Aliens?

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I was watching this video, and it really got me thinking. Do aliens really exist?

I’m completely serious!

If you think about it, we are one planet among billions and trillions of others. Is it possible that we are the only other life out there?

The idea of us being alone seems proposterous to me. Of course there are all the videos of fake UFO sightings and the random Area 51 rumors, but could be there some truth behind them?

And there are videos like this that honestly confuse me. Could that all be real or is it just a hoax. I mean it is on the History Channel. It has to be somewhat legitimate

Maybe I’m crazy, but I do believe that there is something else out there. I’m not saying that aliens are going to come and attack us, or that I believe in 2012. I more think that there just has to be something more than the population on Earth.

Or maybe I’m just crazy! You tell me.

The Ivies

Paloma Spencer1 Comment

We have all heard the classical tales of the 8 Ivy League Institutions.

Located on the north-eastern United States, these universities are known for their gorgeous campuses, amazing academics, social elitism, and, unfortunately for most students, the lowest percentages in acceptance rates.

In case you do not know, these are the 8 wonders of the college world:

Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

All these schools are of course, no doubt, amazing, but I find that many of my friends refused to apply to these universities because they “simply wouldn’t get in,” or because “there is no point to just get rejected.”

That is why I will tell you this:

Myself, as a senior applying to college had always known where I wanted to go, but afraid that I would never get in, I always created alternate top choices of schools that I would be more likely to attend.

My top was Yale University.

Yep, just the name makes me so happy!

The beautiful brick buildings, the intriguing classroom environments, and yes whoever watched Gilmore Girls would understand that Rory had a large impact on me.

Since I was young I had constantly heard the gasp of astonishment when people acclaimed they would attend Yale, and thus decided that this institution would be the place for me.

So I applied.

However, once I received my tiny little rejection letter in the mail, I felt crushed.

So I can be a bit of a drama queen, but honestly it did kind of hurt.

But the thing I realized is that although I was upset, I would have been more upset if I never even tried.

Even if you think you may not have the grades, or the extracurricular activities, you honestly don’t know what each college is looking for and there is always a chance to be pleasantly surprised.

Today, I am so happy with my college decision, even though it might not be Yale, and I do wish that all prospective college students apply to at least one of these eight institutions.

“If you never try, you’ll never know.”

: )

Coachella

dmilesburtonLeave a comment

Of all the things I wish I could have done so far this year, Coachella tops the list. With headliners Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, and Kanye West on top of artists like The Black Keys, Wiz Khalifa, and The Strokes, it was no doubt nothing short of incredible.

In my slight depression since missing Coachella, I’ve been reading a lot of reviews, and all of them say that it was almost all great shows. One performance, however, stood out above all else.

Kanye West.

In all of the extravagant concert entrances I’ve seen, which is a slightly above average amount, Kanye’s was the best planned and would have been beyond awe-producing.

To sum it up, he had his dancers, twenty or so ballerinas, dance around for a good three minutes, then kneel down to a large monument to what seems to be gods. Then, from behind the crowd comes Kanye West, slowly being raised into the air on a raised platform, pointing to the sky all the while, as the phrase, “can we get much higher” is heard over and over again.

When I saw the video for this entrance, I was feeling two, very clear emotions: Jealousy, at the crowd for being there, and at Kanye, for being him, and then complete and utter awe. I knew right then and there that Kanye had done something that few people have ever done. He had made himself, in that one moment, the most important man in the world.

Not to say that he was the best, or the most needed, but I’d bet that more people wanted to see, hear, and be Kanye West in that one moment than anyone else on earth. He was truly the king, and even his ego was ridiculous no longer.

Of course, the moment passed, and he was just Kanye West again, entertainer, egomaniac, and generally only respected for his music. The image still remained, though, and in my mind and undoubtedly in the mind of countless others.

Two Cups Left

therightliberal1 Comment

Although I have been in deep denial over the subject of Manchester United getting knocked out of the FA Cup, I feel that I must now acknowledge it.

