It showed promise, carrying the being of a new decade and giving people hope. Even saying “twenty-twenty” seemed to have a lovely ring to it.
I had entered high school as a wide-eyed freshmen, ready to take on the challenges that would hurdle toward me as I prepped for the coming years, and college. After winter break, the year seemed hopefuL, especially after the terrifying California fires the end of 2019 had brought. I was enjoying my classes, made many new friends, and was finding new interests and skills.
But it seemed that the year itself decided to defy these expectations and contradict any hope that we prayed for.
When the news about the beginnings of a new virus rolled around, none of us were prepared for how quickly our everyday lives were going to change. And just how much we were going to lose.
I don’t want to recap everything that’s happened this year because I’m sure that the majority of you are aware of each event that’s led us up to these points. And I’m sure you don’t need someone else repeating the numerous things that we all read or witness in the each news coverage or article.
But I’m not gonna sugarcoat it either. Because-lets be honest- it has been hard, and sad, and just scary. And there are moments where I’ve felt weak and hopeless and wondered “Are we fighting hard enough? Can we come out of this unscathed?”
Before, we didn’t think about whether or not the grocery cart we were pushing around would have germs, or if walking the packed school halls was a potential danger. But now, staying inside and covering our faces is a norm and we must pertain to those rules in order to keep ourselves safe and away from the eager clutches of indisposition.
But enough of all this depressing talk!
Let’s all stay positive and hope for a fresh start in 2021 because we all know we need it.
Speaking of being positive, I want to do a little recap on the good things that I had learned this year, because(believe it or not)this year wasn’t just shrouded with darkness. Because there were little specks of light poking through and making sure all of those storm clouds didn’t take over.
Nothings permanent.
When Covid-19 found it’s way to America, the numbers increased day by day, and before I knew it, I was attending classes online and writing my final essays from my bedroom. Everything had changed so rapidly and quickly that I almost couldn’t believe it. It was surreal in a way, as if I was in a hyperrealistic dream.
But of course I couldn’t wake up.
Quarantine itself isn’t as bad for me, mainly because I spend a lot of my free time at home anyway. But one of the things that hurt me the most during the first few months of Covid was when it was announced that our library was being torn down for good and being replaced.
Of course, the news was well known in our town, plans for renovation and rebuilding circulated for about a year an a half-maybe more-but people protested against tearing down the old library for a long time. But to no avail.
I’ve visited that library since I was little, and it was such a crucial part of me, the smell of books, complete silence expect for pages turning, the big glass windows bringing in streams of light, and the hidden corners in various portions of the building where you could curl up and be with yourself.
The library was there for me when I raged over Algebra homework.
The library was there when I craved a new novel to read and savor.
The library was there when I seeked inspiration for a new contemporary art piece.
The library was there when I needed comfort after a difficult exam.
The library was always there when I needed it most and I will always cherish the countless hours I had spent there.
But the tidal waves of change that this year brought taught me that I shouldn’t be too comfortable in my way of living now, because it can change so fast that your head will spin. But learning that nothing was permanent also brought me to the realization that those little moments from each portion of our lives is like a little gift. A little spark that is shown through our persona and I will forever be grateful for my past experiences, and the fresh starts I’m gifted.
Of course my heart is heavy over the end of our beloved library, but I’m excited for the birth of a new one, and the new experiences it will bring.
2. Take care of yourself physically and mentally.
Now that I’m a sophomore in high school, I have roughly two years before I’m off to college, and this year and next year are crucial times where I have to keep my grades top notch, and take classes that reflect my abilities. So I’ve decided to take classes that are more advanced than the standards. And it’s safe to say that distance learning has made these classes even harder.
My workload for each of my classes has increased substantially. So most of my week is usually spent attending Zoom meetings, suffering, working, and studying for all of my classes.
Each day the teachers assign more assignments than I can keep track of(thus my planner comes to save the day), and by the end of Monday, I have over 15 assignments to finish by the end of Wednesday. And then I get so caught up with all the work that I have to do that I end ups neglecting basic needs, such as eating, drinking water, and taking breaks.
And this bled into mentality as well; what with all the work and zoom classes I’m under, my mood sours as the day progresses, from mental fatigue to stress. So much so that I craved the weekends and off-days.
So I’m learning to relax a little and take it slowly rather then put too much pressure on myself.
But like I said before, I’m working on it đ
So those were the two main lessons I had learned this year, there were many many more things I had learned but these were the things that really effected me.
Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely holiday and lets hope we have a lovely 2021.
WWDC(Apple Worldwide Developer’s Conference), started on June 22 and ended yesterday(June 26th). My dad and I always found the time to watch it when we had the time and see what Apple’s come up with that year. And it always gets me so hyped up to see these awesome new innovations and improvements in devices that are already incredible. This year I watched parts of the live stream event on my own time and I was really happy that they incorporated features that can truly be useful and heighten the functionality of Apple devices even more.
Today I will be listing some of my favorite features that were announced this week during WWDC, and are soon to be released to the general public in autumn.
*Happy Kanmani Noises*
1. Scribble
I use my iPad Pro and Apple pencil a lot; it’s a seriously useful tool for drawing, designing, and writing. As well as creating quality work. It replaces a laptop with the same functionality and gives you so much opportunity to create things seamlessly, and be exposed to everything it has to offer(and there is quite a lot).
The iPad Pro is an amazing tool to create things that can make anything written, drawn, shot, or designed on there, look seamless and professional. And when creativity is allowed to bleed into our projects, then I can completely take the reins and create pieces that can be unique and special. When it comes down to a major project, the most logical case is that the end product is expected by the teacher to be neat and diligently done. Especially if it’s something that’s could effect your grade for the quarter or semester.
And even when you’re not a student, you may find yourself having to do something work related, like a presentation, or an important document. In a work setting, I’m sure you would want to make it look presentable and professional.
So when Apple announced the “Scribble” feature you could probably imagine my excitement.
Scribble essentially takes what you can do with text(that is written on a keyboard)and takes those exact features on handwritten text. The Scribble feature takes the input controls used for typed text and gives you those same options for things you handwrote on your device. Like changing the color, or even copying the handwritten text and pasting it onto a separate document, which automatically turns it into typed text. Not only that, but if you draw a shape, then it will automatically turn into a perfect version of that shape. So all of your illustrations can be clean and on point.
I’m super happy that this actually exists, because I get really meticulous when I have, say, a really important paper due, or a presentation for class. I usually spend a lot of time perfecting my designs and writing if I’m handwriting it on a digital device, and if their hasty scribbles from quickly written notes, then it’s hard to decipher them when I actually go back to study them. I’m really excited to test out this feature and use it to it’s full potential.
2. Widgets
I mostly use widgets for apps that I check in with daily, like WordPress; to monitor my blog. Or basic information like the weather, activity stats, emails, etc. I think widgets are really good for when you want just a quick glance at something, rather than fully opening the app only to have it open for a few seconds at a time. There really great if your in a hurry and you just want to quickly check out what the weather is like, or what the day’s news headline is.
On I03 14, Apple is now bringing widgets onto the Home Screen, where you can immediately have a look at your personal widget(s). Just like before, you can pick which widgets you want, but you can also choose how big or small you want it to be and have it reside on your Home Screen. I also love that you can ‘stack’ your widgets(up to ten!)so you have all of the widgets you want on the Home Screen and easy to access.
3. Automatic Switching
As a person who listens to music a lot, this literally made me want to march up to whoever came up with this an give them a big hug(although under the circumstances we are under now I don’t think that’s a very good idea). I really like use AirPods because you don’t have to deal with cords and the sound quality is great. And I connect them to two of my main devices, which is my iPad and my iPhone. But it’s such a pain to have to switch between the two devices manually.
I know, I sound like a brat, but it’s true.
I’m really happy that Apple has acknowledged the struggles of lazy people like me and have created a seamless way to transition between devices with no hassle.
4. Memoji
I’m gonna be honest and say that I don’t use Memoji that often.
When I’m texting someone(which is also quite rare actually)I usually just use words or cute stickers of my favorite characters like Gudetama(This is not sponsored). But I do use Memoji stickers sometimes, even if it’s not as often as other people. I like the fact that you can express yourself in little ways when you’re communicating with someone, and in fun and silly ways. You can make your messages personal and meaningful with a mini version of yourself.
And in IOS 14, Apple is taking Memoji and making them more expressive by improving muscle structure, as well as adding in new accessories that can shine light on your skills or career. Plus, Apple has added more face options, so you can choose the face that looks closest to how you look right now.
Ah, I can finally make my Memoji have a baby face just like I do in real life.
5. Battery Notifications
Like I mentioned previously, I use my AirPods a lot. I love that both the AirPods and the case have long battery lives, but I always forget to charge them when they are at they’re lowest energy point. So for someone as forgetful as I am, this is definitely something that will be very helpful in the future.
I hope I was able to give you a quick little overview of a few of the great things Apple introduced during their WWDC event this week. This post was really just a chance for me to geek out with you guys about the great stuff Apple is putting out. Who knows what’ll come next? If there’s one thing I want them to do, it’s to have the Apple Pencil be compatible with the iPhone. That would be incredibly cool AND useful…
Well anyway; stay healthy, stay happy, and clean all of your devices!
