To Kill A Mockingbird or not to To Kill A Mockingbird? That is the Question....

     In my opinion, To Kill a Mockingbird is an American Classic.  This novel by Harper Lee contains several themes that are relevant to life in today's society.  Some of these themes include equal rights for all people, regardless of color, creed, or background, and avoiding racism.

     To Kill a Mockingbird is based around the central conflict of avoiding racism.  Tom Robinson is accused of rape and is put on trial for his life.  Atticus Finch, a role model for each of us, does his best to defend him.  Atticus is a kind, gentle man who understands the dangers and problems of racism. 
     He also teaches his children accordingly.  He once tells Scout that "It's not okay to hate anybody."  Although he is a brilliant lawyer and defends Tom perfectly, Tom is convicted and sentenced to death with no evidence to support his conviction. He is convicted merely because he was a black man.  Even after being defeated, Atticus does his best to aquit Tom, to no avail.  Knowing the futility of trying to get fair treatment from his white tormentors, Tom tries to escape and is brutally killed.
     Another example of this theme against racial prejudice is when Scout learns about Adolf Hitler at school. Her teacher says she hates Hitler for persecuting Jews, when she lives in a racist community.  Scout later inquires, "How can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly at folks right at home?"  From the innocent and pure paradigm of a child, she sees that racism is ridiculous-we are all people!  This is evident in her comment to her big brother: "Naw, Jem, I think there's just one kind of folks.  Folks."  This simple comment is a truth that few people in our world understand-except for children.

    Later, in the classroom, the great irony of this classroom surfaces.  The teacher talks about Hitler persecuting the Jews (racism) and then says that he is evil.  She then tells the students that they are lucky to live in a democracy (also plagued by racism!).  Scout gives her an accurate definition of democracy: " Equal rights for all, special privileges for none."  The teacher praises her and says she is correct.  Sadly, even in this great nation run by democracy, racism and lack of basic human rights was a major issue-and still is.

     Although racial discrimination is illegal, racism is still rampant in our society.  However, many high schools remove TKAM from their curriculum to be replaced by "modern" literature.  I think that this is a huge mistake.  TKAM has made me think about my own standpoint on racism and human rights, and realize that it is very, very wrong. This is still a huge factor in society today.  I love TKAM and it has helped me to understand what I need to do and believe about these issues.  I think that removing this book from schools is a huge mistake.  In my opinion To Kill a Mockingbird will remain an American classic an a favorite of mine forever.

Welcome to our Wacky World!

This week I commented on articles of a different nature :)

The first was on an article about the F-35 JSF (joint strike fighter), on of my favorite fighter jets.  I love airplanes!

Here is the Article:
F-35’s ability to evade budget cuts illustrates challenge of paring defense spending

Here is the comment!

The F-35 is an air superiority fighter.  This is the number 1 military aircraft out there.  I think that this is worth the money spent, as long as it stays in the defense budget.  We do spend a ton of money on defense, but that is what makes our military the most technologically advanced and superior military in the world.  The government definitely spends WAY too much, but I think our defense budget is well worth the money.  This aircraft was designed as a result of the competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.  This aircraft was far superior to the Boeing X-2 (granted, it is more expensive) and is our nation's newest fighter.  I think we definitely need to cut budgets, but I hope the defense budget is one of the last to go!

Here is a picture of the F35 Lightning II JSF!!!

Here is my second comment:

2 U.S. Troops and 5 Afghans killed in "insider attack"

My comments:

I don't care what war it involves or who decided to go to war. When one of our soldiers dies, it is a cause for sadness and respect to the fallen. Sure, many of our troops do bad things and some are very immoral men. However, I have a deep respect for the American military and the veterans. For every man that participates in these horrible war crimes, we have at least 100+ soldiers that are good, brave, and honest people. The soldiers that die did not start the war. I think it is ridiculous and disrespectful to bash on these soldiers because of the circumstances in which they died. Stop criticizing and have some respect for those men who were willing to die so you can live in a free country. If you aren't willing to give that sacrifice, don't criticize the extremely brave men and women that are!  

I do believe that some of the American soldiers did things that were wrong, but I don't think it is ok to judge the two men that died. We do not know them or what they have done. Only God does. We must have respect for their giving the last full measure of devotion.

Article Attack!

