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The All-Powerful Amazon
By Mai Mccondichie
Amazon is becoming too powerful because many people have stopped going to stores. They can order a delivery with a click of a button, and it can be at their front door. If everyone is using Amazon and buying from Amazon, other companies will lose customers and eventually have to shut down. Amazon can beat or match anyone's price at this moment. However, Amazon has become the leading retailer for most people. In that case, they can go up in price because there will not be other competition, and people will be forced to spend more money eventually. There are now Amazon grocery stores you can enter if you have an Amazon Prime membership. You do your shopping and then are automatically charged for your items, and you do not need someone to assist you. People might like that because they are not bothered by anyone else, but that also takes jobs away from people. Amazon creates many jobs for people, but many people will be out of work for other companies if these other companies only need a few customers. My mom thinks grocery stores are less packed than they used to be because people can now order online and on Amazon. She thinks it is super convenient, but she says it makes people lazy. Ordering online and on Amazon is excellent and convenient, but it also makes people lazy and is only sometimes as convenient. If I need something immediately, Amazon takes a few hours to a few days to deliver. There may also be an additional cost for delivery. However, I can have the item immediately if I get it myself. Sometimes, my time is more valuable, and even if it costs more for Amazon to deliver, my time is more expensive, so I prefer to pay additional fees and wait for Amazon. This can be dangerous and make everyone lazy, but hopefully, the people spending money on Amacan will make more money since they will not have to go out and waste time shopping. Amazon is taking over, and while it might become dangerous later, it is super convenient right now.
My Total Solar Eclipse Adventure
By Andrew Azizollahi
A total solar eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun completely from view for part of the earth. Witnessing a total eclipse is a beautiful experience. My trip to see the eclipse included a lot of fun experiences but also had many challenges, including driving away from clouds and choosing the right place to see it. However, in the end, it was completely worth it to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience. This is the story of my trip with my dad, trying to see the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Our first step was booking tickets, which took some planning. This is because we needed to choose a place along the path of totality (where the moon would completely block the sun) and where the weather would be best to see the eclipse. Also, we needed to choose a place that was pretty close and would be fun regardless of the eclipse. Ultimately, we decided on Dallas, Texas, planning to get there on Saturday, April 6th, to experience the eclipse on Monday, April 8th.
I was prepared for the plane ride. I downloaded many Rick and Morty episodes and YouTube videos to enjoy the plane ride. Once we landed, the cool breeze hit our skin, and we looked at the sky. We quickly realized it was cloudy and that seeing the eclipse with the clouds out front would be tough. We decided to rent a car to easily travel across the state and avoid clouds on the eclipse day. We rented a nice Jeep, a vast car with lots of room and an open roof, to see the eclipse if needed. We drove straight to some good old Texas BBQ when we got the car. They had brisket, beef ribs, chicken, and many sides, such as macaroni and cheese, egg salad, potato salad, and beans. The food was delicious, with spicy and savory flavors. After that sumptuous meal, we went to our hotel room and slept.
The following day, we woke up bright and early for breakfast, which included omelets, cereal, pancakes, and waffles. We decided to take it easy that day and went to the mall with my Dad. We watched the movie Dune 2, which I enjoyed, and you should check it out. Afterward, we went to a bowling alley with arcade games and laser tag. My Dad and I were on the same laser tag team, which fought to get second place with 15,000 points.
On the morning of the eclipse, we were all very excited but worried about the weather ruining the visibility since the clouds still covered most of the sky. At breakfast, we had three phones with four different weather apps, trying to decide on the best route. We settled by driving two and a half hours to the northeast corner of Texas to escape the clouds. We were in the middle of nowhere in rural Texas, surrounded by farms and cattle herds. The only problem was that clouds were following us once we got there. We made a random decision to drive to a small rural town in Arkansas, another two hours away, where the clouds were less.
Once we got there and finally got away from the clouds, we drove the jeep offroad onto a grassy meadow filled with flowers and woods in front of us. We were all by ourselves. Once the eclipse started, we used our glasses to see the moon slowly block the sun until, finally, the sun was utterly black. At that point, it became safe to take off the glasses. I could see Venus in the darkened sky next to the eclipsed sun. The eclipse sun looked terrific, and I noticed the 360-degree sunset, which was beautiful. We also noticed that the animals around us noticed the change to darkness. The birds stopped chirping, and the crickets started their buzzing sounds until the sun's light finally came back.
This trip was all worth the journey. I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life. I had a great time in Texas. Even if there is no eclipse, you should visit Texas sometime since it is fun and beautiful.
Woolly Mammoths
By Kyla Bijari
Woolly mammoths have been extinct for 4,000 years. Their extinction was caused by climate change and human hunting. They lived in Europe, Asia, and North America, roaming the cold tundra. Their diet was mainly grasses and sedges. Wolves, cave hyenas, and large felines were their predators.
Woolly mammoths are known for their large size, fur, and imposing tusks. They used their curved tusks to dig up the ground. We can tell a woolly mammoth's age from its tusk's rings. The coat of a woolly mammoth was made up of very long hairs. Woolly mammoths protected themselves by being well-adapted to the cold environment with their thick cotes of fur made of long hairs. Mammoths lived in big groups, packs, and herds with other mammoths.
