Goodbye 2013

2013 was a pretty good year for me. After almost 2 years I finally got my drivers license. I graduated from high school which was probably the most exciting/sad/incredible night of my life. I got to go to Oregon 3 times. First with my graduating class on our senior trip which I thought I would hate, but I ended up having an amazing time. Next with my mom and brother down to Portland to see some old friends, then to Medford for a wedding. And finally with dad and Joe to Long Beach. In August, I spent a few days up in Auburn helping my cousins move into their new house,and when I got back I got to see one of my best friends that I've known since I was 8 months old. I started college, which has been going good so far. I got straight A's first quarter, but it can get lonely and the homework load is MASSIVE. The same day I started college I went to my first concert, the Plain White T's, with two of my friends. The Paradis family had a jungle-themed reunion, and welcomed it's newest member, little Fiona. I also had my first-ever (friend) birthday party, climbed a mountain, and got to spend the night out in a cabin in the woods with my family. I had a great year. Here's to 2014!

-Matthew

Chrstmas Break Time!

I'm so happy! I'm FINALLY done with Fall Quarter. It seems like it went on forever, but at the same time it's all kind of a blur. I don't have my grades yet, but I feel like I did pretty good in all of my classes. Honestly I'm shocked that I did as good as I did, considering I haven't written a research paper since 8th grade and that's also the last time I did any kind of math with a "real" teacher or actual homework. College is nice. It's very quiet. I was back at Westpark today filling in for my mom for art and I forgot how noisy it was there! Except for maybe the hub (which I try to avoid as much as possible) I can actually hear myself think. I love going to the library, I wish I could eat my lunch in there then it would be perfect!

I definitely liked English more than I thought I would. I was with a great group of people, who I was really starting to like. It's a shame English 102 was all full :( I wrote a paper on bullying that I'll post up on here if I remember to. I feel like I did a pretty good job, especially compared to some of the papers I proofread... Math was math. It wasn't awful, but I'm glad I'm done. Photography was really fun! I took so many pictures that I love, especially the shoot I did with my brother and Alissa. It was also great to learn a little bit more on how to use my camera.

I signed up for my classes for next semester a few weeks back. I'm taking poetry, drawing, math 95 (still not actually counting towards my degree :/), and "survey anthropology." Anthro is the one that's worrying me. I have a cousin who majored in anthropology so hopefully she'll be of so,e help to me if I need her. My friend Sam told me he didn't like his anthro class so I'm really not sure what to look forward to :P Poetry too kinda has me a little concerned. I've tried writing poems before and they always sound extremely cheesy or just downright stupid. Hopefully the class will allow me to hone my skills and unleash my inner Robert Frost.

It's definitely going to be nice to be on break. I don't think people realize how many hours I've spent on homework and studying the past few months! It'll be nice to drink cocoa, bake Christmas cookies, and not have to factor anything. I'm going to try to start drawing again too. I have a little "project" I was working on but never got very far on that I would like to work on. We'll see how that goes.

-Matthew

November 30th Playlist

Since it's the end of the month I thought I'd post a little playlist with everyone.

1. On Your Own-Green River Ordinance
2. Wish you Well-Katie Herzig
3. I Believe In a Thing called Love-Darkness
4. Dancing On My Own-Robyn
5. Screaming Infidelities-Dashboard Confessional
6. Let Her Go-Passangers
7. Ain't No Reason-Brett Dennen
8. Paradise by the Dashboard Light-Meatloaf
9. Just Another Girl-The Killers
10. Into Your Arms-The Maine
11. Hate (I Really Don't Like You)-Plain White T's
12. Homeward Bound-Simon & Garfunkel

Hope you all had a pleasant November. I'm all excited for snow and Christmas :) Bring on winter!

-Matthew

Bye Bye Blockbuster

Blockbuster Video is closing its doors forever. The end of Blockbuster signifies the end of video stores forever. I know, I'm crying too.Video stores were a huge part of my childhood. It was always such an exciting moment when mom or dad would tell us we got to go to Hollywood Video to pick out movies. Of course, the new releases were more expensive so we always got older movies. Me and my brother rented every single Pokemon video in that place (some of them multiple times). Because of video rental stores I was able to walk around the store and look at all the covers, read the descriptions, take way to long with my selections, and have my mom yell at me to hurry up. I got to discover Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in a time when Wild Force was on the air. We found a lot of great "hidden treasure" films by browsing the shelves of Hollywood, and before that its predecessor Crazy Mike's Video. Crazy Mikes was probably the most magical place on Earth. I can still remember the way it smells (I'm not creepy I swear). When we would walk in there were rows and rows of videos. The new release wall always had the newest Land Before Time movies and in a time before the internet, running over to that shelf was always how I'd check if there was a new one out yet. I also loved the song "American Pie" and I always wanted to rent the movie because I thought it was associated with the song, but for some reason dad never let me get them. My dad and me found two series of dinosaur movies that I was in love with and rented over and over again: Walter Cronkite's A&E specials, and another one hosted by Gary Owens. I remember the constant pestering to rewind our movies. I remember how the Charlie Chaplin movies were in the back of the store. But most of all I just remember how exciting the feeling of going to Crazy Mike's was. It's a shame my children will never get to experience anything like that. And while it may seem stupid for me to be emotionally-attached to video stores, it reminds me of my childhood and all the incredible memories I have of picking out movies on a Saturday night. So while my family never actually joined Blockbuster, I am sad to see it go. It represents the end of an era. An era that I will always remember fondly.

