[Free] A Dream Deferred

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

 

     Instead of a free post this week, we are to write about what happens to a dream that is deferred, or put to the side.  I believe that a dream deferred stinks like rotten meat that you can't get rid of.  Let's say that this stink is in your house and it stays there forever. You can still go throughout your life without any problems, but the smell will never go away.  It will always constantly be there and remind you of that dream,and how you never achieved it.

     For example, one of the most sought after dreams in the entire world is to become a sports star.  However, this is one of the hardest goals to accomplish.  Let's take Bob as an example.  Bob grew up around football, and he loved to play.  Bob got really good and even got a partial scholarship to play at college.  Unfortunately, Bob never got drafted to the NFL.  His dream has failed.  Bob becomes a banker and it pays well so he decides to stay with it for a while. Bob is happy, but he still remembers how he could not achieve his true dream.  Every time he watches football on tv or talks about it with his friends, it reminds him of how he couldn't make it to the big time.  Bob's dream of becoming a professional football star will never be forgotten.  A dream deferred never goes away.  It will stay with you forever, deep down in your heart.

[RE] Boring?

I found this quote from Peter's Blog.

Everyone always says that Alameda is hella boring.

    I agree to this quote to a full extent. I like Alameda. I think it's a nice small city, but has all the essential things like grocery stores, and restaurants and things like that.  I agree with Peter when he says that Alameda is very relaxing and it's good that everyone knows each other here.  Also, Peter states "I for sure would consider coming back here when I have a family. I think Alameda is a really nice place to live with a family."  When I grow up, I want to travel around the country and experience the lifestyles of other states.  However, when I settle down with someone and want to start a family, Alameda seems like a great place to do so.  It is a great little community.
     Towards the end of his posts, Peter says the one bad thing about all of this, "Alameda is hella expensive."  This is so true.  I feel that there is not much that you can do in Alameda if you don't have money.  There are some public places like parks and beaches, but that is not enough.  Every major attraction in Alameda requires spending money.  One of the places that make the most money is the Alameda Theatre.  It is very expensive.  It is like eight dollars for matinee, eleven dollars for a normal ticket, and thirteen dollars if you want to see a movie in 3-D.  The restaurants around Park Street also make a lot.  Some of them have student lunch discounts, but their prices are normally unaffordable for the average high school student.  Alameda is great, but not easily affordable.

[CE] Quake

I just found this interesting news story.

Hundreds more feared dead after quake strikes the eastern Van province, causing buildings to collapse.

     An earthquake with a 7.2 magnitude hit Eastern Turkey.  It is estimated that around two hundred people died or were injured because of it.  Almost fifty buildings collapsed in the cities of Van and Ercis.  Helicopters were dispatched to scout out the remote villages in the area. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the village of Tabanli.  Rescuers worked hard to rescue everyone who was trapped.  Some families even tried to dig out their loved ones with their bare hands.  In Van, it is said that at least fifty people had to be taken to the hospital.  In Ercis, an entire dormitory fell because it was standing on a geological fault line.  There were also a few aftershocks after the initial earthquake.
     This story is very relevant to me. Living in California, there is always the danger of an earthquake going off at anytime.  Alameda is pretty close to the San Andreas Fault, where a lot of earthquakes occur.  Just last Friday, two earthquakes happened in one day.  They went off only about six hours apart.  My dad said that many small earthquakes is a sign that a very big one is on its way soon.  I really feel bad for the people in that area of Turkey.  I can't imagine what I would do if an earthquake that strong went of near me.  Knowing that an entire dormitory could be taken down from an earthquake really scares me.  Most of the day, I am in school, so if an earthquake did go off, I would most likely be in school, so I hope it's sturdy enough.

[Free] TBBT

     I just started watching The Big Bang Theory.  In my opinion, it is a great show.  The Big Bang Theory is a comedy series which showcases the lives of four physicist, and a girl who live across the hall from two of them.  The main focus of the show is Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter.  Sheldon is one of the most briliant minds of the 21st century.  He knows everything there is to know about science.  He constantly corrects everyone and goes into way too much depth whenever anyone asks him a question.  Sheldon has super OCD or something like that.  He always gets super angry and starts twitching whenever he doesn't get his way. 
But the most significant thing is the love for his spot.  Sheldon never lets anyone sit in his spot.  It is his one unchanging aspect in a universe that is constantly changing.  In the show, Sheldon states, "  In the winter that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer, it's directly in the path of a cross-breeze created by opening windows there and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide as to create a parallax distortion."  Also, Sheldon pretty much has to emotions. Although curious, Sheldon has no intentions of having sexual relations with anyone, or what he calls, coitus.  Sheldon is my favorite character because he is so funny.
Well that was a lot about Sheldon...stay tuned for more on tbbt.

[RE] NDSSG

This is a nice post from David's Blog.