About a month ago, I got up and dusted off my hard copy of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I had already read the book previously, but my interpretation of the book back then was taken from a perspective in which I was confused and therefore, making assumptions that most likely had nothing to do with Steve Jobâs actual creative process with his development of Apple products.
Anyway, the book got me thinking of how, in the California Steve Jobs grew up in, technology most likely consisted of cord telephones, clunky(yet functional)desktop computers, and an array of other gadgets that were considered new even when computers were introduced before Steve Jobs created his.
But in the California I’m growing up in right now, it’s become the home base for massive companies and incorporations for computing and technology. Everywhere you look on the streets(globally), someone’s holding a device or has something plugged into their ears; or wrapped around their wrist. Apple or not, a lot of people have immersed themselves into the tech they decided to purchase in order to improve or add to their lives. It might be for medical reasons, education purposes, etc.
Technology has also become emphatically eminent in the study and documentation of nearly everything that has happened for the past few decades. It has escalated the way medicine and doctoring is done, and nearly everything we do now circulates with technology. Schools are using them as a basis for education, hospitals use computers and tablets to track patient history and record data, etc.
But we also use our devices in ways that aren’t just for practicality. But for our own little exploits and fun. Like gaming, drawing, creating music, there are so many opportunities to create things that you want to introduce, and maybe even share with others. And that’s what I find really beautiful with the constant evolution of our machinery, is that we can all find new things that we weren’t familiar with before. Like trying out a new program, or learning how to code. Or maybe creating your first digital art piece.
At the start of this year, on of my classes was Photo Arts, which dealt with how to shoot with a camera, edit images, and how to take good pictures by practicing and studying art principles and angles. It was probably one of my favorite classes and I really hope to take the advanced class in my junior year. It was always my dad who takes pictures in our family, on his phone, or a camera. So when I started taking this class,
I’ve started to appreciate the lengths people go to, to capture moments in ways that could be seared perfectly in your memory.
That metaphor sounded brutal, oh dear.
Photography has really changed my perception of art the more I learned about it, and I’ve found myself taking more pictures at times when I usually wouldn’t have say, a couple months ago. Taking pictures and editing them has unexpectedly become something that really helps me relax when I’m under a lot of pressure. For example, when I was still taking my classes online(the summer holidays have started), I was trying to finish all of my assignments, whilst trying to turn in quality work so I could receive full marks. And even though I still had to do work for Photo Arts, it truly didn’t feel like I was producing pieces for school.
Every time it came the time to send out a new set of photos for my class, it was always a topic that was really beneficial in learning, but could also be done in our current living situations. I enjoyed taking the time to dig deep into my subject and figure out angles and which placement looked best, or which type of lighting made the centerpiece stand out. It was these little mindless thoughts that calmed me and made me feel like I was actually creating art.
So, in honor of this random rant, I present to you a digital portfolio of a few select photos that I wanted to share with you all. Some were shot on my school campus with heavy equipment, while some others were taken and edited just on my phone while at home. There is a lot of improvement that needs to happen with my photography skills, and there is a lot I still need to know, but these are pictures that I’m still proud of because they were taken with passion and determination. So, please enjoy this mini collection produced by yours truly.
Due to some technical difficulties, I couldn’t download the document and turn it into a PDF file. So I’m going to attach the link below so you can view the presentation.
So I don’t know what’s wrong with my current dashboard, but when I was writing this post, the format of the entire script was fine. But once I put this on the official interface; the format looks all screwed up in the reading preview. So I’m really sorry if the paragraphs and the general text looks really weird. I seriously don’t know what happened, but I’m trying my best to fix it as quick as I can. So fingers crossed that this cursed formatting comes to an end!
Ever since high school started, my usual everyday school routine completely transformed, from scrambling around the house trying to find my other shoe or phone or whatever, skidding around the house, while simultaneously eating whatever breakfast that was shoved into my mouth in my manic to get out everything I need for school; in one piece.
Including myself.
Because there have been multiple occasions where I almost ended up in the ER because of how reckless and clumsy my minstrations can be.
But nowadays, I wake up at the literal crack of dawn, and sometimes, it’s still pretty darn dark outside.
Like, I can see the stars and the moon dark.
My mental monologue itself is just extremely passive aggressive in the wee hours of the morning, as I try to get my clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, my sanity, and toddle into the shower. And I also wonder naively as to why I decided to choose a zero period class.
Freshmen. Year.
If you ask me at 5:45 in morning if I like this particular change in the everyday, I would be tempted to ask if you would like to go take an illegal visit to the nearest group of Californian grizzly bears and try to make friends with them.
I’m sure it would be a lovely visit.
Especially if said person was doused in fresh honey.
To make matters worse, it’s only been a couple weeks since summer ended and fall started, and I assumed the weather would whip itself into shape at any given time, gradually and slowly.
But instead, it just went N Y O O M and B A M.
We went from sitting out suffering in the heat of the beating sun like baked potatoes, to bundling up in scarves, thick sweaters and jackets, and booties and walking around wishing fire is one of the elements we could actually posses in our hands. Or at least have some way to make ourselves and others warm. And it’s only been at least a week. And we are in the low sixties to fifties. I’m not an avid Game of Thrones viewer or anything, but I never thought I could sympathize with the phrase, “Winter is coming.”As much as I do now.
Don’t get me wrong, I love autumn and winter. Both of which are my favorite seasons. But it’s kinda irritating when my fuzzy socks slip just a little under my heel and the cold starts biting at the exposed skin, and I’m tempted to call Life Alert, to inform them that I’ve been overexposed to temperatures under sixty degrees.
But I somehow manage to get by, grudging yes, without turning into a popsicle in the process.
Most of the time.
But it does take me about five or ten minutes to revive my fingers from their numb state, and are completely dead to the world. And ironically, on most days I have Jazz Band right in the morning. Which requires me to play my saxophone. Which requires me to vigorously move my fingers. And if I don’t have Jazz class to help me warm up my otherwise rigid fingers, I’ll have to walk into English class without the ability to write anything for a solid couple minutes.
Which is essentially like telling a yogi to break their meditation session to go an binge-watch Netflix for an extremely unhealthy(but totally worth it) seven to eight hours of their day.
Anyway, since my dad usually has to go to work at 6:30 in the morning, and I have 0 period at 7, we both leave the house together; only taking a little over five minutes before we arrive at my school, before my dad drives off to work.
With that said, my dear readers, wherever in the world you are, here is the everyday life of a freshmen high school student in the United States.
*jazz hands*
7:00: 0 Period Jazz Band
So, if we’re going by traditional standards, our band is pretty big compared to how conventional jazz groups actually are. With forty-eight students in the group, from all grades, ranging from clusters of freshmen to a sprinkle of juniors and seniors, our band is legitimately diverse too.
Our teacher is an exuberant, kind women; and I have a lot of respect for her because she actually takes her students emotions and struggles into account. Rather than brushing them off as a burden. And I’ve learned that in high school, having a person like that, is something of a blessing.
But large band or not, you can’t expect us to nail down a 12 bar blues scale, and two, two to three page songs in the span of 45 minutes, when it’s 7:00 in the morning and no one is a morning person.
But luckily, I love jazz. It’s one of my favorite musical genres out there and I find it to be rich with so many different branches attached to various parts of the world. I grew up listening to it as a kid, and I have my dad to thank for exposing me to smooth jazz and such. I like listening to jazz or soft piano or orchestral music when I’m doing homework or when I’m studying for an exam. So it was only right that I randomly decided to play the saxophone in a whim of determination last year and joined Jazz Band.
I’ve also made a numerous amount of new friends in each of my classes, Jazz Band included. I befriended two girls who also played alto sax, one who is also in my P.E. class, and the other in my English class. Both girls and I have quickly become friends, which make the early morning screeching of trombones and various mixes of instruments, just a little more bearable.
Plus, our first performance is coming up in the next week, and it’s even more exciting because it’s also going to be our fanciest one too! Instead of polos with our school’s name and what ensemble we’re in, we ladies dress in custom, black, floor length dresses, and the gentlemen in fitted tuxedos. The theme of the event is Latin American culture and style, so the music we play are going to be like mambos and stuff.
7:50- 8:45 AM: English 1
After frantically putting away my saxophone and sheet music, and tucking them away into their designated shelves. I walk out of the music(room, hall? I don’t know it’s too big for me to designate properly). Then I break into a spazzed walk since my next class is literally on the other side of the campus. So I make I mad dash for it just before the the five minute bell rings. Disheveled and already wanting to go home, I scramble quickly to my seat, giving the teacher an acknowledging nod and smile as she greets me with a “Hello” and continues prepping her desk and classroom.
I set my backpack down and grab my English Binder, a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird(Since we’re reading it in class for the rest of the semester)a book I brought to read throughout the day and in between passing periods, and my fuzzy grey kitten pencil case with two equally as squishy and soft keychains, one is an adorable little round shaped penguin I got from the Monterey Bay aquarium in the summer that just passed, and a little dinosaur from the popular Japanese cartoon character group “Sumikko Gurashi” From a Japanese dollar store that I recently discovered, (and come to obsess over)Having these little plushies just makes my day a bit happier and makes me smile every time I pull them out for each of my classes. And it also reminds me to never forget my MUCH NEEDED pencil case to each and everyone one of my classes.
