It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Amazon Prime Air?!?

     Yes, the Amazon Prime Air is here...or is it? You must be thinking why not? I'm sure all of you must have heard about the sudden reap of interest about the Amazon drones, also known as the Amazon Prime Air. If you haven't, then this post is especially for you.

     Over the next few weeks, FedEx and all the mailmen are going to be working overtime trying to get your Christmas present to you. In a couple of years, they won't be doing this. Instead, Amazon's drones will take over, working hard to get your gifts to you on time. What exactly are the Amazon Prime Air drones? Amazon drones are the future way of delivering packages. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, says that Prime Air is a service that delivers packages by autonomous drones. He hopes that the company will be able to deliver packages into customer's hands within 30 minutes of the time they place an order. His hopes are to have this in use by 2015. "I know this looks like science fiction. It's not," Bezos said. "It drops the package. You come and get your package, and we can do half-hour deliveries." But, really? Will this really work?
     One of the biggest challenges for Amazon will be the safe landing of the drones in front of the customers' homes. Imagine this drone hitting someone or something out on the streets. That would be quite hurtful. Hitting trees, power lines, and the safety of people walking outside are few of the safety issues. These Amazon drones would need more safety testing. Bezos says," This thing can't land on somebody's head while they're walking around their neighborhood." That would be funny and quite embarrassing. This drone can run into kids playing in the driveway or something else not pictured in the satellite view of the delivery site. "Obviously obstacle avoidance will be built into drones," Colin Guinn CEO of DJI Innovations says, "What customers could also do is choose a specific landing spot when ordering, like the back yard or driveway." That would be offering a spot clear of obstacles and will be helpful for the drone to avoid accidents.
     Safe landing is not the only challenge that Amazon faces with the drones. These Amazon drones are limited and will only be able to serve a tiny part of the U.S.A. These unmanned vehicles would only be able to deliver packages within a 10-mile radius of the Amazon fulfillment centers. So folks who live in Fremont, CA, well, we're out of luck for now. "The[Amazon] video is by far the most fleshed out proof of concept yet." Guinn said. "But with the system they showed, a 20-mile round trip on a single charge isn't possible with today's technology." Still, even when the drones could fly 20 miles from fulfillment centers, only a tiny part of our country could be served. These drones will be able to carry packages that weigh up to five pounds, which covers about 86 percent of the items Amazon delivers. 
     Despite that, there is always the technical issues. How long can the battery last? How many deliveries can the drones make before needing service? Because of that, the delivery cost would be quite expensive. Making the drones would be costly as well. I'm not sure if many people would use this way of delivering because of the high cost issues. But, I would love to try this at least once, that is... if my parents are okay with it:)

     However, the U.S Federal Aviation Administration will have to agree to these plans. So putting Prime Air into action will take years but, "one day Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today," the company said. I hope this idea will come true and I'm sure Amazon will find a way to face these challenges. True, it will be hard but Amazon has changed the way of shipping and can do it again. It would be great when you look up and see Amazon's drones flying by!!! 

I found her!!!

Me(on the left), Aishwarya, my twin,(on the right)

