Car Raid

On the outside, a simple blonde girl standing next to her white Chevy Equinox. But on the inside, there’s always more to tell. Lauren Aman is a senior at Bowie High School, has three siblings (myself included), plays five instruments, and is an avid lover of coffee, swing dancing, dogs, music, and driving new places.
Let’s begin with the trunk. Pop open the back with the “Kindness Matters” magnet on it and we find nothing but some jumper cables.

“The jumper cables are from when my friend Maya’s motorcycle wouldn't start after school one day, so I had to help her out,” Aman said, laughing. “And the magnet is very special to me. My mom is a big believer in karma, and she always tells us that whatever you put out in the universe will be returned to you. If you put out positivity and kindness, that is worth a whole lot more than putting out negativity. It’s just a nice reminder that being kind can go a long way.”

On to the back seat. Unlike a lot of other teenagers you know, Lauren keeps her car nice and tidy.

The first thing I see when I open the back door is a frisbee in the pocket of the driver seat.

“Something I enjoy is spontaneous outings to Zilker Park,” Aman said. “Because I never know when I am going to go, it’s handy to always have a frisbee to toss around.”

Another thing I spotted, just sitting on the seat in the back row, was an H.E.B. basket.

“It’s not what you think, I’m not a theft!” Aman said. “I was going on a late night run to the grocery store, forgot a bag, and just put it in the back seat because I was too tired to walk it all the way back up to the store. I’ll return it I promise.”

The last thing I found in the second row was Aman’s oboe.

“Shoot,” Aman said. “That’s where I left it. I was looking for that earlier. Well I normally don’t keep Oscar [the oboe] in my car, but he can stay in there until my lesson later tonight.”

Final stop, the front row. I open the passenger door and find… nothing. However, there are some goodies hidden in the center console.

Among my findings there is a pack of mint gum, an auxiliary cord, a pack of regular M&Ms, some tissues, our dog’s tags, 15 dollars, and an empty disposable water bottle.
“I don’t have much to say about these things. The bare necessities I guess!” Aman said. “Oh, except our dog’s tags. I was taking him for a ride one day and they randomly fell off when he was hanging his head out the window. I took me 30 minutes looking on the side of Escarpment to get them back.”

Last but not least, we head to the driver’s seat. The thing that catches my eye is the plethora of pins and buttons attached to the visor.

“This is by far my favorite part of my car.” Aman said. “I collect buttons from everywhere I travel to, events I attend, my friends running for offices, and Uncommon Objects. A couple of them used to fall on my when I was driving, talk about terrifying, but I fixed that. Anyway, they all mean something different to me, some funny, some serious, all nostalgic. And I love having my collection always with me.”

After shutting the passenger door we step back and admire dirty white paint job and dent in the rear.
“His name is Oliver.” Aman said. “I didn’t like him at first, but I’ve grown to love and appreciate him. Better to have four wheels than none!”

Captain Philips review

Captain Philips movie review

If I could give you one warning before you watch Captain Philips, it would be prepare to hold your breath.  This gripping film directed by Paul Greengrass tells the true story of when Somali pirates took control of an American commercial ship, the Maersk Alabama, in 2009.

The film began as Richard Philips, played by Tom Hanks, a simple man looking for work, and his crew boarded to complete a route from Oman to Kenya on their cargo ship. Soon into their journey, however, tensions rise quickly when a small band of pirates is spotted in the distance. 
We are introduced to the pirates, the key ones are Abduwali Muse played by Barkhed Abdi, Najee played by Faysal Ahmed, and Elmi played by Mahat Ali. by seeing them in their home community. They live in poverty, and are sent out by their elders to rob large ships. 

