Blog #45

Today I finally finished my PowerPoint. As I observed others in class, I saw that most of them were just starting their first slide or two. But of course, they're all going to cram it all up tomorrow night. For me, tomorrow night is just going to be a brief final run-through.
In social studies, we continued working on our treasure map. Our group has already determined 3 mathematical function clues that are going to definitely stump the reader.

Blog #44

Today I finished everything in my PowerPoint except for the animations, which can be done quickly.
The highlight of today is doing a lab testing the enzymes in our spit. It was really fun to see the results indicating that our spit (yes, we had to somehow produce spit) partially digested the starch solution.

Blog #43

Today I finished all of my homework that's due in the immediate future. I also downloaded about 1 GB worth of video podcasts, just to see how fast my new computer can be. I also found out that I could watch CNN news as podcasts for free as well. That was awesome.
I had a hockey practice yesterday night and another tomorrow morning. Tired... AND it's going to be a busy week next week too.

Blog #42

Today, I took advantage of the time I had to finish some homework, continue to study for the math test next week, and complete the PowerPoint presentation. I have a hockey practice tonight at 8:30, and it is definitely going to be very tiring. The good thing is, I get to go to bed immediately after the practice.
Tomorrow is going to be busy day too. I have planned every second of it, and by monday I will have absolutely no schoolwork to worry about.

Blog #41

Today's highlight was starting our "treasure map" in SS. Our group came up with a very original clue: using mathematical functions to pinpoint the treasure. We plan to have the actual formula determined by next week.
I resumed work on my powerpoint presentation for my AS project, which had paused a little while ago. I am almost done, and in my opinion, the entire presentation is very organized.

I am getting the impression that Mr. Nakamoto never teaches us anything in math. He never really teaches us. He just assumes that we know everything, and only go over things as if in review. Now I must study all that new information all by myself.

Blog #40

http://www.jackals-forge.com/htb/htb_reel.html
Today, I found a really good trailer of an amazing movie called "How to Build a Human." The graphics, sound, and animation were very very high quality.
Highlight of today is performing skits related to the digetive system in science. We finally started our new unit in digestion. The details are really common sense. We all know that the stomach contains acids, and that there's enzymes in saliva, etc. So this unit should be a breeze.

Blog #39

Today, we had a student teacher who actually taught us math this time. In my opinion, he's a much better math teacher than Mr. Nakamoto, mainly because he does not use the words "you guys are good at this, right", and "I am now going to assume that you all know this stuff." He taught us inverse functions, and it was a productive class.
Another highlight is finishing watching the "Count of Monte Cristo" in socials today. We had gotten to the climax, and it was interesting to see the rest of the story unfold. however, I thought the ending was a bit too simplistic. They had room for more plot conflicts, but didn't utilize it (probably because of their budget).

Blog #38

Today, we performed our English play once again, with some IB 11 students who were formerly in Middle Years as audience. I think our class as a whole did a MUCH better job than in our dress rehearsal. Then we learned that we are going to perform a much bigger production of another play at the end of the school year, with those IB students as mentors who will guide us along. This is going to be so exciting.

Blog #37

I am writing from my brand new computer right now. It is SO FAST, SO CLEAR, HAS SUCH A LARGE SCREEN. I JUST DOWNLOADED A 40.9MB FILE IN LESS THAN 15 SECONDS.
WOW
So, anyway, I set up my computer and the 20 inch widescreen. But somehow the speaker systems still don't work. I'll get it figured out either today or tomorrow. This is so awesome.
I just realized we are performing a play tomorrow, so I have to quickly get my lines refreshed and memorized. that's it for today.

Blog #36

I am just back from my game. The team that we beat badly last time was a completely different one this game, and they beat us 5-4. I have been on task, and I have finished all the homework. Then I realized that we have a langara run tomorrow. Arrgh. On the other hand, I am actually getting my new computer sent in to my home tomorrow, because they said it would be delivered at latest on Monday.

Blog #35

Today wasn't very eventful. I checked out some really cool color illustrated annotated STAR TREK encyclopedias. Then, I used the info in it to replenish my powerpoint presentation with new information. In the afternoon, my piano lesson was great, because I did well in all my pieces. Then, my parents and I went to the mall to buy some stuff, and then we realized, on our way home, that a huge fog had slowly formed. This is due to the large amount of moisture in the air in the morning and afternoon, and there was a sudden drop of temperature around 6pm, so all that water vapour condense to form a fog.
I have a game at Richmond Igloo rink tomorrow against a richmond minor team. We owned them 12-3 last game, so I'll be expecting another high-scoring victory for us.