One show that was really amazing, but stop airing was a show called: Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

     This was one of my favorite shows as a kid and I'm really sad that they canceled it.  I think I have seen every episode they made for this show.  Ned Bigby, the main character, gives all of us kids helpful tips on how to survive school.  His two best friends are Jennifer "Moze" Mosely and Simon Nelson Cook "Cookie".  They go to James K. Polk Middle School.  It is kind of a fantasy school where crazy antics occur every day.  I one hundred percent agree with David when he states, "This show is very weird."  One of their friends is the Janitor, Gordy.  He spends all day streaming videos or trying to catch a pesky weasel.  This show also incorporates all of the middle school/ high school stereotypes. There are two main bullies.  Loomer and his two buddies, who harass Ned and Cookie every day, and the Huge Crew, who terrorize everyone.  Then there is Suzie Crabgrass, the sports star, most popular girl who Ned is desperately in love with.
     I can't believe they canceled this show.  From what I know, it was pretty succesful in its three seasons.  I guess the most logical reason is that the actors were getting too old.  The show's last season was when they were in eighth grade,so it would probably be hard to transition into high school.  This show was different from most other shows during the time.  I could really connect to it because it was all about school.  I loved all the tips that Ned gave us.  He had some very useful ones such as lockers and procrastination, but also some goofy ones like April Fool's Day and dodgeball.  Maybe there will be another show like this in the future.

[CE] Crash

This is an interesting news story.

     Former champion from UK dies from his injuries during a massive 15-car pile-up during Las Vegas Indy 300 race.

     A fifteen car pile up?  I have never heard of anything like that.  Dan Wheldon's car was sent up another car and hit the catch fence that protects the crowd.  Wheldon was only thirty three, and he previously was a series champion and won the Indy 500 in 2005.  Three other drivers were also injured during the crash.  Wheldon did not immediately die from the accident.  He was quickly airlifted to University Medical Centre, but his injuries were two severe.  He died about two hours later.  After hearing of Wheldon's death,  all the other drivers took a commemorable five laps around the track in his honor.  People say that this crash was like a scene out of a movie.  Parts of cars were found nearly halfway down the straightway of the track.  Danica Patrick, a famous driver, said, "It was like a movie scene which they try to make as gnarly as possible.''  Another said that it looked like a scene from a Terminator movie.
      Dan Wheldon was a legend.  It was a horrendous loss for IndyCar racing.  Driving is a very dangerous sport.  The cars are always so close together and one false move or slip, can easily cause an accident like the one that killed Dan Wheldon.  I'm very sad that Wheldon died, but im glad they did the five laps in honor of him.  But, it says in the article that the driviers had to manuver through the debris on the next lap.  So did they continue the race?  Because that would be pretty messed up.  I dont know the rules of racing, but when something like this happens, everyone should stop immediately.  I hope nothing like this ever happens again.

[CE] Hero or Villain?

This is an interesting news story.

At least eight people killed in hair salon near Los Angeles by man described as a former member of the armed forces.

     A man walks in a Seal Beach hair salon and opens fire on everyone in the salon.  Eight people were killed and others were injured.  This man is said to formally be part of the US armed forces.  Fortunately, the suspect, a forty two year old man, was apprehended by the authorities a few miles from the salon.  The local media reports say that the man was carrying multiple weapons and wearing full body armour when he attacked.  A witness said the man told the police he had rifles in his car and a knife in each of his pockets.  People believe that the reason for the murders is that the killer was in the middle of a custody battle with his former wife.  According to colleagues, the wife was an emplyee in the salon.  Sergeant Bteve Bowles from the Seal Beach Police Department states "We do feel confident at this point that we do have the single and only suspect in custody."
     I am always so sad to hear stories like these.  I don't see why so many innocent people always have to die.  What was wrong with this guy?  I mean, he was in the armed forces.  These people are supposed to be the heroes of our country.  The most respectable people there are.  But not this man.  He is a straight up villain.  Furthermore, this shooting was completely illogical.  The report does not say if he actually killed his ex wife or not, but what would that even accomplish?  He is going to go to jail so he won't get custody of his child.  All this man did was guarantee the custody to the ex wife.

[RE] Out of this World

I found this quote from Nick's blog.

All I want to do is hurt and kill people, but I'm not even mad at the moment. I don't like this feeling.

     I have been really interested in Nick's series of free posts lately.  I always look foward to the story he is going to write next.  Nick's free posts have been about different characters who stronlgy feel the need to kill.  However, they are kind of confusing.  For example, in your most recent post, Bellintelia, what is the main character? I just feel that you need better charcter development, even though it is just a short post.
     In Bellintalia, the main character is Bellamy.  Oh, by the way, what's up with your choice of names?  Bellamy, Iteria, Caterina.  They are so out there and weird.  Well anyways, back to the story.  I am assuming that Bellamy is not a human, but if he is, it is in a futuristic environment.  In the start of the second paragraph, Nick says that Bellamy is able to teleport right outside of Iteria's house, then directly inside it.  This portrays that either Bellamy is an alien with teleportation powers,  or that he is a futuristic human who had technology that allows him to teleport.  However, later in the story, Nick states that Bellamy's weaposin if choice is a knife, and that he is using an ipod.  These seem really old fashioned compared to the fact that Bellamy can teleport.
     Nick's stories are interesting, but they are pretty gory and graphic.  He describes how Bellamy teleports behind Iteria's dad, stabs him several times in the skull, then finishes with a stab to the throat.  A little overkill in my opinion.  Next, Bellamy grabs a lighter and burnd Iteria's mom's face in various places, stomps on her ankles, then beats her in the skull with a lamp.  Then, he goes to Iteria, picks her up by only the neck, then throws her back on her bed.  This next part I dont get.  Bellamy teleports to the kitchen, gets another knife, then kills himself.  Why did this happen? I dont know, but these scenes kinda creep me out.  Though I am looking foward to Nick's next free post.