     Best day ever!!! Yes, I know that you might be very, very confused if you saw the picture. Don't worry, I was really confused too, and I'm still confused, and guess what? I will probably always be confused for the rest of my life just because of today. Crazy right, she's my twin!!! I actually have a twin, I've always wanted a twin! And there she was standing right in front of me. It all started when my family went to the airport to drop off my parents' friends off. After we dropped them at the airport, we started walking toward our car to go home. Right then, I saw this girl and her parents walking out of the airport with loads of luggage. And holey moley, that girl looked EXACTLY like me!!! From the hair to the height, she looked exactly like me! It was as if she stole my face! I was ready to scream but, I knew not too, since we were in the public. I grabbed my parents by the back of their shirts and pointed at that "twin" and her family. My parents screamed. And then I screamed too. By that time the other family looked at us with big, surprised eyes and both of us started walking toward each other. My family and the other family were about few feet away from each other, yet, none of us could speak a single word. Finally, the other "me" spoke up and broke the ice. Now, everyone was talking. It turned out that me and the other "me" were twin!!! It was so creepy to be looking at someone who looked exactly like me! What was even more creepier was that her name was Aishwarya too!!! Eeeek! So, both the families came up with the answer to this crazy twin thing. Me and the other "me" were probably separated at birth. The parents never knew they had twins.
     Then it started raining outside so, we all went to my house to talk and refresh our minds from this day. We asked the other family where they live and they said London. I was so happy that my twin was from London!!! They had just landed and came to San Francisco for a vacation. Me and Aishwarya took so many pictures together. Of course, she had to go back to London in a few days. So, we made sure we both would keep in touch. Just one thing, we had to find a new name for her!:) It's not okay if both twin sisters share the same name. We both chatted for a while and it turns out that she has a totally different personality than me. She is much more athletic and loves to run( unlike me). She's more of an outdoor person while I'm more of an indoor person. Aishwarya told me that she wanted to play soccer in the Olympics, representing Great Britain. We had so much fun together. But, to be honest, she did annoy me with her accent and the way she used British slang. For example, she told me her favorite foods are candyfloss and chips. I got all confused. She explained to me that  candy floss was our cotton candy. Chips was French fries. Then it was time to say bye. Her family left by taxi and I saw my twin leave. We'll meet again for sure, until then we can always Facetime and Skype each other. Anyways, thanks for reading! Cheers!!!          

What a Summer!!!

     What is hot, humid, and historical? Yup, you guessed it, my summer vacation! This summer, I took a trip to the east coast of the United States. Boy, was it hot! I felt as though I was literally roasting under the sizzling hot sun. It was really crazy! Aside from that, I had loads and loads of fun. Our journey started on the flight from SFO airport to Washington D.C. My grandpa, dad, cousin, sister, and I were ready for takeoff. Our flight rumbled and for a second we were on the ground; next moment we were in the air. After a five to six hour flight, we landed in Ronald Reagan airport. It felt so good to be in the country's capital. The first step I took out of the flight, I felt it, it was so sultry. Even though we all were inside the air-conditioned airport, it didn't even feel like the AC was turned on. That night we drove around D.C and we saw the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial which was pretty cool. Then we drove to The Capitol and that was amazing to see with the lights and its glow. But then, what caught my eye, was the White House. It was so majestic and spectacular to see. Everything from the massive building to the number of secret service agents standing around was incredible. I snapped so many pictures that by the end of the first day, I had 100+ pictures.

