10 tips about owning a cat

1. Choose the right cat for you.

Cats can live up to 20 years so it's a big responsibility, if you choose to own a kitten, think into the future about how you will continue to take care of it. Different breeds of cats also have different personalities.

2. Cats need attention too.

Many people think that cats mind their own business and do not like to be bothered, however this is untrue. Cats need love and attention as well. Make sure that you have the time to take care of a cat.

3. Cats need to be neutered or spayed.

Make sure to schedule an appointment as soon as they are old enough. An unspayed cat will be in greater risk for infections and cancer. Cats also tend to be friendlier when fixed.

4. Indoors cat or Outdoors cat?

There are both pros and cons about letting your cat roam outside. On one side, they may bring ticks and  unwanted insects or parasites inside the house, they are also in the risk of getting run over by drivers however cats that stay indoors may not get enough exercise or feel very bored and depressed.

5. Feeding your cat.

Cats need a different amount of food depending on their age, weight, and the brand of cat food. Make sure to follow the instructions on the cat food label. Although your cat may love treats, they are not necessarily healthy.

6. Keep the litter box clean.

The litter box will need constant cleaning; clumping litter is easier to clean.

7. Cats need stimulation.

Be sure to keep cat toys around. Many cat toys are stuffed with cat-nip that your cat will go crazy over. Also keep a scratching post around if your cat has a habit of scratching on furniture.

8. Finding your cat safe toys.

Cat love to play with everything, even household items. Although yarn and dangling strings may seem safe, they are dangerous as cats may end up swallowing them. Find something sturdy with no removable parts that may risk choking.

9. Giving your cat a bath.

Cats usually do not need to be bathed as they are very clean animals, however, they will need to be bathed if they are dirty or are infected with fleas.

10. Clipping your cat's nails.

Be sure to start clipping your cat's nails as a kitten so they get used to it. Hold your cat's paws and gently press down on the padded area. Clip the tip off and do not cut too deep into the quick or they will start to bleed.

Susan Cain: The power of introverts

I remember I've watched this TedTalk before, I dont this this TedTalk is particularly motivating, however, I do agree with her points that the world does need introverts and its not a bad thing to be an introverts. Both introverts and extroverts contribute their own bit to the community.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Steve Jobs gave a very inspiring speech, he was an example of how one can become successful even if there are many obstacles in the way, I was surprised that he didnt even graduate college. It was interesting to see how something he did years ago in the past that he thought would have significance came about to be useful as he was designing the macintosh. From his speech, I learned to live each day knowing that I am going to die and to pick myself up even if things look bad, I've also realized that I have to love what I do and I am going to pursue an interest that I actually enjoy doing.

sula questions p.2

1. How does the community react to Sula's return? A) They throw a large party in celebration of her return. B) They connect all negative events to Sula and sees her as an evil person. C) They have all forgotten about Sula and treat her as an outsider. D) They are surprised about how much she's changed and encourage her to become her old self again.
2. Which incident did the towns people not accuse Sula of? A) Ms. Finley choking to death on a chicken bone. B) A flu that is spreading around town. C) Ajax breaking his arm. D) Teapot falling off the porch.
3. Why does Ajax abandon his relationship with Sula? A) He thought that Sula wasn't good enough for him and could not help to support a family. B) He found out that Sula slept around with a lot of men. C) He realizes that Sula loved him. D) He abandoned her for Nel.
4. Who passes away? A) Eva B) Sula C) Nel D) Ms. Finley
5.What happens after Sula's passing? A) Teapot's mother beats him for refusing to eat food. B) The women don't cherish their husbands. C) Crops are destroyed and the livestock are starved. D) All of the above
6. Who was Shadrack's only visitor? A) Nel B) Sula C) Pearl D) Hannah
7. What does Shadrack keep as evidence that he had a visitor? A) A piece of poetry B) A picture C) A belt D) A hairclip
8. What happens as a result of National Suicide Day? A) Many of the people who celebrate National Suicide Day drown to death. B) The people of the Bottom are too preoccupied to celebrate it. C) Shadrack commits suicide and the people of the Bottom recognize the holiday in memory of him. D) None of the above
9. Who visits Sula in the hospital? A) Ms. Finley B) Eva C) Shadrack D) None of the above
10. How did Nel feel about Chicken Little's death? A) She was thrilled to see him drown. B) His death has been haunting her for years C) She was frantic and tried to save him D) She was mad at Sula for letting him slip

10 tips to save time

I didnt know about a lot of these time saving tips, however I think I'd need to put a conscious effort into changing the way I use technology. I dont use some of these tips because they are inconvenient, for example using the space bar to scroll. I find that this method often causes me to lose my place. Also for when typing in the letter of your state, I think it's easier to just type IL instead of pressing the letter multiple times before your state appears. I did find the double space helpful for when typing, I didnt know that you could hit the space bar twice on phones, however, my phone capitalizes automatically. Another point I didnt know about was pressing the letter B key to blackout the screen during presentations.