NOTE:  I was very blunt in my response on abortion. Sorry if I offended anybody :)

The first article I commented on was about abortion:
Idaho becomes first state to have so-called fetal pain abortion ban overturned by the courts

Here is my post:

feel that abortion should only be used or even considered in situations in which the mother was not responsible for conception, such as instances of rape or incest.  I also feel that a situation that compromises the life of the mother is a cause for abortion.  However, I do feel that it is not right or responsible for a mother to have an abortion when that mother chose to engage in sexual activity.  If a woman does not desire a child, or even desires one but is not able to support that child, that mother should have the responsibility to either abstain from sex or use birth control.  If a mother is not able to care for or provide a home for that child, having that child in the first place is extremely irresponsible.  I believe that if a woman was to engage in sexual activity and have an unwanted child, then she has a responsibility to care for the child that she chose to create and provide a home for that child.  I believe that any unmarried woman should abstain from sexual intercourse, especially teenage girls.  These people generally do not have the capability to care for a child.  I do not believe in restriction of freedom, but only in defending responsibility.

While I do believe these things from a religious standpoint, I also see these responsibilities for creating life as a moral and societal obligation.

The second one was on gun control in South Dakota Schools:  

South Dakota Law Will Allow Guns in Classrooms

Here is my post:

I am against gun control, but I do have some feelings against guns in classrooms.  While I do think that there should be an armed guard (thoroughly trained and tested), I think having teachers with guns could potentially be dangerous.  I do think it is the right of these people to carry guns, but I think they should not be able to carry guns in classrooms unless they have had extensive FBI background check. I agree with some gun control advocates that those who purchase guns should be given a mental health test. 

                I think teachers should choose not to carry weapons in classrooms, but I also believe it their constitutional right to bear arms. I do, however, think that all schools should have an armed faculty member (trained in security or law enforcement) ready to defend the children at that school at all times.

Ten Times Me!

10 things I know to be true:

The Book of Mormon is true
Joseph Smith was a prophet
There is a living Prophet today-President Thomas S. Monson
God Lives
Jesus Christ loves me and atoned for my sins
I will live with my family for eternity
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true.
I am going on a mission
My family loves me
I have amazing friends!


10 Objects I cant live without:

Computers (homework!!! Handwriting things can be a pain!)
Telephones (what would we do without fast communication in our world?)
Cars
My Cello
Clothes (well hey! I bet you couldn’t either!)
My house
Air Conditioning and Heat!
Medicine
Bandaids!!
A warm place to sleep (I don’t have a bed right now-it broke. I will be getting a new one soon :P)


10 things I should have learned by now:

How to fly
How a transmission works
All of the United States Presidents names
All of the countries in Europe
Why Calculus is relevant to my life
Raise the Leading Tone!
How to effectively practice Cello (yes, I am still working on it)
How to clean my room (I don’t even want to try!)
Why yard work is necessary
Why Dvorak’s New World Symphony is SO AMAZING!!


10 of my greatest fears:

Wasps
Spiders
Death by gunshot
Falling off of a 3,000 foot cliff
Being in an airplane crash (yet I love airplanes!!)
Car crashes (my mom would kill me!)
Kidnappers (not much anymore but when I was little I was terrified!)
Hitting a pedestrian with a car
Breaking a bone
Getting Stitches

The 10 things, places, people etc, that make me the most happy:

The Temple
My family
My friends
The gospel
Utah
Basketball (with friends)
Flag football
My baby sister Laura
Orchestra
Home


10 places I will visit before I die:

Hawaii
Alaska
France
Europe ( I don’t remember a lot of
Mexico
South America
Nauvoo
New York
China
Taiwan

Andrew
Fun, Kind, Talented, Intelligent

Older brother and example to Amber, Stephen, Noelle (Ellie), Julianne, Travis (TJ), Grace, and litte Laura Lyn 

Loves music, family, and fun with friends!
Who feels loved, happy to be himself, and excited for the future
Who needs friendship, family, and freedom to learn
Who gives help to those in need, love to those without, and friendship to those around him
Who fears wasps, spiders, and pain
Who would like to see Nauvoo, China, and Taiwan
Who lives in Utah, in a wonderful house with his amazing family

Sessions

Cello 101!

I am going to show you how to play the cello!

Disclaimer: You will have to learn notes and music theory on your own! I am just going to show you the setup and how to make sounds!

To play the cello, you will need a.....cello! Bravo! You are getting it!

These can be purchased for anywhere from $50-4 million! I would suggest going nice, but not ridiculous (my cello cost about 2500 dollars, and is a basic/nice student instrument.  I am hoping to get a nicer one soon.  Yes, they are expensive!!)
This is my cello.  :)

These hard cases are expensive (350-1000 dollars), but are well worth it.  The next picture shows my case, and you can see the white scratches and other marks.  The fact that the case and not the cello has all the dents  made it well worth paying 350 dollars!