To nearly no one’s surprise, English is one of my favorite subjects, and I love explaining and teaching it to other people; and with this blog archive, I’ve been able to grow a little stronger with my writing and understanding of storytelling, and how to stand for whatever point you’re trying to make clear, and try to improve the aspects of writing I was weak in. Like poetry.
Equinox
Take your mask off when you speak to me.
Take in my confession,
Take the masks of your norm
And crush them.
I knew someone once.
A heart of fire.
Each step like a cannon
of in the distance
Hair resembling thorns and briar.
Eyes playful and mysterious.
Deep and radiant with just a hint of cacao.
Always deep, yet never serious.
And they said, with a voice like
âMy dreams reach the stars, daring to touch them.
Radiate their light.
Can you see them?â
And I said, I knew.
I agreed, I screamed, I cried out.
No one spoke to me in this way before.
In fact,
it left me with doubts.
Dreams are the afterthoughts of my loves.
They keep me going when the world isnât enough.
All of my outlandish thoughts soaring like doves,
As each day passes without a single stop.
But they didnât stop there.
They said
âWhen we grow older,
we fear the stars.
Burrowing ourselves into a normalcy
that can let our dreams bleed.
And then leave dead scars.â
The world now embodies the dark side of my dreams,
Your lies arenât needed to ease these pains.
I know whatâs going on,
I know what will come.
I know I know I know.
These inner pains,
the worldâs scars
They tie together in an equinox.
The moon, the stars.
Thousands of questions,
No answers.
With each day passing, life will never stop.
It stops for no one
even when the world is still.
The stains of our sins staying like coffee on a napkin
Each minute the pressure of the atmosphere
Drops.
But there will always be a light,
Of hope, of determination,
The maps of our lives are now blank and white.
Our goals taking on their own destination.
Take your mask off when you speak to me.
Take in my confession,
Take the shattered pieces of your norm
And eradicate them.
I’m not especially proud of this poem, I mean I wrote it last year and we were given a strict set of rules to follow with this project and I did try my best. But looking back at this piece, I kinda wanna hide away in embarrassment. I mean, it’s not my best work, but I guess it kinda proves to myself that I kinda improved with my poetry skills in the process of suffering through this project.
But improvement or not, high school just sets the bar higher for what society actually expects from you, especially when you graduate from high school and onto to college. Because each year of high school English, whether it being a general, AP, or Honors class; each is designed for you to succeed in writing essays, thesis’s, analyzing text and extracting information, etc.
And if this year’s English class has taught me anything so far,
It’s that, you will be taught how to read and write.
But it’s you who decides what you’re actually gonna do about it.
I know,
It’s very spooky stuff.
8:53-9:48 AM: Photo Arts 1
So, obviously I’m not as tech-savvy as my dad. I just know the basics, like the general elements of coding; and a touch of graphic design,
( I don’t know if anyone else would include that as a part of general technological knowledge,
But I am so deal with it.)
I’m definitely fascinated by computer engineering and how everything
works, but I also like the artistic aspects of technology. Like how we can use it to make things. Like music or even actual art. With technological advances, more inventions open up, and with more inventions, more people who need to use and operate them. Isn’t cool how just a couple simple commands can make a little box do something so simple, yet intricately complicated?
A regular day in my photography class mainly consists of everyone just chilling while listening to music and editing the photos we took in Lightroom or Photoshop. At the start of the school year, we were assigned either a Mac desktop or a Macbook, and we got to choose which one was more of our preference. Since the Mac is more my zone, I chose to use that, rather than a laptop; since I was more prone to dropping a laptop, than a 12.5 pound desktop monitor. And I feel like I’m more comfortable with an Apple desktop since that’s what I use at home to do homework, projects, and obviously blog.
I’d be really disappointed if you didn’t manage to figure that bit out.
In regards to the photographic part of the class itself, I’ve learned quite about a lot of things that I didn’t even know had so much value in the artistic world. And I finally got to learn how to properly set a camera to the settings needed for whatever situation we’re in; as well as how to really take good shots of your subjects and the differences between all the different angles and ways you can actually shoot a picture. Here is my first set of pictures from earlier this semester, all of which edited in Lightroom, this piece can also be interpreted as, my first on campus photo shoot with me nearly screwing up and not knowing half of what to do until later.
They aren’t the best pictures, and while I was shooting these, I was clueless most of the time. But I can’t deny that it was highly amusing to take these pictures and edit them in digital programs used by so many people out there.
9:48-9:58 AM: Brunch
Walking to each of my classes between passing periods at school is a spectacle in itself. My books in hand as I mentally do a once over to make sure I haven’t lost anything thing important, like a textbook or notebook. Checking the watch on my left wrist, tracking the time, and texting my parents a quick message or sending a pic of the homework or review to one of my friends who might’ve forgotten to write it down. In these little time increments; my mind is full, and yet so empty at the same time.
Because I probably lost something or left a book behind and my brain capacity is still dangerously low when I wake up at crack of dawn everyday.
During brunch, I usually just sit on a bench near my next class and munch on a nut bar while scrolling through my phone and checking emails, or texting my parents or a friend.
10:06-11:01 AM: Biology
Science is a favorite subject of mine, and I love the multiple branches it has, how everything has a purpose and when one thing happens, it triggers a multitude of other things to occur as well. Science also gives explanation to things that we ourselves couldn’t figure out on our own, like gravity for instance.
How is it that everything has matter, and mass, and yet we don’t float off into space but stay put?
Well, Isaac Newton had an apple fall on top of his head(I pity the poor apple, and his head)Mr. Newton, after nearly having the daylights knocked out of him by a fruit seemed to suddenly have acquired a revelation for the laws of physics.
And why do we not float away into space?
Because of gravity.
äš( â ÍĘ â )ă
A natural phenomenon in which anything with mass or energy automatically gravitate towards each other.
Like, um, hypothetical anchors!
We just finished learning the basics about population and the different parts of it, like population density, population growth, etc. And how to properly observe data and physically make a graph to compliment the data.
Which ironically coincided with my math lessons on graphs and curves a few weeks past.
Biology, Math, and English, are the three classes that are required for us to graduate, and if you fail one of these class your first year, you gotta retake it sophomore year. Which happens a lot, but that doesn’t mean I want to so that’s that.
1:09 – 12:04 AM: Algebra 1
So, I’m not really a math girl. I mean, I can do it; and go one with a passing grade. But it always takes me a longer time than others to interpret all those numbers and questions and formulas like other people can. And I think my math skills certainly have gotten better over the years. While I used to struggle to get a solid grade that could at least pass the general requirements; now I can take a quarterfinal test and ace it.
With a few mistakes here or there.
But I still pass!
I really like my algebra teacher; she’s funny, engaging, and actually teaches us math in a way that isn’t confusing. I never thought I would be able to understand Mean Absolute Deviation as much as I do now. And actually be able to do it. And so far we’ve only hand three our four tests, and they weren’t very major either, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t expect some bigger exams coming up in the near future; that of course we all need to prepare for.
All in all, I think Algebra is currently one of the only classes I have that doesn’t make me want to throw my textbook at my other classmates in pure rage and detestation.
Not that I have temper tantrums in my other classes of course.
But trust me I have been a hairs-width away from doing so.
12:04 – 12:34: Lunch
I don’t have to describe lunch do I?
12:42 – 1:37: Spanish 2
Okay, so by default I would’ve been put into Spanish 1 like the majority of the other freshmen study body. But since I took Spanish for two years in middle school, I had the decision of advancing to the second year of high school Spanish, since we need a total of four years of high school Spanish; and I’ve gone to the second year; I only need two more years(I think. My knowledge of the Spanish programs and it’s requirements and stored somewhere else in my brain right now) and I can graduate with the bi-literacy seal under my belt. And colleges can swoop in and see that and consider me to be a part of their school. Which is great.
If I pass all those years of Spanish.
â ďš â
yippee.
Currently, with my two and a half years of Spanish, I’ve attained enough to be able to hold a conversation with someone who can speak Spanish, or learned it fully. But just like when I speak Tamil and Japanese, it’s very choppy at first when I start talking, and it takes me a while to warm up with the words. And it can go very similarly to this:
“Buenas Dias! Estoy bien! Como estĂĄs tu? Bueno! Como estĂĄ tu familia? Eso es genial! Ay no! Yo tiene que ir! Adios! Nos vamos mĂĄs tarde!”
Which literally translates to,
“Good morning! I’m good! How are you? Good! How is your family? That’s great! Oh no! I have to go! Goodbye! I’ll see you later!”
As you can see, the intention behind what I have to say makes sense, but when you take the literal context of it in English, it makes me sound illiterate. But what’s great, is that since I already kinda speak another language on my own at home with my family, which is Tamil. So I know how to accent my speech and roll my r’s. So when I speak Spanish out loud in class, I can properly pronounce everything the ways it’s actually supposed to sound, rather than a robotic, voice, that sounds computer generated.
But half the time I don’t know if I’m even pronouncing anything correctly and half the time while I say anything in class I glance at the teacher to see if I’m saying it right and I have no idea what I’m doing but you know it’s the effort right.
All, in all, it’s a good class. Great on college applications. All said an done.