Tom Hanks remains calm through his first encounter with the pirates because the wake of their ship forces the pirates to turn back. But soon after the pirates return and are relentless until they successfully board the Alabama. 
You may be familiar with the line, "I am the captain now," because it spread quickly across the internet and was used as a joke when taken out of context. But those five words, spoken by Muse, gain an intense meaning when you watch the suspenseful hijacking scene. 
I am not going to give away much more of the plot because the film is truly something else and can be overwhelmingly and almost unbearably stressful at times, which I see as an accomplishment. This movie requires focus, and I suggest you think about the characters motivations for their actions because, for me at least, a lot of things came as a shock to me. 
The film is sprinkled with moments of silence, which add a layer of anxiety almost, as the viewer is impatient to see what will happen.
And in a way the film is claustrophobic, not only because a large portion of it is filmed in small boats, but because of how intimate it is and how tight the tensions between every single character are. 
Which leads me to the cinematography... beautiful. It's shot almost as a documentary I want to say, with somewhat shaky hands and constant shifting. Not to mention how captivating the helicopter scenes are with Max Martini as the head SEAL Captain.
I would rate this movie a 9 out of 10 stars, counting off for flaws in the historical accuracy. I am a large fan of this move, but after reading up on it a little I discovered that some people, including former crew of the actual boat, were a little bothered that the film omitted some facts and made Philips out to be a bigger hero than he is seen as in real life. I, personally, do not mind this because I understand that you can't capture all the details of such a large event in one movie when you are making it as admiringly as Greengrass. The movie did, though, capture a multitude of emotions and transferred them to the viewer, and it taught a lesson in leadership. One of the many things that sets this movie apart is how it never quite loses its grasp on the audience, up to the closing scene. This movie was all but mediocre, and I do recommend it to people as long as you allow yourself to get fully immersed in it and give yourself some time to recuperate once you finish that final heart wrenching scene.

Current Events #6.3

1. Why is the Mormon Church pulling youths from the Boy Scouts program?
The Mormon Church is pulling youths from the Boy Scouts program in an effort to begin their own sorting program.

2. Of the 1,378 people arrested by ICE in the recent weeks, what percentage were US citizens and how many were not born in this country?
Of the 1,378 people arrested by ICE in the recent weeks, more than two thirds were US citizens and only 2 were not born in this country.

3. Where will e-cigs be banned from use in a new decision by the Austin City Council?
E-cigs will be banned in Austin parks and bars.

4. What is special about the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass?
The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is special because it is a very small green surrounded by water. It's a very difficult hole, even for professionals.

5. Who are the FOUR major players in the self-driving cars design and creation?
The three* major players in the self-driving car design and creations are Google's Waymo, Tesla, and Uber.

6. Long Response
Coney, an FBI director, was fired by Trump last week. Comey was fired because of a "lack of confidence in his ability to lead the agency." This story has been getting so much coverage because Comey was investigating Trump at the time about his alleged ties with Russia about the election. Trump's decision could have a wide range of effects in regards to the entire Russia investigation. However, other members of the FBI are continuing their investigation. The media has all the right to ask questions about the presidents decisions. Especially with a president who blames all of his flaws on "the media," "the media" should definitely be able to ask the president questions about his intentions. Because he has done and is continuing to make many controversial decisions, he should be prepared to fully explain his decisions to anyone who is skeptical. I think that the Trump and Russia investigation should definitely have a team of analysts working on it. Bu, who am I to say if there is enough being done on this investigation, though. I have no clue how many resources they have or need, nor do I know any of the progress made. All I know is that if there was a connection with Russia interfering with the election, I hope there is an adequate punishment and hopefully a replacement for Trump.

HDR - extra credit

Merger Photo

HDR Photo

HDR Intro

1. What manipulations to the camera will you need to make to create an HDR image?

When shooting an HDR image, you must alter the shutter speed and aperture with each picture you take.

2. What equipment will we use to take this type of picture?

Too take this type of picture, we will use a camera, tripod, and an HDR photo-blending software.

3. What is the reason someone might take an HDR image?

Someone may take an HDR photo to get an extremely realistic and high definition photo of what our eyes see. The HDR photos blend together photos that capture all aspects of the spectrum, so the final product has nice contrast, popping colors, and is well lit.

4. What can we expect to happen with the images once we merge them together, what will we see that we might not have seen with just one photo?

Once we merge together the photos, we will be able to see details from all the different versions of the picture. With just one copy of the picture, we may be missing some cool details of the photo that were only caught with the other settings.

Merger Photo

1. Is there something you see in the photo above that you think could be a problem when you take your photos? Look carefully.
In the photo, the girl's shadow was cut off from the two poses on the right. Making sure elements of your photo, like shadows, do not get cu off could be a problem when we take our photos.

2. Where do you think would be a great place to take this type of picture here on the Bowie campus?
A good place to take this picture on Bowie campus could be a staircase or the theater.

3. Can you think of something creative to actually DO in the photo when you take yours?
If I take my photo in the theater I could do different poses of me pretending to act or dance or sing. I could also sit on the edge of the stage or pretend to move the curtain or do something in the tech booth.

4. Is there something you could wear that would help you when you do this photo?
Something that will contrast the background on the setting.