My car

About a month ago I got a car, a 1967 Ford Mustang, and here are some pictures of it.

New Orleans Trip

I served in New Orleans the past two weeks. Check out this compilation video:

Hope you like it!

Washington D. C.

Well the past few days I have been in Washington DC, and today I had a great experience I would like to share. We went on a tour of the Capitol, and we had the privledge of not only meeting our House representitive, but also getting to sit in on a meeting of the House. It was here that something cool happened; we witnessed the appointing of a Representative. It truely was a memory I will remember for the rest of my life.

Dissecting Quotes #19

     This is the nineteenth 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. 

"Winners never quit, and quitters never win" 

- Ted Turner 

      Sometimes, life seems like it favors those who are the "winners" and the "losers" are left out of the loop. When we think of "winners" we think of people like Mark Zukerberg, Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Brad Pitt and others. But they aren't necessarily the winners in life, they are just famous. Some other people that are winners are those who help others, those who try to make other lives better. So, some of you may be asking, how do we become these so-called "winners?" The answer is in the quote above; the key is not to quit or give up, but to push through and stay strong. So I hope you all can learn from Turner, and can stay strong through tough times or a hard experience. 

The New Meme: SNL Guy

I just saw an amazing video of a guy in the audience at a Saturday Night Live studio. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NHGeSr3pFE&feature=youtu.be

And he is going to become a new meme:

Saturday Night Live Guy

Studying

             As the school year ends for me, I am faced with some big tests that I need to study for. While I have been procrastinating a little, I have been making steady process. On the internet I found one guide to help study, and it has helped me considerably. You can find this guide at a blog I follow called the Art of Manliness. Now you might be thinking, "I don't go to school anymore, I don't need to study." While you may be speaking some truth, there is much to be learned in our world, much of which can only be learned by studying. I hope you like the guide, and while it is a little lengthy, it contains some valuable information.

How Dog Actions are Similar to Humans

            I think that everyone who has owned a dog at one point gets fed up with the dogs stopping every five feet to pee or just sniff the plants. We think, "dumb dogs, it doesn't matter if you pee or smell the plants." While walking my neighbors dogs while they were on vacation, I got fed up with the dogs stopping every five feet to either pee or smell something. We, as humans, think we are so much more sophisticated than the dogs, but in all reality, we are animals who do some of the same things dogs do. This mentions how dogs are alike to humans in one particular area.

Marking Territory 


            Dogs are known for marking territory. But so are humans, in a different kind of way. First off, humans don't pee on everything to mark where we have been. And we don't need to sniff objects to figure out where others have been and what is who's territory. The way humans mark territory is with objects, whether it be cars, houses, fences, or even clothing that speaks out. These objects let others know who we are and warn others to stay away, because this is MY territory. One of the most major instances of this is a fence, a fence clearly marks who can go where, and there is no doubt left to any neighbors or passerby. People, especially men, buy large trucks or large houses to let others know they live there, and it is their domain. But I am not condoning marking territory, because letting others know your territory is part of human nature, and it would be disastrous to go against human nature.
           So the next time you are out walking your annoying dog, just remember that maybe your dog thinks the same thing when you fix your fence or wear clothing that says who you are.

Dissecting Quotes #18

            This is the eighteenth 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 lifetime of training for just 10 seconds" 

- Jesse Owens 

           Over my short lifetime, I have been actively involved in sports, whether it be soccer, swimming, baseball, or running, I consider myself an athlete. Jesse Owens is one of the fastest men alive, at least he was back in his day. He ran in the Olympics, and if you don't know what the Olympics is, I suggest watching the news every four years. Anyways, Owens trained since he was a kid, all for 10 seconds of running. And while this could be a good sports lesson, it can also be a life lesson. Learning all your life for the one key moment where you can get the promotion, starting your career in a completely different path. Most kids here in the United States are in education for 15-20 years, just so they can have an entry-level job. But the education can pay off, such as in a key situation where a keen response is needed in a timely manner. So while you may think all your preparation is in vain, just have hope that sometime you may need your knowledge and know-hows to get the job done. 

Short Story #3

            This is the third edition of the series "Short Stories," where I write a short story about anything. You can find the first one here, and the second here.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 fiction story, about a high schooler stuck in the middle of the end of the world.

