picture on the street

If I were photographed on the street of New York I probably would look confused as to why this guy was taking my picture but then I would probably look happy. I would be wearing my police hat and coat. i would tell him about how I want to be a police officer to help other people. If this was later in life i would tell him about being a police officer and what it is like.

winter haiku

winter is cold
the snow is very deep
winter is fun

My Bucket List

1. Skydive

2. Read all the Terry Pratchett books

3. Drive a police car in a pursuit

4. Save a life

5. See an artificially intelligent computer

6. Live in Britain 

7. See Ayers rock in Australia

8. See a kangaroo in the wild 

9. Scuba dive and see coral reefs 

10. Fly a helicopter 

11. Become a police Sargent 

12. Live to see space travel viable and go to space

13. Teach sailing at Hoofers

14. Build my own computer

15. LIVE!

who in life do I need to thank

I need to thank my parents for teaching me to be a good person. You have taught me to help other people and to help my self. you have taught me to believe in myself and to work to help others believe in them selves. I try to take what you teach me to heart every day. i thank you for teaching me to be a better person.

how would school be different if students ran it

1. less standardized testing
2. more lunch time
3. shorter days
4. no homework
5. more use of technology
6. nap time (lol)
7. more class choice
8. more input for class setup
9. more lunch options
10. more passing time
11. more career training
12. more of a budget for academic and electives, less for sports
13. bigger library
14. more online classes
15. later start times
16. more free time
17. no cost for sports
18. bigger budget overall
19. free lunch for all
20. no costs, affordable for all

Book review: The House of Hades, By Rick Riordan

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods, along with Nico and Coach Hedge, have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive Tartarus, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape? I liked the book House of Hades because I like Greek and Roman Mythology and adventure books. My favorite quote was “Lots of death, huh? Personally, I'm trying to avoid lots of death, but you guys have fun!” 

Book Review: Shock Wave, By Clive Cussler

While investigating the death of thousands of marine animals on Seymour island in Antarctica, Dirk Pitt  rescues Maeve Fletcher and some tourists after the same thing kills all the two hundred people who remained on the cruise ship. Dirk investigates and finds that it is caused by the resonant waves from Maeve's father Arthur Dorsett's mines. Dirk goes off to investigate and learns that the mines are cause being worked over time to mine enough diamonds to bring the entire world diamond market down making Arthur Dorsett billions in a new market, the colored gemstone market. To avert the catastrophe from striking Oahu Hawaii one of the mines must be shut down. Dirk Pitt goes off to Australia to stop a mine when he is captured by Arthur Dorsett and put adrift in a tiny dingy in the south pacific. He manages to find the wreckage of another boat and build a sail boat to go back to the mine. I enjoyed the book and found my self not able to put it down. I enjoyed the authors authors use of vivid imagery and humor. I also found even though it had many elements of an airport book it had a very good plot and well described characters. The main character Dirk Pitt is a cross between James bond and MacGiyver. All though a little cliche he is very inventive and intelligent. I this scene he is held by two of Arthur's henchmen and is going to be killed.  "Before we bury him with the others," said Crutcher with seeming anticipation "we'll persuade him to fill in any details he may have purposely left out." "So I'm to be tortured and then executed," Pitt said nonchalantly, helping himself to another shot of tequila while his mind desperately created and discarded a dozen useless plans for escape."

Where I'm from Poem

I'm from hockey on weekends
  from giant snow forts
 I'm from Marx brothers movies
   from Washington Island in July
I'm from model trains
  from books about WWII

I'm from Andy and Alice
  from glasses and computers
I'm from Crestwood
  from Spring Harbor
I'm form a long history
  from Wisconsin

I'm from Doug and Betty
  from John and Nancy
I'm from Brown Valley Lane
  from Capital Ave

Book Review: Of Mice And Men. By: John Stinebeck

           Two migrant workers George and Lennie are travailing to their next job when they stop for a drink at a pool. There we are introduced to George an intelligent small man and Lennie a large strong and very unintelligent man. The unlikely pair of friends decide to camp the night by the pool and go to their job in the morning. In the morning when they arrive they are too late to go out in the fields so they have the morning off, while wandering around the ranch they meet the old swamper Candy. While they are waiting in the bunkhouse Curly the bosses son's flirtatious wife comes by Lennie thinks she is "purdy" but George seeing the obvious problems that will come from being around her warns Lennie to stay away. Then the other workers return and they meet slim, the leader of the farm workers who is revered as a almost god like character. Slim's dog has just had puppies and he agrees to give one to Lennie, he also agrees to give one to Candy If he will let Carlson shoot his old smelly dog. The next day Lennie is in the barn playing with his puppy, he breaks its neck while rough housing with it. After Lennie hides the body Curly's wife comes in and suggests that if Lennie likes petting soft things he should pet her hair. When he pets her hair she pulls away and he breaks her neck. He tries to hide her body and then runs to the place in the river where George told him to hide if any thing went wrong. Then George comes along and sees him he sits down and tells Lennie about the farm there going to have, and shoots him in the back of the head. I did not like the book as I found the end very depressing and overall the theme of the book depressing. it was what seemed a drastic way to end the book but at the same time it made sense because Lennie had just killed some one and was probably going to be hurt severely by Curly. Over all I would not recommend the book.

My favorite things

 This is my computer system and server that I work with every day, Linux is my favorite Operating System that all my computers use.

 I want to be a police officer and I wear this hat every day.

 These are two of my favorite bands, both Irish / Celtic punk bands, and my dad wearing the Pogues shirt.

 I love books especially any thing by Terry Pratchett.

 I like WWII and strategy games involving WWII.

 I love to bike and during the spring summer and fall I bike every where.

 I like security cameras and the computer systems that work with them.

Book Review: The Last Continent, By Terry Prattchet

              Rincewind is the worlds most inept wizard, so inept in fact that he spells wizard as wizzard. Rincewind has been magically transported to the continent of XXXX  (bearing an uncanny resemblance to Australia). Meanwhile at the Unseen University, the librarian who was turned into an ape by a magical accident, Is ill and when he sneezes he changes into something else that fits the surroundings. The head wizards of the unseen university decide that the only way of curing him is to know his name, but the librarian has destroyed any record of his name in case someone tried to change him back to a human. the only person who might know the librarian's name is Rincewind. The wizards have to find Rincewind because with out the librarian the books are starting to eat people and the might have to take over the job of librarian. They go to find the professor of geography. Unfortunately he has dissapeared through a portal to a tropical island. Meanwhile on XXXX Rincewind has met a talking kangeroo that tells him that he is the chosen one fated to bring back the rain. 

The Last Continent mocks the aspects of time travel such as the grandfather paradox. It also parodies Australian people and aspects of Australian culture, such as the Crocodile Dundee, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Mad Max movies, the Australian beer XXXX, Vegemite, cork hats, the Peach Nellie, and the popular Australian songs "Waltzing Matilda" and "Down Under". I liked the book the last continent because the author is very funny and inventive. My favorite quote was ‘We’ll have to be very careful to keep an eye open for unusual behaviour.’ ‘Among wizards?’ said Ridcully.  ‘Mister Stibbons, unusual behaviour is perfectly ordinary for wizards.’ I thought that the quote really showed the ridiculousness of the way Terry Pratchett writes.

things you need to know

1. how to live
2. how to drive
3. how to listen
4. how to negotiate
5. how to talk
6. how to understand
7. how to not die
8. how to competently use computers
9. how to help others
10. how to be a friend