Now that you have a cello, it is time to start playing!

First of all, take the cello out of its case.  (If you cant figure out this step...well, uh, good luck!)

Find a good chair to sit in (comfortable, but not super high off the ground.  You also want a chair with a relatively flat seat.  not sloped, like the cheap plastic chairs at school!)  Extend the end pin (the sharp thing sticking out the bottom) by loosening the screw.

The goal is to get the cello resting against your body as shown in the pictures.  This is harder to figure out than  it looks!

Sit with good posture (back straight, sitting on the edge of the chair.) you grip the cello between your knees with your feet spread out and your legs making 90 degree angles with the floor.

Great! Now that you know how to hold it, it is time to get out the bow (gasp!).

The bow, like the cello, has a large price range. It can be anywhere from $15-15,000.  Mine is about $150, if you are looking for general student bow price range.  Mine is made of carbon fiber, which is more flexible (and a bit cheaper) than its traditional wood counterpart.  The carbon fiber is black, while wood is......you got it! Brown!!  (super cheap bows made of fiberglass are also brown.  Dont be fooled!)

Now you need to take the bow out of the cello case.  DO NOT touch the pretty white horsehair on the bottom! The hair is very susceptible to finger oils and touching it damages the bow.

To make the bow give you a good sound, you must apply rosin. This is a cake of tree resin, and causes the bow to stick to and vibrate the strings, producing sound.

 I use Kolstein Rosin (as of recently), an American made rosin.  I like it!

Apply the rosin by running the bow hair back and forth across the cake of rosin a few times. If you apply way too much rosin, it gets REALLY hard to play.  Dont zone out while doing this and apply 40 strokes of rosin.  This is not the time for daydreaming! :)

Now, you get to learn how to hold the bow! Place your thumb on the place shown in the picture, and make sure it is slightly bent! your other fingers fan out on the other side. It feels a little awkward, but you should survive! :)

Hint-it is nice to practice your bow hand while applying rosin!  Look up at that picture and you can see that I had a good bow hand :)

Finally, (sitting in your perfect cello position with your perfect bow hand), place the bow on the strings. The bow should be on a 45ish angle with the strings of the cello (the hair should be parallel with the floor).

It should look like this!

Gently apply pressure using your wrist, index finger (sort of like a lever!), and the weight of your arm. Now, move the bow back and forth.  Voila! You are playing the cello!

Granted, these are only the most basic parts of playing the cello.  To learn more, talk to a cellist! (Such as me!  I would be happy to let you try this technique with my cello.  Just talk to me!).

The End!

Advertisement:  I am a cello teacher!!! I have had 3 students and I know how to get beginners going strong on the cello! If you or someone you know is interested in learning cello (my cost is 10 dollars for a 30 minute lesson), feel free to email or call me! (or just talk to me at school.) :) Bye!

How to Change a Tire-Yes, This is Occasionally Relevant!

     This seem to be a weird topic to most people, but it was the only thing I could think of, and it might be helpful (especially to the girls that havent done this already with their dads) :)

     First of all, you need to get the tire off the ground.  Have you ever tried pulling an object out from under a bunch of metal that weighs upwards of 2000 pounds?  Good luck with that!  To help with this small problem, the jack was invented.  These are now so small that they fit easily into small spaces in the car. 

     First of all, get out your owners manual!  These will tell you where to place the jack in order to raise the car.  Look under the "changing a tire" section.  This is usually a special rod/peice attached to the axle, or a reinforced steel plate, depending on whether it is the front or the back of the car.  Be VERY careful when you raise the car, and DO NOT lie under the car while doing so!  Having a several ton car sitting on top of your body generally causes discomfort, and nobody wants that.   
     When you get the tire in the air, it is time to take it off!  Get the tire iron out of your car (generally found in the same place as the jack, look in your owners manual for location).

    First of all, take off the hubcap.  This is a shiny peice of plastic covering the wheel.  It usually just pulls off.  Next, take off the lug nuts with the tire iron (this is hard-use your muscles!!).  DO NOT lose them!  They are  sorta important.  After this, take the tire off.  The tire generally weighs about 25-50 pounds and could be called the dirtiest object on earth.  Hopefully you arent wearing your best dress or tuxedo when you have a blowout. :)
     Get out the spare tire.  This is sometimes under the floor in the back of the car, but is often attached to the underside of the car.  Read your owners manual for how to get your spare tire out/down from the car.
     The hard part is putting the tire back on.  Balance the tire until the holes in the rim fit over the bolts for the lug nuts (it really does make sense if you think about it).  Now it is time to put on the lug nuts.  DO NOT just start putting them on!  To get the right torque on the wheel, they go on in a specific order.  Most cars (all that I know of) have 5 or six lug nuts.  Start with the top one, and then tighten the nut on the opposite side(see image).  Continue to the one opposite the one you just tightened, and then repeat the process.  When you have put on all the lug nuts (VERY tightly- you dont want that wheel coming off anytime soon!), tighten the first one again just to be sure.

