Newsletter #00038

Sorry it's so late, and now Brad will be angry with me because I didn't put it out yesterday, or Friday. Anyways, here it is. (Oh, and thank you Kasey for doing it on Wednesday.)

Honestly, I have no idea on what to write about, so I will be just randomly typing things until something productive comes out.


I recently found a very interesting conspiracy website while on my quest to become a telekinetic. The name of the website is http://www.mysticalblaze.com/ . It is just for laughs, some of things are amusing. So, if you are bored and want to have something to read, that is a good website.

An interesting fact that I noticed is that 1 is the only singular number. Even zero gets pluralized. I have 1 dollar. I have 2 dollars. I have 0 dollars. Even the negatives are pluralized. I am in debt negative 25 dollars. I am at negative 1 dollars. Another one of my random observations.

If you want to grown an apple tree, there are some tips that you might want to follow. If you start from a seedling, it can take several years for it to turn into a sprout. So, it is adviseable to get a sapling that has already started to grow from a nursery, and then transplant it into your yard. Dig a hole, fill it with fertizlizer, and then let it grow. Make sure that where it is planted is a spot where it will receive full sunlight. It may take a couple years for the tree to start producing fruit. An apple tree also needs care, so do not plant one unless you are ready for the upkeep of it once it does start to grow big.

Gardening is something that I find mildly interesting, probably something that I will have when I get my own house, but not something that is really captivating for me. When I get my own house, I'd like to have a vegetable/herb garden. It'd be nice to have fresh food grown in my backyard, and plus it always tastes better. Also, it's good for the environment, which is always a plus. =D

Something that I also enjoy doing is baking. Making cakes, brownies, cookies, etc. It may seem wierd, but they taste reallllllly good. My sweet tooth is mostly always satisfied. Yummm.....

A good movie to watch is called an Inconvient Truth. The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjx6KETmi4&feature=PlayList&p=3F3A18133D305191&index=0 for thetrailer. The full movie is really good as well.

Throughout this note, I somehow started on a green type of way, with the environment and all that. I actually believe global warming is real, and people who say it is all political agenda and such really get me angry. We have done this to our planet. Mass production and the burning of oil, coal, and other greenhouse gases all raise the temperature of our planet. I am not the greenest person, and I'm not saying that I am. But I am pushing my family to recycle more than just cans, and I shut off lights when I'm not using them. And when I get my own car, I do want it to be a hybrid or pure electric. If I get a good job, then I would get solar panels for my house. I do want to do more green things, but being only 16, I'm limited to what I can do. However, there are things that even anyone can do to help.

• Shut off lights when you're not using them.
• Walk to places that are a short distance instead of driving/being driven.
• Recycle cans, plastic bottles, paper, etc.
• Unplug appliances that are not being used.
• Use less water when showering, or cold water when washing clothes.
• Carpool to places.

There's more to do, and it's all easy stuff. Though you don't see a difference, there is a difference being made.

One more thing. There's an application on facebook that is actually designed to save rainforest area. I would advise you all to add it and at least try it. The link is http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=7629233915 .

And thus this ends my newsletter.

Quote:
It's like poker. You need to deal with the cards you've been dealt.
- Mr. Crowley during our town hall meeting.

May 31-2009
-By Josh

Newsletter #00037

Alright everyone. As most of you know, this is not my night for newsletters, but since Josh is grounded from the computer, Brad has asked me to fill in. On very very short notice. So if my newsletter is shorter than usual that is why.

So a few minutes ago when Brad IM'ed me, I was in the middle of reading an article about Levi (the company), showing their support for gay marriage through their white knot program. (More on that in a bit). In the wake of California's decision to uphold Proposition 8, I thought I would address gay rights today and why I believe gays should have the right to marry.

For every generation, or for every time in this country that a major civil rights topic comes into the national spotlight, there are people for change, and people against. Time and time again we have seen this, whether it be for black's rights or women's rights. With both these battles came victories in the form of change. Black's gained their freedom, the right to vote and their equality. The Supreme Court case ruling separate but equal was overturned in Brown v. Board of Education because separate but equal is most certainly not equal. Women today too have all the same rights as men. While gender discrimination in the workplace and in other places still exists, we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were just 100 years ago.

