Year in Review

I had a good time this year all things considered. I did really well in every class except gym (thank god that's over) and expect to make honour roll again this year. Despite the fact I rarely do homework until the last minute, I do really well in general. I've got a good group of friends and good classmates.

My friends are the weirdest people ever, I swear. We get going on topics you wouldn't belive. Usually things are somewhat civil, but on a good (or bad) day, things just get crazy during lunch. They're nice enough people (excluind one or two) and overall a great group.

I don't do extra curricular activites at all. Never really appealed to me. I might do something at some point, but I highly doubt it. They jsut don't appeal to me. I expect Grade 11 to be an excellent year, and hopefully not to challenging. It will be kind of sad since some of friends are graduating, and I will be alone-ish in Grade 12, but I should have some new friends to hang with by then. I had a great year, and hope next year will be great too.

Studying

I don't study. Period. The reason why is that I've found that not only do I lack the focus for studying (at least for extended amounts of time) and that I remember most of the things I learn in a unit as the long as the question gives a little clue (and its almost impossible not to because you need a topic). I seem to have what I've come to think of as safety deposit boxes in my head, in which I learn something, and lock it away. I will proably not remember it until I need it. An easier explanation is a photographic memory, except it needs a key.

I last studied (not counting reviews) sometime in elementary school, maybe Gr. 6 or 7. I've gotten at least 80+ on all my tests, and have 90s in all my classes at last check. Some people need to study, but I have no need. But the tips were good ones!

Oil Spill

This is a tragic incident that will be fealt for at least a few years. The government and BP plc are working hard to fix this issue, and they have a few ideas. I hope they get it fixed soon, and they have some good ideas. They first tried to put a containment dome on the leak, but there was ice forming on the dome, so that didn't work. Now they want to use a top kill method, which involves first pumping a drilling fluid into the oil well, followed by cement. They say that this method has been used on land, but never 5,000ft below the sea.

The oil spill started when the Horizen drilling platform exploded. It collapsed and the blowout preventer didn't kick in to stop the oil. To stop the coast damge, they been using oil-absobing booms, floating tubes made of oil-absorbing materiasls. A submerine is also trying to insert a small tube into a larger tube to cement it and stop some of the oil. As well, relief wells may be drilled to siphon oil away from the spill.

Long Weekend

Long weekends are alright. The are just opportunities to go places you couldn't in a normal two days. I just went out to my grandmas and played video games, rather than stay home. I spent some time with her of course, but otherwise it was just a really long weekend. If anything, I am just more tired than a regular weekend. Junkfood, sleeping in, and video games are great, but too much makes you tired. Very...very...tired. They are awesome, but in the end, you are tired.

Faceb00k Privacy

I have a Faceb00k account, but only for the sake of having one. I log on every once in a while and I've got hundreds of requests that ake forever to delete. I don't have much personal information on it, but after reading this, I want to log on and change everything to private. It is a complete invasion of privacy on the companies part, and plain stupidity on the people. Even before the changes, people should have things set to friends only, and not put a whole bunch of info online. It is a constant message braocast across any site with user accounts to never give out personal information over the Internet. But now that I think about, Faceb00k has none of these, even if it's a social networking site, it should still warn people. When new users create their accounts, it should either go through a step by step process to select settings, or automatically set for private. Friend requests from people you don't know should be ignored, and people really need to be careful.
I dislake Faceb00k for the most part. It has alright games and sure you can talk to people, but it gets in the way much to often. People always have giant amounts friend from their school, and yet no one knows each other usually. I have one only to check thnigs once in a while and thats it. Even my email I check rarely (although I am trying to change that). Faceb00needs to change, but so do laws against privacy invasion and date protection.

Developers VS The People

In the world of video games, you have the developer, the publisher, and the consumers. The publisher is just the middle man, the company that gets the game to stores usually. It's the developer and consumer that really matter. In the early days, developers would make a game, and it would either make them, or break them. If people didn't like the game, it wasn't bought, it was forgotten about, and if the company couldn't try again, so be it. Today, most developers are huge, and make one game then go on to the next. Consumers care a lot more as well, most games usually becoming franchises these days. Developers like doing things their way, with very few of them getting any input from the public except through playtesting.
It's another hot topic for video games; does the devloper know more than the public, or vice versa? Who should have the say? In my opinion, developers need to defer to public more, and they need to make sure it's a broad audience. Lots of games have been ruined by a single mechanic that could been fixed if they had at least playtested, or better yet asked lots of people by posting it online. The good news is that more developers are using the public as another tool when making games. Woohoo!

