6.9.07: Behind the St. Mary's Church, which usually praises modesty and decency, nine blaring high school bands rumbled Hyde Park. Rhythm and Jews shook the stage with a line up of all originals. This marks the kick-off of our summer of intense gigging. Unfortunately, Ian is off to camp for the remainder of the summer on the 19th, but we've found a replacement - Joey Victor from the Rainheads. My brother filmed short video segments with his digital camera, so enjoy the film.

Rhythm and Jews Myspace | The Film |

6.8.07: High school is over for ever - I'm free, done, graduated, finito. I'm glad to be done with school, though I certainly feel a degree of nostalgia for certain aspects -- long wondering lunches with the group, quality humor, and that general high school malaise, which while somewhat bad, I still look at with a degree of fondness. The graduation ceremony and weekend was overblown and painful, full of formalities, but that's done and I'm free for the summer. Rhythm and Jews is planning to gig, and I have a programming job. I also may find myself in Nicaragua, Telluride, or Israel, depending on a variety of factors. Next fall, I'll be posting from Brandeis University.

The Photos | The Film |

3.30.07: When I think - “what is the hottest, coolest thing to do over spring break, where there will be tons of people?” - I think Cancun, Mexico. Such, I went to New York City.

Crammed against friends and luggage in a small Jason-driven-Mercedes, we almost lost Allen to an asshole who, after nearly ramming us off the road, blamed us for his inadequacies as a driver by giving that friendliest of gestures, the middle finger. After such an intimate journey, the solitude of being crammed next to a fat theatre major on our pathetically small airplane gave me a sigh of relief.

What was even more relieving was the standard New York City greeting, “Fuck you,” from a cheerful driver who was apparently a little annoyed by our incompetent taxi driver. We entered the city to a chorus of car horns as we ran a red light. By this time, we numbered four – Zaki was off to get some play, and we never saw him again.

We mainly went to art museums and jazz clubs, with one day of walking and touring in the dirty but vibrant and familial China town, the trendy and extremely gay Soho, the serious and constipated financial district, and all the wonderful dirty, crowded subways that linked them all. Fagin also graciously hosted us for an afternoon, pointing out the various places to buy hip shoes. We weren’t interested.

And of course restaurants. Chinese, Thai, Burgers, NYC Pizza, Italian, falafel, etc. With my keen food sense, I magically tracked down the best pizza place in NYC and proceeded to eat two or three pieces daily as an after dinner snack. Quite satisfying. Van Gogh was nice, but frankly I found the two meals I had from a small Italian place in the West Village a much more profound and aesthetic experience.

Conclusion: one block of NYC has more than an entire Cincinnati.

--Matt Migala

The Pictures |

2.13.07: I'm presently playing in a band called Rhythm and Jews - Ian Privitara on drums, Trent Risover on bass, Aaron Tami on keys, and Sloan Thacker on vocals. We played Born Under a Bad Sign at the Seven Hills Talent Show, which went very well, but we ran into some trouble with the name. Beth Driehous, the talent show coordinator, banned the name Rhythm and Jews because she felt that having 'jew' in the name would be offensive to gentiles. She subsequently gained the approval of her superiors. Following the show, I received an apology from the dean, but it is still unfortunate that an innocent name like Rhythm and Jews was banned. Other ethnic groups are allowed to perform with their own name. I don't really need to explain how absurd, flawed, and potentially anti-semetic this is -- it is self evident. Following the show, Sloan Thacker signed on as our main singer. On February 10th, we played a real gig at the Harrison Avenue Theatre, opening for two other bands. Playing a real set was an exhilarating experience -- the crowd, the music, the theater scene -- thrilling for sure. We're playing our next show at the Harrison Avenue Theatre on March 16th. Sample recordings are available on our myspace.

UPDATE 3.17.07: The show last night went well. It was my first time singing, and I certainly made many embarrassing errors, but the majority of the instrumental work was correct. We played with Solid and the Rainheads, and hope to do another show with the Rainheads soon. Fabe filmed the show.

