I hope everybody had just as good of a time as I had this Easter. I am really so thankful to have shared this day with my family. It was wild at times, I can't deny, but it was nothing but laughs, smiles and good times. Overall, this day couldn't have gone better. (Except maybe if Dani didn't win the Easter egg hunt for the fifth year in a row!)
As I look back on my time blogging for you this month, I have so many things on my mind. Tomorrow, we return to school from Spring Break, and if I am to get anywhere, I have to start by maintaining my promises and keep from handing in work late. Obviously, with my newfound interest in singing, songwriting, design, and all things MLP, it's pretty hard to focus entirely on schoolwork. So I better get moving on something quick!
As you all know, my first ever musical is on Friday and Saturday, and now that I know that I have an award nomination at stake, I am all business when it comes to my performance. (Unfortunately, a little too much of my playa' of a character has rubbed off on me!) Tomorrow also begins tech week, meaning I'll step foot on the MAC stage for the first time in my life. Luckily, I was born without stage-fright, but the thought of performing before an audience always gets me excited. Wish me luck!
The musical isn't the only thing I'm a bit apprehensive-slash-hopeful about. If you remember from my previous posts, I should be expecting an e-mail from BronyCon at any moment now, outlining the event plan for the big weekend in Baltimore--or should I say, Baltimare! (Okay, enough pony puns.) Although I am very hopeful that my event, MLP@MLB, will get the green-light, there's no telling what could come next.
Finally, I really want to give a whole rundown of thank-yous: To my English teacher, Mrs. Gross, for challenging us with Slice of Life, to Mr. Roche, Mrs. G and all of my teachers at HTHS for their nonstop support of both me and my blog, to my family who've read every post and had to deal with my eternal time in front of my laptop screen, to Josh R, Tom G, and all my friends at High Tech who've been such a pleasure to converse and hang with, and of course, to all of you viewers around the nation, whether you're welcome guests from abroad like Mrs. Lampinen or just an anonymous passer-by. With that, I bid you a fond farewell for now, but rest assured that this is only the beginning.
Keep calm and brony on!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
3/30: Hard Work Rewarded with Chinese Food
Today is Holy Saturday, so we are all pretty busy preparing for Easter. I've definitely done my share of cleaning, although it has been chock full of obscure chores such as wiping down the refrigerator, dusting the PlayStation, and cleaning the patio furniture using only wet paper towels. Such is my normal-but-ridiculously-strange life. Hence that handy title up above, right at the corner of highly witty and terribly unoriginal.
Thankfully, a day filled with work preceded an afternoon of fun and relaxation before the big holiday. Baseball season is up and running, and my father and I were treated to a special occasion as our Yankees traveled to West Point to play Army before Opening Day. Naturally, the Bombers won comfortably, but it was still a game to remember. During a break in the action we played a pickup game of Wiffle-Ball, in which I thankfully fared much better than our stickball outing the day before. If only I could fix my stance earlier!
After the game was finished, we went out to a Chinese restaurant for the first time in a long while. The food and the service at crown palace was excellent as always, but I believe my sister may have been traumatized by the amount of General Tso's Chicken on her platter! Oh, well, now I have lunch for Monday!
Okay, I'm off to finish up my Rainbow Dash-themed basketball court. Hey, don't judge! Anyway, stay tuned for my final blog post on Easter Sunday!
Thankfully, a day filled with work preceded an afternoon of fun and relaxation before the big holiday. Baseball season is up and running, and my father and I were treated to a special occasion as our Yankees traveled to West Point to play Army before Opening Day. Naturally, the Bombers won comfortably, but it was still a game to remember. During a break in the action we played a pickup game of Wiffle-Ball, in which I thankfully fared much better than our stickball outing the day before. If only I could fix my stance earlier!
After the game was finished, we went out to a Chinese restaurant for the first time in a long while. The food and the service at crown palace was excellent as always, but I believe my sister may have been traumatized by the amount of General Tso's Chicken on her platter! Oh, well, now I have lunch for Monday!
Okay, I'm off to finish up my Rainbow Dash-themed basketball court. Hey, don't judge! Anyway, stay tuned for my final blog post on Easter Sunday!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
3/26: So Long, Braces!
Okay, obviously I am really thrilled! After almost three years, I can have gum again! (Without guilt, at least) Unfortunately, after braces comes the retainer. This...stupid...retainer... Alright, I'll calm down. Besides, today is a happy occasion, and a mostly painless one too. I didn't actually realize that they just rip the frames right off!
Before I was allowed to be free from my hindering mouth-gear, I had to go to an out-of-school rehearsal with most of the guys in the musical. At least I thought we got enough work done, but that's not to say that most of the time was spent having the time of our lives with pizza, cake, foosball, and a stuffed talking Dalek which actually made that blasted death machine seem kind of cute.
Afterwards, I finally returned to Outback for an excellent meal, or what seemed even more excellent now that I can eat freely. Now excuse me while I go admire myself in the mirror. Sorry, I'm pretty excited!
Before I was allowed to be free from my hindering mouth-gear, I had to go to an out-of-school rehearsal with most of the guys in the musical. At least I thought we got enough work done, but that's not to say that most of the time was spent having the time of our lives with pizza, cake, foosball, and a stuffed talking Dalek which actually made that blasted death machine seem kind of cute.
Afterwards, I finally returned to Outback for an excellent meal, or what seemed even more excellent now that I can eat freely. Now excuse me while I go admire myself in the mirror. Sorry, I'm pretty excited!
Friday, March 22, 2013
3/22:The Wonders of Symposiums--and Donuts
Finally! A field trip! That's what was my original reaction upon learning of the freshman class' little endeavor to Monmouth University. Alas, in true High Technology fashion, the purpose of the field trip was solely to attend the Monmouth Junior Science Symposium--and cheer on our presenters like crazy. You know what, that's just what they want you to think. We were all well aware that our mission here was to acquire and consume the sweet, circular pastry delicacies that are donuts. Let me be the first to say that they didn't disappoint. It's just to bad we were limited to one, while there was plenty of cruddy coffee to go around. (But who am I kidding? Coffee is coffee, so I drank it anyway!)
As for the symposium itself, it was actually somewhat intriguing in my opinion, which probably cements my position as a total Techie. Today was the second day of the two-day gathering, which made me a little unwelcome when the keynote speaker kept asking about the events the day before. It's a shame I therefore didn't get to see Jacob Buckman's presentation. Nevertheless, our representatives didn't disappoint. However, this doesn't mean it wasn't as boring as my comrade Tom stated in his scouting report. (AKA, I basically just asked him about it before the bell.) Curiously, people started falling asleep when the adult speaker was presenting. I had already impressed (and possibly embarrassed) myself by asking multiple questions to the speakers, but I was not about to prolong my captivity by agreeing with Charles to ask yet another. We were all starving by then!
After the presentations had concluded, the day went pretty wild. During our ridiculously abrupt stay at the university cafeteria, I observed that almost nobody else in High Tech can play pool correctly. What next? Nobody can play poker or darts, either? Anyway, the bus ride home was filled with the hollering screams of a sing-off between the girls cheerfully singing the praises of Taylor Swift and the guys performing the painful styles of the IED class jukebox. Obviously, it was no contest, though some would prefer to dispute the result. As we returned to Brookdale campus, all hell broke loose, including riding a horse statue, a commons-wide game of extreme Tag, and a dozen young men crowding around the small cafeteria television to catch a case of March Madness. So how was your day?
As for the symposium itself, it was actually somewhat intriguing in my opinion, which probably cements my position as a total Techie. Today was the second day of the two-day gathering, which made me a little unwelcome when the keynote speaker kept asking about the events the day before. It's a shame I therefore didn't get to see Jacob Buckman's presentation. Nevertheless, our representatives didn't disappoint. However, this doesn't mean it wasn't as boring as my comrade Tom stated in his scouting report. (AKA, I basically just asked him about it before the bell.) Curiously, people started falling asleep when the adult speaker was presenting. I had already impressed (and possibly embarrassed) myself by asking multiple questions to the speakers, but I was not about to prolong my captivity by agreeing with Charles to ask yet another. We were all starving by then!
After the presentations had concluded, the day went pretty wild. During our ridiculously abrupt stay at the university cafeteria, I observed that almost nobody else in High Tech can play pool correctly. What next? Nobody can play poker or darts, either? Anyway, the bus ride home was filled with the hollering screams of a sing-off between the girls cheerfully singing the praises of Taylor Swift and the guys performing the painful styles of the IED class jukebox. Obviously, it was no contest, though some would prefer to dispute the result. As we returned to Brookdale campus, all hell broke loose, including riding a horse statue, a commons-wide game of extreme Tag, and a dozen young men crowding around the small cafeteria television to catch a case of March Madness. So how was your day?
