"When you tell one lie, it leads to another" - Paul Hatch

This statement is very true. I believe that lying is very addictive and that's just the way I chose to view it. You see, once you lie it's very easy for you to just do it again, especially if you got away with lying the first time.

It's important not to lie because if you get caught lying then no one is going to believe you anymore.

Lies lead to loss of trust and reliability. When you get caught lying, people begin to doubt what else you have lied about. They begin to think that you are no longer a reliable person because they are not sure if you are telling the truth or not.

If it was me who was caught lying, I don't think I would know what to do to regain that person's trust because it would be very difficult to do so.

Lying in general is just something very bad because you could hurt someone close to you simply by not telling the truth. I think it's better to just not lie at all to avoid any drama or confusions or loss of trust.

School Break Days

During my winter break I didn't really do much except for a couple of events I went to. On the first week I went to CHILL at the Queen Mary. It was very fun because many of my friends went and I got to hang out with them. The week after, on Monday, I went on a field trip to the Norton Simon Museum of Art. I personally am a huge fan of art although I might not know very much about it. After the museum we went to go eat at this really awesome Chinese place. Then we went to go walk around and see Old Town Monrovia. It was nice and they had a lot of really cool stores. Once we were done looking around we went to the Krikorean Premiere Theaters. I saw the movie Sisters which was pretty funny. On Christmas I helped my mom make tamales and champurado, it was my first time making them and they didn't come out bad at all, so i was proud of myself. New Years' was okay, I was really hoping I'd get the honor to march with the All City Band in the Rose Parade, but my parents didn't let me so instead I just watched my friends along with the rest of the band on TV. The following week, I went hiking to the Ascot Hills with a few of my friends. They later took me to the beach because I had never been to one in California before. I went to Santa Monica State Beach and although the water was very cold, I went in and let the waves chase me by the shore. A short while after, we went to the Pier and looked around for a bit, so that was pretty cool. This weekend I went to my old neighbor's house and spent the whole weekend there. I saw my old tree house and just being there alone brought back so many memories of all of the silly things her and I used to do. So much reminiscing made us realize how boring we had become, but despite our little moments of somber we found things to do and stay entertained while also enjoying each other's company since we hadn't seen each other in almost six months! I also was invited to a couple of kickbacks with some of my other friends, but my parents didn't let me go so that was the only downfall to my vacation. I also regret not being able to practice my music, however I did practice on my vocals and I assume they've gotten slightly better than before. Overall I'd say my vacation was pretty great, I mean I am still alive...

Final: Part 1 of 2 Class/Self Evaluation

Some things that I liked about this class were the student success statements that Mr. Haymore would show us. Writing the reflections on them wasn't always my favorite thing to do because I didn't always agree with the statements; however; I did like the fact that many of the statements made me realize a lot of things. For example, there was this one quote that said "it's better to be alone than with bad company," the person was anonymous because no one knows exactly where that saying comes from or who was the first person to say it. The reason I liked this quote and why it was so easy for me to talk about it and relate to it was because I had already heard of it and from the moment I began to take into consideration what its actual meaning was, I began to live by it.

A few things that I didn't like about this class, although they are very useful skills in life, were the typing tutor sessions we had at the beginning and sometimes during class. I found it to be a waste of time because of the simple fact that I do not like typing. I like writing a lot and talking abut things, I just do not like to type. I don't have a particular reason for it either. Anyway I know typing is essential in many ways, but I'm more of an artistic and creative person, or at least I like to think of myself that way. Regardless, the point I'm trying to make is that rather than typing, I would prefer to just write things out myself. Despite the fact that I don't have the best handwriting. I have come to the conclusion that typing properly just isn't for me. I don't mind typing, even though I don't like it. I just like doing things my own way even if there is better ways of doing something. So I guess that it's not that I don't like typing in general, I just don't like to type properly without looking at the keys and looking only at the screen.

A couple of suggestions for improving this course would be to talk and include more of what kids or early adolescents nowadays are into. For example, incorporating trending things might get them more interested in the class.

I like to believe that I do my best in everything I do regardless if I want to do it or not. This is because The other day I ran into a speech that Steve Jobs did a while ago and in that speech, Jobs talks about how it is important to follow your heart and dreams and whatnot. In his speech he also talked about how he began living everyday as if it were his last by asking himself every morning if today was his last day, would he be happy with what he'd be doing that day? or something like that. The point is that he made me think about that and so from then on I decided to do my very best in everything that I do.

"It's better to be alone than to be in bad company." -Unknown

I don't know who wrote this statement, however I strongly agree with whoever did. I have been hearing this phrase throughout my entire life and although it may be restated at times or even misinterpreted, I still believe that it is one of the most valuable lessons I have learn in my life so far. The reasons why agree with this statement are because when I had just started my freshman year of high school at my old school (Bell High School), I didn't have that many friends. In fact, I was alone for about a whole month. The reason for this was because all of my friends form middle school either went to different schools or they went to the same school, but they were in different tracks. I was very upset when this happened because I wanted to be in A track with my brother and my other friends, still the counselors didn't listen to my request to switch even when my mother went in to talk to them. So I learn to stop fighting it and accepted the fact I was alone. Part of me was very upset because I figured I would have a difficult time learning and doing my work since I had no friends to work with or ask for help from. Ultimately, I made friends and i began to do bad in school, I learned that it is far better to be alone than with bad company.