-Matthew

P.S. Be kind, please rewind.

College Update

Hey everyone! I thought I would just give y'all a little update on my education. I am almost done with my first semester of college. Crazy right? Photography has been a great experience and I am loving studying the works of other photographers, the inner workings of the camera, and developing my own personal style. I am struggling to bring myself to edit my images though. When I take a picture, I like it to look the way it does when I first shoot it, not like its been Instagrammed. Also, Lightroom is confusing. Math is well...Math. It is actrually easier than my Math was in high school. I love having a teacher again, and I feel like for the first time in my entire life I am really getting these concepts. The homework load is MASSIVE though, and some problems take forever to solve, but I am getting a pretty good grade in the class by my own standard. I am worried about the final, I've never done finals before. English has me writing a lot. Lots of questions to answer and essays to read, but I do enjoy the weekly seminar discussions as they allow me to get a new perspective on the topics at hand. Over the past few weeks, I've been writing a large paper on bullying. it's been fascinating to read some of these stories and statistics, but also quite sad. I am liking college, though I do miss my social life and I am definitely very excited for Christmas break (if that's what they call it here). Well that's all for now, until next time.

-Matthew

Photo Shoot with Joe, Alissa, and Katherine

Yesterday, for my photography class, I went out to Randall Park with my brother and my friend Alissa to take some pictures. Along with me I had a copy of the book Katherine and an umbrella. I had so much fun, and it was definitely much-needed. Here are some of the pics we took.

Searching

 

Peace

  Looking up.

 

At this point my brother suddenly remembered he had "Umbrella" by Rihanna on his phone. Naturally we played it and took pictures with the umbrella.

My teacher loved this one

 

Glamor shot

Thanks for taking the time to look at my photos. And thanks again for Alissa and Joe for being my models. I owe you one :)

-Matthew

You Won Nothing

It bugs me so much when people say "we won the game!" There is no "we" in sports. Unless you are actually a current member of the Seattle Seahawks, you do not play for them and you can not win or lose a game. I know people are fans and they get really into it and they throw parties and watch all the games and buy jerseys and stuff, and that's great. People do deserve to have hobbies and if watching sports just happens to be theirs than good for them. Just don't say a victory was a collaborative effort between you and whatever team you like because it wasn't.

First Day of College and Plain White T's

Sorry, a few days late!

Today I had my first day of college. I was pretty nervous starting out, I mean it's a complete 360 from Westpark Christian Academy. My first class was photography. Everyone seemed just as into taking pictures as me. I really liked the class and I can't wait to learn more about takin' pictures. It's awkward waiting between classes because you don't wanna make eye contact with anyone. So I either texted my 3 friends at college, or pretended to text when they wouldn't respond. Then I went home for my 2 hour break, had lunch, then went back to campus. Kind of awkward because I saw a bunch of people I went to grade/middle school with (worst experience of my life). Luckily I avoided making eye contact with any of them. Math was, well it was Math. I'll leave it at that. Basically it's a harder version of what I did back in middle school. I kind of got tired halfway through. Then I went to English, I like the teacher, he seems nice. I think I'll be doing a lot of writing. After school I did my 49 Math problems then I went over to the fairgrounds to wait for my friend Angelica to finish up at the Bible story booth she was volunteering at. While I was walking around the fairgrounds waiting for her, I tried to take a picture and I realized my camera was broken! SO I had to go the whole night with just the crappy camera on my phone. AND I didn't get any up-close pictures of the concert. Which, by the way, was awesome. I completely freaked out when they played "Our Time Now", and not much can top hearing "Hey There Delilah" live. So yeah... that was my day.

Dear Anonymous

Hello,
We don't know each other very well. I've only seen you around here and there, but yet I feel like I know you very well. You didn't have the best home life. Sometimes, you probably feel like no one cares. You are very wrong. Lots of people care. Over time, you have pushed people away who could've been your friends with your behavior. Your Facebook activity on all of your profiles have had everyone around you very concerned. As they should be. Drugs, sex, dysfunctional relationships, and depression are no laughing matters. And now the news that you have received today. I want you to know that I pray for you every night. I want you to know that there ARE people who care. And I want you to know that God will always be there if you need Him.
God Bless,
-Matthew

R.I.P. Blue Van

Last week we officially sold the blue van. Unfortunately it was replaced by a gold van that looks pretty much the same, but with craptastic back seats. Over the past 8 years the blue van has been on countless road trips, delivered tons of food, hauled lots of friends, and gave me incalcuable headaches during my driver's ed days. Now, it is the end of an era and I must bid thee ado. Farewell blue van. You are gone, but not forgotten.

2005-2013

I Went To Orientation

Yesterday, I went to YVCC for orientation and to register for classes. It was so weird being on the campus. I felt so out of place. It's definitely gonna take some getting used to, going from a school with almost 70 kids to a school with hundreds of students. I met with an advisor and I got into three classes. You wouldn't believe how full everything is! One of my friends is actually taking metalshop because it's the only art class available! I am taking Math 85, Photography (so far there's no teacher), and English 101. It's weird that English is actually what I'm most worried about. I got my books and they seem somewhat boring. No novels, just books about writing and such. My biggest fears are that I will either flunk out, fall asleep in class, or all of the above. Still not sure how I feel about the while college thing. It's gonna take some getting used to, that's for sure. I do miss my friends at Westpark, and it will be sad not to have them by my side throughout my college journey :( Mandy will be taking some Running Start courses, and I might see Becca and Jonah; Hannah, unfortunately, is not going to go to college and unfriended me on Facebook. I start in two weeks!!!! Oh and Amy Rose has officially stolen Ariel's spot on my bed. I'm expecting war to break out at any minute...Until next time.