Over the last weekend, United came to a pathetic halt to Manchester City. Yes, we lost to the men in powder blue.

It was an embarrassing display by United, but I really cannot blame them. I am not trying to make excuses but they have played so many games this season (losing VERY few of them) that by this point they are bound to slip up.

David Platt plays peacemaker as Anderson and Balotelli boil over at Wembley

As I had said in previous writing, I did not expect them to win the treble (though I was very much hoping for it). United still have to beat Schalke in the tie for the Chapions League and hold off Arsenal for the League title.

After the very interesting and to be honest, weird draw between Arsenal and Liverpool, United’s shot at their 19th League title looks good. They cannot become to complacent but as long as they keep cool heads they should win it.

The Champions League games are a totally different story. I admit that I do not know much about Schalke except that they are playing fantastic right now and they have a great goalkeeper in Neuer. Even if United can beat them, I worry that United does not have what it takes to beat either Barca or Real Madrid.

Paul Scholes

However, Fergie and the boys always have a few tricks up their sleeves, especially when it comes to the Champions League. Manchester United’s season is getting very interesting now.

For best exercise, don’t be lonely or bored

weirdjennyLeave a comment

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In the modern era, more and more people are aware of their own health. We have developed the habit to exercise regularly. People go for a jog in the morning, go to gym after work, or watch exercising DVDs at home.

However, most of the people forget to enjoy the moment when they are exercising. Instead, they put more focus on the result.

“When picking an exercise, choose maximum enjoyment over maximum results, and the positive reinforcement will help you stick with it, and exercising alone doesn’t work for the majority of people.” said Bert Carron, a professor of kinesiology.

For example, studies show that running is the best way to stay in shape. However, I feel that running is kind of boring, because it is the same action repeated and repeated, and it is all by myself. So after 15 minutes of running, I feel really tired. However, if I played my favorite sports, basketball, I can play for 4 or 5 hours without feeling tired, and I also feel joyful. So we should focus on enjoying the sports more not on the result, because it can help us mentally and physically.

Don’t Fear X-rays from Airport Scanners

weirdjennyLeave a comment

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We all know that radiation is bad for our health. People usually don’t want to get too many x-rays in their lifetime, or they don’t want to live next to any nuclear power plants.

However, The Transportation Security Administration began installing full-body scanners in American airports. Since passengers have noticed this device, they are very concern about their privacy and health, because under the x-ray, everything is visible.

For privacy concerns, it is true that the machine is able to see the image of our body. However, for health concerns, according to an article published online Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, there’s no significant threat from the full-body scanners. Although they use ionizing radiation, which is known to cause cancer, the amount is so low. It is less than 1% of the additional radiation a person gets from flying in an airplane and the same we received through 3 to 9 minutes of daily life on the ground.

“If individuals feel vulnerable and are worried about the radiation emitted by the scans, they might reconsider flying altogether since most of the small, but real, radiation risk they will receive will come from the flight and not from the exceedingly small exposures from the scans,” wrote the authors, Pratik Mehta of UC Berkeley and Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman of UC San Francisco.

“SHORT SLEEPERS” DO EXIST!

Paloma SpencerLeave a comment

I have to admit that as a person with strange sleeping hours, I am extremely jealous of those who can get so little sleep but yet still function so well.

Turns out there are actually people that acquire this condition as a young age; they are called “short sleepers.” They are naturally early risers and late sleepers.

In contrast to people who simply sleep less than the recommended 7 hours, this rare species can actually continue their day without endless cups of coffee or countless 5-minute naps. Instead, they feel perfectly normal and healthy, and continue their day with optimism, an outgoing personality, and tons and tons of energy.

But how could this be possible? I mean, they have to be tired, right?

Scientists have determined that this type of sleeping pattern usually develops during childhood and simply continues into adulthood. I assume it is comparable to nail biting, not only can it be a natural habit but it is also an easily developed and continuous tendency.

But at least this habit has it’s perks. While some people may believe that sleep is the best part of their days, these people believe quite the opposite.