The White House

Harry Potter Outfit

     Then the next few days, we spent our time at the world-famous Smithsonian Museums. All together, there are 19 Smithsonian museums, but of course we didn't have time to go to all of them. So, we chose three museums that all of us thought was interesting: Air and Space Museum, Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of American History. There was so much to see in the museum, each floor, each exhibit. One museum could easily take a whole day to see. Let me give you some highlights on each museum. At the Air and Space Museum, I think the coolest thing we saw was the Apollo 11 Command Module. This module went into space and was the first to land on the moon. Neil Armstrong rode on that command module and I feel that  it's so cool that I got to see it. There was a planetarium in that museum, and we were watching a show. When the 45 minute movie was finished and the lights turned back on my sister and cousin were sound asleep. We all started cracking up. Next up, in the Museum of Natural History, there was an exhibit with all kinds of birds. They had stuffed the dead birds and kept them safely and preserved at the exhibit. I felt that that exhibit was the most creepiest exhibit. I was wrong. As we kept walking, we entered the Egyptian exhibit, pictures of mummies, and if you get to see pictures of mummies, then you're going to get to see statutes of mummies. But in our case, we got to see a real mummy, unwrapped lying there with nothing but a glass wall that separates us from it. And if we get a real, but dead, mummy in the exhibit, next thing we get is even being creeped out! As we took off to the next exhibit, hoping it would be better, we saw the Hope Diamond, a very famous diamond from India. Last but not least, was the Museum of American History, my personal favorite. I think the biggest highlight of that museum was the first Hogwarts uniform that Daniel Radcliffe wore in the first movie. If you know me well, then you should be familiar with my craze for Harry Potter. I couldn't stop smiling at that costume. The next day was my cousin's birthday, and we were going to visit the incredible Niagara Falls.
     There we were. I not only heard but I also felt the thundering roar. The wind blew the mist in all directions and I was soon covered in small drops of the water from Niagara Falls. We were all standing in the Maid of the Mist boat, getting closer to the waterfalls by the minute. The ship was full of people wearing dark blue ponchos. My dad was the daredevil. He was the only one in the ship who chose not to wear a poncho. Yes, he got SOAKING WET!!! Another thing we did was go to the Cave of the Winds in Niagara Falls. It was a platform UNDER the falls. Even though we only got about 1/2000 of the entire falls, all of us were wet. That showed us the power of the Niagara Falls.
     Next day, we went to Madame Tussaud's in New York. This wax museum was a little bit smaller than the one in London, but it had more American people. The main features were actors including Robert Pattinson, Angelina Julie, and Taylor Lautner. Many pop stars were there too, not to mention Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and One Direction. The famous presidents who were there were Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, and many more. The same day, we walked along the Times Square and saw the Freedom Tower( the new building built on the same place where the World Trade center once stood). We did a lot of walking, riding the Subway, and taking a ride on the yellow cabs.
       We saw the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Then we took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. It was so tall and stunning to see it in real life. We walked all the way up to the pedestal( under Lady Liberty's foot) and the view was incredible!!! Our legs were weary and we still had to go down. So off we went climbing

the stairs, waiting in long lines.
     Last day of our trip, we went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; home of the Independence Hall. There we saw the room and chair where George Washington signed the Constitution. In Independence Hall, we also saw the rough drafts of three very important documents: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and The Bill of Rights. It was faded and looked really old.
      Three words can describe my entire trip: enjoyable, hectic, and fascinating. We went through a lot in this trip, from the scorching heat to the weary walking, Washington DC to New York. I think we all had an immeasurable amount of fun! Thanks for reading and please comment. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog!!!        
     

           

Coming Up Movies

     It's summer!!! Summer officially started on June 21st, and most schools ended before June 21. I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of summer vacation, I know I am:) You definitely shouldn't be bored this summer because of the loads of movies that are coming out. You won't want to miss these movies! Have fun!

     Summer started out with a great movie, "Monsters University". It came out on June 21. Although I haven't seen it yet, it seems to be an awesome movie. If you've watched "Monsters Inc.", this is a prequel to it. Even if you haven't seen "Monsters Inc.', you should still see this movie! This is a Pixar movie and it's rated G (so we are all okay). In this movie, Mike

Mike and Sulley:"Monsters University"

Wazowski, a green monster with one big eye, wants to go to college to become a professional scarer. A professional scarer is a monster who works to capture "scream energy" by scaring human kids in their beds at night. Mike realizes that college is harder than he thought. Monsters University is pretty much the monster world's Stanford University:) Feel like you would like to attend this university? Check out this website: http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/ .

The Despicable Me family 

     Another one of the movies is   " Despicable Me 2". I cant wait until it comes out! Simply three words can describe this movie: minions, madness, and fun! For those of you who haven't watched the first movie, let me define minions for you: (noun)Minions are the short yellow creatures who are the little helpers for the main character, Gru. "Despicable Me 2" is coming out on July 3, 2013. This movie is rated PG ( I still think we can all watch this). In this movie, Gru is no longer a villain after adopting three daughters in the first film. Life goes on for him when suddenly, something happens and you'll have to watch the movie to find out. If you live in the southern half of the United States, then you might get a chance to see the Despicablimp. The despicablimp is a blimp that has a minion face on it and has been flying around USA to advertise the movie. To view the map of where the blimp will fly to next, go to   http://www.despicablimp.com/.

