[RE.] Simply, music.

Why is it so influential? Have you just sat back and asked yourself is this really worth listening to? I feel as if music describes people in many ways. Believe it or not some of our actions are from the music we listen to, whether good or bad. - Justin

Ever since humans figured out how to make a rhythm and beat, music has been a major part in a lot of people's lives. The way it affects us is incredible, music could be thought-provoking, calming, energizing, and it has the power to make you feel or support emotions. Music could be one of the things you use to identify how a person behaves. I don't speak for myself when I say that you can probably look at a person and guess what kind of music they listen to.

I went through somewhat of a change when I started to acquire a different music taste. It was the beginning high school when my music taste started to drift off. In most of middle school I had a tough time finding what kind of genre I liked. So for the most part I ended up listening to rap, rock, metal, and basically all of the genres that everyone else listened to. I didn't have a certain style of music to call my favorite. But then my ears were opened to Nujabes and Emancipator. Hearing those two artists for the first time made me fall in love and gave me something to define myself as. I became exactly how the music sounded to me. Calm and chill.

[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Finale.

Photo by Alvin Lee

The rest of this trip was a wild ride. I had adrenaline pumping through my veins as we went downhill, uphill, and downhill again in what seemed like a neverending cycle. There were a few close calls when the downhills would curve and we would go into that curve with a ton of speed. In several turns there were times where we came as close as a foot away from hitting an oncoming car. In exchange for such an adrenaline rush, we were rewarded with some of the most breathtaking scenery I've encountered in my life. There were roads and paths with tall trees evenly spaced on both sides, making it feel like you're riding directly inside of a tropical forest. And because we were so high up, when there weren't any trees all we would see is an overhead view of Oakland.

We got lost in somewhere along the road and had doubts about whether or not to keep going or turn back to try and go back from where we came. We decided against going back because of the hike we would have to endure once again so we kept going. I could feel civilization near as I saw more and more houses and at that point I was just wanted to get out. I had enough of the thrill of an adventure and just wanted to be someplace familiar.

As we approached a downhill, I saw the words 'STOP' on the road and knew that a stop sign was going to be at the end of the downhiill. I realized that I was going to fast to come to a controllable speed and began to panic a little. There were cars in front of me, so the possibility of crashing into one of them was high. Going further down the hill I realized that I was about to ride right in the middle of the intersection. I couldn't stop. I had no choice but to keep going, so I rushed right in the middle of the intersection and made a hard left into the closest street I could find. I finally got to a stop and looked up to realize where I was. Oakland Zoo! Alvin and Sandy got through the downhill safely and were waiting for me on the other side of the street.

We regrouped after from the jungle of our adventure and took familiar streets in Oakland to find our way back to Alameda. The only word I could use to describe this adventure would be insane.

[CE.] Hackers Aren't All That Bad

The activist groups Anonymous and RevoluSec claimed responsibility on Monday for the operation, leaving their mark on sites such as the ministry of transport and ministry of culture.
Activists replaced the official sites with caricatures of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a message saying, "Don't let Bashar monitor you online", along with tips on how to avoid detection by Syria's online intelligence - known as the Syrian electronic army.

 When we usually think of hackers, we think of people with malicious intent working hard to get into your personal information and stealing everything you've put out in the internet. We've had our own share of experiences with the tools of a hacker as well. From viruses, worms, trojan horses, phishing sites, keyloggers, we've probably had a situation with it one way or another. But people should know that hacking isn't always done with a malicious intent. There's online activists that use similar tactics but for the greater good instead. Exemplified here by the largely known Anonymous and partner in crime RevoluSec, whom is part of the antisec movement.

Most people who have heard of Anonymous have labeled the group to be bad. But there's one thing you should know about Anonymous; there is no organization or definition of who is in anonymous. Everyone who uses the internet can be a part of Anonymous, and they can choose whether or not to do things for the 'lulz' or for the greater good.

What Anonymous and RevoluSec is trying to do is protect the rights of the people of Syria over the internet. They want to get rid of attempts by the Syrian government to monitor the use of computers and have hacked government sites to create awareness. The internet could easily be classified as a land, or country of it's own. A lot of the things on the internet are different from in real life and there's a different set of rules when you're on the internet. Being on the internet gives you basic human rights and that is what Anonymous and RevoluSec are trying to preserve.