-M-

Power Rangers 20th Anniversary Post

A few posts ago I discussed my thoughts on my viewing of an episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as an 18-year-old. Well, now as a 19-year-old I am going to once again talk about the teenagers with attitude. Power Rangers was probably my second-favorite show from my childhood, losing out only to Pokemon. I don't know if I wasn't allowed to watch, or if I just had no intent to watch, but it took me until I was in 2nd grade to finally watch an episode of Power Rangers. I don't remember the particular one, but it was an episode of Wild Force. Looking back, Wild Force was probably one of the worst incarnations of the series. It had a very cheesy plot and some of the worst acting in television history. But at the time that didn't matter to me. I loved every second of that show. It showed that regular people got to be superheroes. The Zords were so cool, and I couldn't wait to see who the monster of the week was!

After Wild Force was over I continued to watch Power Rangers for 3 more series': Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, and Mystic Force. But my Power Rangers obsession did not stop there. Thanks to my friendly local Hollywood Video, I was able to see where the series began with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. This first incarnation ended up becoming my favorite. It always seemed to have something special that the rest of the series' didn't have. Maybe it was a special comradery between the rangers. Perhaps it's the nostalgia it provokes from the all-around 90'sness of it all. Or, it could just hold true that the first is indeed the best.

Now 20 years after Jason, Billy, Zack, Trini, and Kimberly first uttered the phrase "It's Mophin' Time" the series still exists. Quite a feat for any tv show, nonetheless one that many thought would never make it past its first year. Even though they are celebrating by scrapping together a very disappointing reunion episode I have to say this:

Happy 20th Birthday Power Rangers.
From a childhood fan.

P.S. I always wanted to be the green one ;)

Baby Brother's First Day Of School

Today was my brother's first day of school. It was a weird feeling dropping him off and not going into the school. A part of me is kind of sad to not be going back to Westpark, and I will miss my friends. Yet, at the same time, there's Ignitia: the Curriculum form Hell and a bunch of dumb rules so I am sorta glad I graduated. Plus the younger kids are in the high school room and everything is so weird now. It seems like Westpark will be like a sitcom that just lost all of its good characters this year. When I went to pick him up I parked in the "parking lot" on the side of the school, because I wanted to say hi to some of my friends, the teacher kept glaring at me and then told me that I wasn't allowed to park there when I pick up Joe, even though I stopped and said hello to people. I have a strange feeling she's going to ban me from campus.

I Watch Superman Fly Away

*Warning: post does contain spoilers*
Let me start off by saying that Man of Steel was an okay film. Henry Cavil was pretty good, could've been a lot worse. Amy Adams did a surprisingly good job as Lois Lane (though I do wonder if a black wig was out of the budget or just made her look bad). All the rest of the roles were cast and played well too. Especially, Russel Crowe as Jor-El. I really liked how it showed the history of Krypton, and the scene with the bus was a really good way to introduce Supy's powers and his struggle to fit in.

However, I did have a huge problem with this film which is: the fight scene at the end of the movie. The entire scene dragged on and on and on and on. It wasn't even that exciting. You would think the huge showdown between Superman and General Zodd would be immensely thrilling, and possibly even the highlight of the film. Alas, it was the complete opposite. Perhaps it was the fact that the two individuals involved in the scene were just too powerful. Superman would punch Zodd, Zodd goes flying, Zodd hits a building. Then once he came to Zodd would punch Superman, Superman would go flying etc. This would repeat a couple of times to ensure maximum boredom until finally Zodd is defeated.

Despite the fact that I waited with Joe and Alissa in the theater for the world's longest credits, and no post credits scene, I was definitely excited for what would follow in Man of Steel 2. I figured they would bring in Lex Luthor (A. because he's Superman's greatest foe, and B. The Lexcorp truck that appeared in the midst of the treacherous fight scene). The villain is still unconfirmed at this point, though I am hoping for Bruce Willis as Lex Luthor (think of the awesomeness), but one thing has been confirmed: Batman.

Batman only left the big screen in 2012 with the Dark Knight Rises. A good, yet slightly flawed, conclusion to Christopher Nolan's hugely successful Batman trilogy. We saw the Caped Crusader fly off the big screen only last year and now he will be returning in the 2015 sequel to Man of Steel.

This upsets me deeply. I don't want to see Batman in a Superman movie. Just like I wouldn't want to see Superman in a Batman movie. First of all, they are two completely different characters. Batman has a lack of superpowers, while Superman practically has them all. They have two completely different rogue's galleries, with Batman's consisting mainly of psychologically damaged freaks and extremists, and Suprman's is full of mega-powered individuals, some from other dimensions. Almost all of his villains, like the Man of Steel himself, in fact do have powers, and strong ones at that! Their fighting styles also differ, Batman's staying in the realm of hand-to-hand combat and gadetry, and Superman well...uses his powers of strength, flight, heat vision, and basically everything else.

