The First Step Towards My Goals

May 6, 2022May 9, 2022 ojaipizzaLeave a comment

If you have read my blog before, I mentioned wanting to become a YouTuber. A couple of days ago I posted my first vlog on YouTube. I know most Youtubers’ first videos won’t be popular that fast, however, posting the first video is a big step for me to keep going. I’m doing Youtube because I love editing videos, and I want to share my talents with everyone. I learned videography by myself from the internet, and also learn to edit videos by myself. I had made more than ten videos already for myself and my school. I’m still constantly improving my skills in editing and filming. Since posting my first video, my family and friends have been encouraging me to make more and that keeps me motivated to keep doing what I love. I felt stressed about being a first-time Youtuber. Without anyone’s help, I have to spend so much time getting the video done as soon as possible. For example, my first video is about my spring break, and I didn’t want to wait until summer to post it and still talk about spring break.

Meanwhile, the whole process takes a while. I already spend so much time editing, and I still need to spend extra time doing subtitles. Picking a song is also really stressful. I need to go to Youtube studio to search for songs that don’t have any copyright problems, and the music has to fit with the video, which really challenges me.

All in all, my Youtube account is Carlton Hsu, if you are interested please give some support. By the way, my first vlog on Youtube is all in Chinese, I know, I’m working on the English subtitles now. Below is my first Youtube vlog, I hope you understand and I hope you enjoy it.

Credit by me

My lifting split

May 5, 2022April 26, 2022 im6footLeave a comment

Here’s my current work out split:

Monday – Legs(Quad focus)
Back squat – 4 x 6-8
Leg press – 4 x 15-20
Gobler squat – 4 x 10-12
Walking lunges – 4 x 8-10
Leg extensions – 4 x 12-15
Calf raises – 4 x ♾

Tuesday – Shoulders, Back, Biceps
DB shoulder press – 4 x 8-12
Y-raises – 4 x 8-10
Rear delt push downs – 4 x 10-12
T-bar rows – 4 x 6-8
Kneeling lat rows – 4 x 8-10
Single arm lat pull downs – 4 x 8-10
Spider curls – 4 x 10-12
Seated curls – 4 x 10-12
Curl machine – 4 x 5 (heavy)

Wednesday – Chest, Triceps
DB bench press – 4 x 8-12
Incline press machine – 4 x 6-8 (heavy)
Seated chest flys – 4 x 10-12
PecDec – 4 x 8-10 (banded)
Weighted push ups – 4 x 8-10
Single arm push downs – 4 x 10-12 (each arm)
Long rope push downs – 4 x 8-12
Weighted dips – 4 x 6-8 (heavy)

Thursday – Legs (Hamstring focus)
BB RDLs – 4 x 8-10
DB RDLs – 4 x 6-8 (heavy)
High leg press – 4 x 10-12
Laying leg curls – 4 x 10-12
Seated leg curls – 4 x 12-15
Calf raises – 4 x ♾

Friday – Chest & Back
DB bench press – 4 x 8-10
DB incline bench press – 4 x 8-10
Low to high flys – 4 x 10-12
Seated rows – 4 x 10-12
DB lat rows – 4 x 8-10
Face pulls – 4 x 10-12
Banded pull ups – 4 x ♾

Saturday – SARMs (Shoulders & Arms)
Shoulder DB press – 4 x 6-10
Y- raises – 4 x 10-12
Shoulder press machine – 4 x 6-8 (heavy)
Spider curls – 4 x 10-12
Seated curls – 4 x 10-12
Ez bar curls – 4 x 8-10
Single arm push downs – 4 x 10-12 (each arm)
Long rope push downs – 4 x 10-12
Sing arm machine extensions – 4 x 8-10

Sunday – Active rest day
Bike – 30 minutes

Poetry, again, again.