[BC.] Not A Sense

You open your eyes to find nothing. The only thing you see is black. You're paralyzed from the shock of the situation you're in. There's a vague outline of something in front of you, but you can't tell what. You struggle to make sense of what's going on but you gather enough information to make out a few things; you're inside of an old wooden casket with nothing on but your underwear and you're wet. After breaking free from your paralysis you manage to move around a bit and realize that you're floating. The casket is filled halfway with water. Your senses fail to help you figure out what kind of situation you're in. The complete darkness eliminates your sense of sight and the water nulls out most sounds. There is no smell in the casket nor is there anything to taste. The only reliable sense you have at that moment is touch, but the only thing you feel is the water against your skin. You begin to think what kind of situation you could possibly be in.

Were you dead? Did you die and get buried in some ritual? Two things are things for sure, you're not dead and you want out. In an attempt to break out of the casket, you attempt to push open the cover. As soon as your hands touch the wood you pull back. The wood was extremely rough, like it had been cut fresh. You felt the little pieces of wood sticking out from it and the roughness of the wood made you cringe in fear of having each hand full of splinters. Deciding to go for it anyway, you find a spot that isn't as rough and push with all of your might. The cover erupts from the casket and makes a big thump as it hits the floor. Your first real sense of hearing..

With a breath of relief you get up and still you see nothing but this time you can make out the outline of a room. You carefully get out of the casket and manage to stand up. The room is bitter cold and the fact that your whole body is wet doesn't make it any better. There's a draft in the room that's giving you cold kisses on your body, so you assume that somewhere in that room, there's a window. You start walking to find a wall and shiver with each and every step. It didn't help that the floor was rough concrete and each step made it feel like you were stepping on tiny spikes. Eventually you find the wall and use your hand to guide yourself around the perimeter of the room.

Suddenly the lights turn on and you immediately close your eyes in pain. The light pierced through everything in the room and almost blinded you. You open your eyes slowly to get used to the brightness of the room. "My my, I take it you didn't enjoy the experiment?" a raspy voice says. It sounded like it came from an old man. You couldn't quite tell where it came from but it sounded like it was from an omnipresent being. You look up to find a skybox for observation. The only thing you see is the silhouette of a man. You didn't know what was going on but you suddenly developed an urge. An urge to kill. Who is he? Why would he something like this to you? What is he trying to find?

"I'm going to kill you." you say under your breath.

[RE.] Photography.

One of my favorite pictures.

Alvin says,

The idea that I can capture a moment, an expression, a feeling in a single moment in time and keep that moment in time in a picture has always caught my interest.

It seems as if Alvin and I share the same idea. Or at least, shared. Photography caught my interest and became a small hobby for quite a while. I didn't have much to work with besides a pretty crappy Samsung point and shoot camera but I had to make due with what I had. In every part of each day there would always be a moment where it would just feel right to take a picture. I could describe it as one of those moments where you're looking at something and you notice that it would be a legit picture. Whether it was the colors I was seeing, a good perspective, or a good composition, all of those elements had to be there for the picture to be good.

I did the same project as Alvin did, Project 365, and that really helped me define my interest in taking pictures. I enjoyed having the opportunity to take a picture every day to describe what happened, or plainly something that I found interesting and decided to take a picture of. I suffered the same misfortunes as Alvin though, a lot of other things got in the way of taking and editing the pictures and it began to feel like a chore instead of a hobby. It would sometimes get to the point where I had a weeks worth of pictures backed up and had to edit all of them. So, I quit that too.

Nowadays my interest in photography isn't as strong, but it's still there. Sometimes I see things that spark up my desire to take pictures again, so I don't know if I'm going to end up restarting an old hobby.

[CE] France Bans Public Prayer

The idea of banning public prayer is to an extent, justified. Angela brings up the point that people have the freedom to assembly and rights but you have to think, just because that applies to the United States doesn't mean that it's the same thing in a different country. I don't know much about the French government but I do believe that they will have justifications on the ban. And as expected, most of the opposers are the ones who practiced before the ban.