Candy: Friend or Foe

Candy is great, but like everything else, only in moderation. If you eat too much, it can be very bad for you. But if you have it once a month, or even once a week, you should be fine. I love candy, especially Nibs, and I get it once a month on average, maybe a bit more. You just have to control how candy kids get. If you give a 4 year old every candy he asks for, he's going to become addicted and FAST. On the other hand, if he learns hes only going to get it as a treat, he might try harder to be good. There should also be more candy in schools. Good marks get rewards, like experience points, or candy, and it is proven that most kids try harder when there is a prize at the end.

The candy is a large one. "The US candy manufacturing industry includes about 1,600 companies with combined annual revenue of $17 billion." ("Candy Manufacturing") There are dozens of different candy types, and dozens of different brands for each type. Everyone has their favourtie, which is why so many brands stay afloat. There are local brands and international, and theres always a fight for the top.

FInanical Choices and Literacy

I don't really known much about how finances work in the real world. My financial situation sits at getting money occasionally from my parents, more on birthdays and Christmas, and then spending it on new video games. Video games cost a lot these days, especially new ones (around $60 - $70 with tax), and this means I don't really save my money. I don't work a job yet because I have such good parents who provide a lot for me. I understand how things like credit cards, and bank accounts work, but filing taxes, managing lots of debts, etc. is still beyond me.

When I go out to purchase something, I already know what I want. When a new game comes out that I am interested in, I get it as soon as I have the money. Anything else is just treats from my parents. Tihs is a problem for me, and I know it. But I don't know what I am supposed to be doing after I move out, or at least start paying my own bills. I have a fund set up for education by my parents, so I'll be well off when the time comes, but even then I don't know how to manage it properly.

I would like to take a class like this, but I wouldn't be able to and still have time for the classes I need for my chosen career. If it was say a Gr. 12 class, I might take it, because I am thinknig to have spares that year. But otheriwse, I've mapped out high school, and it leaves little room for extra classes.

Help for Hati

That song was beautiful. It showed how passionate the artists are, and how much they care about the people of Haiti. I would love to help in any way I can, and donate, but I never seem to have the time, and it's my own fault. I love caring for others and helping them, but it seems like Haiti is just to far away for me, and I forget about it until I see things. I know they are in pain, and I would donate a lot of money if I could, but I spend to much on myself. I recognize this and want to change, and maybe when I'm older and out on my own, I'll help causes like this when I can. But right now, I care about the tings kids care about. Passing school, playing games, talking with friends, avoiding chores and so on. Its just how a lot of teenagers are.

If I really could help, the one thing I would love to do is go over to Haiti and actually help cleanup the city and help people make it through the day. Not as I am now, it would be to much for me. But if I were older, and more settled, like 24, 25, I really would love to go over and help. But sadly, I can only donate, and even that is forgotten in the routine of my life.

Gradebooks

On Friday we got our gradebooks, and it was wonderful. I am currently sitting at above ninety in every class, with my highest mark being a tie between science and social at 94. These are the marks I am most proud of because I thought that science at least would be a bit lower. I struggled a bit in both classes last year, science the most, but I pulled my marks up by the end of the year, made the honour roll, and am aiming for the same thing this year.

What I find strange is that my favourite and best subject is math, yet its only at a 90, 91. While this would be enough for most people, I feel I can do a lot better and am wondering why my mark is where it is. I'm pretty sure its because I make stupid mistakes and don't check, but I don't recall that many.

Overall though, my marks are excellent. I've all 90s, or all As, which every way you want to see it. I don't care how there represented. Marks are marks, whether there experience points, numbers, letters, or stars. Getting high marks secures not only some self-confidence that you can do things, but it also opens up lots of job opportunities.

Spring Break

I didn't do much over Spring break. I stayed up late, slept in late, and played video games in my free time. Sometimes I had to take the dogs for a walk with dad, or go shopping, or some chores, but it wasn't that exciting. I had pizza, drank pop, basically just sat around the house all day, every day. The most exiciting thing that happened was my dad getting stomach sick (woohoo...). Hes recovering slowly.

My mom couldn't eat for two days for a doctors apoitment, and she was severly lacking in energy by the end of it. There were some good things for them though. Saturday night they had a mini party, and I got my favorite pizza cooked. Played more video games, stayed late, etc. It was actually kind of boring in terms of what happened, but the break was a lot of fun.

Students need breaks like this, in order to recouperate, or think about hwat they've learned, or to plan outings with friends they havn't seen for a while. Going with no breaks save Xmas and summer would be just grueling day in day out. Having breaks gives students something to look forward to. It might even make them work harder so that they don't have homework over the break.

Slow Cow

This is a great idea, but only if it works out. Even if it calms you down, you may become less focused. As well, people have to be careful with it because if thy have a certain medical condition, then relaxing them may be lethal.