Blog #34

Today, I had a fun-filled day at SFU. First, I learned about ecology and biodiversity and the many different niches that exist in the forest around SFU. Then, we learned some tricks about odds in gambling in an irmac lab. We used a computer program to simulate the odds of tossing a coin, etc, and made graphs out of it.
Finally, (the coolest part of all), we saw some demonstrations of electricity, semiconductors, liquid nitrogen, superconducters, and levitations (yes, levitation). When a superconductor is cooled with liquid nitrogen, it generates around it a magnetic field, which could make a magnet levitate in the air. Then, we used the same properties of a superconductor to make an actual "maglev" train which hovered over metallic tracks! This is the best physics demonstration I have ever seen in my life.

Blog #33

Today we had a science test in the morning, and the style and difficulty of the test was very differenct from those of Mr. Shieh (which is good).
Then, we got our English presentation marks from Ms. Densford. Our group's mark was the highest in the class, probably because our scene did not include pointless and irrelevant humor (which I shrewdly suggested to exclude, knowing Ms. Densford's nature and her taste in plays). We are also going to perform the play in front of an actual audience next tuesday.
The afternoon consisted of band and french, and nothing worthy of mention.
The week is not over yet. I have a hockey game today against a Richmond team at 8:30, and I have to wake up at 6:30 tomorrow to go with ROger to an SFU lecture/experiment series on science and mathematics that lasts the entire day. FUN!

Blog #32

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the field trip today. I had this huge, boring, tiring PSAT in the afternoon. I know (not think) that I did quite well on it, and I hope I really DO get a good mark when I get the results in December. Doing the PSAT early has its advantages.
Right after I got home, I MSNed my fellow classmates, and they filled me in on what had happened during the field trip. Many of them enjoyed the visit to the Maritime museum.

Blog #31

I got at 5:00 AM today to go to my hockey practice at Kerrisdale. It was really tiring, especially since I haven't really woken up. But I was fully awake halfway through.
Today, we learned about imaginary numbers expressed in the form a+bi. Imaginary numbers are so named because they cannot be plotted on a number line. Therefore, they are "imaginary".
We worked out in the weight room in PE today. The active health unit is always so boring. We're running langara next week, so I'll make sure I eat lots of starchy foods.
Then, in SS, we learned a bit about pirates, and watched a movie that involved piracy.
Finally, in SS, we did some more research in the library. Since I could find no Star Trek books (not ones explaining the science in it, anyway), I did some research on the Internet. I found a "wikipeidia style" online encyclopedia on everything Star Trek. It is a very good reference for me.

Blog #30

We lost yesterday's game 8-7, the exact same score as the last time we faced that team.
Today, I finished all my homework, got some more of the AS project done, and studied for science test. My computer is still not here yet. It should arrive next week. All this waiting is killing me.

Blog #29

Have to leave in 10 min for my game at Riley Rink, so i'll keep this one short.
Today I took the advantage to study for the upcoming science test, and finished some of my homework. I started on the powerpoint for the AS physics project today, and now i'm more than halfway done. It's surprising how much you can accomplish in 30 minutes wihout interruption. I got this really cool star trek font off the Internet, and that means i'll have to store my presentation in pps format because I doubt Mr. Olson has a star trek font.

Blog #29

Have to leave in 10 min for my game at Riley Rink, so i'll keep this one short.
Today I took the advantage to study for the upcoming science test, and finished some of my homework. I started on the powerpoint for the AS physics project today, and now i'm more than halfway done. It's surprising how much you can accomplish in 30 minutes wihout interruption. I got this really cool star trek font off the Internet, and that means i'll have to store my presentation in pps format because I doubt Mr. Olson has a star trek font.

Blog #29

We finished watching "supersize me" in Science today. Creator Morgan Spurlock tries to imitate an average obese American by not exercising and eating at McDonald's every day, every meal. It was very interesting to see the drastic decline in health at the end of his 30-day trial.
Then, we rehearsed our play in English. I find that my group members aren't very good at pronouncing the words and do not say them with the appropriate tone of voice. To me the "play" seems to be just a monotonous monologue. I tried to correct them, but their attempts at correcting is even worse, so I didn't bother. Or maybe it's because I'm setting my standards too high by expecting them to be the same as a Bard actor.
In band, we played a theme from Aladdin. We also watched the segment in the actual movie that contained that theme. It was very interesting to see how similar our piece was to the segment of the movie.
My laptop is getting slower every day. As I am typing this right now, each letter takes about 1.5 seconds to get on the screen, and I have annoying lags if I type too fast. My new desktop is arriving sometime next week. I wish it could come sooner.

Blog #28

Today, I had my math test, and it was surprisingly easy. Maybe it is because I studied very hard the night before. Today, I got my 2GB removable disk from DELL. The actual computer (Windows XP Media Center Edition, 1GB RAM, 320GB Disk Space, 20 inch widescreen) is arriving in the next week. I am finally free from the slow lags of my 4-yr-old laptop. Now, I should be more efficient in doing my homework on the computer.
The day's not over yet. I have a hockey game against a Burnaby team today at 8:30. Busy busy....