 
   Just to recap-all of these instruction's can be found in the operator's manual of your car.  If yours is not in your glove compartment, put it there.  If you dont have one, get one from the car company.  There is all kinds of emergency information in there, not just how to change a tire!   If you absolutely dont get this at all, call the police. They can help!  They are just so pleased to ruin their fancy uniforms to help a citizen in need. :)

     Final safety tip I decided needed to be included:  DO NOT attempt to change the tire while driving.  This can be extrememly dangerous!!

Blog Review

     I love learning about cars.  I researched on Google for blogs about cars, and I found a few.  One of my favorites was theblogaboutcars.com.  It is a blog that covers pretty much everything ever about cars.  An interesting thing about this blog is that it is a British blog.  I thought it was interesting to see a blog type from another country.  They cover everything from car maintenance to the number one most loved cars by guys and girls!  They also talked a lot about safety.  Every car that comes out is given a safety rating, and the website highlights a lot of them.  One of the posts talked about the dangers of driving at high speeds.  They had a video of slinging a  Ford Focus at a concrete wall at 120 miles per hour (http://theblogaboutcars.com/cars/crushing-news-just-how-dangerous-is-high-speed-driving/).  It was crazy!  The car was totally obliterated!  The car went from 120 to 0 mph in only .068s (68 milliseconds)!  That means that the people experience a force of up to 400 times the force of gravity (Sorry, I like physics)! Ouch! Moral of the story: don't drive fast for fun! 

     Another thing I am interested in that involves a TON of blog websites is guns and gun control.  I think our country needs to maintain the right and freedom to bear arms (I would be happy to have a friendly debate with anybody that disagrees with me).  Our nation is free, and I believe that the right to bear arms is an important part of that.  I found two blogs that focus on guns and gun control:  www.thefirearmblog.com and www.waronguns.blogspot.com.  These blogs talk all about our rights as American citizens to keep and bear arms, and about proper safety precautions to prevent dangerous accidents.  Guns are very dangerous.  I have grown up learning about them, and I realize that they can be used for good as well as for evil.  I believe that gun control is wrong, but I also believe that there should be requirements to legally own a gun (such as a mental health test and background check).  These blogs agree with me :). Call it weird, but I am very interested to see what happens in our nation over the next little while concerning guns.

     And now for one of my top two favorite hobbies: fishing (I know I'm weird, but hey!).  I love both bait fishing and fly fishing, and I tie my own flies.  It is pretty easy to find blogs about this, but I wanted something a little more specific to me.  So, I searched for Utah fishing blogs.  The one I found I really like!  Here it is: http://utahwaterlog.blogspot.com/. It is just a guy that loves fishing blogging about all his fun trips (he goes way more than me!!).  He has great pictures of all the fish he has caught, as well as some fun little interactive stuff (scroll to the bottom of the blog page and you will find an amusing "feed the fish" game).  He talks about his connection  with nature, and his love for the animals in our world and the great beauty of our earth.  I think I feel much like he does about fishing.

I-Thou

After reading a story in class with Mr. Dye about a boy who is wrongfully treated by his older brother, we talked about the difference between I-it and I-thou ways of being.  We often treat other people as assets or roadblocks to our goals or desires, and rarely stop to think about the way that other people feel and their personal dreams, ambitions, or desires.  I find that I sometimes treat my siblings just as people that I live with that are part of my life.  This is not right!  They are people, with their own likes, dislikes, and feelings.  I am learning to try more to cater to their needs, and realize that they are not here for me.  We are here to help each other.  The same principle applies to my friends and even people that I have never met.  I can strive for an I-thou state of being by serving others and agreeing to the things that they want.

Learning=Doing, or The Equation of Life

               Last week I went to BYU and shadowed a college senior, Derek, enrolled in the mechanical engineering program.  He was involved in two projects, his BYU ClearSolutions Capstone senior project and another project called GEO, or global economic outreach.  For his Capstone project, he was testing the flow of water in a water reservoir filtration system.  They had a large wooden box with waterproof lining that was supposed to hold 4,000 gallons of water.  Because the dredge was being fabricated, they were doing small scale testing in a lab with a water flow system and special tubes that measure water flow pressure.  It was amazing because I got to help them with it!  They showed me how the equations work and let me do some of the math for them.  It was lots of fun!!

