Month: May 2012

Happy Birthday Evan!

rangerthecatLeave a comment

Today, it was one of my best friend Evan’s 18th birthday. He decided to have a get-together with some of his friends at his house. After a riveting ultimate frisbee/disc golf demonstration, my friends and I got picked up and drove to Evan’s house.

His mom cooked us an excellent dinner with tri-tip, kabobs, salad, and delicious tea and lemonade. We all sat around the table and joked around, and were alternating taking turns at doubles ping-pong, which I will admit, got quite intense! There were a bunch of different teams, some of which dominated, and others which hardly got any points. But over all it was very fun, we all got some good laughs out while playing.

After Evan opened his presents and it started to get dark, we moved into the garage for a game of “water pong“. Now, water pong is basically the same as beer pong, which is a popular drinking game, but of course we played it without any alcohol. It’s a fun game to play and we had two teems of four that battled hard. There were some awesome shots made and, like the ping-pong, it got pretty intense.

We all had such a great time and I really couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday. I was sad when it was over and we all had to return to school. But, 39 more days (and believe me, I’m counting) until we graduate and spend the beginning of summer together with time to do whatever we all want! All in all, it was such a great day with friends 🙂

A New King In The World of Nikon

r3t5nomLeave a comment

Recently I purchased the Nikon D3s which is an extremely fast camera when it comes to fps which means frames per second, at an impressive 9 fps in full format and 11 fps in cropped DX format, my camera was one of the fastest cameras on the market.

But then came the Nikon D4, it is a dream camera for a professional photographer and definitely should be looked at as a work of art. Well it was the dream camera for a professional photographer until the Nikon D4 came out and took the throne.

The D3s and the D4 don’t look too different at first glance but it is at a closer look where you can see the great changes that were made from one to the other.

First change that will definitely benefit a photographer in the long run is the angle at which the shutter button is placed on the body of the camera. It is placed 35 degrees more tilted so that it makes it easier to shoot for a long period of time.

The second big change on the camera is the quality of the censor. The Nikon D3s is equipped with 12 mega pixels and the D4 is equipped with a 16 megapixel sensor. A big difference that truly hit me hard when I found out 😦

It also does up to 14 fps, that is un believable.

In the end what I am trying to say is that I got the D3s because I didn’t know that the D4 was coming out so soon after, it sucks so badly.

And also that the Nikon d4 is one of the most remarkable cameras ever made by Nikon.

Whale Watching

kirbyfullyloadedLeave a comment

I love the ocean.  But I’m reaaaallllyyy lazy when it comes to actually getting into the water.

Today it was hot and sunny and absolutely beautiful outside.  But I had no motivation to get in the ocean.

My mom probably asked me 7 times to go paddle-boarding with her.  I think I just took a nap instead, I can’t actually remember.

But when I finally stopped being so sluggish, I agreed and we got in the water.

We paddled out and I absent-mindedly started singing “Starlight” by Muse.

All of the sudden, I heard a strange whooshing noise to my left.  I turned and saw a baby gray whale, staring at me. I freaked out and almost fell off my board into a kelp bed I was so excited.

“MMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!” I screamed, I yelled so loud some of the surfers nearby gave me a sideways look.

“Loookkkeeeyyy!” I exclaimed, pointing frantically at the foamy white water where the whale has just disappeared.

She turned just in time to see the whale poke his head up at us.  He seemed to wink, one large eye closing just before he went back under.

“Follow that whale!”

We tailed him long enough to see there were two adults with him.   They each let out a happy spout as they traveled up the coast.

No doubt they were heading for the food-rich waters of Alaska.  They gray whales pass up the California coast each year, an annual migration from Baja, Mexico up where they breed to Alaska, where the feed.

After a while, we lost them in the blinding reflection of the late afternoon sun.

We waved goodbye and started paddling back home.  But after about 5 minutes, I saw a shining black flash peeking out from within a cresting wave.

“MMMMOOOOOOOMMMMM!” I yelled again, pointing and bouncing up and down on my board.

She looked, only to see the bubbles of its disappearing shape, as it dove deep beneath the surface.

We started back again, seeing another pair of whales as we got closer to the beach.  They were far out in the distance, surfacing and playing in the middle of a swarm of seabirds, their dark backs glistening in the sun.

We got so excited about seeing them that we watched a documentary on gray whales after dinner. It was truly an amazing day.

I LOVE WHALES!

Getting Older

therightliberalLeave a comment

Today was my 18th birthday and I had a spectacular time. It ushered in a new time of life for me, one that I look forward to and yet dread at the same time.

I find it odd that today, the US government considers me an adult. Now when I drive way to fast I get much harsher penalties, if I get caught with drugs I go to real jail, I have now become “responsible”.

I understand there has to be a cut off at some point but it still is a lot to comprehend. It really started to settle in when I got my draft card and realized the easy and fun part was kind of over.

I am not intimidated by having stricter punishments and more responsibility. Maybe a little bummed but I also look forward to it.

