Recently I was assigned a task of creating a collage reflecting my need and wants of my future, the things I'll do, my job, what excited me, and the people I'd like to meet, or that are my 'role models'. She gave us a list of questions, and I went and googled appropriate pictures suited to me. I put things like happiness, science, travel, good food, gardens, solar panels, donating to charities, those sort of things. That part, I thought, was easy. I've sat around and day dreamed of what I want my future to be like, so I knew what I was doing. Then I had to think of people I look up to, kind-of like mentors, and I blanked. There's nobody around that I take opinions from and reflect them through my actions. Nobody... Alive, that is. So I started thinking of monumental people in the PAST and thought of lots! The five I came up with are Albert Einstein(theoretical physicist), Bill Murray(actor/ghost buster), Jesus Christ (Savior/mythical?), Robert Munch(author/poet) and Steve Jobs (creater of apple) as a teenager, when he was full of ideas and energy.
    Why Albert? Because he's Einstein! Why wouldn't I want to meet somebody that sparked physics; something widely known now and further expanded and added onto. It would be an honor to meet him.
    Why Bill? I love to laugh, and he hits my funny bone. Watching his movies makes me hysterical, I can't imagine what he'd be like in person. It'd be a lot of fun, and an honor as well.
    Why Jesus? Being an Atheist, I have a lot of questions. Not even to his reality or anything, but about his actions and choices throughout his life that I read through the bible. I'd shake his hand, and thank him for his suffering.
    Why Robert? I've read all of his books, and loved them all. There all full of meaning and moral and rhymes and wonderful pictures. I once met him at my public school as a kid, and would like to meet him again.
    Why Steve? I watched an article on his creating the computers as a teen, and thought it would be really cool to have met him in this time and maybe even contributed my ideas. I would shake his hand, and thank him for the technology.
    So those are my reasonings. Who would you see as your mentor? Whether known or not, dead or alive, comment and share your thoughts!

*How do we create/develop/foster productive and real relationships with people via online tools?
    Well, I think people first do this by chatting with a person online. It could be hard to find an online community, and in fact I've never found one or even had an online friend, so my opinion on this topic isn't very valid. But if you have idea's on how I could improve this, or even if you'd like to chat with me you can leave a comment :)
    The closest online friend I've had is people playing xbox 360 live, and that talk to me. It's not really a friendly kind-of chat though. Its more like 'Boomer on the left, watch for bile' or 'enemy team's catching our flag, rush in!' mostly tactics. I had a friend from the USA once, who I don't talk to anymore, that played Left 4 Dead with me all the time, and we'd chat about everything but the game, which was cool. I even video chatted with him once.
    Some tools to finding new people online may be to go on someones blog and comment! This could start a conversation of interest and you could really hit it off. Like someones tweets? Message or tweet them, that could a potential friendship waiting to happen. Another way is online video games, especially if you like them, your meet very similar people there, haha.
*Are cyber friends real friends?
    I guess they could be, if they acted like one. They're still a real person, somewhere out there, just communicating online, just like you. You may not be able to have sleepovers, or cry on their shoulder, but it's someone to talk to and relate to, which some people need, including me. I don't have any friends, or I don't really consider them 'friends' so I think it would be nice to have an online friend. Someone that can't look at you and instantly judge you. Someone to speak freely to.
    I don't have any online friends, but I have this blog where I flaunt my thoughts everywhere, which I love :)

    I have to admit, I am very excited to attend the TED conference tomorrow. If you don't know what TED talks are, its a place where they host people that share their ideas (the slogan 'ideas worth spreading') and I've never seen one that didn't change the way I think.
Its a really cool thing and I'd recommend checking out some of the talks, and I am lucky enough to attend one! Its not like an ordinary one, its a youth conference with people under the age of 25 sharing their ideas and the title is called 'Chasing Home' where all the talks will be based on what we call home and what home really is. But anyways, here's the link for TEDTalks, or you can go to the TED Talks tab above for ones I watch in class, and hope you enjoy them! ------> http://www.ted.com/talks