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
3/20: Freedom! (Or As Close As I'll Get to It)
Happy first day of spring, everyone! No, it doesn't start tomorrow. In fact, March 20th is supposed to really be the traditional first day of spring, not March 21st. Anyway, spring means that spring break is just around the corner, or to be more specific, next weekend! It's not like I'm doing anything special, but a break is a break, and in a work-heavy school like mine, it's an even more welcome time. Even so, in true High Tech fashion, I'll have some assignments here and there to cover, not to mention this very blog!
This week, I've taken the time to explore the blogs of my fellow classmates, and fortunately, they are in fact as weird as I expected. It's amusing what strange topics come up in school bus debates. By the way, we all agree that Costco has awesome churros. And smoothies. Don't forget the smoothies! Also confirmed: we really do complain about everything under the sun, but WE HAVE GOOD REASON TO! Such as...you know what, I'm not doing this. You get the point--NEXT TOPIC!
I can officially say that our musical is in full buckle-down mode. Opening night is creeping closer with each day, and I really hope we all will be ready. Just to make sure we are, it looks like we'll be squeezing in as many rehearsals as possible during spring break. Wish me luck! I'm going to need a load of coffee...
Finally, the round of 64 for the NCAA men's basketball tournament starts tomorrow! In other words, we have 16 games and 12 hours of non-stop basketball each day for two days. So get those brackets in, and train your remote finger! This is going to be good!
This week, I've taken the time to explore the blogs of my fellow classmates, and fortunately, they are in fact as weird as I expected. It's amusing what strange topics come up in school bus debates. By the way, we all agree that Costco has awesome churros. And smoothies. Don't forget the smoothies! Also confirmed: we really do complain about everything under the sun, but WE HAVE GOOD REASON TO! Such as...you know what, I'm not doing this. You get the point--NEXT TOPIC!
I can officially say that our musical is in full buckle-down mode. Opening night is creeping closer with each day, and I really hope we all will be ready. Just to make sure we are, it looks like we'll be squeezing in as many rehearsals as possible during spring break. Wish me luck! I'm going to need a load of coffee...
Finally, the round of 64 for the NCAA men's basketball tournament starts tomorrow! In other words, we have 16 games and 12 hours of non-stop basketball each day for two days. So get those brackets in, and train your remote finger! This is going to be good!
Monday, March 18, 2013
3/18: And We're Back!
Hello, once again! I know, I know, it's been a while since my last post, but I really did need the break. As long as I can get in the 25 required posts, I'll be in perfect shape, but honestly I think the length of my post more than covers that already. Hopefully while I was away from the site you didn't forget about me, because I'd much prefer to have a bit of an audience.
It's been a week, and I still haven't been able to get rid of this horrible cough. I don't know what gives! Usually, this kind of thing blows over in a few days, but no. Morning after morning, I'm still hacking away. It's awful, annoying, and inconvenient all at the same time. Hopefully I will settle things in time for the musical, but I doubt that this can last two more weeks. That just seems impossible. Hold on: *cough* *cough* This is just fantastic! Now I'm coughing on the internet!
Anyway, on a happier note, today is National Bracket Day! With the teams named yesterday, this is the day to enter in as many tournaments and fill out as many brackets as possible! If you love this time of year as much as I do, well then I have good news for you! Here are my top 10 tips to keep from looking like a bracket idiot!
10) The First Four doesn't really matter at all. Since two of the games feature 16 seeds, it won't make a difference in the real bracket. I get that VCU went from First Four to Final Four, but no one saw them going that far, except maybe for Butler.
9) St. Mary's (CA) always looks appealing, (thanks Butler) but that doesn't mean they'll go far.
8) You'll never go wrong with Duke in the Final Four. Even this year, when they're a number 2 seed. Put Duke in, and at least your chances look good.
7) Always put Butler in the Sweet Sixteen. No exceptions.
6) Do NOT fall victim to your favorite team. I fear too many Notre Dame fans will make the mistake of putting them down over Ohio State, who actually won their conference championship.
5) No, Kentucky is not in this year. So if you haven't seen the bracket, you won't look like a fool saying you think the Wildcats will repeat. That just shows you haven't been paying attention all season.
4) The best football teams don't always have the best basketball teams. Michigan and Cal may seem like they can go far, but they aren't Elite Eight caliber.
3) Chalk brackets and upset brackets? Bad idea, as both will never win. Instead, pick and choose upsets from the upset bracket and filter them into the chalk bracket.
2) When all else fails, do your personal decision maker, whether it's a dartboard, drawing straws, or animal gurus. What you shouldn't do, however, is use this for every other game. Trust your gut, and make smart moves. Look at head to head before all else.
1) DO NOT PICK A 14, 15, OR 16 SEED TO WIN A SINGLE GAME!!! IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!!! If you're gonna pick an upset in the first round, go with an 11 or 12 seed.
The bracketologist has spoken! Thank you!
It's been a week, and I still haven't been able to get rid of this horrible cough. I don't know what gives! Usually, this kind of thing blows over in a few days, but no. Morning after morning, I'm still hacking away. It's awful, annoying, and inconvenient all at the same time. Hopefully I will settle things in time for the musical, but I doubt that this can last two more weeks. That just seems impossible. Hold on: *cough* *cough* This is just fantastic! Now I'm coughing on the internet!
Anyway, on a happier note, today is National Bracket Day! With the teams named yesterday, this is the day to enter in as many tournaments and fill out as many brackets as possible! If you love this time of year as much as I do, well then I have good news for you! Here are my top 10 tips to keep from looking like a bracket idiot!
10) The First Four doesn't really matter at all. Since two of the games feature 16 seeds, it won't make a difference in the real bracket. I get that VCU went from First Four to Final Four, but no one saw them going that far, except maybe for Butler.
9) St. Mary's (CA) always looks appealing, (thanks Butler) but that doesn't mean they'll go far.
8) You'll never go wrong with Duke in the Final Four. Even this year, when they're a number 2 seed. Put Duke in, and at least your chances look good.
7) Always put Butler in the Sweet Sixteen. No exceptions.
6) Do NOT fall victim to your favorite team. I fear too many Notre Dame fans will make the mistake of putting them down over Ohio State, who actually won their conference championship.
5) No, Kentucky is not in this year. So if you haven't seen the bracket, you won't look like a fool saying you think the Wildcats will repeat. That just shows you haven't been paying attention all season.
4) The best football teams don't always have the best basketball teams. Michigan and Cal may seem like they can go far, but they aren't Elite Eight caliber.
3) Chalk brackets and upset brackets? Bad idea, as both will never win. Instead, pick and choose upsets from the upset bracket and filter them into the chalk bracket.
2) When all else fails, do your personal decision maker, whether it's a dartboard, drawing straws, or animal gurus. What you shouldn't do, however, is use this for every other game. Trust your gut, and make smart moves. Look at head to head before all else.
1) DO NOT PICK A 14, 15, OR 16 SEED TO WIN A SINGLE GAME!!! IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!!! If you're gonna pick an upset in the first round, go with an 11 or 12 seed.
The bracketologist has spoken! Thank you!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
3/14: Ugh, Too Full to Think of a Creative Title
Hola, amigos! Um, uh. ¿Dónde está el baño? Yeah, that's about as much Spanish as I can remember anymore. Anyway, I'm glad to see you all still staying loyal to a blog that's going nowhere, but what should I expect? This is a homework assignment first, after all.
In case any of you are planning to attempt at passing the AMC next year, here's a friendly warning: you have no idea what will come next. Enter the AIME, which in three hours managed to soil my friendly view of mathematics forever. I thought 12 minutes per question would be adequate time, but the AIME challenges are no laughing matter. Just getting 5 questions of 15 right would be considered a commendable performance this year. Most of the subjects featured in the questions were on areas I haven't even bothered to go over, so obviously this test was looking for true math whizzes, not simply kids who ace every math subject once they learn it in school. Trust me, the only subjects I know are those I've learned in the classroom.
By the way, in other math news, happy Pi Day! Yes, today is 3/14, the day of the most celebrated math geek holiday! As you can imagine, High Tech takes this day very seriously. Carrying on the tradition of ridiculous (and ridiculously popular) fundraisers, the seniors enticed the masses to buy large amounts of soft pretzels in order to see the school's local celebrities get pied--for real. Just so you know, T-Pez got double the face time with glorious, sticky whipped cream. Afterwards, our geometry teacher hosted a class Pi Day party--with work, however. It was still okay, because there were plenty of snacks and pizza...
...Not that I needed a 5th slice of pizza within 90 minutes. Our principal, Mr. Bals, also bought pizza for all AIME test takers. This, on top of pretzels, junk food, 4 cups of soda, and a McDonald's dinner today. Lord help me. Mr. Bartlett and I were the only ones to partake in both of the back-to-back pizza parties, but I'm not too sure he wasn't as turned off as I was at the sight of all that crust and cheese. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Pi(e) Day gone bizarre.