Every time change has come about, and new generations have been born, they have become more and more tolerant of those past changes. Today, the percentage of whites who feel they are superior to, or deserve more rights than another race based off of skin color is only a tiny percentage of what it once was, and even the most conservative Americans believe in racial equality. The same holds true for equality with women. And yet, when we find ourselves in the midst of yet another huge civil debate, the debate regarding letting gay people do something as simple as marry who they love, there are still two sides to the debate.

There are always two sides to these debates, and yet it never ceases to amaze me that their can be. If you can support gender equality, once a big issue, or racial equality, also once a major issue, then why must you stand in the way of somebody else's right to love?

I think one of the major factors contributing to people's beliefs is religion. While I am not saying that every religious person is anti-gay marriage, or that every non-religious person is pro-gay marriage, religion thus far has proved to be a leading factor in people's opinions regarding this topic and because of that, our laws across this country have been affected.

We are a country with a separation of church and state. If we continue to let this remain something true only in theory and not in context, our country cannot hope to promote equality for all. We have already determined once in this country that separate but equal is not equal, so if our own government, and our Supreme Court can not see that we have come to a point where that decision must again be taken into consideration, and applied beyond its original boundaries, then we cannot hope to be a world leader in a time when other countries are already taking the initiative.

Slowly but surely I believe we are making progress, even if decisions like California's Proposition 8 seem retroactive. Someday when the entire country has embraced true equality for all, I hope that people who are currently anti-gay marriage will look back and realize just how much their stance mimics that of the slaveholders back in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Having finished my little speech there, there is something else on the issue which I would like to readdress and that is Levi's White Knot program. This is a program that encourages people to wear a knotted white ribbon on their clothing to support gay marriage and I think it is a wonderful idea. Here is a picture of what the ribbon looks like on a mannequin:

I really support gay rights and gay marriage as you can probably tell. If you want more information on this program visit WhiteKnot.org.

Before I go there is one more thing I would like to try. According to the website, you can get a free white knot by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to

White Knot for Equality
PO Box 691517
West Hollywood, CA 90069

I am most likely going to do this and show my support for gay marriage by wearing the white knot on my clothing. I would really like to spread the word about this and for any of you who are also pro gay marriage to do the same. I think it would be really cool to get a lot of people to show their support, especially in the wake of California's decision to uphold Proposition 8.

Anyways, thats all for today! Thanks for reading!

May 27-2009
-By Kasey

Newsletter #00036

so, seeing as my other two halves seemed to have skimped on thier newsletter duties last week, i guess i am going to publish 36, instead of 38, haha, i'm just kidding of course, they both wound up busy, so what happened happened

well, today is memorial day, and the parade today went well i would say, things went somewhat quickly, and it wasn't to overbearingly hot. (though some may disagree) nevertheless, it was cooler than last year, so that is always welcome.

so, in light of memorial day, i have decided to assult your minds with some history, though i myself am not a fan of history, i have deemed it quite fit to devote a part of a newsletter to our veterans and serving officers

so, memorial day was origionally started in light of the tragedy of the civil war, the bloodiest war in american history. approximately 620,000 americans were killed. many of the communities of that time began to hold ceremonies and remembrace meetings for the locals that were killed, both in the north and south. after this, a tradition came about of decorating the graves of veterans of the civil war, mostly by the women of the community. then, in 1866, women layed down flowers on union and confederate graves, while veterans marched through the street to a ceremony, which was the first organized recognition of the diceased veterans of the war. waterloo new york on may 5th of 1866 is now known as the "birthplace of memorial day" for being the first place to hold a formally recognized ceremony for the veterans.

and that, my friends, is the history (shortened obviously) of memorial day

so, now i'm going to go on about something i've been doing lately, then end in my newly-established traditional way

i, lately, have been trying to figure out what kind of a personality i have, without using those test things, i just don't trust those, people cannot be held responsible for telling you that trough a multiple choice test, in a way, that is steriotyping. but anyways, i have deemed it impossible, i feel that you yourself cannot decide what kind of personality you have, you can work at changing it, but you cannot name or classify it. my next method i believe would be to ask friends who know me well, but it is another one of those "only human" cases, ganted i would trust my friends with my life, and it is no multiple choice quiz, i just can't see myself accepting things that they would say for the most part.

i feel that that was a highly unproductive paragraph, but if it helped or interested anyone i have accomplished something

question- if you could make any kind of holiday, what would it be? what would it be called? what time of year would it be?