[Free] SC2

     I have been watching a lot of Starcraft 2 videos on Youtube, and one of my favorite commentators, HuskyStarcraft posted a cople videos about new unit that will be added on to the game.  The object of Starcraft is to build the right units in order to defeat your opponent.  There are three playable races in the game,Protoss, Terran, and Zerg each with their unique advantages and disadvantages.  Protoss is my favorite race.  Bizzard, the creaters of the game, released sillouettes of new units that will come with Heart of the Swarm.  Heart of the Swarm is an extension pack to Starcraft 2, similar to Brood War for Starcraft 1. Below are the two sillouettes that Blizzard has currently released.  Unfortunately, so far, there has only been news of a new unit for Terran and Zerg.  Hopefully, Blizzard will also make a new unit for Protoss.

     This is the new Terran unit.  Terran is a human race, with both biological and mechanical units.  This new unit seems to be mechanical.  HuskyStarcraft believes that it is some kind of transformer.  There is a possible outline of wheels on the unit's back legs and shoulders.  Also, below its mouth appears to be a flamethrower, similar to another Terran unit, the Helion, which is a car with a flamethrower in the front.

    This is the new Zerg unit.  Zerg  is an alien race, which has only biological units.  HuskyStarcraft thinks that this could be a changed form of a Lurker.  The Lurker was a very powerful Zerg unit in Starcraft Brood War, and all the Zerg players out there would be very happy if they brought  the lurker back.  However, people who play other races think that Zerg is already too powerful and should not get a new unit.

     I am excited for the Heart of the Swarm extension pack, and I really hope they add in a new Protoss unit.

[BC] The Words of Jobs

     I agree with this quote to a great extent.  I get what he is saying when he states "help me make the big choices in life."  People should live their life to the fullest and make good choices so that when their time comes, they have no regrets.  Steve Jobs had cancer so he knew that he would die soon.  I feel that Steve Jobs made decisions that made him happy and made the rest of his life worth while.  Recently, Steve Jobs knew that he could no longer handle the job of being CEO for Apple, so he quit and passed the job to someone more capable.  "Because almost everything- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."  I completely agree with this quote.  People may live their entire life just trying to live up to expectations and never fail, or always maintain their pride and never be embarrassed, but what does i all account to?  Are people like this really happy?  People can not ever find true happiness if they are always trying to be what other people want them to be.  "There is no reason not to follow your heart."  This quote is exactly what I am trying to say.  People should just live their life doing what they love and what makes them happy.  If people think about how they are eventually going to die and let go of all their worldly concerns, they can truly be happy.
     If I started to follow this advice tomorrow, I would learn a lot about myself.  First of all, I am way too stressed out all the time. I spend too much time worrying about school, doing homework and getting good grades.  Also, I should stop thinking so much about how other people think of me.  I try to act perfect in front of people, but that's not possible.  Everyone has flaws and they are bound to show.  The people i hang out with should accept me for who who I am, and if they don't, then I should not be hanging out with them.  I would learn to accept myself and let go of all my worries.
     Advice that I would give to people about how to "make the big choices in life" is to just live your life.  Do whatever makes you happy and don't worry about what everyone else thinks about you.  When you are faced with a big decision, just go with your gut and follow your heart.  If you follow this, there is no way that you will make the wrong decision.  Steve Jobs quotes " Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."  Don't just always think about the consequences of your decisions.  In the end, nothing even matters when you die.  Live life in the present and do not worry about the future.

[Free] Breakfast

     What do you guys eat for breakfast and how oftem?  I only eat breakfast on weekends.  I know i should be eating breakfast every day, but I just don't have time.  Lately, I have been going to bed really late because I have had so much homework.  Because of this, I wake up late and don't have time to eat breakfast before school.  Some of my favorite things to eat for breakfast are bacon, eggs, and cereal.
     Bacon.  Who doesn;t like bacon.  A crispy, meaty, stick of tastiness thats perfect in the morning.  It is an iconic item in breakfast places everywhere.  Bacon is eaten in many countries all around the world.  In a diner, or at home, bacon is the perfect breakfast food.  My mom makes eggs all the time.  Here favorite kind it scrambled eggs with chinese sausage.  While my mom's eggs are sweet and a little spicy, my dad's eggs are a little spicy and hard.  I greatly perfer my mom's eggs.  Another thing she likes to make are runny fried eggs that go great with toast. 
     Ahh...cereal.  Possibly the most eaten food ever for breakfast.  There is such a wide variety of cereal.  I just love it.  Some of my favorites are Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, and Cap't Crunch.  Although these are super sugary, sweet cereal, i also like the plain Corn Flakes.  I used to eat Corn Flakes all the time whenever I went over to my grandparents house.  On a regular basis, i would never drink milk.  However, I drink a ton of it when im eating cereal.  Breakfast is a great meal and I can see why people say its the most important meal of the day.

[RE] 85

I found this quote from Nick Collin's blog.