May 3, 2022April 22, 2022 im6footLeave a comment

I have a dog,

I walk in the fog,

Built like a pig, like a hog

This is a blog,

I have good dialogue,

In the morning I take a jog,

I love cereal, Kellogg

Barbecue, Hotdog

I jump high, names frog

Around the holidays I drink eggnog

Her Made me Feel Empty

May 2, 2022April 22, 2022 cannassuerLeave a comment

On Wednesday, I had to go through the lovely experience of an almost 20-hour travel day to get back from Barcelona to LA. On the long flight from Frankfurt, I did something quite out of character. Instead of just taking Melatonin and crashing for the whole flight, I only crashed for half and decided to watch a movie to pass the rest of the time. The movie I decided to watch was a movie called Her which I had heard was one of the best-made movies in the 2010s.

Going into this movie I was pretty much expecting a two-hour-long Black Mirror episode with some pretty creepy undertones. Although I was only half right, I was not prepared for what I was about to experience. First of all, watching such a movie with the very heightened emotions that come with flying is not the best idea. Second of all, this movie is one of those Black Mirror-Esque experiences that could actually happen in my lifetime. Which is always an extremely off-putting experience. Before I get into how depressed this movie made me I just want to appraise this movie for how well made it is. Not only does it work with color imagery and contrast so well, but every character is so good and so well acted out it’s almost surreal. The way this movie deals with the depression of separating from a partner, the awkwardness of a new relationship, and even a human falling in love with a brand new Artificial Intelligence experience is genius. Every emotion conveyed in this movie is so real, it makes you want to close down your heart and never open yourself up to human emotion ever again.

To someone who’s never watched this movie, it’s probably pretty weird to think that a movie about a man falling in love with a computer could provoke any real emotions, but it does. It really does. Honestly, this movie made me feel more empty than Your Lie in April, The Joker, and Dead Poets Society combined. I mean this movie made me feel like a hollow husk of a human being. It’s actually insane to me that the makers of this film even pulled it off. Her is one of those movies that was drastically ahead of its time. For being made in 2013, it could have easily made a similar if not bigger impact if it were released today.

Using Spanish

April 28, 2022April 18, 2022 navraj22Leave a comment

I have taken Spanish casually for 9 years now and at no point have I thought I have been good at it. I never really paid attention until high school, but completing workbook pages in Spanish was my least favorite homework. The work I was assigned was habitually tedious and boring. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy listening to music in Spanish and speaking Spanish with people who speak the language.

Last year, I hated Spanish 3 Honors. I hated learning tenses and rules, what even is the reflexive? This year I am in AP Spanish, which is more conversation and application-based, which is the first Spanish class I have really enjoyed. My speaking ability has improved immensely, and I have a good grades without feeling like I am slaving over the work. This has given me confidence in speaking that I never really had before.

I have also started speaking mostly Spanish to the new girl in my grade from Spain. I have talked to her friends who only speak Spanish for hours on the phone and have gotten only good reviews.

I am very proud of how far I have come in speaking Spanish and feel like I can have a decently fluent conversation with just anyone.

4 Square Diaries

April 27, 2022April 18, 2022 navraj22Leave a comment

Some say soccer is a beautiful game, but I beg to differ. For me, it’s four square.

This quarter, four square has taken our high school by storm. Yeah, you read that right, four square and high school in the same sentence. It is mainly played by the freshman, who isn’t the most mature bunch (ask anyone), but a small contingency of senior boys, myself included, also are driven to play. It’s probably because, like the freshman, we are not the most mature bunch.

We have created all types of rule sets: feet only, west coast no feet, and many more. Most of which came from one of the most magnificent minds of all time, (can’t say the name but it’s pretty great).

Each player uses their own rule set when they are king. The power of tailoring the rules to your strengths is intoxicating and keeps the players coming back. This forms them for square identity, with the only other factor being how much they argue and whine.

There is so much whining and arguing that goes on, it is plain to see how much these people care, even though most act like they don’t. When two players disagree on a call, it becomes a screaming match, with the mob of players itching to get back to the king square serving as a jury. If the jury grants it, a 1 v 1 starts, in which two players face off. The winner is usually the person who throws it at the other person’s shins first.

On April 1st, Mr. Floyd pranked the players, sending freshmen into what I can only explain as identity crises.

