My Favorite Songs

If you’re like me, you find music not only enjoyable, but also helpful and almost enlightening. Many people listen to music because of a beat or some catchy chorus line. If you’re looking for a list like that, go somewhere else. For me, I like to be in my own world when I listen to music. I have a balcony outside of my room, and almost every night I will sit out there, with my iPod playing, looking upon the stars. It is really soothing for me, as I reflect and think about my life and everything around me. Other times, I will have it blaring through speakers singing along. Music depicts someone’s personality, lifestyle, and things they like. Overall, the following list explains my top songs.

In no particular order-

1-      Under the Bridge-  Red Hot Chili Peppers

This has been a song I’ve been listening to as long as I can remember. My dad really likes this band, and he always played it at home in the car. As I started to understand the meaning of the song and the flow it gave me, I fell in love with it even more.

2-      Kings and Queens- 30 Seconds to Mars

Kings and Queens is a relatively new song, coming out about 9 months ago. The vibe it gave me was really strong, and it makes me think about everything and it inspires me to do the best I can.

3-      Miss Me- Drake & Lil Wayne

I have really grown to hip-hop in the recent past. This is really energizing, and after a few times of listening to it, you can’t help but sing along. With Lil Wayne just coming out of jail a few weeks ago, I am listening to it even more.

4-      Beautiful- Eminem

Another hip-hop song, this really drives home the world. “Beautiful” came out in mid-late 2009, on Eminem’s comeback album of Relapse. This song gave me a lot of empathy for Eminem, as he had been having many personal problems at the time and I could feel his pain in this song. Eminem also talks about America’s economy. As he is from Detroit, he is definitely a primary source of depression and economical problems.

5-      Happy Xmas (War is Over)- John Lennon

I always try to be thankful of what I have and try not to ask for things I don’t particularly need. “Happy Xmas” helps me be grateful for every single thing and person I have in my life. I ended up seeing the music video for this song, and seeing all the war clips throughout the world made me feel obliged to give back and feel blessed for what I have.

My Cousin

For me, it is very hard to get close to people. I definitely try to be friendly and go out of my way to make a joke or make someone fit in, but being close to someone is on another level. I have very bad trust issues, and it takes an ample amount of time for me to finally warm up to someone and say whatever I want to them. Most people think of me as over the top and crazy, but I’m actually very shy. In the world, there’s really only one person I can say anything to- and that’s my cousin, W.

W is my best friend by far. I think of myself having a decent amount of friends, but I am never really that well-connected with them. W is different… While living in Canada for the first 5 years of my life, I saw him almost every day. When something very tragic happened in my life, I ended up staying with him all the time. This is when our friendship turned into brothers, and ever since I moved to California we have kept that relationship, knowing that we are one of a kind.

W and I, as mentioned, are the best of friends. We have a ton in common, and since he is just a few years older than me he leads the way. He teaches me the rights from the wrongs with just about everything- actually, scratch that; just women. Whenever we see each other, we have a hell of a time doing tons of things: sports, going out socializing, or just hanging out.

Now that I’m living overseas, it’s really hard for W and I to keep in touch. Facebook is the main way, but still, I wish I could see him more. Whenever he is in California for tennis or I’m up in Canada, we’re sure to hang out. Lots of my memories are with him, which makes me miss him even more; but not seeing him all the time makes me even closer to him. I cherish the moments when I’m actually with him, and I will never forget them.  W is one of the greatest role models, friends, and peers anyone could ever have. I’m blessed to have you in my life, W. If you’re reading this, I love you, man. 

Miami Heat?

As an avid sports fan, I always love to hear about new trades, new players, and just any news overall about professional sports. Throughout sports, there are those big-name teams with the big-name players. The New York Yankees of the 90’s, the 1970’s Steelers, and much more. One team that was supposed to dominate the NBA this year was the Miami Heat. But so far this season, they have been nothing but mediocre.

Over the off-season (summer of 2010) there were a lot of big names in the NBA that were finishing up their contracts and ready to go somewhere else. These included Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, all-caliber players that would be respected and followed wherever they went. They ended up signing with the Miami Heat, and as a result of this more and more players wanted to join them and maybe win a championship or two.