            Here I am, one of the only kids left on this campus, and the world is ending. Who know high school could be so treacherous! There are 5 kids other than me left, and we are all stuck here on this closed campus. I am currently in a building, specifically the science building. I figured this is the best place to spend the rest of my days, considering the world outside the campus is crazy. The people we have left, organized from most helpful to least helpful, are: Donny, Sam, Richard, Sara, and Rachel. Donny is the nerd of the group, and seems to know everything about the end of the world. Sam is the jock, perfect for lifting boxes to protect us. Richard follows my leadership, and does whatever it takes to live. Sara is the prettiest girl I have seen in real-life, and I think she takes a liking to me. Rachel just sits in a corner and cries.

           Our mission for the time being, is to get some food located half a mile outside our campus. The map we have, thanks to Donny, looks like this:

          I devised a plan to get the food; we were to sneak out and come for the food from all the directions. If one of us were to get taken out, the enemy would think they got the only one. Sara and I are just going to keep our position while the others grab the food. The scavengers leave for the food, and we know nothing of what is going on with them while they are attempting to get the food. Two hours later, three of the people come back, all except Richard. But since my desire for food is stronger than my sympathy for Richard, I do not give much care for the death of Richard. I was happy that I was able to get some food, and Sara even gave me a kiss, fueling my desire to live. 

          Thanks for reading this extremely short story about a teen fueled to live.  

Decision Making

            As promised in my previous article, here is my formula for decision-making.

• Whenever faced with a decision, ask yourself these questions as you think through the pros and cons of your decision
• Will this matter in 10 minutes?
• Will this matter in 10 days?
• Will this matter in 10 weeks?
• Will this matter in 10 months?
• Will this matter in 10 years?
• Whichever one, after reviewing this, you think would matter more, then I think that would be the better option. I had a decision to make a while ago, and I used this method. Looking back on it, I am glad I used this formula, because I think my decision was the right one. So the next time you are faced with a decision, refer back to this and ask yourself these easy questions. 

Dissecting Quotes #17

            This is the seventeenth 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. 

"Common sense is not so common," 

- Voltaire 

Voltaire

              Today's society is skewed, we all rely on what others tell us. Sometimes we act without action, and the consequences are horrific. While I myself have not seen common sense gone wrong, I know of others who did not fully think through the consequences before acting. This reminds me of a quote I read in a book, "First with your head, then with your heart." This quote describes how sometimes our gut feeling is not the best feeling, and that it is better to use our brains to think things out before we act or make a decision. As Voltaire, a Enlightenment thinker, said, common sense is hard to come by these days, and he said that 300 years ago! So we should just be reminded to think things through before we decide on what we should do. And be sure to look out for my next article providing my formula for decision-making. 

Dissecting Quotes #16

           This is the sixteenth 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. 

"Start every day off with a smile

and get it over with."

-W. C. Fields

           Boy oh boy, even though my life is going well, everyday can still be a challenge. Whether it be waking up every morning to get to school, or going to bed early enough so I am not tired the next morning, life is full of conflicts. This quote is mocking how hard it can be to smile, so go against what it says and smile for the heck of it. 

Short Story #2

             This is the second edition of the series "Short Stories," where I write a short story about anything. You can find the first one here.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 a few days ago when I tried to sell some baseball coupons in front of a grocery store.  

             For baseball, I need to fund raise to be on the team. I have to sell 10 coupon packs for 20$ each. Most people are not going to want to buy these unless they are relatives or close friends. Having only sold three, I rode my bike to the local grocery store to try and sell some to shoppers. After locking up my bike, I walked to where I would sell the coupons. I went past a homeless person glaring at me as I sat my backpack down. I proceeded to spend 15 minutes asking people if they would like to buy some coupons. Not a single person bought any, and so, being more determined to sell any, I became more aggressive. Then things got weird. The homeless man says to me in a grumpy tone, "Hey kid. Do you mind moving? I'm trying to make a few bucks to live off of." Being the wuss that I am, I move my location down the strip mall a few stores.
            After standing around not even seeing anyone, a lady comes and asks me if the homeless man was giving me any trouble. I said he asked me to move, and then a man from the pizza place comes out and tells me I have a right to be there, the homeless man does not. Fueled with a new confidence, I walk to behind the post where the homeless man is. I start trying to sell the things behind his back, literally. After one sales pitch, I was left standing in a spot where the homeless man could see me. He looked over at me, and he had a mad look on his face, one that made me feel that he didn't like me. A security guard then comes along and tells the man to move. When he moves, I move, going back to my original position. The man, walking away, looks back at me, glaring. I smile, and tip my hat towards him, causing him to turn around and walk away. After another 30 minutes of selling nothing, I decide to leave.
            I unlock my bike, and while doing so, notice a man with a long ponytail sitting on a bicycle, his back perfectly straight. He is not moving at all, and even after unlocking my bike he is still perfecly still. Then I notice it, the video camera on his bike, pointing straight to the entance of the grocery store. Startled, I ride my bike to try and find the security guard I saw earlier. I cannot find her, so I decide to leave as fast as I can, before the man on the bike spots me. I ride home, upset about not selling any coupons, hoping I will be able to sell them by the deadline.