David Blaine

How I held my breathe for 17 minutes
This TedTalk was very different than most of the TedTalks I've seen. I felt that David Blaine did not have an enthusiastic energy that most presenters have in order to get the crowd going, instead, he took his time and freely talked about his experience. I found it amazing that any human would be able to hold their breath for 17 minutes without suffering brain damage which seems pretty impossible to me. I was also very impressed with his perseverance and how David didnt come out of the water even after he felt his heart beating irregularly.

Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do

Tony Robbins made a lot of very important points during his presentation. I was very captivated throughout the entire talk and it really opened my eyes to a lot of different perspectives. Although he stated that he did not present to motivate, I was very motivated after listening to him speak.

Raghava KK

My 5 lives as an artist
This video was very inspiring, it was fascinating to see how his art works change as Raghava passed through different stages of his life. Although he gained and lost many followers along the way, I felt relieved that he did not change his art in order to satisfy his fans and instead created his own perception of beauty.

Shake up your story
I agree that children should be taught from different perspectives. I think that they should have the opportunity to choose what they as an individual believe in rather than having an opinion forced upon them.

sula questions

1) Which of the two girls got married first? A) Nel B) Eva C) Sula D) Hannah
2) Who is Sula's grandmother? A) Pearl B) Plum C) Hannah D) Eva
3) How many years past the wedding before Sula and Nel meet? A) 20 B) 15 C) 5 D) 10
4) What day is Suicide Day? A) August 5th B) January 3rd C) October 15th D) January 13th
5) Where does Helene move to? A) the Top B) the Sundown House C) the Bottom D) Medallion
6)Which character tries to save Hannah? A) Nel B) Helene C) Eva D) Old Willy Fields
7) Who decided to kill Plum? A) Nel B) Sula C) Eva D) Ajax 
8) Who are The Deweys? A) three adopted children B) the family across the street C) a young couple D) the family's pet dog
9) What happens to Chicken Little? A) he catches on fire B) he drowns in a river C) he catches an illness D) he gets stabbed to death
10) Why didn't Jude Greene get hired for construction work? A) he only has one eye B) they are only hiring white people C) his wife convinced him to turn down the job D) he was late to the interview

TED Talks Visuals

TED Talks

Pranav Mistry: The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology
I think it's truly amazing what technology can do. SixthSense technology is the bridge between the user and information by allowing one to physically move information with hands. However, I feel like SixthSense techonology has the ability to be very inaccurate and tricky to use.

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Underwater Astonishments

Although short and not very informational, this TED talk was very interesting and opened the viewer to underwater creatures that many do not yet know about. What fascinated me the most was seeing an octopus appear from the rocks, I was surprised by the octopus's amazing ability to use camoflage.

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Motivation

I thought this TED talk was both informative and inspiring. I was very surprised when I learned the stats; those who were offered a cash reward for completeing a task the fastest ended up finished slower. I always thought that the reward, which acted as a reward, would help motivate people to do better. I didn't think that motivation actually narrowed one's perception.

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Arthur Benjamin Does Mathemagic

It is amazing how quickly Arthur Benjamin calculated the math problems using only his head. I was very impressed that he as able to beat calculators. I had hoped he would explain how he is able to calculate large square roots so much faster than the average human.

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8 Secrets of Success

I think that Richard St. John's elements of success are accurate.

20 New Phone Improvements

Most Successful 
YotaPhone-This gadget is convenient because it allows the user to see the Twitter, Facebook, or RSS feeds without having to go through the trouble of unlocking the password just to check. Although it may not seem like much, it is a very handy shortcut.

Transparent film-This gadget is not only cheap to manufacture, it is also exceedingly useful. With this gadget, you wont have to remind yourself to charge your phone every night. Aside from that, I always find my phone batteries dying, forcing me to have to carry my phone charger with me. With the transparent film, i can charge my phone anywhere conveniently.

Asus' Phablet-Many people now have a laptop, a tablet, and a phone even though both a tablet and laptop are used for surfing the internet on a portable device. With the Asus Phablet, a phone now doubles as a tablet, this is convenient in many ways. You now have all your data on one device and have to ease of choosing whether you want to use a phone or a tablet.

Least Successful
GPS walking stick-This gadget seems very useless. Although it has some useful features such as tracking heart rate and calling for emergency services, the gps system seems useless. Elderly people with walking problems tend not to venture out too much, and if they did, they carry cellphones with them.

Ford SYNC AppLink-For the many people who do not use Spotify, this is completely useless. Aside from that, many people do not use voice commands due to its inaccuracy. Although it is unsafe to look at a phone while driving, many people still do it anyways.

Arrows V F-04E-I dont think that anyone is that desperate for privacy to buy a phone with a fingerprint scan. A normal screen lock is hard enough to break.

Fringe Benefits of a Failure

JK Rowling's The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination was very inspirational. This was the first time I've heard of her story and all the obstacles she had overcome to in order to stand where she is today. Her speech made me accept failure as part of success.