The Pictures | The Movie | Rhythm and Jews Myspace |

8.13.06: This summer I spent five weeks abroad, four in Israel, and one in Poland. A group of twenty-seven kids my age flew to Tel Aviv where we met about the same number of Israeli kids with whom we traveled. We spent two and a half weeks in the north of Israel. The days during which we visited the Kotel and Tsfat were amongst the best days. After the North, we flew to Poland where we visited depressing Nazi concentration camps. Though the appearance of the camps themselves did not depress me greatly (as they were grown over with grass and trees and had a somewhat pretty appearance if one disregards the fact that the space was once used as a death camp), the Holocaust education and time given to contemplate made Poland wholly depressing. After almost having to be sent home due to the war, we returned to Israel and headed south to the Negev. Highlights included experiencing the calming, almost mystical nature of the desert and learning about Bedouins.

Reflecting on the trip, I long to be back in Israel. I hope to return soon and I fully support Israel in its war against Hezbollah. In retrospect, I went through multiple transitions on my view of Israel and zionism over the course of the trip. After the first week and a half, I was much excited by new ideas and I was a fully convinced zionist, ready to make allayah come this September when I turn eighteen. But as my love for Israel was reaffirmed and indeed intensified from my initial feelings before the trip, I regained my critical senses and reassessed my own zionist sentiment. After much squabbling, my feelings towards zionism remain the same as they were from the trip's start. I love Israel dearly, and I hope to return soon and perhaps even live part of my life in Israel, but I do not feel that Judaism encompasses national identity – it remains strictly a tangled knot of both religion and culture. That is not to say, however, that the state of Israel is not essential to the Jewish people and that the Jewish people are without the right to the state of Israel; I believe the opposite, but I will hold the opposite's argument for another time.

One of the most remarkable things I was taken back by was the similaraties between the cultures of the Israeli kids and the Cincinnatian kids and our ability to relate on multiple levels. In addition, it was highly interesting to discuss their feelings towards joining the army, following their senior year in high school. This short report would not be complete without mentioning that Israeli females are particularly beautiful. Overall, this trip was the best trip I've taken thus far in my (almost) eighteen years of life.

Support Israel.

My Pictures | Group Pictures |

6.19.06: This weekend I traveled to Manchester, TN with Bob to attend the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, a 3 day Woodstock-style music festival. The festival was a blast and featured artists Ben Folds, G. Love, Bright Eyes, Nickel Creek, Death Cab for Cutie, Robert Randolph, Tom Petty, Buddy Guy, Medeski-Martin-and-Wood, Radiohead, Matisyahu, Bonnie Raitt, and Phil Lesh (in chronological order, to name only a few). Music played until 5 in the morning every night. I was invited to play guitar numerous times on stage in front of a big crowd with a high quality band backing me up, which was an entirely stimulating experience.

The Pictures | Bootleg Video |

6.12.06: Fairly recently, school let out, ending on a good note, and I've been left to my own devices for numerous weeks before I leave for Israel. Unwinding from school, I've spent a lot of time relaxing and reading in the park, as well as purchasing a new soccer ball. I've gone to The Blue Wisp Jazz Club a few times and practiced guitar quite a bit, and am trying to get my band off the ground. I'm taking Hebrew lessons finally, and hope to cram in much studying before Israel. And of course, I've been doing all sorts of interesting new things with computers and am reading about the middle east and politics and history endlessly. Last Friday, I saw Jerry Seinfeld with my pop -- a great show for sure. A typical teenage thing to do, Nolan and I snuck up on Fabe in a supermarket while he was doing shopping for his mother and loitered around carefully and critically scrutinizing all of the merchandise. Nolan was forward-thinking enough to photograph Fabe's explorations, as seen by the picture on the left and in the picture gallery of this article. On top of all the mindless teenage summer dabblings, including finding a path in Alms Park that leads to the top of the wall around "dead man's curve" of Colombia Parkway, I visited Chicago this weekend with my dad. We saw numerous artists at the Chicago Blues Festival and saw saxophonist-extraordinaire, Ravi Coltrane (John Coltrane's son), who was absolutely amazing. This weekend, I am going to Manchester, TN with Bob for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival which should be a blast. I leave for Israel in a little bit under two weeks, so from now until then, I'll be busy preparing.