So I usually end the day with P.E. except on one block day(the back to back days where we only have half of our class each day but they’re twice as long.) And P.E. is pretty fun, and I enjoy running on the track and talking with the other athletes on campus. I also have a bushel of friends in the class that I usually stick with, so we can protect each other from flying projectiles that end with the word -ball. You know, basketball, baseball, tennis ball, football, soccer ball, dodgeball, cheese ball; you know, the usual. It’s also required to take P.E. for two years in high school in order to graduate.
After sixth period, the school days ends with a large heaving breathe. And we all go home. After PE. I drag my feet to the music room to grab my saxophone and then wait at the front of the school for my dad to pick me up. And when he finally swings by, I hop toss my stuff into the back seat and plop myself down, then melt into the seat of the car as my dad starts driving us home.
(All lyrics typed into this post belong to Lin Manuel Miranda and Mr. Miranda only. I can only aspire to have the incredible talent he has in lyricism. That being said, the musical Hamilton shall be mentioned in this post but does not belong to me. All rights go to Lin Manuel Miranda.)
You have no idea.
My friends always tease me every time a writing or drawing opportunity is brought up in any class. If I am lucky both combined. Sure I pay attention in class, heck my eyes never leave the teacher’s unless an instruction was said to do an activity that consisted the opposite. But every time we have an opportunity for free writing and/or drawing, no boundaries, no direction. I will instantly perk up. To my embarrassment my friends know me too well to understand that this will happen anytime, anywhere.
I’m teased by my friends in an affectionate way, obviously, due to this one little perk. I mean my friends are such amazing individuals that each have earned my respect and we would do anything for each other. We are all diverse and I love that. They make everyday incredible and leave me smiling every time. But I can never deny that we tease each other. We’ve all got our inside jokes, definitely. I mean playfully tantalizing is basically our groups version of acknowledging the other in a humorous version of our own basically.
Okay story time;
So early last year my friends and I were discussing ideas for an essay we had to write and I was basically writing furiously on a piece of paper and sketching ideas for the additional part of the project. My friends and I all shared one laptop outside to play music and do bits of research for our projects. We obviously decided to play Hamilton. But unexpectedly this line came along one of the songs featured:
“How do you write like tomorrow won’t arrive? How do you write like you’re running out of time? How do your write like you need it to survive? How do you write every second you’re alive, every second you’re alive, every second you’re alive?”
Both my friends gave each other knowing looks, both smirking at me while I just gave them a look between confusion and wonder. This was around the time when I was just discovering the musical itself so I had only listened to a couple songs. The line was so intriguing and I saw why they pinpointed the lyric. This one lyric always keeps me going when I have given up. Because it makes me start thinking why I’ve started in the first place. And for some reason, after hearing that lyric, I felt like I could do my essay ten times better. Make it a worthwhile piece to read.
I have done posts where I fan girled about the musical Hamilton multiple times. But I never explained to you where it came from. Well the scene I wrote for you on the previous paragraph told just that. It took me at least a week to figure out that it was a line from a musical. It took me another week to listen to all forty-six songs. Listening intently to all 20,520 words non-stop.
Needless to say, It has earned the title of the best musical theater performance I have ever listened to in my life.
I have never, in my entire life, ever heard such a brilliant composition of song, of rap, of a historical and nonetheless undermined story. Each line a work of art itself. I mean it took Lin Manuel Miranda six years to write the entire thing. I don’t blame him though. I remember in one post, I added a URL to one of the songs, that song being Non-Stop, that song contained the lyric that my friends mentioned as well. So I hope some of you took the time to listen to it, but if you didn’t that’s okay, I’ll just go to that corner over there and cry now.
*sniff*
I’m just kidding.
Maybe.
You have no idea how much I just want to transport every song into every one of your brains and let you all listen for the next four and a half hours, but since that is physically impossible for me to do I might as well just describe the musical to you all.
*Major Spoilers Ahead*
(well technically these aren’t spoilers, I’m basically explaining history to you guys. So this isn’t spoiling. This is a history lesson. A slightly edited history. With legit rap lyrics . Anyway don’t blame me if you end up crying halfway through this post.) (0 – 0)
Alexander Hamilton was known historically to be an American Founding Father, a supporter of the American Constitution making him a Federalist. He founded nation’s financial systems, the coast guard, the New York Post newspaper, and the Federalist Party itself. But not many people seem to know his true life story. His tragedies, his loves, friendships, allies.
No one knew how much the eyes of history wanted him.
At the early age of ten, Alexander’s father fled and left him and his mother to stand for themselves. Ten years later, Alex and his mother became sick with the Yellow Fever. Alexander survived of course, but his mother. She easily found her deathbed and went.
She was buried in Christiansted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
This left a damaging impact on Alexander, seeing his mother die right in front of his eyes in a stage of such adolescence. But he kept moving onward. Alexander found a temporary home with his cousin, but his cousin committed suicide. I’m sorry, I just hate saying that phrase but I had to do so for this case. I’m sorry for those who detest the phrase just as I do. Anyway, this led to Alexander realizing that he had no choice but to fend for himself. Alexander did nothing but read. He read everything and anything he could find. He worked for his mother’s previous landlord. Trading goods that he himself could never afford alone for himself. He would desperately find any book to bore into his mind, finally deciding to board a ship heading to a new land. New York.
Thus represented in the first song in the entire musical by this line:
âThere would have been nothinâ left to do for someone less astute. He wouldâve been dead or destitute without a cent of restitution. Started workinâ, clerkinâ for his late motherâs landlord, tradinâ sugarcane and rum and all the things he canât afford. Scamminâ for every book he can get his hands on, planninâ for the future. See him now as he stands on the bow of a ship headed for a new land. In New York you can be a new man.â
Sidenote; Something else that happened before he departed his birthplace, an awful hurricane had hit and yet he still survived. But there is this line in the musical that is sung multiple times, a prevailing lyric at that.
“I imagine death so much it feels like a memory.”
This was such a brilliant line that I spent days poring over it. I mean, here is Alexander, multiple times in his life has overcome becoming a victim in the unrelenting jaws of death. And this line was always sung in a song where he was on the brink of death. But when I think about it, without that hurricane, Alexander Hamilton would never have immigrated to America. Never would’ve been such a huge part of our history. We never would be in the place we are in today in modern day America.
Just imagine that.
Alexander Hamilton, only nineteen but he already had his entire life goals splayed out in front of him like a map with too many pinpoints to count. And boy calling him smart was an understatement. I mean if you made him take a modern day test on any subject besides U.S. History(because he didn’t witness some history for himself that happened ahead of his time)I bet you he would have beat almost every Stanford or Harvard student or any university in general. Plus get like 700% out of like a 100% test. Okay I may be stretching the exaggeration too much but I’m just tryin’ to state my claims here.
A line establishing this in the third song being:
“I’m only nineteen but my mind is older.”
Alexander docked in New York and couldn’t help noticing that a certain prodigy of Princeton College was crossing paths with him. A mister Aaron Burr. And what better way to introduce yourself by bantering them about how to be successful in life?
Keeping up?
No?
Me neither.
There conversation went a little something along the lines of Alexander basically being a little over excited, therefore ending up with a very traumatized Aaron Burr. But Burr seems to find this, fire in Hamilton that could be cultivated. Even giving the advice of;
“Talk less, smile more.”
“Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.”
This line is exceptionally inspirational for me because I don’t think before I speak and if you let me I can ramble and lecture for as long as I could. Hours upon hours on one topic until everyone else in the room is waiting for me to stop. And I have this habit of being so focused on doing whatever I’m working on that I just have this serious look on my face and everyone thinks I look mad. No, that’s not the case so it’s nothing personal. I’m just not aware of whether or not I’m glaring or smiling or doing a poker face for that matter. My facial muscles don’t send signals to my brain saying that I’m practically staring down my paper or screen while I’m giving whoever is in my company break into a cold sweat.
From that moment onward, Alexander’s life was a vivacious whirl of battle, intense wars including the American Revolutionary War. He was then well known as General George Washington’s aide- de- camp. Eventually receiving the ranking of leutenent colonel.
But throughout the various songs, each one introduces a new character body who was extremely important in American history.
First, off, the trio themselves; John Laurens, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (aka just Marquis de) Lafayette), and Hercules Mulligan. Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan are in awe of Alexander’s quick wit and buoyancy, as well as the undying ambition that was constantly pumping in his veins. So There they were, Alexander Hamilton, fast friends with John Laurens(his best friend)Lafayette, and Mulligan. The Fall Out Boys of the 1780s and 1800s. An incredible quote Alex sand was;
Iâm just like my countryâIâm young, scrappy, and hungry, and I am not throwing away my shot.
Describing his hunger to fight for America and build success for himself. Along with this line that I fell in love with:
The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.
I just want to add a side note that I was left speechless. Absolutely speechless at the brilliance of Lin Manuel Miranda. I know of no one who could cultivate words in the ways he does, manipulating them to create a bewitching new story that makes you feel so many emotions almost all at once. I strive to be just as talented as him in my writing and music. Just reading one of his speeches, songs, raps, anything, makes me swell with this passion and a fire burn in my eyes. The influence he has put upon me is indescribable and yet I have a thousand words.