We've seen Batman. As a matter of fact we've seen a LOT of Batman. We live in a world where he is almost better known than Superman, which is honestly a shame. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Batman fan. I grew up with the superb 90's animated series (still the best Batman incarnation to this day), and still watch it now. But Superman is the real deal. He inhibits all that is a true superhero. Sure, Batman has a tragic backstory, and cool gadgets, friends in low places, and some of the coolest villains in the business, but he really just doesn't belong in  movie with Superman, especially when this is only is second one in this new series.

Worst of all, the new Batman is going to be played by none other than Ben Affleck. You know the man that brought us Daredevil... I'm sure he will be simply awful. He'll be over-the-top douchey as Bruce Wayne, but  Affleck as Batman is where I am really scared. I can picture him being very rigid in the part. I'm sure he was either friends with someone high up, or chosen purely on his looks. Plus, isn't he just a tad bit old to play Batman? Just putting that out there.

I don't like it. I don't like how they are throwing aside all respect for the character of Superman, ruining his chance to shine, and the poor casting decision of Ben Affleck as ol Batty. For the first time in my life, I'm on team Superman.

It's Getting Closer

On September 23rd 2013 I will start college. I am so incredibly nervous. Never in my entire life have I been to a school as big as Yakima Valley Community College. It's going to be a huge shock, especially coming from a high school with a graduating class of 7 kids (and that's a big class for WCA). I am hoping and praying that everything will turn out for the best.

At this point in time I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I have hobbies, but I don't think any of them are something I could make a career of. I also don't know what classes I am taking. It all depends on what's available when I go to sign up. Also, I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out.....YIKES! Scary stuff man....

P.S. Two days ago was my birthday. So a belated Happy Birthday to me :)

In Defense Of My Religion

Christianity gets a lot of hate. There are lots of people out there who call my faith a cult. Others who have never set foot in a church in their lives have some insane notation that only upper-class white folks are allowed in. Some, even go as far as to say that Christianity will be the downfall of the world. There is so much hate surrounding Christians today, both from non-believers and from other sects of the Christian faith. I am here to say stop the hate.

Many people say that Christians are intolerant, that they do not like anyone who is not like themselves.These claims are false. How can people possibly draw assumptions from something that they themselves do not understand? Jesus did not minister to the saints but to the sinners. The door of the church is always open. No one guards the door and decides who enters. That is your own personal choice.

I do not believe that Buddhism is the path to salvation. I do not agree with what Mormons teach. And certainly, I have my opinions on Scientology. However, that's just what these thoughts are: opinions. Do you see me joining any clubs that bash these faiths? Do I rant online about these religions. No, I don't. Maybe, there are some Christians that do. I never once in my life have said that all Christians are perfect human beings, because that is false. We all sin, we have from the moment Eve first ate the apple and we will until the end of time.

Now, what concerns me even more than the hatred towards Christianity from within the Church. I was brought up as a Catholic. My family left the Catholic church for reasons that do not need to be discussed here. Even though I no longer identify myself as a Catholic, Catholicism will always be a part of me. Many of my family members and closest friends are still a part of the Catholic church, and I would never assume that any of them deserve less salvation than a Baptist, a Methodist or a Pentecostal.

When I first got to Westpark people would look at me funny when I said I came from a Catholic school. Some would tell me I needed to be re-baptized. One kid said that Catholics make weird hand signals when they pray. Really, that's the sign of the cross. It's not any different from bowing your head. Others told me that the Catholic church is bad because it is ritualistic. Every single church is ritualistic. At a Protestant service you will come in, sit in your pew, sing songs, listen to an opening, listen to the preacher, worship some more, sometimes take communion, then leave. Someone who I considered a friend at that time even went as far as to say that she thought all Catholics went to Hell. I was mortified. I didn't see how my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ could go as far as to say that their own people are damned. 


At the end of the day only God can judge us. If you want to make it your life's goal to continue to hate on Christianity, fine that's your decision. I am in no position to tell you what you can and cannot do with your life. However, if you are reading this and you are guilty of hating or harassing Christians of any faith. Please, take a moment to think if it is really the right thing to do. I am asking you this both as a believer, and as a human being.

Thank you for your time.

My Power Rangers Experience

One of my closest friends since I was nine months old was in town. For nostalgia's sake, we decided to watch an episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It is pretty much the same as I remember it, except different. I noticed a lot of little things while watching and decided to share them.

• Zordon is a giant floating head. What happened to the rest of his body? Or is he using some sort of telepathic projection.
• The black guy is the Black Ranger, the Asian girl is the Yellow Ranger. I get it..
• Alpha is significantly more annoying than I remember.
• Kimberly is beautiful.
• The acting from Amy Jo Johnson, Walter Jones, and Austin St. John isn't attrocious. Can't say the same for Thuy Trang and David Yost though.
• Do the monsters really wait for the Rangers to morph and the Megazord to assemble?
• Rita Repulsa is so badly dubbed it's unbearable. Props to her voice actress though, she's got some serious chops.
• It's so obvious that the morphed-Yellow Ranger is a man, would it have killed them to find a stunt WOMAN?
• The special effects are well.....bad. 
• When Rita throws her magic wand, how does she get it back?
• Why does Rita send the Putty Patrol, then the monster, THEN make it grow. Has she ever considered just sending down an extraordinarily large monster? All that time in a space dumpster must have seriously damaged her mind.
• If Squatt and Baboo annoy Ms. Repulsa so much why doesn't she just zap them with her trusty dusty magic wand? They don't serve a purpose anyway.
• The clothes are so totally 90's.
• It's disappointing knowing that they had to use footage from the Japanese version of the show for the fight scenes. I mean c'mon with they money they were making off this show from toy sales alone could've paid for some extra film and stunt actors.
• How could nobody tell that they were the Power Rangers? They always are hanging out together and wearing their respective colors.
• It's hard to watch Trini without thinking how the actress that played her passed away
• The first Rangers really are classic, I was so mad when they replaced them.

