My Trip to Arizona

I don't remember all the details, as we spent much of the time on a road trip, 

Perhaps you all are wondering, what did I do last week, during thanksgiving break? I spent it all (along with one school day) in Arizona. Starting on Tuesday, me, Kyle, mom, and Ron took the airline Southwest to Las Vegas to begin with. Coming about 2 hours early, Kyle and I spent that time playing video games. However, just before we left, Kyle started playing Pokemon Go on my account, I saw a Staryu (Pokemon) but Kyle did not catch it and instead went on his account.  Finally, we made it in Las Vegas around 11 PM and went straight to bed in a hotel. The next day, we went to Vicki's diner for breakfast and set out for Flagstaff, Arizona. The trip there took about 4-5 hours and we used the Tablet and iPad to kill time. Eventually, we ran into a town that had a lot of donkeys (apparently also called burros).  Later on, we continued our road trip and after we made it to Flagstaff, we ate at an Indian restaurant near the hotel we would soon be staying at, which afterwards we watched some TV. The next day was when we started doing some fun stuff. That day, we went out to visit the Grand Canyon, one of Arizona's notable landmarks. I have seen pictures of the canyon, and yet it was so much bigger than what I could remember.

On the 3rd day, we headed to Utah and out to the Colorado river that is near the Grand Canyon. The overall trip was surprisingly shorter than I expected, taking just one hour. Instead of a hotel, this time we stayed in an apartment that was more convenient. For dinner, we had Nemo's Fish and chips, a restaurant that was nearby. Later on, we went and ate at another diner for breakfast, then took a tour bus to a desert and toured a cave, and that evening, we stayed at an inn which had a hallway bathroom, and our room was downstairs. So on our last day in Utah, we visited Zion national park and on that same day, finally returned to Las Vegas. Maybe it was because we spent barely a day there, or I simply forgot, but it was so much windier than what I experienced on our first day of vacation. During those last three days, we went to Chinese restaurants for brunch, either time we had a smoothie for, um, I'll just call it dessert. In Vegas, we visited buffets for dinner, endured the harsh winds, and everywhere we went, there were casinos, because IT'S LAS VEGAS! The biggest highlight of our quality time in Las Vegas, Nevada were two things: The first being a wax museum which had replicas of celebrities such as Will Smith, Elvis Presley, you get the deal. The other thing I really enjoyed was a real live performance by the blue men, which was something I've seen a lot on Youtube and enjoyed. So the way that blue men concert worked was that they play some music, then call out some random person in the audience to join them in random things. What we saw was them bringing a woman onto the stage, and trying to eat with her. At that moment, they did something really ridiculous: They put a jello (possibly fake) onto a section of the table, then it launched across into the crowd! What's funnier is that they tried doing the same thing with a flowerpot!

Thus concludes my vacation in Arizona, Las Vegas, and Utah. My, that's a whole lot of states to have traveled to in one week!

Packing List

Common:

1.  7 t-shirts
2.  7 pairs of underwear 
3.  3 pairs of pants 
4.  7 pairs of socks
5. Toothbrush 
6. Sunscreen
7. Comb
8. Sunglasses
9. Hat
10. Pencils 
11. Notebooks 

Things for me: 

1. 10 pairs of contacts
2. Glasses 
3. Phone  
4.  Kindle (optional)  
5.  Books (optional)
6. Cerave
7. Back brace   

Things for Kyle:

1. Contacts
2. Camera 
3. 3 shorts

The Terrorist's Son

             Another book finished! Yesterday, I finished a book called "The Terrorist's Son", an autobiography by Z Ebrahim. This story is about a boy whose Egyptian father, El-Sayyid Nossair was convicted of killing Jewish rabbi Meir Kahane in the 1980s in the very beginning. Afterwards, the story goes on to what happened before the shooting for several chapters, introducing Z's mother, a Catholic in the process. It occurs to me that Z has a father who believes in Islam, and a mother who was Catholic until she married. Anyways, back to the present. Nossair murdered Kahane, then was shot in the neck in the process by a postal officer, but survived. Afterwards, he was put under some    sort of house arrest because it wasn't confirmed whether he was behind the death of the rabbi.


               However, Nossair planned the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, therefore sentencing him to life in prison. Due to this, Z's mother broke up and still went through abuse for many years, notably from their stepfather Ahmed, who did unthinkable acts of cruelty. Life then got much better years later, starting with Ahmed's abuse becoming ineffective, then Z and his brother got jobs, meeting new people and all, then finally, Ahmed was no longer their stepfather. After reading this book, I can remember two things: You always have a choice, and 6 very inspiring words; "I am so sick of hating people", regardless of race, religion, gender, treat everyone equally.  Along with that, the part where Z's family went through a lot of abuse, I was reminded strongly of "The Red Scarf Girl", where Ji-Li also was teased for her grandfather being a landlord.

