Passion Project Time Again!

So we are somewhere close to halfway through our new passion projects, and it is a little hard to do any major work on my project.  First, I should explain what my project is.  My project is to track the stock market, pretend to invest, and see how "my stocks" are doing through the end of my project.  I've been working on tracking possible stocks first, like Exxon and Microsoft.  I've also been tracking Dow Jones and the prices of gold just to see how the overall market is doing.  I have run into a few problems, mainly me not knowing a lot about the market to begin with.  The main thing that I'm waiting for is to meet with a representative from Fidelity to help me navigate the stock market.  That should be happening sometime around Easter, so I'll be able to start for real then.

20% Project Update

Alright, so just a quick recap.. My 20% project is trying to get into region band as a timpani player, so I practice a lot and I video tape as much as I can.  Its been about 8 weeks, and I have been working in the band room a lot, along with working with Mr. Walter.  For those of you who don't know who he is, he was a chorus teacher in our middle school who is a very gifted percussionist.  A major obstacle of mine was definitely the piece itself.  The piece that I have to play turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be, so... oh well.  The reason why it turned out to be really hard was because of all of the tuning changes.  There are at least 30 of them, and I have very little time to do them while I'm playing it.  I just have to keep practicing and try my hardest.  I'm just happy because everyone has the same piece, so hopefully, it will be hard for everyone.  I'll try to keep you updated.

Johnny Depp: Modern Day Outlier

Johnny Depp- An outlier in modern society. During his childhood,

Johnny Depp’s family ended up moving over 20 times and eventually settled in Miramar, Florida. His mother divorced when he was 15, and then remarried. His second father was Robert Palmer, who was a big role model for Johnny. When Johnny Depp was 12, he was given a guitar. He started to join various garage bands and played very frequently. A year after his mother’s divorce, he dropped out of high school to play in a band. The opportunity that introduced him to fame came through that band. Depp tried to go back to his high school two weeks later, but his principal told him to follow his dreams. Johnny Depp moved around bands until he went to the Rock City Angels. He married the bass player’s sister, Lori Anne Allison, in December 1983. His wife introduced him to Nicholas Cage, who advised him to pursue an acting career. His acting career was very successful with a total of 44 movies so far. Johnny Depp’s first major film was A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. He is known for the Pirates of the Caribbean series. In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell talks about success coming from 10,000 hours of work.  Johnny Depp has been acting from 1984 to 2013, which has definitely covered 10,000 hours. Over his acting career, Johnny Depp is now worth 350 million dollars. As you can see, his principal gave him his opportunity and provided the gateway towards the next part of his life. If that principal had let him come back to school, then he wouldn't have become famous or pursued an acting career. He was very lucky to get this opportunity, and he maximized it, which is why he is an outlier.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Depp

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/johnny-depp-net-worth/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_movies_has_Johnny_Depp_been_in_ever

End of the School Year!

The school year is officially over, and it still doesn't feel like summer break yet.  Aside from the new sport that I'm starting, golf, nothing seems to have changed.  In some ways, I feel like I have wrapped everything up and will not need to worry about school for 3 months.  In other ways, I feel like graduating middle school is just the beginning.  I guess that both of those are true.

Summer will be a time of reflection for me, at least until my body figures out that it is summer.  Then, I'll hit the pool.  This will probably be my last post of the 2012-2013 school year, unless I keep you updated about my course at NJIT.  Anyway, I hope that everyone has a great summer, and that you all use your time well.

Writing Prompt ~ Cat or Rembrandt

The prompt in question is replying to a quote said by David Markson.  That is "If forced to choose Giacometti once said, he would rescue a cat from a burning building before a Rembrandt."  I personally agree with him.  Even if I was a huge art fanatic, I would still save the cat.  I value life a lot more than I value possessions.  I feel that this is the right decision morally.  Everyone should seek to preserve and protect all life as best as they can.

If someone chooses the cat, they might be considered as crazy, or someone who is opposed to loss of life.  If someone chooses the painting, then they have a great love of material possessions that would outweigh their instincts to save a beating heart.  I chose to save the cat instead of the painting, and I believe that my choice is the right one.

A Very Good Essay and the Meaning of a "Deep Answer"

Yesterday, my ROGATE class read the essay, Joyas Voladoras, by Brian Doyle.  For me, it really accents how people live their lives, and how their decisions can affect the lives of others as well.  It also shows how different animals (maybe symbolizing people) have different lifestyles, and how their lives are changed.  The hummingbird, the main animal in the article, has an eccentric and very fast paced life, but has the life span of 2 years.  The animal in comparison is a tortoise.  They have a slow lifestyle and never really move fast.  They have a lifespan of 200 years.  Humans are in the middle, and appropriately live anywhere from 70 to 100 years.  This essay takes on a depressing tone, but it makes me feel hopeful and optimistic to learn that I can mold my life into what I want it to be.  My favorite sentence in the essay is only 9 words long.  "So much held in a heart in a lifetime."  Hows that for deep?

Quotes

I am putting a sampling of different kinds of quotes on my blog and will react to them.  I will try to do the best that I can.

Funny Quote:
My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.
-Mitch Hedburg

My reaction to this quote is...  I can't possibly write anything deep and meaningful about this..  All I can say is that having fake plants would keep me from doing a lot of chores.

Serious Quote:
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubts.
-Mark Twain

This quote makes so much sense but it reacts to the arrogance in people.  If you believe that you know everything, you will always encounter someone smarter than you.  Your arrogance can be embarrasing if you are proved to be wrong.

These are just two quotes that I found interesting.