Are the New England Patriots treating Chad Ochocinco fairly? I don't think so. The Patriots are barley letting Ocho have playing time.

     I have to disagree with your opinion.  I feel like the Patriots are giving Ochocinco as much playing time as he deserves.  He has not yet earned his spot as a starting receiver for the Patriots.   He is just not the same wide receiver as he was on the Bengals.  Just two weeks ago, the Patriots played the Bills.  Chad was playing in the fourth quarter with about eight minutes left to go.  Tom Brady threw a perfect TD pass to Chad, but he dropped it.  The Patriots were able to later score a touchdown, but it took up five more minutes.  The Bills had just enough time to kick the game wining field goal as time expired.  If Chad Ochocinco were to catch that ball, the Patriots could have gotten the ball back and won the game. This strengthened the doubts on if Ochocinco could still be a top notch wide receiver.
     He was on the Bengals his entire career and now has to learn an entirely new play book.  New plays and a new play book is hard to adjust to in a short period of time.  Also, Chad is getting old.  As Nick said, he has been in the NFL for 11 years, and he is now 33.  Last season with the Bengals was one of the worst seasons of his career, even though he started in almost every game.  Nick said that in 2006, he lead the league in receiving, but that was five years ago.  He is not the same player now.  Hopefully, Chad Ochocinco will soon learn the team better and earn his starting spot.

[CE] Obama bin Laden

I just found this interesting news post.

     Obama administration contends release would harm national security in response to freedom of information request.

      Obama thinks that releasing the pictures of bin Laden after he was killed would damage national security and lead to attacks on the US.  It is said that the CIA found 52 photographs and videos of what happened the day he was killed.  Some argue that now revealing the pictures is a "political decision" and goes against the laws of freedom of information.  The Navy SEAL team that carried out the assault on bin Laden said that if the photos were released, it could put them in danger because they would be more easily recognized by enemy troops.  One man from the CIA said the photos might be too "graphic".
     I strongly feel that the photos and videos should be released.  So far, there has been no hard evidence that bin Laden was even killed.  The only people that were there was the Navy SEAL team that killed him.  They held a burial at sea for bin Laden instead of taking hid body back to the US.  The photos are the only real proof that he was actually killed.  Furthermore, I don't think that releasing the pictures would endanger anyone.  If terrorists know bin Laden is dead, then I don't think knowing the US showed pictures of his death would make them any more angry.  As for the Navy SEAL team, Obama could at least just release pictures of only bin Laden, and not the troops to ensure their safety and hide their identity.  Obama should just give the people what they want and show everyone the photos of bin Laden.

[Essay] What Makes us Different?

The Definitive Characteristic of a Human Being is Technology

     There is nothing on the planet that has better technology than human beings.  Humans have a vastly greater mind than animals, which gives them the ability to invent new things everyday that help us with our everyday lives.  We have technological advances in electrical, and non electrical inventions.

     Electricity is the biggest difference between human beings and other living beings on this planet.  Humans started with the simple light bulb, then later made very complicated things like computers and televisions.  Computers are one of the most advanced things we have to date.  They can hold a ton of memory, play games, and surf the web.  The ability to get on the internet introduces the user to and endless supply of knowledge. Televisions help spread knowledge through various shows, and lead the way to other electronics such as DVDs and video games.  Electricity sets us apart from all other beings on Earth.
     With the use of technology, we can complete tasks with ease that would be very troublesome to other animals.  One example is travel.  Some animals, such as elephants, have seasonal migrations up to 60 miles long.  Where as it would take them up to a day to travel that distance, human could travel 60 miles in about an hour using a car.  Cars were a revolutionary invention.  Before cars, people would travel using horses, which were pretty slow, and the horses had to be taken care of.  With the use of cars, we can travel great distances a lot faster than animals.  Many animals live on land and are unable to swim.  They have no way of leaving the island that they live on.  Humans have planes and boats that allow for easy travel around the world.  Also, for close islands, there are bridges that can easily be walked or driven over to get to the other island.  Our means of travel are also a lot safer.  It is pretty rare that a bus full of people would be attacked.  However,  a herd a zebras can easily be attacked by a pack of lions.  Human beings have a lot safer and more efficient means of travel.
     A second example is health.  If humans get hurts or get an infection, they can gop to the hospital and get surgery or medicine to fix the problem.  However, if an animal gets hurt in the wild, they have no way of treating it.  If a lioness breaks a leg, she would have to walk around and take the pain until it heals up.  If she cant walk, she cant hunt, and it could very well lead to her death.  Similarly, if she gets an infection, there is no medicine to stop it, and thats another way she could die.  Humans are also generally cleaner than animals.  We take baths, brush our teeth, and change clothes to keep clean.  Also, we also have clean food and drinks which lowers the risk of disease.  In the wild, food can be left out for a while or infected by bugs before being fully consumed.  Also, water holes could easily be dirty from waste, or just dirt floating in it.  Our health risks are immesely lower then other living beings.
     Technology also give us greater protection, from both weather and other people.  Houses protect us from rain, snow, and heat.  Most houses have heaters for when it's cold and air conditioning for when its hot.  Most other animals, however sleep outside or in a cave.  There is no temperature control and no roof to keep out rain or snow.  Humans also have security systems to keep out possible intruders.  In the wild, if your not paying attention, anything can come into your area.  Our technology keeps us safe.
     Another important way technology has help us is food.  Animals such as storks and nears need to wait and be lucky in order to just catch a single fish.  On the other hands, Humans have boats with which they can go deep out into the ocean.  Using big nets, humans can catch loads and loads of fish in s single day.  In the wild, all food has to be eaten raw.  In modern society, there are stoves, microwaves and spices that allow people to create so many different flavors and dishes that taste so much better than eating it raw.  Human beings also have greater mean of hunting.  Guns enable the user to hunt quickly, and from a long range, unlike animals that have to get close to their prey to kill it and may take multiple hits to take it down.  The way the humans get food are way better than that of animals.
     This brings me into my next topic, guns.  Guns greatly changed the way of humans.  Guns give the ability to kill in an instant.  As said, above, guns help us with hunting, but i feel that it has gone too far.  Ever since they were invented, guns have been used to end conflicts and gain power.  From showdown in the old west to gang battles and wars, guns are used to kill.  Is this really necessary?  I think its crazy.  I have no idea why someone would want to or even have the will to kill another person.  How could they live with themselves for the rest of their life knowing they took the life of someone else.  This is what sets us apart from every other living being out there.  We kill our own kind.  Other animals would never do this.  Sure there are animals that fight for power.  However, the loser accepts his defeat and backs off.  They dont fight to the death like some humans do.  Guns have been a greatly bad influence on human beings.
     The technological advances of human beings is what sets us apart from everythign else.  Humans are the only living beings on Earth that can use electricity.  Electricity and other inventions help us do everyday tasks taht would be very hard without them.  Also, good technology keeps up healthy, or helps us recover our health.  The difinitive characteristic of human beings in technology.