In place of a normal rundown, I would like to reserve my final paragraph to congratulate my sister, Danielle, on breezing her way through school softball tryouts in her first year of eligibility! I wish her best of luck in her upcoming two seasons as a member of the Thorne MS Lions softball team! I better start calling up the college scouts! :P
In case any of you are planning to attempt at passing the AMC next year, here's a friendly warning: you have no idea what will come next. Enter the AIME, which in three hours managed to soil my friendly view of mathematics forever. I thought 12 minutes per question would be adequate time, but the AIME challenges are no laughing matter. Just getting 5 questions of 15 right would be considered a commendable performance this year. Most of the subjects featured in the questions were on areas I haven't even bothered to go over, so obviously this test was looking for true math whizzes, not simply kids who ace every math subject once they learn it in school. Trust me, the only subjects I know are those I've learned in the classroom.
By the way, in other math news, happy Pi Day! Yes, today is 3/14, the day of the most celebrated math geek holiday! As you can imagine, High Tech takes this day very seriously. Carrying on the tradition of ridiculous (and ridiculously popular) fundraisers, the seniors enticed the masses to buy large amounts of soft pretzels in order to see the school's local celebrities get pied--for real. Just so you know, T-Pez got double the face time with glorious, sticky whipped cream. Afterwards, our geometry teacher hosted a class Pi Day party--with work, however. It was still okay, because there were plenty of snacks and pizza...
...Not that I needed a 5th slice of pizza within 90 minutes. Our principal, Mr. Bals, also bought pizza for all AIME test takers. This, on top of pretzels, junk food, 4 cups of soda, and a McDonald's dinner today. Lord help me. Mr. Bartlett and I were the only ones to partake in both of the back-to-back pizza parties, but I'm not too sure he wasn't as turned off as I was at the sight of all that crust and cheese. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Pi(e) Day gone bizarre.
In place of a normal rundown, I would like to reserve my final paragraph to congratulate my sister, Danielle, on breezing her way through school softball tryouts in her first year of eligibility! I wish her best of luck in her upcoming two seasons as a member of the Thorne MS Lions softball team! I better start calling up the college scouts! :P
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
3/13: Topic Potpourri
Before you ask, no, this post is not about smelly stuff. As you may or may not know, I like to switch things up every once in a while. So today, I'm basically doing a super-extended rundown, in which each tidbit gets its own mini-paragraph. So don't expect an additional rundown. Really, the whole point of this is so that I don't have to actually choose anything to elaborate on. Give me a break, though. After all, I've been doing this every day for two weeks.
Habemus papam! We have a pope! Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is now officially Pope Francis, after less than two days of voting by the conclave. This choice marks many firsts, such as the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope to choose the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi. Why exactly are you reading this here? I realize that this isn't really news, but I am a Catholic myself, so obviously this is pretty big for me and the other 1 billion-plus Catholics in the world.
Today was the National French Exam, which really messed up the schedule for me today. French I took the test during our regular French period, so the French II kids, myself included, were sent to the KIVA to basically do nothing for over an hour. We took our test during geometry, so I'll have to catch up on work there, but not before I devote 3 hours of school time tomorrow to the AIME. Makeup work really stinks, but at least there will be pizza.
Another round of musical rehearsals started today, and I would just like to point out that even though I still have a cough and managed to both clog my throat even further and give myself a wicked stomach cramp by drinking Pepsi in between every single break in the action, I still managed to nail every note I sang. That, my friends, is talent. Or maybe just stupidity. Anyway, the band already sounds awesome.
Yesterday, I received three new albums to add to my collection, all of them being from my top 3 bands which I mentioned a couple days back. I simply can't wait to start listening!
Finally, I am pleased to announce that we finally got Emma to listen to "Bohemian Rhapsody!" Josh, thank you so much for getting that monkey off my back. No, this does not in any way mean I'm going to repay you by giving even the slightest thought to your random philosophical inquiries.
With that, I bid you adieu. Be fruitful, and... do long division or something. Really, I should leave the whole words of wisdom thing to someone else. Like our new pope!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
3/12: Joyeux Anniversaire a Moi!
Hello, once again! In case you can't read French (or don't know how to properly operate Google Translate) for your life, today is my birthday! Yes, I'm just 3 years away from being of the legal gambling age (not that it makes much of a difference). Besides the heavy rain earlier today, so far everything's gone pretty smoothly, and I still get to enjoy some Montreal Steak. Man, I love that seasoning...
Ok, then! Since birthday privileges in no way include being exempt from blogging duties, onward we go! Due to the mishaps in the schedule caused by the National Latin Exam (which pales in comparison to the National French Contest, I'll have you know), today we had Free Form Tuesday, which is basically an extension of Free-Form Friday except shorter and far less catchy. The period's events all but solidified the the theory that we can't get anything done without Kyle present. I was always a leader back in middle school, but so was half of my classmates here, I presume. Besides, one does not simply persuade JD. For me, resistance to him only amounts to a bad case of Irish temper. Then again, I could still use that to my advantage...
Okay, I'm done ranting. Or am I? Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It seems that I'm building up yet another friendship at High Tech. I'm not sure whether it's because of the frequent card playing, shared Irish heritage, mutual friends, or simply our love of the same sports, but Duffy and I seem to be getting along pretty well. Besides, we do live pretty close to each other, considering I'm the only kid from my home school to make it in this year. As for neighboring towns, so far I have friends from Hazlet, Red Bank, and Keansburg, and it feels like there are two dozen Holmdel kids in my grade alone.
In other news, it seems that I'm close to starting my sophomore research project! I only had a short conversation with Mr. Roche about it today, but any news is good news right now. With the weather thawing out, I should be ready to plan my golf-related experiments as soon as I get the green light. Hopefully I will, because this will definitely feel less like work and more like play for me, while giving me a chance to stick it to Nike and all those big-name brands.
Okay, you know the drill by now. Time for the daily rundown! It has been confirmed that no one grills better than my father, I've kept my undefeated streak alive in Durak, aka Fool, the festive hat shall be respected at all times, I allotted 4 consecutive winning serves on my way to Pickle-Ball glory (sorry Mike), archery has officially come to High Tech (huzzah!), Jessica has resumed her quest to build the ultimate ray gun (good for her, so long as I don't get caught in the crossfire!), I apparently share my birthday with two of my classmates' dogs, and I've successfully solved the riddles of the genetics of MLP:FiM. Thank you Mendel and 9th grade biology class!
Okay, I'm off to (finally) unwrap my birthday gifts. Please leave your comments about absolutely anything below, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Ok, then! Since birthday privileges in no way include being exempt from blogging duties, onward we go! Due to the mishaps in the schedule caused by the National Latin Exam (which pales in comparison to the National French Contest, I'll have you know), today we had Free Form Tuesday, which is basically an extension of Free-Form Friday except shorter and far less catchy. The period's events all but solidified the the theory that we can't get anything done without Kyle present. I was always a leader back in middle school, but so was half of my classmates here, I presume. Besides, one does not simply persuade JD. For me, resistance to him only amounts to a bad case of Irish temper. Then again, I could still use that to my advantage...
Okay, I'm done ranting. Or am I? Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It seems that I'm building up yet another friendship at High Tech. I'm not sure whether it's because of the frequent card playing, shared Irish heritage, mutual friends, or simply our love of the same sports, but Duffy and I seem to be getting along pretty well. Besides, we do live pretty close to each other, considering I'm the only kid from my home school to make it in this year. As for neighboring towns, so far I have friends from Hazlet, Red Bank, and Keansburg, and it feels like there are two dozen Holmdel kids in my grade alone.
In other news, it seems that I'm close to starting my sophomore research project! I only had a short conversation with Mr. Roche about it today, but any news is good news right now. With the weather thawing out, I should be ready to plan my golf-related experiments as soon as I get the green light. Hopefully I will, because this will definitely feel less like work and more like play for me, while giving me a chance to stick it to Nike and all those big-name brands.
Okay, you know the drill by now. Time for the daily rundown! It has been confirmed that no one grills better than my father, I've kept my undefeated streak alive in Durak, aka Fool, the festive hat shall be respected at all times, I allotted 4 consecutive winning serves on my way to Pickle-Ball glory (sorry Mike), archery has officially come to High Tech (huzzah!), Jessica has resumed her quest to build the ultimate ray gun (good for her, so long as I don't get caught in the crossfire!), I apparently share my birthday with two of my classmates' dogs, and I've successfully solved the riddles of the genetics of MLP:FiM. Thank you Mendel and 9th grade biology class!
Monday, March 11, 2013
3/11: Sickness Stinks. Plain and Simple.
Greetings, fellow hitchhikers! In case you're one of the few remaining people in a first-world nation who doesn't come into contact with Google daily, then it is my humble duty to point out the lovely interactive doodle the Google team created for the anniversary of the birth of one of the most awesome authors of all time, Douglas Adams. If only I could have been born 6 hours earlier, then I would be able to share my birthday with the genius who created A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Instead, I'm sitting here fighting off some sickness before it interferes with my birthday plans. Please, just "don't panic." Ah? Get it? Okay, enough book quoting. Let's get on with the blog!
