Seeing Is Believing (Nick Milef)

There’s a saying that seeing is believing, or something along those lines. So when I saw Project Glass, I realized that smart-phone-like glasses could be a cool product. But that was before I thought about the impact of this cool gadget.


For those who don’t know, Project Glass is a project by Google that deals with the development of glasses that act like smart-phones. After seeing the video, I realized how much of an impact this could have. Imagine in the future contacts that can do the same things. Eager to learn more about it, I watched a few parody videos, and then I realized how impractical this is and why this would be bad for society.

Imagine the chaos these glasses could create. For example, if you ever need a GPS you can use the glasses to show you a map of where you need to drive. That sounds cool...until you get into an accident because you weren't watching the road. Or maybe you need to find a shoe store nearby. Well, the glasses will tell you where you can find one, but then a thousand advertisements pop up around the edges of the glasses. Or maybe you need to send someone an email, but you accidentally send it without realizing that the glasses recorded someone else's conversation in the background and sends it in an email. Or maybe...

And of course no one will know you have these glasses on since they are so stylish and don't have any big rectangular areas covering one of the lenses.

Forget about privacy. Any random stranger trying to make a fashion statement with these glasses could actually be browsing through someone's Facebook profile just by looking at him or her. It's not as if that's creepy or anything.

What about the whole camera idea? Wouldn't it be fun to take pictures whenever without the need to pull out a phone or a camera? It does sound fun, but there are some drawbacks to this too. Everything will be caught on film, so everyone will live under a Big Brother-like society. While this can help with law enforcement, I could see myself worrying over everything I say because all of that will have probably been recorded by at least one other person.


These glasses could act as entertainment for people not wearing them, though. Watching people walk into each other while they read their emails or check the weather would never get old. However, other consequences are much more dangerous. Therefore, I think that Google should just forget about Project Glass to ensure the safety of others.


Do you think that Project Glass is a good idea?


If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, feel free to email me.

It's a Disney thing...

I’ll admit, I’m a Disney whore! Okay, maybe that is taking it a bit too far, but I have had a lifelong love affair with Disney. It’s not just the movies and the songs, but it’s the face characters, it’s the “First Trip” buttons, it’s the cute kids running around in their costumes, it’s the engagements and weddings in front of Cinderella’s castle... it’s the magic.

Through all of the pixie dust and dreams, Disney has had its share of criticism.

What most girls criticize about Disney is that it gave them unreal expectations about love and men. This is what I have to say about that...

Maybe if some females didn’t dress like they’re going to a club instead of school, they wouldn’t attract these “men” who only want them for their body. But if you dress and act like a princess, you will catch the eye of a prince. Now, I don’t expect you all to prance around in a ball gown and tiara singing about true love’s kiss while animals clean your room, that’s a little farfetched... okay, I wish that I could do that... A respectable woman wins the heart of a respectable man. A woman who doesn’t dumb  herself down will be admired for her brains. A woman who is kind will be loved for her beautiful face, and beautiful heart.

A true Prince Charming will love what is inside of your head, and what’s on it. He will not have gross “expectations” that you will have to live up to. Your Prince will love you for who you are. And I know that is super cliché but it is the truth, and I’m not one for lies….

~~~~~

Next, a lot of people, again, mostly females, think that girls don’t have to work hard and that their dreams will be granted by a fairy godmother, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! Now people may think I'm stuck in my childhood or something, or I’m crazy, but I learned a lot from Disney movies, things that will be with me for the rest of my life.

For starters, Snow White; the original princess. I haven’t met someone who says that Snow is their favorite, in fact, she’s the least favorite! Okay, I’ll admit, she was a puppy-lovestruck teenager who fell in love with the first man she had seen. But I don’t think people see the bigger picture. She stayed in a house with a step-mother who used Snow as a slave! She could have left, but she didn’t, and that takes some serious strength! Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) was similar to Snow in dreaming of finding that perfect guy. What I found incredibly strong was that she would rather be with the guy she met in the forest than be a princess (SPOILER ALERT: he’s a prince himself), now that is what I call love!

  

Every girl has wanted to be Cinderella at some point in her life, but she gets a lot of heat too. Again, I’ll admit that it’s hard to believe that she and the prince fell in love at first sight, but that’s not what she wanted at ALL! All she wanted was to be away from her step-family, she didn’t expect him to come from his castle, knock on her door and take her away from her evil step-mother and step-sisters. She took a risk of sneaking out behind her step-mothers back to have some fun! She knew that she couldn’t live her life in fear and stay hidden from the world. When she realized that the world wasn’t coming to her, she went out and got it.

Another princess that gets criticism is Ariel (The Little Mermaid). Most of her hate comes from people thinking that her giving up her legs to be with Eric meant that a girl had to change herself in order to get a guys. But actually, she gave up her legs because it’s what she wanted her whole life, to be human! Her father disagreeing with her love of Eric was just the boiling point! Ariel was not afraid to defy her society, break the rules, and be exactly what she wanted to be.