[CE] Copycat

 
 
     So I was searching through the Al Jazeera videos and i found this one.  Don't hate me for this, but I am not very interested in what is happening around the world.  So when i found this video about electronics and the internet, I immediatly knew I would pick it.  This is the first time I've seen anything about Google+, and it seems like it is exactly like facebook.  I personally, have no intension on switching to Google+.  It seems a lot more like a business site, advertising the ability of conference calls.  Also, I dont like the way that google accounts are controlled.  Ever since Google teamed up (or bought) with Youtube, I have had to switch my Google account every time I transition between Youtube and Blogger.  If Google+ makes me make a new account, it be just be way too much hassle.
     I really don't see the reason why anyone would want to switch to this.  It seems to me like after failing to buy Facebook, Goggle just attempted to make their own.  In the video, the man starts out by saying "it looks like Facebook."  All of the features are pretty much the same, such as pictures, groups, and comments.  Another thing is that Google+ only has 25 million "subscribers."  First of all, what do subscribers mean?  Are they users or people who just think it looks interesting and want updates from it.  If people were to join Google+, they would have to get their friends or collegues to join too, unlike Facebook, which already has 750 million users.  i might be wrong, but I do not think that Google+ will be a success any time soon.

[RE] Creepy

I like this quote from Calvin's blog.

It was dark, and by dark, I mean REAL dark.  I literally couldn't see my hands in the pitch-black darkness, even though I placed them right in front of my eyes.  The temperature of the room was surprisingly chilly, as the cold sent shivers down my spine.

     I enjoyed reading this story about a man in a dark room.  It was very descriptive and it responded to the promt perfectly.  While I was reading the story, I really felt like I was in the room with the man.  The unique this about this story is that Calvin modeled it after an actual place.  But whats up with that room that you modeled it after?  I thought it would be a nice bedroom or something because you were talking about a dresser.  However, it was an old abandoned kitchen or something.  I was kinda creeped out when I clicked the link and saw that picture.  But all in all it was a nice story.
     The one thing I would criticize is the ending.  I think you told me that you cut it off or something because it was getting too long, but I feel the story would have been a lot better if you expanded on the ending.  " I was a little apprehensive on turning on the lights, since I didn't know where I was, but in the end, I'll have to turn it on anyways."  This was a real cliffhanger.  I kept thinking about what would happen if he did turn on the lights.  Going back to the picture, the fact that it was like all creepy made me think something would pop out or like a booby trap would go off.  So yea, you should maybe do a free post continuing this story?  I would like to read it.  But good job on this story, i look foward to your future posts.

[BC] Escape

A person is looking for an object in a darkened room

     Once upon a time, there was a young man named Matt.  He was in search for the perfect place to start up his own sauna and hot spring resort.  Unfortunately, another gourp of people had the same idea.  One day, as Matt was hiking along, looking for a hot spring, he was attacked from behind and knocked out. 
     "Hey! Let me go!" Matt screamed as he was dragged down an unknown, dark hallway.  

     He tried to struggle, but the stiff, unbreakable handcuffs restrained him.  The firm grip of a mysterious man forcing him the hall caused Matt to panic.  Where was he being taken?  Matt could faintly see a door in the distance.  He wondered where it led to.  When they reached the door, the man let go and unlocked the two deadbolts on it.  As he threw Matt inside, he said in a deep voice, "Here, you will find the key to your release."

