[RE]

 This is a response to Amir's post about Terrorism or FBI-ism:

I honestly didn't believe that this was true at first because it just sounded so ridiculous to me. The thought that our own government agencies are fabricating and even creating "terrorist" attacks is completely disgusting to me. They are creating these attacks that cause fear to the public when in actuality no one was ever in danger. The FBI should be focusing it's time and resources on real potential terrorist attacks instead of creating fake attacks so that they can look like hero's that saved the day.  I just can't believe that the FBI would actually hire people to attack our own country to use as propaganda or to distract Americans from other problems in the United States.

This article by Glenn Greenwald that Amir responded to is really eye opening and shocking. "The FBI has received substantial criticism over the past decade — much of it valid — but nobody can deny its record of excellence in thwarting its own Terrorist plots.  Time and again, the FBI concocts a Terrorist attack, infiltrates Muslim communities in order to find recruits, persuades them to perpetrate the attack, supplies them with the money, weapons and know-how they need to carry it out — only to heroically jump in at the last moment, arrest the would-be perpetrators whom the FBI converted, and save a grateful nation from the plot manufactured by the FBI." This article describes some the “terrorist attacks” that the FBI has created and of course stepped in and prevented right before they were supposed to occur. I feel like people just assume that whatever the government says is true. It really sucks that we can’t trust what our government says or does. This issue is completely ridiculous to me and I can’t believe that our government would stoop to such a level as to hire people to attack their own country.  

[CE] "A Tigers' Tale"

I was looking through the Bay Area news feed and found this really interesting article about the Oakland Zoo rescuing tigers from horrible conditions in Texas.

The Oakland Zoo rescued four tigers from a Texas Zoo that was giving them away after the tigers had been rescued from a "roadside freak show." Apparently the four female tigers were on display where people could pay $20 to take their picture with the animals. The animals were rescued after authorities were called when one of  the owners of the sideshow announced that he planned on shooting the tigers because they were costing him too much money. The tigers were then taken to a zoo in Texas where they were supposed to stay, but then more and more tigers were being delivered to the zoo after being rescued from similar circumstances that the zoo no longer had any room. The Oakland Zoo was willing to take the tigers because they felt that it was such a critical issue.

The Oakland Zoo hopes that the tigers entertain guests and also help educate the public about tiger mills. According to this article "more than 8,000 tigers live in the U.S., far more than live in the wild globally. Of the 8,000, only a few hundred live in accredited zoos. The rest live in backyard." Most of these tigers are owned by people who originally bought tigers because they are so cute as cubs but then want to get ride of them once they mature and are eating pounds and pounds of raw meat a day.

I find it ridiculous that people would keep tiger's in their backyard because they grow to such a huge size and are wild animals. However, I find it nice to know that zoo's rescues these animals when they can and that the Oakland Zoo is made up of mostly rescued animals.

[FREE] New Malaria Vaccine

I was looking through the al jazeera news feed and I saw a story about a new vaccine for malaria that could cut the risk of getting the disease in half. I chose to blog about this story because this could be something very relevant in the near future if the vaccine continues to have good results in the trials. This is one of the only positive stories that I found in the news feed so I decided it would be worth writing about.

Malaria is a disease spread by mosquito's that is a large cause of death in people living in parts of Africa and very remote parts of Asia. This new vaccine will help reduce the risk for young children to get malaria. The first trial showed that children aged from five to seventeen months had reduced their risk of contracting the disease by up to 56 percent after three doses of the vaccine. This vaccine is so remarkable because it is the first vaccine to be successful that targets parasites instead of bacteria or viruses. This trial is the largest malaria vaccine trial up to date with over 15 thousand young children involved. This trial is going to continue for two more years so that the creators of the vaccine can evaluate how effective it is against preventing malaria. Hopefully the trials continue to produce good results so that malaria will be better controlled and be less of a problem so that researchers can focus on preventing other deadly diseases.

[FREE]

This is my first experience with Ted talks and overall I thought it was really interesting. This Ted talk was about how to detect liars. Lying is apart of our daily lives, our culture and history. Truth is just handed out on a need to know basis. According to this Ted talk a person is lied to on average 10 to 200 times a day! Throughout the Ted talk she describes some obvious ways to tell if someone is being deceptive. One major way to tell if someone is lying is by observing the language they use and how they express it. If someone is dodging a question and trying to distance themselves in the conversation they are most likely being deceptive. Also when someone over compensates emotions or doesn't have a common reaction to something there is a good chance they are lying.

