Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
I promised her that I will be a better person in our next 20 years together. As a matter of fact, she complained that she suffered a lot with me in the past 20 years, but we agreed that you’re the best outcome of our marriage.
Dad (talking about his 20th anniversary dinner with mom.)
The amount of love that I have for you guys is indescribable. Happy anniversary!
On “coming out illegal”
SFWeekly - “Now it comes out that Illegal immigrants have not only succeeded on college campuses and in newsrooms, but in the very seat of California’s power: The state Capitol. “
I’m a naturalized citizen as of half a year ago, but this statement is offensive to me, even as a legal immigrant. Why should it surprise anyone that an illegal immigrant would succeed on a campus, in a newsroom, or in the government? There is no innate knowledge or ability that comes with the little piece of paper titled “citizenship.” It just opens doors that have little justification to be closed in the first place.
Source: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/08/illegal_immigrant_college_stud.php
On the world crashing down
Today, the stock market came tumbling down. I’m sure thousands of people lost a nice chunk of money, and will continue to lose money. If our grimmest fears are true, the economy will grind down to a stop again, and we’ll have another recession. Overseas, Europe is taking care of its own debt crisis. Asian stocks are falling along with us. Tens of thousands of children in Somalia are starving to death by the second. Riots are still going on in London. All of these events just make me think, where the hell in this world is there actually prosperity, peace, or just stability? We’ve all learned in math or science that there has to be balance. That when there is a negative, there also must be a positive. That when someone gains, someone else will lose. It’s a little disconcerting then that everyone in the world right now is just losing.
It feels to me that at times like this, we can most clearly see some of stupid psychological traps we humans set for ourselves, like the scenario we face today where the simple fear of a global recession is enough to bring the world to its knees. We think so highly of ourselves that we’re willing to live more and more luxuriously with the same natural means. The resources available to us today are not that much less than the resources available to us ten years ago. Yet somehow the entire world owes more money or land or goods to each other than ever before. The problem seems so psychological because if everyone’s debt suddenly went away and we began focusing on the real issues in this world, like poverty and violence, then we’d be on the road to recovery. But of course, it would never be as easy as that. Humans will always indulge themselves into debt until the entire system comes crashing down on them.
You’re in luck! I actually do have a sample template that I wrote for a college seminar. As for the initial question, just briefly mention both. What’s more important is demonstrating an interest in the field and your future. Professors will be more impressed by your passion, curiosity, and initiative than how much you actually know.
Dear Professor _____ ,
Hi, I’m Name, a student at School High School with an interest in Professor’s field of study. Currently, at School, I’ve taken a number of general courses relevant to Professor’s field of study, but would love to further pursue my interests in an actual laboratory setting. I’m e-mailing you today to request an unpaid internship this summer at your institution. As a student who eventually hopes to enter this field, I feel that participating in such an internship will allow me to better understand the occupation as well as the field itself. While I do not yet possess a deep understanding of your research, I’m a dedicated and hardworking student who will take the time to learn under your guidance. As your intern, I plan on working diligently to make a recognizable contribution to your work. Thank you for your considerations.
Sincerely,
Name
This is quite random. On a good day, I do four sets of bicep curls (35lb) with 10 reps each, four sets of tricep lifting-over-your-head-behind-the-back workout with 10 reps each, four sets of chest dumbbell presses (35lb) with 10 reps each, and then as close to 2 miles as possible on the treadmill. Lately, I’ve been working out with Tim and he does dead lifts, shoulder workouts, and ab workouts too, so I’ve been trying to fit those in. I can only do like 10lbs for shoulders though so that’s embarrassing. I also occasionally get on the stationary bike now so I can practice for Sunday 35 mile bike rides with Catherine and her dad. Luckily, I don’t have much to do at work so I can exercise during the day at our company fitness center.
I haven’t heard back from housing services yet, but my top choice was a Carman Hall double. Hopefully that’ll be my new home, with my requested roommate/new bro Jay. Are you also a Columbian stranger?
I use a Nikon D90 with its kit lens (18-105mm AF-S DX). Editing is usually done with Photoshop CS3.
PSATs are not that important, so don’t worry about them unless you want the $2500 scholarship and/or scholarship considerations from other schools. As for the SATs, I suggest taking a course, preferably at Fremont Elite. They may not provide any intellectual breakthroughs for you to score a significantly higher score, but you’ll get plenty of good practice for the real thing (I think I took like 20+ tests during one summer there). If that doesn’t interest you, and you’re also a diligent enough person to study by yourself, then here are some tips for a good score. First of all, make sure your math is perfect. SAT math isn’t extremely hard but tends to be tricky especially when you’re running out of time. Do some practice even if you don’t think you need it. Don’t mess up on math because it’s the easiest section to score well. Next, practice your grammar rules. Writing is also a pretty easy section if you study. My suggestion is just to practice x 1000. Eventually, you’ll come across every variation of the grammar rules that they can throw at you. At this point, you should be well prepared for the MC. Now practice the essays. Four paragraphs, two bodies, thesis, two topic sentences that relate, two sources from the literary canon, science, history, or current events. I’ve heard there’s actually a direct correlation between how much your write and how well you score, so practice writing a lot. Finally, critical reading is a wild card. I always think you need an epiphany for critical reading, and that comes from practice. You have to understand what the author is trying to say and how s/he is saying it. Don’t assume anything, even when it is obvious. Every answer has some kind of evidence to back it up. Also, don’t neglect answers because they sound too general. Often times, the general answer that doesn’t even mention any details is the correct answer. Best of luck.