If you know about the NBA, you know about LeBron James. Here, we have a hometown 25 year old who has never lived outside of his birthplace, Akron, Ohio. He ended up playing 7 years for the Cleveland Cavaliers, before also signing with the Miami Heat this season. This damaged James’ reputation as a player and role model, as he destroyed his image as a hometown hero to someone that cared about winning. He ended up having a 1-hour special on just what team he would pick, and this damaged his morale even more; now, he was thought of as not only a traitor, but also an egotistical attention ****.

Cleveland's reaction to LJ's choice-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ7LaEJ83tg

But it didn’t matter for “The Big Three” right? Wade, Bosh, and James were going to win all of their games this year, break records, and get the championship. So far into the season, this has not happened at ALL. About a month into the season, the three are already fatigued heavily and have only won about half of their games. In addition, their individual stats have dramatically decreased. What went wrong? There’s really no explanation to that question.

Notice the writing on the jersey.

To me, I believe it is karma for LeBron. I can only imagine how heartbroken not only Cleveland and Akron are, but the entire state of Ohio. Ohio is not known for winning in professional sports, and LeBron may have changed that. Unfortunately, LeBron, being a young, inexperienced professional, took the money and promising road to glory; even when it meant leaving behind an entire state depending on you.

Me? I still respect LeBron James. Do I like him? Not really. But respect- oh yes. Look at him. He has dedicated his life to his work. He is without a doubt the most athletic person I have ever laid eyes on. Sure, that hasn’t resulted in a great NBA season, but I wish Mr. James the best as he begins his new lifestyle as a traitor and arrogant ___________.

Top Five Comedy Movies

Humor is a must in anyone’s life. It is ideal to laugh every day, and if you’re like me you do it more than just once every day. I try to look at the bright side of all things and as a result of this, I can be a little too happy and humorous at times. One way to make myself laugh is through comedy movies- in fact, they are probably one of my favorite ways. Some are just plain stupid, whereas others have a meaning and have humor along the way. Below, I have compiled a list of the top 5 comedies in my opinion.

NOTE: The links that I presented below are potentially explicit, and I am in no way responsible for an individual being offended. By reading this, you just agreed.

5- Get Him to the Greek

This is a new movie- as a result of this, it hasn’t been compared to many other hilarious movies. It is about Aaron Green (Jonah Hill), an employee of an LA music company. His boss, Sergio (P. Diddy), tells him to go to London to pick up Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), a famous rockstar. Aldous is actually a drug, sex and alcohol addict who does everything he is told NOT to do. Aaron is supposed to get Aldous from London back to Los Angeles in only 3 days to play a show. Easy, right? Well think again, because it is anything but that.

Many movies don’t make me laugh out loud- This was the exact opposite. From them smuggling heroin on to a plane to P. Diddy getting hit on the head with a guitar, Get Him to the Greek will keep you in stitches.

Sergio bashing Pharrell (this actually isn't that funny- it was just the least explicit thing I could find)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMbqoI2rs-4

4- Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder has one of the best plotlines ever in my opinion- A bunch of high profile actors that are sent to Vietnam to make a war movie. Unfortunately, an unwilling attitude by the actors and an inexperienced director leads to the movie being delayed. As a result of this, the director decides to drop the actors in a Vietnamese war-zone and shoot it themselves. The director immediately gets blown up by a land mine, and the actors end up in grave danger. An extremely lethal and dangerous village ends up capturing them (thinking they are terrorists) while the actors think it is all fake and part of the movie. This combination leads to a hilarious result, giving you lots of laughs along the way.

Trailer-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyHuayjK7os

3- Caddyshack

This movie is a classic, as it has been around for decades. I actually saw it for the first time this year, but I found it really funny and compelling due to the whole storyline and the great characters. As I am used to recent movies, it was really interesting for me personally to see actors such as Chevy Chase and Bill Murray when they were in their prime.

The story is about a middle-class teenage boy named Danny (Michael O’Keefe) who works as a caddy for a very wealthy country club. He is always caddying rich tycoons that are full of themselves, placing extremely large bets on who will have the better round among many other things. There are many story lines in this movie, and 2 of them include Bill Murray setting up explosives throughout the golf course and a caddy putting with $80,000 on the line. If you want a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat along with lots of laughs, this is the movie for you.

