Freshman Year-Complete

It’s hard to believe that we are already wrapping up the 2010-2011 school year. It truly has been a remarkable year for me individually and also I think overall for everything. It seems not too long ago that I was showing the new students around the school, and all of a sudden the only thing on my mind is finals and summer. This year has been quite different from previous school years for countless reasons. This includes, but is not limited to:

High School

This is my first year as a high school student. So much is different in comparison to middle school. In high school, there is obviously much, much more responsibility. I’ve learned that organization, dedication, and focus are all keys that determine how well you perform. It is the student’s responsibility for homework, tests, and projects. Ninth grade was a lot of fun, but I’m looking forward to the future as I will be older and wiser. Plus, I never liked being the youngest… I hope there isn’t a lot of freshman hazing in college.

Rains/Floods

This year was something happened that I’ve never experienced before. All of our classes in December were cancelled due to torrential rains within the Venezuelan state of Miranda. At first, I, along with the other students, couldn’t have been happier. This all changed when we ended up getting countless worksheets, projects, and other assignments. Teacher’s wikis became very popular on my computer. To make matters worse, the work did not count, and we still had to spend more time at school.

VANAS/CAISSA

Now that I’m a freshman, I’m able to travel a bit more for athletic teams. As I was on the basketball and softball team, I was able to go to tournaments within Venezuela (VANAS) but also internationally in a tournament called CAISSA. I’m glad I was able to experience this for the first time, even though this was my 2^nd year playing Varsity basketball. For CAISSA basketball, I traveled to Trinidad, where teams from Venezuela, Trinidad, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic all represented their schools. Although this was a great experience for me, I was sick for the entire time. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, so I decided to play through my stomach and respiratory issues along with a 103 degree fever. This was definitely the wrong idea as I missed a great amount of school afterwards.

I’m really looking towards 10^th grade. I didn’t do as well in 9^th grade as I could have, so my goal for 10^th grade is to not only make honors, but become a better person overall. I’m looking forward to the increased freedom along with making new friends and experiencing new things. I don’t really know what to expect for next year, because as they say, life’s a journey. 

Health & Nutrition

Dwight Howard, my fitness idol.

One thing that everyone needs in order to live well physically, mentally, and spiritually is nutrition. I personally believe that this topic is a must-have in one’s life. During middle school, I didn’t care about my health. I ate what I wanted, did what I wanted and had very little care for going to the gym to burn fat and gain muscle. Coming into high school, I knew that my methods regarding this area would have to change for multiple reasons: as a growing teenager, our health will affect us for the rest of our life as we mature and stop growing. For me personally, I feel as though in order to perform at a top level athletically, I will need to fuel myself with food that has great nutritional values, along with making sure I am physically able to perform. This also goes with academics; countless studies have shown that when you have an active lifestyle (i.e. outside often, sports) you perform much better in the classroom, regardless of the subject. I have had the chance to experience this first-hand. In the past, I have felt tired, drowsy, and unable to interact in a class. The result of this was lower grades in classes that I knew I could do much better in. Because of this I have taken a complete 180 degree turn in my health in nutrition. I try to go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week, and it has definitely paid off. I’m glad I made this life choice, for short AND long term reasons.