John Laurens was completely against slavery and fought immensely to abolish it. Lafayette was extremely helpful in Revolution and was the key reason as to why France and America became allies against Britain. Mulligan was a tailor’s apprentice and was a spy in the Revolutionary War, as well as a member of the Sons of Liberty. These three men are historical figures that I have come to admire and become immensely inspired by since I first learned about them through the musical, and then once again in history class this year.
Now the Schuyler sisters. Descended from General Schuyler these three were born into a wealthy family and was well known in New York. Women envied them, men wanted to charm their way to earn their hearts. These three incredible woman who each in miscellaneous ways contributed to the war and the men more than most I had read about. The eldest, Angelica Schuyler, was spunky and quick minded, very beautiful and emanated a confidence that stole all attention just from the action of walking into a room. Elizabeth Schuyler, the middle sister had inherited her eldest sister’s way to bite back at any comment, a bookish woman at heart who cared deeper than both her sister’s combined in the acts of the war. Margarita Schuyler( known as Peggy to her family members and close friends, as well as the name portrayed in the musical itself)was underestimated due to living in the shadows of her two older sisters but proved herself just as vigorous and abundant as her two sisters.
Even in the song title The Schuyler Sisters in the musical is proof of this if you will read vivaciously Angelica sang:
âYou want a revolution? I want a revelation. So listen to my declaration: âWe hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.â And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, Iâm âa compel him to include women in the sequel!â
Elizabeth adding on with:
âLook around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!”
Even when women were often underestimated, these three sisters back lashed and it clearly showed that those stereotypes had backfired beautifully.
Oh but my my, it seems that Caroline Schuyler,their mother, decided to throw a ball to finally find suitors for her dashing daughters. And it just so happens that Hamilton, Burr, and the rest of Alex’s friends went. And it seems that a romance was blossoming between Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton. Like a deep wound that could never be mended, Alexander’s love for Eliza grew with each beat of his heart and the throb of his temples. Though it took a while to cultivate that love with Eliza’s end of this wheel of affection.
Alexander Hamilton, the man who bowed to no one, gave his heart and soul onto a silver platter and placed it in front of Eliza to intertwine into one beautiful thing. Alexander’s love for his dear Eliza grew until he practically went mad with the mere thought of seeing his Betsey with someone else.
But wait
tHeRe’S mOrE.
Angelica Schuyler seems to have developed a yearning as well.
And that little voice in her head has developed a love forMr. Sassy McSmarty Pants himself; Alexander Hamilton.
The tables have turned!!
*gasp*
The songs Helpless and Satisfied were both back to back in the audio and musical and both are incredible songs that portray the emotions either sister felt. Helpless is sung by Eliza and shows a sequence of events, from Angelica introducing her to little Hammy Ham, Hamilton addressing Philip Schuyler for Eliza’s hand in marriage and so on and so forth. The song ending with Eliza and Alex being bonded together for life through the act of marriage.
But then Angelica is singing Satisfied, and I don’t even think I can explain this properly so I’ll just put the link to the audio below (ALL RIGHTS GO TO LIN MANUEL MIRANDA THEREFORE I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG OR THE MUSICAL FOR THAT MATTER WE HAVE BEEN OVER THIS PEOPLE)
Now T H A T was a lot to process now wasn’t it? Her sister is already married to the one man she will truly love and she had to live with that. Can you put yourself in that situation for a second? I mean the one thing you can never let go, you can’t live or breath without, is taken away unintentionally by a person you equally care about. And you live the rest of your life pretending you never wanted it in the first place.
Will the tables turn once again?
Probably.
Will our blood pertinaciously flee south from the intensity?
Can’t confirm that but its a possibility?
Will we all pass out from the almost ridiculous amount of suspense and drama in this one love triangle that only goes multiple directions let us prevail and cause further conflict that will lead to our own hearts breaking and wish people could just love the people they love and don’t fight over and live happily ever after like in children’s books instead of mentally grabbing each other’s throats without even realizing that they are thinking just so and you regret it instantly afterward but feel even worse realizing that it was your instincts to read this post in the first place and now your probably blame me for this sudden jerk of emotions plaguing your senses further worsening your mental conditions?Â
. . . . . . .
Maybe.
Well okay then.
Now all we need is a super dramatic cut scene that includes a fight between the protagonist and an unexpected villain that throws of the entire plot line. And some weird lookin’ part of their body that is the equivalent to a deformed taco. But that didn’t happen in American history(I wouldn’t be surprised if it did but anyway)that didn’t happen soooo;
we’re movin’ on people keep up with the program!
Okay so, wait hold on, where was I again? Hold on let me just scroll up a little bi- ah! Angelica is talking about how she loves Alex but he already married Eliza and she just wants her sister to be happy and blah blah sadness blah depression blah blooh blah blah.
Jeez, I really doubt the fact that I don’t have ADD or ADHD. I have the precision and memory of a goldfish mongoose hybrid, if that exists. Which it probably doesn’t, but-
Okay moving on sorry,(not sorry).
But one thing I wanna point out is a line that Alexander says directly to Angelica upon there first meaning that basically defines my life to me:
âThereâs a million things I havenât done. Just you wait, just you wait.â
This line is so simple, but so straight forward. And I have never heard anything like this. Gods I, I can never be able to explain the emotions and the raw, animalistic passion that I felt listening to the line. His passionate voice truly replicating what he wanted to do in the world. As Alexander Hamilton in his role. But Lin Manuel Miranda also described his own lust.
I have never connected more with any lyric like that before.
And I don’t think, I ever will again.
There is so much I want to do, so many dreams. And there’s always this sense of urgency, this growling need for something I just can’t describe myself. I have so much of it that pumps constantly from when I wake to when I fall into the trance of sleep. I want to show people that I’m not just a girl who just writes and draws and plays some instrument. I don’t want to just be that girl you’ll see in the hallways at school. The girl you only see in person every few years since we’re so far apart across the globe. Not just the girl that has so many plans but can’t carry them out. I don’t want to just be
that girl.
A minority in the universe that hasn’t made an impact and never will.
I’m sick of being underestimated for what I can and can’t do.
But this lyric makes me feel like I have a chance, a chance to contribute in something huge. Something that will affect everyone. Let that fire consume everyone. This gives me a hope that I can. So
there’s a million things I haven’t done. But just you wait.
just you wait.
Now there seems to be a minor hurricane stirring in side Aaron Burr here. In the song after The Story of Tonight Reprise, the song Wait for It, focuses on Burr’s irritation toward every succession attacking Hamilton. But Hamilton and Burr are polar opposites if I haven’t cleared that already. Hamilton takes his chances and is outgoing, whilst Burr is willing to use is own philosophy and well, wait for what is to come that is in storage for him. The song included this spectacular lines as well;
I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable, I am an original.
Burr lost everyone he had ever loved, his mother, father, grandparents. Therefore he claims that Hamilton has something to prove, and that he has nothing to lose. As said in this line:
Hamilton faces an endless uphill climb. He’s got something to prove, he’s got nothing to lose.
So, well there really isn’t much you can say about this portion of the musical until you actually heard the song so. Yeah, listen to the musical. You’ll understand way more.
Once again Laurens, Lafayette, Burr, and Hamilton go marching off being the brave soldiers they are,
to there death.
No surprise, Hamilton leaves an anxious Eliza to fight for his country. The soldiers are struggling immensely, no food or water, forced to eat their own horses. Merchant’s denying them equipment. If I am correct, Hercules Mulligan eventually leaves to continue his apprenticeship, leaving Lafayette, Laurens, and Hamilton in the war. Laurens and Hamilton write essays and letters to fight against slavery, whilst Lafayette sends for French aids to send a ship or two to assist the American troops.
Hamilton is reluctant to be chosen to command, but each time he is denied his constant requests. Instead assigning a Mister Charles Whee- I mean Lee, Charles Lee for the job. This pisses of Hamilton pretty bad. Especially since during every single battle leading on with Charles Lee in command, goes awry because Mr. Lee is basically having a mental heart attack of fear. Finally, the Battle of Monmouth takes place and George Washington has had enough, so instead of having Hamilton lead and command, Lafayette is assigned to take the lead.
Hundreds of thousand soldiers died from fighting in hundreds of degree’s of heat. But the battle was won nonetheless in my knowledge of chronological events. Charles Lee was left behind by the troops, but that didn’t stop him from saying some pretty nasty stuff behind General Washington’s back. This snaps Hamilton’s last vein and therefore tells Washington his concerns. Washington waves him off and tells him to focus on the war and move along. Laurens however convinces himself and Hamilton that Charles Lee needs to be put in his place. And what better way to do that than invite someone to a duel to the death?
*jazz hands*
How a duel works, is to solve a conflict. the two opponents must meet at the spot chosen, go 20 paces(or in the musical 10 paces)backwards and face your opponent. Your pistols are loaded and its inevitable that someone could get killed or severely hurt. I mean, it’s a bullet what do you expect? I’m pretty sure no one duels anywhere, anymore. I mean this is basically murder so technically it’s illegal right? Well anyway this is the 1700 and 1800s get over it.
Charles Lee and Laurens are the opponents, whilst, Aaron Burr and Hamilton are the seconds. Hamilton is obviously on Lauren’s side on the situation, while Aaron Burr tries to patch up the conflict by talking some sense into Hamilton.