Lying in our society has become such a common practice and is almost a necessary skill. Nowadays it is considered to be a good trait if someone is able to lie convincingly. During the Ted talk she said that lying is a cooperative act because you are agreeing to get lied to. I never thought about it like that. I just always place the accountability with the person who lying. It would be such a great tool to be able to tell when someone is telling the truth or not. Personally I would love to know when someone is lying to me which is why I found this video so interesting.

[CE] Debt Crisis in Food Security Rates

 

The financial and economic crisis in the United States has left many without a job or even without a home. Millions of Americans are struggling to provide for their family. Some unfortunate people do not even know when there next meal is going to come. Soup kitchens and other charity organizations have had a huge spike in the number of people needing their services.

So many people have been affected by the tough economic conditions our country has been facing. Almost everyone knows of someone who has been affected by this crisis. Personally I know so many people that have been affected. Most of these people were laid off and have been unemployed for months because it is so hard to find a job. Applying for jobs is a lot more competitive now because so many people are looking for jobs. Now a day’s just being qualified for a job isn’t enough. To get hired people almost need to be extremely over qualified to ensure that they get a job as quickly as possible. These people who are unemployed have had to drastically alter their lifestyle in order to make the money they have last as long as possible. This lifestyle change is so hard to cope with because people get used to living a certain lifestyle when they have a comfortable and steady income, but when they lose this stability it is hard to completely change how you live. I sincerely hope that the financial and economic crisis will start to improve and that people who are struggling will find a way to make it through this tough time.

[ESSAY] Going for the Look

I agree on a business standpoint with Marshall Cohen’s argument that hiring employees who fit the company image is “critical” in order to maximize profits. Marshall Cohen is a senior industry analyst with the NPD group, a market research firm. He feels that hiring employees that represent and embody the store they work for may encourage more people to shop at that particular store. Attractive and trendy employees will help draw more customers to a specific store and will generate more profit for that company. This is a commonly practiced hiring technique that is not against the law. However, hiring based on looks and company image can lead to discrimination allegations. When it comes to hiring based on looks and appearance there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is considered discrimination.

            Hiring based on appearance is nothing new as stated in the New York Times article “Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination” by Steven Greenhouse. But the practice is spreading to new industries and is now a common hiring technique in the clothing industry. Major stores that apply to a younger demographic such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and American Apparel have been hiring employees based on their looks and how well they represent the brand in order to attract more customers. These companies feel that having an attractive and relatable staff will draw in customers. Tom Lennox, Abercrombie’s communications director said that “we want to hire brand representatives that will represent the Abercrombie and Fitch brand with natural classic American style, look great while exhibiting individuality, project the brand and themselves with energy and enthusiasm, and make the store a warm, inviting place that provides a social experience for the customer.” These companies have created an image of what kind of style they want to represent and hire employees who fit the mold of what they are trying to portray in order to create a more pleasant and enjoyable shopping experience.

            Companies should have the right to hire employees who they feel are well suited for their company. Companies are in the business to make money and in this competitive industry should be able to do what they need in order to make money and stay relevant. Having attractive employees who represent the company image in stores have a good chance of attracting more people to the store because people will want to shop in stores where they can relate to the employees or are attracted to the employees. Fashionable employees with catch the attention of shoppers and will create a more enticing environment for shoppers. Companies feel that if a customer sees an attractive employee dressed in the companies clothes that they will want to dress like them and then will buy more of the clothes. Overall having an attractive staff that represents the company brand will most likely benefit a company in the terms of selling more clothes.

                        Marshall Cohen’s statement that “a guy wants to go hang out in a store where he can see good looking gals” is a reason for hiring employees based on how attractive they are. People are naturally drawn to what they think are good looking people. Companies try to hire based on their perspective of what potential customers will find attractive. They will tend to put the most attractive employees in the front of the store putting away clothes or helping customers while they place what they think as the less attractive employees in the back of the store where they are not as easily seen by customers. Companies think that having attractive people working with the customers will make them buy more clothes and will bring in more potential shoppers. I think that this technique works for some shoppers; I also know that some shoppers do not really care about the appearance of the employees as long as they are getting good service. The company is targeting customers that are more concerned with looks and are somewhat superficial.

