PlayStation 4: Next Generation of Gaming Consoles

By: Nathan

The PlayStation 4, formally known as the PS4 was announced on February 20th, 2013 in New York. Sony showed the controller and the specifications of the new PlayStation 4  Sadly, Sony did not show the new PlayStation 4 itself. The PlayStation 4 is set to be released during the holiday season of 2013. Rumors suggest that the PlayStation 4 will retail between $400 and $500. Other rumors say that the PlayStation 4 will have 8 GB of RAM, which is a big improvement from the previous console, the PlayStation 3  The rest of the specifications can be found here.

Zombie Popularity Increases: The Walking Dead

          Do you have anything to watch on the weekends? Well if you don't, check out The Walking Dead!The Walking Dead is an American drama/horror television show about survivors living in a world overrun by zombies created by Frank Darabont. The show is based on a series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The Walking Dead first aired in America on October 31st, 2010, and now airs every Sunday at 9:00 ET. During the first week of November, 2010, The Walking Dead was aired worldwide. The series has recieved many awards including a Writers Guild of America Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series Drama. After just 3 seasons, The Walking Dead has beaten a variety of records for a cable series. During the premiere of the 3rd season, over 10.9 million viewers tuned in to watch, making it the most-watched cable drama in history. This series has a variety of viewers ranging from all ages. If you have nothing better to do, make sure to check out The Walking Dead!



Harlem Shake: New Trend?

By: Nathan

Recently, a lot of Harlem Shake videos have been posted on the Internet. The Harlem Shake videos are about 30-40 seconds long. The participants of the video dance to a song from Baauer titled "Harlem Shake".  In the video, there are a few people doing ordinary things while one person is dancing. When the music "drops", the rest of the people join in and start dancing sporadically. However, many people complain that the videos do not incorporate the actual Harlem Shake, which is a dance move from the early 2000s.

Here are a few Harlem Shake videos from YouTube:

Interesting Genetic Differences

By: Nathan

Have you ever wondered how it would be like to have two eyes of different colors? Well there's a mutation that has been around for thousands of years. The mutation is called heterochromia iridum. You can get this mutation from your parents, an injury, or even a disease. You usually get this mutation if you have lack melanin, a pigment. Some famous people have heterochromia iridum too. Dan Aykroyd, the writer of "Ghostbusters II", has a green right eye and a brown left eye. Kate Bosworth, an actress from "Superman Returns", has a blue left eye and a brown right eye. Jane Seymour, an actress from "Wedding Crashers", has a green left eye and a hazel right eye. Alice Eve, an actress from "She's Out of My League", has a blue left eye and a green right eye. This mutation is also present in animals like cats and dogs.

The next genetic mutation is albinism. Albinism is a genetic mutation due to a lack of pigment in skin, hair, and eyes. It makes your skin or hair abnormally white. This mutation can be found in both people, animals, and plants. Famous people with albinism are Johny and Edgar Winter, Salif Keita, King Edward, William Archibald Spooner, Emperor Seinei, and Connie Chiu.

NBA All-Star Weekend 2013

By: Nathan

The NBA All-Star Weekend is an event hosted by the NBA, or National Basketball Association, featuring the star players from the Eastern and Western Conference. The first All-Star Game was in Boston, Massachusetts, 1951. This year, the 62nd All-Star Weekend will be hosted by Houston, Texas on February 15-17. This is the third time Houston hosted the All-Star Weekend (1989, 2006, and 2013). The All-Star Weekend consists of multiple events spread throughout the weekend.

On Friday, there will be seven main events. The first event is the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Practice. This event is where the rookies and sophomores in the NBA league practice for their game later in the day. At noon (eastern time), there will be the Basketball Hall of Fame Announcement, where players are acknowledged for their outstanding performance. Next will be the All-Star Celebrity Game. The All-Star Celebrity game is an event where celebrities throughout the nation get together and play basketball. The lineups are not yet announced. Finally, the last event on Friday is the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge. Rookies and sophomores in the NBA league are drafted on to teams by Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, both of which are former NBA players. The eligible players that are in the Rising Stars Challenge are: Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors; Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizzards; Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Hornets; Andre Drummond and Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons; Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats; Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, and Tyler Zeller of the Cleveland Cavaliers; Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers; Chandler Parsons of the Houston Rockets; Alexey Shved of the Minnesota Timberwolves; and Nickola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic.

On Saturday, there will be four main events.  First will be the D-League All-Star Game. The D-League is for players returning from an injury or who need to improve. Then at 8:30, there will be the 2013 Sears Shooting Stars, where one current NBA player, one current WNBA player, and one NBA legend on each team shoot six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty. The teams are not yet announced. Then next event is the 2013 Taco Bell Skills Challenge. This event features 3 players from each conference completing obstacles with passing and shooting stations. This years competitors are: Jrue Holiday of the Philadelphia 76ers; Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons; and Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks for the Eastern Conference and Tony Parker of the San Antonio; Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers; and Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets for the Western Conference. The next event is the 2013 Foot Locker Three-Point Contest. Five shooting stations will be set up throughout the three-point line and players shoot four balls worth one point each and a "money ball" worth two points each. This years competitors are Paul George of the Indiana Pacers; Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and Steve Novak of the New York Knicks representing the Eastern Conference and Ryan Anderson of the New Orleans Hornets; Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs; and Stephan Curry of the Golden State Warriors representing the Western Conference. The last event on Saturday is the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. Fans vote through text to elect the winner of the final round. This years competitors for the Eastern Conference are Gearald Green of the Indiana Pacers; Terrence Ross of the Toronto Raptors; James White of the New York Knicks and for the Western Conference, Eric Bledsoe of the Los Angeles Clippers; Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz; and Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets.