     He looked around, but could not see anything. A large amount of sweat ran down his face and started to dampen his shirt.  The words of the mysterious man kept running through Matt's head.  Why would he be put into a place where we could get free?  Matt knew he had to stop thinking about it and direct his full attention on trying to escape.  His first task, get out of the handcuffs.  Quickly, he made his way to a wall.  He turned around and felt it with his hands.  It was smooth and cold, with a few screws in it.  It must be metal.  Matt scaled the wall, in an attempt to find something useful.  Within a minute, he tripped over a study wooden table and faceplanted on the floor.  Lucky, it was a soft, comfortable carpet.  It was a struggle for Matt to get up without the use of his hands.  He felt aroung the table, it was rough and Matt cringed when a large splinter stuck into his pointer finger.  He quickly pulled it out and could feel his warm blood quickly running down his arm.  Matt searched more and hes extactic when he felt something metal.  It was a key!  Matt immediately tried the key on his handcuffs, but to his dismay, it didn't work.

     It was late, and Matt grew tired.  He had to find a place to sleep for the night.  Continuing to scale the wall, Matt stubbed his toe on something hard.  A ticklish feeling was sent throughout his body and his toe started pulsing.  He inspected the object, and to his amaze, it was a bed!  The bed was soft, and warm; perfect except for the fact that there was not a pillow.  Matt awoke and continued his search.  After finding nothing on the rest of the walls, he slowly made his way to what he figured was the middle of the room.  He heard a dripping sound, like water.  He followed the sound and found the dripping water.  Matt jumped as he tounched it.  The water was burning hot, too hot to drink.  Where was it coming from?  Was it cooking?  Unfortunately, Matt could not smeel and food.  The only smeel was his own body odor whafting throughout the room.  Inteligently, Matt got on his back and gently rolled around so that he would not trip or stub his toe again.  

     After an hour of rolling around, Matt finally ran into something.  It was smooth and wooden.  Felling around, he concluded it was a chest, then later found it had a lock.  A lightbulb immediately lit in Matt's head.  The key!  It must be for this lock.  Matt unlocked the chest and inside was another key!  This time, it did work for his handcuffs.  Matt was free of this bind, but he still had to escape from the room.  He made his way back to the bed and prepared to sleep, ready to get out of the room tomorrow.  The next day, Matt found new life with the use of his hands.  He speedily made his way around the room, searching everywhere.  Reaching up in a corner, he found a shelf with a flashlight on it.  Matt felt that the battery would not last long, so he had to move fast.  Looking around, he could not find any way to escape.  Then he saw it!  the boiling hot water was coming out of an air vent.  Matt now knew how to escape, but he could not figure out how to reach the vent.

     Thinking hard, Matt concluded that his best chance was move the table or the bed.  He went to the bed, but it bolted to the ground, immovable.  The table was not much better.  It was not attached to the floor, but it was immensely heavy.  Matt strained so hard to even move it an inch.  After hours of intense pushing and pulling, he finally got the table under the air vent.  OH NO!  The table is too short.  Matt waves the flashlight around, and then he sees it.  The chest.  It's just big enough to for Matt to reach the vent.  However, right as Matt was about to attempt to open the vent, the flishlight dies.  Again Matt is in complete darkness.  He grabs onto the cover of the vent and pulls as hard as he can.  It comes loose, but when he grabs onto the edge, whe water bunrs his hands.  A stinging felling pulses through his body and his hands start to numb.  Matt powers through the pain and crawls through the vent.  Then he found it.  The source of the water.  It was a hot spring that melted through the vent.  He struggled to make his way out through the super hot springs, but was finally free.  Matt was now able to start up his very successful business and lived happily ever after.  THE END!

[Free] just horrible...

HOLY CRAP!!!!!
     By far the most exciting game of the NFL thus far.  Raiders vs Bills.  Both teams 1-0, playing at Buffalo.  This game got my heart beating so fast.  The first half was dominated by the Raiders.  They took an early 14 point lead, and ended the half up 21-3.  But, during the second half, the Bills come roaring back.  Scoring 21 straight points and taking their first lead of the game.  The two teams each get a touchdown, then the Raiders get the ball back.  Jason Campbell throws a booming 50 yard pass to Moore.  Touchdown Raiders. 
     Janikoski kicks a touchback, so Buffalo gets the ball at the 20 yard line with 3 minutes and 20 seconds left to go.  With one minute left, the Bills convert on fourth down.  With only 18 seconds left, it's fourth down again and Fitzpatrick throws a 6 yard touchdown pass.  Boffalo takes the lead 38-35, only 14 seconds left in the game.  The kickoff is a touchback, so Oakland has to get at least 35 yards for even a chance at tying the game with a field goal.  Campbell completes a pass down the middle, but it's only 24 yards.  They have to go for one last hail mary throw. With one second left on the clock, Campbell launches the ball down the field.  It is intercepted at the goal line.
     I was devastated by this game.  The Raiders were playing so well, then they just fell apart.  I'm just gonna be so bumbed out for the rest of the day.  Hopefully, the 49ers game will cheer me up a little.

[CE] US Open Finals

This is an exciting news story.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic has beaten Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1 to win the US Open final at Flushing Meadows.