The government has the right to regulate what they think may be [and I don't know if I'm using the right word] harmful to the public. It's not really much of a ban on public prayer, but more of a relocation. they didn't completely outlaw it but they basically said hey don't do in the street, just do it here. I don't think it would be too harmful to the Muslim community either. Personally I would be happier if it was just a relocation instead of a total ban. I would still get to do what I want to do, but just not at the same place. And it's not like their relocation is any worse than the streets either.

It may be controversial but I think it's justified to an extent. They're relocating them to a more proper mosque instead of the streets. It wasn't that 'controversial' of a decision in my opinion, it sounds like it's better off that way for both Muslims and French citizens.

[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Pt II.

Photo Credit: Alvin Lee

After what seemed like an eternity, the inclines were slowly starting to disappear and it became possible for us to get back on our bikes and start riding comfortably. I can safely say that we shared a wave of relief. It didn't feel like we were supposed to ride on the streets but while we were hiking up, we saw a bunch of cyclists speeding downhill, so that was kind of a nice reassurance that we weren't riding someplace we're not supposed to be.

The hike didn't seem all that bad now. Especially since we got to see some gorgeous scenery. I was actually surprised to see houses up there. Some of the houses looked really luxurious too. The fanciest ones had a gate, fountain, and a huge balcony. It was one of the last things I would expect from an area such as that. You can get an idea of what the view and some of the urban houses looked like, just look at that picture!

The ride was sort of choppy from here on out, we came to points where it'd be another uphill but the momentum from a downhill made it a lot easier to climb. Half the time I felt like I was in a forest participating in some major race like the Tour De France because all I could see around me were vivid green trees and surrounding foliage.

These downhills got me crazy speed and I already had enough trouble putting adequate pressure on my pedals just so I could slow down enough to a speed I could control. Then I got a sudden realization. This is where the real fun is about to begin.

[BC.] Essay Prompt Draft.

I grew up not being interested in anything particular. I took what was thrown at me and completed things just because it was mandatory. It wasn't until my brother told me what he wanted to be, then an idea was planted in my head. He told me that he wanted to be a pilot..At first I did not have much interest but after I thought about it for a while it started growing on me. At the time I was still in elementary school so it was still a pretty young age for me to get influenced. But after that I started to put more effort in interacting with all things related to it. I played with model planes, watched videos about new fighter pilot technology, and studied all that I could on the internet about it.

I figured it wasn't going to be easy. I couldn't just grow up and start realizing my dream. I still had to think, "What do I do to get there?" which still scared me at the time. I didn't know what to do to get to where I wanted to go. Sure I can be super passionate about it but I knew that that wouldn't be enough in itself. High school and college were far off and I stopped thinking about this dream for a while. Back then I thought it was only temporary but I knew there's always the chance to rekindle that fire.

To me, flying is the ultimate symbol of freedom. The idea of flying up high and looking down to see the world beneath my feet would deeply satisfy my desires.. Adventure is another concept I would love to touch. I've always wanted to explore. I've been to many places on my bike as well as car rides and I always enjoyed the thrill of going someplace I've never seen or been to before. You can say that I love getting lost and taking the time to figure out my surroundings to slowly learn how to get back home.

Traveling around the world was another desire that I had. I hope that being a pilot would help me realize this dream as well. I would imagine scenarios where I would fly to an exotic country and spend a week or so soaking up what the country had to offer. Places like Paris and Thailand were going to be my first destination. I don't know how likely things like this would be but I have heard that pilots get to explore and stay in the country for a while in between flights. That's one of the things that motivated me to become a pilot as well. I could travel and get paid for it.

As I grew up, I realized what I had to do to achieve my childhood dream. The thoughts were always reoccuring whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Events like that just reinforced the idea of becoming a pilot. There were only going to be a few cons to it. Sure I would be gone away for a long time and it'd be pretty difficult for me to settle down anywhere, but that's what I've always wanted.

[CE.] Obama urges no 'political games' on jobs plan

"This is a bill that will put people back to work all across the country. This is a bill that will help our economy in a moment of national crisis," Obama said, flanked by teachers, police officers, construction workers and small business owners he said would be helped by his plan.