Trailer-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTqenN1SqQ

2- Talladega Nights- The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

When I saw the trailer for this movie, I knew that I had to see it. Talladega Nights- The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is about Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell), an egotistical NASCAR driver who lives by one rule- “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” Throughout his career, he has gotten everything he wanted. One day, a Formula One driver by the name of Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) comes to NASCAR to finish his career. Ricky gets mad and promises that he won’t let Girard win any races. Unfortunately, it is the exact opposite; Ricky loses every race and Girard becomes the king of NASCAR. Ricky ends up getting into a big crash, and falls out of NASCAR. What happens? Watch to find out! (that is if you aren’t cracking up during the entire movie!)

Ricky Bobby tries to prove he’s paralyzed-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2mCMF222IQ

1-     
Step Brothers

Step Brothers is another amazing and clever comedy that includes Will Ferrell. It is about two 40 year old men that still live at home (Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly). They soon become step-brothers after the mother of Brennan (Will Ferrell) and father of Dale (John C. Reilly) get married. This movie, as mentioned, is very quick witted due to its use of slapstick comedy and direction by Judd Apatow. The two brothers in the beginning hating each other, but soon after getting to know each other become great friends. Unfortunately to everyone else, they are only a nuisance to society. As they start understanding that they need a job and contribute to the community, they only find out themselves how annoying and immature they really are. To them, it may be sad, but to the audience it’s a great laugh and each time you watch it you find another thing funny.

Trying to build a bunkbed-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BlHY69ZsZ0

How to Think Like a CEO

One of the books I’ve been reading is How to Think Like a CEO. This is by D.A. Benton. It gives the reader a great amount of advice, talking about how to move up in your company quickly and efficiently, using little-known techniques that can really make a difference. Right now, you’re probably thinking, “isn’t this kid like 14 or 15?” True, I haven’t really started a job yet. But when I start my career after I’m finished college, I want to make sure I do a good job. And when it’s hard for young people without experience to get a job, you can see why it’s extra important.

The book is divided into 11 chapters, and they touch on everything in order for the reader to try and become more successful.  They cover anything from when to go outside your boundaries to the many obstacles you will have in order to become highly ranked. Along with a lot of great advice from the author, there are many top CEO’s that give their input to this book. These can include Rick Holley, Alex Mandl, and many more. I learned that being a CEO isn’t really what I thought it was. Obviously, I knew there would be work involved but I didn’t think that there would be THIS much. I didn’t know that some CEO’s were the lowest paid employees of their entire company.

Either way, this book showed me a lot. I recommend it to anyone that would want to go into the business industry like me, or just someone that has been having trouble being recognized in their company.

My Greatest Obstacle Yet

If you know me, you know that I really like to play sports. Whatever it may be, from skiing to football, I’m your guy. I try hard at sports (sometimes harder than I do in school). I get extremely competitive… even in P.E. My motto- if you aren’t first, you’re last. I have a hard time getting over losses, whether it is with people, sports, or anything of that matter. The one sport that I am most competitive at and love the most is basketball. This is where the story begins…

It has been my life goal to get a scholarship to a Division I college and play NCAA basketball. I can picture myself playing for UCLA and doing great on and off the court. Back in California, I loved playing on multiple teams. My day: School, practice, game, sleep. Life seemed good. I put in the work because I enjoyed it. As I got older, I enjoyed it much more, playing in all-state tournaments and more. Then, I found out that I was moving to Caracas, Venezuela. What bugs me? Read on.

California State Games, one of the tournaments I played in.

I hoped to come to my school playing with guys a lot better than me, maybe some 6 foot 5 guys who could teach me a thing or two. Or a top coach who could whip me into top shape. Coming from a league called AAU, I knew it would possibly be a step down in abilities. I didn’t know it would be this big of a drop!

 I was expecting a tryout of 50-60 kids. I then found out there weren’t even 50 kids in my GRADE (to show you how much of a surprise this was for me, let me put it this way- if I was in my HS in Cal, there would have been 2,000 freshmen). Instead, I am playing on a 10 person squad. 11 tried out. I was being coached by my Social Studies teacher, and instead of playing in a tournament each weekend like I did in California, we play in one tournament the entire season. I was, and still am, angry about the lack of intensity sports are at my school. I know a lot of people that would give up on basketball if they were in the same position as me: A player who goes from an all-out intensive league to a little play team with no competition. But I try not to let these things stop me, or even slow me down. I still work out a lot by myself, watch tape, and practice year-round. I know my former teammates back in California are getting supreme coaching (one coached by a former NBA head coach) and opportunity in comparison to me.