The Pictures |

3.27.06: During the first week of spring break, I visited Amsterdam and Italy with my parents, my first time in Europe. Only being there for one day, we saw a Van Gough exhibit and a Caravaggio versus Rembrandt exhibit, both of which were incredible. At night my parents and I saw the Red Light district and spent some time in pot cafes (a clearly awkward experience being with my parents). The following morning we took the train to Rome. We saw the Colosseum, the forum, various ancient ruins, the Vatican, the Jewish ghetto, and various famous squares. The amount of history and ancient ruins still intact was breath taking. After three days in Rome, we headed off to the Amelfi Coast where we visited small coastal towns and the island of Capri. The last day we saw the ruins at Pompeii and stayed in Frascali.

The Pictures |

2.21.06: This weekend, I traveled to Washington DC for the Junior State of America's annual Winter Congress with about thirty comrades from school. Highlights include Arlington Cemetery, the Israeli embassy, Smithsonian Art Museum, and a monument tour. We also saw Pat Robertson ramble about Katrina and was accosted with a plethora of harsh liberal questions. The secretary from the Department of Agriculture spoke to us along with several other politicians, one of which was a military general. Fabe, Bob, and I wrote a bill to place prisoners in agricultural slave labor camps. Fabe and I passed the bill in the senate, but unfortunately, it did not make it out of the house. The weekend was filled with rigorous debating. Jeff came down from New York and visited along with Chris Shybut.

The Pictures |

1.21.06: Ladies and gentlemen...... FELLINGUS! The Seven Hills Talent Show was both an exhilarating and exciting experience. Lennie, Pasternak, Fagin, and I formed a band called Fellingus and played an original jam song to a few Cminor vamps. All went well. I some tight jeans from the 60s, a pair of avaitors, a nik-nik shirt from the 70s, and a leather vest from the 60s, making me look like a hippy. Allen, Osborne, Fabe, and Greg played Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers which was absolutely amazing.

The Pictures | Fellingus Live Movie |

12.24.05: For the past week I've been in Telluride, Colorado. My mother, father, and I flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico and rented a car. We got to T-ride in about 5 hours after stopping at a very authentic New Mexican eatery where we bought burritos and a dozen chicken tamales to-go. We arrived in Telluride late that night and woke up the next morning at about 10ish to enjoy our first day skiing. The snow the first day was marginal and only half the runs were open. However, the following day it snowed and conditions were greatly improved. The third day I took away from the slopes and ascended into the near by mountains, climbing to the Bear Creek Falls with a stray dog who found me along the way. On the second to last day of skiing, my friend Travis (pictured on the Left) from my NOLS Alaska excursion drove up from Dolores, Colorado to come skiing. Good times indeed. Today, we caught a 6:30am flight home and are at the moment making Chanukah preparations for tomorrow evening.

The Pictures |

10.3.05: This weekend was homecoming weekend. Friday night consisted of a bonfire to which Gina came. I believed there was a soccer game too, but I was not involved with that. It was interesting to see the group of middle scholars congregating at the edge of the track, just as my grade and the previous grades before me used to do at a certain age. The following night was a typical school dance. Before it, however, some buddies and I went to the Chili Company on madison road which was cheap costing and cheap tasting. Nevertheless, it was funny and I'd go back. After the dance was the after-party. Nothing needs to be said about that. Note: Most of the pictures were not taken by me. They were taken by various people who were kind enough to photograph for this site. Most of the pictures at the dance were taken by Kyle Shen.