Now, now, what to talk about? Many things, I guess, but not everything is worth a dedicated paragraph. First of all, it is the 11th, which means you've been waiting for an update on my BronyCon endeavors. And, (insert drumroll here) there is no update! (Insert rimshot here) Yes, apparently holding us out for a month was still not enough for HQ to salvage together an event schedule. Curse those nonstop incoming submissions! As of right now, EVERYBODY with a submission who isn't on the inside is going to have to wait indefinitely for new developments. Frankly, I'm a bit P.O.'ed. Time is money, and the longer I have to wait for a response, the less likely I'll be able to give HQ the reins of the event. If that doesn't happen, then no event happens. Then again, one can't be too greedy when the staff has to handle such a major event.
Now that I've let off some steam, it's back to happy-fun-good-times! (That didn't sound creepy, did it?) Actually, hold on, I have to let off a little more steam about what is possibly the most annoying fire alarm of all time! The funny thing is, Nick and I were just complaining about fire alarms yesterday. What can I say, respect the alarm, or it will get you back. Anyway, today I received more info on what will be my first ever HTHS field trip! Yes, I get that we are going to a research symposium, but there are doughnuts! Nothing beats doughnuts! As an added bonus, I'll get a look around the campus of Monmouth University, which is high up on my college choices.
Rundown time! This time, it will be even more erratic and confusing than usual! Hold on to your hardhats:
Sportscasting a pickle-ball match is quite enjoyable, Cookie wins over Cream, by the way (inside joke), I am DOMINATING at this Russian card game the guys and I took up, new summer job idea: baseball umpire, Pi Day is not the 15th, yet that's the day our celebration is, and bring on the steak!!!
Okay, that's about it. Um... yeah. Ciao.
Now, now, what to talk about? Many things, I guess, but not everything is worth a dedicated paragraph. First of all, it is the 11th, which means you've been waiting for an update on my BronyCon endeavors. And, (insert drumroll here) there is no update! (Insert rimshot here) Yes, apparently holding us out for a month was still not enough for HQ to salvage together an event schedule. Curse those nonstop incoming submissions! As of right now, EVERYBODY with a submission who isn't on the inside is going to have to wait indefinitely for new developments. Frankly, I'm a bit P.O.'ed. Time is money, and the longer I have to wait for a response, the less likely I'll be able to give HQ the reins of the event. If that doesn't happen, then no event happens. Then again, one can't be too greedy when the staff has to handle such a major event.
Now that I've let off some steam, it's back to happy-fun-good-times! (That didn't sound creepy, did it?) Actually, hold on, I have to let off a little more steam about what is possibly the most annoying fire alarm of all time! The funny thing is, Nick and I were just complaining about fire alarms yesterday. What can I say, respect the alarm, or it will get you back. Anyway, today I received more info on what will be my first ever HTHS field trip! Yes, I get that we are going to a research symposium, but there are doughnuts! Nothing beats doughnuts! As an added bonus, I'll get a look around the campus of Monmouth University, which is high up on my college choices.
Rundown time! This time, it will be even more erratic and confusing than usual! Hold on to your hardhats:
Sportscasting a pickle-ball match is quite enjoyable, Cookie wins over Cream, by the way (inside joke), I am DOMINATING at this Russian card game the guys and I took up, new summer job idea: baseball umpire, Pi Day is not the 15th, yet that's the day our celebration is, and bring on the steak!!!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
3/10: Good Times, Corned Beef, and River Dancing
Okay, I'm going to level with you: yesterday was disappointing. I guess the fact that it's the weekend combined with my smooth ride to the 20 blog limit made me a little lazy with yesterday's post. Either that, or everybody had the same idea and were also too lazy to click my links. Whatever happened, it means I'm obviously not even close to popular on the internet. No matter, though! This challenge is not about page views, its about completing assigned homework which I actually enjoy working on!
Happy last Sunday before St. Patrick's Day, everybody! I realize that this is far from a special day for any of you, but this day is the traditional day for Jersey City's St. Patty's Day Parade, which I celebrate with a passion. It's not my fault; I'm entirely Irish Catholic, and both sides of my family lived in Jersey City. That town is practically my second home. I live and breathe JC and the Port Authority, and luckily, the city is heavily populated with Irishmen. I guess one could say that this year's parade was a bit smaller, but then again we camped out at the corner of Duncan and Kennedy instead of Highland so we could quickly hit the Astor. Sorry, am I slipping into JC jargon again? I've got to remember that I'm posting this for the entire world to see. Then again, I bet half of my classmates have never heard of Exchange Place, Journal Square, or the Jersey Journal.
Anyway, after the parade festivities we traveled to the Astor Bar. Now, if you are claustrophobic, going to the Astor on parade day is the most stupid thing you could do. However, what some may call chaos, I call atmosphere. To me, there's nothing better than being in a rowdy party-filled bar surrounded by family celebrating our heritage (and drinking stereotypes--which are actually true!) What's even more impressive was that a troupe of young river dancers was able to slip in--and fully perform--without spilling a single drink (same for some foam lost by the earthquake of tap shoes). Ah, I love being green!
Rundown time! I'm gonna make it short to get this post out: USA is moving on to the next round of the WBC, once again James expressed his irrational love for Canada instead, my birthday is now only two days away (woohoo!), and yes, the salmon was excellent, Dad. Okay, I'm bored. Thanks for suffering through the entire post (not you, cheaters!), and I will see you right here tomorrow!
Happy last Sunday before St. Patrick's Day, everybody! I realize that this is far from a special day for any of you, but this day is the traditional day for Jersey City's St. Patty's Day Parade, which I celebrate with a passion. It's not my fault; I'm entirely Irish Catholic, and both sides of my family lived in Jersey City. That town is practically my second home. I live and breathe JC and the Port Authority, and luckily, the city is heavily populated with Irishmen. I guess one could say that this year's parade was a bit smaller, but then again we camped out at the corner of Duncan and Kennedy instead of Highland so we could quickly hit the Astor. Sorry, am I slipping into JC jargon again? I've got to remember that I'm posting this for the entire world to see. Then again, I bet half of my classmates have never heard of Exchange Place, Journal Square, or the Jersey Journal.
Anyway, after the parade festivities we traveled to the Astor Bar. Now, if you are claustrophobic, going to the Astor on parade day is the most stupid thing you could do. However, what some may call chaos, I call atmosphere. To me, there's nothing better than being in a rowdy party-filled bar surrounded by family celebrating our heritage (and drinking stereotypes--which are actually true!) What's even more impressive was that a troupe of young river dancers was able to slip in--and fully perform--without spilling a single drink (same for some foam lost by the earthquake of tap shoes). Ah, I love being green!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
3/9: Viva Beisbol!
What's up, everybody? Finally, another weekend is upon us, and lucky for me, it's the last weekend before my birthday! I'm hoping to get the albums of some of those groups I told you about in my previous post, along with some new swag for the spring season. I know I consider fall to be my favorite season, but for me, there is no month like March. Along with the obvious highlights of my birthday and St. Patrick's day, the weather is looking up, which means we can get back to barbecues and outside activities. As for sports, baseball is in the middle of spring training, NASCAR is revved up for another season, and it's time for me to get back to my golf game. Of course, I can't forget March Madness!
The college hoops conference tournaments are great and all, but the newest highlight of the month for me happens once every 4 years. That is the World Baseball Classic. This year's event is the third time for the tournament, and the first time that some of the spots have been determined by qualifiers the previous September. I love this idea, because the teams subject to qualifying don't have many MLB players to begin with, and the qualifiers allow competition from all regions without sacrificing quality in the main event (because South Africa obviously doesn't play good baseball). So far, there is one team that has really surprised me is Italy, who with the aid of incoming Italian-American players has been able to already beat the heavily favored Mexican squad, then enforce the mercy rule after 8 innings on Canada by crushing them 14-4 yesterday. Their next target? Who else but Team USA, coming off a 5-2 loss to Mexico. Considering the damage done to R.A. Dickey and the withdrawal of Mark Teixiera, the Americans might be toast without Ryan Braun, who would have played for Israel had they not lost the spot to Spain in the final qualifier.
I'm gonna keep it short today, so I can enjoy the fresh air (actually, to watch more of the WBC!). So, I leave you with an extended run down: baseball, baseball, going golfing again soon, baseball, baseball, JC's St. Patty's Day Parade tomorrow (so excited!), baseball BASEBALL baseball, looking to dress in green all week (and then some on certain days), BASEBALL baseball baseball baseball, happy for little James as he starts another season of hockey (but in the spring? Really?!), and finally, baseball
PS: Probably gonna hear a bunch of complaints from TS Wang now that Taiwan was eliminated.
PPS: BASEBALL!