They can live up to the age of 60. They used their bones and tusks to make art, tools, and dwellings. Woolly Mammoth's top speed is 18–20 mph. Some facts about them are that they had long, dense, dark black hair, a fatty hump, and a long nose that looked like a trunk. They are pretty big but not huge. Both males and females had tusks, but the females' tusks were smaller. The tusks began to form at birth and continued growing throughout life.
Daily Diary: The Magic of Journaling
By Mazu Rakhsha
Few things conjure a nostalgia as vivid as the experience of flipping through past photos, videos, letters, or even text messages and recalling the mind and life of your past self. But what if these memories were only fingertips away, arranged neatly in a stack of journals? What if every moment was described in detail, and there was no need to read between the lines of pictures to get a vague sense of what rests behind them? This is the appeal of journaling, or keeping a diary: a hobby that serves as relaxation and proof of living.
Journaling is daunting when approached with design-themed pages adorned with stickers, beautiful lettering, and “doodles” to complement the writing, which, in truth, takes hours to perfect. The concept of “journaling” presented to us on the internet makes the hobby feel performative–as though the goal is merely to create a book decorated, glittered, and loaded with pretty pictures to show to the world rather than to serve memories raw. While there is nothing inherently wrong with working to construct a lovely journal, I find that it takes the enjoyment out of the hobby, at least if you have perfectionistic tendencies. To make the most of the activity, journaling should be approached as a personal hobby for self-expression without limitation. Whether that is through making your journal decorative and visually alluring or scribbling words into pages without end–although ironically, this constant practice has the potential to improve your handwriting–both methods are equally valid.
For beginners who have decided to start their first journal, one of the most important rules is that there are none. The activity is best compared to a mental conversation with yourself, only with words written down on paper and open to viewing later–it comes as quickly as thinking. The “starting period” of journaling can, however, be awkward. Most of us are so accustomed to having others read anything physically written down that we unconsciously approach journal entries with the same attitude, leading to unnatural writing and concealed thoughts and emotions. There is no avoiding this for most, but being conscious that you are likely slightly closed off in your first entries will help you overcome this. After learning to write in your journal like you think to yourself, each entry will flow more naturally and, later on, be interpreted as more candidly written as well.
To summarize, journaling is the art of documenting every thought and memory in writing to eventually establish a collection of pages to revisit during your free time. Every moment of growth, change in handwriting, adjustment in headspace, and emotion can be recognized, and in that lies the lasting beauty of journaling.
Best Birthday
By Mai McCondichie
When it comes to finding the best place to have your birthday party, it depends on your interests and preferences. It also depends on the day or season; you would not want to avoid having a pool party in the winter because it will be cold. Most people prefer indoor trampoline parks or just an accessible picnic area. People also have sleepovers in a hotel or just at home. They also do backyard parties or pool parties.
When it comes to celebrating your birthday, you have to find the perfect location. The city of Los Angeles has lots of great options to make your party the best. They also have a lot of things for people of all ages to do. For example, they have many big, fun theme parks to celebrate. They also have arcades, parks, escape rooms, restaurants, ballrooms, and the beach.
If you are a big fan of the sand, sun, warm water, getting tan, and a warm day, think about having a beach or pool party. The beach is super fun for you, your friends, and your friends and family. Many fun things to do at the beach, even just playing volleyball with a friend. Los Angeles has over 100 beaches, even if just a casual gathering with friends or family.
If you are a thrill-seeker and love rides, consider going to a theme park for your birthday celebration. Los Angeles has many amazing theme parks, from Disneyland to Universal Studios. These theme parks offer a fun day of big or small rides, entertainment, and unforgettable memories. Most theme parks have a special package for the birthday person to make your day even more special.
If you like watching the view, hosting a rooftop party is a great option. Los Angeles has many stunning skylines and big rooftop spaces for a fantastic birthday celebration. An outdoor picnic or a park party is a good idea if you prefer nature. There are many parks in Los Angeles.
The New ChatGPT-4o
By Andrew Azizollahi
CNET revealed that the new Chatgpt-4o demo was released yesterday and is world-changing. It can guide you through math, talk to you, fix your code, tell you what you look like (when you show a picture of your face), and even (this one, I find one of the most excellent features) have exclamation in its voice. Their demo was real-time, with no cuts to show its intelligence.
The voice that can be used to talk to is one of the most helpful features. For years, most people have thought it cool to have robots to talk to, and it is now here. One of the best parts of this feature is how it can use the camera to immediately tell you what the thing is or even tell you how something looks on you. It does not sometimes tell you that something looks good. It is honest, which I find very interesting and even a little scary because it is human-like. The voice is also unique for having excitement or different voice modes when telling a story, and it voices out all the characters.