NBA Playoffs/Finals 2011

Well, it’s hard to believe that the NBA season is coming to a close. It seems as though just yesterday LeBron was having his hour-long TV program about who he was going to pick for his new team. I personally didn’t watch a lot of basketball this year, mainly because my team, The Golden State Warriors, are rarely televised in Venezuela. I watched a lot of Miami Heat basketball, along with the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. I must say it was a very interesting playoffs; the Spurs, a team that is known winning 60 games a season, were knocked off by the Grizzlies, a team that have never won a playoff game. The games were also very physical and cheap, players pushing each other and not acting like the role models they are, whether they like it or not. Lots of players were ejected, resulting in boos from the fans. Even though this wasn’t a “clean” playoff year, it was still fun to watch because you could see how driven and passionate these professionals were. Now, we have two teams left for the NBA championship: The Dallas Mavericks, a quiet team that are still managing to win 50-60 games a year. The other team is the Miami Heat, the powerhouse team of the east that is hated on by just about every single NBA fan. Miami, equipped with versatile wings Dwayne Wade & LeBron James, team up with center Chris Bosh to make an unstoppable trio. Although there are times when these 3 are unable to perform at an elite level, they are still able to pull out and get clutch victories. I predict the powerful Heat to win the series in 4 games; they are too good of a team to blow something like this away. Although this will be a huge, unneeded ego boost for LeBron, I feel as though he deserves it. Below are a few examples of the rough play that have made this year's playoffs infamous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsMprVOQToM
The above video is Andrew Bynum, the Center for the Los Angeles Lakers, committing a cheap foul on JJ Barea, Point Guard for Dallas (one of the smallest players in the league). Dallas is leading the game by 32 points (the Lakers were also facing elimination), and 3 players have already been ejected for being unsportsmanlike. As Barea goes up for the layup, Bynum  shoves him in midair and Barea is slammed to the ground. This is a bad example for aspiring amateurs, and the NBA should take action and suspend him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyh7NB2pVyY
Here, we have Jason Richardson, an average sized player for the Orlando Magic, standing up for his teammate after he was fouled hard against Zaza Pachulia. Both Richardson & Pachulia are known for their impertinent, arrogant conduct on the court. Richardson takes this altercation to the next level as he shoves Pachulia in the face. Both of these players were suspended for the following game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfCMqT05No8
On this play, the Miami Heat are taking on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals. Both of these teams are equipped with superstars and they are both very aggressive. Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat is being guarded by Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics. Wade loses the ball, and trips onto Rondo. This could be the end of the clip, but Wade keeps pushing on Rondo even after the whistle is blown to end the play. He loses his balance (in my opinion, intentionally) and falls on Rondo, where Rondo awkwardly lands on  his arm. Rondo dislocated his elbow but came back to finish the game. Not only does this show heroism and dedication by Rajon Rondo, but also disgusting, coy play by Dwayne Wade. He was not disciplined by the NBA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JymBxLpZ_bE&feature=related
This video once again contains Jason Richardson. Richardson, alongside Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, are scuffling for a loose ball. After Orlando gets the ball and takes it on a fast-break play, Anthony and Richardson are tangled up. As Richardson stands up, Anthony trips him. This then happens again, except Richardson tripped Anthony.

Blogging

Hello readers,

For one of our posts, our teachers are having us write about whether or not we like blogging. I am really starting to run out of ideas about what to write about, so I think right now would be a good time to talk about that. Do I like blogging? That’s a tough question. Before this class, there would have been a 0% chance of me posting a bunch of random stuff that no one would read. I think that there are both pros and cons to this…

A few of the things I don’t like about blogging is the fact that almost no one reads it. If I didn’t do this for a class, I would still only have 2 or 3 views on my blog. I also think that it can be boring at times, rambling about something that may possibly be only interesting to you. That is why it’s crucial to make sure you think about your audience before you post something.

On the contrary, I think that blogging is a pretty interesting way to talk about things you like. It kind of forces me to describe things with more detail, and I think that that will help me in the future in English class. I also think that it is a good way to tell people about things that interest you or what’s going on your life.

So, to answer your question, do I like blogging? Yeah, it’s pretty interesting. Thanks for introducing me to it. 

Songs on Replay

In earlier posts, I've talked about how much I like music and how it helps me express myself. Lately, I've been able to find a lot of great music. Below are a few songs that are on repeat; I can't stop listening to them.

Badfish-Sublime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmadSGJCzo8
This song is almost 20 years old but I know people that are still bumping to it like it came out this morning. Sublime is a legendary band where I'm from, and the fact that this song relaxes me and makes me feel positive is enough to be #1 on this list. I highly recommend Badfish or any other song by Sublime if you just want to be happy and have a positive outlook on life. I have been through a lot lately, and this song has really touched home with me.

The Race- Wiz Khalifa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0JhNEKzp_Q
Another very happy, relaxing song. Wiz Khalifa is known for his laid back lifestyle, and this song captures exactly that. Wiz combines a pretty relaxing beat with some clever lyrics for a really great song. This song has been really popular; it ended up being leaked on the internet a month before it was supposed to, and it still made album, "Rolling Papers". This track is great for anyone who wants an upbeat and catchy song that doesn't do anything but make you grin.

U Don't Know- Jay-Z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7SUvfYG1wo
I respect Jay-Z at a very high level. He was once a crack dealer in the projects of New York, but later became rapper. He used his rapping to propel himself to being a businessman, and this song off of the first "Blueprint" album really shows how serious this guy is about being the best. Jigga (Jay-Z) is known for his sly and crafty lyrics that depict the hustler's lifestyle he lives. Jay lives for his money, and the words he says in this song show it. The bellow verse is quite possibly my favorite from this song:
"I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well"

Amber-311

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUFSB2plwzM

This song is really relaxing and just like Badfish, it gives you a really positive feeling(as you can see, I might be listening to hoodlum music one moment, and then relaxing rock another). This song was part of the soundtrack to the movie "50 First Dates". While living in California, I used to listen to this song 24/7. A lot of memories come with this song for me, and now that whenever I listen to it I get a sort of nostalgic feeling that is very bittersweet. After rediscovering this song, I not only get a relaxing, "beachy" feeling, but also I am reminded of countless memories while living in California.

As you can see, I have a wide variety of music. If you guys have any songs similar to these, please let me know. 