Despicablimp

The smurfs

     The next movie is "Smurfs 2". This sequel to the "Smurfs" is rated PG and is coming out on July 31. In this movie, Smurfette is kidnapped by the villain, Gargamel, and is taken to Paris. Katy Perry plays the voice for Smurfette. Many new characters will be introduced and we'll have to watch the movie to find out who they are!!!

Percy and his friends

    Next up is " Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters". This is a sequel to "The Lightning Thief". Personally, I thought that the first movie was not so good and was low budget. I hope this movie will be better. No matter what, I'm going to watch it( since I am a Percy Jackson fan). Hopefully I won't be boo-ing it throughout movie! This movie is baseed on the second book of the Percy Jackson series. In this movie, Percy and his friends go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece. This film is coming out on August 7th.

     From the world above the movie,"Cars", "Planes" will be the next animated comedy movie. This movie will be in theaters only on August 9, so we'll have to wait until then to watch it. "Planes" will be in theaters both 3D and normal 2D. I thinkwatching it in 3D would be better so that you can get the real effect of the planes actually "flying" at you. This movie is not yet rated but I'm sure it will either be G or PG. 

Planes

One Direction:This is Us

     The recently famous band has it's movie coming out on August 30; One Direction's "This is Us". For all the 1D fans out there, this movie is for you. I'm not going to watch it in theaters because I'm not a fan of 1D. Check out this website for photos, trailers, and much more! http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/onedirection/ . 

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2

     Next it's "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs". In the first movie, food poured from the skies as Flint, the main character, invented a crazy machine. After getting splat with food ranging from ice cream to hamburgers, the people of the town had to clean their town. Now, it's the attack of the leftovers. Flint and his friends have to save the world from the food storm before it's too late. Watch this movie on September 27th.                                   

       

Catching Fire

    The movie that everyone's been waiting for is coming out on November 22. "Catching Fire" is the second movie of the Hunger Games trio. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) are back for the next amazing movie. In this movie, key events including the "Victor's Tour" and the "Quarter Quell" happen. These events can change Panem forever. Don't miss out on this movie!!!

Hope you all enjoyed my post! I'm sure I'll watch atleast half of these movies:) Thanks for reading and please comment below! Hope you watch and enjoy these movies!!!

    

 

    

      





Extreme Sports

     There's basketball, soccer, and tennis. But, those are just the normal sports. There are some extraordinary sports. Most of these extreme sports are really crazy! These sports might make you think, are these even real sports? Yes, they might be so odd, but these are real sports that people actually do!

     Imagine you're in a giant plastic ball, on the top of a hill. All of a sudden, somebody pushes you down. You don't even think about screaming, with all the turns that your body makes as the ball whooshes down the hill. You are zorbing!!! I'm what? Zorbing is a sport where you stand inside a giant, plastic ball and roll down the hill. Another type of zorbing is in the water. In this type of zorbing, you don't get rolled from the top of the hill but, you try to walk in water. When I first read that zorbing is and actual extreme sport, I was very surprised. Why? Well, I have actually done zorbing in the water before! When I did zorbing in Florida, I tried to walk on water but it was very difficult. I felt like I was a hamster trying to walk on a hamster wheel. Every time I tried to get up, I fell inside the ball. But, the overall experience was fun. A typical zorb ride lasts about 40 seconds. It was invented in 1994. The zorb(ball that is used in zorbing) is 2.7m(106 inches), while a basketball is only 29.5 inches. The zorb is pretty heavy and big, but it moves at a high speed.