Finally on Sunday is the long anticipated 2013 All-Star Game. Fans vote for the five players of the starting lineup for each conference and the coaches elect, or reserve, another seven players of their choice. The players that are chosen are considered the leagues "brightest stars".  For the Eastern Conference, the original starters were: Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks; LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat; and Kevin Garnet and Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics. Sadly, Rajon Rondo was cut from the team due to a torn ACL. His replacement is likely to be someone on the roster. The reserve players on the Eastern Conference are: Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat; Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks; Luol Deng and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls; Paul George of the Indiana Pacers; Jrue Holiday of the Philadelphia 76ers; Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets. For the Western Conference, The starting lineup is: Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder; Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers; and Blake Griffin and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers. The reserve players are: LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trailblazers; Tim Duncan and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs; James Harden of the Houston Rockets; David Lee of the Golden State Warriors; Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies; and Russel Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

By: Nathan

Recently, I had the opportunity to go around Taylor Middle School and ask a few students what they wanted to be when they grow up. I had a variety of answers and some didn't even know what they wanted to be.

Starting with the 8th graders, an anonymous student told me that he wanted to be a historian. Patrick says that he wants to be a computer engineer. Devon told me that he decided he would become a dancer. Edric said that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon. Darren along with three other students didn't know what they wanted to be. One student wanted to be either a lawyer, doctor, or architect. Kashille said that she wanted to be a professional badminton player, a dancer, or a lawyer. Another student stated that he wanted to be an engineer or anything in the computer world. Finally, Ernest told me that he wanted to become a teacher.

Next, I asked the 7th and 6th graders. One student said that she wanted to be a baker. Kellie wanted to be an architect or anything in the medical field. Megan says that she wants to be a doctor, but is not completely sure. One student in the 6th grade told me that he doesn't know what he wants to be.

MEF Second Chance Donations

          Have you heard about the MEF second chance donation days? MEF stands for Millbrae Education Foundation and they are trying to raise funds to hire more staff and fund programs for the school district. If you don't know what MEF is, MEF is an organization founded five to six years ago by several parents who were concerned about budget cuts and how it began to affect the schools. Their goal ever since was to raise money that would fund staff.

          As of now, MEF is funding roughly four hours of instructional time at the four elementary schools in our district and two technology teachers. Last year, MEF raised $260,000 which allows the schools to fund instructional aids and technology teachers. This year, MEF is trying to raise $400,000. The money raised is going to fund five teachers in our district. If they don't get their goal of $400,000, $320,000 will be able to fund four teachers, and $260,000 will raise enough to fund the existing technology teachers. On the 29th and 30th of January, MEF volunteers will be on the campuses of every school in the mornings and after school. The reason for the second chance donations is for the families who haven't had a chance to make their annual donations. MEF asks for $450 per student, but if you are not as fortunate as others, any amount will help. You can donate directly to a volunteer or visit the MEF website. Their website is http://www.millbraeeducationfoundation.org/

Good Journalism

          I learned that people are more informed with events going around the world because news is more acessable. I wonder how the news has been evolved. I still want to know why news has been so popular lately.

Recap of 2012

          Most people began the year of 2012 thinking that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Surprisingly the world didn't end. Looking back at 2012 brings up a lot of great events, and also some devastating tragedies.

          On January 14th, a 984-foot cruise ship, The Costa Concordia, crashes on the island of Giglio, Italy. More than 4,000 people were evacuated. Unfortunately, 30 people were said to be dead, 2 were said to be missing missing and presumed dead, and 64 were injured. Facebook, a social network used by millions, debuts on the stock market on the 18th of May. Shortly after, on July 15th, PSY, a Korean rapper, releases a song titled 'Gangnam Style' which catches the attention of millions of people around the world. The song later broke records earning its title, the most liked video on YouTube. 'Gangnam Style' also passed a billion views as of the 21st of December. The 2012 Summer Olympics opened in London on July 27th. A few weeks into the Olympics, Usain Bolt, a Jamaican runner, makes his way into history books by earning a "double triple." That means that he won 100 meters, 200 meters and the 4 100m relays at consecutive Olympic games. On August 6th, NASA launches a rover aimed at exploring Mars. The rover, Curiosity, finally landed on Mars after 7 minutes of terror. Felix Baumgartner  jumps from 127,000 feet off the Earth's surface on October 14th. He broke sound barriers and also some records. During his free fall, he gathered important information for NASA. The next day, October 15th, The Endeavour, a space shuttle, made its way through the streets of Los Angeles, making its way to its final destination. Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy struck on the 29th of October. Sandy tore through the North East part of the United States. The storm caused billions of dollars in damage and took the lives of hundreds. On November 6th, President Obama wins the 2012 US Presidential election and begins his second term as president. We wrao up the year with something the United States will never forget. On December 14th, an armed gunman kills 20 innocent children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. After this terrible incident, President Obama promises to pass laws on gun control.