The Pictures|

8.18.05: I've just returned from backpacking in Alaska with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Our expedition name was "Los Fabulosos". Highlights for me include successfully rescuing myself in a rock slide and spending a night out alone after attempting to do class 4 terrain without ropes and having to backtrack. The following is the instructor Heather's report summary. Expedition AKW-8 consisting of three instructors and 13 students age 15-17 backpacked for 28 days in the Southern Talkeetna Mountain Range of Alaska. The group covered 102 miles gaining 14,300 ft of elevation exploring northwest of the Oshetna River to the Head of the Talkeetna River. A course highlight for many was seeing big Alaskan wildlife like moose, caribou, dall sheep, and eagles, as well as many large glaciers. The most beautiful views came on a route known by NOLS as the "Bear Walk" where the course witnessed high bear activity evidence and deep, steep river gorges. All the while, we picked berries, crossed many rivers, endured 15 days of rain, walked on a dry glacier, fished, climbed peaks, and took time to just be, reflect, or observe the wilderness. The expedition had four ration periods of seven, seven, eight, and six days each, during which time we had classes in camping, traveling, leadership, first aid, and environmental studies topics. There was one student evacuated during the first ration period for a medical emergency, who was able to return three days later at our re-ration. An Alaskan bush pilot brought all of our re-rations to us. During the second ration, we conducted small group expeditions with instructors. This was a great opportunity for students to get extra tips on back country efficiency. Students started hiking independently during the day meeting up with instructors at night in the third ration period. Finally, in the fourth ration period students conducted a four-day Independent Student Group Expedition (ISGE) where they could put all the skills and experience together to finish the course on their own. All pictures will be up by the 25th. Please check back daily as more libraries will be added as I receive CDs in the mail and files through the internet.

The Pictures|

6.26.05: Last weekend, my family went to Las Vegas for my grandfather's eightieth birthday. The city is an overwhelming tourist trap scientifically designed to suck away the human soul and replace it with an "Id-controled" materialistic being. At one point, my brother and I were up quite an amount of money, but of course we lost it all. It was nice to hang out with my family, though. We visited the Hard Rock Hotel which rocked. The pool is giant and has swim up blackjack tables. Anyway, the pictures tell the whole story.

The Pictures |

5.1.05: Some time in November, Spencer presented the idea of running the Flying Pig Marathon in a relay team. We agreed on the general premise that it was "way off" in May and that we'd have plenty of time to "train" and procrastinate. Well, today along came the marathon, and we had hardly trained. I had the third leg, 7.3 miles, and let me tell you... the last mile and a half was a total bitch. However, I felt pretty healthy the whole run. The team got 162th place out of 453 runners (top 35%) with an average of 9:02 per mile, completing the race in 3:58. What a great experience. My mom was overjoyed too, because exercise is "her bag." Oh how silly.

Flying Pig Marathon Site |

4.16.05: Rad man... prom was tonight. I suppose I'll recap the course of events. Hitomi and I met at Tellers, ate a meal and went to the prom. Oh but wait! There's more! I was able to find a limo driver cheep enough so that I could afford for the two of us to be transported in a slick white limousine. Red seats, television, moon roof -- the thing was pretty stellar. Prom operated like dances usually do: the group of dancers, the group of talkers. I had the best of both worlds. In addition to the slow dancing, a sport in which I normally partake, I mustered up the social apathy and "raised the roof". Good prom man, good prom.

The Pictures |

2.21.05: This past weekend, I was in Washington D.C. on the annual Junior State of America's Winter Congress. I spent the weekend with about 50 others from my school and over 500 others from schools around the nation debating mock-senate bills. My bill, The Youth Sexual Education Reform Act, passed in both the Senate and the House. I had to speak infront of many many people multiple times. In addition, I was privileged to see both Ralph Nader and Denis Krussenich speak as well as many other politicians. The weekend also included tours of famous Washington monuments and memorials in addition to two dances, a quiz bowl, and an open mic night. Oh yes, and before I forget... The Saudi Arabian embassy gave the school a tour of the embassy and an "informational speech". We also toured the Smithsonian museum. Overall grade: A+.

The Pictures | Speech Notes|

1.30.05: Last night, I attended a "Salsa Fiesta" at school. The turn out was pretty low, so, because I can't dance, I hung out with Nolan, Mannion, and Karam. After the dance, I slept at Nolan's house. Yay - dances are swell. Ok, let's be honest here... I can't dance, so going to dances is a lame idea. I think I'll buy a hip hop CD and spend all day learning how to dance... or not. Nevertheless, it's not bad hanging out with people at the dance if people actually show up. I wore a communist hat because I figure that Russia was in Cuba, and the Cubans speak spanish, and in the spanish language, the word Fiesta exists, so it is alright for me to dress up like a crazy Russian. Really, I forgot my sombrero at home, but had the Russian hat in my pocket just in case...

