Infinite Samis

I just finished watching Charlie McDonnell's new video called Infinite Charlies. It's about how the universe, given enough space, will have to repeat itself. The universe can not come up with infinite combinations of elements, so that number -immensely large as it is- can be measured, it is finite. This fact, along with the most recent scientific belief that the universe is infinitely large, means a conclusion can be drawn. Hang in there with me. The idea is that, given enough space, the universe will be forced to repeat itself, just because there aren't enough combinations. That being true, that means that there is, theoretically, another you reading this exact post on your very screen in this exact solar system somewhere else in the universe. Freaky, huh?

I find theories like that quite interesting, and so I'll be taking a class at my high school called Physical Universe first semester. It is described as "an introduction to the basic ideas behind quantum physics, the theory of relativity, and string theory. These theories will be compared to classical Newtonian physics. This course explored the universe from the smallest particles to the largest structures in space, including how stars live and die, black holes, and the Big Bang theory."

Thomas Edison's last words were: "It's very beautiful over there." I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful. ~Looking For Alaska by John Green 

The Contents of my Purse

My purse (which could probably be called a backpack, but I have been using as a purse all summer) seems bottomless, yet I wish it would hold more. There are so many things that I keep in my purse that I probably don't need, but am convinced that as soon as I remove them, I'll be in a situation where I need them. When i'm talking to my guy friends, every once in a while, one of them will ask me how much "stuff" I fit into my purse. Since I haven't ever taken inventory of what I actually have in there, let's see together what I have.

- 1 iPhone 4S charger
- 2 packs of gum
- 1 single use toothbrush
- 1 pair of headphones
- 1 burt's bees "lip balm"
- I clinique chubby stick
- my keys and keychain
-1 guitar capo
-1 ponytail holder
- World War Z (the book)
- sunscreen
- my pooh bear wallet
- a pair of socks
- a comb
- my "quotes" notepad
- a deck of cards
-EOS egg chapstick
- my inhailer

Reading back over this list, I'm really not sure that I could explain why I have 3 different types of chapstick in my bag, but I also will not be reducing the list...

So, boys, a girl may keep many things in her purse, but never question it, because the day they finally listen to you and empty it out, you're going to need some sunscreen.

An excerpt from my quotes notepad-
Two possibilities exist. Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying 
~Arthur C. Clarke

Just Some Music

I thought I'd take some time out of my day to share with you a few artists that you may or may not have heard of, but whom are great nonetheless.

1. The Civil Wars

Comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White, the duo have amazing vocals, and a more folk-y feel. They collaborated with Taylor Swift in her Hunger Games soundtrack Safe and Sound.
Recommended track- Barton Hollow or Poison and Wine 

2. Elizabeth and the Catapult

Elizabeth Zimen has very strong vocals, and a voice as sweet as sugar. I had the pleasure of seeing her open up for Sara Bareallis in Duluth, and that's how I first found out about her. 2 albums and many, many song repeats later, Elizabeth and the Catapult is in my top 5 favorite bands.
Recommended track- Golden Ink or Race You 

3. Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is one of the strongest voices i've ever heard, and has one of the biggest ranges. I saw her live at the state fair when Amos Lee opened for her, and it was absolutely fabulous, her songs on itunes don't show how truly talented she is. She is one of those performers who doesn't need autotune or a big backup band to accompany their voices.
Recommended track- Turpentine or That Wasn't Me

4. Chameleon Circuit

Comprised of YouTubers Alex Day, Charlie McDonnell, Liam Dryden, Ed "Eddplant" Blann, and Michael Aranda, these guys participate heavily in trock (time lord rock). If you don't understand the reference to time lords, you most likely wouldn't understand the songs. But if you are a Whovian, their songs will bring back memories of former episodes that made you sob, and add new emotions to the era of David Tennant.
Recommended track- Mr. Pond or The Sound of Drums

5. Keri Noble

The former singer is now a talk show host on Cities 97 in the morning, and from the resonating voice you hear in the morning, it shouldn't surprise you to learn that she used to have a fairly successful singing carrer. When I was about 10 years old, I saw her sing live, and fell in love with her smoky alto voice. I saw her perform 2 more times, and have a plethora of autographs.
Recommended tracks- Bartender or Look at Me

6. Scars on 45

I don't personally know a whole lot about scars on 45, but they come highly recommended from my dad, who is my music guru. They're a newer band, and from the few songs that I have heard, I like what I hear.

Recommended track- Give me Something or Loudest Alarm 

College Checklist for Seniors

If you're like me, you're seeing all of your older friends get ready for a big transition in their lives, and you're feeling left behind. It's scary to think that, in less than a year, I'll know where I'm going to be spending the next 4 years of my life.

The common application came out a few days ago, and I had a chance to look it over to see what it would be asking of me. Reducing my high school career to a few "activities" entries and some drop down boxes was really disappointing. I feel like I've done a lot in my high school career, and I've sure as hell matured a whole lot since I started high school, but there's no place for putting that down on the common app!

As a compulsive list-maker, I decided to reduce my stress into a very manageable to do list for the next year of my life.

TO DO BEFORE D-DAY (Decision Day)

~ Find scholarships that you're eligible for- There are a lot of scholarships out there, and sifting through them can take a long time, so try to do it before senior year actually begins

~ Decide what you want in a college- Big or small? In a city or in the suburbs? What area of study do you want to focus on? If you make these decisions, choosing a college can be made much less stressful and seemingly random.

~ Get on campus- go to local colleges to get a feel for what you want in a school and help yourself make the tough decisions.

~ Get your ideal score on the ACT- If you haven't done as well as you'd hoped on the ACT or SAT before now, study hard, because you have another shot in September to hit your goal score!

~ Make a preliminary colleges list- using the factors you decided on, make a list of colleges that fit what you want in a school, and check out their admissions requirements and averages. Categorize them- reach, match, and safety schools.

~ Senior pictures- make sure you get them scheduled and taken, and submitted to your school (if your school participates in this type of program)

~ Stay focused- It may be easy, once you're accepted into a school, to start the "senior slide", but keep studying and pass your classes, the information you're learning is going to be very relevant in college.

~Early Action/ Early Decision- if you're 100% sure that you want to go to one school, you can apply for early action or decision, so make sure you remember to fill out your application before the deadline

~ College fairs- get exposed to different colleges through college fairs in your area or college reps that come to your school to present. If you're even the slightest bit interested in going to a college, check out their booth or presentation to see what they have to offer you.

~ Register for AP exams (if applicable)- Don't forget, just because you're senior sliding doesn't mean that you can't get some credit for all the work you've put into your AP classes! Some colleges (not all) take a good score on a AP test as credit, saving you money in taking out student loans.