    The other day, I was long boarding to the bus stop heading to school and was standing waiting with this older gentleman. He started telling me how he use to skateboard when he was a teen, and how boards back then were aluminum with clay wheels, as shown over there <------
    He was also telling me that back in the day, in the 1970's when the plastic wheel came out, that he ordered a skateboard from California because that's where they were manufactured. And still has it! Hung up on his wall as an old memory. That's pretty cool isn't it?
    Also later I ran into this older lady on the bus, and she was talking to me about how SHE long boards and skate boards, because she has to fit in with her 4 sons who also long board. I thought that was neat, you don't see adults, especially woman, that do that. (Y) Hope to be like her

    Today we watched this TEDTalk in class by Jennifer Pahlka who took a bunch of tech designers and put them to work on apps. They did, and created many useful apps like one that lets you adopt a fire hydrant to shovel out in the winter, and she focuses on how this went viral in a matter of days, and evolved into people using it in different countries for different functions, like tsunami sirens that needs to be checked up on. She focuses on this because of how people run to the internet for collective action and civic apps to solve their problems, instead of going to the government because they're like a 'secret agency'. But the government doesn't do nothing, they helped connect you and that app or person helping you, so they're not completely useless.
    She also talks about how the government should be like the internet, open and public, available and able to make changes, and I agree. Personally I'm a big hater of the government, I think they're corrupt and secretive and selfish, only wanting power, never inducing change. But if I were to be able to contribute my thoughts to them and have the ability to change and help things, I would be all for it. I also think the world WOULD be like this, and is not because of selfish corrupt disrespectful minds... Sound familiar?

Independent Writing: Describe a specific moment during march break in 5-10 sentences. It can be a simple or unique moment. Your goal is to express a variety of senses or emotions relating to the moment. Make the reader(s) BE there for a moment. Do an active revision and publish.

March Break: Playing Video games

When I was sitting at my boyfriend, Stephon's, place playing video games, specifically borderlands, I felt a rush and sense of excitement, and sometimes I get scared or startled when I see that red light on the side of my screen indicating where I was hit, and oncoming enemies threaten me. But rest-assured, I felt my keys and mouse below my fingers, so I turned and blasted them with multiple rounds of my combat rifle, wishing I could feel the actual kick of the gun. I then hear cries and yells and see my enemy in defeat and know I have won. I run over, oh look! he's dropped $224 dollars and shotgun ammo, so I pick that up with satisfaction knowing it's all mine, unless Stephon sitting beside me on his laptop so pleases to have it, then I let him go hay, but he uses snipers. I turn and look at him, see that handsome smile, and am inspired to play more, and so I did.

    That's always been a big question in my mind... Do I wanna settle here, go to school, get a job, have a life in Canada as expected? Or do I wanna go else where, wherever I like, roaming what comes to mind and seeing the world? My aunt did it, and had a great time doing it too. But she met her love, and settled in Newfoundland.
    I may not be like her, just always living somewhere else obtaining jobs as she goes, but every year I'm going to try and go somewhere new for between a week to a month. It will be fun, and so wonderful and fulfilling to see all different environments and meet all sorts of people, try new foods, do new things. I'm an open-minded person, so this is an exciting thing.
    When I'm 19, I plan to drive all through the provinces and territories of Canada for a month or two and go first see my aunt in Newfoundland, and end up in BC and the Yukon. I also want to check out the national parks that are known in each place, and look up sights and attractions I should see while there. I'll post some pictures of some places I want to visit in the appropriate tab, and will hopefully and eventually post ACTUAL taken pictures by me, because these aren't xP and if you have any suggestions to places worth seeing, please let me know!

   When I am 21, I want to drive throughout America and try to visit all the states (or most) and also look at the national parks and other attractions of the famous USA, like Washington government buildings, or California beaches, and Alaska mountains. I'll probably go to Mexico at that point too, and see the beautiful salt water beaches.
    In my future travels, I plan to see LOTS of beaches and warm-areas (cold and mild as well) including Bahamas, California, Greece, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Croatia, Cornwall, Florida, Guatemala, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, Portugal, and Puerto Rico. They're gorgeous and look so relaxing and enjoyable and appealing, they practically call my name. I also wanna     British Columbia Spadan Mountains       see countries like Thailand, Italy, Germany, Copenhagen, Amsterdam,                                                                         Cambodia, Easter Island, India, England, Luxembourg, and Japan! I think there's crazy amounts of glorious and fascinating, sometimes mind-blowing, earth and sights out there and all I want to do is see them all, take lot of pictures, even though its an experience you'll never forget, its great to see it again, and even show curious peers or family. If you have any stories of your own travels, or places to recommend, I appreciate it all.