That's all for now. Have a morphinomical day.

Paula Deen, the Rap Game, and My Humble Opinion

If the American public is going to persecute Paula Deen for saying the n-word, then I think the only rightful thing to do is to also persecute the endless number of rappers who also use the word. I don't know what ever made that word acceptable for black people to say. I don't know how it ever became a compliment r nickname amongst them, but I think it should stop. As Africans, they should honestly know better. they should know the stigma associated with that word and know that to use it they way they use it today is wrong. Thank you, and good day.

My Graduation Speech

In life, sometimes we are thrown a curveball.  That is exactly what happened 4 years ago when I first came to Westpark Christian Academy.  I did not want to come here, it was my mom's decision not mine.  What I wanted more than anything in the world was to go to a normal high school. I had gone to private schools my entire life, I wanted a change, I wanted this new and exciting experience that all my classmates at St. Joseph Marquette were about to experience.   

WCA and me got off to a rocky start. My computer broke down on the first day, I was placed in advanced History with kids much older and scarier than myself. Not to mention, the fact that I had to get to know an entirely new group of people. As time went on I was able to connect with these people in ways I didn't think possible. I found myself smiling, even laughing at what was said out on the playground.

Since then I have made so many incredible memories here at Westpark. Being a part of the Collide on Campus Bible study. My sophomore dance, a first for both me and the school. National Day of Prayer, where we got to get closer to God and run amuck in Walmart all in the same day. Every crazy day of spirit week where I got to see my classmates dress up at nerds, superheroes, celebrities, and 80's aerobics instructors. Pastor Colleen stealthily closing the doors and playing "Hotel California" by the Eagles at full blast. Fishing Day at Lazy F, where I got to run around in the woods with my friends. These moments will remain with me for the rest of my life, not just because I have pictures of all of them.

I have so many people to thank.  First of all, God my Heavenly Father.  You have bestowed upon me more blessings than I can count.  I will be eternally grateful for your presence throughout my life.  Mary Jane, thank you for opening the school doors every morning and for your time as the supervisor of Collide.  Ms. Susan, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to run student council this past year.  Gracias Senora Gonzales para eschuchando me espanol.  Pastor Gary, I may not have always paid attention or fully understood what you were talking about in class, but along the way you made me a better writer.  Also, because of you I will forever know the locations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lichtenstein, and Mesopotamia.   Ms. Judy, I can never say thank you enough to you.  You have passed on so much artistic wisdom to me, and every other student.  Thank you for volunteering your time and money, and for bringing art back to Westpark. Thank you to every other WCA staff member for doing the jobs that I would never want to do.  Mom, you have done more for this school than any paid employee, and I have appreciated everything.  If it weren’t for you the library would still look like a dump, I would have no art class, and there would have never been a lecture series.  Dad, thank you for going along with mom’s crazy schemes and helping out whenever your busy schedule allows it.  Pastor Colleen, where do I even begin?  You have been there from the very first day.  Your wisdom, guidance, kind spirit, and honesty have helped me through some very tough times. I honestly don't know what I would have done without you.

But how can I thank anyone without mentioning the wonderful people that have walked the halls of Westpark along side me: my classmates. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a group of people quite like you.  If were to have gone to a normal high school, I would never have had a chance to get to know every person in my class personally. We have become more than simply a group of classmates, or friends, we are a family. We know each other well enough to know when someone is hurting. When one of our peers succeeds we celebrate their triumph, and in times of sorrow we are able to band together. You all have meant the world to me. Each of you has a personal story, and every single one of these stories has inspired me more than you will ever know. Words will never be able to describe what spending the last 4 years with every single one of you has meant to me.

I don't really know if I am in any place to give out advice, but I do have a few words of wisdom for you all:

Be fearless. Say what you are truly thinking. Be honest with other people, and be honest with yourself. Don't worry about trying to make friends. When you try too hard, you'll attract the wrong kind of people. True friends will be with you through thick and thin. They will never desert you in your time of need. Who cares if you make a couple of enemies along the way? To quote Kurt Cobain, "I would rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not." Don't ever be in a hurry to grow up. Treasure every moment, make memories you will want to keep for a lifetime. You only have one shot to be a kid. Do not squander these moments of innocence and bliss; do not waste your time trying to grow up, you have the rest of your life to be an adult.