That obviously didn’t work.
So I conclude this portion with this line that Hamilton sings towards Laurens as he steady’s his position:
“Look âem in the eye, aim no higher. Summon all the courage you require Then count., One two three four Five six seven eight nine Number Ten paces Fire”
Laurens shoots Lee on his side and Burr is vigilant to quickly get him to the medic. While Laurens and Hamilton bask in the satisfaction of leading the last straw and plucking it, Washington storms into the situation and boy is he furious. He ends up sending Hamilton home temporarily and Alexander thinks it because the general is mad. But no, there’s a reason behind it.
ELIZABETH SCHUYLER HAMILTON IS PREGNANT YO
Hamilton is ecstatic for the arrival of his first born but fears he won’t be able to provide for an unborn child and his wife. Him being a poor man who came from no family and had no income. He worries himself scarce and rethinks every accomplishment that he had placed behind him on an unstable shelf of self doubt. But Eliza a being the incredible woman sings this instead:
“Look at where you are. Look at where you started. The fact that youâre alive is a miracle. Just stay alive, that would be enough. And if this child. Shares a fraction of your smile. Or a fragment of your mind, look out world. That would be enough. I donât pretend to know. The challenges youâre facing. The worlds you keep erasing and creating in your mind.”
But then, time passes and George Washington needs Alexander, his right hand man, back on the battle field. Eliza knows in her heart that Alexander is needed but still seemed hesitant. Alexander is with the same but before he can think to much, he finally comes back to George Washington and meets with him once again. But he wasn’t scolded, he wasn’t pleaded with, he wasn’t being given orders. Washington merely had valuable advice to give to the frivolity of the soldier before continuing on with a life of his own to cultivate and nourish:
“I was younger than you are now When I was given my first command I led my men into a massacre Witnessed their deaths firsthand Oh, I made every mistake I felt the shame rise in me And even now I lie awake Knowing history,
has its eyes on me.
Let me tell you what I wish Iâd known When I was young and dreamed of glory You have no control Who lives, who dies, who tells your story
I know that we can win I know that greatness lies in you But remember from here on in That history, has its eyes, on you.”
This is one of the most powerful lines I have ever heard.
This is so true and absolutely brilliant if you think about long enough. And trust me, I have. This is the kind of lyric that keep’s me awake at night, the score running in my head as the song repeats in my head. This sums up perfectly just how much Alexander Hamilton was valued in Washington’s mind, and the heads of everyone else who valued him.
Its the Battle of Yorktown guys! The adrenaline is driving inside everyone with Hamilton back. Laurens is in South Carolina fighting against slavery. Lafayette is waiting at Chesapeake Bay when the British scurry away from the battlefield holding a white flag. Hercules Mulligan is spying on the British for inside info regarding the British Government so the plan was absolutely perfect. Alex is completely okay with sacrificing himself for the birth of a new nation, but then he drives of the fact of coming home to Eliza, better yet to his son. Represented with this line;
“I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory This is where it gets me: on my feet The enemy ahead of me If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me Weapon in my hand, a command, and my men with me Then I remember my Elizaâs expecting me… Not only that, my Elizaâs expecting We gotta go, gotta get the job done Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son!”
What better way to motivate yourself in a hostile situation than think of the people who love you and you love just as much.
This was, no doubt the most important battle in the Revolution War of the United States. George Washington leading 17,000 French ally troops along with the American Colonists battling in troops against the 9,000 troops lead by General Charles Cornwallis. A week of fighting passed before a man in a redcoat stood frantically waving a white handkerchief. The joy is contagious as the soldiers are hollering in their victory, Alexander joyous to bring a new nation along with his son. Lafayette finally bringing freedom to America and France. Laurens questioning what this means for slaves and citizens alike.
Oh my god,
I
have
made
a most
terrible
mistake.
i forgot to mention king george the third guys.
Okay long story short, King George the Third was the dude who decided that he could do whatever the heck he wanted and be a tyrant and control the American colonies like a toddler playing with a spindle toy with a string. He is adamant and refuses to accept the fact that America doesn’t need him or want him. My history teacher even described the Declaration of Independence to be like a “breakup letter” from America to King George. Remember that rap song I even put on my last post towards the end? My assignment was based of an argument between someone who supported King George and a person fighting against him.
So basically what I’m tryin’ to say is King George basically went insane when America declared itself a new nation of independence.
Okay moving along
Aaron Burr serenades us with a song, accompanied by Alex, about his daughter and his son. Both singing of just how much they cared for these lights in there lives. Theodosia Burr was Aaron Burr’s daughter, and Philip Hamilton was Hamilton’s son. Hamilton’s son is a very important character towards the end so stay tuned. Er, I mean keep reading, I mean this isn’t a podcast or anything. It would be cool if it was though!
Hamilton sets of to study and practice law with Burr doing the similar. And Hamilton, coming to no surprise, quickly rises to the top. Now this is the song that truly shows that Hamilton is an exuberant little cinnamon roll of death you should never ever mess with. I mean god this guy went from a living war machine to a living war machine with an ink bottle a quill, and a lifetime supply of paper. I mean this guy is super human when it comes to brains and diligence. Step aside Einstein cause Hamilton’s in the house.
But Hamilton’s- uhh- excitement, seems to be a tad bit too exuberant for the mellow lawyers and other people who must associate with him almost everyday. an example of these frequent outburst of ideas and excitement regarding his contributions for the country are above what anyone thinks a normal human being could do. Aaron Burr tries to help his friend out and calm him down to make the man a little less rash, a fruitless attempt.
Alexander tries to recruit Burr to clean up the government by writing a series of anonymous essays and articles. But Burr refuses with every attempt Hamilton places in front of him. So Hamilton takes in James Madison and John Jay. The three men working endlessly to write only 25.
They ended up with 85 essays in six months.
John Jay wrote five before becoming quite ill.
James Madison wrote twenty-nine.
Hamilton wrote,
the other fifty-one.
Fifty-one essays, in six months. I honestly didn’t now how to react when this information bled through my earbuds and into my ears. I mean this dude, was underestimated almost all his life and then did this. I don’t think he wrote this just for it’s exact purpose.
He wrote fifty-one because he wanted to prove himself even more,
He wrote fifty-one essays because he wanted to prove that he was more than enough for people to be convinced that he was capable.
He wrote fifty-one because history had its eyes directed on him like a spotlight that will never fade away.
Nothing, I swear, nothing, will convince me that Alexander Hamilton is anything but a brilliant man who had an ambition. His worst fear was being forgotten, for not leaving something on this Earth that will stand forever and onward. A fire was burning in every vein and artery. Flowing like ambrosia from his heart and searing anything it touches like the river Plegethon.
Someone else wouldn’t agree.
Thomas Jefferson was in France for, a while.
If you call 1,825 days a short while.
Yeah I counted.
He was in the midst of the rise of American politics. Shining opportunity for anyone(well except women, and slaves, and you know what I think you get the point)Him and mister James Madison were already heading for New York for George Washington called for them. And you bet little Hammy Ham is gonna be there. And the instant they did it was as if tiny battalions were going off in both there brains.
of hatred.
Its a whirl of different perspectives. Eliza is anxious for her dear husband to just spend some more time with her and there family, Aaron Burr wants more opportunity, and Washington, well, he has to make sure Jefferson and Hamilton don’t slit each others throats with butter knives and various other cutlery. As all of this unfolds and Hamilton basically roasts Jefferson on a daily basis, Angelica and Eliza try convincing him to take a break, get away from the work and spend time with the children and them. Hamilton declines innocently obviously.
That’s probably the worst decision he could ever have made.
Maria Reynolds, wife of James Reynolds, comes sauntering in and basically attempts to bewitch Hamilton to do something he’ll regret later. Course that worked out pretty well for her but not for him. This ended up with Madison, Jefferson, and Burr finding out through James Reynold’s bank account somehow. Hamilton ends up thinking with a brilliant idea. So instead of having others release info he didn’t want out in the world, he decided to just do it himself. Thus ending up with him releasing, The Reynolds Pamphlet. Need I say more?
Eliza is absolutely heartbroken and extremely mad, leaving Angelica absolutely furious. Philip is appalled by this information and struck heavily. Philip is about 19 by the way and he is just as smart as his father, leaving every professor and teacher with nothing to teach him because if you have the blood of Alexander Hamilton, circulating in your body I think you’ll be fine on your own. George Eacker seemed to have been saying some bad stuff about Philip’s father. This basically led to Philip getting really mad and than challenging Eacker to a duel. Philip goes to his father for advice about his duel and though he isn’t confident, he takes pride in his father’s words to him and is content. But then, George Eacker only had counted to seven, before shooting Philip.
He died in the arms of his mother and father.
I sobbed in this portion of the musical because it showed so much emotion, even if it only was an audio through my ears.
I sobbed for Philip because he was only nineteen but he already lost his life,
I sobbed for Eliza because she lost her own flesh and blood.
I sobbed for Alexander because he lost a fraction of his heart.
I just I know how they must’ve felt. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
That is all I can muster myself to type on this topic.
Alexander tries to get Eliza to speak to him once again. She had gone through so much, losing her son and having her own husband in an affair. I can’t imagine what she was going through. I personally think she had the right to want to stay silent, I mean after all that? Deftly! Finally Eliza breaks, she and Alex mend their love, because a love like that can never be fractured forever.