On the other hand, if it works, it would be awesome. Energy drinks are ridiculous. They make you really hyper, and when they pass, you crash. Sometimes excess caffeine and sugar can cause people to stroke, or similar. The risks outweigh the benefits in my mind. A risk to your health for a few hours of energy, and even then you crash afterwords. With this, people who are stressed and just can't calm down, can. They will be able to work peacefully, and without stress, increasing productivity. If you need energy that badly, get a goods night sleep, or take a quick nap, rather than drinking a damaging energy drink.

Video Games

I am a huge gamer. I game when ever I get the chance, usually all of my out of school time. Games are on the cutting edge of technology, in programming, grahpics, everything. They are a growing industry, one I see as possibly the largest ever at some point. People buy games like mad, sell them back for credit or cash. Fans cry out for sequals, rejoice when they are annonced, then retreat back into their holes when the sequal is cancelled and dreams are crushed.

I recently got my hands on oneof the newest games, Mass Effect 2. I've played it through once already, 24 hours clocked in on time spent playing it. I'm on my second playfuk, with all of the downloadble content that is free installed. I'm pretty sure I'll have at least two hours plus clocked in on this game. It's an RPG game, meaning even if I play it throught the whole way three or four times, theres always a different way for theg ame to end. As well, you can import your save from Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3 when it comes out, which means your decisions in one game affect what happens in the other. If you own all three games, you can play for a total of 72 hours from one game to the next, importing your character each time, gainng bonuses for doing so, and changing the story in different and unexpected ways.

This is just one example of how far games have come. In the early days there was pong, now we have Halo. Before we had 8-bit Mario, now we have full fledged 3D adventures in space. The thing games are striving for is full virtual immersion, or at least thats what I think. A game where you can be surrounded by the scenery, and be the character. Like the holo0-deck in Star Trek. Games are looking more real all teh time, to the pint of looking almost ugle from being too real. Guns sound real, you hear the hearbeat speed up when injured. It gives a feeling of immersion. Even today, there are glasses you can strap on to give yourself and almost 3D feel through depth perception. Especially fun when falling from a 50 story building.

Games are wonderous inventions, perfect distractions, and they arn't going away. People think of gamers as socially deprived, or fat and greasy, but this is not true. Games have a strong sense of loyalty to one another, whether it be they jsut met online, or know each other in real life. When you become a gamer, and find a group to join, you really do feel a part of the communitty. The great thing is, if you find something new, or better, or a different group, no ones going to garber a grudge against, because theres always better and newer gasmes or programs comming out.

Blogs

Andrew Gordon will do research using blog entries for the purpose of archiving every English blog entry for the purpose of teaching Artificial intelligences. He thinks that the blogging of everyday or mundane life is very appealing and hopes to learn a lot from it, for himself and the AI. He says that rather than being logical and rational, AIs will be vulgar and totally irrational at first, like web bloggers.

Blogging is okay, but only if you know what to write about, have the ability to write coherently, and remember to write. If you write for a year and accumulate dozens of followers, there going to be pissed if you suddenly drop off the radar. of course, its the Internet so people will move on, but there will be grudges. I think he'll research will turn up exactly what he wants it to- accounts of peoples everyday life, and the different views of today's society. I believe that his research really will help AIs grow to understand humans and become more friendly and helpful rather than simple tools. It will show the bad side of humans, but also the good, things an AI would need to know.

Bullying

I know the topic of bullying well. For three years in elementary school, I was shunned and bullied. I couldn't defend myself, didn't want to defend myself because I as afraid of what would happen if I did. Once it got to the point where I didn't want to go to school, and even after contacting the school, talking to the principal in person, it didn't stop. This before the bullying bylaw, so there was nothing to be done. I couldn't stay in side at recess, not all the time, so it didn't stop. I made friends with few and didn't trust easily. The kicker is that everyone who bullied me, didn't hesitate to ask or help in class, and I helped them anyways, because that's the kind of person I am.

I under stand David's feelings immensely, but never once did I consider running away. I could never do that to my family. But things did get better in high school at least. No one spread any stories, and I have more friends then ever, not too many though.

The main idea in this story is bullying, and how it can affect more than just the person being bullied, and that it can spread to affect a greater number of people. The police didn't believe David, so he was left to fight the battles on his own. He lost faith in others and the system, as it was little to no help. In the end he had no option but to run away, as the law said he had to go to school, which just meant more bullying. I think that in the end, in order to escape, he ran away, so that the law couldn't force him to face his problems anymore.

No matter what anyone does, no matter who the kid tells, bullying will continue, because adults haven't figured out a proper way to deal worth it. In today's generation, kids don't care if adults yell at them. So if suspend a kid for a few days, its not a punishment, its a good thing. They get to spend time at home, and when they get back, the bullying resumes. Innocent kids are hurt because of the school systems inability to find an acceptable solution.