I call these things obstacles. Sure, I don’t have the greatest opportunity of making it to the collegiate level, which as mentioned, was my goal. Sure, I wish I was back home. But hey, isn’t life all about overcoming obstacles? Isn’t there achievement in that itself? Well, ladies and gentlemen, I won’t give up. That is my next obstacle for me to get around. Don’t forget. Because as I say, if you aren’t first, you’re LAST.

Squallywood Anyone?

Throughout the world, people ski. Some do it more than others, some do it as a Christmas activity while others do it for a living. If you have ever touched a pair of skis, THE place to take those bad boys is Squaw Valley USA in Lake Tahoe, California. Squaw, as many call it, is the hotspot for extreme skiing. If you want 100 foot cliffs or intense powder skiing, Squallywood is the place for you.

                                                                Overlooking Lake Tahoe

Johnny Mosely, Olympian medalist, hails from here. Many other professional skiers call Squaw Valley home. There is a wooden bear in the village that has engraved on it the 47 Olympians that are from here.  In fact, many members of the youth ski team go on to get ski scholarships and some make it professional. After being a former member of the freestyle team, I can tell you that this is not a surprise. Many of the 16-17 year olds seem like they are destined for the Olympics, with their run of 360 arials to backflips off cliffs. KT-22, one of the peaks in Squaw Valley, has been called the best run in the western hemisphere. With the only funitel (large gondola) in North America, 4,000 acres of shredding material, and more than 30 chairlifts, you can see why Squallywood is an A-List ski destination. Take that Colorado. Does Aspen or Vail have a hot tub area 2,000 feet above the base? A run that’s almost 4 miles? I didn’t think so, but Squaw sure does.

                                                                KT-22. This looks delicious...                                                                                

It wasn’t always like this. More than 60 years ago, a man named Alex Cushing started this ski resort with just 1 pull chairlift. It quickly progressed into a popular skiing area for the competitive skiers, and by 1960 it held the Winter Olympics. Ever since, the staff at Squaw makes sure to improve each year. With a mix of anything from intense terrain parks to narrow chutes, Squaw Valley makes itself much more than just another ski area.

                                             Don't be surprised to see this after a "good" day of skiing

Although you probably think of Squaw as some death toll area right now, don’t worry. You probably won’t die like  X-Games gold medalist C.R. Johnson did in the cliffs of Squaw  a few months ago. Ok, that was a bad idea saying that. You won’t die here, as there is plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain. There is an Ice Rink on top of the mountain, and surrounding that is a good amount of Green and Blue runs. So bring the family and have a great time, no matter if you are renting a pair of skis for the weekend or trying to make it to the big show.

                                      Squaw and it's night skiing. Have you bought your tickets yet? 

Music of Twenty-Ten and Back Then

Let’s be honest; 2010 has been a bad year for the music industry.

As pop stars take over the main stream of music , it is difficult to turn on the radio and hear anything but “California Gurls” by Katy Perry  or “Baby” by he-who-shall-not-be-named (not Voldemort). This shows us that we, the fans, have changed our taste. Take a look back to the mid 90’s – The Red Hot Chili Peppers were on the top, 2pac wasn’t dead yet, along with “alternative rock” becoming the new trend for artists.

Back in the day.

When we hear the word “music”, what do you think of? If we go to the year 2000, Sublime would come to mind, along with Jay-Z and Eminem. Their music had meaning; nowadays, it is hard to not hear a 16 year old boy who-shall-not-be-named whining over “One Less Lonely Girl”. You’re a little boy. Shut up please. Talk about pizza or about how your day at school was. Lady Gaga- I understand that in order to be recognized as an artist you need to be different, but you take this to a whole new dimension. When you wear a dress made of 100% raw meat (2010 VMAS J), you know you’re just a little over the line.

Whatever floats your boat.