            I understand why companies feel that it is “necessary” and “smart” to hire employees who fit a certain image or mold, however I do not agree morally with this practice. This hiring technique opens up a floodgate of potential discrimination accusations and lawsuits. Hiring based on looks can get companies into hot water because so many people can find discrimination in their hiring practices and patterns. It is illegal to discriminate against people based on their age, sex, or ethnicity. This is where companies can get into trouble and sticky situations. Mr. Serrano, a previous manager for Abercrombie and Fitch detailed the companies hiring procedures: “we were supposed to approach someone in the mall who we think will look attractive in our store.” Mr. Serrano also stated that they were instructed to hire these attractive people in the mall if they accepted regardless of how qualified or experienced they were. If someone applied for a job and had a lot of retail experience, but was not that attractive or didn’t fit the company image than he was told to “not hire them at all.” Companies should not base who they hire solely on looks, but instead should look for candidates that fit there company image and have some sort of experience or qualifications. It is easier in the long run to hire employees based on their experience and qualifications for the job rather that hiring based on company image and appearance because they will avoid allegations of discrimination. Companies can avoid all of this mess and scrutiny if they just practiced fair hiring techniques that do not involve only image and how well they represent the brand in an attractive way.   

            Overall I agree with Marshall Cohen’s opinion that hiring based on image could translate into more profits in this competitive retail environment. Companies need to do what ever they can to stay current and to continue to make money and this is just one way they could go about it. I agree with Cohen to the extent of the business and economical aspect, but I do not agree morally with this type of hiring practice.

[RE]

This is from Jon's blog:

“The biggest influence of my life would have to be sports and now that I am done playing competitive sports, I am starting to think about all the great times I've had.”

I totally relate to this statement because I have been playing sports all my life and they have really shaped who I am today. Unlike Jon I still play sports but I still look back on all of the memories that I have created and all of the friends that I have made.

I first started playing sports when I was eight years old and had just moved to alameda. It was my second time moving that year so my parents thought it would be a good way to keep me occupied and distracted from being overwhelmed in my new surroundings. I am so thankful that I was signed up for rec soccer because I met so many new people that made transitioning to alameda much less stressful. I then signed up for basketball and softball which also was a great way to make new friends.

One of the best things about playing sports when I was younger is that I am still friends with many of the people that I have played with. Some of my closest friends have been made through playing sports and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet them. Over the years sports has really taught me how to work well with others and to be a true team player.  I will always cherish the memories that I have made with my teammates throughout my life and can’t wait for the new memories that I will make this year. I honestly can’t imagine what my life would be like if I never played any sports.

[CE] BP to resume drilling in the gulf?

I was really surprised to find out that BP was trying to get permission to resume deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after the disastrous oil spill in April 2010. The oil spill was ultimately determined to be caused by BP’s lack of proper equipment and safety regulations. Eleven people were killed in the deep water rig’s explosion and the marine ecosystems were almost completely destroyed. Millions of gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico leaving many without a job and the waters in critical condition. A year later tar balls are still washing up on coast lines and beaches and the ocean ecosystems still have not recovered and will not for many years. This oil spill was truly an environmental disaster.

Last year I took APES and we talked about the spill extensively and all of the consequences that would result. The oil spill has seriously damaged the ecosystems in the gulf and has killed so many animals. Oceans are the most important ecosystems and they should be treated with more respect. I can’t believe that BP would expect to be able to resume drilling there after the extensive damaged that they caused to the ecosystems and the economy by the gulf. I would be very disappointed if BP is allowed to start deep water drilling again even if they updated there regulations and equipment. Deep water drilling is a recipe for disaster and it is only a matter of time before the next spill occurs.

[FREE] Saudi Women Driver to be Lashed

I was looking through google reader and I found an article about a woman who was sentenced to ten lashing after driving through the streets of Saudi Arabia. I was surprised to find out that women aren't allowed to drive but even more surprised that ten lashings was the punishment she received. I had no idea that they used lashings as a form of punishment and it seems a little ridiculous to me. It is pretty obvious that women in Saudi Arabia do not have the rights they deserved and are treated like second class citizens to men.