Blog #27

The article on napping is indeed very true. It is true that our brains need a re-charge in the form of a nap during the day. However, our (at least my) schedules prohibit us from doing so during the day because we have so many activities and priorities to attend to. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that unfortunately, other more important events prevent us from using such a good opportunity to recharge.

Blog #26

Today, my family and some family friends went to Weaver Creek to observe the sockeye salmons' return to their mother rivers to spawn. Prior to our departure, I checked out some videotapes and books on the return of the sockeye salmon, and learned many interesting facts. I now know that the number of salmon returning each year peaks every four years, and this year is one of those peak years. We drove for two hours to Weaver Creek, and arrived at the spawning site around noon. We observed the salmon leaping over the man-made dams, and many others getting overwhelmed by the current. By observing the difficulties the salmon must overcome in order to go to the spawning site, I was greatly inspired, and reflected upon many real-life situations that I will encounter that are very similar to those encountered by the salmon. Eventual success is always preceded by hard work and great efforts. I wish we could go to Adams River and witness an even grander salmon return.
Returning from Weaver Creek, we stopped at futureshop to checkout the new computer I will be getting. Unfortunately, we arrived just too late. We will be going there again tomorrow noon to get my new computer! Sweet!

Blog #25

I'm at a barbecue right now. so tired... I have made a list of many important things to do for the long-weekend.

Blog #23

Today Mr. Nakamoto announced, arbitrarily, that there would be a test next week. On what? It's anyone's guess. He has only properly taught us for two classes since the beginning of school, and tinkered with calculators the rest of the time. I'll just study the first two chapters.
Then, in PE, we got our football throwing and catching test. My spirals can be really awful one day, and really brilliant another day. Fortunately, during the warm-up throws, I was really adept at throwing and catching. I took the opportunity to ask to be tested that instant, and got 100%. My throwing partner Rocky benefited too. Mr. Lopez also invited me to join the cross-country team, because I got a really good time on Six Laps. I am really glad that I got this opportunity.
We had an extremely easy quiz on geography in SS today. Then we watched an excellent National Geographic Video on natural disasters.
Finally, in AS, the formal commencement of our projects took place, but many of us just slacked around.

Blog #22

By now, the sense that school has actually started has really kicked in, mainly because all my teachers are starting to hurl homework and projects and tests and quizzes at us. Of course, I know it's going to be worse in term 3. Right now, I am so frustrated with my old, 4-year old laptop, and I can't wait for my new computer (which, supposedly, is going to be purchased before Thanksgiving). I keep getting the sense that once I get my new, faster (20 times faster) computer, I will get more organized and productive. I guess I am too attached to technology. Today's highlight is.. well.. nothing. I did get my new TIME magazine, though. It is (as always) very interesting and biased. I think that one of the skills I have obtained by subscribing to TIME is the ability to identify bias, whether it's political or otherwise. I read an interesting article which investigated our true evolutionary origins. According to the article, primitive humans and chimps actually interbred for a while before separating in each's evolutionary path.

Blog #21

Today, I read an essay by Claudia Wallis titled "The Myth about Homework." The essay was classified under the heading "viewpoint", so the author is undoubtedly writing an opinion essay in which she has to decide to support or reject a point. Wallis chose to oppose homework, and thinks "hours of slogging" are not only not going to bring good grades, but also quelling the desire to imagine and create. She supported her viewpoint by using examples of overexaggeratedly boring and pointless homework and data collected by individual surveys. One survey even attempted to measure how well students are doing by delivering a standardized test. She failed to make the point that only excessive homework resulting in severe stress can decrease work quality. Homework is essential as a way to review the things taught at school.

Blog #20

Today, we reviewed minerals and vitamins in science class, and made flashcards (what a way to study!) for each nutrient. We are having a quiz next class. Ms. Kot's teaching style is strange. She hands us notes, makes us complete them, and tells us that there's going to be a quiz. Maybe that kind of reflects her study method.
Then, in English, we got another assignment. We were divided into groups, and we are to perform a segment of the play. Of course, the due date is nowhere in sight right now. I chose a very dramatic role, and I am confident that I would be excellent at performing it.
We performed the highlights from Carmen again in band. I am getting more adept at my drums part, and it sounds so GRAND. Georges Bizet was obviously a great composer.
Finally, we had a work period in French, since Mme Chang was absent.

Blog #19

Our second pre-season game yesterday was tiring. We were losing 2-6 at one point, but we eventually came back to tie it at 7. Unfortunately, the other team scored again with only 24 seconds left, leaving us with no time. We ended up losing 7-8. I am still quite happy though. We actually came back from the deficit, and our goals were all spectacular.
Today, I finished up all my homework, and then saw the homework on Mr. Olson's website about summarizing our notes etc., so I got started on that. I got a new hockey stick too. It is a composite fibre glass Bauer stick, and is super light.