The college hoops conference tournaments are great and all, but the newest highlight of the month for me happens once every 4 years. That is the World Baseball Classic. This year's event is the third time for the tournament, and the first time that some of the spots have been determined by qualifiers the previous September. I love this idea, because the teams subject to qualifying don't have many MLB players to begin with, and the qualifiers allow competition from all regions without sacrificing quality in the main event (because South Africa obviously doesn't play good baseball). So far, there is one team that has really surprised me is Italy, who with the aid of incoming Italian-American players has been able to already beat the heavily favored Mexican squad, then enforce the mercy rule after 8 innings on Canada by crushing them 14-4 yesterday. Their next target? Who else but Team USA, coming off a 5-2 loss to Mexico. Considering the damage done to R.A. Dickey and the withdrawal of Mark Teixiera, the Americans might be toast without Ryan Braun, who would have played for Israel had they not lost the spot to Spain in the final qualifier.
I'm gonna keep it short today, so I can enjoy the fresh air (actually, to watch more of the WBC!). So, I leave you with an extended run down: baseball, baseball, going golfing again soon, baseball, baseball, JC's St. Patty's Day Parade tomorrow (so excited!), baseball BASEBALL baseball, looking to dress in green all week (and then some on certain days), BASEBALL baseball baseball baseball, happy for little James as he starts another season of hockey (but in the spring? Really?!), and finally, baseball
PPS: BASEBALL!
Friday, March 8, 2013
3/8: Confessions of a Grammar Nazi
Good day, fellow bloggers! How are you? Fine, thank you. Okay, the formality stops here. Wazzup?! Anyway, frequenters of this site may remember that I mentioned that TomSka finally released "asdfmovie6" on YouTube. If you don't know what asdf is, it is basically founded upon compilations of funny random video clips featuring simple stick-figure characters, with each clip usually lasting no more than 5 seconds. Think of it as a cartoon version of my rundowns, only over 9000 times more hilarious (because every internet meme is over 9000, no exceptions.)
Today was another day of Free-Form Friday, or FFF for short, which is High Tech's version of Google's "20% time." Personally, I'm not too psyched about the progress my group has made, but we'll see how things work out with our project, which was originally about building a wooden soapbox-type car but has since demoted to tricking out a glorified shopping cart. No worries, though; I've been able to find a group to join if I decide to jump ship (literally, if Kyle White has his way!) Meanwhile, during today's FFF time I also learned about an opportunity to blog for curiousYOUNGwriters over the summer. I am BEYOND excited for this! Any chance I can get to blog, I will take!
I realize no one likes a grammar Nazi (not even other grammar Nazis), but I must confess that I can't help but point out mistakes from time to time. It's just like the feeling you get when the person next to you has food stuck on their face but is completely oblivious to it. Just like chocolate stains will remain to appear on lips across America, correcting someone's grammar doesn't do much to keep it from happening again. Yet some of us persist to do it, because we simply can't stand the awkwardness. So please, mind my comments if you misprint when typing. In fact, I actually messed up on my previous post, and lo and behold I received a comment about it. Grammar Nazis may be annoying when speaking, but on blog posts that you can quickly edit, they can prove to be quite helpful.
Recently, I have been obsessed with music. Thank goodness there are apps like Pandora that let me listen to my favorite kinds of music without having to pay! So, I feel it's time for another Top 10! This time, it's the Top 10 Artists I'm Currently Crazy About! (current favorite song in parentheses)
10) The Script (Hall of Fame)
9) Florence + The Machine (Shake It Out)
8) Calvin Harris (Sweet Nothing (ft. Florence Welch!))
7) Goo Goo Dolls--they're baaaack... (Rebel Beat)
6) Coldplay--why would they not be on this list? (Charlie Brown)
5) Muse (Madness)
4) Swedish House Mafia--really gonna miss these guys! (Don't You Worry Child ft. John Martin)
3) The Black Keys (Lonely Boy)
2) Of Monsters and Men (King and Lionheart)
1) Imagine Dragons--my vote for best new artist next year! (Radioactive)
Time for a mini-rundown, as per tradition after a special segment! Today, my Prezi group dodged the bullet, meaning we get three more days to prep, I'm finally on top of EVERYTHING in school, the wait begins for word of my BronyCon event's fate, and all must hail the Pop-Tart hobo king, Rahul Rangwani!
With that, au revoir, and may the techie gods Rahul, Ray, and Jonathan bring you many plentiful harvests!
Today was another day of Free-Form Friday, or FFF for short, which is High Tech's version of Google's "20% time." Personally, I'm not too psyched about the progress my group has made, but we'll see how things work out with our project, which was originally about building a wooden soapbox-type car but has since demoted to tricking out a glorified shopping cart. No worries, though; I've been able to find a group to join if I decide to jump ship (literally, if Kyle White has his way!) Meanwhile, during today's FFF time I also learned about an opportunity to blog for curiousYOUNGwriters over the summer. I am BEYOND excited for this! Any chance I can get to blog, I will take!
I realize no one likes a grammar Nazi (not even other grammar Nazis), but I must confess that I can't help but point out mistakes from time to time. It's just like the feeling you get when the person next to you has food stuck on their face but is completely oblivious to it. Just like chocolate stains will remain to appear on lips across America, correcting someone's grammar doesn't do much to keep it from happening again. Yet some of us persist to do it, because we simply can't stand the awkwardness. So please, mind my comments if you misprint when typing. In fact, I actually messed up on my previous post, and lo and behold I received a comment about it. Grammar Nazis may be annoying when speaking, but on blog posts that you can quickly edit, they can prove to be quite helpful.
Recently, I have been obsessed with music. Thank goodness there are apps like Pandora that let me listen to my favorite kinds of music without having to pay! So, I feel it's time for another Top 10! This time, it's the Top 10 Artists I'm Currently Crazy About! (current favorite song in parentheses)
10) The Script (Hall of Fame)
9) Florence + The Machine (Shake It Out)
8) Calvin Harris (Sweet Nothing (ft. Florence Welch!))
7) Goo Goo Dolls--they're baaaack... (Rebel Beat)
6) Coldplay--why would they not be on this list? (Charlie Brown)
5) Muse (Madness)
4) Swedish House Mafia--really gonna miss these guys! (Don't You Worry Child ft. John Martin)
3) The Black Keys (Lonely Boy)
2) Of Monsters and Men (King and Lionheart)
1) Imagine Dragons--my vote for best new artist next year! (Radioactive)
Time for a mini-rundown, as per tradition after a special segment! Today, my Prezi group dodged the bullet, meaning we get three more days to prep, I'm finally on top of EVERYTHING in school, the wait begins for word of my BronyCon event's fate, and all must hail the Pop-Tart hobo king, Rahul Rangwani!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
3/7: This Big Beautiful Bedazzling Author is Jared Diamond!
I see a little silhouette of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, can you do the fandango? Thunderbolts and lightning, very very fright- oh, sorry about that. That song has been stuck in my head all day, ever since I discovered that some classmates of mine who shall remain nameless *cough*Emma*cough* have never listened to "Bohemian Rhapsody." I have to say, I get how annoying it is when fanatics freak out because you haven't heard of something that the average person doesn't know about anyway, but here, it's a different story. For example, when I mentioned Bill Cosby to Blain, the name didn't even ring a bell. This isn't some Kelly Clarkson-doesn't-know-Miguel case (by the way, who is he and how did he get nominated?); we're talking about BILL-flippin'-COSBY!!! Oh, dang it. Royal Canterlot voice again. I might as well put a label on the Caps Lock button that reads that.
Meanwhile, in Humanities, the Jared Diamond virus rages on! Okay, probably none of you understood what I just said. To provide a little background, our history teacher, the honorable Mr. Johnathan Olsen, has become the god of HTHS's internet meme culture. (Except, of course, when being a god is the meme itself, as in the case of His Ultimate Awesomeness Ray Zeng. All hail!) During our lessons about civilizations' developments following the Late Middle Ages, Mr. Olsen frequently referred to Mr. Diamond's book, Gums, Germs, and Steel. I mean very,very frequently. Afterwards, he's shown various hints that he's obsessed with Jared Diamond, not to mention his excitement when word came that the author was appearing at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Needless to say, the HSPA test takers immediately exploded with laughter when they discovered that the first article was written by none other than Mr. Diamond himself. It was at that point when I finally made the connection that Jared is also a jewelry store. Go figure. I also discovered this interesting tidbit:
Has unwavering obsession with diamonds (preferably from Jared, I'd presume)
Meanwhile, in Humanities, the Jared Diamond virus rages on! Okay, probably none of you understood what I just said. To provide a little background, our history teacher, the honorable Mr. Johnathan Olsen, has become the god of HTHS's internet meme culture. (Except, of course, when being a god is the meme itself, as in the case of His Ultimate Awesomeness Ray Zeng. All hail!) During our lessons about civilizations' developments following the Late Middle Ages, Mr. Olsen frequently referred to Mr. Diamond's book, Gums, Germs, and Steel. I mean very,very frequently. Afterwards, he's shown various hints that he's obsessed with Jared Diamond, not to mention his excitement when word came that the author was appearing at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Needless to say, the HSPA test takers immediately exploded with laughter when they discovered that the first article was written by none other than Mr. Diamond himself. It was at that point when I finally made the connection that Jared is also a jewelry store. Go figure. I also discovered this interesting tidbit:
Has unwavering obsession with diamonds (preferably from Jared, I'd presume)
 |
| Mr Olsen |
| Has unwavering obsession with Jared Diamond However, both have a RADICALLY different reaction to the name "Tom." Huh.