Tosh.0

I personally, love comedy. In an earlier post, I explained how I only really like funny movies and TV shows. One TV show in particular that I really like is Comedy Central's Tosh.0.

I don't really like to watch TV. In fact, when I first heard about this show, I thought it was going to be garbage: just some comedian making fun of internet videos. Boy was I wrong. Daniel Tosh, the host, makes fun of everything possible. It is very dark comedy, and it can be compared to Jon Stewart of the Daily Show. Every week, Daniel Tosh goes on a rant on any certain stereotype, keeping you in stitches for the whole 30 minutes the show goes on. Daniel Tosh also invites famous people from the internet onto his show, including Antoine Dodson, Miss South Carolina, and many more. They come on to redo what they did wrong, for a “Web Redemption”.

This TV show tends to be cruel towards all stereotypes, including his own flaws. If you have a weak heart or just feel that stereotypes are inappropriate, this show is most definitely NOT for you. On the other hand, if you like a bit of dark humor in your life or just want a good laugh, this show is most definitely for you.  

Life as of Late

Like anyone else, I can get caught up with everything in life and become overwhelmed with everything. At times like this, I like to sit back and think about everything in my life.  I think now would be a good time to do that, mainly because I’m running out of ideas for blog posts.

Life has been interesting as of late. Basketball has been taking up a lot of my time; not that I’m complaining, but in a situation where you don’t get  home until 8 at night can be a bit difficult trying to keep up with schoolwork. My team just had a tournament held for the international schools in Venezuela, and we got 4^th out of 5 teams. I’m a little frustrated because I know we could have done better than that. The teams we used to destroy are now beating us by 15. We have another tournament tomorrow in Trinidad which has competing teams throughout Latin America. Hopefully that’ll go well… I need to get back in my groove.

School has been ok. I don’t really get along with a lot of the other guys in my grade, so I tend to drift towards the seniors to hang out with. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault, we just don’t have much in common. There’s a girl I kind of like, we’ll see how that goes.

I am always looking for new music. I’ve been listening to the old mixtapes of Wiz Khalifa, like Star Power and Flight School.  My favorite song by Wiz Khalifa is Goodbye; that track never gets old.  I’ve also been listening to a lot of Game, especially his album LAX. I know it’s old, but the song “Ya Heard” is on repeat for me. Hopefully his R.E.D. album comes out soon.  Lil Wayne has been coming out with a new song every day or 2, and I have been listening to those. I thought "Green and "Yellow" was pretty funny. Like everyone else, I have been waiting for Detox, Dr. Dre’s album that is a decade overdue. I didn’t like the singles, but those can be misleading. I hope that’s the case…

I haven’t been seeing a lot of the new movies, but rather watching the old ones. As I’ve said in other blog posts I love comedies. I just Superbad for the first time in a while, and I’m glad I did. I can never get enough of that movie! I watched Zombieland for the first time, and that was probably the worst movie I had ever seen- when you call it a comedy, the audience expects to laugh.  Not watch a bunch of people get killed.

How has your life been?

P90X

“I hate it, but I Love it!”

Source:http://www.theroades.com

Since I play a lot of sports, it becomes pretty important to stay in shape. This comes in handy for various reasons: durability, stamina, and overall performance in a game. If you aren’t in shape, you’re more likely to get hurt in a game (actually, if you aren’t in shape, you probably won’t play you). One thing I like to do is find new workouts that will help me perform at the next level, and a few weeks ago I found one called P90X. This is quite possibly the most grueling, extreme and over-the-top workout I have ever done.  Here is a link to some workouts:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIpSoMgTsaw&feature=related

Source: http://www.dietresearch.com

P90X, which stands for Performance 90 Extreme, is a DVD set that covers anything from plyometrics and cardio to back muscles and abs. It is instructed by fitness guru Tony Horton, and he makes sure you work. I remember the first time I did this workout I couldn’t feel anything in my body after; these workouts are a vigorous hour long, and it seems as though it couldn’t go by any slower. The tactic Tony uses is muscles confusion- this is “a method of cross-training and periodization achieved through switching the order of exercises and incorporating new and varied movements”. Basically, the user is unable to plateau due to them not being able to become used to a workout. One of the things that the instructor say is, “I hate it, but I love it!”. This basically sums up the entire workout for you.

If you are looking to get ripped or get in shape and are willing to dedicate yourself, P90X is for you.

Super Bowl XLV- Flop or Not?

Source: bedandbreakfastdallas.com

On February 6^th, 2011, the biggest football game of the season is played. Super Bowl XLV,  or 41, played in Dallas, is thought of as one of the best Super Bowl games yet. The Pittsburgh Steelers, loaded with Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and coach Mike Tomlin, take on the Green Bay Packers led by Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and coach Mike McCarthy. At halftime, the Black Eyed Peas are performing and Christina Aguilera will be singing the National Anthem. I personally believe that this won’t be too good of a Super Bowl.