There is no formal law that bans women from driving but there is a law that requires everyone to drive with a locally issued license which the government does not issue to women. Since these licenses are not attainable by women it is technically illegal for them to drive. Driving is often a necessity and women should have the right to drive with the proper training.

Another aspect of Saudi Arabia that I found shocking was the fact that under their laws, women require a male guardian's permission to work, travel abroad or even undergo certain types of surgery. Recently the Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced that women will be able to vote and run in local elections for the first time in 2015. It is nice to know that they will eventually be receiving some of the rights that they deserve, however I feel that they should have already attained them a long time ago.

[BC] UC prompt #2

An accomplishment that I am very proud of is when I received recognition from the board of the City of Hope charity. It was an acknowledgement of my contributions and hard work to the charity. Although it was simple and small it still meant a lot to me because I have put in so much time and effort into the charity. I have been volunteering for City of Hope for six years and I plan on continuing to be involved as much as possible. I originally started out just participating in the Walk for Hope Fundraiser which is a 5K walk around part of San Francisco and then eventually became a volunteer and helped set up for the walk and the other annual events.

I am so involved in the charity because many of the women in my family have had breast cancer and so I felt it was important that I help in any way I could for the charity. The women in my family were able to beat their cancer, but so many unfortunate people succumb to cancer because of the lack of a cure to cancer. The charity raises money for the City of Hope cancer treatment, research, prevention, and education facility near Los Angeles. For the last one hundred years the City of Hope hospital has been bringing the world closer and closer to a cure to cancer. I have no doubt that they will continue to make great strides in cancer prevention, treatments, and cures with their innovative research.

It is really important to me that I am involved in charities because I feel that it is so imperative that people give back to their community and to help others in need. I believe that the City of Hope charity is important because cancer is something that so many people are going to have to face and hopefully are able to overcome. With all the research that is financed by the charity the possibility of better treatments and even a cure is all the more possible.

At the Walk for Hope I got the chance to meet with some of the volunteers and participants that were currently battling cancer and it was a very eye opening experience. They were so positive and upbeat and were very open to discussing their experience with cancer. They were so inspirational and I feel very fortunate to have met them. Talking to them made me want to become even more involved in the City of Hope charity. Participating in the charity events helps make me a better person because it makes me more compassionate and more aware of the people around me and what they are going through. This accomplishment makes me proud because it is nice to know that I am doing my part to try to help find a cure for cancer, even though it seems to be small and insignificant. It also makes me proud to be a part of something that is so important and to know that so many others are doing the same.

[CE] Drug Violence Hits Mexican Education

This video reminded me of the video that Mr. Sutherland showed us in class during the first week of school. Apparently since then the issue has worsened dramatically. Around five thousand teachers in Mexico have gone on strike because they feel threatened and unsafe to continue teaching. Schools in Acapulco have been shut down for over a month and show no signs of opening back up anytime soon. Teachers are on strike and are protesting in the streets for some legal action to be taken to ensure their safety.  Teachers feel that they are being targeted by drug gangs and are receiving death threats from the gangs if they don’t give up half their salaries. There have been three deaths so far and multiple kidnappings.

Teachers fear for their lives and are pleading with the government to keep the schools safe for them and their students. However, the chief prosecutor denies the problem in Mexico and insists that it is a gross exaggeration. Personally I think it is ridiculous that the prosecutor would even suggest that the drug violence in schools does not really exist or affect the teachers. Until this problem is solved or at least minimized, children in Mexico will not be able to receive a decent education. Schools will continue to shut down if more and more teachers are too scared to show up to work. The government needs to intervene immediately in order to allow the schools to be a safe environment for students and teachers or else the school system will continue in its downward spiral.

[RE] post

I was reading through some of the class blogs and I saw Dominique's blog about the stress she is feeling with the college process.

"but dang so much to do in a little of time. i dont know if i am the only one here, but i am so stressed out this over whelming process."

I totally feel the same way as Dominique about the college process and all of the things that have to be done in the next couple of months. I am mainly just stressed out about the whole application process because it is so important. I have to take the SAT's in a couple of weeks or so and I have to start applying to colleges which means I actually need to figure out where I would want to go. I have a few colleges in mind but I defiantly need to find out more colleges that I would apply to.