UAV

          Unmanned aerial vehicles, abbreviated to UAV, are aircrafts that do not carry human pilots on board. Also commonly referred to as drones, UAVs are controlled by remote control, pre-programmed flight, or dynamic automation systems. UAVs have been proved to be useful as they are slowly being incorporated into use. Originally, drones were used for military purposes, however they are also being used for policing, firefighting, security work, and other jobs that are thought of as too dangerous or mundane for humans.

          The first attempts at creating an unmanned aerial vehicle began in the early 1900s with A.M. Low's “Aerial Target” and Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane. The United States first looked into creating drones in 1959 when the Unites States Air Force feared losing pilots. The first use of unmanned flight took place in the Vietnam War. Although many UAVs were destroyed and expenses were high, they continued to be used because pilots' lives were not at stake in case the airplanes went down. In 2013, drones have been reported to be used in at least 50 countries.

          Typically, there are six types of UAVs with different uses. “Target and decoy, providing ground and aerial gunnery a target that simulates an enemy aircraft or missile. Reconnaissance, providing battlefield intelligence. Combat, providing attack capability for high-risk missions. Research and development, used to further develop UAV technologies to be integrated into field deployed UAV aircraft. Civil and Commercial UAVs, UAVs specifically designed for civil and commercial applications.” (The UAV) And logistics, UAVs specifically designed for cargo and logistics operation.

           Not only are drones used for military purposes, they can also be used for a variety of other purposes. UAVs are used in remote sensing, “UAV remote sensing functions include electromagnetic spectrum sensors, gamma ray sensors, biological sensors, and chemical sensors. A UAV's electromagnetic sensors typically include visual spectrum, infrared, or near infrared cameras as well as radar systems. Biological sensors are sensors capable of detecting the airborne presence of various microorganisms and other biological factors. Chemical sensors use laser spectroscopy to analyze the concentrations of each element in the air.” (Wikipedia) They can also be used for transportation and aerial surveillance such as livestock monitoring, wildfire mapping, pipeline security, home security, road patrol and anti-piracy. Police forces are also using drones for domestic police work. Aside from that, they have also been used for scientific research, forest fire detecting, conservation, and as a tool for search and rescue.

          Some may argue that UAVs have a higher developmental cost and are not worth the extra money to make. However, this does not include the time and money spent in training a pilot. Using UVAs in the military also significantly reduces money spent on fuel and daily wear of the planes during practice runs. The total amount added together is less than the cost of a human piloted airplane.

          Although UAVs first created for military use, these unmanned vehicles are becoming more widely used due to the fact that drones operate without a pilot on board. This eliminates the risk of putting a human's life in danger. Not only are drones being used for armed attack, they also provide a wide range of other common uses from surveillance to policing.

Works Cited

"Unmanned Aerial Vehicle." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 July 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 
          2013.

Valdes, Robert. "How the Predator UAV Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks, Inc,
          n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2013.

"The UAV - The Future Of The Sky." The UAV. The UAV, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

Top 5 Best Aspects of Being a Teenager

There are many ups and downs that comes with being a teenager. Many agree that their teenage years have been the most hectic and exciting years of their lives. High school is the period of time when children mature and attempt to discover themselves amongst a sea of chaos. Through it all, they have to deal the with peer pressure, school work, and bad relationships, then emerge victoriously to choose the right path in life. Being a teen means dealing with responsibilities, age restrictions, and future plans, however, despite all these dilemmas, the good outweigh the bad.

Teenage years are the short time in life where one is free to do as they please because are not tied down by adult problems. Thoughts from Taylor Embry, a current high school student-athlete, “the best part about being a teenager is being able to do things that you actually like to do, rather than doing things that you HAVE to do.” During high school years, one has matured enough to make logical decisions for themselves and have not yet been burdened with the responsibilities of being an adult. Brain Scheff, a 16 year old, says, “The best part about being a teenager is being able to try out so many different things without having all the consequences an adult might have.”

Another great aspect of being a teen is a caring parent's support. Hannah Wong, a senior high school student says, “The best part of being a teenager is being able to go out and have fun while still being able to come home to a delicious home-cooked meal and a comfy bed.” Most teenagers are still living with their parents who provide them with the love and support they need. Being a teen means not having to worry about making dinner or paying bills. Veronica Skital, a Whitney Young senior, says “The best part of being a teenager is the chance to go out and have fun with friends without worrying to pay the bills or put food on the table.”

Other teens are eager to enjoy their teenage years while they still can. Jasmine Grayson, eighteen year old party-goer, explains “the best thing about being a teenager is that you are able to party and enjoy your youth.” Teenagers are still young and hold few responsibilities which explains why its the perfect opportunity to go out and have a good time with friends.

Although teenage years may be rocky and uncertain, the pros of being a teenager outweigh the cons. High school kids have freedom to do as they please without being held down by the responsibilities of an adult. Not only that, they do not have to worry about paying bills and making dinner because teens are provided for by their parents. They also get to enjoy their youth and party. Overall, being a teenager is a memorial stage in one's life.

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Created for Interdisciplinary Writing 6th.