The Pictures |

1.1.05: Last night I threw a party at my house for New Years. I opened up the entire first floor and the deck. As my first party since the one in 8th grade up in the attic, I think this one was ok. 2005 Resolutions: less AIM, more homework, get buff. Doyle was a good amenity to the party. Happy New Year!

The Pictures |

12.29.04: This winter break, my family went to Telluride, Colorado to ski and chill out. The first two days, I hung out with my brother in Boulder, Colorado. Then the five of us drove six hours to Telluride. The skiing was marginal, but nevertheless, it was Telluride. I was going to meet Mr. Simmons on the mountain, but his plane was grounded at the airport in CT because of snow. We had Christmas dinner with the Safdi's (another jewish family) at a chinese resturant... like typical jews do. The trip was "good family bonding time", I suppose.

The Pictures |

12.12.04: To put a finishing touch to my Camp Walt Whitman experience (see camp article), I attended the annual reunion in New York. I arrived in NYC on friday night and headed over to Doyle's place where I would be staying for the next two days. The next day, we rode the train up to Westchester for the reunion, which was ok. It was pretty depressing to see all the souls that I've known for years, and would never see after that point, but nevertheless, it was still pretty fun. That night, Doyle and I met up with Nat, Spongie, Baucker, and Asher at Rockefeller Plaza, which was packed. Doyle and I also hung out with a few of his friends, who are way rad. In fact, we went by Conor Oberst's house. Overall, the trip was fantastic.

The Pictures |

11.20.04: Tonight was the school Winter Dance. The theme was soul train/funkadelic. It was awesome. I wore my dad's clothing from the 70s which included a nik nik shirt, a blue suade jacket, and a pair of bell bottoms. It was truly excellent. A fun dance indeed. Then before that I saw my guitar teacher Todd's band called The High Water Trio at Barnes and Nobles. Earlier that evening, I saw the legendary pop painter Peter Max... I shook his hand. He was amazing. A good evening indeed.

High Water Trio's Website | Peter Max's Website |

10.31.04: This weekend was the annual Sophomore Rafting Trip. Friday after school, we took a six hour bus ride down to West Virginia. We stayed in three very nice cabins in the woods. On saturday, we rafted 16 miles down the New River. The weather was beautiful: blue skies, about 70 degrees - and not to mention, there were great views. That night we built a camp fire and sung some tunes. A great trip overall.

The Pictures |

10.02.04: This weekend was homecoming. On friday, I hung out after school and then watched the big bonfire and soccer game at school. Today (saturday), I had band practice, which turned out to be really really awesome, and then went to the soccer game at school, which we won 4-0. Then I went over to Torie's before the dance. The dance tonight was horrible. It was pretty boring and depressing. A lot of people had fun though, so that's good. Last night, I saw Wendell Wilson, a friend who went to school last year, but got kicked out. At the dance tonight I saw Matt Landers, another friend who got kicked out. Anyway, this weekend was successful indeed.

The Pictures |

8.17.04: For the past two months, I have been attending Camp Walt Whitman located in Piermont, New Hampshire. As my final summer there, it was certainly a blast. I did the insanity traverse again (see last year's article), and various other hikes and backpacking trips. We biked 175 miles to Vermont through Smugglers Notch. We also took a five day trip touring around Canada. My band, The Shamrock Odyssey, played three gigs. On the last night we pulled some pretty awesome pranks. This year I was a 2nd year, so I met all the new 1st years, which was fun. In retrospect, this summer has been my favorite.

The Pictures |

6.14.04: This past week, I've been rock climbing in Telluride, Colorado with my mom. We climbed at Bilk Creek, Falls Mines, Society Turn, Table Top Mountain, and Cracked Canyon. Cracked Canyon was pretty killer. I onsighted a 5.11+/5.12- at the canyon, and a 5.11 at Bilk Creek. Falls Mines was pretty cool because that was the first place I ever climbed, 11 years ago. We went to table top mountain with my brother Jeff. It is located in Golden, Colorado right over the Coors Beer factory. I like Telluride a lot. It is relaxing and filled with things to do. While I was there, I finished a first draft of ZX2C4 Instant Messenger. Check that out.