Quote- the truth of a thing is the feel of it, not the think of it






urrrgh, another short one, sorry

May 25-2009
-By Brad

Newsletter #00035

soooooooo, urrgh, monday, and it's already been a week that has lasted forever

so, josh and i were talking bout a show that i recently viewed called "life after man" or something to that effect, if you've seen it or seen commercials, you'll know what i'm talking about. anyway, we were talking about what they said in it, and one of their major reiterated points was that in approximately one-hundred thousand years, all cities, including chicago and manhattan, will be reduced to nothing more than a flat plain. in fact, it showed a picture of what manhattan will be, and it literally showed the place where the city was as a completely flat plain with multiple rivers running through it. i don't completely agree with this, but according to josh and sam, it is in fact possible. so i will side with them

i also had to laugh, a few years back, on a space station, we sent up something called an "immortality drive" this is a chip with written dna and dna samples of three human beings, being stephen hawkings, stephen colbert, and joe.....something, it's a girl, despite the first name. anyway, the funny thing is this- it was sent up in case some caticlismic event destroyed life on earth, so another species could find that we existed, the problem is this: without humans regulating the altitude, it would drift about two miles closer to earth each year, until it finally would re-enter the atmosphere, and burn up. this is the fact that makes this so-called "immortal" drive, entirely mortal.

well, my mind is on one of those overdrive think nights when i have a million ideas and thoughts, but none of which i can discuss, so i will try to come up with one more thing, and if not you will know, because i will move on to my quote/question, then the following announcements

alright, different order, announcements, then a different version of question, then quote then done

so announcements
we would like to ask all you readers to try to get as many people to read these as possible, please, we want to see where we can take this and what we can do with this, so please, let friends and freinds of friends know about what we do, and give them our no-longer exclusively facebook operation, give them our blog or website address (once again, www.newslettergroup.blogsp

ot.com) and ask them to read, leave comments, whatever, more readers would really be nice

okay, for the questions, this is going to be a reader-opinionated response section, do what you can, and any and all anwers are greatly appreciated:

1. what additions would you like to see? what do you think would make this more interesting to more people? an example of an idea could be us going and seeing movies, then giving our own thoughts on it, like a review, just little sections to add like that, so any ideas are cool, and taken seriously i can assure you, we have alot of plans

2.do you have any likes/dislikes about these newsletters, if so, please feel free to share, we can't ask for praise and not expect criticism, so say what you want

3. will you try to get more people involved and reading these?

okay, now for the ending quote on a sadly short newsletter
- falling in love is alot like dying. you never get to do it enough to become good at it

May 18-2009
-By Brad

Newsletter #00034

First off, I hope you have all heard about our new blog www.newslettergroup.blogsp

ot.com. It's pretty awesome, and it has all our past newsletters up, so go check it out! This newsletter will also be posted up there as soon as I am done posting it here.

So something that has been interesting me lately is point of view (POV) in memories and I suppose dreams for that matter. I had never really thought about it much until the other day, but then I realized something: All my memories are in the third person. Quite honestly, I have only a few, if any, that are in first person. I was thinking about it, trying to recall different memories and I just cannot recall any in the first person.

This led me to looking the topic up online. Although it is normal to have memories in the third person, most people have memories I believe either that are in first person POV or a mix of the two. I read that many early memories for people will present themselves as being in the first person.

I suppose you could also have memories in the second person. If you have been reading thus far and have no idea what all this means, I'll quickly explain. A first person memory would mean that you recall an event the same way you experienced it, as though it was being viewed through your own eyes while within your own body.

A third person memory would be a memory recalled where you seem to be outside of your own body, usually viewing yourself doing or experiencing something as though you were next to yourself.

A second person memory then I suppose would be a memory in which you are looking directly at yourself. I'm not sure if this is how a second person memory would present itself, or if you can even have them.

What's just as interesting I think then, is point of view in dreams. Although I recall 99.9% of my memories in the third person, almost all of my dreams have been in the first person. I can remember only a handful that have been third person dreams.

So what about you all? Are your memories 1st, 2nd or 3rd person? A mix? What about your dreams?

Another thing relating to this topic that I was thinking of was whether there is a correlation between 1st or 3rd person POV memories and having a good memory.

For the most part I have a really awful memory. There are certain things I remember, usually facts and stuff, but when it comes to recalling exact memories of things I have done or things people have said, I have trouble remembering. I'd be interested to know if this is just because I have a sucky memory, or whether people with 3rd person memories are more inclined to have bad memories.