Meanwhile Jefferson and Aaron Burr are butting heads in the Election of 1800 both desperate for the presidency. But it’s up to Alex to finalize who wins because its a tie. He was starting to think that Aaron Burr had now beliefs, merely because he never chose a side to stand. Alex even said to him face to face
“If you stand for nothing Burr what will you fall for?”
in the third song of Act 1 of the musical. Hamilton votes for Jefferson, which infuriates Burr.
Burr wanted to be where everyone else worked and strove for a large cause. An infant nation. He wanted to lead. With each opportunity that sported just that, Hamilton took it away. This anger bubbling inside him to no end, until he had enough. He invites Hamilton to duel.
Hamilton points his pistol upward expecting Burr to cease fire. Burr shoots forward expecting Hamilton to have the buoyancy to shoot. They were both wrong. Hamilton was wounded and there was no going back. He died on July 12th, 1804. The age of 47 or 49. He passed with Eliza and Angelica beside him.
Lin Manuel Miranda is one of my idols and I look up to him so much. He is someone I wish I could meet someday, converse with him. I want to peer through that brilliant mind of his. How did he come up with such brilliance? We all have the same amount of hours in each day, the same amount of day in a week, the same number of weeks in a month, the same chronological order in a year. How does one do such things like this? He is a person that truly inspires me and I will never stop admiring every step of success he takes. He spreads love and beauty with each step and I can only strive to be in that place.
So in the brilliant words of his emanated through John Laurens;
Rise up When youâre living on your knees, you rise up Tell your brother that heâs gotta rise up Tell your sister that she’s gotta rise up
A few days before, we all sat down to watch this documentary called “What the Health?” and honestly I was so shocked about the information being poured out like a waterfall. So today I will be explaining to you about a quite different topic. Health. Food. And lies. Now, let us begin.
Meat. The majority of people in America and countless other areas around the globe consume meat. The percentages are massive and though many think that this is quite normal for a everyday diet. But this topic now leads me to talk about diet and disease.
Processed meat is modified to taste better and/or last longer for consument. Numerous studies show that it shows a link with cancer and other defects such as high blood pressure, heart disease, bowel and stomach cancer, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD), and possibly dozens of other terrible effects. Sodium Nitrite is also the cancer causing substance, responsible for those other adverse effects of processed meat consumption. Here are the reasons for why it is an additive for processed meat.
To improve flavor by extending the fat oxidation(rancidification)
To keep the red.pink color.
To prevent the growth of bacteria, cutting the risk of food poisoning.
Nitrite in meat is especially dangerous because it can form into an N-nitroso compound.
But it’s not only processed meat that can affect people. Regular meat itself can be very harmful considering the fact that the majority of facilities holding animals that are being raised to succeed in death are usually in terrible hospitality and are in horrible. conditions. Often near other dearly departed animals.
And another reason that I find quite incredible and can dumbfound many people is that large strong animals such as elephants, hippopotamus’s, bison, buffalo’s, horses, Tamaraw, Elks, rhinoceros’s, Kouprey, etc. They are all herbivores. And if you look at an herbivore’s teeth, they have strong, flat molars that help them grind leaves. But carnivores are another story. They are named for their extremely defined canine teeth that help them to tear and rip meat. Homo Sapiens were meant to be herbivores. To eat only plants or plant based meals.
That is a whole different way to tell someone that you’re vegan. Em’ I right? Okay that was really cringy, sorry.
MOVING ON!
Has anyone ever told you that “milk was good for you” or ” your bones will grow strong if you drink lots of milk and eat cheese” or ” you’ll need the calcium when you grow older” or some kind of stereotypical alteration of an otherwise predictable statement. People tend to believe that dairy products help our bones( cheese, milk, etc.) If you believed all that, then be glad you’re still healthy right now…
Though cheese is apparently a staple food for the majority of the world’s population. Cheese is very atrocious for the human body. Cheese is packed with sodium, fat, cholesterol, and is a high calorie product. Typical cheeses are seventy percent fat. The kind of fat they actually contain is mainly saturated fat(bad fat).
There is no evidence supporting the fact that milk is good for your bones and increases stability in physical performance. There are no facts stating that milk can prevent osteoporosis. These myths are merely opinions and no facts. And there is a large difference between fact and opinion. Milk simply is not necessary in a diet. All the vitamins it may/may not contain can be found in whole plant foods. Nutrients needed for healthy bones such as Vitamin K and manganese is and can’t be found in milk but can also be found in whole plant foods.
Ever since we watched the documentary we have all bailed on eating any dairy products for the rest of our lives.
Now here is a part that will probably shock the dairy out of you. Hehe, get it? Kay, I’ll stop.
ONWARD!
The American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen, American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association all are societies that research, and help with these specific health types.
But the American Diabetes Association has a specific page that victims of diabetes can read through about what they can eat. Here’s what I have found:
“A healthy diet is a way of eating that reduces risk for complications such as heart disease and stroke.
Healthy eating includes eating a wide variety of foods including:
vegetables
whole grains
fruits
non-fat dairy products
beans
lean meats
poultry
fish
There is no one perfect food so including a variety of different foods and watching portion sizes is key to a healthy diet. Also, make sure your choices from each food group provide the highest quality nutrients you can find. In other words, pick foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber over those that are processed.
People with diabetes can eat the same foods the family enjoys. Everyone benefits from healthy eating so the whole family can take part in healthy eating. It takes some planning but you can fit your favorite foods into your meal plan and still manage your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol.”
DAIRY PRODUCTS. POULTRY. MEATS. FISH. WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH THIS WORLD. FISH HAVE MERCURY IN THEM. DO YOU KNOW HOW DEADLY THAT IS?
The association helping people with diabetes is luring people to EAT THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE DIABETES. WHAT THE HECK.
This situation happens in the websites of the societies I have listed.
Then in the documentary there came the scene the broke my beliefs towards these associations. And it all came down to just one simple word: Sponsors.
These associations were being sponsored by companies that manufactured products that can be well known as THE MAIN CAUSE OF LIKE MOST OF THESE DISEASES.
This information shocked me. How are people this way. Why. Is money the only thing that matters? So many people believe in these associations but no. It’s just slowly killing these victims. Like a silent poison.
This documentary really changed my perspective on my health, and how I can protect myself with just simple actions.
Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn, produced, directed, edited, and filmed this movie. I believe that many people should what it because it has key information and scientific reasoning to support there claims. Thanks for reading and i hope you learned something that can change your lifestyle. Because it certainly did for me.
From the title you could probably already tell what I will be talking about today( considering the fact that I didn’t head this post with my usual cliche quote based on the topic). But I will say it again. Our sun may have been born with a non identical evil twin dubbed “Nemesis”. Astrophysicists and scientists have stated that sun like stars are born in pairs or trios, often wondering why that is. Are these pairs and three’s stars that orbit the same point or do they meet up with the gravity of one star capturing another? An analysis done by Harvard and UC-Berkeley suggests that ALL stars are born in twos and threes. This hypothesis was mainly accepted due to the newborn stars born in a large cloud in the constellation Perseus. An article done by Popular Science states that:
“Stars are born inside egg-shaped clouds called dense cores. These dusty gas clouds block the light from the stars inside and behind them. But fortunately for us, radio waves can penetrate through the darkness. The Very Large Array recently used radio waves to map all the young stars in the Perseus nursery, and the researchers drew on this data to understand the relationships between stars of different ages.”
The two universities have found that binary stars are separated by distances of 5,000 AU or even more. That is approximately 500 times the distance between the Earth and the sun. Two stars tend to be aligned with egg-shaped clouds as an axis. BUT, slightly older stars, say between 500,000 and a million years old are usually closer together. If results can(or will) be replicated they will provide new evidence that the sun was born with a non identical twin located seventeen times farther than the distance of Neptune. Scientists, astrophysicists, and researchers have dubbed the long hypothesized star “Nemesis” due to the suspection casing the fact that this “evil twin” WIPED OUT THE DINOSAURS. Man, after all this time we have been thinking that a ballistic asteroid basically destroyed a whole species. But instead it may actually be the twin brother of our sun. They weren’t kidding when they said it was evil.
âWe are saying, yes, there probably was a Nemesis, a long time ago,â co-author Steven Stahler of UC Berkeley said in a statement.” In an interview by Popular Science.
But alas, Nemesis have never been found. If it ever even existed in the first place it might have escaped the gravitational pull of our friendly sun and run of, away from the Milky Way Galaxy. Never to be seen ever again. Wow, such an amazingly close family……. NOT.