“This isn’t FAIR!” whined nearly all of them.

That dark day demonstrated how reliant these students are on four square. They truly care about a children’s game, as if it is the NBA. I have been punched, insulted, and jeered over it, and I am fine with it, it’s in the game.

Sports I Don’t Like To Watch

April 25, 2022April 18, 2022 treefroggyLeave a comment

I don’t mean this post to be controversial, but it probably will be. Oh well.

Baseball

I’m so sorry to every baseball fan. I despise watching baseball. It goes on for so long, and it’s honestly not entertaining to me. Even when I watch my own school playing, I get bored and distracted like 10 minutes in. It’s just not my thing.

Football (American)

Same complaint as baseball that it goes on forever. Literally, there will be ten minutes left in a quarter and the game will go on for forty. It just feels so anticlimactic too. Like, everybody cheers when someone’s running, then they get tackled and have to start all over again. Plus, the fanbase can be a little insane sometimes, but that can be said about almost every sport.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/sports/football/nfl-covid-ravens-steelers.html

Track Meets

This one is mostly just a noise complaint. I’m super sensitive to loud noises, so I hate that they fire a blank to signify the start of the race. Like, they couldn’t just blow a horn or something? Do they think they’re so cool that they need to shoot a gun? Hate it.

Water Polo

This explanation is going to sound so stupid. I’m acknowledging it in advance. Since it’s in a pool, water polo is almost always played in the sun. I HATE sitting in the sun. You have to sit on hot bleachers with the sun on you while praying that somebody splashes you and cools you down. Not my thing. I think I’d enjoy it more if I actually knew the rules, which I probably should know since my cousin is an Olympic water polo player. Let’s pray he never finds this blog post.

Horse Racing

I love watching any other style of riding. Horse racing just is the worst. It’s basically a sport invented for gambling and materialism. Watching horses run as fast as they can isn’t even enjoyable. Especially when you know the way they treat the horses behind the scenes. And if you argue that not all racing stables abuse the horses, they still start the horses when they’re way too young to have riders on them and before they’ve even stopped growing or fully developed their bones. It’s literally just the money that people like about it.

Men’s Gymnastics

Sure, it’s cool-looking. There just aren’t enough events and not enough variety in the routines to make it interesting to watch for longer than an hour. Let’s let the men compete in cooler events and have nicer routines so that watching them is actually enjoyable.

I hope you enjoyed 400 words of me complaining about watching sports that nobody forces me to watch. See you later.

My Top Five Fall Out Boy Albums

April 24, 2022April 18, 2022 treefroggyLeave a comment

Fall Out Boy is one of my all-time favorite artists. I had a huge pop-punk phase that’s not completely over, and they were my top artist for a few years. Here are my favorite five albums, and as a bonus, my favorite songs from each one.

5. Infinity On High

https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-High-Fall-Out-Boy/dp/B000LC4ZIK

This album is a classic, and it would probably be higher up if I had listened to it before I listened to some of Fall Out Boy’s other stuff. My favorite song from Infinity On High is “The Take Over, The Breaks Over.”

4. American Beauty/American Psycho

https://www.mtv.com/news/2055608/facepaint-fall-out-boy-cover-model/

This one’s probably the most popular Fall Out Boy album, just since so many of the songs ended up on the radio. It was the first album I listened to, and it got me into Fall Out Boy. The songs all kind of have the same feel about them, which I like. I really can’t choose between Favorite Record and The Kids Aren’t Alright, so I’m gonna say they’re tied for my favorite song.

3. MANIA

https://www.muziker.com/fall-out-boy-mania-vinyl-lp

MANIA is incredible. It would probably be in my top two if I didn’t love the next two albums so much. It’s a bit more modern, but still, distinctly Fall Out Boy, and Patrick Stump really shows off his vocal range in this album. My favorite song is Bishop’s Knife Trick, but Church is a very close second.