Okay, time to get back in the rundown business! First off, I had an extra rehearsal to work on the musical's choreography (so mind my lateness), apparently returning a missing script is harder than it sounds, Middletown proved once again to almost have a weather shield around it (no snow, and no delays. Dang.), I'm getting back to that song I still haven't finished, Kyle White persists to have a league of haters on Facebook, letters from West Point keep pouring in for some reason, and my parents are pretty pleased with the work I'm doing here (though not so much about certain comments!)
Okay, that's it. Leave a comment, please follow the blog, and stop reading blogs at a time when you could be enjoying the nightlife! Seriously, I don't even read half the stuff I write!
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Wednesday, March 6, 2013
3/6: Dem Storms be a-Brewin
Bienvenue, tout le monde! Don't mind my French, I'm just trying to stay sharp for next week's National French Contest exam, and I definitely have room for improvement. Now that I have received a little recognition, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with the routine. No more worries about if anyone will read this; I can just go with the flow. I guess you could say that I'm feeling more comfortable all around. I'm in control, and I'm having fun along the road. I think I might be ready to see if my songwriting garners any interest.
Okay, there are so many things I could talk about right now, but if you live in the Northeast, the winter storm that's coming is probably old news. I'll have you know that the entire school is dying for at least a delayed opening tomorrow. Cross those fingers! Despite the storm, the Performing Arts Club was able to squeeze in a whole rehearsal after school today. I was scheduled for today and Friday, and it really felt great to get back into the groove and help our musical off the ground. All I need to focus on now is working out the kinks for my solo song and practice my stage presence, and I should be ready to go for the real deal!
Adding to the level of unorthodox forms of entertainment here at High Technology High School, the big event of the day was the public shaving of Alex O's head. No, he didn't lose a bet, or as far as I know. I forgot to mention about a small detail about the Senior Auction. All of the proceeds, including donations, went to a certain "Alex Orsini Baldness" Fund. Ultimately, they reached the target price, and the rest is history. Well, not yet at least. It turns out that the organizers of this thing are fairly slow haircutters, using sub-par equipment. So either the shaving will resume tomorrow (weather permitting, obviously) or Alex is stuck with a hairdo that is already horrific. I'm sorry, that mess doesn't even deserve a sarcastic "I really like your mane." It's bad.
Okay, I don't want to get this post out any later than it has to, so without further ado, here is the (extended) daily rundown!
Despite the many other interesting news stories today, today's Times article response was about camels in the Great White North (granted, it scores major points for strangeness), High Tech is really expressing its competitiveness this time by deciding to dominate a children's writing contest (show no mercy!), I finally got to have Chinese food again (yay...), Mr. Roche has proven to be a fan of slavery, gambling, and messing with my mojo (I can't help if I bet 40 minutes of labor on the green dice! I'm Irish!), Joey continues to insist Vanellope Von Schweetz was never a glitch in Wreck-it-Ralph (Right, and Scootaloo's not a chicken! Or did we switch to dodo? Either way, Scoot is still best pony--or poultry, rather.), and I'm starting to worry about Josh's plans for my auction seniors. They're kind of leading towards complete public humiliation. Hmm...
Alright everybody, that's a wrap! I'll be here all month, literally. Just in case anybody is going out tonight, try the veal and remember to tip your waitresses! (About the veal, really, please don't. I mean, it's baby cows, for crying out loud. Wait until they're beef, at least.)
Okay, there are so many things I could talk about right now, but if you live in the Northeast, the winter storm that's coming is probably old news. I'll have you know that the entire school is dying for at least a delayed opening tomorrow. Cross those fingers! Despite the storm, the Performing Arts Club was able to squeeze in a whole rehearsal after school today. I was scheduled for today and Friday, and it really felt great to get back into the groove and help our musical off the ground. All I need to focus on now is working out the kinks for my solo song and practice my stage presence, and I should be ready to go for the real deal!
Adding to the level of unorthodox forms of entertainment here at High Technology High School, the big event of the day was the public shaving of Alex O's head. No, he didn't lose a bet, or as far as I know. I forgot to mention about a small detail about the Senior Auction. All of the proceeds, including donations, went to a certain "Alex Orsini Baldness" Fund. Ultimately, they reached the target price, and the rest is history. Well, not yet at least. It turns out that the organizers of this thing are fairly slow haircutters, using sub-par equipment. So either the shaving will resume tomorrow (weather permitting, obviously) or Alex is stuck with a hairdo that is already horrific. I'm sorry, that mess doesn't even deserve a sarcastic "I really like your mane." It's bad.
Okay, I don't want to get this post out any later than it has to, so without further ado, here is the (extended) daily rundown!
Despite the many other interesting news stories today, today's Times article response was about camels in the Great White North (granted, it scores major points for strangeness), High Tech is really expressing its competitiveness this time by deciding to dominate a children's writing contest (show no mercy!), I finally got to have Chinese food again (yay...), Mr. Roche has proven to be a fan of slavery, gambling, and messing with my mojo (I can't help if I bet 40 minutes of labor on the green dice! I'm Irish!), Joey continues to insist Vanellope Von Schweetz was never a glitch in Wreck-it-Ralph (Right, and Scootaloo's not a chicken! Or did we switch to dodo? Either way, Scoot is still best pony--or poultry, rather.), and I'm starting to worry about Josh's plans for my auction seniors. They're kind of leading towards complete public humiliation. Hmm...
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
3/5: Release the Kraken!
Welcome back, everybody! It looks as if I am about to pass 100 American page views, so there's something to celebrate! Kinda. Okay, not really, but let's hope I can get to 250 in much less time. I've been posting these blogs rather late in the day recently, which is obviously not helping my case, so I'm fortunate to have a reduced homework load today so I can bump up those stats.
But you didn't visit this site to see me ramble on about the blog itself! No, you came here to see me rant about other random subjects! Like pie, or school, or pie! So, I better get a move on that right now! It turns out that there is no limit to the amount of services you can win at the Senior Auction, so I was able to leave the block with two seniors who must obey my will. Yes, I actually bought two prizes, but they still came considerably cheaper than the highest bid of the day, so it was money well spent. I've promised to let some of my friends in on the benefits, seeing that it would be useless to keep two seniors to oneself, so at this very moment Josh is writing up a list of proposals. If any of you have some good (or bad) ideas on what I should use the seniors for, please leave them as a comment below! Don't hold anything back! (Except, of course, when such idea comes into conflict with standard school regul--you know what, forget the disclaimer, just go crazy with it.)
In other news, I've decided to switch things up a bit and give you a little top 10 list for today. If there is anything you should no about me is that I am oblivious to many things I should really know, and when I finally get wind of it, its old news. So without further ado, here is the Top 10 Things I Probably Should Have Known Already!
10) There is an entire "Squid Summit" which occurs during Shark Week.
9) Middletown HS North has just as bad a reputation as Keansburg. Maybe worse.
8) There are only supposed to be 7 columns in klondike solitaire, not 8.
7) They actually came out with a legitimate asdfmovie6 video.
6) A quarter of the school knows how to scam the Doritos vending machine.
5) Mr. Borchardt has been training us to be hackers and conmen this entire time.
4) That missing geometry assignment was actually a dual assignment.
3) My pickle-ball team will never win a game.
2) Martin Brodeur is injured, and my fantasy hockey team is 0-5.
1) The Discovery Channel has video evidence of the giant squid. That is so awesome! /)^3^/)
This is probably more suited for a later post, but since I like to get things off my chest early, I have a busy week ahead of me next week. The Jersey City St Patrick's Day Parade is Sunday, I should be hearing back from BronyCon by Monday, my birthday is on Tuesday, the National French exam is Wednesday, the AIME test is Thursday, and so is a haircut appointment.
Since I don't like to break tradition, here's a mini-rundown: Our biology teacher really has some weird dreams, the sophomore council is back to selling bagels (a shame, I liked the muffins), today actually wasn't freezing cold (but not for long), and apparently I play better at pickle-ball when I'm goofing off. Go figure. Anyway, thanks for reading and please spread the word!
But you didn't visit this site to see me ramble on about the blog itself! No, you came here to see me rant about other random subjects! Like pie, or school, or pie! So, I better get a move on that right now! It turns out that there is no limit to the amount of services you can win at the Senior Auction, so I was able to leave the block with two seniors who must obey my will. Yes, I actually bought two prizes, but they still came considerably cheaper than the highest bid of the day, so it was money well spent. I've promised to let some of my friends in on the benefits, seeing that it would be useless to keep two seniors to oneself, so at this very moment Josh is writing up a list of proposals. If any of you have some good (or bad) ideas on what I should use the seniors for, please leave them as a comment below! Don't hold anything back! (Except, of course, when such idea comes into conflict with standard school regul--you know what, forget the disclaimer, just go crazy with it.)
