Category: technology

Bang Bang

mushuooLeave a comment

How is it possible that two people on the “Do Not Fly” list can purchase guns and ammunition?

How is it that these two people can then take those weapons to shooting ranges and practice for what would be another mass shooting?

How is it that there are loopholes like this in the system that can be so easily manipulated that 14 people loose their lives because these two dedicated terrorists decide to shoot up a building full of innocent people?

I don’t think anyone has answers, but I think it’s about time we figure out why this catastrophe was even possible.

The number of mass shootings that have occurred in the United States alone in the past year is ridiculous, people have such easy access to weapons that there is truly​ no border on what people can purchase.

We attempted to control the use of guns, but in all actuality, we are violating the second amendment in our Constitution.

So where is the middle? Where is there a safe, yet Constitution-abiding law that gives U.S. Citizens the right TO bear arms, but also puts a cap on who can purchase these deadly weapons?

I think we need to look deeper into the situation- if you are NOT a U.S. citizen, but live here, you should not be able to purchase a gun. If you have a past mental illness history, you should​ not be able to purchase a gun. If you are under the age of 18, you should not be able to purchase a gun.

This is all speculation.

Dealing with the issue of gun control and implementing laws that have the possibility of changing U.S. citizen’s second amendment rights is sensitive, but necessary for our safety.

Until It Happens To You

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Photo Credit: http://www.lawyer.submitinfo.com (not my accident)

Before every Thanksgiving break, the Ojai Valley School’s upper campus receives a speech from headmaster Mr. Cooper about safety. This talk consistently includes the statement, “the most dangerous thing you can do it get in an automobile.”

I listened attentively, but never truly comprehended how accurate Mr. Cooper’s statement was.

On the first night of break, I got into a car accident.

Although it was much more complicated than just an accident, I need not go into detail about the chaos that followed.

I am okay and that’s all that matters.

I write this blog simply as an attempt to open the eyes of other young drivers, like myself, and help them realize that have a license is absolutely NOT a right, it is a privilege.

All it takes is one split-second to change someone’s life forever. Whether it is your fault or the other driver’s, the physical and mental damage affects every person involved.

It is not that I didn’t take my parent’s advice about driving seriously, or that I did not do well on my driving test, but it was honestly an accident, hence why they are called “accidents”, not “on purposes”.

From the age of 16, we drive these large, metal death-traps around, unaware of the mass amount of damage that can be caused by them. We are taught about the dangers of drinking and driving, and speeding, but none of us knows the honest abilities of our cars until we experience it for ourselves.

Currently in recovery mode, I have the daunting task of deciding how to continue as a driver and monitor the collateral damage that has come from this event.

You can do everything possible to prevent accidents from happening, but every time you get in a car, you are choosing to take that risk. Stop for a second next time, and evaluate what you are capable of as soon as you turn on the engine.

You never think it will happen until it happens to you.

 

 

The Problem with Social Media

mariethearistocat

Recently, Australian social media icon Essena O’Neill “quit” social media.

She deleted her Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. She did this because she felt trapped and alone; that all her life leading up to now, she was unhappy and always seeking the acceptance of others.

She feels social media has created a “brainwashed generation,” a fake life.

Prior to deleting her Instagram, she edited her past captions stating the reality of what went into each picture.

Some were hours of waiting for the perfect lighting; taking a picture in an uncomfortable pose for the most beautiful outcome; yelling at her sister or mother to take an image from a more flattering angle; or sponsoring a company she didn’t even like or support.

Then, she released her website: http://www.letsbegamechangers.com/, where she talks about issues that really matter to her.

Now, I’m very happy she has come to the realization that her career in social media was bad for her and changed that, but she is trying to start a movement against the “fake” social media image. She thinks that everyone who posts “beautiful” pictures on Instagram are never enjoying the moment, and their happiness is based on their likes.

However, she is neglecting the fact that social media can be good and not everyone is obsessing over likes.