~~~~~

Okay, enough with the hate that Disney Princesses get, time to look at the strong heroines that save the reputations of the rest.

Belle (Beauty and the Beast) was different, and she knew it! She was smart, savvy and wanted adventure, just like in her books. Sure she didn’t think it was all that great, but then again, when have we ever thought something that was different was a good thing? She was also breathtakingly beautiful and had practically every man at her feet, but she didn’t take advantage of that. Belle could also see the good in people. She saw past the Beast’s ugly face and saw into his kind and caring soul. Her love proves that pure love can change a person.

Even though the movie isn’t technically about her, Princess Jasmine (Aladdin) steals the show! She is strong-willed, powerful and independent! She won’t tolerate being treated like property or a prize. She defied her government and society to be with Aladdin. Who says you have to be with someone in your “status” when there are plenty of “diamonds-in-the-rough” out there.

Pocahontas and Mulan are very similar. Both are strong in the mental and physical sense. They gave up everything to save their people. Pocahontas’ spiritual hope and faith in the goodness of people set her apart from her tribe. Mulan only wanted to save her father from certain death and in the process saved the entire country of China. These two princesses show that bravery, courage, heart, and passion are important qualities for every person to have.

Tiana (Princess and the Frog) had worked her entire life just to own her own restaurant. She wished and she dreamed and she prayed for her dream to come true, but she worked two jobs and had to work to earn it. You can’t just wish on a star and hope everything turns out the way you want, it only takes you part of the way. Hard-work, determination, and never losing sight of what’s important are the only ways to truly get what you want.

~~~~~

I am a firm believer in Disney and love and dreams. I don’t doubt anybody’s dreams. It’s not my dream, it’s theirs. Don’t doubt your dreams, whether it’s finding true love, making it big in Hollywood, singing on Broadway, or writing the next great American novel. So pull on those white gloves, grab that magic wand, strike up the dancing brooms, and wish upon a star, because as Walt Disney himself said, “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”

Comments? Questions? Fellow Disney fan?! Email me!

Life at WSHS: Awkward Huggers (Katie Carter)

AWKWARD HUGGERS (noun): the epidemic taking over West Springfield High School in which young couples seem to embrace and touch each other without a single thought as to how to do it properly (there’s a rule book)

Since I have spent the past four years at my life at West Springfield High School, I consider myself an expert on this topic. Awkward hugging encompasses a wide range of human contact: hugs between a girl and her not-so-close guy friend when he pulls her in and won’t let her go, the strangely tall boy trying to keep his hand on the waist of his strangely short girlfriend while walking through the hallway, the tight-locked hand hold of new couples, hugging with backpacks on in any case, gazing in each other’s eyes while only three inches away from the other person’s face, unneeded PDA in front of a teacher (move down five lockers, please), and the gag-worthy site of a deep tissue massage taking place while the girl is in the middle of a conversation with her friends! The online comic website "The Oatmeal," agrees with me in its publication of "The 6 Types of Crappy Hugs."

The phenomenon of awkward hugging and random touching is nothing new and it certainly doesn’t seem to get better as the couples move up a grade. At first, I passed it off merely as an act of immaturity in which a young teen just desperately wants to express his or her love towards his or her boyfriend/girlfriend. Maybe they do it to look cool. Must. Walk. Like. Robots. Boy was I WRONG. It seems to be inherently installed in the brains of these young people, prohibiting them from realizing their tragic mistakes. They are just awkward people! I guess I just can’t understand because I’ve never been awkward. Shy maybe, but never weird. The way that a teenager acts seems to stem from genetics. And I know all of you bio-people out there are saying, “Yes, Katie, good job, Katie,” but I’ve just now come to this epiphany. It’s true! Some of you may be asking then why am I even ranting about this awkward hugging situation if it can’t be fixed? I would just simply like to inform my readers of the daily hardships that I, as a student of West Springfield, must endure day after day. And with less than 25 days left until I am out of here, what better time? My disgust at the displays of awkward affection will stick with me until something else burns my eyes out routinely, without fail. So good luck to all of you underclassmen, I’m out of here!

P.S. If you like my blog and want to hear more, email me!!

Turtle Recall (Eleanor Lamb)

I have a soft spot for hard-shelled reptiles. In the platoon of pets I own, which

includes a dog, a cat, a guinea pig, two fish, and a Zebra Finch, my lowly tortoise is the

creature I find most endearing. He even beat out my beagle.