In other news, I've decided to switch things up a bit and give you a little top 10 list for today. If there is anything you should no about me is that I am oblivious to many things I should really know, and when I finally get wind of it, its old news. So without further ado, here is the Top 10 Things I Probably Should Have Known Already!
10) There is an entire "Squid Summit" which occurs during Shark Week.
9) Middletown HS North has just as bad a reputation as Keansburg. Maybe worse.
8) There are only supposed to be 7 columns in klondike solitaire, not 8.
7) They actually came out with a legitimate asdfmovie6 video.
6) A quarter of the school knows how to scam the Doritos vending machine.
5) Mr. Borchardt has been training us to be hackers and conmen this entire time.
4) That missing geometry assignment was actually a dual assignment.
3) My pickle-ball team will never win a game.
2) Martin Brodeur is injured, and my fantasy hockey team is 0-5.
1) The Discovery Channel has video evidence of the giant squid. That is so awesome! /)^3^/)
This is probably more suited for a later post, but since I like to get things off my chest early, I have a busy week ahead of me next week. The Jersey City St Patrick's Day Parade is Sunday, I should be hearing back from BronyCon by Monday, my birthday is on Tuesday, the National French exam is Wednesday, the AIME test is Thursday, and so is a haircut appointment.
Monday, March 4, 2013
3/4: Back to School...and Back to Weird
If you enjoy nosing around sites and exploring every nook and cranny, you may have noticed that I added a little fish bowl to spruce things up a bit. Go ahead, feed them, I promise they don't byte! See what I did there? Ah, I've got to get some new material. Anyway, I'm trying to get some notable internet personalities to check out my blog. So far, not much attention. I'll keep trying, though! Hopefully I can help out everyone else doing Slice of Life as well.
I slightly overslept today, so I only got around 5 minutes of the World Baseball Classic before having to high-tail it to the bus stop. I have to say, it's kind of funny when it takes over 20 minutes to get from one side of the township to another. Really, I thought I was the hometown kid here... For those of you not familiar with High Technology High School, it is basically an unstable concentration of the nerdy side of the Internet. I am not joking when I say that HTHS has possibly the strangest bunch of students around. I am no exception. Just to give you an idea of the lifestyle, tomorrow we will be auctioning off seniors as personal servants. Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up. (Just so we're clear, there is no way I am leaving this auction empty-handed. It is on!)
Today was club picture day, and there were enough clubs to keep students moving about the halls every ten minutes. In fact, I was involved in three of them myself. Apparently, there still aren't enough clubs in High Tech, because soon enough I found myself signing a petition for an archery club. According to my new friend Tom, Keansburg's middle school had enough interested students last year to create a brony club, which shows that his hometown is a brony hotbed. Now, considering that my classmates and I are internet freaks, High Tech, I am disappointed. We seriously have less bronies than a mob-ridden Shore town? Maybe Josh is onto something with this Free Pony Party division. Any vote for Vermin Supreme is a vote well spent, ha ha!
I'm thinking about switching up what I have for my last paragraph every once in a while, but for now, here's that good old daily rundown! Allons-y!
My classmates are putting together a petition for the school to unblock dadsinhats.com , but I don't see the point in it, my team officially stinks at playing Pickle-Ball, possibly the most hated sport in the school, everybody wishes that the past biology lessons never happened (I'd rather not go into the details), we are all super excited to start working with Flash in Software Apps soon, and I am becoming increasingly osessed with solitaire. What? It's a fun way to pass the time!
Okay, I feel like I'm getting really, really lonely here, and I do not like talking to myself. If there's anyone alive out there, please comment, share, and subscribe to this blog! Sayonara for now!
I slightly overslept today, so I only got around 5 minutes of the World Baseball Classic before having to high-tail it to the bus stop. I have to say, it's kind of funny when it takes over 20 minutes to get from one side of the township to another. Really, I thought I was the hometown kid here... For those of you not familiar with High Technology High School, it is basically an unstable concentration of the nerdy side of the Internet. I am not joking when I say that HTHS has possibly the strangest bunch of students around. I am no exception. Just to give you an idea of the lifestyle, tomorrow we will be auctioning off seniors as personal servants. Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up. (Just so we're clear, there is no way I am leaving this auction empty-handed. It is on!)
Today was club picture day, and there were enough clubs to keep students moving about the halls every ten minutes. In fact, I was involved in three of them myself. Apparently, there still aren't enough clubs in High Tech, because soon enough I found myself signing a petition for an archery club. According to my new friend Tom, Keansburg's middle school had enough interested students last year to create a brony club, which shows that his hometown is a brony hotbed. Now, considering that my classmates and I are internet freaks, High Tech, I am disappointed. We seriously have less bronies than a mob-ridden Shore town? Maybe Josh is onto something with this Free Pony Party division. Any vote for Vermin Supreme is a vote well spent, ha ha!
I'm thinking about switching up what I have for my last paragraph every once in a while, but for now, here's that good old daily rundown! Allons-y!
My classmates are putting together a petition for the school to unblock dadsinhats.com , but I don't see the point in it, my team officially stinks at playing Pickle-Ball, possibly the most hated sport in the school, everybody wishes that the past biology lessons never happened (I'd rather not go into the details), we are all super excited to start working with Flash in Software Apps soon, and I am becoming increasingly osessed with solitaire. What? It's a fun way to pass the time!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
3/3: I Can Actually Understand "Inception"?
Excuse me, but may I please begin by screaming, "I'M FREE!!!" Pardon me for using the Royal Canterlot Voice, a.k.a. Caps Lock; I realize it is not proper blog etiquette, especially when combined with boldface. However, I feel it is necessary, because I finally have room to stretch my legs again, and I'm back to a fully functional computer. At least the coffee was decent. Apparently, as if the reception wasn't enough, the wedding group held an all-nighter at that Sporting News Grille I mentioned before. I don't know how, but two of them were involved in an Irish Car Bomb challenge last night, and still came to breakfast up and at 'em. Simply amazing. Yes, weird stories were being passed around at the table this morning more often than the coffee pot, including a dreadful mispronunciation from my little bro James. He was playing Slender off my sister's laptop last night, and instead of describing Slender Man's tentacles to the family this morning, a certain, um, unclean word was used instead. I'm not sure how long it will be before we live this down, but at least lil' JP got a free lesson in biology.
In other news, today was Danielle's birthday! Luckily, I was able to craft together a nice birthday card for her, even if my cursive writing is slightly difficult to read. No, no, I'm not bad at it; in fact, it's actually my default handwriting. Unfortunately, no trip is complete without Dani getting carsick at some point, and this weekend was no exception. She really has bad luck, but on the bright side, she enjoyed a night out with her friends on Friday, enjoyed another night without parents yesterday, and it looks as though she will get an extra day to celebrate as compensation, which should give me enough time to get an even better present. As for now, we all get to devour Papa John's pizza and ice cream cake.
Now, I am standing on pins and needles waiting for news back from BronyCon staff, and I apologize in advance if I repeat this throughout the week. It's just that this convention is a pretty big deal, in fact the biggest con in the world entirely devoted to the show, and my event proposal is of just as big a magnitude. Hopefully, in a crowd of ten thousand expected guests one would be able to find at least several hundred baseball fans interested in spending some of the con to watch an Orioles game that is literally across the street. How am I going to fund all of this? Well, I'm not. If the staff in Baltimore is on board, I'm hoping that they will go ahead and take it for themselves, and credit me with the suggestion. I know I'm a dreamer, but it's actually a really strong proposal.
As for my time home, I found myself watching "Inception." Again. What can I say, it's a good movie! I've only caught it on TV, though, so I've never watched the whole thing. Therefore, every time I come across a different part of the film, and it all pieces together. Am I seriously understanding the world's most confusing movie?! I'm joking, I know it's not that hard to understand, but it's pretty notorious. Nevertheless, it really is a top notch film. As is every DiCaprio movie, apparently...
Alrighty there, time for my daily rundown! Regulars, you know the drill: keep your hands and feet within the desk at all times, and please don't let this confuse the heck out of you. I try so hard to keep people sane! Here we go: My friend Nick and I are really heating up the trading block--in fantasy hockey (yes, that's a thing), Japanese time zones are keeping me from watching the World Baseball Classic (but I can't wait to wake up to hardball tomorrow!), for some reason I find Mexican soccer hilarious (GOOOOOOOOOOL!), and I'm bringing everything to the table at High Tech's senior auction--just imagine having a personal upperclassman for a day!
In other news, today was Danielle's birthday! Luckily, I was able to craft together a nice birthday card for her, even if my cursive writing is slightly difficult to read. No, no, I'm not bad at it; in fact, it's actually my default handwriting. Unfortunately, no trip is complete without Dani getting carsick at some point, and this weekend was no exception. She really has bad luck, but on the bright side, she enjoyed a night out with her friends on Friday, enjoyed another night without parents yesterday, and it looks as though she will get an extra day to celebrate as compensation, which should give me enough time to get an even better present. As for now, we all get to devour Papa John's pizza and ice cream cake.