Another thing I was thinking about is how the opinions of society affect our own opinions. The most prevalent example (coming to mind at my moment anyways) is fashion. Sometimes I see famous people and people trying to look trendy, who wear the strangest things. I mean some of the stuff I've seen is just downright ugly, and yet there are a ton of people who like it. Now this could just be that I have different opinions than them (which I do), but I also think that the opinions of the masses have a large effect on our own. Because the clothing these people wear is expensive, or new, or part of some fad, people like it. And then because its becoming popular, other people start to be influenced until they too like it.

This could explain why some fads in fashion come about. Throughout history there have been some really weird things that become popular and then, within a decade or so, the fad fades out and people no longer think that something they once liked is good anymore. The same holds true with music.

I remember before the third grade the three most popular musicians/ music groups had to have been NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and Brittany Spears. I listened to them, and I know many others did also. Then I hit the third grade and suddenly it was uncool to listen to them. So what did I do? I started disliking them and even got rid of my cds. Of course, I regret this today when me and my friends are being dorks and listening to those old cds, but it goes along with the opinion of the masses affecting the opinions of an individual.

Alright, well that's all I've got for today. Be sure to check out our new blog and comment either on facebook or there. Also, please answer the question about POV in your own memories and dreams. I'm interested to see which is more prevalent- 1st or 3rd (and whether anyone actually has 2nd POV memories)

May 16-2009
-By Kasey

Newsletter #00033

Ok. First, off, if you ever read any of our newsletters, comment on this one. Now. Don't read down yet. Just comment.










Ok. Now that I know that you read these, I will explain. I'm trying to filter who is reading these notes, and who is not. Just so we don't keep tagging people who don't read. And also, we need a rough idea of how many people are actually reading this. So, if you are, and you haven't joined the Facebook group yet, you need to. Sometime soon, the way you receive newsletters will be changing. Check out the group for more information.

Group Link
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=78599668387


Ok. On to the ACTUAL newsletter.


I was talking with Brad again, and I got to thinking about Dualism again, except in a different way. I was thinking on how nothing is 100%, and that you can never be fully right. You can't even be sure of what you are saying. Due to the (alleged) fact that your mind and body are two seperate enties from each other, then you're mind can never be 100% sure on what your body is doing, and vice versa.

Also, what about Point of View? This ties in with perspective on things, but it is different. Take a mango for instance. When you see/hear the word mango, most people get an image of the fruit in their minds. But you were taught that that was a mango. What if I been taught that a mango was a person? Now, I pose a question to a person, and ask, "Are you a mango?" Now, most people would be confused, and reply, "No...." And if I asked, "Are you sure?" and they said "Yes," then they could be at fault. I was asking if they were a mango, and I was thinking that I was referring to them as a person. However, they thought I was calling them a fruit. So, because you cannot tell what another person is really saying, you can never be certain you understood them. So, you can never fully understand anything in this world. It is all on how you interpret it.

Humans are very impressionable creatures while they are young, and you can make them believe anything. That's why kids believe in magic, and monsters, and the such.

Because of all of this, nobody is ever correct. I can ask, "Is two plus two equal to four?" and your response would be "Yes." But, you were assuming I meant numbers. You have no idea if you are correct. And I don't know if my answer is correct either. I could have meant piles of dirt, in which case the answer is one. And, I do not know what "Yes" means to you. You could have been brought up to think that "Yes" is "No" and "No" is "Yes." I do not know what you mean. So, if any of you have talked with Brad, you have probably asked him a question that is not a Yes or No question, and yet he responds with Yes.

Example:
Me: What's for lunch today?
Brad: Yes.

To me, I do not understand what Brad means. But to Brad, he could be telling me exactly what is for Lunch. Everything is from your point of view, and what you have been brought up to know.

Everything in the world is based off of assumptions. There is no way to be certain we even exist. Or is there? Who knows.. And how do you know if it's the truth? Trust is a big part in our world, and we probably don't realize how much we rely on it.




Ok. Last thing for today. I was talking during study, and we were talking about lazers, and different colors, and how me and Brad will conquer the world with them. (Muahahaha). But the question is..

What is the opposite of moving?

Now, to those of you who say standing still is, I don't think that is true. Standing still is the middle ground. That's like saying 0 is the opposite of 1. In reality, -1 is the opposite of 1. So, moving is equal to 1, standing still is equal to 0, and the opposite of moving is equal to X. Solve for X.

That's all I have for today, but I insist that you join the facebook group if you want to read our newsletters in the future. So, it really is kind of mandatory if you want to keep reading this.