Obviously you can see that I, as a critic, am very conservative as I don’t like to see good things go even if it is for the better sake of our world. Not all of our modern music is bad- An album I really like that came out this year was Drake’s “Thank Me Later”. I have always loved alternative rock bands such as 311, Sublime, and Nirvana but Drake and Lil Wayne have made me a bit of a hip-hop fan. “Miss Me” along with “Up All Night” had really nice beats and I thought the lyrics fit them.  Eminem, a seasoned veteran in the music department, came back from drug problems to release a well named album of “Recovery”

Drake (sitting) and Lil Wayne (Rapping)

As we all know, it is not 1999. Dr. Dre isn’t on top, Red Hot Chili Peppers aren’t jamming out (without back problems) and he-who-shall-not-be-named isn’t 5 anymore. But I sure hope 2011 is a resurrection of “real” music, with Dr. Dre hopefully releasing "Detox", along with a scheduled album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Red Hot Chili Peppers of 2010. Not the same, huh?

-HAT

California

If you know me, you know that I'm pretty proud to have lived in California; and if you plan on marrying me, that's where we are living .J California in my mind is one of the most diverse areas in the world. In fact, a little too diverse. It's not crazy to see a mansion sitting right next to a destroyed trailer. But either way, I love that place. 

Another way California is diverse is the land. Many people distinguish the state into two parts- Northern and Southern. Northern California, which includes the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose,) Lake Tahoe, and Sacramento, is where alot of business companies have their headquarters. Apple in Cupertino, Chevron in San Ramon, and many more. In addition, there are alot of recreational things to do. Surf in Santa Cruz, Ski in Lake Tahoe, or hike in any of the large mountains found in NorCal. One of the most famous parts of California is the Golden Gate Bridge, which is found in San Francisco. A lot of musicians hail from this area. Green Day in Berkeley, many musicians San Francisco, along with rappers scattered all over the bay area.

Lake Tahoe, California. My brother

The other area is Southern California. Many people believe the "southern" part of California starts in the beautiful San Luis Obispo. SoCal includes the Los Angeles area (Greater LA, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica) along with San Diego, Santa Barbara and a lot more. You can see that through the names that California is influenced by Latino culture; Southern Cal is no exception. This area is known for various things- Disneyland, Hollywood, along with some of the greatest surf spots on the Pacific side- Huntington Beach, Hermosa Beach, Laguna Beach, and many more. Los Angeles can be known as the music capital of the world- rock bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Beach Boys and many more originate from this area. All over California it is not uncommon to see a celebrity out in public. I know the exact houses in which Daniel Tosh, Audrina Patridge, and Pau Gasol live. I'm not a stalker... go there and see what I'm talking about.

Hermosa Beach, a picture I took

As I mentioned, this is where I plan on living as an adult. Excellent colleges can be found here, including Stanford, UCLA, Cal, USC, and an ample more. I would want to go to a UC school- University of California Santa Barbara or UCLA are my dream schools.

California is a beautiful place full of many things. Obviously, I am a little biased as I say these things; but this is no exaggeration at all. Go there and see why is the most populated area in North America.

-HAT

The Beginning of Something Good

Hello. I am new to this blogging thing, so please forgive me if I don’t have proper “blogging etiquette”. Anyway, let’s begin. I am a 9^th grade international student currently attending an American school in Venezuela. If it weren’t for my English class, I most likely never would have made a blog mainly because I prefer spending my time being active. But hopefully this will be fun and have a good outcome!

            Originally, I am from Canada. When I was about 4, I moved to California because of my dad’s job, and now I call it home. I am a very tall, broad person. To pretty much everyone, I look down on them (physically). As I said before, I love to be active. Not in any way to stay healthy, more because I like the feeling of running around and playing sports. It’s a way to express myself. The main sports I do are basketball, freestyle skiing, watersports (surfing, wakeboarding, etc.) and American football. Unfortunately, I can’t do these as much as I want now that I’m in Venezuela. That is one thing that annoys me, but most things actually make me very happy. I love people and conversing with them, along with other things such as funny movies and sports for an example. When I’m older I hope to be able to have my profession around something that fits my personality. I have always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a lawyer due to the fact that I like being right. Another job that interests me is a sports agent. I would want to take sports marketing and law during university and hopefully become rather successful in that area. As you can see, I like to think about my future and how I will fit in with our earth.

            My goal for this blog is to make something out of it. Obviously this is for a school assignment, but I like to put a lot of effort into things like this. My blog I am hoping will have a decent amount of readers. My blog will be about various things. I love saying my mind and putting in my opinion, so there will most likely be some news and current events discussions. I travel a lot, so I will put on a lot of things to do with my adventures. Whatever I do end up writing about, I guarantee you one thing- you will not be disappointed!