On Facebook, you can invite your friends to an event. Whether it be a birthday party or a meeting for a new club, it is bringing people together. It is allowing people who normally wouldn’t hang out to build up connections and band together.

Social media doesn’t only bring people together in person, but through the Internet. You can talk to a family member on vacation in another country, or a friend who you want to catch up with. You can also connect with people based on common interests. There are websites and blogs for anything you are interested in, such as book clubs and feminist forums.

O’Neill’s website is an example of this. She talks about issues that matter to her and lets others join in as well. Now this is such a cool website, but it’s SOCIAL MEDIA. She is using a website to display her ideas. She is connecting with others via the Internet. She is doing what makes her happy.

So many other social media stars are happy. She thinks that when one becomes successful on Instagram or Facebook, then all they think about is success. All their happiness is derived from that success.

However, these people aren’t just their pictures. They have vibrant lives that extend from their phone, no matter how much they display on social media. They experience happiness and sadness from places beside their feed. Just because her social media experience was bad, doesn’t mean social media itself is bad.

She is also bashing on the women and men producing these “unreal” lives. She is saying that all they’re the creators of this unattainable image, the exact images that lead her and other young girls to lust for the life shown on their screens.

In a sense this is true, but she’s neglecting to include sources for this feeling other than social media. She doesn’t talk about how burger commercials, more often than not, use skinny bikini-clad women to promote a slab of meat in between two buns or how there are huge billboards of women standing confidently in their underwear.

She refused to acknowledge that social media platforms are borrowing from other aspects of life, that a young girl or boy’s insecurities don’t have to come from social media.

She also makes it seem that there is something wrong for liking these images. She says these images of beautiful beaches or a girl wearing a dress are brainwashing me.

That is far from the truth. I like these pictures not because I want to model the people in the pictures, but because they are nice to look at. Why must I have a perfect reason to look at a picture of ice cream?

I think instead of “quitting” social media, she should’ve deleted her old pictures and posts and started anew. To use these platforms to further spread her opinions on issues that matter to her.

No one was forcing her to post pictures of her wearing a striped dress, or a picture of her in the pool.

Instead of starting this anti-social media fight, she should’ve use these resources to talk about real world issues. Think of how many people she’d influence if she called upon her following of 500,000 people. She could’ve started a revolution for something that matters to her.

I Made My Own Desktop

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Simple Crystal Rainmeter Skin

About four years ago, I used a program called Rainmeter. The program is a manager for add-ons that accessorize desktops. It allows users to fully customize their computer desktop to their liking.

Users can easily download other users add-ons through places like DeviantArt and Reddit. Or they can code their own plugins and create an entirely personalized one-of-a-kind desktop.

Most people share their creations and submit their skin, which is the entire desktop, to the sub-Reddit and the individual plugins to Deviant Art. Four years ago, I did not realize its potential and saw it as a handicap slowing down my computer.

Now that I have a computer with a solid state drive, Rainmeter is a lot easier to run. So I started using it again. I love it so much I change my skin almost every week, but for the first time I have made my own skin. I used a lot of other people’s plugins, but I still had to do my own coding.

I customized things like font size, colors, and positioning, and  I also made my own basic plugin after reading several guides to learn how to do this. The skin is pretty simple and I posted an image with a guide on Reddit.

Now that I am more familiar with the programming of the plugins, I know I can make better ones, and I most certainly will. Instead of asking for help now, I can give the help to the “noobs”, like the mid-level skin makers did for me.

Even though my skin will probably never be the most popular skin, it’s nice to know that my contributions have added to the giant pool of creativity that is the Rainmeter sub-Reddit.

Dirty Feet Blues

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I want to live a life with permanently dirty feet.

The assertion that one is obligated to be confined in shoes, at a job, where you sit in the same spot, and do the same thing everyday.

When I was younger I would play for hours on end without shoes on my feet.