      Another crazy sport is volcano surfing. Am I kidding? Not at all. During volcano surfing, brave riders hike up to the volcano and hurtle down, on a board, similar to a snowboard. Instead of doing it on snow, riders take it to the extremes by doing it on an active volcano!!! The sport started in 2005, very recently. Many people do volcano surfing on the slopes of Nicaragua's Cerro Negro, which erupted last in 1999. Is volcano surfing safe? The main danger of volcano surfing is falling down and getting hurt. That's why surfers must wear protective gear while they are surfing.

     The only way to fly with wings is wingsuit flying. In this wacky sport, skydivers jump from a plane and glide through the air. The wingsuit that they wear prevents them from...the worst that could happen. The wingsuit catches air and helps you sail through the air instead of going, "splat"! The wingsuit is commonly compared to a flying squirrel, as you can see in this picture. If you would like to see a video of wingsuit flying, here's a good video: Wingsuit Flying Video


BOSSABALL

      Next up, there's a sport called Bossaball. What's this, you wonder? Basically, Bossaball is a volleyball like sport that's played on an inflatable court. This interesting sport is a combination of soccer, volleyball, and gymnastics. It was created in 2004, and is currently a bit hit on the beaches of Spain and Brazil. This sport is played in two teams of three, four, or five. I think Bossaball will actually be pretty fun to try!!!
      For all those Harry Potter fans out there... including me! There is a real sport called Quidditch. In this amazing sport, players run around with brooms. They try to throw the balls into the three- hooped goal. Quidditch started in 2005 at a college in Vermont. Now, many high schools and colleges enjoy this sport.
     Would you ever like to run a marathon? How about a marathon in the snow? The North Pole Marathon is literally the coolest race around the so-called "Santa's home". This marathon is a run for 26.2 miles in the North Pole. The runners have to bundle up because the temperature there is around -22 degrees Fahrenheit or less!!! Even though there are warm tents for the runners, set up around the course, the North Pole Marathon is still extreme. The entry fee for the North Pole Marathon is $16,000! That's crazy! Personally, I don't think it is worth it because I don't enjoy the thought of running in the snow with big snow boots on! :)
     What's the first thing that comes into your mind when I say hockey? Maybe a hockey stick or a hockey player, or even the San Jose Sharks. I bet you don't think about bathing suits! Well, underwater hockey is a sport where you basically play hockey, underwater! Shooting and swimming is pretty much what you do. The rules of the game is like hockey but, this is played underwater.
     From Quidditch to zorbing, underwater hockey to the North Pole Marathon, these certainly aren't our everyday sports. These extreme sports can be fun and exceptional at the same time. Thanks for reading about the world of extreme sports! I would appreciate it if you can comment on my post! Thanks!!!
 

Good bye STAR testing, Hello Common Core!!!

           It's April, April showers bring May flowers. But, what else does it bring? STAR test prep:(. This year, the STAR test is on its last year. Does that mean no more STAR testing? Yes, it does mean no more STAR testing, but something else is making its way. What is it? Common Core Standards. Common Core Standards will be the new method of teaching, and it will possibly start in the 2013-2014 school year. 
          The STAR, Standardized Testing and Reporting Program is expiring and we will not have the same multiple choice annual tests anymore. Why not? The STAR testing is just level one questions. The STAR tests are just the same content while the Common Core Standards will be level two and three questions with more thinking involved. :( I, personally, am not looking forward to Common Core. The Common Core Standards will include higher standards in both, English and Math. So far, 47 states(including California) have adopted this new method. The only states that haven't are Alaska, Virginia, and Texas. With the Common Core, students will be asked to explain their thinking, not just answer the questions. Also, students will have to support their answer with evidence and reasoning. The STAR tests don't prove that the students actually understand the question. Students might get a question right just out of "multiple guess". On, the other hand, Common Core tests will make sure students understand the concepts.  