The need for a tortoise hit me hard one day when I realized that my family’s

collection, although nearing the size of a zoo, was missing a member. There was no

reptilian resident. After mentioning this pressing issue to my mother, I decided to do

some research.

Swiftly finishing my homework, I leapt to the computer, accidentally crunching

my little sister’s Polly Pocket set-up underfoot. My insatiable craving to learn more about

these fascinating creatures was much more important than her picnic would ever be.

Quickly scanning computer screen after computer screen, I learned as much as

possible about Russian tortoises. With the persistence of a small child obsessed with

getting what she wanted, I memorized the animal’s dietary patterns and habitation needs.

There was no way this slow-moving creature was escaping me.

            After much coaxing on my part and $200 worth of tortoise paraphernalia on hers,

my mom surprised me on my seventeenth birthday with a Russian tortoise. She named

him “Borja,” which she believed was an authentic title from that region. Little did she

know that “Borja” is actually the name of an old Spanish family, with no Russian

connection whatsoever. Worried that changing it would only confuse the beast, she

refused to capitulate.

Though he chomps his lettuce leisurely and crawls as slowly as a sloth, my life

with Borja has been anything but dull. Just a few weeks after receiving him, I

experienced a nippy power loss that chilled the entire community. While we humans

stayed warm by bundling up in layers of sweatshirts so thick that we were bulletproof,

my poor pet was in danger.

Though they come from a frigid region, Russian tortoises ironically thrive at a

temperature of 85 degrees. To accommodate our reptile, we keep a heat lamp and a heat

pad warming him day and night. But these toasty devices were rendered useless in the

merciless outage.

Panicking as I watched the thermometer in his tank drop to 60 degrees at night, I

knew I had to help. Thinking quickly, I wrapped Borja in my mom’s old college

sweatshirt, gingerly holding him next to me. The night passed more slowly than the

turtle moved, but we awoke to a bright day in which the lights were restored. This single,

perilous adventure with my tortoise oddly made me fonder of him than any other pet.

Despite his dawdling gait and sluggish posture, this scaly creature fully came out

of his shell, wriggling his way into my heart.

            If you have any exciting stories about pets, email me!

The world is bigger than Springfield-- DR Mission Trip 2011

Dominican Republic Mission Trip 2011

Just a little background info before I get started--My family sponsors children through this organization (Children International) and they offer the sponsors to go visit their “children.” If you are interested in hearing more about this opportunity feel free to email me (: 

Last winter as I was sitting down with my family for dinner my parents broke some exciting news to my sisters and I. It is not what you would expect. No, they weren’t adopting a child. No, we would not be moving. No, someone had not died. Rather, they told us that they had officially booked a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. 

Most people wouldn’t understand why this was such a monumental moment in my life, but I am sure that if they were to go on the same trip as I did, they would feel the same way.

When the time came for us to leave, my whole family was more that ready to go. For me, I was ready to get out of Springfield, and enjoy my spring break but now looking back on that, I had made a quite naive assumption. 

On the trip I saw poor to a whole new level. I was lucky enough to be staying in a nice part of town, but the areas surrounding it where nothing like it. 

Every morning my dad and I would wake up and go for a run in down town Santo Domingo. I immediately learned that their “downtown” is nothing, and I mean nothing like our “downtown.” There is no such thing as driving lanes, stoplights, or certified cars. One of the taxis that we took had a shattered windshield, so destroyed that you could barely see out of the front. I was certainly confronted with a number of new experiences that made me adjust my regular comfort level. 

I learned how privileged I am.

I learned how so little can go such a long way.

I learned that neither wealth nor appearance defines a person.

I learned that no matter where you are, or what you have, who you are with is what matters most.

I learned that yes, people need help, but more than that, people need love. 

After being exposed to the needy in the Dominican Republic I realized how much I can help. Simply playing with the children on the playground made their day. Reading them a book made it that much better. I realized that I can use the talents that I have to help the needy and show them love. 


I have a great life. I live in America. It really can’t get better than that. I have a house, food to eat, and an education that is better than 99% of what the rest of the world is provided with. When I got home from the trip, it is safe to say that I never saw a hot shower, or a cooked meal, the same. I am treated like a queen in comparison to them. 