I’d like to think of my dirty feet as an accomplishment. You’ve connected with the earth for so long that is has had time to change you.

The wicked cycle of an endless suburbia is keeping our feet much too clean. The same thing every single day.

Switch it up, take those damn shoes off — forget about your work emails for half an hour and take a minute to be alone.

Uninterrupted, just you and the earth. Breath it in. Feel the dewy grass tickle to spaces between your toes. Feel the rough asphalt grind away at your skin.

I would like to live a life with permanent dirty feet. In this technological age, people are seeming to forget that they’re washable.

You can get as dirty as you want because you can be cleaned. You can wash away the silt from your socks but you can’t replace the feeling of truly connecting with the earth.

Stop checking Twitter and take a look around. See the life that you’re missing out on being glued to the screen of your phone and go get dirty.

You’re too busy Instagraming at the tops of mountains for the likes rather than the memories and sense of accomplishment.

 

Whether you hold this true to yourself or not — this time we’re living in feels so artificial.

So, disconnect from the screen and go connect with what’s green.

Boys with Attitude

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Photo Credit: http://www.ptable.com/Images/periodic%20table.png

Mr. Killeen assigned a project to his chemistry students to research an element of their choice, but there was also extra credit involved.

This extra credit was to create a periodic table song and play it for the class. One song definitely got my attention. That memorable song was from Liam, Kase, and Jacob’s LIVE performance.

Unlike the other songs – it was not edited, auto-tuned, and more on a laptop, but nevertheless, a performance.

When asked their group name before they went “on stage” their reply was: “White Boys with Attitude.”

The boys did a spoof of “Straight Outta Compton”, but instead of a rap, the boys were just shouting different elements on the periodic table. 

Kase, one of the group members, also dressed for the part in a hat, 3-D movie theater sunglasses, and a microphone.

“Straight Outta Carbon” was hit with the students, and a chemistry class one would be hard pressed to forget.

Power Outage

raining17Leave a comment

It’s interesting how a slight parting from your routine can make such a large impact on your daily lifestyle.

There was construction work being done on Sunday, and the power was out on the OVS Upper Campus from 8-4.

I can probably speak for the all the boarders and say that it was less than convenient – who doesn’t love a lazy Sunday morning, laying in bed and watching a movie.

But as the day went on, there was a tangible change of atmosphere, as students came together and learned how to overcome the change.

Photo Credit: parisapartment.files.wordpress.com

I, for one, spent more time with friends than I would otherwise. A group of friends and I ordered some pizza and sat around talking and laughing.

Fast forward a few hours when I went into the girls dorm lounge. Instead of seeing the five or so that usually hang out there, at least 20 people were there – talking, playing board games and spending time outside.

Photo Credit: http://www.cliparthut.com

Sunday happened to be a rare rainy day, and due to the drought, Californians tend to get pretty excited whenever the sky opens up.

It was pouring, and there were kids dancing in the rain, listening to music and throwing water at each other. While the excitement stemmed from the water, this would be much less likely to happen if video games or movies were options.

Just from the lack of power, kids began spending more time together, playing games and doing more activities together. A simple change of lifestyle spurred new customs, and a whole new vibe on campus.

Time Travel

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Photo Credit to s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com

Time Travel is real, and I can prove it.

Let’s start with my favorite, often referred to as the time-traveling hipster. In 1940, a photo was taken at the reopening of the South Fork bridge in Canada.

In the photo, everyone is dressed in very time-period-appropriate clothing; all except one man, who I call the Time-Traveling Hipster.

He is wearing a cardigan with a graphic tshirt. His sunglasses are very retro and his haircut does not really fit the time period.

The strangest part is what is in his hands. In his hands appears to be a DSLR camera which weren’t invented for another 50 years.

Film cameras were around during that time but they were mainly silver. His camera is black. The time traveling hipster has been debated over for years, but no conclusion has been reached.

