Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

   We drove to Universal Studios Florida in 2013, and we stopped by a quaint town called Chattanooga, Tennessee made famous by the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo."  For train lovers of any age this would be a good spot to check out as the town hosts a Terminal Train Station and the original Chattanooga Choo-Choo train and many others.  In Terminal Station they have an impressive model train display of the area including Look-Out Mountain, a tourist attraction in the town.  You can stay in the station in train cars or rooms and have brunch before heading to Florida!
     At Universal Orlando, our main focus was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure; there is now an extended Hogwarts Express train that connects it to the Universal Studios Florida that includes the new Diagon Alley which we would like to see.  However, this one is worth seeing on its own.  First, you enter the town of Hogsmeade which is a replica of the actual town in the books with stores that sell wands, confectionaries, and many other things from the world.  They've created a scaled version of the castle which holds props and entire rooms from the movie that makes waiting in line for the ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  After you get done with the ride, visit gift shop in the castle to see the Marauder's Map and other souvenirs.  You have to wait in line for Ollivander's Wand Shop to see the show and then you can purchase your own wand, or you can purchase the replicas from the movies.  Another thing you can do is send yourself or someone else a postcard from the Owl Post with a Harry Potter stamp.  For lunch eat at the Three Broomsticks for butter beer, giant turkey legs, and the Harry Potter atmosphere.  Outside the castle you can watch Beauxbatons and Durmstrang perform dances and acrobatics.  Also, listen to the choir sing with the frogs.  Check out Honeydukes, the Hogsmeade sweets shop, and Zonko's Joke Shop for pranks.  Many of the window displays have replica props from the movies like Quidditch Shop, Wizard Chess, and brooms.
     Continuing on other places in Islands of Adventure see the Marvel and other comic areas.  There is also a Dr. Seuss area and other worlds like Poseidon's Adventure and Sinbad's 8th Voyage stunt show.  You can end your day at the NBA restaurant and shop.  We spent an entire day there, and you could do more, but our most fun was at Harry Potter.

Tea Rings: our recipe

        Every year my family makes tea rings for friends, family, and teachers.  A tea ring is a large, frosted cinnamon roll in a fancy pattern that my grandma Judy taught my mom how to make, and now my mom is teaching all of us.  My grandma Judy made lots of bread growing up in 4-H and then as an adult.  My mom's family used to give the tea rings to teachers and friends to the point where the tea ring was part of some people's Christmas morning traditions.  Every time we make them they make the house smell good; they are the essence of Christmas embodied in sweet, delicious warmth.
     The first step in making tea rings is to make the dough, which is a sweet dough that can be formed into just about anything from dinner rolls to breadsticks to dessert breads.
     To make the dough, first, set aside the yeast mix dissolved in 1/4 cup of warm water in a small bowl and follow the directions on the package, making sure that the temperature of the warm water is not too hot so it kills the yeast and not too cool so the yeast doesn't grow and makes your rolls flat.
     Next, in a large mixing bowl--a large mixer with a dough hook is the easiest--combine and beat until smooth
 - 1 heated cup of milk
 - 1/2 cup of shortening (butter, lard, margarine--lard is recommended)
 - 1/2 cup of sugar
 - 1 tablespoon of salt
 - 1 cup lukewarm water.
     Cool the mixture to lukewarm so that when you add the egg and yeast they don't get too hot.  Beat in 2 cups of flour and 1 egg.  Add yeast mixture and approximately 4 cups of flour--this depends on how sticky the dough is and how much you will use to knead it later.  Transfer the mixed dough to a floured surface to knead lightly for 10 to 15 minutes (unless you used a mixer with a dough hook, so then there is less kneading required).
     Once the dough is elastic and has a surface that holds in bubbles, you can place it smooth side up in a greased, large bowl (we use big Tupperware bowls).  Set it in a warm place with a dish towel (smooth, not fluffy one) over it while you allow it to rise until it is doubled in size.  When doubled in size, punch down to remove some of the air, and pinch off what you need for rolls.  We make about 5 tea rings per batch for a decent sized roll. So, divide the batch into five lumps of dough.
     Now to make the actual tea ring you first take one of the dough lumps and place it on a greased surface to roll out with a rolling pin in the shape of a square or rectangle.  Roll lightly but firmly so it doesn't make the dough too hard or sticky.  Leaving an inch or so at the top of the square, spread melted butter over the entire dough surface.  Next, take a half cup or so of brown sugar and distribute that evenly across the buttered area.  Then sprinkle cinnamon generously over the brown sugar.  Now carefully roll up the bottom of the dough to the top, unbuttered part so that it can be pinched to the dough roll to seal it.  Now you should have a long roll of dough to place on a greased pan with the seam of the roll down.  Make it into a circle or ring.  Finally, with a pair of clean scissors, cut a half inch slit in the circle from the outer to inner edge, leaving some space in the center.  Turn the cut parts to make a fan in a circle on the pan--make sure pans have edges to catch run-off.  Let rise until it doubles again.  Sometimes you can add melted butter lightly to the top for browning purposes--we don't always do this.
     In a heated oven at 350°F, put in the pans.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Take out and immediately take out of pan. We transfer to a paper plate to give to others, and then quickly frost and sprinkle with decorative sugars or candy shakers.  For frosting, use a bag of powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons of milk, two teaspoons of vanilla, a couple tablespoons of melted butter, and a few tablespoons of softened cream cheese.  Mix together well until smooth.  May need to add a bit more milk or butter to taste and to make creamy.
     After the tea ring cools, place in Ziploc bag, and give to someone you care about!
   

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

        There has been a lot of fear-mongering that Disney would ruin the Star Wars movie franchise, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens completely surpassed expectations--I mean, What a movie!  The movie brings back much of the original cast thirty years after the death of Emperor Palpatine in  Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi effectively tying the new generation to the old, connecting the past to the present.
      The choice of J.J. Abrams as director was probably one of the best choices they could have made to make it a success.  His recent successes in rebooting the Star Trek franchise and his love for sci-fi made him a wise choice of director.  He brings good character development with the newcomers and the relationships that they develop.  His excellent camera work makes the Millennium Falcon fly again in style.  The impressive special effects which are a hallmark of Star Wars movies don't fail with a new, even more powerful Death Star-type weapon.
     Like the original Star Wars cast, they chose relatively unknown actors to fill the major roles of the film.  Daisy Ridley, playing Rey, stands out from the rest of the cast with her independent strength and adaptability in the face of the First Order.  Finn, played by John Boyega, was a non-Clone Stormtrooper who develops a conscience and is drawn to the Light side by connecting with Poe Dameron and later Rey.  BB-8 although not a human being, has a personality and life of his own.  He's on par with R2-D2 as a creative droid/character.  The new adversary Kylo Ren is interesting because he has a conflict inside of him that you didn't see as much with Darth Vader, and he seems to be on the tipping point of possibly returning to the Light.  This makes him a lot more human than what Darth Vader was.
     My recommendation is to see the movie.  If you weren't a Star Wars fan before, you will be after, and then go watch the other movies.

Spectre

            So I saw Spectre today which, after seeing it, I think could be the final James Bond film for Daniel Craig. What makes this feel different is that there is a sense of completeness that wasn’t there at the end of Skyfall.  They wrapped up the four movie storyline with Bond discovering the organization behind every single plot against him in the last three movies, named Spectre which is also the organization of "evil" in the older Bond movies although it is only mentioned in a couple.  Daniel Craig also made comments that suggested this would be his last Bond movie.
     The critics have rated it above average, but not as highly as Casino Royale or Skyfall.  I would rate it much higher than average--maybe 80% positive.  Although I'm not a movie critic, I thought it was a good movie because it explained many things about the four-movie series, and also it tied up most of the loose ends in the past plots.  Daniel Craig and Léa Seydoux have an interesting chemistry on screen.  She seems like the type of person that Bond would settle down with--if she survives.  The plot kept you engaged throughout by continuing to connect to the previous movies, and it had a similar amount of action as the other movies.  Bond restricted his killing better in this movie, like he was reformed after Skyfall.
     Because I've been watching Marvel's "Agents of SHIELD" and the movies, I've noticed several similarities between the "evil" organizations of Spectre and Hydra.  They are both international organizations dedicated in one form or another to world domination.  Spectre wants to control things in the world behind the scenes, and Hydra wants to be known in the world to create an entirely new world order.  In the movie, Spectre has one of their agents try to create a unified intelligence organization that would combine the intelligence organizations of nine of the biggest countries.  This sounds like it could be a good idea, but it would be a disaster for the world.  In the process of the merger, the 00 branch of MI-6 is shut down.  M, Q, and Moneypenny have to find the suspended Bond and help him stop the merger and Spectre.
     I recommend this movie to anyone who has seen the first three or like good spy movies with lots of action.  If you can, go see it in the theater since the effect of seeing in the big screen is better than on television.

Benefits of playing LEGOs and Minecraft gaming

        There are varied attitudes towards Minecraft and the hours that kids spend playing it, but not so much with LEGOs. However, both promote many skills and learning benefits.