May 13-2009
-By Josh

Newsletter #00032

yay! newsletter! i am so happy to be writing something other than a report

first and foremost is personal news. I got a new saxophone!! yay!! it is a silver, yamaha soprano saxophone with gold keys. it is an intermidiate model, with no neck detatchment. I urge you to look at my profile picture it is there, though my profile picture is actually a different saxophone, the one in my picture is a jupiter artist's series with a detachable neck, but it similar colors.

second, to torture you bando's out there, i know next year's show, but i cant tell, so ha :-P

henceforth, this will be a facebook-related newsletter, my views on some of the goings-on lately here on facebook, and a couple possible ideas, so here goes. oh, almost forgot, i will number them, the bottom will explain why.

1.)first, becoming fans of things. when did this even happen? what is the purpose? who came up with it? it is an idea that i myself have not actually participated in as of yet, but i think i will start becoming a fan of things, it seems a neat concept with me, it's like a quick way to say i enjoy this without actually having to write it in your profile, so this gets a check by me, i like this

2.)poking people. i realize this isn't new, but nobody has said anything like any of this in a newsletter yet, so i claim my stake. poking is amazing, and will be, i have enjoyed poking people since before i knew what a facebook was, now i can do it with half the effort, and get into all-out poking wars with friends, this was an amazing idea, one i really enjoy

3.)the like button. this is n interesting idea, it is used for saying you enjoy something without having to comment, which is the purpose i think. but for me, even though i do like the quickest thing, i do not like the "like" button, if you are going to tell a person you "like" something, you should be more personal

4.)the absense of a "dislike" button. we have to be fair facebook, there need to be a dislike button if there is a like button, you can't always like everything, so what if it can be a bad thing sometimes? if there was i dislike button, i could justify the like button.

5.) the chatbox that they literally just changed. i don't like how it is now, i like how they display the pitures of the half-moon people now, but seriously, if you are going to keep changing something, make a change worth making, it is still aggrivating to use, and slow to respond, i give this change an F, if you are going to change it, make it responsive and easier to use.

6.)groups. groups are amazing, actually, josh just made one for these notes, join now or else. it is an amazing way to hold things together, groups was definately one of the better ideas here on facebook.

7.)notes. Where would we be without notes? notes make these newsletters possible, and other types of communication possible as well, to me, it is the best thing here on facebook (even if some of the quizzes passed on are bad)

8.)the inbox/messenger thingy. This is something i see as completely stupid, i cannot stand it, if you want to contact someone, write on their wall, tag them in a note, seriously, the only thing is is good for is private messaging or large group contacts. it is very annoying to me, and sometimes you don't even notice you have a message, urrgh, one of the more aggrivating things on facebook.

9.)apps, apps are fun, but eat up your time, like i really enjoy graffiti and the flair apps, but they eat away at my life, and it hurts, apps have sharp teeth.i believe they are worth keeping though

10.)ads. who actually pays attention to these ads? some of them are really messed up i think, like those creepy tee-shirt ones. i am against ads, but for them at the same time, i like the fact that facebook is free to use don't you?

now for the epitome of my random rambling, my qustion tonight is this:
for numbers 1-10, what is your opinion? do you agree with me? and do you have any arguments other than what i have? if so please feel free to make them, i want this to be a newsletter very open to discussion

quote-he who knows other is wise.he who knows himself is enlightened



Notice
pay attention to the next few newsletters, i would like to start something new, but still need to consult kasey and josh, my other two halves in this corporation of sorts (and yes, i am composed of three halves, don't ask how i do it, it's a secret)

May 11-2009
-By Brad

Newsletter #00031

I wasn't going to write my newsletter tonight since I'm tired but because my entire weekend will be devoted to writing a 6 page research paper and because I just found the coolest thing ever, I am going to post one tonight.

First of all, this is going to go along with the magic squares that Brad talked about. I found it in one of my Muse magazines and have found it amazing. So here it goes (and if you don't know what a magic square is, I suggest reading Brad's last newsletter to get a good idea of them).

Okay, so reading through my Muse magazines for a little inspiration, I flipped open to one of the math pages and lo and behold I see an article on none other than magic squares! So anyways, I'm reading through this, realizing that Brad pretty much covered the basic idea of them when I found this-- the coolest magic square in the history of magic squares (and that is no lie).