The Pictures |

4.25.04: Last night was the Seven Hills Prom. It was located at the Metropolitan club, which was pretty fancy. I had a pretty good time; although, I didn't do a lot of dancing. I hung out with Caitlin and Fabe for an hour or so. Migala wore an all white suit (as shown in the picture to the left). Ben Richart showed up. Before prom, I went to a cookout at Sarah's house. Afterwards, I slept over at Bob's place.

The Pictures |

4.02.04: I've just gotten back from a two week skiing trip in Telluride, Colorado. The skiing was pretty good, even though some days were a little bit slushy (spring skiing). I ended up buying a pair of demo skis: the K2 Axis XT. I skied with Zach Wood for a day in Telluride. They're pretty nice. I saw my friend Tim (see picture) who plays guitar outside of skiers union. He let me sit in for a few songs with him. The trip was pretty much fun, and I hope to return to Telluride soon.

The Pictures |

3.14.04: Last night was the Bogarts High School Band Challenge Finals. The gay vultures won. They're hilarious -- you've gatta see them. The Prairie Dog Gangsters played. The singers voice sounds a lot like Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedys. The last band that played was the Death Jazz All Stars. They won the challenge last year, so Bogarts asked them to play this year. The bassist was way rad. Anyway, I think I got some half-decent pictures (I was pretty far away from the stage).

The Pictures | Gay Vultures Website |

3.10.04: Tonight, I saw Dickie Betts play. He was so amazing. Damn --- his guitar has some really sweet tone. He played many Allman Brothers classics like "Blue Sky" as well as some Dickie Betts Band originals. The opening act, Sunny Murray was really good -- then I heard Dickie, who totally blew him away.

The Pictures| Biography|

2.28.04: This weekend has been rather musical. On friday, Eric and I jammed in the square. Some 6th graders gave us a lot of money and were so excited about us. Then this younger kid came up with a 20 dollar bill and bent down like he was about to give it to the guitar case. Then, instead of dropping it in, he grabbed all of the other money and ran. Damn twerp. Eric and I ran him down (2 stride chase) and demanded the money. I wanted to push him down, but something told me I shouldn't. He threw all the change into the grass and ran off with some more. Tonight, I went to Bogarts to see Sick in Georgia. They were way good. Tuckie White has an amazing voice. The other bands sucked though. I'm getting board of this American teen bull shit music. Any way, a musical weekend indeed.

Radical Picture |

2.16.04: This weekend was a four day break because of Presidents Day. My mom and I flew to Colorado and went skiing at Keystone with my brother Jeff, Jessie Eustis, and my brother's friend, Malinda. The skiing was fair, but fun. Check out the pictures.

The Pictures

2.2.04: This weekend, my mom and my uncle went to Florida to help get my grandparents back inline. They decided to take me along. The first day it rained and totally sucked. However, the next day, it was sunny, so we went to the beach. It's really amazing how much you can eat down there... Also, what's with the guard gates and the men with the uniforms down at those old people communities. Are people stealing old people? Are the old people trying to escape? I enjoyed riding around my grandparents golf cart. That thing is really rad. It's uber easy to drive too. I did some hardcore-off-road-extreme-intense "golf carting". Excellent. Any way, I had an ok time.

The Pictures

1.24.04: The schools annual winter dance was tonight. The beginning totally sucked. However, as the night progressed I loosened up a little. The end was nice because the lights were turned off and the DJ finally played some half-decent dancing music. I got my dance on, I suppose. Zaki came to the dance. I guess I got a few good snapshots. The highlight of the evening was definitely watching these two girls who seemed to be totally smashed dancing around. Haha. Over all, however, the dance sucked.

The Pictures

1.23.04: Tonight, I went to the High School Band challenge at Bogarts to see Pistol Pete and the Smoking Guns. They were really excellent, and I'm sure they won. Bryan Biblar, the guitarist, did some pretty nice blues licks and played behind his back. They had really rad stage presence too. The rest of the bands pretty much sucked, which was a bummer. I went with Bolchie and Eric. Rad brotha, rad.