Spending time in the Dominican Republic showed me what I can do for others and how I can make an impact. Even though I am only a high school junior I would love to take a year off after college and go volunteer in a foreign country. Who knows if this will actually happen, but the trip certainly showed me how much I love interacting with people who need help. 

My parents gave me so much more than a trip. They gave me a new perspective to life. 

Around the World in 80 Days (Maham Siddiqui)

My mission: to travel around the world in 80 days.

I know it sounds cheesy but that is my life goal. There's just so much of the world to see and I want to be apart of it. Living in Northern Virginia really blocks me from the rest of the world and all I can think about is getting good grades or applying to colleges and so on. There is so much culture, music, and art that is surrounding us and I want to be apart of it all. I don't know when, but I will definitely travel around the world in 80 days no matter what it takes.

By traveling around the world, I don't mean visit every state in the US. I want to go to all different countries like England, France, Paris, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Mali, Russia, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, China, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Morocco... the list can go on and on. I know 80 days might not be enough to capture all the culture and learn but it will be such a thrill to know that you have a hundred more places to go. And of course, after my journey, I can always revisit places and stay longer.

The only thing that bothers me is that I feel like I’m running out of time. I’m not a super environment lover but it’s time to face the facts: we really are facing some serious problems in our environment. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to walk through a jungle without any trees or lay by the beach with polluted water. I just hope I’ll get the chance to see it all before it’s too late.

Now I only wish I could have a time machine. 
The places I would go, the people I’d meet, it’s hard to explain in words. I would spend years, decades, exploring the past and learning things that can’t be learned through textbooks. At the rate of how fast technology is growing right now, who knows? We might after all create some sort of time machine in the near future. I don’t know if it’s possible but I’ll keep hoping.

I really hope I would be the lucky one able to explore the world and experience all the different cultures surrounding us. I want to learn, not through books, but by seeing with my own two eyes.

It’s a bit ambitious, but I know it’s possible.

You can always email me for any questions or comments :)

Just Another Day – A Comment on Holiday Commercialization (Katherine Weigl)

  

     You switch the screen on and watch the world as it counts down, anticipating the moment when unhappy times can be tossed out with last year’s calendar, when people promise themselves this year will be different—that they will get out of debt, finally quit smoking, or lose that last twenty pounds.

    5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

     The confetti falls like buckets of rain, the shouts are a thunderous clap of lightning. Fireworks explode in the sky and drizzle down to the crowd below like raindrops of glowing light. The crazed partiers, who are either unduly energetic or just plain tipsy, slosh out their goodbyes to 2011, to all the bad habits and the less than perfect situations, as if a single day could completely erase all of these problems. As you stare at the storm of people locking lips with loved ones under the Ball, you bitterly guzzle down a glass of sparkling cider. The fizz tickles your upper lip and even though the feeling is enjoyable, you would much rather have a kiss. You try to savor the moment—the taste of the apple cider, the voices of plastic noisemakers, the epileptic lights of Times Square—but discover none of it is really worth savoring.

     You slump back in your old Lazy Boy chair that should probably be dumpster fodder by now, and grip the remote as if it is the only thing that is tethering you to the ground, as if the device is what makes Earth’s gravity applicable to you. You don’t understand why people are so elated, why they think a new year is worth celebrating. To you, it is just another day, a day that reminds you that you are not as young as you once were. Life will go on the way it did the year before, and the New Year resolutions, so determinedly set by all, will be abandoned by Valentine’s Day.

     You continue to stare blankly at the television screen as the camera zooms in on a couple that immediately reminds you of Ward and June Cleaver; he obviously adores her and she appears to have no objections with spending the rest of her life cooking for him, cleaning their future home, and raising his children. You stick out your tongue at the perfect pair, which you know is a childish thing to do, but you don’t really care all that much. Then, accidentally-on-purpose, you change the channel.

Here are some other blog posts that talk about holiday commercialization:

The Advent of Early Onset Holiday Commercialization Syndrome

Holiday Commercialization -- Do People Realize It?

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Katherine Weigl