        Great things never go out of style, thus is the fact of LEGOs. Playing with LEGOs have a whole bunch of developmental and educational benefits, such as the development of creativity, abstract thought, fine motor skills, confidence, problem-solving skills, patience, persistence, perseverance, individualism, engineering awareness, cooperation, and teamwork. Studies also show that even infants and toddlers benefit from sorting through the varied colors and shapes of the bricks. And as your child gets older, playing with LEGOs promotes creative problem solving and challenges kids to think in 3 dimensions. It's something not everyone does well, but mathematicians and physicists have to think in 3D all the time. Thus, playing with LEGOs could be laying a colored-brick foundation for a career. No wonder many architects and engineers look back on hours playing with LEGO as their first step toward a life-long love of building. Finally, LEGOs are even more rewarding when you’re working with others to build something. Working in a group with LEGO promotes co-operative behavior and good communication. Due to its effectiveness, it is often used as a form of group therapy for kids with autism. It’s been successful in teaching them how to interact with others to achieve a common goal.

        Popular belief says video gaming is a lazy, mind-numbing waste of time. Stereotypes like this are common, but they’re not exactly accurate. Building games like Minecraft develop spatial awareness, structural design, and for a sandbox game, resourcefulness. Players have to be aware of space requirements and scale when building large complex structures. These also play into the creation of real/fictional ships or buildings that have specific dimensions. Due to Minecraft's open-endedness as a sandbox game, players must also learn to be resourceful to find information on multiple aspects of the game. Also, through experimenting and working together, kids begin to develop skills in creative thinking, math and geometry, and even learn a bit of geology. And to complete large tasks, they need to plan a strategy, define goals, and work together to execute and see the mission through — sort of like having a real job.

        Playing is extremely valuable for kids, considered by many to be the most important activity in the development of children. In fact, the Journal of Adolescent Research published a study comparing children that played video games to those that didn’t. “Video game players, regardless of gender, reported higher levels of family closeness, activity involvement, attachment to school and positive mental health,” Paul Adachi and Teena Willoughby, the authors of the study, concluded. “Video game players also had less risky friendship networks and a more favorable self-concept. Even schools are taking notice, with some classrooms integrating Minecraft or LEGOs directly into their curriculum. Previously, teachers had to form their lesson plan to the game, but with Minecraft, they can form the game to their lesson plan.

Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: Kennedy Space Center Florida

     I know I've written about Florida before, but there are so many other things to see that I thought I'd write about another, Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral.  One of my main recommendations for visiting Kennedy, especially if you are really interested in the space program, is to go on the upgraded V.I.P. tour rather than the basic package because you get a better tour guide who gives more in depth information, and you get into more areas that aren't always open to the basic package.
     When we went we were able to actually go inside the Vehicle Assembly Building--the one where the space shuttle and Saturn V rockets were assembled.  It was built to accommodate four Saturn V rockets at one time which would have allowed for weekly launches--a dream of the famous rocket scientist, Wernher von Braun.  This limited access tour allowed us to stand on Launch pad 39A where the gantry was set up from the last space shuttle launch and would be converted to a new configuration launch pad for commercial use by Space X which is owned by Elon Musk.  We saw the Orion capsule being assembled which has now done an unmanned mission.
      On the way to the Apollo-Saturn V Center on the tour we saw alligators, snakes, birds, and wild boars since part of Cape Canaveral area is a wildlife preserve.  Look for a decades old eagle's nest along the way.  Inside the Center they have an actual-sized, deconstructed Saturn V rocket that you can walk under and around.  It also has a mock-up Launch Control Center that simulates the Apollo 11 launch and moon landing.  It was pretty awesome to experience the most historic space mission. The Center includes information on all of the other Apollo missions as well as artifacts of the space race, including many training modules.
      We made it to the last showing of the day of the Atlantis exhibit which is their newest building, and houses the actual Atlantis space shuttle which was the final flight of the shuttle program in 2011.  It includes many interactive exhibits that utilize motion technology to practice skills in space.  The Atlantis was amazing to see up close knowing that it was the last mission.
     Other exhibits to check out are the rocket garden which has rockets from each generation, and the other movies and hand-on exhibits throughout the complex.  There are also decent places to eat and a great space gift shop.

Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: Washington D.C.

      You could spend seven days in Washington D.C. and not see everything.  There's something for everyone from science and tech geeks to sports fan to history buffs.
      For science and space lovers go to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in the National Mall and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum outside of Chantilly, VA.  If you are visiting the Mall, then at the Air and Space you can see an assortment of airplanes and other technological wonders that were important to both history and progress.  In the First Flights exhibit you can see the Wright Brothers plane, Friendship VII (John Glenn's), the Apollo XXI module, the Bell X-1 (Yeager's sound barrier broken), and more.  You can tour Skylab and take a walk along the path of developing rockets and the space race.  The aircraft carrier wing is worth exploring offering views of old WWII through Vietnam era planes and memorabilia.  At a far section of the building is a newer unmanned drone display where you can see the Pioneer UAV, the Lockheed Martin/Boeing Dark Star, and the experimental Boeing X-45A Joint Unmanned Combat Air System which is being outfitted to go on missions without human oversight, including landing on an aircraft carrier which is very hard for humans, so imagine how hard it is for robots.  There are also changing exhibits for every time you visit.  For a bit of a trip outside of D.C. it is worth the drive to see the Udvar-Hazy Hangar in an annexed part of the Dulles National Airport.  From the Engen Observation Tower, you can simulate being an air traffic controller and watch planes from Dulles land and take off.  In the main part of the museum you can see space shuttle Discovery, an SR-71, the Enola Gay B-29 Superfortress that bombed Japan in 1945, and more planes and space relics throughout history.  Several movies have been shot in the hangar including a scene from Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen where the SR-71 turns into an ancient Transformer.  Other airplanes you can see up close are the Concorde, an F-14 Tomcat which are used in Top Gun, an X-35B which was a precursor to the official F-35 Joint Strike Fighter., and a Black Widow which my grandfathers always liked to see.  If you like planes and space, both of these museums are worth a day each.
     For sports fans in the summer head to see a Nationals game in Nationals Park in D.C. (though I recommend that you sit in seats that get some shade or you will be roasted!), but there is a "relief" room with free ice water and air conditioning.  The mascots are six past presidents--Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Washington, Jefferson, Taft, and Coolidge who run out and race in the field to the crowd's amusement.
     For history buffs you could spend months in the various museums.  Some highlights that we enjoyed include touring the monuments and several of the history museums in the National Mall.  On one of our vacations we took the Night Bus Tour which stopped at many of the main monuments briefly to see them beautifully lit at night.  The tour included the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, views of the Washington Monument across the Potomac, the White House, the newer Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Vietnam and Korean Memorials, Iwa Jima to see the statues raise the flag, and return back to the Union Station.  It was the most handicap accessible tour for my little brother in a power chair, but you did see many places in a couple hours in the night.  I'd recommend going back to some of the memorials in the daytime to investigate them further, especially the Vietnam and the Korean ones.
     Another part of the Mall to see are the museums.  The Archives houses many of the most important documents to our history including the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights.  It can be a long wait in the building, and the writing is surprisingly light, but it is worth being close to that part of our history as Americans.  The Library of Congress Houses the largest collection of books, newspapers, and documents in the world, and the building itself is a fascinating piece of art.  If you are a scholar, you can apply for a library card so you can actually go into the library proper to do research.  Other notable museums for us were the Museum of American History which houses the stuff of America's past, but much of it is in storage and the exhibits rotate so much that you never know what will be on display,  When we were there, we saw Dizzy Gillespie's custom trumpet, Apolo Anton Otto's skates, GM EV-1 (the first mass produced electric car), and much more.  The Museum of Natural History has the Hope Diamond, exhibits of earth science, and fossils with some impressive exhibits of animals from the past.
    This is just the tip of the iceberg that is Washington D.C.  If you want to see what I mean, spend a week there.

The Wiz Live! Remake from the 70s

       Back in the 1970s Michael Jackson and Diana Ross starred in the movie version of The Wiz which is musical rendition of The Wizard of Oz with action set in Harlem and all African American actors playing the roles.  According to Wikipedia, the movie was not well received at the time, but it has become a cult classic with lots of the songs performed even to this day by show choirs and others.  This Thanksgiving NBC produced The Wiz Live! a modern remake of the play and movie to follow their holiday show pattern of recent years which included Cinderella and  Peter Pan, also live.
      My mom decided to watch it on Hulu tonight, so intrigued I watched it with her and my brothers.  It was a great cast filled with powerhouse singers of today like Queen Latifa, Mary Jo Blige, Ne-Yo, and other newer actors.  The music was upbeat and entertaining as well as very well performed.  The stage effects were pretty inventive.  They utilized large screens to change scenery which allowed them to create multiple scenes without elaborate sets.  The choreography for the dancers was well designed to fit the scenery like the use of dancers dressed as poppy flowers to make the scene more three-dimensional, and the same was true of the tornado dancers.  The story is an icon of American culture being well known in the U.S., so it was a good twist on it.  I would recommend watching it on Hulu or somewhere if anyone is interested in musicals, good music, or show choir.

Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall: Leading up to Spectre

     Before I watch Spectre, I decided to watch the movies preceding it. The 21st century James Bond reboot stars Daniel Craig as Bond and reprises Dame Judi Dench as M (from the Pierce Brosnan Bond years) and includes Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall.  
     Overall, each movie was well received by critics with Casino Royale and Skyfall earning above 90% rating from critics.  All were big money makers at the box office, so the upcoming Spectre has much to live up to from these movies.
     Unlike Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace was more of a revenge movie as a result of the events in Casino portraying Bond during a difficult recuperation from the loss of his love.  Thus, the movie was more violent mirroring Bond's anger and pain.  He killed a lot more showing that he had less control than was previously thought by M.  Because it was kind of a second part to Casino Royale that may be some of the reason for the lower ratings.  Also, it had the most acts of violence of any Bond movie according to Wickipedia, so the grittier,  more violent nature of the movie might have affected how people rated it too.
     Fans were initially worried about Daniel Craig succeeding Pierce Brosnan as the new face of Bond because he wasn't as suave and sleek looking.  But, since this was really a prequel to all the Bonds, Craig fit the image of an early Bond well.  Craig portrays a rougher, edgier Bond with less experience which gives a different feel to the movies because he seems more eradicate and you aren't sure what he'll do.
     Since Skyfall basically wiped the slate clean for Bond and with M gone, a new director will replace her.  I think Skyfall  was Bond's crucible because he had to face his past and overcome it. This leaves a more hardened, but more refined Bond to begin a new relationship with the new M, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes,  and the next phase of his journey.
     I expect to see a new side of bond in Spectre where he begins the second phase of his career and takes on the organization behind all of the problems he's been through in the last three movies.
   

Thanksgiving Traditions

    There are a lot of traditions involved with Thanksgiving.  My family has several of our own.  Every year we have Thanksgiving at my grandma's where she cooks a wonderful array of foods like turkey and ham (since not everyone likes turkey), her stuffing, rolls, and pies--raspberry and pumpkin.  My mom usually brings sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and deviled eggs.  Most every year we have my family and my mom's two brothers' families.  This year my grandfather from my dad's side was visiting us so he was invited.  We go up a Wednesday to help Grandma prepare and watch the Macy's Day Parade.  After we eat, we play games like Hearts, Apples to Apples, and chess.
    Several times in the past we went to Florida for Thanksgiving to see my grandma on my dad's side.  There we usually went to a movie and shopped for LEGOS for Christmas in Downtown Disney.  We also ate at the T-Rex for the meal which feels like you are in a prehistoric place.
     Please share your Thanksgiving traditions in the comments section below!

Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: Florida Disney World

        My family has visited Florida many times, both on vacation and to visit family there.  But in 2009 we made the American pilgrimage to visit Disney World.  I was ten, and my brothers were 7 and 4; in general, those were good ages to go.  Most of the attractions are geared around that age, and none of us were really old enough to do the intense rides so no one was left out.
      We went in early December, after Thanksgiving, so the Christmas decorations were up at the parks. Another good thing about that time of year is that it wasn't as busy as Christmas break or the middle of the summer. The lines weren't as long (it also helped that my little brother's in a wheelchair, so at the time, we got a fastlane--it has changed since then because some people abused the wheelchair line), and the traffic wasn't as bad.  Plus, the weather was moderate to warm, not blazing hot like in the summer.  All good reasons to go in the winter.
       We stayed in the Contemporary resort which has an in-house Monorail stop and is one of the original hotels in DisneyWorld.  The Contemporary has post modern feel to it with its trapezoidal shape and sleek, updated interior design.  The resort has a Mickey Mouse shaped pool and lake front view with a beach.  If you wake up early enough to go to the pool, you can turn on the fountains and slides with "magic wands" and Mickey hands from the staff.  The lake hosts a parade of lighted boats at night for the holidays.  Also within the hotel you can eat at Chef Mickey's Restaurant and have a character dinner including Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Pluto.  It is a full buffet with Disney-themed desserts.  One thing our family liked was watching the Monorails come and go from various parks.
     We went to Magic Kingdom first in our visits to the parks.  It was the least interesting park for all of the boys because it was more for princesses.  The highlights were Tomorrowland with Buzz Light Year shooting of aliens, the parade and fireworks down Main Street U.S.A. at night with all the lit up floats and characters, and the Big Thunder Railroad Roller Coaster.   Along Main Street there are multiple shops that we visited to get Mickey ice cream cones, see a glass blower, and look at swords.  I wouldn't need to go back to this area, but my mom would go back to see the new Beauty and the Beast castle.  Make sure you get Fastpasses in the morning or as soon as possible.  Our family went later in the day and stayed later since we are night owls more.
     The next day we visited Disney Hollywood Studios which we really enjoyed.  Our family liked the Star Wars section of the park where we went on the Star Tours ride, and my brother and I participated in the Jedi Training Academy--I would highly recommend this for young Star Wars fans since you have a surprise opponent at the end of the training.  The life-sized AT-AT and the Tatooine Traders make you feel like you are actually in Star Wars.  We caught the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular which was worth seeing live stunts.  There are many other shows and talent competitions that you can see, including Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid.  We the night show on the water with the music, lights, and performances.
     For me Epcot was the most fun in part because I like science, technology, and interactive exhibits.  We spent two days there instead of going to Animal Kingdom since Epcot has basically two parts, the Innoventions where they have lots of cutting edge inventions and explanations of them and the World Pavilions where you can visit many different cultures.  The stop in Innoventions was the Spaceship Earth ride (housed in the iconic geodesic dome) which takes you through invention in time and has interactive, virtual games underneath the structure.  Be to send yourself a postcard of your picture on the ride!  Addition to the innovations, they also have aeroponics and hydroponic labs where they grow food for the rest of Disney World that you can tour.  The ride Soarin' flies you over California.  The evening show was Illuminations and they always do a big light/fireworks show in Epcot too.  There were many more rides and more to see so you could spend more time there.  On the next day we went to the World Pavilions from Norway to Mexico to China and more.  We took a GPS guided tour that took you into the exhibits with your phone or electronic device so you could learn more about the culture.  Disney mirrors the architecture of the actual cities and sites of each culture so you feel like you are walking across countries.  You can try different foods (for a price), learn about different customs, and watch awesome videos of the places.
     In the future, if you have kids, go to the whole park since there's something for everyone.  If you are a science family, Epcot is the best.
   

Apple's iPhone 6s Plus vs Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge

        Even though I'm a junior in high school, I still don't have a phone, but now my parents are planning to buy one for me. To help them out I'm researching smartphones to decide which one I should get, and I have it narrowed down to the iPhone 6s Plus and the Galaxy S6 Edge. People nowadays use their phones for everything from maintaining contact information to watching Netflix. My parents are concerned that because I'm driving now, I may not be able to contact them on the road with my iPod 5th gen since it doesn't have cellular capabilities.  I have to rely on Wi-fi for communication, but when driving, I may end up in places where there are no Wi-fi connections. Hence, my parents decided based on safety.  However, my main uses are for entertainment like Hulu, Netflix, music, multi-media, and social networking, since I occasionally check Twitter. 
      Both phones are packed with features, and are similar in terms of battery life, processing power, displays, and cameras. However, the iPhone has certain advantages that the S6 doesn't and the S6 has certain advantages that the iPhone doesn't. Though more expensive ($399.99 with a plan for the 64Gb model), the iPhone 6S Plus has many features that consumers would like, but the much cheaper ($1-$99 right now at Best Buy) Galaxy S6 Edge offers a competitive set a features comparable to the iPhone 6S Plus.
        The size factor is a issue with the 6S Plus, measuring in with dimensions of 6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches and a mass of 192 grams or 6.77 ounces. The S6, although in the same size class of the 6S Plus (dimensions of 5.59 x 2.76 x 0.28 inches and a mass of 132 grams or 4.66 ounces) boasts although smaller in reality than the iPhone's, a screen with a larger (71.75%) display to body ratio versus the iPhone's 67.91 % display to body ratio. This makes the Edge slightly more pleasant to carry around.
        The iPhone 6s Plus The 5.5-inch HD Retina touchscreen boasts a 1920-by-1080 resolution with built-in 3D Touch and uses IPS LEDs. In addition to a full HD screen, it really packs some stunning color reproduction. These features enhance your Netflix or Hulu viewing experience or anything else you're watching. In addition, unlike the S6 Edge, the screen is coated with an oleophobic coating, which provides a certain amount of finger smudge resistance to the display, but doesn't make it completely anti-oil(most smartphone displays are actually covered in this, but Apple was the first to use it). However, the Galaxy S6 has a higher resolution display (1440 x 2560 pixels), a larger display to phone ratio, and more pixels per inch (577 ppi vs 401 ppi). Despite this, the iPhone makes up for this through different display features, such as 3D Touch and an oleophobic coating.
         The iPhone also features a 12 megapixel camera on the back with gizmos such as optical image stabilization, which means better low light video and photography. It also features a 5 megapixel "selfie" camera on the front. But surprise, the Galaxy S6 has a 16 megapixel back camera which offers better pictures than the iPhone. For photographers, the Galaxy S6 Edge would be the better choice, as it offers higher quality photo-taking.
        The iPhone offers better battery life than the S6 Edge, offering up to 24 hours of talk time. This also allows more time to watch videos and surf the web.
        Overall, the iPhone 6S Plus and Galaxy S6 Edge are pretty well balanced in most areas. But I think I would want the iPhone because I already own multiple Apple products and have invested quite a bit of capital in their products and apps.