I also agree with Dominique that the essay that Mr.Sutherland had us write and Mrs.Pula talking to our class was extremely helpful. All of the important dates are coming up soon so I know that I am just going to get more and more stressed. I personally can not wait until this whole process is over and done with so I  know where I will be going to college and then I can just relax and enjoy the rest of my senior year. I am excited to go to college and hope that I am happy where ever I end up. Hopefully all goes well for me and the rest of the seniors.

[FREE] post

So I just chose my topic for the bill we have to write as a senior for mock congress so I thought I'd write about it. The bill topic I chose is legalizing Euthanasia which is also known as Physician-assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician takes part in any way with the ending of a patient’s life. Euthanasia is categorized as either voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when there is consent from the patient and also includes passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is when a patient denies common treatments that are necessary for sustaining life, while active euthanasia is the use of lethal substances to end life. Non-voluntary euthanasia is conducted without the consent or approval of the patient because they are unable to provide consent and is sometimes known as mercy killing. Involuntary euthanasia is performed on people who are able to consent but chose not to. This is mostly considered as murder, but not always.

            This topic is considered to be controversial and is in major debate about whether or not it should be legalized. The true controversy lies with the involuntary euthanasia because many consider it to be a form of murder. They consider it homicide because homicide is defined as any action that has the sole intention of ending a life. However, supporters believe that euthanasia is a justifiable and excusable homicide. Voluntary euthanasia, specifically passive euthanasia is unanimously considered to be legal in the United States. Hopefully I can create a good bill with this topic.

[CE] US Poverty

This video came as a surprise to me because I never knew that the poverty levels were so high in the United States. I knew it wasn't good, but I had no idea that it was this bad. According to the video over 46 million people are currently living below the poverty line across the country. This extreme level of poverty hasn't been this high since 1993. According to the United States census report one in six people are living in poverty.

So many families are living paycheck to paycheck and are barely making ends meet. I can only imagine the heavy burden that it places on a family. I have no idea what it's like to feel this burden but I certainly sympathize with those who are going through this. I feel very fortunate that this isn't a problem affecting me directly. But this is a problem that is affecting people all around me which is a tough pill to swallow.

After watching the video my first thought was what can be done to fix this? This is a huge problem that is not capable of being fixed overnight. The government needs to get involved before the poverty numbers in the United States worsen. However, with the budget crisis our country is facing right now I have no idea how the government can help those who are struggling. I am very curious about this situation and am interested to find out how this problem is going to be addressed.

[FREE]

Last Friday and Saturday I had a Tennis Tournament in Fresno where my team placed fourth. I'm not sure how many teams participated in the tournament but I'm just going to say a lot so that we sound better. It was so unbelievably hot! Three people on my team including myself got sick because of how hot it was. I also have an awful tan line/sunburn now because of our uniforms. The three matches that we played on Friday we won as a team which allowed us to move on to the next bracket. However, on Saturday as a team we lost our first match so for our next match we had to play for third and fourth place rather than first and second which was kind of a bummer.

 In general all of the opponents I played were really nice which is completely unusual for tennis. Most people are kind of bitchy and tend to make bad calls when they are losing or frustrated. One doubles team I played was nice at the start but once they started losing they went crazy. One of the girls got so frustrated with her and her partners performance that she threw her racket after losing an important point. I thought it was hilarious but their coach didn't really feel the same.Even though it was really hot and we didn't do as well as we had hoped, the tournament was really fun and a great way to start off the tennis season.

[BC] UC essay prompt

My ultimate dream and aspiration is to become a Registered Nurse and eventually work my way up to a Nurse Practitioner. Throughout my life I have had many career aspirations like other normal kids, but they all have been centered around the health care field. I have always had a love for science and an interest in the human body and how it works. I was first introduced to nursing by a family friend who has been a nurse for over two decades and a part of my life since I was born. She has helped educate me on exactly what a registered nurse does and answered all of my seemingly endless questions. Another thing that led me to nursing was an ROP course that I took in my junior year of high school. It was a health care career introductory class that included a large section about nursing. I learned how to check all of the vital signs and how to respond to medical emergencies. We also became CPR certified and First Aid certified. This class really made me think of nursing as my career choice and something that I would love to do every day.

Throughout my life I have played multiple sports and still continue to play and I have witnessed many sport related injuries. I was always the first to run out to them with the first aid kit and eventually I just became the designated team "medic." My family friend that introduced me to nursing gave me tips and taught me how to deal with the injuries that my teammates would obtain. Although it seems insignificant, taking care of my teammates was fun to me and really taught me how to take care of others in the most pleasant and efficient way.