Ok so in numbers the magic square doesn't seem all that unusual. It looks something like this: (the zeros before the single digit numbers are only there as place holders to make the square easier to read)

05 22 18
28 15 02
12 08 25

Looking at this one you can see that going in any direction the numbers will add up to 45. Cool yes, but still not overly impressive.
Now do this to it. Spell it out in words:

five twenty-two eighteen
twenty-eight fifteen two
twelve eight twenty-five

(*I tried to make this look like a square but the formatting changes when I go to post it)

Once you've done that, count the number of letters in each of the words and put it back into the square. It should end up looking like this:

04 09 08
11 07 03
06 05 10

Doing this not only gives you another magic square (the numbers added up in any given direction give you 21), but the magic square also contains the consecutive numbers ranging from 3 to 11)
Isn't that the coolest thing ever??

Ok, just had to show you that. Especially since it is such a nice follow-up to Brad's newsletter on Wednesday.

While looking through my Muse magazines (I really should renew my subscription, it seems like half the things I've ever written about came from them), I read an article about black holes. Basically it was from a physics professor talking about what would happen if you could go into a black hole and not immediately die (*note, for this purpose a larger black hole is much much better- you will live longer, if at all). One thing I thought was really interesting was how light travels in a black hole. I'm too lazy to back and look it up but I believe it is circular or some other weird direction other than straight.

This might not sound all that weird until you consider its implications. Basically, it was stated after this fact was given, this means that while in the back hole, you would be able to see the back of your head. Strange right? The article also briefly mentions how when you reach the center of a black hole all physics rules that are known to man basically stop working. Of course no one has ever been inside a black hole, but still, its weird)

Ever since I was little I have been fascinated by space. Despite my fear of heights and very large open spaces, I think traveling into space would be the coolest thing ever. Space is also something so complicated to think about and its really a topic that leads you to contemplating all those questions about life (like, if there was nothing ever, what would it have been like, or what does it even really mean?) Such questions we've probably all thought about at times but when you really start thinking about it it makes your brain hurt (or at least mine does if I really, really try and imagine what there would be if there was nothing-- ever)

Something else I think is really interesting is the human brain and I suppose humans and life in general. The idea that we are all made up of elements found on the periodic table, elements that not only compose living, breathing, thinking, feeling creatures, but also rocks and really everything is kinda crazy. I mean when you think about it even further, on a much much smaller level, we are just made up of atoms with electrons and protons and nuclei. It just seems remarkable that those things could make us who we are. Thinking about the fact that right now, as I'm thinking about what to write (which is more or less just me typing whatever comes into my head, as I think it), it is hard to picture that my hands typing is actually just elements that on their own are so unremarkable, made up entirely of things like electrons and protons.

Anyways, other than the magic square thing, this newsletter was kind of just whatever popped into my head tonight, while I'm half asleep. Hopefully everything I said makes some sort of sense, as I'm much too tired to reread what I've written tonight.

May 8-2009
-By Kasey

Newsletter #00030

so, thirty, wow, cool, well,

stopping with the commas

this will be short, i will explain magic squares, and be done for the day, sorry

first, a mgic square is a n by n box, such as 3x3, or7x7, which are the two i will be discussing today
but i first need to explain, that in a magic square, each row, column, and diagonal, add up to the same number, in a three by three (3x3) all the rows and columns add up to fifteen.

now, the first thing you need to find in a 3x3 is the center number, so, i will make a three by three, where every blank space is represented by a zero

May 6-2009
-By Brad

0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0

alright, so, as you can see, this holds nine numbers, so to find the center number, we will need to pick one, which, added to two other numbers, can make the number 15 four different ways, one for vertically, one for horizontally, and two for each diagonal.

so, to find it, you line up the numbers, and see what you can do:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

and actually, to take the guessing out of it, i will tell you, it is 5, it makes fifteen in these ways

5+9+1=15
5+8+2=15
5+7+3=15
5+4+6=15

so, now we have this

0 0 0
0 5 0
0 0 0

so, let's look at the first item on my addition list, a nine and a one with a five, now, a nine or a one can only make two possible combinations that could make fifteen, so let's take nine, for example, it can only make fifteen like this:9,5,1 9,4,2

so, now that we know it can only make two combos, we know it goes in a horizontal or vertical row, i will put it in a vertical row

0 9 0
0 5 0
0 1 0

so, now, we will make fifteen with the nine in the top row by adding our 4 and 2 combination