4 years ago I wanted to venture out into the real world, but I was not ready. My mom knew that, and deep down inside so did I. Here at Westpark I was given a chance to have a little bit more time to really become more of the person I was meant to be. That is why any student comes to Westpark, not to use the school as a crutch, but instead as training wheels. And yes, the school does have it's downsides I never said it was perfect, but being at this school has shown me so many things about God, life, friendship and myself. When I look around the campus of Westpark Christian Academy, I see that there are no kids eating their lunch alone, no child is standing on the sidelines dying for someone to ask them to come and play. Because that is what Westpark is truly about: diversity excelling, kids who would never even have spoke to one another at a public school becoming the best of friends. The 7 of us are about to embark on separate journeys, but I think I can speak for all of us when I say that attending Westpark is an experience like no other.

I would now like to close by sharing a quote that I love by none other than Winnie the Pooh. It says, "If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart I'll stay there forever." You all will have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.

Thank you, for everything.

License

I still can't believe I got my license. Everything is so surreal right now. It took me almost two years to get my license. I started off my driving tenure on the wrong foot, literally...I had the gas and brake pedals confused my first couple of drives. Things didn't get any better with my driver's ed. The teacher was a complete jerk-face who would yell at me constantly. He made me extremely nervous and was not afraid to point it out to me, referring to me as "schizophrenic", and said I "shook like a hooker in church." Instead of teaching me how to drive he would make me go get him coffee. I was so intimidated by him that I never went back to driver's ed to finish my final drive. So instead of getting my license 6 months after I got my permit (Plan A), I now had to resort to wait until my 18th birthday (Plan B). The only thing was that I was still a suck-tacular driver. So now, 7 months after my 18th birthday, my dream of being behind the wheel has finally come true. God is good.

Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

It's so weird to think that I will be graduating in a month. Right now I have mixed emotions on the subject. On one hand, I am really going to miss all the friends I have at WCA. On the other hand, that school is stressing me out. I am definitely not going to miss fundraising, or annoying teachers (although I will probably have my fair share in college). Westpark has become sort of a security blanket for me though. I'm not really sure what else is out there in the world. The last time I used a legitimate textbook was 4 years ago and I kind of miss them.

For my graduation ceremony I was selected as my class salutatorian. So now I've got to write a speech. Right now I've got a few ideas floating around in my head, but I still haven't started writing yet. I can't really write with my family constantly bugging me so someday I'm probably going to have to send them all off to the grocery store. I want my speech to be different, not cliche, and very personal. Really hoping I'll be able to write something decent...

Wolverine and the X-Men Review

Hello there Blogverse. I recently completed viewing the 2009 TV show Wolverine and the X-Men. Now I've decided I need to write a little review. So here it is.

To start here's a rundown of the characters.

Archangel-In the past series' Angel has only been a supporting character, it was great to see him as (almost) a full-fledged X-Man. Loved the storyline between him and his father, and the whole Mr. Sinister stuff.
Beast-Not a lot of screen time, but a great characterization of the real McCoy. Also, it was nice to have every other word that left his mouth not be a Shakesphere quote.
Cyclops-At first he was a little too whiney about Jean's disappearance, but once he got over that he was the good ol Scott Summers we all know and love.Wasn't a huge fan of the trench coat though.
Emma Frost-So SO glad Emma was finally introduced as a full team member.In some ways she is actually more interesting than Jean. I was really surprised when they revealed she was a double agent.
Forge-I'm really glad the producers decided to include him in this series. Haven't really seen a lot of him before except for like 2 episodes of X-Men Evolution. Although his presence was much-enjoyed I thought his mechanical arm could've been a little more powerful.
Iceman-A little goofy, and I would have liked to have seen a little more development. But other than that he was pretty cool (get it).
Jean Grey-Jean was absent for most of the show, and once she was introduced there wasn't really much character there. I wasn't really that impressed with how Phoenix was handled. For me, it seems like it should have been a little more big and exciting.
Nightcrawler-Would have liked to have seen them go a little more in-depth into his past, and a mention of his religious beliefs
Rogue-In the beginning it was a little confusing having her switch back and forth from the Brotherhood and the X-Men, and once she actually remained on the team she was a little under-used. But I thought it was a nice characterization of her. Although there's the matter of her transparent hair...
Shadowcat-Didn't see a whole lot of her, but I guess she as done okay. Definitely a step up from the valley girl from Evolution.
Storm-Didn't like Storm ion this series AT ALL. She was completely under-utilized and I didn't like her circular hair either. Only had one centric episode which was pretty boring.
Wolverine-Even though he was undeniably the star of the show, there weren't a lot of Wolverine-centric episodes. Which, for me, was really nice. Still Wolverine as the team leader felt a little iffy for me at times. Really liked the voice actor though.

Overall, I really liked it. The animation was superb. Voice acting spot-on. The story-arch was amazing and it was great o see all the little pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The whole Days of Future Past thing was pretty cool, although I would've liked to have seen the Professor actually talk to some of the other X-men besides Wolverine. There were a lot of characters that haven't been seen a lot before like the Scarlet Witch, Polaris, and Marrow that were great to see. There was even a flashback which showed the original 5 X-Men. However, my favorite moment in the entire series was the scene in the last episode with Emma Frost (if you've seen the show you'll know what I'm talking about). All I have to say about that is: WOW!

The only real negative about this show is its cancellation after only one season. Especially with the Age of Apocalypse teaser we got at the end. With a second season there probably would have been more character development too. I've never really been too impressed with any of the X-men movies. It seems like television is where America's favorite mutants seem to really shine the brightest. All three shows have been great in their own way; the original remained faithful to the comics in both story and design, the second (Evolution) was great as a serialized series, and the third (Wolverine and the X-Men) had all the positive elements of its predecessors.

