No Hitter

thehebrewhammerLeave a comment

Let me paint you the picture: it’s Monday, back from Spring Break, not a single kid played a minute of baseball over that week-long period, and we have a game that day. As a manager, what do you do in that situation? I’ll tell you what decision manager Hank Pankratz made, the correct one. Early in the morning, he came up to The Hebrew Hammer and said, “Aye kid, you’re on the bump today.” As I shuddered with glee, I proceeded to stop smiling, and it was time to prepare myself for the grueling challenge that was Newbury Park Adventist Academy later that day. On the ride over the hill to NPAA, I had my headphones on full blast, helping tune into that state of flow. When it was game time, they had scored an early run on me from two errors. But errors or not, I put my head down and got to work, I struck out 17 hitters with my furious fastball and my catastrophic curveball, the other 4 outs, you ask? All made by me, 2 groundballs at me, one pickoff beautifully executed by Cole Huey and me, and one insane play where I ran all the way past first base to field the ball and flip it for the out. All that while only allowing 1 walk, 1 batter hit, a handful of errors, but ultimately no hits allowed, my first no-hitter of the year, and my 3rd in high school. The Spuds found themselves triumphant in a 4-1 win, followed by a 19-2 win on Wednesday against Hillcrest Christian. What a week for the fellas. And following in the footsteps of my mentor before me, Derek Mendoza, I kept the tradition alive of no-hitting Newbury! Go Spuds, baby.

“Baseball Ball” by Kai%20Oberh%E4user/ CC0 1.0

Film Review — F1

StrawberryMushroomLeave a comment

On paper, F1 is a very standard and generic sports story filled with familiar narrative and character cliches. An old, grumpy veteran reluctantly working with a younger, cocky rookie, eventually growing to appreciate the people around him and rediscovering his love for a sport, is not groundbreaking storytelling for the sports genre. And yet, the cast and presentation elevate the viewing experience beyond this basic premise.

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris have such magnetic and charismatic chemistry that made their seemingly cliché dynamic a delight to watch unfold. Their acting and rapport were certainly a primary factor that contributed to the film’s enjoyability.

Furthermore, all audio and visual aspects of the film are breathtaking, amplifying the intensity and excitement of the racing sequences to their utmost limit. The cinematography and directing were particularly miraculous, leaving me questioning how they were able to pull off what they did with the camera.

However, my biggest issue is the romance subplot between Sonny and Kate. Much like Top Gun Maverick—another film directed by Joseph Kosinski—scenes that serve to explore the protagonist’s relationship with their love interest ultimately drag out the viewing experience without contributing much to the rest of the narrative. The bloated 2-hour 35-minute runtime could definitely be condensed if these scenes were reduced or even removed entirely.

Despite its flaws, F1 holds a special place in my heart. The movie came out during a time in my life when I, too, was questioning the worth of a sport that was once so important to me. I believe that this film played a significant role in restoring my fleeting passion for this sport. The “flying” scene and “it’s not about the money” quote stick out to me in particular; sometimes, we are drawn by a purpose beyond mere winning or recognition.

Five things we learned watching the first official F1 movie trailer | Top Gear

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Studying

ackley4167Leave a comment

I think by the end of the year, I will have officially lost all motivation to study, even if it’s for a quiz. Even when I have opportunities to study or do homework, such as in study halls or during free periods. I still choose not to. I wish I could bring myself up to have just a little more motivation. Sometimes it feels like I’m doing badly in school because of it. Especially since tests and quizzes are what school is all about. I don’t remember the last time in class when I actually learned something interesting, unless it’s history. Sometimes I feel like certain classes are useless. I think to myself, how is this going to impact my life in the future? Well, it’s not. Because half of what I’m learning now is information I’m never going to use. Though sometimes I do enjoy school, even if I hate to say it, I enjoy the people, some of the classes, and just being social with a schedule. When I’m on break, it’s the best thing ever, but sometimes summer can get a little boring. I think worrying about colleges at my age doesn’t make sense because I’m still so far away. I just want to get out of high school because it’s a drag.