2. Save Rock And Roll

https://www.amazon.in/Save-Rock-Roll-Fall-Out/dp/B00BAVCD8A

Not exactly old enough to be a classic, but that’s the best word I can come up with to describe the feel of it. Fall Out Boy sings with icons like Courtney Love and Elton John on this album, and all the songs have amazing drum lines. My favorite song from here is Miss Missing You.

1. Folie à Deux

https://www.amazon.in/Folie-Deux-Colored-Vinyl-2LP/dp/B001HRJG2S

If you haven’t heard this album, you need to. It’s literally their best album. The lyrics are good, the song titles are cool, and the music is addicting. Patrick Stump has an insane voice that he shows off in every song. Plus, the album cover is cute. All the songs are super good, but my favorite is She’s My Winona. For real though, listen to this album.

So yeah, those are my favorite Fall Out Boy albums and songs from them. Definitely go listen to these albums, especially the top three. They’re amazing.

My 5 Favorite Fidget Toys

April 22, 2022April 18, 2022 treefroggyLeave a comment

Fidget toys can be really hit-or-miss. For me especially, since my tactile sensory issues can quickly make something that once seemed fun into my personal sensory hell. Here are the ones I’ve found that have worked for me.

https://bitzngiggles.com/water-bead-stress-ball/

These squishy ball things

I really like these stress balls that have Orbeez-like things in them. They’re not too difficult to squeeze, so they aren’t great for coping with anger since you might break it, but the little balls inside are really satisfying to feel and squish. Great for distracting yourself during tough conversations or to absentmindedly hold while doing work.

https://www.fivebelow.com/categories/toys-and-games

**These guys**

I call them my worms. I like to whip them around. They’re squishy and all have different textures, which is nice for variety. Having them inspired a friend to get their own. 10/10 recommend.

https://www.faire.com/discover/donut-toy

Pop-it donut

You literally don’t understand how satisfying these things are. The noise they make is indescribable. It stimulates some part of my brain that I didn’t even know existed. I want one of these so bad.

Kinetic sand

Kinetic sand – especially this color and texture – is amazing. It kind of sticks together with glue-like strands separating it, and I love it so much. I like letting it stretch out than grabbing the glue strands. It’s super nice to feel and play with.

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/product-recommendations/best-loom-bands-kits-1202693623/

Rainbow Loom

I’ve totally gotten back into rainbow loom bracelet making in the past two weeks. I’ve made over 10 bracelets so far. It’s not exactly a traditional fidget, but it really works for me. I’ve used it as a coping skill for breakdowns, too, and it works pretty well, especially if you make it on your fingers instead of a loom. Plus, you have something tangible to keep with you when you’re done!

Anyways, those are my favorite fidgets right now. I’ve been using them almost every day to get through the difficult stuff. I definitely recommend getting fidgets if they sound interesting. Most are pretty low-budget, but they work super well. I, for one, have used them much more than their low prices suggest they should be used.

So I’ve Been Reading Books Lately

April 20, 2022April 18, 2022 treefroggyLeave a comment

(Spoiler warning for Song of Achilles)

So I’ve been reading books for fun for the first time in about 4 years now, and I just finished Song of Achilles.

One word: devastating.

That’s not to say it’s bad- in fact, it was one of the best books I’ve ever read. However, it was horribly sad, which is expected with Greek myths and renditions of them, since everybody dies in most myths.

A quick synopsis of the book would be “two boys fall in love then go to war and die,” but there’s so much more to the story than that. It’s exciting, sweet, sad, and heartbreaking. There’s a ton of angst in it, especially during wartime, which is honestly my favorite part. It does end with a bittersweet happy ending, though, so it’s not just emotional torment to read.

If you read the Percy Jackson books, you’ll probably love this book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes Greek mythology, gay love, and angst. It’s got a ton of all three.

OVS Journalism Blog

Students reporting from the front lines of the Upper Campus

Category: entertainment

The First Step Towards My Goals

My lifting split

Poetry, again, again.

Her Made me Feel Empty

Using Spanish

4 Square Diaries

Sports I Don’t Like To Watch

My Top Five Fall Out Boy Albums

My 5 Favorite Fidget Toys

So I’ve Been Reading Books Lately

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