Here's a little ranking of the shows:
1. X-Men (original 90's series)
2. Wolverine and the X-men (would be number 1 if it would've lasted longer)
3. X-Men Evolution
4. Pryde of the X-Men (couldn't forget about that now could we...)

Superbowl

This past Sunday I did the unthinkable; I watched the Superbowl. I have never really been a big football fan, but I found myself surprisingly entertained. I predicted the Ravens victory pretty early on. However I was surprised how the 49ers stepped it up after halftime. Maybe Beyonce inspired them...

Speaking of Beyonce in my humble opinion the halftime show was pretty darn good. B was on-key, there were no "wardrobe malfunctions" (Janet's never gonna live that down), and no 90-year-old man was still trying to let it rock. Although I could have seen a little more singing and a little less dancing. My heart skipped a beat when Kelly and Michelle came out. Their mikes seemed like they were turned down a lot lower than Beyonce's though. C'mon who doesn't love them some Destiny's Child? I wonder what LeToya and Latavia were up to...?

The blackout thing was pretty lame. I wasn't about to waste my time watching a bunch of football players sit around and do nothing, so I got up to get me a cold pop... The Budwiser commercial with the horse and Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" was  probably my favorite. "Gangnam Style" pistachios were a close second. So anyway I watched the Superbowl, for the first time. Like ever. Just thought I should share that with the world.

Nothing to Say

I have been trying to update ye old Blog for a while, but whenever I get on here to write something I draw a blank (much like my homework). It looks like I will have to wait for inspiration to smack me upside the head before I will produce a real post.

On a totally unrelated note after watching several videos online (and an episode of that new Kratt brothers show) I have officially decided to get a kinkajou. Let's just hope it can get along with my cats! I'm thinking of naming her Mango.

Future of Batman

So now that Christopher Nolan's days as the man behind the bat are done what will come next in terms of Batman? Here are some of my thoughts and ideas.

1) I don't think Batman should be rebooted immediately. The filmmakers need to give viewers time to get the Christopher Nolan movies out of their heads so that whatever follows won't be directly compared to Nolan's work.

2) Robin. It's time that the Boy Wonder got the [proper] big-screen treatment. One of the great things about batman is his relationship with Robin and that has yet to transition well into a movie. Even if the writers/directors/producers don't want to do Robin they could always go for Nightwing.

3) In my opinion I think a new Batman series should feel a little bit more comic booky. Maybe close to the Marvel Cinematic Universe kind of look and feel to it.

4) Batman Beyond. I was never really a fan of the series, but it would still be an interesting path to take for the Batman film franchise. Oh and Adam West MUST play old Bruce Wayne...

5) Harley Quinn. How is it exactly that she hasn't appeared in a live-action movie yet? That chick is seriously one of the best Batman villains. Once again proves the sheer awesomeness of the Animated Series.

6) Don't do an origin story. Seriously everyone and their cat knows the origins of Batman. It would be a waste of time.

7) If we're gonna do Robin why not Batgirl? She's been just as poorly represented in movies as Robin.

8) The one aspect of Batman that is never really emphasized in any of the movies is the fact that Batman is actually a detective. A more dectivey version of Batman would definetly be interesting.

9) Mr. Polka Dot. C'mon you know you love him!

Battle Plan

Carrie Underwood is coming to Yakima next month. Considering the fact that I am broke buying tickets are out of the question I am needing alternate methods to see the show. So here's the plan. Me and Jelly are going to pretend to be Carrie Underwood's backup dancers and sneak into her show. It may sound a little absurd, but trust me it will work. The only problem I could see would be what happens when we actually have to dance o.O Oh well... Hey busting some bad movies on stage and possibly getting a restraining order is worth getting to be up on stage with Carrie Underwood right?

Nananananananana Batman!

The last two nights I have spent my time watching the two Tim Burton Batman films, on VHS I might add. And let me tell you they were bloody good.

The music was fantastic. I never realized that the music from these movies was the same as in the Animated Series. The casting was brilliant (except for black Two-Face), and I think the tone is the perfect balance between the cheesy-as-macaroni 1960's TV show and the dark (maybe overly so?) Christopher Nolan movies.

I'm just gonna come right out and say it Michael Keaton is so much better than Christian Bale. Although I might have had more respect for Bale's version if it weren't for that awful voice. (Only Kevin Conroy can do justice to the Bat-voice). I do prefer these films to the new ones. Batman Begins was a snoozefest. I actually really liked The Dark Knight Rises although Bane's voice was almost as bad as Batman's. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The biggest shame is that Tim Burton and Michael Keaton left the franchise and the next two Batman movies were some of the worst comic book movies ever. The Bat-nipples in batman & Robin should be proof enough for that! I would have really liked to have seen what would've been brought to the table. I personally think the films would have been spectacular, but there's no real way to know is there...

LOST: After the Island

Ever wonder what happened to every one's favorite castaways after they left the island? Well look no further. I've got all the answers right here!