Dream Job

My dream job is be a programmer for LucasArts. I love video games, and play them all the time, and as well love Star Wars. LucasArts is the video game company for Star Wars, and that's why I want to work there. Programming has lots to do with math and problem solving, and that's what I love. Their job is to build the game engine, the software that allows the game to be read by the machine and then displayed on screen. It's what allows for certain game mechanics to take place, like throwing people across the room with the Force. They do this through code, a string of numbers of letters that make up equations that the computer reads and interperets into visul effects. All software has a programmer take part in it, but video games are my calling. I always wanted to go into video games, or at least since around I was 7 or 8 I think. Being a programmer was just the job that happened to fit my abilities.

The Olympics

I didn't really watch the Olympics. I hoped Canada would do awesome, but I am way more of a gamer and as such, played video games. I watched some of the curling, Patrick Chan because of the hype, and some of the hockey. I didn't watch the final game, but I was really happy none the less. I wasn't that much involved with it, but during the gold medal events, opening ceremonies and closing, I was filled with pride. Nothing but. I can't really pick one in particular, but one of my favourite moments was during the opening ceremonies when the one guy did his We Are More speech. I was so happy, and so filled with pride. It was awesome. As a nation, we really came together. When we won the hockey, I would have hated to be the US. Why? When we won, there was a sea of red. While we were getting our team picture, the US was trudging off in the background, and thing was, the wave of red and white was alive, cheering and just freaking out-all for Canada. That would be so depressing.

Canada & the US

This is a very accurate description of Canada. We are very proud of our country, and we are always willing to help those in need. We are very accepting of different religions, cultures and so on, opening our borders to all. We've had quick response to many disaster events such as 9/11 or Hati, and this only reinforces the image of use being such helpful people. I am proud to be Canadian, for without us, the US and others would have been in trouble. The planes from 9/11 would have had no where to go, Hati would be in more trouble than they are now. Because of us, many people are safe, alive, and have been able to live better lives than they might have without us. Our soldiers were the only ones to achieve their D-Day objective on the first day, and they have unwavering loyalty to their fellow soldiers. This makes them a force to be reckoned with. I would rather live in Canada than anywhere else in the world.

Laptops in School

This is not a reasonable expectation, as not all families can afford a laptop for school, let alone for home use. If teachers built courses around laptops, some students would be at a large disadvantage. Laptops are helpful tools, and if the school provided the laptops, it would be fine, even if this presents it's own problems. With the Internet, you can either give students unrestricted access, or block every bad site, each with their own problems. As well, personal laptops allows students to bring any number of files into the school, which is quite a problem, but with school laptops, they cannot be modified, so certain programs are unavailable. As an expectation, personal laptops can be expensive, maybe even in 2012. As we are a digital society, a small little laptop does not come with the right capabilites. They would be fun to have,but how it is implenmented needs much thought.

I Am A Digital Learner (#2 late)

I consider myself a digital learner. I love computers in all shapes and forms. I am a big gamer, and as such have a large dependence on computers and technology. I know what computer parts are what, which are the most important, and when I need to upgrade. To have computers available to learn with in school would be a dream come true. I type a lot better than I can write, which is not a bad thing as computers are my thing. Computers provide a wealth of information for teachers to plan interactive courses around. Health classes have on the spot diagrams, science classes can get the periodic table in seconds. This is all available to students and teachers. The problem that teachers are afraid of is all of the mature content on the Internet. Rather than trusting the students,the decide to block every site with even a link or reference. This is irrational as some sites have their own blockers, and contain art that the student may have accessed at home,but cannot access at school. As netwoks can be monitored, teachers must trust students and discipline those that misuse the computers, rather than block everything. I would love computers in school,but steps must be implemented first, and they must be thought out beforehand.

A World Without Computers

In today's society computer are a necessity.They're everywhere. In our homes, our work, everywhere. Teenagers use them especially, along with cell phones and Ipods. It's argued if computers are good or bad, but it doesn't make a difference as they are everywhere already. Some people argue that they are contributing to obesity. There are multiple other reasons as well as to if the world would be better without them. One, as mentioned, is they contribute to in activeness and obesity. Another being that there is less face to face socialization, but more online chatting. A third would be they seem to be replacing books. This may save trees, but I myself love the feel of a book in my hands, rather that a mouse or eReader. Yet another could be that with the number of them being manufactured, it could be harming our environment, depending on how they are manufactured. A final reason is that there are many facts on the Internet, maybe too many. Anyone can put anything they want on the Internet, and if a person knows nothing on the subject, they could forever be thinking something right, when it's not.

Computers are wonderful things, but people need to be careful. The wrong thing at the wrong time can scar someone for life, or similar. But regardless, technology moves forward, and computers are probably here to stay. As such, people need to be taught how to utilize them better, whether overall or as a something to play games with.