In 2008, another unexplained mystery emerged when a Chinese archeologist opened up a 400 year-old tomb. The tomb is believed to be untouched by anyone since it was sealed 400 years ago.

But that makes it hard to explain how they found a small ring made of metal, shaped into a watch, with the time 10:06 and “Swiss” engraved on the back.

It was in the soil on the outer layer of the coffin. The ring is believed to be only 100 years old. The question is, who in 1908 would enter a tomb, not open the coffin, not loot the place, not announce the discovery, then close the tomb they were in.

The best answer would be time travelers. Maybe time travelers have a creed, and they gather research and try to leave little evidence behind.

Although another theory attempts to debunks this theory, saying it is more likely be some sort of “quantum strangeness”, where random object disappear and reappear in different places for unknown reasons.

I think that theory is far-fetched, and I’ll stick with time travel.

Of all the far-fetched stories, this next one beats them all.

It has the potential to be real, but odds are if it was, we would not know about it.

The story from Andrew D. Basiago seems to be loony. In 1970, the defense advanced research project agency A.K.A DARPA worked on a top-secret project known as Project Pegasus.

Basiago claims to be a child participant in the program. I say “claims” because all the websites are not what I would call factual. The mission statement which has not been confirmed by DARPA is to research and perform “time sensing”; it is the US time-space exploration program.

Several children were a part of this program, but I had trouble finding names. But Andrew D. Basiago says that on one of his temporal trips he was at the Gettysburg address, and he is in a photo, in which he claims to be the boy in the bottom left.

I looked at Basiago’s childhood pictures; there were very few, and in none of them he had long hair. But it would make sense that he didn’t have photos from the time he was a part of Project Pegasus.

This is either a massive government cover-up, or just a man who wants attention. Either way, the government doesn’t care, because it would be nearly impossible to prove, especially with his reputation.
Don’t take this too seriously. Most of these examples have explanations which kill imagination. I believe in time travel, and I wish I believed the stories. But whether or not I believe is not the purpose of article.

My purpose for writing this is to raise curiosity of time-space and open up minds to different views even if they are far fetched.

Car Chaos

mushuooLeave a comment

This week, I stumbled across yet another technological advancement while reading news articles.

Since September 2014, Google has released roughly 50 self-driving cars out and about on the streets of California. These futuristic Lexus’ and Audi’s have been roaming the streets in hopes to prove that they are safe to drive themselves.

So far, there have been only 11 accidents that were minor and included no injuries.

“Not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident,” said Google’s Chris Urmson.

In my opinion, although self-driving cars sound kind of cool, they also sound terrifying. What if we know something is wrong with our car, but we cannot control it because the car is in control of itself?

However, Google makes some very strong points as to why their cars are safer than human driven cars: robots do not get tired, they are not emotional, they are over-cautious rather than fearless, and these cars can see things human’s cannot always see.

Is this an unrealistic plan with too many issues involved? Or what our future will be like?

Photo Credit: extremetech.com

Drone Control

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Photo Credit: http://www.newsobserver.com

As the 21st century continues to barrel forward, new technology begins to come forth.

One of the newest technological advances is drones.

Yes, they have been around for a while, but usually for recreational or military use. Now, ideas of having drones become more involved in everyday life are becoming more prominent.

Amazon has expressed that they are interested in being one of the first companies to deliver packages to residential areas.

However, this brings up a large list of legalities.

How high can drones fly above someone’s private property? What if someone does not want to have packages delivered by drone? Can a homeowner shoot down the drone if it gets too close for comfort?

A couple of days ago, my mom was outside gardening in our yard. She was going about her business when she heard a loud, buzzing noise. Not knowing what it was, she walked all around our house until she found what the noise was: a drone hovering twenty feet above our roof.

She had never seen a drone in residential areas, and when she told me the story, she was furious, as someone else’s drone was being obnoxious above our property.

My mom is not easily angered, so to see her reaction was shocking. I can’t imagine how the rest of the world would feel about this.