He took aim at Republicans who have resisted many of his economic initiatives in the past. 

"We can't afford these same political games, not now," Obama said.

I honestly wish I could quote this whole article.

The topic of money, debt, and jobs have been ongoing for a ridiculous amount of time. How many times have we tried fixing it and where have we actually gone? I don't really keep up with politics but it seems like we're still stuck in a gridlock. Both sides of congress have different views and we're not really meeting in the middle. To both sides, it's like give us what we want or have nothing at all.

It's really frustrating because Obama has been putting a good effort into actually getting something done, but congress just keeps bickering at each other, nitpicking at the little things in every proposal and avoiding any progress that could have been made. The ultimate sufferer of this gridlock is Obama, because everyone thinks it's his fault that getting to a solid solution isn't happening. I think congress should give Obama's plan a chance and pass it anyways, since they haven't been going anywhere for what seems like quite a long time now and maybe it's just what they need.

[RE.] Time is slipping away...

I read a post by Alyssa sometime last week, but it didn't really hit me until now. Ms. Loy called me into her office to tell me that some of the credits I got from Spanish didn't count and I needed even more credits. So as a result I'm needing to take adult school on top of my already packed schedule. I can't really say that I'm sad since I feel like I brought this upon myself. But it's more of a disappointing kind of feeling. I'm already disappointed enough in myself to have done so badly in a.. 'critical' part of my life. Only now can I wish that I took the extra effort and initiative to finish everything early so the end wouldn't be so bad. Almost all of my friends have free periods and all I can do is sit here wishing I could be with them. My dream schedule was always a 0-4 period, I wouldn't mind waking up so early just so I get out of school at 11.

Whatever, I guess I'll treat this as a learning experience. My schedule is already going to run from 7-6:30, which is just as bad if not worse than the regular 9-5 adult workday. Instead, I'm going to have to deal with an almost 12 hour school day. This'll probably impact me the hardest because when I start working I can just look back and think 'Fuck, I used to work almost 12 hours' and find it in myself to suck it up and keep working.

It's a misfortune that senior year is going to be the most difficult, even when none of those classes are advanced. School has always been a challenge for me and I've already figured out that it really isn't my kind of thing. A lot of other people can say that but they're probably all lazy and just do things because it's mandatory. It's always been a struggle for me and senior year is going to be my ultimate test.

Note: For any underclassmen who happens to read this, DON'T FUCK UP.

[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Pt I.

Photo Credit: Alvin Lee

I've been to so many places on my bike I could practically say that I've been just about everywhere. I'm always looking for new places to go, craving that adventure and trying to immerse myself in a new environment just so I could slowly figure out my surroundings. Sometimes, I don't know where I'll end up and I'll get scared, but part of that experience is conquering the fear of the unknown. I journey to become lost and make it my quest to find my way back. I found that experience during the summer--a trip I'll never forget. Enter Joaquin Miller Park.

Sandy, Alvin, and I. I suppose you could call us thrill seekers that day. We planned to go to someplace far, someplace unfamiliar. Joaquin Miller Park. I wasn't a complete stranger to those parts, I went on occasional field trips in elementary school to do some environmental stuff but I really couldn't remember much about that area. The way there was a good build up of excitement. I've never biked down Fruitvale before and it was an uneasy experience to begin with. The drivers in Oakland aren't exactly the most friendly people on Earth, let alone that whole Fruitvale area, but we got through it without much trouble. We reached a checkpoint and took a break to gather ourselves for the rest of the way ahead.

This part of the trip was absolute hell. The inclines were steep that none of us could bike up. Mind you I'm on a fixed gear with a high ratio while both Alvin and Sandy had not-so perfect gears. Most of this essentially became a hike. Constant breaks and what seemed like an endless set of inclines made it really hard on us. We were completely unprepared for what we were about to encounter..

[CE.] The Unsung Heroes of 9/11

There's always been talk about how many people have virtually gone unappreciated when it comes to the events that happened on 9/11. Some of the things we first think about when it comes to 9/11 are the terrorists, the victims, and how much of a tragedy it was. Seldom do we think about the people who cleaned up after that mess, saved lives, and helped to protect the people after the event. 