We in this country still treat turning 18 as a big deal although I don’t see it that way. All I am looking forward to is voting for Obama, not buying cigarettes (which I find disgusting along with cigars) like some of my peers.

I still don’t understand how I can vote, serve in the military and purchase pornography yet I cannot drink alcohol for another three years. It seems absolutely ridiculous to me but what’s new?

As I get older, I see more and more oddities in our society. But I also accept them more easily and find ways of getting around them in a quicker and more efficient manner.

So here is to being an “adult”!

Time flies

thehungryrunnergirlLeave a comment

Dang. It’s already spring break. Which means, 6 weeks already passed since the last break. I can’t believe it.

After this 10 day break and 6 weeks of school, I’m going to graduate. I feel like it’s still the middle of the year.

It’s so sad to think that this is my first and last year at Ojai Valley School. I really wish I could’ve come earlier.

I believe in destiny. I think I was meant to meet thebrownguy, krapyrres, therightliberal and other great people here.

Every time I listen to Samson, which my roommate krapyrres sang at the begging of the year, it makes me miss OVS.

You have no idea how much fun I’ve had here, and how fortunate I am to be a part of OVS.. I wish I could stop time, so I could stay at OVS longer. People are just way too nice.

, But Never Doubt I Love

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Doubt thou the stars are fire,
Doubt that the sun doth move,
Doubt truth to be a liar,
But never doubt I love.

An excerpt from Hamlet by Shakespeare.

Currently, I am reading Hamlet in my AP English class. Now, Shakespeare hasn’t always been my strong suit. But sometimes, I find myself getting lost in his beautiful wording.

This quote says it all.

People will always question the heavens above them and the ground that they stand upon. Even more so, people will question the words of those they know, even those that they are very close to.

However, there are a few sure things in life. One of them is love.

Whether this love is directed towards family, a close friend, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a pet, a picture, a passion, or a song, love is always there.

Sure, love can be a confusing thing at times. Especially for those near my age, when awkward teenage love is beginning to mature and we are just figuring out who we are and what we are capable of. But for the most part, people can clearly identify love.

This is a universal feeling. It’s something that Shakespeare knew clearly hundreds of years ago and it’s something that holds true today.

I say, trust in love. Trust in your mother and your father. Trust in your best friends and your enemies. Trust in your boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever your special person may be. Trust in that feeling. It is one of the few sure things that will persist throughout time.

Love is timeless.

Save the dogs and cats of Japan

thehungryrunnergirlLeave a comment

In Japan, all the street dogs and cats, the ones that get lost are picked up and sent to public animal health centers. Some of them were sent because their owners couldn’t handle them anymore.

Moreover, the dogs and cats never know what’s going to happen.

Normally, they have 3 days to wait for their owners’ call, or to look for new owners.

If the dogs and cats can’t find a new family or their old owners, they get killed. It is brutal. But the way they kill is more cruel. They put them into boxes and make the boxes full of carbon dioxide and wait until they die… More than 1000 dogs and cats are killed per day.

How brutal is that? United States protect animals very thoroughly and they can arrest animal abusers. However in Japan, it is easy for animal abusers and shelters get away from being arrested …

I wish Japan was more protective and caring towards animals especially dogs and cats. I hope the number of pets being killed will decrease in the future.

What a year!

backinphillyLeave a comment

It’s weird how things work sometimes. You see yourself with somebody one minute. Then, you’re with someone else the next minute.

It’s weird how this year has gone for me. I’ve made some decisions, but it’s not like I’m regretting my choices. I’ve loved every decision I’ve made this year. That’s ranging from new friends to new romantic relationships to things that happen at home to how I spend my money.

My grandfather passed away, a few friendships have died and a relationship with a particular girl has been absolutely slaughtered. With the exception of the passing of Pop-Pop, this year has been rather solid.

I have my friends, new girlfriend and family to thank for that. They stuck by me this whole year through adversity and I couldn’t be happier.

The craziest thing is….THERE’S STILL ONE MORE MONTH OF THIS!!!!!

At any rate, this was a fantastic year, yet quite confusing. There have been things that I don’t quite understand, but hopefully will soon get to realize.

Let’s finish strong and not let up just yet!!!

Alpha Dog, the Alpha Robot

frog3Leave a comment

Robots have been around for several decades doing jobs that human can’t or simply won’t do. At first these robots were used purely for manufacturing but as technology advanced so did robotic potential. Robots are now breaching many sectors including the military. One these robots is Alpha Dog.

https://i0.wp.com/i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/02/08/LS3_Jan-5-2012-image_1.jpg

Dog is a robot designed by DARPA to carry equipment that the average soldier can’t. Alpha Dogs carrying capacity is approximately 400 pounds for 20 miles; Alpha Dog has to refuel every 24 hours. This year Alpha dog began its first outdoor test, before it was linked to a hydraulic system that confined it indoors.

https://community.emc.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/38-3736-33751/darpa.jpg

It remains to be seen whether or not Alpha Dog will be effective in the field. Critics have said that its lack of armor would make it extremely vulnerable.