For the actual comparison see:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Apple-iPhone-6s-Plus,Samsung-Galaxy-S6-edge,Apple-iPhone-6s/phones/9502,9193,9501

Comments? Have your own opinion? Please write it in the comments section!

641

Live or Televised Kennedy Semi-Final?

     This Friday when my family was running late to the semi-final football playoff game of Kennedy vs. Bettendorf at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, we stopped at my grandma's to drop off the dog.  She and our cousins were watching the televised version of the earlier game which was running over time.  Since we were tired, late, and hadn't bought tickets yet, we considered staying at my grandma's to watch the game on television.  However, we were sure glad we didn't!
     The Dome being air conditioned, enclosed, clean, and well-lit makes it a great venue for a football in November.  Because this was Kennedy's first semi-final in a long time (and second in school history), the atmosphere in the stadium was electric.  The entire Kennedy side was essentially filled with fans dressed in green and gold.
     The team was on a roll in the Dome keeping even with Bettendorf in the first half, but after the half-time, the mood changed!  Although Bettendorf made a second exciting touchdown to bring them to 14 points, the Cougars responded, not by giving up, but by putting power back in the game with an interception to reverse the Bulldogs' momentum.  Even when Dalles Jacobus was down on the field (being sick), he recovered and revved up the crowd with his energy after it!  In the middle of the third quarter the crowd roared to keep the excitement up, and the team fed on this enthusiasm.  That kind of feeling doesn't happen through a television screen, no matter how exciting the game is played.

Vacation spots you should check out: Boston

     Do you want to drive a World War II amphibious assault vehicle?  Or see the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world?  Or walk in the steps of Paul Revere and other great historical figures?  If so, Boston is a great place to go for vacation.
     By combining the past with the present, Boston achieves nostalgic atmosphere within the city.  For example, amid high rise hotels and upscale businesses lies Colonial Era building such as Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, and Boston Harbor which launched the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  All of these reside on the historic Freedom Trail.  Be ready to walk a lot on the cobblestone streets.   I suggest that you take a tour such as the Duck Boat Tour or a Trolley Tour (we did both) before setting out on the trail.  A tour can give you perspective on the layout of the city, and a few laughs along the way from the experienced guides.  As a kid you have the opportunity to drive the Duck Boat in the Charles River, if your guide is nice.  This will take you around the city on the river and then on land.  If you take the Old Town Trolley tour, it will take you through several parts of the Freedom Trail and up the hill to the harbor where the U.S.S. Constitution resides.  Sometimes you can stop off and get back on the tour to save walking.
     Also stationed at the Boston Navy Yard is the U.S.S. Cassin Young, DD-793 a Fletcher-class Destroyer, one of only four left afloat.  It was part of the Fast Carrier Task Force on the Pacific front in WW II and was upgraded in the 1950s with more armaments.  When you visit, you can board the destroyer and explore the crew cabins, the various stations, the bridge, and all sorts of weapons on the ship.  Across from the Cassin Young stands the U.S.S. Constitution, a Revolutionary Era battleship.  It is the oldest commission ship afloat in the world when it was launched for service in 1797.  Active U.S. Navy personnel staff the ship with a crew of 55 although the original crew compliment was as high as 450 people.  It earned the nickname, "Old Ironsides" when in the War of 1812, a British cannon seemed to bounce off of her sides since the hull is made of more than a foot thick oak.  It was a tough ship at the time.  It was saved from scrap in 1830 by Oliver Wendall Holmes' famous poem of the same name which turned the public against scrapping it.  She stayed commissioned to this day where you can tour her lower decks and see how the sails and cannons and quarters would have looked over 200 years ago.
      Sights on the Freedom Trail are places such as Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, the State Capitol, Paul Revere's Statue, King's Chapel, Boston Harbor, the Old South Meeting House, the Old Corner Bookstore, the Old Granary, Burying Ground, and the Bunker Hill Monument. The Old North Church was where they hung the lanterns to warn how the British were coming; 1 if by land, 2 if by sea, so there is a statue to Paul Revere there on a horse, even though he wasn't the only rider, or even the one who completed the journey, but he did organize a lot. The Faneuil Hall Market area includes the Old State House and State Capitol where the patriots planned the Boston Tea Party and public meetings were important there.  King's Chapel and others were places of architectural significance and places of meeting.  The Paul Revere house is a tour that shows where he and his family lived and worked, and it has gas lanterns that are originally from the time period to see.  The climb to the Bunker Hill Monument was a big one, but worth it.  It is amazing to be in the same places where our country was founded and the buildings where people planned, worked, and fought are there to walk through.
      The Boston Common is a large multi-venue park that is host to many concerts and events.  One fun family activity is to ride in the swan pedal-powered boats around the lake in Boston Garden.  We also sat on the statues for the book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, as well as saw many other famous statues.    You can feed the ducks and swans, and run through splash pads.  We stayed downtown near the Common at the Boston Plaza Hotel since we had a conference rate, but it was still very expensive, especially with $40 per day parking!  However, staying downtown gives you easy access to so many great tourist sites, tours, and shops.
    Although our family didn't do it, you can also see professional sports teams like the Boston Celtics basketball team who won the NBA title the year we went or Boston Red Sox play baseball.  You can also enjoy the Boston Pops in their outstanding band shell outside for a show.  For lots of sites, sounds, and history, Boston is the place to go!
   


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cassin_Young_(DD-793)

No One Can Replace Jon Stewart, But Trevor Noah Is Doing Well!

        Comedian Jon Stewart retired from The Daily Show this summer to pursue new interests and spend time with his family.  My family was sad to see him go, especially with the upcoming Presidential Elections since he has given us so many important insights and information about the world and politics.  Stewart has left a brilliant legacy including Stephen Colbert who is now on Late Night replacing Dave Letterman and John Oliver has his own HBO Last Week Tonight which are both carrying on aspects of Stewart's gifts.
      However, someone did have to replace Jon as host of The Daily Show, and that person was Trevor Noah, a young comedian from South Africa who isn't a citizen of the U.S. yet.  He brings a similar style in terms of comedy to the show and the pattern of having a monologue of current events, then a guest from various areas of the spectrum, and of course, the ever-important correspondents from the News Team.  His guests have ranged from CEOs to actors to media personalities to candidates for president, much like Stewart's tenure.
     He is very funny and nice as he insults or attacks crazy and rude behaviors of others in the news.  Since he is from South Africa, he has a different perspective on the world and U.S. traditions and culture.  For instance, he did a great piece on Donald Trump comparing his presidential credibility to African dictators explaining that Trump IS presidential, but is better suited to the African continent rather than the North American one.
     In conclusion, I look forward to seeing more of Trevor Noah four nights a week on Hulu via Comedy Central.

A Season of Tradition - Vote Now!

     Good job JFK! With the outstanding football fan involvement this fall we are second in the race to win $25,000 for the school in Battle of the Stands, and we have one last week Nov. 6-Nov. 12 to enter more decibels and win!   U.S. Cellular is challenging schools across the country to be the loudest fans for their football teams and will give money to the loudest crowd.  The "decibels" are raised by voting online at http://www.aseasonoftradition.com/www#nbb.  Use as many emails as you have friends and family because $25,000 could do a lot of work at Kennedy.  Shout out to the outstanding football (and band) performances this year that are now heading us to state in the Dome!  We should be able to build momentum this week for our school and beat South Medford.