2 9 4
0 5 0
0 1 0

then we complete the diagonals by simply putting in numbers that make them add to fifteen

2 9 4
0 5 0
6 1 8

and the last two are easy, so i'll just fill those in too

2 9 4
7 5 3
6 1 8

and there you have it, all vetrical, horizontal, and diagonal lines add to fifteen




noow, the seven by seven, there is a trick to it, so i will put it up, see if you can see the pattern, and if you really can't, i will write it at the bottom (by the way, every column adds to 175 if you really want to try to prove me wrong)

30 39 48 1 10 19 28
38 47 7 9 18 27 29
46 6 8 17 26 35 37
5 14 16 25 34 36 45
13 15 24 33 42 44 4
21 23 32 41 43 3 12
22 31 40 49 2 11 20

alright, for those that got it, congrats, for those who didn't, look at the one, then go one space right to the bottom, there is the two, then go up one, right one, and you will get 3-7 until you hit 1 again, then it drops a space and goes to eight, and the pattern continues like that throughout, there is another way too, i will post it, but not explain it, this will take the question portion, what is the pattern?



16 46 27 1 31 12 42
35 9 39 20 43 24 5
47 28 2 32 13 36 17
10 40 21 44 25 6 29
22 3 33 14 37 18 48
41 15 45 26 7 30 11
4 34 8 38 19 49 23

Newsletter #00029

Today I'm going to put out a newsletter instead of Brad, so he'll be putting one out instead on Wednesday. Sorry if you were expecting him, he'll still be doing one. And he'll have his super-über Magic Squares on Wednesday.


SOOOOOOO

Hmmmmmm.....

Uhhhhhhhhhhh

mmmmm...........




PIE!



3.1415926535897932384626 is NOT pi! Pi continues forever, forever, and forever, forever, and forever!!!



Something that came into my mind yesterday was society, and where it would be nowadays if the plane, or any flying vehicle was never invented. What if humans were grounded to the Earth. How would we be? What would society be like?

I think that overall, we would be quite different. Without planes to ship materials and humans, we would have delays in traveling, and transporting supplies. World trade would be entirely dependent on the sea. Seaports instead of airports would be where everybody would be, and trains would be used quite often too. Also, I think this would maybe have an effect on our personalities. It seems like people expect others to be hostile, so they react accordingly when they meet someone for the first time.

In English, we are reading The Odyssey, by Homer. It seems like a good book and story, but honestly, this is the one book this year that it really hurts to read. I just can't bring myself to really focus while reading it. But whenever Odysseus or his son go out somewhere, they always meet hospitable people. At one point, Odysseus gets a feast and games just because he is a guest from far away! People aren't asking questions like who you are, where are you from, and all that when they first meet them. They are kind, and welcome them into their homes. I think that in the present time we live in, people are never looking for the best in a person. They expect the worst. It's sad, but true.

Now, maybe not having airplanes won't turn everyone into a saint, but I think that it would be maybe slightly different. Without airplanes, maybe people would be kinder to those who have traveled from far away.


I enjoy English. My two strongest subjects are Math and English. I was told recently that most people are either English and History or Math and Science. I am both. Science is OK, and I like it. Definitely more than History. I like the teachers, but not the subject. I can't stand it. I don't know what it is about me, but I just can't. It's my weakest link, and one of my worst subjects. And I signed up for AP History next year. I'll get the work done, but I'll be miserable while I do it. =\

Kasey, you and Shauna talked about a website where you type, and it sends you reminders is you stop typing, or delete your text, or something like that. Could you post me the link? Or if anyone else knows of any website, could you tell me?

I recently scored 15.5/50 points on a giant math test! =D A 30%! And that ranked me 3rd for GHS Sophomores. =P

For college, I think I want to major in Applied Mathematics. I really like math. I like drafting too, and I did it in 8th grade. I'm signed up next year for it, so I debating between Mechanical Engineering, Drafting (CAD), or Applied Mathematics. But I like English too. I kinda want to do it all. Good thing I still have some time left to think about it.

The french class is going to France next year! 10 day trip in England and France! Yay! =D
Price... =[ $2400
But I get to go! =D Avec ma mère aussi!


QUESTIONSSSS


1- How do you think society will be in 100 years?
2- Do you have any advice on what I should major in?
3- What did you think of what I wrote in my last newsletter, the one with the really big long paragraph?
4- Join the new facebook group! Not a question, a demand!