This news video kind of shocked me in a sense. It had some information that I was completely blind to at first, such as rescue workers actually suffering from PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is a lot more common in soldiers who witnessed the atrocities of war, where they constantly watch their friends get shot, dead bodies scattered everywhere, and a lot more horrible things. I can only imagine what the cleanup workers had to see. A lot of people were in the World Trade Center and a handful of those people actually jumped down to their deaths. It could very well be a traumatizing experience. 

The workers had to make sacrifices and they ended up suffering psychological and physical issues alike. The man in the video ended up with asthma and he's probably not the only one. Hell, there could be other rescue workers who had it worse.

I'm honestly grateful to the sacrifices these people willingly made. Some of them can't work anymore and the government isn't even compensating them enough. Things like these are life breakers, and the government should make an extra effort to give back to those who made these sacrifices. It's a shame that these heroes are largely forgotten.

[RE.] Things I want to do before I die.

So it seems like this topic has been getting around. Kevin is the one who originally posted the topic but soon enough other people like Joseph, Kristen, and myself have responded to it. The topic is pretty common, but that doesn't take away the thought provoking aspect of it. It makes an individual stop and think: "What do I want to accomplish in my life?" For some, they already have their future laid out and set in their mind and others are still trying to figure out things step by step. Some things on these lists are for pure enjoyment while the other things may still need to be asked the question, "Now how do I get there?"

First and foremost, I WILL make sure my parents live a lavish lifestyle, they have honestly worked hard to give me a good life and nothing I do can ever repay them back..... but I can try!

All of these guys have the same views with each goal, but who's to blame? The intentions are good and the dreams are within reach. Everyone [at least I hope] wants to pay back their parents because of the fact that we are a huge pain in the ass for at least 21 years. They have to manage and deal with our nagging, rebelling, sickness, welfare, and a lot more. Basically, every child wants to grow up to have the ability to give their parents the world.

 Traveling the world has always been a goal for me. I find most cultures intriguing to digest, not to mention the foods. To me culture is fascinating: the way of life of our own species somewhere else on this planet.

Traveling is also a major thing, but that's because it's so great! You're stuck in virtually the same spot for most of your life, so the thrill of experiencing something different is a great thing to crave. While you travel you get to see the beautiful geography of other continents, experience rich cultures, and overall you step out of that box you've always lived in. Personally I would love to go to Europe because the culture isn't that too far off from what I'm used to so I think it would be a good place to start. I also think the architecture of places such as Paris are beautiful. I would love to walk down those narrow streets with shops to my left and right. After that, well, only the world is left to explore.

I could honestly go on and on about the things I would experience before I die, but I feel like I should save it for later.

[FREE.] SUP again.

First things first, I think it'd be proper to do another introduction because of all the new faces this year. It's the same Sutherland giving us the same old same old, but with a set of new twists this second time around. Not only that, but it's a set of new faces that I'd love to share ideas and collaborate with.

As you might be able to tell already, I like to start off my [free] posts with a picture. The picture can either be random scenery/landscapes or something pertaining to the post ahead. At times it might even be a quote, like I once did last year. My posts can be quite random, because I never really got over the fact that my mind keeps jumping to different things and I never really have much time [or focus] to write about one thing for too long. Nevertheless I hope some of the stuff I'll write throughout the year inspire/impact/enlighten anyone who comes across it. It's a huge accomplishment for me when I know I had an influence on my colleagues.

 About myself? Well, I love to ride my bike practically everywhere. "Practically everywhere" includes San Leandro, Oakland, Bayfarm, Emeryville, and Berkeley. I could get a lot more into that but this blog will have a lot of it soon enough. I can get really passionate about anything I feel is worth putting effort into. I was really into photography at one point but a couple of setbacks put that hobby on a hiatus. I'm more of an optimist than a pessimist because life always seems to turn out better when you maintain a positive outlook on everything.

That's just a gist of what's to come. I hope this year is going to be as good as the last time and I look forward to sharing the experience with all of you!