     I was not happy about this match because  I am a Rafael Nadal fan.  This match was almost complete domination by Djokovic.  Navak, being the world number 1, was favored, but not by that much. However, Djokovic has been playing great tennis this year, having only lost 2 matches, so it was not a complete surprise that he triumphed over Nadal.  The thing that I am most surprised about is how easily Djokovic won.  Nadal was dominated in every set except the third, where he narrowly won in a tiebreak.  Rafael broke Novak's serve six times, but his own serve was broken eleven times.  This year alone, Djokovic has won 64 matches  and three of the four grand slam tournaments, further extending his first place lead.
     My parents are huge tennis fans.  They watch tennis as much as possible, even recording every match of every tournament.  Whenever tennis is on, they hog the t.v. and I can't watch anything else.  So because of this, I know a fair amount about who's who in tennis. Ever since I started watching tennis, Nadal has been one of my favorite players.  I was super happy when he overtook Roger Federrer for the number one spot, but super sad when he lost it to Djokovic.  Unfortunately, i was not able to see the match because something went wrong with my DVR, and the match did not record.  There were many rain delays during the US Open, which changed the schedual of the games and messed up the tv listings.  My parents were very mad that they didnt get to see it.  Next year, I hope Nadal can comback strong and take back the position of the number one tennis player in the world.

[RE] Where Would You Hide It?

This quote from Steven's blog caught my eye

So the other day as I was flipping through channels on my television, I came across this  show where it is a money game. I think this was how the game was played hide the money and not let the cops find it.

     I watch this show.  It's called Take the Money and Run, and it has become one of my favorite shows lately.  But, first of all, the contestants only hide 100,000 dollars, not one million.  Although I do not think I've seen the episode you were describing about the case getting stuck in the crack, I have seen just about every other episode of the first season.  I agree that it is very interesting how the game works.  There are two professional interigators that work for the show and help the detectives who try to find the case.  The interigators never change, but the detectives are different for each city.  Personally, I don't like the interigators because they are really mean and lie a lot.  Plus they use the same tactics every episode which makes the show somewhat boring. 
     The most interesting aspect of the show is variety.  Each episode showcases a different pair of contestants, each with their own unique ideas of how to hide the case with 100,000 dollars in it.  Some of the contestants were brothers, spouses, best friends, and a father daughter pair.  The hiding spots included in a bush, under woodchips, and in a friend's house.  As Steven said,  the contestants are treated like real criminals.  This is one of the main factors that decides if the contestants win or not.  Each pair copes with the situation is different ways.  Being all alone for 48 hours except for two interigators trying to break you, can take a big toll on your body.  One team actually quit in the middle of the game because the pressure was too much.  All in all, this is a great show and i suggest you watch it.  I cant wait for the next season.

[Free] MNF-1st half

     Are you ready for some football?
     Tonight is the long awaited game between the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos.  These teams are rivals in the AFC West division of the NFL.  Oakland is at a slight disadvantage heading into the game.  For starters, the game is being held is Denver, so the Broncos have the support of the crowd.  Also, the Raiders lost one of their best palyers, Nnamdi Asomugha, to free agency.  However, the Raiders have almost the same starting lineup as last season in which they went 8-8, whereas the Broncos were on 4-12.  The Raiders are one of my favorite teams and i believe that they will pull out a win and start their season off good...
...So far it's been an exciting game.  The first quarter is over and there has already been a couple notable plays.  The first one, unfortunately, was a fumble by Jacoby Ford, a Raider, which led to a field goal for the Broncos.  On the other hand,  a player for Oakland made made a play that is rarely seen in the NFL.  Darryl Blackstock blocked a punt!  This gave the Raiders great field position and an oppertunity to take the lead, or at least tie the game...
...TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS!!!  Three yard pass from Cambell to Reese and Sebastian Janikowski easily makes the extra point to give Oakland a four point lead.  Fumble by Denver and Oakland recovers!  The Raiders again have excellent field position and can further extend their lead.  Fourth down and raining, but Janikowski makes the 37 yard field goal.  Janikowski kicks a 63 yard field goal to end the half, the longest of his career in an actual game.  Oakland leads 16-3.  The Raiders seem to be in good position to take their first game and gain an early lead in the AFC West.
    

[RE] Better Schools

This is a response to Adam Redfield's post.

While I believe education is something that needs serious reforming, I am lost as to what I can do, without hindering my own educational competitiveness, to change our educational system for the better.

      I completely agree with what Adam says.  Us little high school students have no control over what happens with our schools.  Alameda is a prime example of this.  The first time Measure A was voted on, it did not pass.  Luckily, Measure A passed the seond time.  But what if it didn't pass?  Our school system would be in ruins.  I think that two of the middle schools would be closed down and everyone would be jammed into Alameda High School and Encinal.  With the freshmen who came in this year, Alameda High is already packed.  Think of how it would be if two more grades were forced to go to Alameda High. Most  students in high are not even able to vote.  We had no power on if our schools would be saved or not.
     At the beginning of his post, Adam talked about how all of these other countries are protesting to help their schools, but we are not.  California is one of the last states in school funding.  Californians should be the ones protesting the school system.  Another good point that Adam makes is that it would take a lot of time and effort; and without a lot of people, the protests would not be very successful.  I also don't feel as though high school students would have the manpower, or the respectability to pull off successful protests. 
     All in all, I really agree that our educational system needs a lot of reforming.  Also, student should have a say in what goes on in the schools.