In addition, getting help with situations is very helpful. An example is when it walks you through a math problem. You would tell ChatGPT 4o something like, "Hey, walk me through this math problem step by step." It will turn on the camera if you have it enabled, and if you have a problem written down, it will either walk you through it or explain the math and then ask what you can do; if you need extra help, you can ask. The best part is that if you were to get it, it would only be 20$ a month, and the best part is unlimited patience since it is a robot, meaning it could help you the whole month straight, only costing $20. ChatGPT can also walk you through coding problems. If you get the ChatGPT 4o desktop app and share your screen, it can walk you through how to fix your code.
ChatGPT, as well as AI, is an exciting part of our future that can significantly benefit us. Launched in 2022 and over two years old, ChatGPT has dramatically changed how our future, mostly Gen Alpha and late Gen Z, will be affected. This update with CHatGPT 4o being able to talk to us in real-time without that weird pause is exciting but primarily scary. It is a game-changer for the future of this world.
In conclusion, ChatGPT 4o is a massive change in real-time conversations and will help us with everyday problems.
Source
tomsguide.com
Ranking Top 5 Best Things To Do in the Summer
By Andrew Azizollahi
Summer is full of fun activities! Here are my top five favorite things to do.
5: Go Swimming
Swimming is super fun, especially when it’s hot outside. Jumping into a fantastic pool feels terrific. Choosing pools that have a diving board or waterslide makes it extra unique. Swimming with friends and enjoying snacks like hotdogs and fries is even better. I love swimming, but I like other water activities even more.
4: Visit Amusement Parks
Amusement parks are the best part of summer. There are exciting rides, yummy food, and fun games. Riding roller coasters is thrilling, especially with friends or family. Waiting in line and getting excited together makes it even more fun.
3: Go to the Beach
The beach is always a blast. You can dig holes, surf, bodysurf, or play games trying to avoid the waves. Going to the beach with friends and family is great for fun and relaxation. I also like to get a nice tan at the beach.
2: Visit Water Parks
Water parks combine the best parts of swimming and amusement parks. Sliding down water slides with friends and family is unforgettable. There are so many different slides to try, which makes it extra exciting.
1: Read Books
Summer is a perfect time to read books for fun. You can choose any book you like and enjoy a great story. I recommend going to the public library and checking out many books simultaneously. Ask the librarian for help choosing books in your favorite genre.
Fun Summer Activities
By Kyla Bijari
Summer is coming up! Here are some fun summer activities you can do with friends, family, or alone.
The first summer activity you can do is have a pool party at your house. I recommend inviting only a few people because everything will get messy and chaotic. Just text your friends about it and put some snacks by the pool. Then you and your friends will have a great time together.
The next thing you can do is watch a movie. You can watch it at the movie theaters or home. Either way, you will have a good time. If you go to the theaters, you should get a bag of popcorn or some snacks, and if you do it at home, you can make popcorn or buy some snacks from the store. You can ask a friend to come or do it yourself!
The last thing you can do in the summer is go to the mall with your family. There are many activities to do in the mall. You can go to the food court or a restaurant, walk around the mall, or go shopping. You will have a great time with whatever you do.
In conclusion, there are three different things you can do in the summer: with friends and family, or by yourself.
The Simi Valley Six-Grade Trip
By Kyla Bijari
The sixth-grade school trip to Simi Valley was from March 18–20 this year.
Every day, I participated in activities such as hiking, riding the sky coaster, and climbing on the ropes course. Other activities included making cornbread, shell drilling, and making little bags with beads.
Finally, on the last day, my friends and I made styrofoam motor boats to see if they could float in the water; the other activity we did was looking at taxidermy animals, which was cool because they were all stuffed, so they looked like the same shape they would be when they are alive.
I shared a bunk with my friends, and it was super fun. There were a bunch of bunk beds, and two people could be on each bunk bed. The bathroom had four showers and five toilets. Overall, sharing a room with all of my friends was super fun.
In conclusion, I recommend that others go on school trips because you never know how much fun you could have and how much you will like it.
The 6th Grade Trip: Simi Valley
By Mielle Bitton
On their outdoor trip in March, the 6th graders went to Simi Valley, a lovely, off-the-grid place full of fun activities, learning experiences, and physical activities.
The bus ride there was fun because I was on a bus with all my friends. The food was excellent because of its vegan, vegetarian, or kosher choices. Also, they sometimes have lemonade for me to drink. Some people brought ramen from their homes for lunch, and the camp was okay with that. They even provided us with hot water for ramen. They made us eat outside because it made people uncomfortable that it was not kosher. This proves that the camp organizers listen and care.
The activities are what made the trip a blast. There were Four main activities: ropes course and sky coaster, hiking, life skills (Shell drilling, archery and ax throwing, and medical bags), and the learning station (boat making and learning about dead animals). The ropes course and sky coaster were what got the kids excited. The hike brought sun and joy to the campers. The life skills provide the campers with helpful life skills. Lastly, the learning station gave campers a fun learning experience.
At night, there were a bunch of different activities. Some include skits and smores, night hikes, and games. They are fun ways to make the campers tired. When doing the activities, it is essential to bring a flashlight because it is very dark at night. One of the great things about doing nighttime activities is seeing the fantastic stars shining.
Simi Valley is a great place to go. It is an excellent place to get your body moving. If you are an upcoming sixth grader, stay calm about the trip. I bet you and your friends will have a good time.
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