I am more drawn to being a nurse rather than a doctor because in my experience nursing is more hands on and has a deeper connection with patients. I feel that nurses administer better care and also help patients deal with their injuries or disabilities rather than just tell them whats wrong. The nursing field is in high demand and is always changing. The opportunities in the nursing field are vast and almost endless. There is always the possibility to do something new and to keep furthering your education. I genuinely care about the well-being of others and think it is a privilege to be able to take care of people and help them recover.

Helping patients recover from impairments or just helping a patient cope with a disability or illness is a special experience that would be my way of making a positive impact on other peoples lives. Nursing is a highly respected field that I would be so lucky to be a part of as my long-term career. How I grew up really had a large affect on my dreams and aspirations. The people around me helped shape my career aspiration of becoming a nurse because of their knowledge and support.

[RE] post

This is a response to what Trevor  said on his blog

"Although I'm not set on what we should have done in the wake of 9/11, I am positive that we shouldn't have used soldier's well being as pawns in a game of politics and greed, and also we should not have hidden so many things from the American people."

I feel the exact same way about the situation. The video that is connected with Trevor's response was very eye opening in the way that it describes the dirty politics that went on after the 9/11 attacks. Another surprising thing is that it seemed to me that the Bush administration linked the September 11 attacks to Iraq simply because it could. They were just looking for an excuse to go to war with Iraq and the terrorist attacks were the perfect excuse to take action. They cited that the reason was because Iraq was developing or had weapons of mass destruction but in truth none were ever found. The most upsetting thing is that so many honorable soldiers who so willingly put their life on the line for their country lost their lives in the war preceding the terrorist attacks.

I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that memorable day and I distinctly remember the fear and confusion everyone around me felt. At first I didn’t understand what was happening but as the day went on I was able to comprehend what had just occurred. The attacks on 9/11 have dramatically changed our world and still have a huge affect on our countries decision making today. All of the people who risked their lives to save others or protect and serve our country are true heroes. The 9/11 terrorist attacks have greatly affected our country and so have the actions that followed the attacks. The events on September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten.

[CE]: Famine in Somalia

The severe famine going on in Somalia has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. According to the United Nations more than half of the countries entire population is facing severe food shortages. Many are fleeing long distances to reach refugee camps within the country. In the video they show a family that had traveled three days just to reach the camp and one of their children had severe bloating from malnutrition and starvation. The video sheds light on the fact that even with donations and a considerable amount of money there are millions of people who cannot be reached. Many people are leaving everything behind to reach hospitals and camps in order to receive some aid.

            This video is truly sad because of the widespread famine that is affecting more than half of the country. One of the worst facts about the famine is that is rapidly spreading and that so many unfortunate people will not be able to receive any kind of aid. Having a scarcity of food and water is an awful situation to have to endure and for most it is unlivable. Seeing all of the affected people in the video makes me feel fortunate to be living in such a place where a widespread famine would not occur.

            Within a year it is expected that the famine will spread to the entire southern part of the country. The world food program, which is providing most of the food to people in Somalia say that lives can be saved but millions will not be receive food or any other kind of aid.

[FREE]

 So this is my first time blogging. I’m kinda worried about all of the blogging that I am going to have to do this year because I feel like I’m going to run out of things to blog about but hopefully it all goes well. I’m really excited about this year because I’m a senior and I can’t wait to go to college. I’m pretty happy with my classes this year because I have an easy schedule with a free sixth period. My favorite class is physiology with Mr. Wilson because I find the class very interesting and I have a lot of friends in my class.

I had my first tennis match of the year yesterday against Piedmont and it defiantly did not go very well. I play doubles number one on var. My partner Cynthia and I lost but it was still a somewhat close match. I was feeling pretty bad about it afterwards but then I found out that the rest of my team all lost so I felt a lot better. We’re actually good I swear but Piedmont is hella good and has a habit of cheating.

Tomorrow I leave at 2 o’clock for a tennis match in Fresno which I was really excited about until I checked the weather and found out that it is supposed to be in the hundreds. I’m defiantly going to be miserable because I’m such a baby when it comes to the heat. I have two matches on Friday and three matches on Saturday; hopefully we do well and win since we almost won last year.