[CE] Revenge is a dish best served HOT

I just found this interesting news story

At least 25 people have been killed and several wounded in suicide bombings near a government compound in the Pakistani city of Quetta bordering Afghanistan.

     Al-Qaeda operatives were arrested, and as a result, violent suicide bombings.  The first was a car bomb outside the Deputy Inspector General Frontier Corps residence.  A suicide bomber blew himself up with with the car.  The second bombing was inside a house.  The suicide bomber blew himself up killing many people.  The second bombing took place within five minutes of the first one.  The Taliban took full responsiblity for the attacks.
     I do not see why these bombings were neccesary.  Just because some operatives were arrested, there is no reason why the Taliban need to explode two boms and kill 25 people, while wounding almost 100.  It makes perfect sense that they would be mad because the operatives were arrested, but they just took it too far.  It's not like the bombings will change much.  Violence will only tighten the grip on the al-Qaeda operatives, not lead to their release. The one thing that i dont get is why the Taliban did it.  What did they gain from the bombings?  In my opinion, they should of at least tried to bargain with the people who arrested the operatives and threatened to bomb is the operatives were not released.  I guess now people know the consequences if more operatives are arrested.
     In the future, the Taliban could use these attacks as leverage in another situation.  Suicide bombers can easily blend into the community.  The Taliban can then treaten to blow up the bombs if they cant get what they want.  This is the only logical reason i see for these two bombings.

[Free] CoD

     Call of Duty is one of the most successful game franchises of all time.  It is in the same division as franchises such a Mario and Pokemon.  Call of Duty was a huge leap in the category of first person shooters.  Infinity Ward, one of the makers of the games, revolutionized first person shooters when they released Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.  The new game engine and advances in guns, especially snipers, made Call of Duty 4 a big success.  A year later, Treyarc made the game, Call of Duty 5: World at War.  This game introduced a whole new aspect to first person shooters, zombie mode.  Zombie mode is a separate part of the game where you are stuck in a certain area and you and your team try to survive as long as possible against zombie attacks.  You can find super weapons in zombie mode, such as the ray gun, that do massive damage to zombies and cannot be obtained in the regular game. 
     Infinity Ward came back the next year with a huge hit, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.  This game is the second most sold game in the Call of Duty franchise.  It is best known for its great sniping.  Many people play Modern Warfare 2 to quickscope, which is when you are scoping in with your sniper, but you shoot just before you are fully scoped in and can see ur opponent in your scope.  trickshooting with snipers became very popular and define the game to this day.  The newest game, Call of Duty: Black Ops is not liked by most people because of its difficulty in sniping.  However, it has sold the most copies, mainly because of its advances in zombie mode.  I can't wait until november when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 comes out.

[BC] All About Me

     Hello.  My name is Justin Nguyen.  I was born in Berkeley, and now live in Alameda.  I am fifteen and go to Alameda High School.  My ethnicity is half Vietnamese, one-fourth Filipino, three-sixteenths Spanish, and one-sixteenth German.  My dad is full Vietnamese, and my mom is a mix of Filipino, Spanish, and German.  My dad, his three sisters, two brothers, and my grandparents were forced to leave Vietnam because of the Vietnam War.  They flew to the United States on a US military plane.  My parents met and lived in Hayward before moving to Alameda.
     I am the middle child in my family.  I have an older sister, who is a senior at Alameda High School, a younger brother, who is in seventh grade, and two dogs.  Because my dad has five siblings, I have a lot of cousins.  Every Christmas and Thanksgiving, all of our families get together and have a big party.  Also, every summer, we take a family trip to places such as Hawaii and Mexico.  My favorite family trip was the first time we went to Hawaii.  We went to Maui for my aunt's wedding.  It was one of my first times out of California.  My family rented a giant house that could hold all twenty five of us, equipped with a private pool and a beach not far away. We stayed for a week and all went home happy.  Another really fun trip was when I went to Mexico.  We again rented a big house with a private pool.  However, this house had a beach right in the backyard.  My uncle and me went fishing and i caught my first fish ever.
     I started school when I was 3 at Godfrey Preschool.  The year after I went to Lydecker Preschool, then Amelia Earhart Elementary School.  I stayed at Amelia Earhart from Kindergarten to fifth grade, even though in third grade, I moved to a house closer to Bay Farm.  After Amelia Earhart, I went to Lincoln Middle Scholl, which so far, is my favortie school.  Going to middle school was a big change in pace from elementary school.  It was the first time I had a different teacher for each subject and a free lunch.  As said above, I now go to Alameda High School.  My favorite part of high school is the off-campus lunch.  I can go anywhere around the school such as TapEx, Subway, and sometimes even McDonalds.
     This year in English class, I have many writing goals i wish to accomplish.  The main aspect of my writing I want to improve on is transitions and conclusions.  The ending senteces of my paragraphs and my concluding paragraph were always the weakest of my essays.  Also, in my writing, I would like to be able to write longer, more descriptive sentences with better adjectives, therefore enhanceing my vocabulary.  I want to start writing about sports, especially pro football.  I like to keep up with current trades and who's leading each division,  I'd like to write about them in an analytical way.  I hope you liked learning about me and look foward to my future posts.