          The Common Core standards also pose some challenges for many schools. Why? What does that mean? Common Core Standards will require students all over California to take the annual standardized testing, but this time they want it to be online. Rural area will have difficulties because they lack technology. With the budget cuts, buying more than 1000 computers is out of the question. So, what will happen? Nobody know. They are still trying to figure it out. My fingers are crossed...hoping the problem won't be fixed, and we might not have Common Core. But, I still know that's very unlikely too happen. The tests will be developed by Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium(SBAC) and the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers(PARCC). Another reason why California needs Common Core Standards is because since most of the states now have adopted it, all the states will have the same standards from K-12. If the students change schools or move to a different state, they will still have the same standards to follow. California's education system is taking a big leap forward... changing from STAR testing to Common Core Standards.

My At.oow

       

              

               You probably don't know what an at.oow is, and I don't blame you for that. I didn't know what an at.oow was too until in my English class, we learned about Tlingit Native Americans. The Tlingit Indians are original people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They live in southern Alaska and in British Columbia and the Yukon in Canada. An at.oow is basically a small mat that represents you or your family. In the Tlingit tribe, at.oows also represented their clan. The at.oow is the most prized possession of the entire clan. It is passed from generation to generation. Clan crests and spirit designs are socially and spiritually important to the Tlingit. For example, an at.oow might have an eagle for the clan because the clan might have had really good eyesight. Since our class was reading a novel called, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, which is related to the Tlingit tribe, my teacher decided to assign us with an interesting project. The project was to make our own at.oow, based on the book we were reading. My at.oow here represents me. My at.oow actually turned out to look really nice!                                                                            

My At.oow

               My at.oow is very colorful and the background is a rainbow for a reason. As you might know, I am usually really cheerful. The rainbow background represents how happy I am. You don’t need to impress me too much to make me happy. Some things I get happy for include Fridays, days with no homework, and even little things like it my favorite breakfast! Happiness is the essence of life! If one person is really happy, they pass on their happiness. The two doves on both sides of the crest represent the amount of peace and love I have. Well, what do I mean by peace and love? In many parts of the world, war is raging on and on. It would be great if the entire world had peace among each other… that would be a perfect world. But, we all know nothing is perfect. Still, I do believe in world peace. The crest is also colored red and black because it shows how bold and brave I am….also shows that I am in Gryffindor :)!!! The crest is even on both sides. That signifies the balance I try to keep between work and fun I have in myself. I try to follow the saying “Work while you work, play while you play”. That way I can finish all my work and have some free time too. The lion on the top symbolizes strength and power. On the top left hand corner, there is a book and a pencil writing on a paper. The book represents how much I enjoy reading. The pencil and paper symbolizes schoolwork and my brains ;). On the next corner to the right, a palette is there to show how much I adore art and painting. Art is my hobby and I can do it for days and days in a row. The music notes on the bottom indicate my love towards music and the eight years I’ve been playing the piano. The bottom left corner, has a computer which stands for the use of technology that I have, and how much I love working with technology. The four leaf clover is for the good luck that I have. I usually never get caught (not that I do anything that bad) but, I really do have good luck. When we are supposed to run the mile in P.E, (which I don’t like), and I really do not want to do it that day, sometimes it rains really hard. That leads to skipping the mile! The jar filled with coins is for the hard work I do. I really don’t give up easily on things and for some reason I just have to finish what I started, no matter how boring it is. The wolf paws on the bottom, symbolizes that I never get distracted and I advance towards my goal. On the bottom right corner, the maze-like symbol indicates the unity I have. I can get along with people very easily. Finally, the two hearts combined together shows friendship. My at.oow signifies my characteristics and qualities. The at.oow shows my real personality and how distinctive it is from other personalities. My at.oow is one of a kind and only represents me. The at.oow is like an “all-about-me” poster. At the same time, it’s a traditional Tlingit Native American tradition.