Netflix vs Hulu

     This month my family had a free trial of Netflix for a month, and then we tried a free week from Hulu.  In essence, we've been watching more tv this month, but I've noticed definite differences in the abilities and content of each one.
     What we found out in our month with Netflix was that it is built for binge watching or catching up on older movies and tv shows.  For example, the first season of The Flash was just added to Netflix in October, but since it is on season two now, and Netflix adds the new season after it is completed or right as the next season starts, we couldn't watch the new episodes to keep up with this season.  We found that we could watch Chuck and Young Justice and other cartoon shows that we didn't see the first time they were out.  Additionally, Netflix is really easy to use with our Smart TV since there is a button labeled Netflix that you push, and it automatically loads the shows.  At $7.99 per month for the basic package, the price is comparable to Hulu, and there are a lot more shows and movies to watch.
     Because my mom wanted to catch shows that we have missed this season, but we don't have a DVR, we decided to try Hulu since it has more updated shows.  Depending on the network that the tv show is from, Hulu has spotty coverage of new shows too.  For instance, the new season of Doctor Who for the BBC and PBS is not available yet even though there are at least six episodes in the new season.  The CW has a good representation of the new episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and others.  Some of the shows load via their network which takes more time, like ABC shows such as Agents of SHIELD.  We use our Apple TV to run it the best which is a price investment on its own.  The price is basically the same at $7.99 per month which includes some commercials, and $11.99 for the upgraded package with no commercials, unless it is an ABC show or a contractual one that still requires commercials.
     In conclusion, Netflix is probably the better deal for the amount of tv and movie watching for the cost; however, we are using Hulu presently instead of Netflix since the main reason we wanted something extra was to see newer episodes of shows that we missed this year.

Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: South Dakota--the Black Hills

        If you want a scenic getaway, head to South Dakota and the Black Hills.  A good first stop is Sioux Falls, South Dakota where you can see the beautiful falls (when there isn't a drought the falls are much better) and stop for lunch at a quaint bistro.  Another interesting stop on the way to the Black Hills is the Corn Palace in Mitchell which hosts intricate corn murals on the inside and outside of the building.  While my family and I were there, it was undergoing repairs to its domes and murals, but it was fun to see nonetheless.  While driving, look for the Wall Drug signs that have been used for a number of years before you stop for a break in Wall, South Dakota to shop in a myriad of stores.
     After you pass out of Wall, you come to the Badlands National Park.  I would suggest that you begin in the morning because it will take most of the day to appreciate the landscape of huge rock canyons, wildlife, and prairies.  Witness bison herds running across the land that have made a come back from near extinction and prairie dog towns with chattering and funny prairie dogs.  Within the park, there are educational visitors' centers where you can learn about archeology, history, and science.  In one of the outside exhibits, you can walk around and search for unexcavated fossils to help the archeologists in the park locate new ones.  In the Cedar Lodge Center there was a gift shop and diner where you could order bison burgers or bison steaks (warning that it is expensive) and other meal items.
     If you can, stay in Keystone.  It is a beautiful town with lots of touristy shops and food places within walking distance of the hotels.  We stayed in the White House Resort which was connected to the Railhead Family Restaurant and also a boardwalk that lead to the main street.  Additionally, Big Time Pizza owned by a Russian couple had amazing pizza and Russian beer.  In town there was Big Thunder Gold Mine attraction where you could tour the old mines and then pan for gold.  Also, the 1880 Railroad ride was across from our hotel, and it featured a working steam engine on a narrow-gauge track through the countryside.  My mom found a glass blower near town too.
     A short drive takes you to Mount Rushmore National Park.  After leaving the accessible parking area, you immediately have a picturesque view of the Avenue of Flags approaching the monument.  Then the visitor's center offers lots of hands-on exhibits and detailed information on how the mountain was carved.  The explosives exhibit showed the complex and artistic placement of dynamite that moved much of the rock surface.  It was cool and amazing to see.  You can even pretend to blow up parts of the mountain in one exhibit.
     Not far from Mount Rushmore within the Black Hills is Crazy Horse Monument.  It is a massive private undertaking by one family and their supporters.  It is many times larger than Mount Rushmore and still in the early stages of carving.  From there we continued through Custer National Park where we encountered loads of bison that we drove among and other wildlife.  Sylvan Lake is a great place to stop for lunch and paddle boating or canoeing, and where National Treasure: Book of Secrets was filmed amid the massive rock formations.
     Continuing South through the park can take you to Mammoth Springs, an ongoing excavation of mammoth bones (and other ancient animals) that were preserved in a mud spring preventing fossilization.  You can tour it and watch professional and amateur archeologists uncover the remains in a working site.  They explain the science and history of the animals and locale.
     Though it is a little expensive per carload, Bear Country USA was worth the trip to see a large variety of local wildlife, especially the babies.  Driving through the main park will give you views of wolves, elk, bears, pronghorn, and mountain lions.  The best part might be watching the bears get fed from the back end of a pickup truck.  Their lumbering yet quick bodies love the meat!  After you get through the driving part of the tour, you can see the smaller habitats which house the babies and smaller animals.
     From history and science to cute, little baby animals and awe inspiring scenery, South Dakota is a great trip!
   

A Hiawatha Halloween

     Saturday night my family and friends had a Halloween party at our house which was surprisingly fun.  We sat around the fire pit talking with friends, handing out candy to little (and some big) children and giving cocoa to the parents to help keep them warm.  We estimated that we had almost 200 people stop by our house, and the costumes had some recurring themes such as Star Wars, Iron Man, DC comic characters like Batman (and Batgirl in pink), Transformers, and general scary clowns and whatnot.
    My brothers and their friends did a little bit of everything.  Quinn is in a wheelchair so he was Maverick from TopGun with his chair being the F-14 jet plane.  Unfortunately, he got stuck in the mud at a neighbor's sidewalk so my dad and others had to lift his 300+ pound chair back on the sidewalk so he could continue trick-or-treating.  Drew worked all week on his Episode III Green Clone Trooper from Star Wars which he made out of duct tape, cardboard, and various other things, including the help of our grandma and mom.  It turned out quite nicely, but didn't do well in the dark for Ghost in the Graveyard with friends.  My mom, my dad, and I went lower key.  My dad was an Iowa State fan with his normal ISU clothes on.  I was Hawkeye Pierce from M*A*S*H wearing a Hawaiian shirt and cowboy hat.  My mom wore her Yoda pj shirt with a robe and got lots of "May the Force Be with You" comments.
     The little toddlers that came to get candy were really cute waddling around with not a care in the world.  I saw Winnie the Pooh, Iron Man, Mario, several Ninjas, and Little Red Riding Hood/Dorothy.   I wonder who eats the candy because I doubt they eat it all since their parents probably don't want them hyped up on candy and up all night!
     The older kids have high expectations for how much candy they are going to get since many times they came with pillowcases.  I saw a cool middle school costume from three girls from our neighborhood who dressed up with umbrellas with clear streamers coming from it and matching clothes so that they looked like jelly fish (which they said they were) or they were in a rain storm.  Lots of older kids had make up that looked like blood and injuries, and some had elaborate face paint that some of them got them at the mall with face painters.
      What a nice night it ended up being for the end of October!
   

Good Reads--Unbroken: Book vs Movie

        Recently, I finished reading Laura Hillenbrand's book Unbroken:  a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  It follows Louis "Louie" Zamperini's life from childhood through the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games to World War II and his incarceration in a Japanese POW camp onto the end of his life in his nineties.  Then I watched the movie based off the book that was directed and produced by Angelina Jolie which was a relatively faithful translation of the book, but frankly, a movie generally can't compare to a book in terms of content and information.  This is one movie that would be really hard to make it more entertaining than the book.  If it were just an action movie, you could just add more explosions or funnier lines, but since this was a based on a real life story, it is more complex than what you can put into a two hour film.  It could have been a documentary to go into more aspects of Louie's life, but that wouldn't be enough Hollywood "glitz and glam."
     I really like Hillenbrand's writing.  It pulls you forward in the story with clear cut images.  She does a lot of research which she incorporates well into the book.  She did fifty-seven interviews with Louie himself before he died and with many others who knew the stories, including photos and documents that added to the interviews.  She uses imagery, even in the titles of her chapters, that point to the core of each chapter.
     The movie, although good, addressed the main parts of the book, but not in as much detail to do the book justice.  They could have added at least thirty more minutes to cover the major parts at the end of his life.  The movie didn't address the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) after the war or his religious renewal that helped him recover from the war.  In the movie it makes it seem like he was still strong and "unbroken" but in the book Hillenbrand wrote about how he "broke" after the war explaining how he dealt with alcoholism due to PTSD, how he almost destroyed his marriage and lost his money.  He went through a religious salvation by attending a Billy Graham revival encouraged by his wife who forced him to go.  He was able to release his need for revenge toward the Bird that he had pent up all of those years, and go on with more purpose for his life.  Sometimes the story isn't just about the triumph, but the story behind it that shows the work and the problems that people have to deal with.
   Even though the movie is worth seeing, the book gives more to the reader to think about.

Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: St. Louis

     St. Louis, Missouri is a pretty awesome vacation spot, especially if you stay downtown in the old Union Station that has been converted into a mall/hotel/Amtrak station.  The architecture was attractive and the rooms were plush.  It included a swimming pool, paddle boats to pedal around the lagoon, driving small boats around a course, and there were a lot of restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe and others.  The mall area had several things to offer.  They make fudge in front of your eyes and sing to you; we bought some which was delicious.  If you are a Harry Potter fan, there is a Platform 9 and 3/4 mural on the wall that looks like you could walk through it. Definitely get a picture by it like our family did!  There was also historical information and exhibits about trains in the station too.

