.

Decisions, decisions.

A picture says a thousand words.

Oops, sorry. Wrong one.

Ah, there we go. 

In other news, LEAVE OBAMA ALONE. So who cares if AIG gave bonuses to its executives. The media should go focus on Nicole Richie's baby or something more exciting and real than what this crazy situation is being made out to be. Why put Obama under scrutiny when the money wasn't doled out by him? It's like blaming an employer for giving salary to a closet pothead. Besides, AIG had contracts to keep with its employees--to break them, they'd have to fire the workers. And I'm sure we'd all have loved that, which is the exact opposite of the point of a bailout. I don't think I've seen commentary about the situation any better than the most recent xkcd comic:

http://xkcd.com/558/

Thank you, Randall Munroe.

Similarly, the whole "Special Olympics" bowling situation is insane. What, a guy can't make a joke now that he's the President? He apologized...it's fine, it's over. America is composed of a potpourri of hypocrisy--a nice melding of different shades and degrees of it. In a society that acceps dead baby jokes (the majority of us may not, but they exist and therefore are propagated somehow), how dare we waste hours of media scrutiny and minutes of typing up blog posts focusing on a two-second self-derrogatory comment made by some guy who is under an incredible amount of stress? The man was on Leno, for crying out loud. If humor on Leno isn't based on deliberately offensive comments, I don't know what it is. If society really cared about the comment that much, Leno would have to precede his nightly monologue (he is the one who does monologues, right?) with a long list of people to apologize to for the previous night's escapades. 

Please. Just let the man do his job so when I get out of college, I can have a job without relocating to China. 

Onward!!

This week promises to be a nice one, as there is really only one full day of school. Unfortunately, that happens to be tomorrow.

GO GUNN! Somehow, beyond all reasonable suppositions, we have made it to state championships. The day was insane. It was windy, freezing cold, and our lovely canopy was pretty much useless since there was no sunshine. I had a free hour slot in the morning, during which I shredded a raisin bagel fretfully. Then I ran off for five hours of consecutive testing before I could eat lunch, a pathetically cold and congealed teriyaki bowl in a Styrofoam takeout box. Woe was me.  

The awards ceremony was rather discouraging, since I only placed in one of my events. Admittedly, I could have studied harder (or at all, particularly for health science, which I volunteered for three hours prior to its test time). The entire team was rather dour throughout the ceremony, since very few of us were called to receive medals--and as Quail mentioned, no first places. We were also all wearing black by some crazy coincidence. But when we were called for third place, we all went crazy (even crazier than we had been doing the Soulja Boy "youuuuuuuuuuuu" across the gym floor). 

But now, for states, I think the team is sufficiently pumped up to study harder and medal stronger (state medals are prettier, anyway). Besides, we will have Gunn shirts. Nothing says unity like a biohazard sign. 

Styrofoam cups and pipe cleaners? Wtf? Please have Kinex next time. Please.

I am currently huddling under the meager shelter offered by the awning of the Science Olympiad team typing up this blog post.

I just have to say that today was amazingly fun, albeit rather disorganized and chaotic.

I rest here with the satisfaction of a job well done. Now to see if that feeling changes after the awards ceremony.

Happy Pi Day, everyone!

EDIT: We made third place! We're going to States!

Seriously, we were the dark horse candidate of the year. Out of our whole team, we only had 4 pairs place, and not a single one of them was first place.
I guess we've got a good average, but few stellars xD

Eye of the Hurricane

So I am happy to say that I survived my terrible weekend. I went from all-day Science Bowl to last-minute piano panicking on Saturday, then on Sunday I had my piano evaluation and Quiz Kids competition. Having to keep my adrenaline up to stay on edge and alert for questions and somehow relax to make Chopin sound nice, I wished more than once I was bipolar. 

At least this week was a little calmer, with only one tournament.

I am also happy to say that I will be going to college next year, having gotten into a few schools. However, exactly what they are will remain undisclosed. The magnitude of the decision I will have to make in a few weeks has recently whacked me in the face, as I will have to decide between rubbing shoulders with brilliant but strange kids or a fun school. Additionally, small fish in a big pond, big fish in a small pond? Good weather or a change from my spoiled California life? I've determined that I want to get far, far away from home. 

With the piano test being over, I can finally relax and enjoy what I'm playing. Finally picking up new pieces, I've decided to give Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata a try. Unfortunately, I am barely capable of reaching an octave at times, and not only is the score devastatingly fraught with them, but there are also a few ninths. And accidentals. Lots and lots of accidentals. But hey, who ever said enjoyment came easy?

Congratulations to Quest Crew :D. The Best Hair Crew and America's Best Dance Crew. If t-shirts ever fall below $15, I will definitely buy one. I love bboys.

AP tests are in 8 weeks, leaving one me one week to prepare for each test. But in the meantime, I've got to keep my grades up as second semester classes mercilessly bear down on us second-semester seniors. I've received a letter from a college reminding me that my matriculation is contingent upon my second semester performance. Way to create a downer on an otherwise ecstatic moment. 

I also need to get my license sometime.  ._.;

Next week is the Regional Science Olympiad, and Quail and I are rather excited to defend our title as reigning NorCal Write It, Do It Champs. May the Force be with us.