“Sleep is a waste of time.”

Yep, that’s right. The main personal reason they do not sleep is usually because they find better things to do, and thus began multitasking away.

As much as I would like to say that I acquired these “short sleeper” genes, I know I have not.

But at least its an excuse to sleep more!

The Trials of Adoption

Paloma SpencerLeave a comment

This may sound petty, but I have always wanted an adorable little Asian baby.

Similar to the one in the upper left picture, he/she will speak 3 languages and of course maintain the most cutest and stylish of haircuts.

He/she will attend New York’s best preparatory schools beginning at the age of  3 and will attend one of the 8 Ivy League colleges.

Hey, its possible. : )

So lately I have wondered exactly how this could happen.

Due to the fact that one cannot tell who their lifelong soul mate may be, I have realized how much I would love to adopt a child from Asia.

Curious about the procedures of adoption I did some research and discovered an article posted in “Psychology Today.”

Unfortunately, adoption isn’t so simple these days.

Today, the cost of agency and private adoptions ranges at a price of $5,000 to $40,000 while international adoptions can range from $7,000 to $30,000. As one could understand, this is the major barrier that disables people from adopting children. In addition, the delays to receive a child internationally are immense. Commonly, the adoptive parents must wait a near 2 years in order to hold their child for the first time. This is caused by the required “home study” as well as regulating whether all necessary requirements are met by the adopters.

In addition, international adoptions are “legal midfields” in such countries as Belarus, Guatemala, Nepal, and Vietnam. Harvard Law School Professor of Child Advocacy stated that international children are being “denied their fundamental human right to be ‘nurtured in their formative years by permanent parents in real families.’” Personally, I believe that families who are inclined to adopt a child should be thanked for their generosity and their ability to stop the world’s exceeding population. I do understand the cost for the international transportation, but should they really have to pay thousands upon thousands?

Honestly, believing that I would be in a well off financial state, I would not mind the costs for adopting a child, however this price range can easily halt an excited adopter’s future prospects.

In order to help the children and our nation, the government should make it more affordable for able parents to adopt, while maintaining the required regulations.

I really do hope to adopt a child one day and hold one of these most adorable little babies in my own arms.

The Aftermath

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

I’m not going to lie. In the end, prom was amazing.

It pretty much started like this.

And then ended like this.

Placed convienently at the Mandalay Beach Resort, it was a night that I don’t think any one of us seniors will forget. But I can really only speak for myself.

It’s scary to think that last Thursday night was the last OVS dance we will all ever attend together. We’ve all spent a minimum of seven months together and I can’t imagine not seeing all these lovely faces again.

What will become of us when we all leave? Will we all remember how we felt that night? I can only hope so. I just really hope that everyone found that night as memorable as I did.

Okay, time to think for real

shredicusmaximusLeave a comment

It’s official. With the warmth of the April sun came the arrival of my long awaited letters from the various institutions I had hoped would see enough light and potential to accept me into their ranks as an admitted student. Three places received my applications, Chapman University, Bard College, and (as referred to in one of my previous blogs) The University of San Francisco. All three of them have since sent packages back informing me of my admission. I looked through the packets from each different place and thought “oh —-, now what do I do?”

How do I make a decision that affects possibly the next four years of my life? A commitment to an institution for the best is what is required of me to make come the first of May. A first rate education, and a great time with many different opportunities presenting themselves. Who could I meet at these places? how were the dorms? where are they located? Questions of “where do you want to go?” and “what do you want to study?” have now transformed into “where are you going to call home for the next four years, out of these three?” So with all these thoughts in mind, now I really have to consider what options I have upon my table. All these places I have applied to because I liked each of them and what they could offer me as a perspective student. Now, here I sit, amidst all these new pressures. Pressures of “where do we go from here?” have replaced the ones of old regarding “what do I need to do to get there and how am I doing?” All I know is for the next week or so, I might lose some sleep at night. Bags may form under my eyes and I may feel much lighter on my feet but why worry? After all, I know I’m going somewhere. (: