The internet is full of inspirational videos. Sports videos, spiritual videos, just plain old inspirational videos, but there are few that touch me and make a big difference. Being that team sports have not always been a part of my life, but have recently come up and made an impact I look for something to keep me moving. Something that makes me want to play hard and something to inspire my teammates. A quote by Henry Ford is something I keep in my mind when the team is having a hard time, “Keeping together is progress, coming together is a beginning, and working together is success.” 
Sometimes our teams don’t work together, but work as individuals. That isn’t how the game is played. Some people have to be willing to work hard and get none of the glory. Being a lineman in football I understand this feeling very well. I go out everyday and I try and I try. Am I the best at it? No, not even close, but do I try? Yea, I try really hard day in and day out. But nobody ever says, “hey he really took up space so that that someone else could get the glory.” The glory goes to the people who run the ball, throw the ball, but that’s not possible without the people on the line. As our coach said, we are the Dirty Dogs. Nobody wants a dirty dog, but they are rough and tough, but get no glory. That is how to work as a team, everyone has to be willing to put in 110% and get nothing in return personally, but understand it was for the betterment of the team. This is one of the first speeches that truly inspired me to be better and do better.
Month: April 2013
Healing Process.
I saw your face again last night
In my dreams, of course.
The breeze carries your smell
and it makes me dizzy
I am soaked into the memories
as if you are still about to hold my body
Everything stays the same besides your absence
as my world collapses
I try to stand up by myself
And for the first time,
I see the world full of emptiness
I guess I need to build up my world again
by my own.
Don’t ask me about my feelings
I am fine
It’s just a healing process.
Snow
Let me start by saying that it is April 22nd. Yesterday I returned to school from spring break. Most people associate spring break with the beach, swimming, and warmth.
Not for me.
I went home two Friday’s ago to a giant snowstorm. The entire week I was home, it snowed almost the entire time. In April, Aspen has received about three feet of snow. It’s cold, and wet, and time for the snow to melt and go away.
On our way home from Denver, we were driving in a snowstorm. Around Vail Pass, two semi’s crashed, causing the road to close for about two hours. There was a very long line of cars behind us.
My point is that in April, it should not be snowing. The snow should be melting. I am very happy to be back in warm and sunny Ojai.
Bon Jovi
It’s the first day back from break, and it is clear that everyone’s thoughts still center around their week off. So I thought maybe I’d share with you guys a small part of mine.
A while back, in the beginning of December, I was stressing out. My dad’s 50th Birthday was coming up and I wasn’t quite sure what to get him. I looked at paddle-boards and passes, but I couldn’t find anything within my budget. Eventually I visited the Pepsi Center website to see if maybe I could buy him tickets to a few Colorado Avalanche games.
Advertised across the top of the screen was a banner for a Bon Jovi concert occurring on April 16th, at the Pepsi Center. We had just been to a Bruce Springsteen concert, at which my dad had said that they’re are certain people if given the chance you have to see, even if you don’t like their music. To me, Bon Jovi was one of those people.
I’m not a particular fan of his music, but one of my little brothers favorite songs has always been Livin’ on a Prayer. This prompted me to buy the tickets, and on Tuesday April 16th we packed up the truck and drove down to Denver.
As we arrived at the Pepsi Center, we noticed the six tour buses (one for each member), as well as what must have been about a dozen semi’s. The parking lot was fuller than we had ever seen it, even for Av’s games.
The concert was by far one of the better one’s I’ve been too. Not because I like his music, because I don’t really, or because he’s popular. He put on a show. He threw everything he had into what he was doing on stage.
We soon figured out what the absurd amount of semi’s were for as huge columns rose and fell from the ceiling, rising up and down from the floor to meet in the middle. Animated graphics were projected onto the columns, matching the song Bon Jovi was belting out. At first we thought they were just fabric or styrofoam, something cheap. That was until the famous rocker started walking across them.
He sang his hit songs, as well as songs from his new album. He danced his heart out on stage, and changed his outfit twice. The lights were insane, pulsing to the beat of the music. The concert was over-the-top. It was loud. And it was awesome.
Why the Red Wings?-Let’s Discuss
So why do I think the Red Wings spell disaster for the Chicago Blackhawks (the Western Conference’s projected number 1 seed)?
The Detroit Red Wings are an incredibly storied franchise not only in the NHL but in all of sports. This season’s Red Wing team is equally as dangerous as in years past. This team is simply flawless. They are much younger than they have been in the past, being right in the middle of the league’s average roster age.
For those that are interested, the link for NHL ages is right here. Really just had to google it.
And for those interested, the NHL’s oldest roster is my New Jersey Devils. That might have something to do with the fact that our goalies are Martin Broduer (40) and Johan Hedberg (39).
Back to the Wings, though. Detroit has a few stars on their roster that while a little older, have superb conditioning. They are the most fundamentally sound team I’ve probably ever watched.
Let’s take roll call. We have the captain, Henrik Zetterberg, who has 8 goals but 27 assists. So whose scoring the goals?