Unknown

The 3 Questions... "If the answer is YES, there is no way you can fail." Lou Holtz

The 3 Questions:

1. Can people trust me to do what's right?

2. Am I committed to doing my very best?

3. Do I treat people the way I want to be treated?

Personally, the thought of being a successful person does not necessarily mean that I have to answer each and every single one of these questions. Because although some people might agree with your perspective or in other words, the way you see things, not everyone is going to understand that we do not all have the same morals or principals therefore we will not always agree that what is right is really right. However, I can strongly argue about how hardworking I am in regards to me being committed to doing my very best. I always keep in mind what my goal is in life so whenever I feel like giving up, I simply remember and push myself to keep going. I am not quite sure how to put this in a way that will make you understand how strongly I am fighting to reach my goal of graduating from high school and moving onto college. What I can tell you is this. I have very well prepared myself for the past few years in ways such as learning how to improve my writing and reading skills. These skills could be extremely beneficial when I get older because that means that I will be able to comprehend formal English when reading contracts and such. Anyway before I continue to go off topic, I would just like to mention that I most certainly treat people the way I would like to be treated and that is with kindness and respect.

Neurosurgeon

Duties and Responsibilities: Neurosurgeons are doctors who diagnose and treat problems with the nervous system (often by performing surgery on the brain or spine). Neurosurgeons treat strokes, tumors, certain types of birth defects, infections and head or spinal cord injuries. The daily life of a neurosurgeon is extremely complex and demanding, with rapidly changing tasks and responsibilities. The day of a neurosurgeon starts early, frequently between 5:30 and 7 am. The neurosurgeon's primary daily responsibility is to perform surgery to resolve problems with the nervous system, but there are a number of other tasks that must also be done. These include assessing and diagnosing patients as they come in to the hospital, an unpredictable task because emergency patients cannot be scheduled ahead of time. The neurosurgeon must also meet with the families of patients in surgery and update them on the situation with their family members, as well as keeping records, writing prescriptions and filling out paperwork.

Salary: The median salary for neurosurgeons is $395,000. However, experience makes a big difference in neurosurgeons' salaries. A survey conducted in 2011 by Profiles found a median starting salary of $395,000 for neurological surgeons. After six years in practice, the average salary grew to $589,500. Yet their salary still ranges from $99,503 (being the minimum) to $718,747 (being the highest).

Education: Medical Training: Neurosurgeons begin their medical training by obtaining either a Doctor of Medicine degree, M.D., or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, D.O.M. While in school, medical students complete courses in areas such as anatomy and biochemistry and obtain practical training in diagnosing illnesses and completing patient medical histories. The final two years of medical training are spent completing various rotations (rotations provide hands-on experience and are conducted under the supervision of experienced physicians) in different medical specialties, including surgery. 
Residency: Assignments for neurosurgery residencies are conducted through the Electronic Residency Application Service, or ERAS, administered by the American Association of Medical Colleges. Since mid-2009, doctors who begin neurosurgery residencies must complete at least 72 months of training, including the PGY-1 -- post-graduate year 1 -- which must be completed as a full-time resident enrolled in an accredited program. Residents must complete at least 42 months of clinical neurosurgery with the final 12 months completed at a senior level, with at least 21 months completed within a single program. The PGY-1 must include at least three months of clinical fundamentals, including critical care and trauma, and may include up to six months of neurosurgery, which also counts toward the 42 months of required clinical neurosurgery training. At least three months, but preferably six months, of clinical neurology training must be completed in a program accredited by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education.
Board Certification: In order to obtain board certification, neurosurgeons must schedule oral examinations within five years of completing their residencies. The process of submitting an application and practice data and sitting for the examination usually requires 18 months, according to the American Board for Neurological Surgery. In addition to the examination, doctors must submit data for at least 100 procedures, the oldest of which must date no more than two years prior to review. Inpatients must be cases for which the doctor was the responsible surgeon; outpatient cases should also be included. Cases completed during a fellowship are not acceptable. Data should be submitted through Neurolog, located on the ABNS website. Each case must be verified by the chief of staff, chair of surgery or neurosurgery or hospital administrator at each hospital.

Add a Picture:

Reflection: Do you think you would like to be one? Why? Why not?

I prefer not to talk about whether I would like this pathway as a career or not.

Veterans Day Research

1.What is Veterans Day?

• Veterans day is a public holiday held on the anniversary of the end of World War 1. Veterans Day could also be defined as a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

2. When is it?

• This holiday/ celebration takes place every year on November 11th.

3. What is the purpose of Veterans Day?

• The purpose of this holiday is to honor U.S. veterans and victims of all wars.

4. Why is it important to show honor on Veterans Day?

• It is important to show honor on Veterans Day because

5. Insert a few Veterans Day pictures.

6. Write anything else of special interest to you pertaining to Veterans Day

• It replaced Armistice Day in 1954.

7. Write a reflection of at least eight sentences expressing your feelings toward Veterans Day.

• Throughout this research I have learned that the reason behind why this celebration takes place on November 11th is because the fighting of World War 1 ceased seven months earlier than when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, when an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. I also learned that in November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, which was the original name for the celebration until it became Veterans Day on October 25, 1971 under law. It was obvious that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic as well as patriotic significance to a vast majority of U.S. citizens and so on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97, which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in the year 1978. To me this holiday is very special because it reminds me of how hard me people fought for our freedom and even though I don't have any family or friends who served, I still thank those who did. I also admire their bravery because I know that many people serve for a very long time and they have friends and family who they don't get to see, so that to me is truly a great sacrifice.