    Personally, I'm in love with energy drinks. Anything from sweet berry to sour green apple, I think most of them taste great. I even have favourites, like blueberry - pomegranate Rockstars,  citrus sugar-free Amps, blueberry Redbulls, red rehab Monsters, purple Nos, all different types. I also drink at least 5 a week.
    Now, my reasons for drinking them are simple; I like the taste. The fizz is just different then a normal soda, which I drink very rarely. I don't use them for energy, and find that sure I am more alert, but nothing else changes. And it's hard to fall asleep, haha.
    But I'm curious. So many people (mainly adults) think I'm crazy for drinking them and that they're terrible for you, but they down soda and sugary juices like its water. Is it really THAT bad? Is it worse then pop?
    So I began my search of wanted answers, and came across websites like Medical News Today and other references that told me that energy drink companies may have to list its ingredients, but about the herbs, they don't have to mention if there was anything used on them, like pesticides, irradiated or watered with harmful chemicals, or even their sources. Now that scares me, who knows what I'm consuming? Definitely not me.
    What an energy drink is is a liquid of added flavours and colours that's pumped full of energy-inducing chemicals, including caffeine (bean), glucose and sucrose (natural fruit sugars), guarana (South American shrub), ginseng (root extract from that plant) and taurine (extracted from bile of bull/ox). Most apparently don't even work, or are unsure of what effects even are from them, because the caffeine overpowers any energy results that could come from them. In other words, they're almost completely useless, or may just induce the caffeine affects.
    Since that's now said, some side-effects of drinking energy drinks constantly are dehydration, obesity, anxiety, insomnia and tachycardia, which is an increased resting heart-rate, which isn't good at all. None of those are S:
    Apparently lots of people have been admitted into hospitals for drinking way to many, or mixing with alcohol, because it doesn't let you feel as drunk as you actually are, and can cause heart attacks (the upper in caffeine and downer in alcohol). Not the best idea, folks. I'm almost positive it says on the can to NOT do that.
    I also read that 1 in 3 adults said they had an energy drink that week, and 30% of them had at least 3. Its crazy how popular they're becoming, especially in teens and young adults. But hey, can you blame them? There so good!
    But they are, after time, addictive. People can't forget that caffeine IS a drug and when you abuse that you can grow attached to it physically in a way that you can't stop because your body runs on that, and that also scares me. There also is no 'may become' if you drink it enough, your body WILL depend on it. Caffeine is also a diuretic, meaning it helps with water retention, and your kidneys will start relying on caffeine to function at all. There's also data saying that caffeine hardens your arteries, which can lead to heart disease and an increase risk of stroke.
Another thing said, that's not completely proven, but there's no other reason for it, and that's the increasing inability to accept calcium into your bones which can lead to Osteoporosis.
    I said before my search that when I do consume energy drinks, I have a hard time sleeping. This is normal, but after a long period of time of disrupted sleeping can cause problems like sleep apnea, which is abnormal stops in your breathing pattern S:
    Some other things caused by energy drinks are shakiness, headaches, restlessness, chest pain, dizziness, paraesthesia (numbing/tingling of your skin), increased blood pressure(I might have said that), breast shrinkage, pain and fatigue from withdrawal, tooth decay (brush your teeth!), and diarrhea.
    After learning all this, I've decide to stop (or significantly lower) my consumption of caffeine and other energy inducing ingredients and stick to Vitamin water and Arizona's ;D(and regular water) and maybe Gatorade..

    This picture isn't ours, but once its done being filmed I'll post my class's Harlem Shake on here. Our theme for ours is to represent our school, GCI, and all the credentials and activities we have here by dressing up in costumes of the suitable subject. I was originally gonna wear a lab coat, goggles, and  put my hair up to imitate a scientist and all the science courses and aspects of Galt Collegiate, but I forgot to ask my mom xD so instead I am wearing PJ's and a DC sweater, being a lazy regular teenage student that I and many people here. GCI is a school full of different, unique students of all types, but most still have these personality traits haha.

Just got back, did our harlem shake, ended up being a lot more fun then I thought, and it looks great :)