“Study School” by Negative Space/ CC0 1.0

SCU or UCSC

zombiegxrlLeave a comment

May 1st is in seventeen days. I have seventeen days to decide where I will spend the next four years of my life. Where I will sleep, where I will study, where I will meet new people, and hopefully where I will thrive. Considering factors like housing applications and looking for a roommate, I’ll probably need to make a decision much sooner. Over spring break, I toured both UC Santa Cruz and Santa Clara University. I was sure that I wouldn’t like SCU and that I was going to commit to UCSC as soon as I got home. When I began walking around SCU, I was pleasantly, but inconveniently surprised; I actually really liked it. On the drive home, my mind changed; I loved SCU, and I was sure I would be attending in the fall. Later that day, when I finally saw UCSC, my decision was again complicated. I loved both schools. Each one was gorgeous, but in vastly different ways. Seeing the people on both campuses, I feel as though I might fit in better at UCSC, but the consistent rain and shade may make me a bit depressed. SCU has D1 sports, which could be fun to watch, while UCSC only offers D3 sports. SCU’s party scene is definitely more lively as well. SCU was smaller and much easier to navigate, but will I be sick of that after four years? UCSC dorms are pretty bad, and they only offer communal-style dorms, and none of them have kitchens. Since there are no kitchens, students are forced to get a meal plan, and I’ve heard the meals are pretty terrible. Santa Cruz, the city, is absolutely perfect, though. There is so much to do, it’s right on the beach, and just absolutely stunning. Santa Clara, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as charming. SCU is more prestigious, and they offer great suite-style dorms, and even the communal-style dorms are decent, and they have better dining hall food. There are better post-graduate opportunities, and the housing crisis isn’t as severe as it is in Santa Cruz. The pros and cons point to SCU, but is it the right choice? There are so many factors to consider and it makes my head hurt. I don’t want to make the wrong choice, and I want to thrive and be happy. I wish somebody would just tell me what to do with complete confidence in positive results.

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over break

Soccer11Leave a comment

Over spring break, I did almost nothing except play soccer and work. I worked 4 days last week and made over 600 dollars, and I would have made more if so much of it wasn’t taxed. I also played a soccer game this weekend, and it was the quarter finals, but we unfortunately lost, and now we’re out of the state cup. It was a game we should have won, but the refs were so bad, and we ended up going into penalties because we tied, and all my teammates suck at taking penalties, and only my teammate and I scored, and everyone else missed. We need to practice penalties, which is something that we literally never do. Other than soccer and work, I tanned the rest of the break on the days that had good UV. I also hung out with some friends and went to Ventura to go to the beach and to In-N-Out. 

200+ Best Free Beach Pictures on Unsplash

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Please Braiding Gods

Bl@ckBe@nsLeave a comment

Credit: Google

Prom is actually ragebaiting me. Why are all the braiders in my vicinity not available? Every braiding salon is booked from now to June. I’m looking for someone close and not too expensive.  

I really wanted to get my hair braided for prom too, but it wasn’t until recently that I realised I don’t have money. My funds are nonexistent; like, every time I open my wallet, flies come out. 

In this situation, I really wish I were a nepobaby. 

I would kill to be able to call up a stylist and drop 500$, just like that. My hair would look fresh 24/7, seven days a week. It would also be so fun to switch up styles every few days.

You would think that after spending months learning how to do multiple hairstyles, I would do my own hair and everything would be so much easier, but I would rather not. 

So if there is a braiding Gof out there, please have someone cancel their appointment or get in a mild accident that prevents them from going.

A Whole Lotta.. Nothing

Halos_击Leave a comment

Just last week, it was Spring break, and as the title shows, you can infer that I did a whole lot of doing nothing.

Sure, I went with my family to La Paz in Baja Sur, Mexico, and stayed on my boat that was there. It was… kind of fun, but I’m not too fond of boats. Whenever we were out fishing, I caught a triggerfish that was bigger than my whole head, which, yeah, it was fun, but waiting there for a fish to bite ate me alive. My dad and my younger brother William caught the biggest fish of all, a grouper, that was bigger than my 8-year-old brother!