 







The Future in a Glance

   Have you ever wondered, how would life be twenty years from now? How different would 2030 be from 2013? It's always interesting to think about the different technologies and life we would have in 2030. Now, I'm still not sure that flying cars will be invented by then, but I'm positive that many new technologies will help in our future daily lives in 2030.                                                                           

    It would be amazingly cool if there were refrigerators that would automatically recognize what food was inside it. Then, the refrigerator, would tell us whether to buy more milk or other food items. The 2030 refrigerators would also tell you if some food items were close to being expired. That way you will be told to restock your fridge or to finish eating something before it's too late!

    Another cool invention would be "The Automatic Bed Maker". I know it sounds lame, but it would be pretty useful. I mean, who likes making their bed every single morning? Nobody does. This bed maker would stand 3.5 feet tall. This robot will have four arms and after you get out of bed, you have to press a button on the robot and Voila!!! Your personal robot will automatically make your bed. :)
    Since the price of gasoline gets higher and higher, I bet in 2030 the price will be really expensive. That's why there should be a car that runs not on gas, but salt water.Why salt water? Well, salt water is not use for many things. We have an abundant supply of salt water. Just fill up the car with salt water and you'll be on the road!
     Not only will there be cool inventions, but also global warming will have its effects in 2030. To keep the effects limited, we should have items preventing flooding from glaciers and other stuff. One idea is to make more future buildings use solar panels. Solar panels will make the world a better place. Solar panels are clean and renewable resources. Why don't many people buy solar panels today? Solar panels are waayyyyyy to expensive. In the future, it would be great if solar panels cost less. That way more people will buy them and make the world a better place, one panel at a time:P. Another big problem of global warming is because there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Why? Factories are polluting way too much, but at the same time, we need factories because they make us stuff we use in every day life. That's why they should build factories that consume less space and are surrounded by trees. If there are lot of trees and pollution, it balances out!!! I hope 2030 will be more earth-friendlier.
      Another cool thing would be to have a moon hotel. Once in three months a space shuttle would take passengers to a two night stay at the moon hotel! This hotel on the moon would have all the supplies of oxygen, food, and other supplies needed for the people. Every three months, astronauts would refill the supplies. As you are inside the hotel, you would be able to view the blue marble, Earth. Other attractions at the moon hotel, will be space walking and collecting moon rocks.
     To see the real 2030, we just have to wait...wait and see. Will any of my predictions come true? Will we have more technology? What effects will global warming have on us? To find out all these, just let curiosity wait. Hope you liked my post and please comment on some ideas or predictions you might have for 2030. Thanks!!
                                              

                                                  

The Story Behind Candy Canes

I wake up to find that the Christmas spirit is in the air. Bells are ringing, many Christmas trees and decorations are put up. I hear christmas carols. Everyone is shopping, I see cars with Christmas trees on their roofs. One popular Christmas tree ornament is candy canes. ...But how did candy canes come to be? How did candy canes become part of the Christmas tradition? These questions led me to some research. It all began in the 17th century when the European-Christians started the Christmas tree tradition. They used food including candy and cookies as their ornaments. One type of candy on the trees were sugar stick candy. Sugar stick candy was these white sticks of sugar candy. Then, in 1670, a new tradition started during Christmastime. A choirmaster from a church started giving out sugar stick candy that were bent like the shape of our candy canes. The choirmaster bent them out that shape to represent the shape of a shepherd's staff. Soon, the candy canes made its way to America. It was still white but, the candy canes now had decorations including sugar roses. Only after the 1800s were the famous red and white stripes on the candy canes. Soon, the traditional peppermint flavor was added. Many people think that the candy canes are shaped like a "J" as in Jesus's name. Now, the candy cane is a symbol for Christmas.
Recently, candy canes are in many different flavors, colors, and sizes. There are cherry, wintergreen, peppermint and many more flavors. Many candy camea are now branded with a candy company, including "jelly belly" candy canes, "smarties" candy canes, and even "sour patch" candy canes. Personally, I dislike peppermint but I love cherry candy canes. Just looking at the bright colors of the candy canes make me feel so happy and in the holiday mood! Candy canes are a real treat and a remainder for Christmas!