Now, I am standing on pins and needles waiting for news back from BronyCon staff, and I apologize in advance if I repeat this throughout the week. It's just that this convention is a pretty big deal, in fact the biggest con in the world entirely devoted to the show, and my event proposal is of just as big a magnitude. Hopefully, in a crowd of ten thousand expected guests one would be able to find at least several hundred baseball fans interested in spending some of the con to watch an Orioles game that is literally across the street. How am I going to fund all of this? Well, I'm not. If the staff in Baltimore is on board, I'm hoping that they will go ahead and take it for themselves, and credit me with the suggestion. I know I'm a dreamer, but it's actually a really strong proposal.
As for my time home, I found myself watching "Inception." Again. What can I say, it's a good movie! I've only caught it on TV, though, so I've never watched the whole thing. Therefore, every time I come across a different part of the film, and it all pieces together. Am I seriously understanding the world's most confusing movie?! I'm joking, I know it's not that hard to understand, but it's pretty notorious. Nevertheless, it really is a top notch film. As is every DiCaprio movie, apparently...
Alrighty there, time for my daily rundown! Regulars, you know the drill: keep your hands and feet within the desk at all times, and please don't let this confuse the heck out of you. I try so hard to keep people sane! Here we go: My friend Nick and I are really heating up the trading block--in fantasy hockey (yes, that's a thing), Japanese time zones are keeping me from watching the World Baseball Classic (but I can't wait to wake up to hardball tomorrow!), for some reason I find Mexican soccer hilarious (GOOOOOOOOOOL!), and I'm bringing everything to the table at High Tech's senior auction--just imagine having a personal upperclassman for a day!
Thanks again for stopping by! If you like my work, I BEG OF YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD!!! Pardon my Royal Canterlot voice again. You can follow my student Twitter account at @Irish_Ninja98 , and remember that I will be coming with more posts every day in March for the Slice of Life Challenge! A demain, and pasta the pizza! Sorry, I mean hasta la vista!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
3/2: A Wild Holiday Inn Appeared
Greetings from, uh... somewhere in Long Island! Now, I know I definitely need to get some more work done on the site, but when you have to run this ship for two days from a single tablet in a cramped hotel room shared with my family of 5, you're gonna need to compromise. I get a parent-free night away from home, and there's family, Internet, and cheesesteak. Cheesesteak is good.
Anyway, my mom's cousin's wedding is today, and despite the fact that I'm not attending, there was still an argument over outfits. I guess it's partly due to the fact that I like to dress somewhat decent whenever I go out, but there's still the pressing need to pack light. It's in these situations where my mother and I tend to butt heads. But we still coexist, and everything turns out fine.
Now, obviously there's not much to do in terms of productivity when you're confined to a practical cardboard box within NYC's unwanted little cousin, but it's better than New York's dumping ground--I mean Staten Island, and I'd rather be there than whatever makes the Turnpike's Exit 13A smell worse than a skunk's derrière. Fellow New Jerseyans, you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm hoping to get back to my fan art as soon as this little adventure leads back home, but since a brony's duties never end, at least I can focus on my songwriting. That is, if Dani and James don't trash the hotel room--and Mom and Dad just left. Ah, zut alors! Pardon my French, both figuratively and literally.
Anyways, rundown, rundown, rundown! Love that word, probably because I'm a huge hardball fan. Ok, fasten your seat belts: Really scared that my reputation is ruined because of a possibly embarrassing photo that was deleted before I could see it, MLS is starting, and so is lacrosse (Yay!), felling annoyed already that Rahul's Real Madrid beat Barcelona, discovered that Sporting News has its own sports bar, and realized after 15 years that my mother was born in Queens, not Brooklyn, because I obviously don't remember enough important information. Whew, that was a virtual-keyboard-ful.
Anyway, my mom's cousin's wedding is today, and despite the fact that I'm not attending, there was still an argument over outfits. I guess it's partly due to the fact that I like to dress somewhat decent whenever I go out, but there's still the pressing need to pack light. It's in these situations where my mother and I tend to butt heads. But we still coexist, and everything turns out fine.
Now, obviously there's not much to do in terms of productivity when you're confined to a practical cardboard box within NYC's unwanted little cousin, but it's better than New York's dumping ground--I mean Staten Island, and I'd rather be there than whatever makes the Turnpike's Exit 13A smell worse than a skunk's derrière. Fellow New Jerseyans, you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm hoping to get back to my fan art as soon as this little adventure leads back home, but since a brony's duties never end, at least I can focus on my songwriting. That is, if Dani and James don't trash the hotel room--and Mom and Dad just left. Ah, zut alors! Pardon my French, both figuratively and literally.
Anyways, rundown, rundown, rundown! Love that word, probably because I'm a huge hardball fan. Ok, fasten your seat belts: Really scared that my reputation is ruined because of a possibly embarrassing photo that was deleted before I could see it, MLS is starting, and so is lacrosse (Yay!), felling annoyed already that Rahul's Real Madrid beat Barcelona, discovered that Sporting News has its own sports bar, and realized after 15 years that my mother was born in Queens, not Brooklyn, because I obviously don't remember enough important information. Whew, that was a virtual-keyboard-ful.
Ok, that's it for today. Au revoir, and to my fellow MLP:FiM fans, keep calm and brony on!
Friday, March 1, 2013
3/1: And So It Begins
I'm not sure about the other bloggers doing this challenge, but I have spent mounds of time wondering what this could become. I doubt that it will get me famous, but at least if I play my cards right I could start something special. But this is a life story, and that means focusing on NOW, and right now, the main thing on my mind is that my sister's birthday is two days away, and I don't have a gift. It would probably fine if this was a first offense, but it's not, and I'm not about to forget another occasion. If I just let this slip because other things were "on my mind," then I've learned nothing from my recent mistakes. I really feel sorry for my sister, because this year, we have to go to a wedding on her birthday, and last year, her special day was tainted by our beloved neighbor's funeral. So much for the luck of the Irish. As for me, every time my birthday falls on a Saturday, I get to enjoy a St. Patrick's Day Parade and my birthday surrounded by family in Jersey City. So much for the luck of the Irish. And yet, Dani always takes it in stride. That's what I love about her, that giddy, spontaneous, positive attitude.
As for me, I'm still working on my first song for the brony fandom, and I finally realized that I could give it a lower key. In fact, it actually sounds better, and it means I can sing it myself. I never thought I'd say this, but thank Britney Spears for getting "Criminal" stuck in my head. Perhaps every songwriter has their own style, but is it still weird that I finished the first verse and bridge before even starting the chorus? Maybe, but then again, I've always written stories, and in that trade I've always went with the flow from beginning to end. Kind of like what I'm doing right now.
I could go on and on about stuff like this, but this is a 31-day spiel, and I better keep some material for the rest of the month. However, I will say that I'm worried about our play for Performing Arts Club. Performers are really dropping like flies. I wasn't part of the rotation for today's rehearsal, so I hope some good news comes out over the weekend!
For anyone who feels like following my blog, at the end of each day's post I will do a rundown of my random feelings of the day, just for a hint of extra information and some amusing thoughts.
And here we go: Getting frustrated that my 6 paragraph school blog post is getting no love from classmates (Curse you, last-minute bloggers!), to Josh's "Go for the longest blog duel": CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, I'm apparently playing solitaire wrong, CapriSun juice pouches are EVIL (no one likes soggy lunches), I feel I won't be able to survive Hot Dog Fridays during Lent, and I've begun wearing shades inside because "acting logically is too mainstream." Hope I didn't confuse anybody.
Anyway, that's it for today! So, goodbye, good luck, and may Ray Zeng smile upon you!
As for me, I'm still working on my first song for the brony fandom, and I finally realized that I could give it a lower key. In fact, it actually sounds better, and it means I can sing it myself. I never thought I'd say this, but thank Britney Spears for getting "Criminal" stuck in my head. Perhaps every songwriter has their own style, but is it still weird that I finished the first verse and bridge before even starting the chorus? Maybe, but then again, I've always written stories, and in that trade I've always went with the flow from beginning to end. Kind of like what I'm doing right now.
I could go on and on about stuff like this, but this is a 31-day spiel, and I better keep some material for the rest of the month. However, I will say that I'm worried about our play for Performing Arts Club. Performers are really dropping like flies. I wasn't part of the rotation for today's rehearsal, so I hope some good news comes out over the weekend!
For anyone who feels like following my blog, at the end of each day's post I will do a rundown of my random feelings of the day, just for a hint of extra information and some amusing thoughts.
And here we go: Getting frustrated that my 6 paragraph school blog post is getting no love from classmates (Curse you, last-minute bloggers!), to Josh's "Go for the longest blog duel": CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, I'm apparently playing solitaire wrong, CapriSun juice pouches are EVIL (no one likes soggy lunches), I feel I won't be able to survive Hot Dog Fridays during Lent, and I've begun wearing shades inside because "acting logically is too mainstream." Hope I didn't confuse anybody.
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