Ted Talks 2

So yesterday night, we watched another Ted Talks video, but this one was an older video (the one with Richard Turene was in 2013, the one I watched was made in 2009). Now you all are wondering, what the heck was this video even about? Well, it was about an Indian man named Pranav Mistry explaining his idea about a some sort of digital object you wear on your neck along with a few differently colored thimbles, if they are worn together, you can use everyday objects like a piece of paper as devices like iPhones or iPads. Pranav claimed that the real world and the digital world have a very large gap between them, but his invention would fill the gap, therefore preventing humankind from becoming merely machines sitting at their desks, using other machines. I think this invention was AMAZING! Though I still do not know why I don't see anyone else actually using this device.

Ted Talks

It's amazing how people can come up with such creative ideas unexpectedly. Yesterday, we watched a video called Ted Talks, which is a sort of global conference that focuses on talks such as technology, science, cultural, academic, etc. Well the video we watched was about a boy living in Africa named Richard Turene. Now, people in Africa had been killing lions because they were killing cattle, but Richard did not like that idea despite his hatred of lions, and had come up with several solutions that didn't work out so well. First of all, he tried using fire, but all that did was give the lions the ability to see cattle at night. Then, he tried out a scarecrow, but that only worked for a few hours. The lions would see the scarecrow and say, "That's a human, we should leave." But later, they will just realize that its not actually a human and just go kill the cattle. However, Richard eventually discovered the weakness of lions; movement. So he used some lights they use for motorcycles which flash on/off as long it is turned on by a switch, so the lions would think that someone was walking around the livestock and leave them alone. This idea was so genius, several others asked Richard to set up lights around their cattle too. In fact, he even got a scholarship. After seeing this video, I was utterly amazed. If you did not know, Africa is a poor country, so ways to control lions are very limited, but still, someone managed to find a new and better solution just with lights.

Flush

                  I have finished reading Flush, a book by author Carl Hiaansen. It takes place in Key West, Florida, and the main character is a boy named Noah Underwood, whose father is in jail for sinking casino boat owner Dusty Muleman's casino boat the Coral Queen, after believing he was dumping toilet waste into the ocean, which is very serious, as it can get the people who swim in the beach nearby very sick. Despite being able to get out any time, Noah's father is not willing to, as he sees himself as Nelson Mandela. This causes many problems for the family. For starters, Noah's mother is considering getting a divorce because of the crazy things her husband had done in the past, and things don't go so well with Dusty Muleman's son Jasper Jr. However, Noah is still determined to prove Dusty is guilty, and looks for help from Lice Peeking, a man who used to work on the Coral Queen but was fired after "stealing" Dusty's girlfriend Shelly. In return for proving Dusty's crimes, Lice will get Paine's fishing skiff. Later one night, Noah and his sister Abby go to the marina to see what the Coral Queen is up to, but instead, they are attacked by a large bald man, but luckily escape after Abby bits him on the arm. Throughout the book, this man is later revealed to be named Luno, and proves to be a very large threat. Shortly after their encounter with Luno, Lice has suddenly disappeared, Shelly claiming that Luno had appeared at their door one evening, scaring Lice so much he took all the cash, took Shelly's jeep, and ran off. The jeep was later found with what seems to be bloodstains on the driver's seat, showing that Lice may be dead. So as a result, Shelly will help Noah uncover Dusty Muleman's secrets. The most suspenseful part of the story was when Jasper Jr. and his friend Bull attack Noah and Abby, but then a mysterious old man dressed like a pirate appears out of nowhere, saving the two children. Eventually, the plan comes right into action, but isn't mentioned so much. What I know is that it involves 34 tiny bottles of food coloring, and Noah needs to somehow get on the Coral Queen. Then, Noah's parents go out for dinner and a movie, leaving him and Abby an opportunity to strike. Shelly, who works as a bartender, sneaks Noah (in a crate) aboard the Coral Queen and leaves him in the women's restroom, where he will dump out his share of the food coloring. However, things get very crazy when an elderly woman forces Noah to dash out of the bathroom, off the boat, and into the water. Abby eventually picks him up in Rado (a friend's) rubber dinghy, but are cornered by Luno and Dusty Muleman. The situation starts to look very bad until the same mysterious old man who had saved Noah from Jasper Jr. starts attacking Luno, so the two children manage to escape. Unfortunately, the dinghy breaks down, stranding them in the middle of the ocean. In the morning however, their father comes to rescue them with that old pirate, who turns out to be his long lost father! After that, Noah tells the coast guard of the situation and has them follow a strangely colored trail leading all the way to the Coral Queen, shutting down the operation. Now onto Grandpa Bobby, the reason he had been gone for so long was that he was attempting to track down some men who stole his fishing boat, but came back to Key West after hearing his son was in Jail for sinking the Coral Queen. In the near end of the story, Dusty manages to convince the government to put his gambling boat back on water and hosts a party for its reopening. But crazily, Jasper Jr. and Bull steal one of Dusty's cigarette packs and throw their own little party in the firework compartment, therefore setting the Coral Queen on fire. Finally, that gambling boat has been shut down FOR GOOD. Overall, I really liked this book, it had its twists and turns, and it shows me that some people will do stupid things to nature.