About 4.6 billion years ago, miscellaneous materials drew together, gravity causing it all to spin, causing the cloud flatten like into a disc like shape. The material in the center clumped together to soon form a protostar that would soon become the sun. The young protostar was made up of hydrogen and helium but not yet powered by any fusion. Without the process that took place we would never be able to survive here:
The sun. I like to think of like a mother to all of the planets. As if it’s heat and radiation is like a warm embrace( although, to all the youngsters out there, I do not recommend hugging the sun. No, just, no. You’ll learn soon enough kids. You’ll learn soon enough.) For decades scientists and researchers have been studying the sun like hawks watching their own prey. And I am so so grateful that i have so many people I can consult with about these things. In fact I have a bit of a story to tell you:
A few days ago I was talking with my partner in science class about NASA’s latest missions and what they were coming up with next. The only reason we were partners was because my original partner was sick. Therefore I was stuck with the “popular” girl. Now I don’t mean to be rude or anything but she obnoxiously then said the following few comments as I talked: “Oh, MY god Kanmani, when are you ever gonna let go of all this geeky science stuff. I mean c’mon I wanna have a decent conversation that doesn’t include you rambling on and on and on about stupid things.” Well EXCUSE ME, but WHO did ALL of the actual WORK. WHO was writing endlessly while YOU blabbed on and on about makeup and social media. I HAVE A LIFE. WHO got us finished in the first place? WHO was able to make this conversation happen? She then complained about the following things: “Uh, my nail keeps chipping and now it’s getting all over my dress! Oh my gosh, I HATE science class. It’s SoOoOo boring.” Her bright hot pink dress, leggings, cardigan, and shoes made me blind for the whole period. Then I asked her if she heard of the Juno mission( ignoring every single snobby remark by her) “You’re seriously impressed by that? My dad told me about that and honestly I just think it’s a waste of money. Those idiot “scientists” predicted the time wrong by a second. And the mission was just plain stupid.” I stared at her trying to process the words she shot at me.” Then I said something that finally shut her up: “We live in a blue planet that circles around a ball of fire next to a moon that moves the sea. Do you think that’s stupid?” Science. Space. The Universe. The Galaxy. All things that will never ever be called something they don’t deserve to be called. Not when I’m around. Some people just don’t understand what these people are doing. I think it’s revolutionary. But I recently heard something that most people think is really stupid but it’s time that those renegade scientists proved them wrong.
NASA has been planning to touch the sun. Yes and I mean planning. In fact by the time I read the article they posted on Popular Science Magazine’s website, they said already that they were planning to send out a probe into space by the summer of 2018. Imagine, designing, researching, finding material, engineering, everything. Creating a probe that will be able to actually kiss the sun. And may I remind you that the sun is a star. And a star is basically a ball of light and heat. And our specific star is made of light, heat, helium, and hydrogen. Below is a few pieces of text from the Popular Science article I read( some of the paragraphs are written by me as well):
“Our sun might not seem as enigmatic as more exotic, distant stars, but itâs still a marvelously mysterious miasma of incandescent plasma. And itâs certainly worthy of our scientific attention: Curiosity aside, a violent solar event could disrupt satellites and cause $2 trillion in damages for the U.S. alone. Yet, despite living in its atmosphere, we donât understand some of its defining phenomena. For sixty years, we havenât understood why the surface is a cozy 5,500 Celsius, while the halo called the coronaâseveral million kilometers away from the starâs surface and 12 orders of magnitude less denseâboasts a positively sizzling 1-2 million Celsius.
To figure out why, NASA needs to fly a little closer to the sunâand touch it.
We know that magnetic reconnectionâwhen magnetic field lines moving in opposite directions intertwine and snap like rubber bandsâpropels nuclear weapon-like waves of energy away from surface. Meanwhile, magnetohydrodynamic wavesâvibrating guitar string-like waves of magnetic force driven by the flow of plasmaâtransfer energy from the surface into corona. However, without more data, our understanding of phenomena like coronal heating and solar wind acceleration remain largely theoretical…but not for long.
Launching in 2018, NASAâs Solar Probe Plus will travel nearly seven years, setting a new record for fastest moving object as it zips 37.6 million kilometers closer to the sun than any spacecraft that has ever studied our host star. But what manner of sensory equipment does one bring to Danteâs Inferno?
Spacecraft systems engineer Mary Kae Lockwood tells PopSci that the craft will rely on four main instruments. The Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons systems, or SWEAP, will monitor charges created by colliding electrons, protons and helium ions to analyze solar windâninety times closer to the sun than previous attempts. Similarly, the ISIS (Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun) employs a state-of-the-art detection system to analyze energetic particles (think: cancer-causing, satellite-disabling particles).
The FIELDS sensor, meanwhile, will analyze electric and magnetic fields, radio emissions, and shock wavesâwhile gathering information on the high-speed dust particles sanding away at the craft using a technique discovered by accident. Lastly, the Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe, or WISPR telescope, will make 3D, cat-scan-like images of solar wind and the sunâs atmosphere.Thereâs just one problem. Between intense heat, solar radiation, high-energy particles, the fallout of solar storms, dust, and limited communication opportunities at closest approach, all that sensitive equipment is going to an environment that almost makes Junoâs new home look sympathetic by comparison. âOne of the things we had to watch out for in the design,â according to Lockwood, was the electrical âchargingâ of the spacecraft by the solar wind. The probe has to be conductive âso that the instruments that are actually measuring the solar wind donât have interference.â
To get close enough to worry about that, though, the probeâs has to âlose some energyâ says Lockwood, performing several Venus flybys to shrink its orbit â[allowing] us to get . . . closer and closer to the sun.âHowever, that comes with âinteresting design challenges, because youâre not only going into the sunâ as heatshield mechanical engineer Beth Congdon tells PopSci. âYou get hot on approach, and then come out and get cold,â over and over for 7 flybys and 24 orbits. âYou actually need to have it cyclically survive hot and cold temperatures.â And high energy particles. And hypervelocity dust. For that, you need a heat shield âdifferent from any other heat shield that has ever existed.â
The heat shield that they are designing has to support itself to survive hypervelocity space dust, survive hot and cold temperatures, and many more things that can and will be a threat.
But what I really want to see if that probe can break the space between us and the sun.
Let me touch it. Let me touch the space between us.
On August 5, of 2011 a spacecraft was launched to go on a five year expedition to Jupiter. It had reached Jupiter on July 4, of 2016, after a five year cruise expedition. That is five hundred fifty-eight million kilometers, which is equal to 0.000082 (43 light minutes). The spacecraft Juno successfully reached Jupiter’s orbit, and was only one minute late for it’s touchdown. The people behind this mission predicted it only one minute behind. What do you have to say to that? NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) recently released photos that Juno took. I honestly can’t describe it. Just see for yourselves:
 Over the summer, I read endless amounts of articles. And my science teacher even let me read a section of it during class one day. The picture shown above is the first one that introduced me and gave me a picture of what I needed and wanted to see.
Above is picture of Jupiter’s Southern poles and regions, the swirls can make it’s weather and climate readable. With an altitude of more than 30,000 kilometers( 52,000 kilometers).
Above is the pole’s horizon. And once again we are shown a different angular view of it’s polar regions and weather and climate patterns.
I don’t think the picture shown above needs a description. You can already see it’s beauty. Like a watercolor painting.
Or this one either. You can see why.
Here is another example that shows the stormy hurricane-like climate.
Here it shows similar weather patterns like in the “Big Red Spot.”
Thanks for reading and remember, question everything.
This map right here is the largest map ever created to be representing the universe. Each dot represents 1.2 million galaxies. This is just a fraction of the entire map:
Daniel Eisenstein told Popular Science( my favorite magazine) this:
“This is one slice through the map of the large-scale structure of the Universe from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and its Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. Each dot in this picture indicates the position of a galaxy 6 billion years into the past. The image covers about 1/20th of the sky, a slice of the Universe 6 billion light-years wide, 4.5 billion light-years high, and 500 million light-years thick. Color indicates distance from Earth, ranging from yellow on the near side of the slice to purple on the far side. Galaxies are highly clustered, revealing super clusters and voids whose presence is seeded in the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang. This image contains 48,741 galaxies, about 3% of the full survey data set. Grey patches are small regions without survey data.”
Scientists and astronomers have been studying a nearby star, that is being orbited by the exoplanet Proxima B, a planet that is thought to be rocky and roughly, earth-sized. Currently orbiting it’s star in a habitable zone. It is 25 trillion miles away(how convenient) and is told to have a legitimately not to hot or not to cold. Theoretically to have a tolerable environment for streams, oceans, and rivers to be formed. But there are some things we still don’t know. And those multiple key informational strategic data and statistics are what we need to find out more about the planet in order for us to take the next step in aeronautics history.
For example, scientists, astronomers, and researchers are still filling in the blanks about whether or not the atmosphere can be habitability for water, and maybe environmental colonizing. Aka, living organisms. Scientists are still considering the choice of believing that there are abiotic life forms as well as biotic ones. But they have found that like Mercury it has and orbital eccentricity. Basically it means that if it spins three times on it’s axis for every two times it revolves around the star it orbits, it can possibly support the forming of water.
This is an artists impression of the exoplanet Proxima B:
The planet is located 4.2 light years away from our planet. I know, i know, it does and IS actually of lot if you calculate it. But do you remember when I wrote about the(incredible) movie, Passengers? The passengers were put to sleep for two hundred years. PUT TO SLEEP. Not the kind they do with animals. But it’s basically hibernation. For very very domesticated mammals. Scientists( it’s kinda funny to refer to myself as a female human being now that I had just referred to myself as a “very very domesticated mammal”) are considering that idea, but it’s way more complex then that. But those engineers, scientists, abiotic and biotech researchers, everyone who takes part in these things are diligent, they have been studying for this. I doubt that they will fail to find enough information to help them with this.