May 4-2009
-By Josh

Newsletter #00028

So this is my first newsletter in like 3 weeks. I was going to do it earlier but my internet is down... so yeah, its back and here we go.

So lately I've been thinking a lot in general about school and life. More specifically expectations. I know that I want to get into a good college so I can get a good career and have a good life, etc. But I've been starting to wonder just how much of this is really worth it. For example, teenagers now are pretty much expected to do it all just to get into a good college. Play sports, be in the band, be in multiple clubs, spend our free time doing volunteer work, have some work experience, gain leadership experience in whatever and get good grades. Honestly, it all seems like a little bit much, not to mention the fact that myself being one of those overachievers who wants to get into a competitive school, I have to do it all, while being pretty much sleep deprived.

On top of all that, we are currently in a recession and once I graduate from college there's the possibility that a) I won't even get a good job in the career I want, or b) I will be much poorer and in debt than when I started school in the first place. Knowing that, I still sometimes wonder why we try so hard to do all of these things. Of course the point of this little rant is not to convince people to drop out or not go to college (Stay in school!), but basically just to wonder why society has gotten this way that so much is expected of teenagers. Sometimes I would just like to feel like a kid and be able to go outside after school on a nice day instead of being so tired from everything I've done that all I can manage is trying to fit in a nap, do homework and study for a test, all while fitting in jazz band, debate club, tutoring or volunteering at the library.

Anyways, moving on.

So here's something cool I found on this site a few minutes ago that has to do with math and business in a way. Say that a company sends out a really large number of letters to potential clients, like 64,000 or so. The point of this company is to convince the people who it is advertising to that they can pretty accurately tell how a specific stock is going to go, up or down. They say that they'll send them these letters like 6 times each and if the potential clients like the information they are getting because it turns out to be incredibly accurate then the company will ask for say $1000 in return and they will continue to give their predictions to the person. Following?

Alright, so the company sends out 64,000 letters the first day, half of which predict the stock will rise and half of which predict the stock will fall. Well 32,000 are now pretty much guaranteed to be accurate, yes? (unless the stock doesn't change, but w/e disregard that). So the next time they only send out their letters to the 32,000 who received the correct prediction, once again half saying it will rise and half saying it will fall. Now 16,000 are going to be accurate. After six times following the same pattern, there will be about 1,000 people left who have thus far received many correct predictions, and, now believing that this company knows what they are talking about, are probably more willing to pay the fee to continue receiving these predictions. Basically, its all in the math.

Its also kind of like in a competition. Say you start with 64 people and they get put into pairs of two to play chess. The winners move on to the next round to play other winners, so on and so forth until the very last match. It seems a little strange to consider, but it is guaranteed that one person will never lose a game.

Anyway, I thought that was interesting. Also interesting are these: These are some of the names for powers of ten (example: 10^6 is a million)
10^4 Myriad
10^138 Quinto-Quadragintillion
10^180 Novemquinquagintillion
10^312 Trescentillion
10^366 Primo-Vigesimo-Centillion
10^402 Trestrigintacentillion
10^3000003 Milli-Millillion

And last but not least in my newsletter of cool mathematical things, here is this information I copied off of some website. Enjoy!

Sequential Inputs of numbers with 8
1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321


Sequential 1's with 9
1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 + 10 = 1111111111


Sequential 8's with 9
9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888


Numeric Palindrome with 1's
1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321


Without 8
12345679 x 09 = 111111111
12345679 x 18 = 222222222
12345679 x 27 = 333333333
12345679 x 36 = 444444444
12345679 x 45 = 555555555
12345679 x 54 = 666666666
12345679 x 63 = 777777777
12345679 x 72 = 888888888
12345679 x 81 = 999999999


Sequential Inputs of 9
9 x 9 = 81
99 x 99 = 9801
999 x 999 = 998001
9999 x 9999 = 99980001
99999 x 99999 = 9999800001
999999 x 999999 = 999998000001
9999999 x 9999999 = 99999980000001
99999999 x 99999999 = 9999999800000001
999999999 x 999999999 = 999999998000000001
..........................

............


Sequential Inputs of 6
6 x 7 = 42
66 x 67 = 4422
666 x 667 = 444222
6666 x 6667 = 44442222
66666 x 66667 = 4444422222
666666 x 666667 = 444444222222
6666666 x 6666667 = 44444442222222
66666666 x 66666667 = 4444444422222222
666666666 x 666666667 = 444444444222222222

May 2-2009
-By Kasey