Math

Math is the worst subject on earth.

Pokemon Go

Perhaps you may remember the old Pokemon games you've played when you were a kid, going around, catching stuff, battling others, and possibly evolving the Pokemon you found, well the newest Pokemon game, which is called Pokemon Go, is something completely different. Where shall I start? Well, let's go back to the beginning. Pokemon Go was released on July 7th, 2016 by Niantic, its company. The way you play this game is very different from what you'd expect. Apparently, how you play it involves walking around your neighborhood/city/wherever you live, collecting Pokemon, and also retrieving loot from "Pokestops", random places which have all sorts of stuff like Pokeballs, and whatnot. I know, must sound pretty weird compared to what you probably played in the 1990s. This game is so popular, nowadays I see practically everyone looking on their phones. Some good things about Pokemon go is that it convinces people who've played games like Pokemon x and y to get out there and see a whole different world of where they live (Whenever I go outside to catch Pokemon, I kind of feel like I'm in their world, going a long way from home, even though we don't usually go that far, and in some cases, we go somewhere I am very familiar with), and also maybe becoming more social than previously, this can really help people who have social problems. Something else good about Pokemon Go is, personally for me, where I live. See, I live near a library which is known for having a lot of Pokestops. I don't know if this is something you like about Pokemon Go, but whatever. Going outside used to not really be my thing, but I've seen the world in a different way ever since I started playing Pokemon Go. However, there are also some problems with playing Pokemon Go like this, for example, safety. You may be walking along the crosswalk, and then bam! a car hits you before you can get out of the way. Then a second problem is people's personal property, there are most definitely those moments when you see a very, very rare Pokemon, or maybe a Pokestop on someone's lawn, he probably won't like it that you're trespassing just to catch a Dragonite, or say you go into a construction site, you'll be putting your own life in danger. Also, remembering your way back can be a big problem. Say you're hiking somewhere very unfamiliar, and then you notice a Pokestop you really need that's in a detour, and after a long time of walking just for something in a game, you can't remember your way back. One last problem (which I'm not really sure is that big of a deal) is where you live, some of you probably feel its unfair that Pokestops are closer to someone else's' house than yours. So yes, Pokemon Go may be very popular, but there are the hazards of playing it.    

How to do stuff in Math

Either enter an exact answer in terms of $\pi$pi or use $3\mathrm{.}14$3, point, 14 for $\pi$pi and enter your answer as a decimal.

16π

 units${}^2$start superscript, 2, end superscript

Hint #1

Getting started

We want to find the area of $\frac{1}{4}$start fraction, 1, divided by, 4, end fraction of a circle. Let's start by finding the area of the full circle.

Hint #2

Step 1: Find the area of the full circle

$\begin{array}{cc}& \pi r^2\\ \\ & \pi 8^2\\ \\ & 64\pi \\ \\ \end{array}$

Hint #3

Step 2: Find the area of $\frac{1}{4}$start fraction, 1, divided by, 4, end fraction of the circle

$\begin{array}{cc}\frac{1}{4}& \frac{1}{4}64\pi \\ \\ & \frac{64}{4}\pi \\ \\ & 16\pi \\ \\ \end{array}$

Hint #4

The answer

The area of the shape is $16\pi$16, pi units${}^2$start superscript, 2, end superscript.

(Note that we could also multiply $16$16 by $3\mathrm{.}14$3, point, 14 to get  $50\mathrm{.}24$50, point, 24 units${}^2$start superscript, 2, end superscript.)

Find the arc length of the semicircle.
Either enter an exact answer in terms of $\pi$pi or use $3\mathrm{.}14$3, point, 14 for $\pi$pi and enter your answer as a decimal.

 units

Hint #1

Getting started

We want to find the arc length of $\frac{1}{2}$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction of a circle. Let's start by finding the circumference of the circle.

Hint #2

Step 1: Find the circumference of the circle

$\begin{array}{cc}& 2\pi r\\ \\ & 2\pi 11\\ \\ & 112\pi \\ \\ & 22\pi \\ \\ \end{array}$

Hint #3

Step 2: Find the arc length of $\frac{1}{2}$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction of the circle

$\begin{array}{cc}\frac{1}{2}& \frac{1}{2}22\pi \\ \\ & \frac{22}{2}\pi \\ \\ & 11\pi \\ \\ \end{array}$

Hint #4

The answer

The arc length of the semicircle is $11\pi$11, pi units.

