients and a few others. These
individuals are the people who are internationally famous and strive to change a major problem. 

          These stages reflect on who a person is, and where they are at morally. We are human because
we have an ability to reason, whether we use it or not. An individual cannot skip stages, and moves
up or down a stage when 60% or more of decisions reflect the other stage. What I want all of us
to think about is where are we at morally. Do our decisions reflect a 3 or a 5? Do we strive to
make morally correct decisions? What could we do to change?

Dissecting Quotes #1

             This is the first edition of the series "Dissecting Quotes", where I choose a quote and briefly describe what I think the quote means and how to apply it to our everyday lives. I hope the insight a high schooler can provide can help brighten a day or get you thinking. 

"Believe you can, and you're halfway there."

- Theodore Roosevelt

             Personally, to me, Theodore Roosevelt said a lot of great quotes, ones that are easily applicable to lives. This one in particular speaks to me in an encouraging way. There has been many articles and books written on how being optimistic does more in achieving goals than anything else. Believing is the first step to achievement, because, if a person does not believe, they do not have a desire to achieve the goal, so they are less likely to even start pursuing the goal. In this quote, Roosevelt says that believing is half of the work, because, if an individual believes in themselves, the rest will be easier because they are motivated. This is a key step in reaching the goal or desire the person may have.

             Applying this quote to our lives could be easier than many of us may believe. The main point to take away from this quote is when we believe, anything is possible. Meaning, being pessimistic is not the best way to go about achieving a goal. Instead, the best way is to have a positive attitude and above all else, know you can.

Orgin of the word "Blog"

               Nowadays, people all over the globe talk about blogs, describe what they read in a blog, get excited over blogs and cry over blogs. But where did the term "blog" really come from, and when?

               In the mid 90's, 1997 to be exact, John Barger used the term "weblog" to describe an online log. Jokingly, Peter Merholz used the phrase "we blog" on the side of his blog, Peterme.com and soon after shortened to "blog". By 2000, the phrase blog described an online log an individual updated on a regular basis. Blogs fought their way into common conversation by growing at a extremely fast rate, peaking at 156 million public blogs. Those of us who use this word on a everyday basis never stop and think about how the word has only been around for 14 or so years. Much like YouTube and Facebook, Blogs have become a world-wide phenomenon; a platform where everyone from businessmen to cooks, from sports stars to medical geniuses, and from everyday people like us to senators and congressmen.

               I hope everyone of us, upon hearing the word "blog" would stop and think about when and how this phrase originated.

Introduction

            Hello, my name is Andrew and this is my blog. I hope you like the interface, it is the most free, easiest to use program on the Web. First, a little bit about me. I was born and raised in Southern California, where I currently reside. I have two parents that love each other and three younger siblings. I like to run and I also have been playing baseball since I was four years old. I attend church regularly and am on my youth group's leadership board. I am a honors student at school, and strive to achieve the best I can. This blog is the result of an idea I have had for quite some time now, over a year. I decided today to go right ahead and start. The blog itself will never get to be that great, although I would like it to. Thanks for reading.