    Besides visiting the Busch Stadium to see the St. Louis Cardinals and other major attractions, there are several other places that are inexpensive, especially for kids 13 and younger.  The St. Louis Gateway Arch is worth seeing for the interesting historical exhibits about westward expansion, and a trip up in the "egg" conveyor to the top.  The Arch is 630 feet which is taller than the Washington Monument in D.C.  Be creative in taking pictures of it--it is ridiculously photogenic!  If you get a chance, eat at the Olde Spaghetti Factory near the Arch because of the incredible spaghetti and atmosphere of the old building.  

   Another great spot for kids is the City Museum which is a really weird place to go because the creator had a crazy imagination and just keeps building strange jungle gym areas to explore.  He's added airplane cockpits and balls pits and other outside areas that are made from mainly reclaimed materials.  You can climb and crawl for a really long time in places that adults can't go.  

     Also, the old World's Fair Exhibition Gardens includes a zoo, science center, and art museum (but don't try to go to the art museum on Monday since it is closed).  The zoo has a little train and a wide variety of animals to watch.   Our family likes science centers, but there were a lot of interesting things to do at this one.  For example, you can check the speed of cars with a speed gun over the highway from a bridge connecting the two buildings.  You can build a Catenary Arch, like the real one, and work several robotics things, build with Legos, and work with Nanotechnology.  

    There are also two areas near to St. Louis that are named for Ulysses S. Grant:  Grant's Farm (a bit expensive) and the National Historic Park (free).  Kids can get junior ranger badges and see lots of animals including the Clydesdale horses and lots of historical artifacts from the 1800's.  

    Though it isn't too far away to travel, it makes for a well-rounded and fun vacation place for a long weekend or more.

     

How online video has changed education

        We all use the internet as a reference nowadays. But a few years back, people started using sites like YouTube to spread knowledge/teach lessons that would normally take a college class or tech school or a mentor to learn. This has started a "Maker" or DIY revolution across America, if not the free/civilized world opening up more education to anyone with a computer--educating and entertaining.
       The first time I used the Internet to try to figure our how to do something was in my engineering class my freshman year.  We were trying to make a train that could move its pistons on a track using Autodesk Inventor to design and animate it.  Our teacher, Mr. Labs, gave us a YouTube address for a video on how to it, rather than having him show us.  So, after several play-throughs of the video, I was finally able to get the wheels and train moving along the track.  Doing it this way, with some teacher guidance, but relying on your own understanding using the video, it makes more a hands on approach to learning instead of just having someone lecture to you, and you copy it. Because you have to analyze it, the learning is ingrained in your brain more.
      Recently, I've been experimenting with Autodesk Maya and 3DS Max to add animation to video. Since my brother has been many movies with his iPod over the summer, we wanted to make better effects to add to the live action.  Looking at videos on the Internet and tutorial pages for the programs, I am beginning to learn how to use them.

       Other sites, such as Khan Academy are also providing education tools, free online video lessons and courses.

Special effects

        To create movies of the quality we now expect, special effects houses have to use every trick in the book, from classic green-screen technologies to the creation of full artificial intelligence systems. It's no wonder special effects groups, such as Industrial Light and Magic, are as important in Hollywood as any producer or director.

        However, special effects houses can't always just go out to Best Buy or go on Amazon to get the software that makes Hollywood amazing. Generally, larger special effects names spend as much time coding as they do on the artistic side, writing custom code to fix specific problems and bringing new effects to life. Sometimes these "projects" become products in their own right, as happened with Pixar's RenderMan, the engine behind not only the company's own films such as the Toy Story trilogy, ,Ratatouille, A Bug’s Life, and WALL-E, but also most major Hollywood blockbusters, including Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn, 4 of the Terminator movies (T2: Judgement Day, T3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, and Terminator Genysis), Star Trek VI, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, the Jurassic Park quadrilogy, Speed, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Twister, Independence Day, Titanic, Men in Black, Armageddon, the Star Wars prequels(The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith), The Matrix trilogy, Monsters Inc., the 7-movie Harry Potter series, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, X-Men (X2, III: Last Stand, First Class, and Days of Future Past), I-Robot, The Incredibles, Transformers, Mission Impossible 3 and Ghost Protocol, Iron Man 1, 2, and 3, Star Trek (2009), Avatar (2009 film), Pacific Rim, Interstellar, Edge of Tomorrow, Inside Out, Tommorowland, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, Ant-Man,and Avengers: Age of Ultron. (However, it didn't officially become RenderMan until after Toy Story.) This level of complexity makes it into more of an engineering project than a regular artistic one, but if not equally good, the artistic side fails. Pixar is a great demonstration of the two collaborating. When Toy Story came out, the primitive 3D graphics of the time didn't allow for the complex effects we're now used to seeing, so the company focused on the type of effects it could pull off--rigid-body figures, where "any weaknesses would simply contribute to the charm". As  time progressed and technology improved, they introduced more realistic animation, mastered fur (Monsters Inc), and came up with the cartoon humans that made The Incredibles so much fun to watch. Every movie raised the stakes, but every movie became a hit.

        The history of CGI in live-action films hasn't always been smooth. The earliest practical application of CGI was and still is thought to be the point-of-view sequences of Yul Brynner's robot gunslinger in Westworld, a 1973 futuristic western. But pre-1980s films didn't have much to work with, and even in the '80s, GUI computers were still new. In 1982 Tron was released, complete with real actors and the first fully computer-engineered 3D scenes. This legendary movie was the first truly CGI-heavy film, designed to play off the technology's weaknesses as well as its strengths. The producers encountered problems combining the real and computer worlds, making them relatively cohesive and seamless. After Tron, a variety of watershed films employed ever-more impressive CGI advancements, from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade featuring the first all-composite scene to Terminator 2: Judgment Day's startling visuals of the T-1000. Terminator 2 marked the first use of natural human motion for a computer-created character. Its liquid metal effects, particularly in conjunction with the then-revolutionary morphing technology that would soon take over every film and commercial in sight, was a particular eye-opener, giving us a villain that combined the best technology from both 1991 and a post-apocalyptic 2029. 

        But it was Toy Story that really cemented CGI's place in the industry. While producing the film, Pixar grew from just 10 people to 150. This was a unheard-of number for a computer graphics project. 50 to 70 people were on the technical team, working under technical director Bill Reeves and animator John Lasseter. They were tasked with creating the program that would eventually become RenderMan. 

        Whether it's adding incredible characters and amazing scenery, removing human elements or simulating epic battles, CGI is now a staple component of modern movie making. As the regular tools of the trade are commercially available software packages, this only goes to show that the real skill of special effects lies in the artistic expression used rather than the sheer processing power and capablities of the technology.

    P.S.

        Applications available to the public vary in terms of price and capabilities. But you can get a non-commercial RenderMan for free on the RenderMan website. 

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/world-of-tech/computing/how-special-effects-transformed-the-movies-590842

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_effect

Vacation spots you should check out: California

        Over the last few years, my family has been to many places in America including the Badlands in South Dakota, California, and Washington, D.C. But this post I'll talk about Northern California and the states on the way there via our driving tour.
     Driving West we went to North Platte, Nebraska which for train lovers is a highlight since it has one of the biggest train classification yard in the world.  The Golden Spike Observation Tower is a four-story tower that you can watch trains for hours on end, like my dad.
     After Nebraska, we head to Cheyenne, Wyoming for a quick stop where we again checked out trains.  We saw the Big Boy, a gigantic steam locomotive from the 1940s.  You could spend time looking through the shops in the down town near the train station, especially Western styled art, like the giant boots all around.
     Then we traveled to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where we saw oil rigs and steep terrain along the way.  Steamboat Springs is a ski resort in the winter, but in the summer the climate is mild with beautiful scenery and touristy shops.  Fish Creek Falls provided a pleasant hike that even my little brother in a wheelchair could enjoy.   Passing through Salt Lake City, Utah we saw the Olympic Park,  the Great Salt Lake which stunk, and the Salt Flats where they test world records for land speeds.
     Finally, we made it to California where we went to the McClellan Aerospace Museum on the base.  The Star Trek exhibit was there, and we could sit in the Captain's chair on the Original series bridge.  Also, we could see a Borg up close and walk through the halls of the Enterprise D from the Next Generation.  Then we toured the rest of the facility which housed a whole lot of planes, some of which we could enter, including a MiG, F-14D Tomcat, and a Blue Angels jet F-16.
     Near to the airbase is Sacramento where we went to Sutter's Fort, not Sutter's Mill where they first found gold, and we saw blacksmiths, gunsmiths, and olden times stuff.  The blacksmith was making a long knife for a fundraiser.  We then drove into San Francisco over a bridge and began our site-seeing.  We saw the U.S.S. Pampinito at Fisherman's Wharf, a World War II submarine.  Across the Bay we could see Alcatraz, but no one wanted to go there.  We also went to the Ghiradelli Chocolate shop and watched the cable cars since the lines were too long to go on. Next we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to get to the visitor's center.  It was awesome to see in person.
     Our conference was in Santa Clara so it was next to the Intel Museum which had a clean room, the first micro-processor chip, and lots of manufacturing information like how to make silicon wafers.  It was free and worth seeing.  After the conference we went to Sequoia National Park where we saw some of the largest and oldest trees in the world.  Of special note were the Iowa tree, fallen trees, and General Grant tree. Our next stop was Legoland California in Carlsbad which is further South.  There were a lot of really cool Lego structures, and some rides, but mostly for kids younger than 10.  We stopped at the Pacific Ocean which was surprisingly chilly, and we climbed the sand dunes, but only got a little in the water.
    Overall, California was a good place to go because we got to see a lot of famous landmarks and a wide variety of things on the way there.
       