(Note that we could also multiply $11$11 by $3\mathrm{.}14$3, point, 14 to get $34\mathrm{.}54$34, point, 54 units.)

Justin lives in Saint Paul and goes to school in Minneapolis. In the morning, he has $3$3 transportation options (bus, cab, or train) to school, and in the evening he has the same $3$3 choices for his trip home.

If Justin randomly chooses his ride in the morning and in the evening, what is the probability that he'll use both the bus and the train?

Hint #11 / 4

$\text{Probability} = \dfrac{\text{Favorable combinations}}{\text{Total possible combinations}}$P, r, o, b, a, b, i, l, i, t, y, equals, start fraction, F, a, v, o, r, a, b, l, e, space, c, o, m, b, i, n, a, t, i, o, n, s, divided by, T, o, t, a, l, space, p, o, s, s, i, b, l, e, space, c, o, m, b, i, n, a, t, i, o, n, s, end fraction

Hint #22 / 4

There are $\blue3$start color blue, 3, end color blue possible choices for each trip, so there are $\blue3\times\blue3=9$start color blue, 3, end color blue, times, start color blue, 3, end color blue, equals, 9 total possible combinations. If Justin chooses randomly, all combinations are equally likely.

Hint #33 / 4

Each path through the tree represents one possible outcome. The green paths show the $\green2$start color green, 2, end color green favorable outcomes.

$\text{B}$$\text{C}$$\text{T}$$\text{Ride to school}$$\text{B}$$\text{C}$$\text{T}$$\text{B}$$\text{C}$$\text{T}$$\text{B}$$\text{C}$$\text{T}$$\text{Ride home}$

Hint #44 / 4

The probability that Justin will use both the bus and the train is $2$2 out of $9$9, or $\dfrac29$start fraction, 2, divided by, 9, end fraction .

If you flip three fair coins, what is the probability that you'll get heads on the first two flips and tails on the last flip?

Hint #11 / 4

$\text{Probability} = \dfrac{\text{Favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total possible outcomes}}$P, r, o, b, a, b, i, l, i, t, y, equals, start fraction, F, a, v, o, r, a, b, l, e, space, o, u, t, c, o, m, e, s, divided by, T, o, t, a, l, space, p, o, s, s, i, b, l, e, space, o, u, t, c, o, m, e, s, end fraction

Hint #22 / 4

If you flip three coins, there are $\blue2$start color blue, 2, end color blue possible outcomes for each individual flip, so there are $\blue2\times\blue2\times\blue2=8$start color blue, 2, end color blue, times, start color blue, 2, end color blue, times, start color blue, 2, end color blue, equals, 8 total possible outcomes. Since the coin is fair, each outcome is equally likely.

Hint #33 / 4

Each path through the tree represents one outcome. The green path shows the $\green1$start color green, 1, end color green favorable outcome.

$\text{H}$$\text{T}$$\text{First}$$\text{H}$$\text{T}$$\text{H}$$\text{T}$$\text{Second}$$\text{H}$$\text{T}$$\text{H}$$\text{T}$$\text{T}$$\text{H}$$\text{T}$$\text{H}$$\text{Third}$

Hint #44 / 4

The probability of getting heads on the first two flips and tails on the last flip is $\dfrac18$start fraction, 1, divided by, 8, end fraction .

Josh is hiking Glacier National Park. He has now hiked a total of $17 \text{ km}$17, space, k, m and is $2 \text{ km}$2, space, k, m short of being $\dfrac12$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction of the way done with his hike.

Write an equation to determine the total length in kilometers $(h)$left parenthesis, h, right parenthesis of Josh's hike.

Find the total length of Josh's hike.

 $\text{km}$k, m

Hint #11 / 5

Let $h$h be the total length of Josh's hike.

Hint #22 / 5

$\dfrac12$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction of Josh's hike is equal to $\dfrac12h \text{ km}$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction, h, space, k, m. He is $2\text{ km}$2, space, k, m short of being done with $\dfrac12$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction of his hike.

The distance Josh has hiked already is $\dfrac12h - 2$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction, h, minus, 2.

Hint #33 / 5

Since the distance he has already hiked is $17 \text{ km}$17, space, k, m, let's set this equal to $17$17:

$\qquad \dfrac12h - 2=17$space, start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction, h, minus, 2, equals, 17

Now, let's solve the equation to find the total length of Josh's hike $(h)$left parenthesis, h, right parenthesis.

Hint #44 / 5

12h−212h−2+212h12h12h=17=17+2=19=1912=38add 2 to each sidedivide each side by 12

Hint #55 / 5

The equation is $\dfrac12h - 2=17$start fraction, 1, divided by, 2, end fraction, h, minus, 2, equals, 17.

The total length of Josh's hike is $38 \text{ km}$38, space, k, m.