Frank lands Ajira flight 316 in Sydney, Australia. The survivors tell the full story to the world and quietly disappear. Here's what happened to the individual characters:

Ben-Hurley's #2 man.
Claire-returns to her homeland of Australia. Undergoes therapy, and is finally reunited with Aaron.
Desmond-leads a calm and happy exhistance with Penny and Charlie in England.
Frank-retires from piloting, this time for good.
Hurley-protector of the island.
Kate-living in Australia helping Claire raise Aaron.
Miles-goes back to privately investing paranormal activity.
Richard-returns to Spain to enjoy his new non-eternal life.
Rose and Bernard-remain on the island to live their years together.
Sawyer-finally gets to meet his daughter, retires from the life of a con-man.
Vincent-remains in the care of Rose and Bernard. Lives a miraculously full life, but eventually passes away at 23.
Walt-returns to the island, the only place he has ever belonged.

Pokemon Facts

I have seen many lists of Pokemon facts while browsing the world wide web and have decided to make my own. I have no idea if these will ever serve useful at any point in your life, but hey there here if you need 'em.

1. Ash Ketchum's first Pokemon was originally going to be Clefairy. However it was changed to Pikachu to appeal to boys along with girls.

2. Venonat was originally intended to evolve into Beautifly, and Metapod was supposed to evolve into Venomoth. You can see in the designs that the Pokemon are similar to their intended pre-forms.

3. In the Red/Blue/Yellow & Fire Red/Leaf Green games your rival has a Raticate when you battle him on the S.S. Anne. When you next see your rival in Lavender Town he no longer has the Raticate in his team. Many people assume that the Raticate died and Gary (or whatever you chose to name your rival) was in Lavender Town to mourn the passing of his beloved Pokemon.

4. In the Red & Blue games there was a truck visible from the dock in Vermillion City. It was a common theory that by moving this truck would lead you to encounter the legendary Pokemon Mew. However this was not true.

5. Baby Kangaskahns are suspected of being either a Cubone without a skull, or a pre-evolved form of Cubone. The same with Marowak rumored to be the pre-evolved form of Kangaskhan. The glitch Pokemon Missingno evolves into a Kangaskhan causing some to believe that Missingno was linked to the Cubone-Marowak-Kangaskhan evolution chain.

6. Hitmonlee was named after legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, and Hitmonchan was named after Jackie Chan (but I'm sure you all figured that out).

7. In early versions of Pokemon Blue & Green there is unused data for a battle with none other than Professor Oak! His team consisted of a Tauros, Exeggutor, Arcanine, Gyrados, and the starter chosen neither by you or your rival. All his Pokemon were at high levels so he was probably intended for use late in the game.

8. Brock was taken out of the Anime series for the Orange Islands series due to his squinty eyes "racially profiling" him (i always thought they were just closed). He was returned later on.

9. Funny thing about racial issues. The Pokemon Jinx was criticized for baring too much of a resemblance to blackface and episodes featuring Jinx were banned in America. Subsequently Jinx's face was changed from black to purple.

10. After the episode "Electric Soldier Porygon" aired in Japan thousands of Japanese children were sent to the hospital from seizures caused by rapid color changing light flashes. The episode has never aired again, even though it had been dubbed in English. Subsequently Porygon and it's evolutions have appeared only briefly in the Anime, despite the fact that Pikachu was the one that caused the flashes. (I prefer Porygon).

11. Aside from "Electric Soldier Porygon" there have been several other banned episodes of the Pokemon series. Here they are along with the reason they have become banned

• "Beauty and the Beach"-James wears inflatable breasts in attempt to win a swimsuit contest. This episode was actually dubbed in English and aired in the U.S. (without the James scenes), but is still a rather disturbing episode.
• "The Legend of Dratini"-Heavy use of gun threats.
• "The Ice Cave"-Jinx
• "Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Wiscash!!"-Never aired anywhere in the world due to use of earthquakes (Japan had recently had an earthquake).
• There are also several clip show episodes that were never aired in the U.S., but are not "banned".

12. The Pokemon Mr. Mime can be male OR female. This comes as quite a shock since the word MR. is right in its name. But hey it's Pokemon.....

13. There was originally supposed to be a female playable character in Red/Blue/Green, but was scrapped. The first female playable character didn't appear until Pokemon Crystal. The original design was later used in Fire Red/Leaf green.

14. Arcanine was originally supposed to be a legendary Pokemon, specifically as part of the Zapdos, Moltres, Atricuno trio either as a leader of the three birds, or in place of Moltres. An Arcanine was seen in a panel in the first Pokemon episode along with the three birds. Arcanine's original intention as a legendary Pokemon would also explain its above-average stats in the games.

14. Ditto is actually a failed clone of Mew. The evidence?

• Both weigh 8.8 pounds
• Both are pink in their normal form and blue in their shiny form
• Mewtwo is described as "the first successful clone of Mew" which could means are unsuccessful attempts.
• Both are the only Pokemon that can learn Transform
• In Pokemon Yellow the only two places you can find Ditto is at the Cerulean Cave (where Mewtwo can be found) and the Pokemon Mansion where Mew is said to have been cloned.

15. Although he was only mentioned a couple times early on in the series Ash does in fact have a dad. He has only been seen once in a flashback scene in the episode "Strategy Begins at Home!". Before this episode aired many fans speculated that Ash's dad was either Giovanni-the leader of Team Rocket or Silver who appeared in the Pokemon Chronicles. His only known Pokemon is a Rapidash.

Intro

I decided to create a blog. Don't know how much I'll use it or what not. But I know it's here if I need it eh!
"May the odds be ever in your favor"
-Matthew