All-State Preparation

        All-State auditions are coming up, and many kids across Iowa have been practicing their hearts out for a spot in this prestigious event held on the ISU campus in Ames in November.  Auditioning is a rigorous process requiring several hours of practice each day on your instrument.  At Kennedy High School our directors devote numerous periods of the day to help us through practice sessions and clinics.
     One opportunity our directors offer are clinics which includes meeting regularly with other professional or experienced musicians to help us hone our skills.  For example, the visiting instructor has us play our music, and then gives us feedback on how to practice better and what parts to practice.  For instance, we have to prepare a solo, two etudes, and have 12 scales memorized, including our chromatic scale for the audition.  Our solo and etudes have to showcase our individual playing ability and musicality, and our scales reflect our technical prowess.  Not every school gives their students these opportunities.  At Kennedy we are lucky to have such dedicated staff and parents who support the program, and Cedar Rapids has many talented musician close by to give these clinics.
   

A family recipe: Jensen Pancakes

        Direct from my dad's side of the family comes a interesting pancake recipe. According to my dad, the recipe has been around for 60+ years. His grandfather used it to cook pancakes for my grandfather and great-aunt back in the 50s and 60s.

        This recipe requires a 8 cup bowl, a spoon, half a cup of Bisquick mix, half a cup of buckwheat flour, a tablespoon of baking powder, a can of cream style corn, one egg, a microwaved quarter cup of coconut oil, and about a quarter cup of milk.
        After measuring the amounts of ingredients, cracking the egg and microwaving the coconut oil, mix the Bisquick mix, buckwheat flour, baking powder, cream corn, egg, and coconut oil in the bowl until it looks relatively uniform, then add the quarter cup of milk. To cook, set the stove burner to 5 for the first pancake, 4 for the second pancake, and 3 for the remaining pancakes. Then, pour the mix into the center of a big or medium frying pan (if it's a pan that can stick, either spray with oil or get some melted coconut oil and oil it with that), then fill about a third to half of the pan, using a spoon to spread the mix out and make it circular. Finally, wait for bubbles to form then flip the pancake over. For a double batch, double the amount of ingredients, including the number of cans of cream corn, number of eggs, and amount of milk.
       
        You will need to make these pancakes several times to learn the correct proportions for the batter so as to obtain the right consistency and to learn how much heat is needed for your stove and pan.
        My aunt sent my dad the directions, she knows it much better than either of us so i tried not to change the original text much. The basis directions can be found on a boxed pancake mix (She used to use a Aunt Jemima whole wheat mix).  Substitute buckwheat flour for half of the mix (usually it ends up a cup of each), add about a tablespoon of baking powder to make up for what would have been in the prepared mix, add an egg and oil (think I used 1/4 c of coconut oil), a can of cream style corn, and milk till it is the right consistency. I usually add some drained whole kernel corn, 1/2 to a whole can depending on how much crunch you like in the pancakes.
        Put about two spoonfuls of batter in a greased pan.  You may need to tilt the pan or gently use the back of the spoon to spread it out some but you don't want it too thin (or thick).  Usually the first pancake doesn't turn out all that well.  You can start the pan with higher heat to get it warmed up but once you start cooking, you want to turn down the heat to medium or just a little above.
        The idea is to be patient to let the batter heat up slowly so the baking powder can generate bubbles and make little holes for the butter and syrup.  If the pan is too hot, the bottom will get too done before the holes have formed and if it is too cool, the bubbles won't form well.  You'll have to experiment to learn how.  If you turn it over too soon, the top will still be to soft and you'll squash the holes shut.  The interior of the cake will not cook completely either and the pancake will taste doughy.  Think about baking a cake in a pan - that's what you're doing.
        Of course, the corn will tend to settle out so you'll need to stir just before spooning out some more batter.  Left over batter can be covered and put in frig.  You may need to stir in a little more baking soda before using and maybe some more milk.  Obviously if you get the batter too thin, you can just sprinkle in some more buckwheat.  You could also cook up the left overs, put wax paper between pancakes and slip them into plastic bag and then into frig or freezer.  They should microwave ok after you've put some butter and sorghum on them.  I just generally fry them since I'm going to need to fry an egg too.
        Of course, once you flip the pancake onto a plate (best if prewarmed but not necessary) so the hot side with the holes is up, buttering can begin and then an over-easy egg dropped on top so the yolk can run into the holes along with a little sorghum (or molasses) to be a true Jensen pancake.  With the egg, there really doesn't have to be a lot of syrup.  I know the kids are used to maple syrup but if you can get them to try one bite of pancake topped the right way, they may see the error of their previous eating.

So, please comment and if you make them, let me know how they turn out!:)

Big thanks to my dad, Brice, and Aunt Nancy!

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

        Avengers: Age of Ultron, the second installment of Avengers came out on DVD and Blu-ray a couple weeks ago.  I happened to see it when it was in the theaters this summer which was cooler since the sound in general is better, and the images had more impact.  However, it is definitely worth seeing at home on your smaller screen.
     The movie continued the story set out in the individual franchise movies like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, in addition to the first Avengers movie.  Developing the characters with more depth and including the plotlines of the other movies.  For instance, the Bruce Banner/Tony Stark relationship of geeky-science-bro was expanded in Age of Ultron where they got to work together on their artificial intelligence project.  We learn more about what happened to Black Widow/Natasha Romanov when she was being trained by the Russians in the Red Room, which strangely has ties to Agent Carter storylines from season one.  We also find out that Hawkeye has a secret life beyond the Avengers and SHIELD that Nick Fury has helped him hide.  All of these relationships and more tie into the plot well and make you more interested in the characters.
     Another thing Marvel does well is adding humor to both their characters and the situations that they get in.  For example, Tony Stark bugs Captain America throughout the movie for chastising Tony for his colorful language which either shows Capt's age and shows his "goodie-good" quality or shows Stark's crassness.  Other characters also mirror Stark's teasing behavior to Capt.  Also, some of the minor heroes or "sidekicks" like Falcon and War Machine provide humor too.  Since they are more down-to-earth, the Avengers act like their sidekicks don't do much important work, but they are still amazing to the public.  The relationship between Quicksilver and Hawkeye is antagonistic in the beginning, but it grows in some interesting ways.
     Continuing the tradition of inspired villians, Ultron (voiced by James Spader) is hypnotic in his speaking and intellectually creepy.  He isn't alone as a challenge to the Avengers.  They also face the Twins and another branch of Hydra, albeit, not for very long.
     Finally, the plotline ties into the entire Marvel Universe really well including one more infinity stone--so stay around for the very end credit scene, not just the mid-credit one!  Agents of SHIELD tied this new season and the end of last season into Ultron which comes as a surprise in the show.  Even though Pepper Potts and Jane Foster are not actually in Ultron, they are still referred to and given updates on them in a friendly argument between Tony Stark and Thor.
     I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys hero movies and science fiction with a bit of humor.

Online Video Games You Might Have Missed: Star Trek Online, Galactic Civilizations III, and Clash of Clans

        Ever since the advent of the graphical user interface (and even before),  software developers have made games for those operating systems. And with the explosive expansion of the availability and the market for computer parts and custom built computers has made high performance gaming a common-place occurrence around the world.

        One of the games I like to play is Star Trek Online. This is an excellent game because it extends the main-line Star Trek universe through the Hobus event that destroyed Romulus (see Star Trek 2009 for reference) and beyond. The storyline is well thought out, incorporating references and characters from the earlier TV shows and movies(Star Trek Voyager, Next Generation, The Original Series, the movies). In-game, you can choose between 3 factions; Federation, Klingon, or Romulan; and then specialize in one of three subject areas, Science, Engineering, or Tactical. Although it is kind of restrained in the areas of spontaneity and a full Trek experience, it is quite fun, allowing you to participate in large-scale space battles, time-travel, continue to explore strange new worlds, and seek out new civilizations.

        Another game is Galactic Civilizations III. This is truly a galactic "Civilization" game because you can colonize new planets, establish starbases that can collect resources, become an extension of your civilization, or become military outposts, conduct large scale operations with huge fleets of starships, and expand your territory through diplomacy or war. It also allows you to build your own ships. I really like the ability to modify the game, allowing me to be whatever and do whatever I want. If you like sci-fi civilization building games, I highly recommend this game.