                Derek also showed me his GEO project.  At the end of the semester, the whole class is going to Peru.  They are split into several teams, and they are building things for the people to make their lives easier.  Derek and his team are building a cheap, affordable, easy to make tool that the people can use to effectively cut reeds for their floating reed island homes.  This will assist them in many ways, and keep them from hurting themselves or spending hundreds of hours on this menial chore. 

                We also talked about Derek’s mission to Croatia.  He said he loved it and told me all about it. He also told me about his study abroad trip to England with his wife as well as his desire to attend graduate school in England.  He said that he greatly recommended that study abroad program to me, but also talked to me about how important and different it was for him to keep his standards there.  I learned that I must be careful to be an example to others and never let my standards down even for a second. 

                I am a child of God with a purpose in life and I am headed for whatever I can put my mind to.  I can accomplish anything!  I know that I have a mission in life.  I was born to be a king, a son of my Heavenly Father.  I do not know what I need to pursue as a career, but I know that if I seek a good education and pray earnestly for guidance, I will find my purpose and mission in life.

            I know that I have a mission, but I only have one enemy to fear.  Myself.  I am the only person that can obstruct my path.  I have the obligation to work as hard as I can to seek an education and pursue my dreams.  The sky is the limit to my potential, and I have only to overcome myself.

Pen vs. Sword=Unfair Fight!

“You have a great opportunity to be a powerful force for good in the Church and in the world. There is truth in the old adage that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” ¹ In many cases it is with words that you will accomplish the great things that you set out to do. And it’s principally about ways to share those words that I want to talk to you.” (M. Russell Ballard, “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet,” Ensign, July 2008.)

                Words have been around since the beginning of time.  Swords were invented quite a bit later. J  Words have the power to stir emotion, change hearts, and save lives.  However, they also have the power to destroy, ruin, and tear apart.  Swords only have the capability to kill.  Words are incredibly powerful, and must be used carefully.  A single word in the right place can make or break somebody’s day, build up or destroy someone’s self esteem.  We must choose how we are to use these words-to further the work of the Lord and build up those around us, or to hurt and tear down.  It is our choice, and we have the obligation to choose what we know to be right.

“Every disciple of Christ will be most effective and do the most good by adopting a demeanor worthy of a follower of the Savior. Discussions focused on questioning, debating, and doubting gospel principles do little to build the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul has admonished us to not be “ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation””  (M. Russell Ballard, “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet,” Ensign, July 2008.)

 We have been taught that Bible bashing is useless, proves nothing, and drives away the spirit.  We must be careful to avoid arguing with people (especially online, in forums or chat groups) and instead focus on bringing the gospel to others.  Those that are willing to debate or fight over gospel principles just to prove that you are wrong are probably not going to want to listen to the spirit or accept the gospel.  Rather than argue, we must learn to love.  This is much more condusive to the Spirit and the Spirit converts people-not the missionary or teacher.  When we learn to defend our faith with a firm  resolve, yet avoid tearing down or arguing with others, we become truly effective missionaries and teachers.

               

Talent to Opportunity? Sharing the Gospel Online

I have grown up learning about technology.  My dad is a chemical engineer and has worked for Dow and Microsoft, and has taught me many things about computers and technology.  I also know quite a bit about computers and operating systems.  This knowledge can be used to my advantage.  I can use this information to further the work of the Lord online.  I have begun a Mormon.org account (still going through the red tape) and I can share my talents and interests, such as music and writing, in this way.  I can also use these skills to help other people learn about God.  Blogs, websites, and social networks can also be used to share testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As I continue to develop skills with technology and writing, I can repay Heavenly Father by helping to spread His work.

My Perfect Day

   My perfect day would be so much fun!  I would eat a HUGE breakfast with eggs, bacon, french toast, and orange Juice!  After breakfast, I would go hang out with Clark and Michael!! We would go airsofting, play computer, eat tons of pizza, watch a movie, and write music (Viva la Vida/Titanium coming soon!).  At home, I would grab a good book (I love Louis L'Amour novels) and some tasty snacks and read in bed.  I like reading the best when it is quiet and I can hear the rain on the windows or see the snow falling outside.  After reading for a few hours, I would drift off to sleep, and the end of my perfect day :).

(this is a picture of me during one of my big airsofting trips with Clark and Michael)