First of all, neither of these two teams did well in the regular season. The Steelers had a 12-4 record which isn’t too bad, but I don’t think they should be in the Super Bowl. Even worse, the Packers were 10-6 with some very embarrassing losses. Another thing; why is Christina Aguilera singing the national anthem? I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard one of her songs… she’s been out of the spotlight for years! I can understand the Black Eyed peas; they have been very successful in the past couple of years.

Where it is being held. Source: betting-superbowl.com

As you may see, I am a traditionalist; I prefer the two best teams going at each other. I would love to see a Patriots/ Eagles Super Bowl or something along the lines of that. I would prefer to see someone such as Beyoncé singing the national anthem, and personally I would want a rock band performing at half time. In addition, I don’t agree with the fact that it’s being held at the Dallas Cowboy’s stadium; the Dallas Cowboys had one of their worst seasons to date.

Just my 2 cents.                        

8 Mile

If you’re like me, the only movies you like to see are comedies. I personally have a hard time sitting through dramas, actions, or anything other than funny movies. In fact, at one point I didn’t understand why anyone would watch anything else. This all changed when I watched the movie, 8 Mile. 8 Mile is a drama/ semi-autobiography about Eminem and his story of rags to riches.  This movie is compelling, suspenseful, and proves that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Source: eminem.net

Jimmy “Rabbit” Smith Jr. (Eminem) is a blue collar worker in the economically slumping city of Detroit, Michigan. His passion is rap, and his desire is to get out of Detroit and make something out of himself. He lives in a trailer with his alcoholic mother and his little sister, living in poverty and violence. He himself has his own problems, such as breaking the color barrier in hip-hop, “friends” and their betrayal, and relationships.

Source: Gaming Generations

As mentioned, Rabbit gets away from all of this by rap battling. To him, it is irrelevant as to where he spits his rhymes: at work, at home, in a parking lot. Another area is “The Shelter”. This is a club where upcoming rappers battle each other, and Rabbit goes once a week to battle. One week, he goes and “chokes” on stage- he doesn’t say anything, and eventually walks off the stage from all the booing. The next week, Jimmy comes back and proves everyone wrong, having 3 amazing battles against his enemies.
Along with this, Rabbit overcomes a lot more. This movie has taught me that no one is in the way of your destiny other than yourself- it is perseverance, determination, and excellence.

An Eventful Winter Break

Winter Break is without a doubt my favorite holiday. I can’t give you a real reason  why, but I think it’s got something to do with my birthday, Christmas, and 3 weeks of relaxation. For as long as I can remember, my family has gone skiing in Lake Tahoe, California. Now that I am living in Venezuela, I look forward to it even more. It used to be a 3 hour drive from my house in the San Francisco Bay Area, but now it is a daylong affair traveling through planes. I am always checking the weather, seeing if it had snowed over night or anything like that. For most people, waking up at 3AM for a flight is a drag; but for me, I couldn’t be happier, knowing that I will be in California that day. This break, I landed in California at 10PM Pacific Time. I ended up being so excited, knowing that the chairlifts were waiting for me, that I woke up at 5:30 that morning to go skiing. Although there were 80 MPH winds and not all lifts were running, I felt like a little kid waking up on Christmas morning.

Throughout the break, I got new skis and new ski goggles for Christmas. Volkl Bridges, the skis I got, are known for absorbing impact when going off big rocks and jumps. I also got Von Zipper Feenom goggles, which have been on my wish list for quite a while. After getting these, I knew that this was going to be an awesome ski trip.

I had a few goals I set for myself over the break. In the past, I have never had the guts to go off of big cliffs, mainly because of the potential consequences if I do not have good form. One cliff in particular that I have always wanted to do at my mountain, Squaw Valley, is the right knuckle off of “The Fingers.” I have heard about people going off and ending up paralyzed. In fact, there was one person a few weeks ago who ended up fracturing five vertebrae after going off the intimidating Fingers. I ended up getting through it fine, and also on video.

The Fingers. You better do these cliffs well... you're being watched by the entire chairlift.

Over the break, I got in about 16 or 17 days of skiing. To my liking, Lake Tahoe had been receiving record amounts of snow in as early as November! In fact, resorts such as Northstar or Boreal explained how they already had enough snow for the entire season by early December. With the downsides of this, conditions were horrible and people were getting injured left and right. Lucky for me, I only got a few minor injuries. On the other hand, I ended up taking my mom skiing and she ruptured her Achilles tendon 4 inches apart.  She in fact is still in California, getting her treatment. Hopefully she will be 100% by next winter.

As you can see, I have had myself quite the vacation. My family loved it. Only 345 days till the next winter break. My new goal is below...

The Palisades. Do not try this at home.

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