Senior Reflection #3

So, high school. When you're in middle school it's glorious; it's freedom, shiny and new. A liberation from the fascist rule of the middle school administration. Then you get here. Yeah, you can drive and park (it'll cost you $200). You still have no rights, nothing's changed there. Sports are still political, duh. And your classes are hard as three day old dog crap. Yet, there is something sweet about saying "I'm in high school," when you're 14. Now that I'm 18, and I've spent four years here, I'm ready for college. Even though I'm not that excited for college, anything beats this crazy place I've been.

Senior Reflection #2

This summer I'm traveling to France. I'm going with my parents, and we'll be there for two weeks. We stay in Paris for a week, in an apartment in the first. We'll be steps away from the Louvre. The apartment is on a pedestrians-only plaza, filled with cafes and little shops. We're going to visit museums and eat food and drink wine. It's going to be a lovely week. The second week is split between Tours and Bordeaux. In Tours, we'll be visiting chateaux and gardens. We're planning on taking a hot-air balloon ride over the chateaux one morning. In Bordeaux, we're staying in an apartment above a wine shop. Here we are eating and drinking; that's it. I'm super happy I got my camera, a Canon Rebel T3i before we left. I'll be taking many, many photos.

Senior Reflection #1

I'm really pissed about college. In my opinion, I got totally screwed by admissions offices. For three years I was told if I worked hard, I would be rewarded. Know what? I kind of wasn't. Yeah, yeah people can say JMU is a great school all they want, but we know better. I'm thankful to be able to afford college, but I know I'm better than JMU. It almost kills me that no one else thinks I'm not. This whole experience has made me really unenthusiastic for college, but just happy that I'm getting out of high school.

Current Event #4

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/a-local-life-dick-wolf-79-fought-for-preservation-on-capitol-hill/2012/06/02/gJQAaWXm9U_story.html I don't know if anyone has ever done an obituary before, but here it goes. Dick Wolf was a community and historic activist on Capitol Hill. Mr. Wolf protested and lobbied for the collective interests of neighborhoods, developed neighborhoods, and got to know the people in his community. Wolf attended the University of Michigan, and then went to Yale Law School. He worked for NASA in the litigation department, until his retirement in 1998. After he retired, Wolf devoted his life to preserving historic homes and buildings. He was never mentioned on TV or in the papers, but did all the dirty work behind the scenes. He did the real work; the phone calls, the testifying, the research, the policy work, the arguing. He did real work and got real results. A new community built in South East had been issued a single-set of community boxes, Mr. Wolf was outraged. He made an appointment with the Postmaster General; the decision was reversed within the week. Among individual post boxes, Wolf argued for the preservation of homes, community outreach. He served as president on the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and won the Community Achievement Award of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. Wolf had a tremendous impact on the neighborhood of Capitol Hill and fought for what he believed in. I was attracted to this article mainly because Mr. Wolf preserved historic buildings and homes. Living in a historic home, I realize and appreciate the value and hardship of his efforts.

How to Spot a Meth Lab and What To Do When You Find One

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-buzz/post/how-to-spot-a-meth-lab--and-what-to-do-if-you-find-one/2012/06/05/gJQAKiCqFV_blog.html Written by Maggie Fazeli Fard, this article discusses meth labs; how to find them and what to do when you realize your neighbors are cooking up a concoction of cold medicine, drain cleaner, acetone, chloroform, and battery acid. Meth comes in a white and powdery form, or a clear crystal form. Meth labs are oftentimes discovered when there is an explosion or fire during the production process; 15% of labs are discovered this way. Labs will often emit strange odors like nail polish remover or rotten eggs. There are a lot of miscellaneous glass bottles laying around, or they're labeled with acid names or have rubber tubing. If there is an unusually large amount of kerosene, paint thinner, starter fluid, or lithium batteries around, you might have a meth lab on your hands. If that's the case, do NOT touch a thing. Don't turn on any electrical switches or light any matches. Don't open anything up or smell anything. Immediately call the authorities; they'll handle it. It's also safe to have your kids running around because cops never shoot into meth labs; they might blow them up. Just kidding. This article was extremely informative. I'm thrilled to know I'm equipped with the knowledge to properly handle a meth lab emergency.

Current Event #2

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nest-smart-thermostat-to-be-sold-in-apple-retail-stores/2012/05/30/gJQAL0ex1U_story.html This article, featured on the Washington Post website via VentureBeat.com, features a new thermostat system, Nest smart thermostat, produced by former Apple employees. The thermostat is very easy to use; it's layout and mechanics are similar to that of other Apple products. The Nest also learns the daily patterns of your household and adapts the system to them. When you leave in the morning, Nest turns off, and when you come home, your house is already heated. Of course, Nest can be operated remotely with an app installable on your iPhone or iPad. It also suggests improvements to save you money, like lowering your thermostat one degree will save you $20 a month. Nest is part of a connected-home-system, but other companies such as Honeywell have sued on patent infringement. Nest will be sold in the US and Canada for $249, online and in Lowes stores. I like this article because the Nest thermostat is energy efficient. I hope systems like this start to sell well in America because they would save a lot of money and energy for everyone.

Current Event #1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/jubilee-envy--time-for-an-american-monarchy/2012/06/05/gJQAc8IWGV_blog.html This article, by Alexandra Petri, discusses the possibility of an American monarch. Mainly, this article focuses on the recent Diamond Jubilee of the Queen and the empty feelings American's get when they look across the pond at all the fun the Brits are having with their Monarchs. Would a royal family "work" in America? It would certainly criticize the apparent nonchalantness a political candidate is supposed to have. Why order a fine French wine when you'd "prefer" a Bud? Unfortunately, a royal family would never fit in with American society. Who would we chose anyway? Certainly not the Kardashians nor the Palins; we need role models here, not train wrecks. The royal family would be closely observed, perhaps too closely, criticized just like any other celebrities, and on the whole disliked by America because of our values. We uphold the Constitution and parade around in our costumes of equal rights. A royal family could never fit in, but we like it that way. Sometimes, it's nice to only have a taste. There can be too much of a good thing. I liked this article a lot. The sarcastic tone and subject matter really appealed to me. The idea of a monarchy with all the pomp and celebration and frivolity is a nice change from the hum-drum American life we all lead. Everyone likes a little party every once and a while, but frankly, a monarchy would almost be anarchy.