We stayed out on the island for a few nights and ate a lot of sashimi from the fish we caught, and I tried scallops for the first time. I’ve always been a very adventurous person when it comes to food, but that was terrible. I did not like it.

On the island, my family paddleboarded, played cards, and my brother and I went tubing. That was the most fun part of the trip.

But whenever we weren’t doing anything, we didn’t do anything. I slept the majority of the trip, which caused me to stay up late and sleep in late, so there was a bunch of sleeping. And a lot of progress on my brother’s and my game, we like to play, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I help him a lot with it.

All in all, it was a very fun trip. 😛

P.C. – Google, “baja california sur la paz”

Hair

myfatcats2Leave a comment

Josie has asked me to do her hair after school. I love braiding people’s hair. I especially love braided Josie’s hair because it’s very soft, fine, and easy to braid. Last year, I used to braid her hair all the time in the hammocks. She recently dyed her hair black, and it looks amazing. She’s going to a concert, she’s probably going to get killed at it because everyone is jumping around and flailing their arms everywhere. I’m a little scared for her, but mine as well look cute for your last moments. I’m just kidding. Anyway, I’ve always loved braiding people’s hair. I taught myself how to braid a few different types of braids; the fish tail is my favorite. I just love doing hair in general, and I love different types of people’s hair. The cultures and everything are something that fascinates and really speaks to me. 

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Waiting

ackley4167Leave a comment

Waiting and patience are essential to life, until everything starts to feel like a never-ending cycle. The weekend, for example, is what I look forward to all week. Waiting for each weekend feels like a highly repetitive schedule, which it is. But the wait is always worth it, whether it’s a chill weekend or a fun one.

When it comes to school, we wait for each day to be over, counting down until Friday. Then the schedule repeats itself once it hits Sunday. It’s the same with breaks during the year; we wait for winter break, spring break, and then summer break. Once again, the cycle repeats.

Life almost feels like a waiting game, but what exactly are we waiting for? We watch the clock in each class, waiting for it to end. At work, people do the same thing, watching the clock until their shift is over. Just to do it all again the next day.

I sometimes wish the idea of time had never been created. I understand that it helps people stay organized, but I also think it can feel like brainwashing. Something about the idea of time feels off to me. As I said, it always feels like a constant waiting game that never ends.

Amazon.com: The Ultimate Wall Clock |14 Inch | Modern | Atomic | Analog | Home | Office | School | Gym | Indoor | Outdoor | Sets Automatically | Unbranded | Classic | Black | Battery Operated | Modern Décor : Home & Kitchen

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First Win

thehebrewhammerLeave a comment

Finally, the Spuds are in the win column! Last night we traveled to Thousand Oaks to face the Beacon Hill Gryphons, which was scheduled to be played at 3. But when we showed up to the field at 2:45, the game would probably have to be pushed back a little bit to 3:15. The Hebrew Hammer got the nod from head honcho Hank Pankratz, which would be the correct managerial decision as I bolstered the Spuds to their first win, but it wasn’t just my doing. In the 6th inning, after a handful of errors and a walk, I was in a tough situation with bases loaded and 1 out, and that was until the best play of the game was made by my freshman Henry Zhou, the kid who does the scorebook, who hasn’t seen a lick of playing time! I threw one pitch, a ball to the 8-hole batter and that was when Coach Pankratz walked to the home plate umpire and started doing a bunch of pointing yelling and all of that stuff, that was when Henry noticed that the other team made an illegal substitution, forcing the batter to be out having me face the 9-hole batter with 2 outs in the innings. After striking him out on 3 pitches, it was onto the 7th inning, in which local hero Bennett Brown was up to bat. Jay then screamed from the dugout, “Get hit for me, Bennett!” In which he listened perfectly, as he got nailed in the back and immediately dropped to his hands and knees and went into the most voracious arch any of the team has ever seen. All in all, it was a beautiful first win, and the team will definitely carry this energy to next week.

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