        Another one of my favorite games is Clash of Clans. It's strange how this simple game could have become so popular in so little time, having been released in the summer of 2012. This game is a city building and battling game that uses a theme that draws elements from D+D, magic(not the game), other city-building games, and the Middle Ages.  I was introduced to it by my uncle Bryan who lived in Pennsylvania at the time.  He showed my brothers and me how to build villages and battle with Barbarians, Archers, Goblins, Giants, and more.  The commercials to promote it are very funny and appealed to us.  It was appealing to connect with people around the world, including my uncle who lived far away.  The clan wars update was very impressive, I mean, now clans have a reason for being other than troop support.  Battling together against another clan allows you to get more money to build.  I like to war with my family in Clash, too, since we all play it.
     
        All in all, computer games are an excellent time-kill and something to do to relax.

     

Wireless Beats Can't Be "Beat"

     Since buying my PowerBeats2, I'm rarely seen without them since they are so lightweight and comfortable, well, plus they cost me a lot of money.  Although there may be cheaper or better quality wireless earbuds, PowerBeats2 offers the best all around of this style of earbud. It combines superior quality sound with durability, comfort and style.
    Of all the earbuds I've owned, my Beats have the best overall sound.  They have crisp highs and excellent bass.  When listening to something, it has a balanced sound through both sides.  It has a good range if you have a line of sight connection to your mobile device, at least twenty feet, but sometimes it gets choppy if you there's too much physical interference with the Bluetooth connection. Instrumental music like movie soundtracks and swing jazz are balanced between both sides of your earphone.  However, in some rock music, like AC/DC, usually one side is louder than the other, and it can be strange sounding, but there tends to be more bass in those kinds of music.
     Another aspect is durability.  I've had these earbuds for about a year, and I've dropped them several times.  However, they are still working as well as when I got them.  Because they are wireless, they don't have the wear and tear as the regular headphones because they don't "weak points" from being bent and twisted.  Since there isn't a long cord, they don't get caught on things which can cause damage.
     A final aspect of my Beats is the style.   They are designed with sleek lines, plus futuristic curves. The earpiece curves around your outer ear to keep it secure without smothering you ear like some other full head-set styles.  It is lightweight and compact so you can wear them all the time.  They aren't waterproof, but were designed to wear while playing sports so they are sweat resistant.  They come in multiple colors to choose from including white/grey, black/red, and blue/white.
     So, if you aren't worried about splurging a little bit, Powerbeats2 are well recommended to any consumer.
 

Valleyfest Showdown XXXVI

     Aside from being the main entertainment of the football game (though kudos to the undefeated Kennedy football team this year!), marching band has developed a competitive culture that includes competitions at the regional and state level.  This weekend the Kennedy High School marching band competed at the Valleyfest Showdown XXXVI an invitational at West Des Moines Valley High School.
     It was very entertaining to see all the great bands including CR Washington, LinnMar, CR Jefferson, and Prairie from Eastern Iowa, as well as Dowling, Johnston, and Ankeny from Central Iowa.  Show music varied from spooky, voodooey selections by Bellevue West Nebraska to swing music by the Pella Marching Dutch.  The Cedar Rapids bands also had a variety of music including Washington marching to music from Les Miserables, and LinnMar doing a theme of Transfiguration which took one of the songs used by the Kennedy band who performed selections from the musical, Jekyl and Hyde.
     Unlike in the past, this year's Valleyfest was relatively warm.  Regularly, we have to keep our instruments constantly warm or they will freeze, as I learned my freshman and sophomore years.  We didn't have to multiply layers of clothing, two sweatshirts, and a blanket to stay warm in the stands while watching the other performances, either.
     The highlight of the night for many people was Kennedy performing.  The opener, "Prologue", "Take Me As I Am," and "I Need to Know," kicked off our performance.  McKenna Woods soloed on flute for the ballad, "Once Upon a Dream," (the song that LinnMar stole from us) which was beautiful beyond words.  As we ended our show, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause for our closer, "Murder, Murder!, World Gone Insane, & Confrontation."  We finished fourth, our highest rank since 2002, overall.  We finished as the top ranked band from Cedar Rapids, and the second ranked in the state at Valley.
     We have improved tremendously from August band camp, and we got here through long hours and much practice.

Donald Trump: A circus spectacle

        Real estate and entertainment mogul, Donald Trump, as you may have noticed, has been in the news.  After a series of alleged dirty deals with Italian-American mafia, he has gained a large popular through his reality tv show, "The Apprentice."  Because of this it has somehow turned his tarnished image around so that he is the front-runner of the Republican nominees for president.

       Although he says crazy things in public like, ""He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured." –Trump on John McCain, or “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. . . . They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people,”on immigration, he wants to inflame the Republican voters to get them on his side and to raise his numbers in the polls.  These statements are shocking since they are so blunt and politically incorrect that rational people don't know how to respond to them.  He promotes incorrect information about Obama and the global climate change problems in the same way he promotes a tv show or beauty pageant, with repetition, glitz, and vagueness.  But, running our country is NOT a beauty pageant.  It is real life, and too complex for him just promote himself and his ideas.

        This raving lunatic has been voicing the deepest, darkest thoughts and ideals of the Right-wing, and the scary thing is, people are agreeing with him. He is voicing these things just to get attention. His power and wealth allow him to say these things with no or little repercussion.  His presence in media and television have made him well known, and because of this, he has an impact on more people because they assume that since he is rich, he would know what he is doing to run the country and the economy.  As expected, he doesn't promote that he has had alleged shady dealings with mafia and that four of his companies went bankrupt, proving his ineptitude for running our country.

       As president, you are supposed to be a public servant.  Donald Trump is not this.  He has an ego the size of a galaxy, and he has a selfish, self-serving personality to match.  He uses social media and television to flaunt his ego and wealth.  By what he is saying about how he would act in office shows his ego since he seems to believe that by the shear force of his personality, he will change the government and country.  He has an "ends justifies the means" attitude in business where he doesn't care what happens to other people, as long as he is on top and the "winner."  Doesn't sound like someone who would think of the people of the country first.

        To prove that he is really only in this for the publicity, he treated the conservatives to a potential run several years back, and that he'll drop out if his polls drop.














http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/donald-trumps-craziest-quotes-the-2016-presidential-hopeful-speaks-201568

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-polls_5611856fe4b07681270265d5

A review of Nice People (2015 play)

        Kennedy High School had the honor of premiering a Iowa-written play, Nice People. It premiered on October first at 7:00, along with repeat showings on the second and third and an unplanned 4th showing on Thursday. The play was written by a Kennedy graduate, Alosha Robinson. The play was workshopped this summer, after multiple drafts, which began during Robinson's senior year.
        The play is about several people who are cheating on their partners due to a bad relationship. They find other people that click with them better, and most everyone ends up happy. Most of the characters exist in their own self-centered world, other than Ron Dorrow, played by Caleb Marner, who sees that there could be better things in life to make life great, not just fine. The main character, Daniel Harkin, is played by Brennan Urbi, who happens to be an excellent actor. Daniel is a self-centered, egotistical man-whore who has no respect for people's personal space, and appears to be completely unaware of that. His wife, Melinda, is a shrill(when she's angry), emotional, and passionate woman with a temper. She leaves Daniel for Blaine Redbrick, played by James Tolly. Blaine is not the brightest chap, but still. Blaine eventually ends up with Monica Lucce, played by Maia Bennett. Daniel was cheating on Melinda with her until she and Blaine wisk each other away. Melinda ends up with Robert Scrood, played by Cameron Currie. Robert is a run-of-mill, oh, what's the word... Jocular pervert? I don't know, but he obviously doesn't care very much about work, instead focusing his mind and body on the pursuit of women. Nobody in the play likes Ron Darrow, but the audience feels for him because he is the constant emotional punching bag for these people.
        I read the Kennedy Torch article on this, where they got Robinson's perspective and insight on the play. His original idea for the play stemmed from his love of farces, which he acquired when he did 'Rumors' his senior year. “I’ve always loved farces, I’ve always loved comedy,” Robinson said. “We did ‘Rumors’ here my senior year, and I ended up reading a lot of farces because I’m really into that. Kind of the premise of a farce is entrances and exits, everybody’s hiding, everybody’s having sex with everybody, everybody’s lying to everybody, and the initial idea for the play was I wanted to kind of take a play that hyper-inflated the traits of a farce. I just wanted to play with the things that I love about a farce.” He wrote this play in response to a question he asked himself, "How would a anti-farcical person operate in a farcical universe?"

        On Thursday, he got to watch his vision unfold as the Drama dept. at Kennedy performed it. “I’m just exceptionally proud of what these guys have done it," he said, "You’ve just got to invest yourself entirely and these kids are insanely talented, I can’t imagine such a talented bunch of kids. I couldn’t be more happy and thrilled with what I saw tonight, I’m so proud of them. I can’t imagine it any other way now.”
        But, to know more, go see the show. Overall, it was a very funny, very crazy show, with lots of laughs.

Links:

http://kennedytorch.org/10833/artsculture/back-in-the-black-box/