Dissecting Quotes #15

          This is the fifteenth 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.

"What you can do today can

improve all your tommorows." 

-Ralph Marston

          We are always told that live like there is no tomorrow. That can be good advice, but it also can be destructive. If we really did live like there was no tomorrow, we would be in such a hole the next day that we would not be able to survive. Even if we did survive, we would not be able to live like that for long. Ralph Marston disagrees with this statement, he says what we choose to do today can change our future, improving it to how you want it to be. This quote, when reflected upon, is instrumental in everyday decisions and things we do. Some things we choose to do are very near sighted, and if we put our actions in perspective, we would realize that what we are doing is maybe not the best thing to be doing. If we choose to do something productive instead of wasting our time on silly things, our future can turn out to be better and more enjoyable than it would have been.

           

My Half Marathon

           Yesterday, I ran a half marathon in Irvine, California. I went with my girlfriend and my mom, and I had to wake up at 4:50 to leave the house on time. We drove to the check-in at the race, and I received my bib number. We got to the area early, so we waited around for an hour. 20 minutes before the race, I went for a five minute jog. Normally I warm up more, but I did not feel like running before the race. I lined up according to my desired pace, which was around 7:10. There was a little ceremony before the race, and then we walked up to where the starting line was. There was a countdown, and then an air horn was blown. I started off strong, and I got faster the whole race. The race was a little crowded in the beginning, but since I finished in the top 100, the pack thinned out during the whole race. My first mile was around 7:20, and my second was 14:00. I calculated out how fast I needed to run at each mile, and I beat my goal on each mile.

My First Half Marathon

           One of the fun things about running the race is all the people cheering you on. I have four times where I was having a great time running the race. The first is when I approached the second water station, there were 20 or so high schoolers holding water cups and begging me to take one of theirs. I shook my head at a few of them, then pointed at one and took his cup. When I did, he cheered and everyone else groaned. I thought that was funny and it helped me run a little faster. The second time was when I passed a mile marker with 5 girls politely clapping. I raised my arms and they started cheering and one of them said, "Dude, you are awesome." The third time was when I reached a corner of the course, and there was a man with a microphone and he asked the runners, "Are any of you having fun?" to which I replied by raising my arms and smiling. He mentioned my bib number and said, "Looks as if this young man is having fun." The last time was when I neared the last 100 yards and there were tons of people cheering on the sidelines. I knew I was almost done with the race, so I sprinted and beat two people right in front of me.
           I ended up with a time of 1:29 and 17 seconds. This is far better than the 7:10 pace I wanted; I got a 6:49 pace for the 13.1 miles. My legs were aching as I walked around the finish area, but I made up for it by grabbing a whole bunch of cookies and dessert items. I recieved a medal, which looks like this:

My Southern California Half Marathon Medal

           I met up with my mom and girlfriend, who had been cheering me on the whole race. I was glad to see them, and we walked to our car and drove home. The race was great, and I had a fun time running my first half marathon. I hope to do another one again this year, and I hope to break my time.

Dissecting Quotes #14

            This is the fourteenth 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 remember that the future

 comes one day at a time." 

-Dean Acheson

           Many people promise change. Sometimes presidential candidates, sometimes Senators, sometimes parents. We all need some change, and while some change is good, some change cannot be good. Sometimes change is pushed too fast, and there are consequences for the lack of patience. We look too far to the future, but we need to refocus our mentality on today, and when we are able to live each day as a single day, we can get somewhere. We will achieve change, and the change will be good. Unless the change you want to see is destroying the world, or something similar. Just kidding, but even if we are trying to destroy the world, if we live our lives one day at a time, we will see that destroying the world is probably not the best thing to do. So the best thing we can do is to take one day as a time.