EQT Elevation
A little retrospective on Kobe’s first pro sneaker
The adidas EQT Elevation are coming back and we got a chance to check them out. Now he is considered one of the best players of all time, but in 1997 Kobe Bryant was an untested rookie. adidas brought him in as a new signature player. 1997 all-star weekend. The dunk competition. Featuring stiff competition from players like Ray Allen and Chris Carr, Kobe Bryant would have to be great. Wearing the purple adidas Equipment Elevation, Kobe threw down his first two dunks to limited fanfare. His last dunk would have to be amazing. He dribbled up and made a high-flying between the legs dunk. The dunk was legendary. It was the turning point of his career.
When he made that dunk Kobe Bryant brought the EQT Elevation to the history books with him. The Zig Zag pattern on the midsole and the deep purple on the upper were representations of Kobe himself. Kobe was young, new, and had the potential to be a legend. He was part of a dynasty; The Lakers became titans with Kobe on the roster. A living legend, Kobe’s rookie year is remembered by that dunk, and on his feet, the EQT Elevation… set to release later on this year.
Bad Lip Reading: NFL
I had seen this video a while back, but I had forgotten about it for a while.
I was sent a video by a fellow football player, called, “Sound FX of the NFL,” or something to that affect.
It reminded me of the Bad Lip Reading of the NFL that I had watched a while back and I wanted to see it again.
I watched it and have been repeating it over and over, showing it to people, and I laugh every time I see it.
Jim Harbaugh desperately asking for cake, a ref explaining what he walked into when he went out with a girl last weekend, and Tom Brady recognizing what race he his.
Take a look at this video and let me know what you think about it.
I would love to see your comments.
Please enjoy. I know this isn’t exactly a new video, but it’s hilarious.
Life Outside School
I don’t know about any of you, but I get very anxious having to stay in one place all the time.
I know I can’t really complain though, because unlike a lot of you, I’m not a boarding student, but still. Especially recently, I’ve wanted to leave school for a while and travel to as many places as I can to just get away from the normal routine.
So what better timing could be possible than leaving the day after Prom to go to Guatemala with my friends for a bit longer than a week?
I’ve already been down there, having flown into Honduras first. Let me just say, that I’m very glad we aren’t flying back into San Pedro Sula this time. We felt like there was a weird vibe that time we were there. It could have been the graffiti that said “Gringos Asesinos” or just the generally weird looks we got walking down the street. But it was probably the statistic that that was the most dangerous city…on the planet.
But Guatemala is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. Traveling to different places is my favorite thing to do, the more different the better.
And what better of a place to stay than the amazing Tortugal river lodge? Honestly, even though I’ve only stayed there once, this place is one of my favorite places on the planet.
Who knows what awesome things we’ll see this time. All I know is that I’ll have something to blog about when I get back. Which is good because I’m running out of ideas.
MELBOURNE.
Lots of my friends have dream cities such as Paris, San Francisco and so on. As for me, one of my dream cities is Melbourne.
Melbourne is one of the most popular cities in Australia which is also often referred to the “Garden City” and “cultural capital of Australia.” It is also a major centre for contemporary and traditionalAustralian music. “Melbourne was ranked as the world’s most liveable city in ratings published by the Economist Group‘s Intelligence Unit in August 2011 and again in 2012.”
If I had a chance to go there, the very first thing would be to enjoy the art of the city.
“Melbourne is home to a thriving arts scene and boasts more than 100 galleries ranging from large public institutions to smaller commercial galleries and artist cooperatives.” The most famous one is The National Gallery of Victoria. The NGV’s Australian art collection encompasses Indigenous (Australian Aboriginal) art, Australian colonial painting, Australian Impressionist painting, 20th century, modern and contemporary Australian art.
To experience Melbourne emotion of cultures more profoundly, i would make sure not to miss the fabulous restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars. Whether you’re after modern, traditional, exotic or homespun flavours – Melbourne’s eclectic dining scene offers a startling array of the world’s great cuisines, from popular favourites to the truly.
At the end of the day, it’s time for some entertainments. Comedy shows, Live music and dance club are all available at night.
Recently, I found out that the reason for people to fall in love with a certain city mostly is either the memories left in that city or the dream that lurks in there.
If my world collapses, I will escape far away, somewhere like Melbourne.
Mermaids
Recently there seems to be a fascination with becoming a mermaid – and not just among seven year-old girls.
Linden Wolbert quit her job in 2005 as a residence director of Emerson College, in order to become a full-time professional mermaid. She is equipped with a 35-pound, 6-foot long hydrodynamic tail.
Thanks to training as a free-diver, Wolbert is capable of holding her breath for five minutes, and swimming down to about 100-feet.
However, Linden Wolbert is not the only one who has made a lifestyle for them-self through an obsession with mermaids. Eric Ducharme, from Florida, was recently featured on TLC’s My Crazy Obsession, for his passionate love of menfolk.
As a child, Ducharme had been enraptured by stories of the elusive creatures. Now, Ducharme makes realistic looking mermaid tails out of various materials.
Personally, I don’t understand the obsession. But to each his own I guess, and I wish them the best of luck with their merbusiness.
OVS Journalism Blog 
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