The Pictures

12.23.03: I have just gotten back from winter break vacation in Vail, Colorado skiing. The trip totally kicked ass. Compared to Telluride, Colorado (the town that I practically grew up in skiing and climbing), Vail was really easy. However, the skiing was certainly fun. My brother and I hung out too. In the end, my mom was pretty mad that she had to leave - she really had a lot of fun.

The Pictures | The Movie

12.13.03: The Upper Schools winter play, Murder Among the Bougainvilleas, was amazing. The acting was great. The set was great. The story was great. Patti Flanigan, the director, also wrote the play. “Two summers ago I turned the play into a teleplay—my first attempt at screen writing. I have begun marketing it and have had some interest. If I sell it, I'll lose my own dramatic rights!” Patti says. I went on both friday night and saturday night to see the two different casts. Though both casts had their ups and downs, I thought that, overall, the friday night cast was better. However, the saturday night cast had some better actors. The play certainly left me thinking, "whoa, that was so cool!"

The Pictures

12.07.03: This weekend, I went to New York for a Camp Reunion. It was a lot of fun. The first night there, my plane was canceled because of snow. Eventually, I ended up flying to White Planes and taking a train into the city [read full story]. I slept at my Uncle's and the next day I went to see my sister. My sister and I hung out at a coffee shop and chatted for a few hours. I met her cool boyfriend named Scottie. Then, I met Doyle and his friend Walker. We played outside in the snow. Then we went back to Walker's house and called another one of Doyle's friends named Ian. He was pretty cool. We hung out in Battery Park and had a few snowball fights, ect. We saw , The Last Samurai which by the way was excellent - the best movie all year. I slept at Doyle's house that night. The next day, D and I got up and took the subway to Allie's apartment. She gave us a ride up to the reunion. The reunion was excellent. I met up with the whole crew and enjoyed hanging out with all my camp buddies. This trip was indeed radical.

The Pictures
Finding Shelter.. In NYC Memoir

11.27.03: For thanksgiving, my brother and sister came home from college. Tonight we had a big feast with turkey, apple pie, the whole deal! I made an apple pie from scratch. It turned out really well. Anyway, I enjoy hanging out with my brother and sister.

The Pictures

11.26.03: Today, my mom and I worked in St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen with some people from my temple. It was fun. I walked around with a jug of punch serving people and asking them how they were doing. A few of them called me "kool-aid man". The thanksgiving food looked surprisingly good. I enjoy doing volunteer community service projects. It makes me feel like I'm doing something good and that my recent sins have been forgiven.

The Pictures

11.22.03: I enjoyed the costume dance. The outfits were creative. As usual, the music sucked, but I had a good time anyway. Ben Richart, who left Seven Hills last year, was there. It was nice to hang out with him again. People seemed really enthusiastic which was pretty cool. Over all, it was a fun dance.

The Pictures

11.20.03: The Middle School play this year was Once Upon A Playground. It was ok, nothing extraordinary though. It only lasted thirty minutes. Some actors were great, but others were only marginal. The play was about a group of girls who tried their hardest to be "normal". They picked on the girl who was "different". In the end, another "different" boy gave a helping hand and all was resolved.

Seven Hills Web Site

11.16.03: Today, I met people from school at the Playhouse in the Park to see the mythology based play, "Metamorphous". It was creatively done. The stage had a pool in the center that symbolized time. I liked how the play added some comedy into each myth that they told.

Metamorphous Homepage

11.6.03: My dad and I went to see The Matrix Revolutions, the third movie in the matrix series. This movie was much better than the second. Though it was still had "one fight scene after another", there was more acting and expansion on ideas. The ending is somewhat conclusive, however, there are some ends that were not tied up. It leaves you not wanting a fourth one, but hoping for a fourth one. I am not a big fan of what has been done to The Matrix. The Matrix was a new concept...a new idea for a movie. It was creative and led people into many philosophical debates. The action scenes were revolutionary and the plot was intriguing. Not to mention, the film sold thousands. Without a doubt, The Matrix is one of the best movies…ever. Then The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions came along. The new ones were good. The concept was still there. However, I think that the whole idea of The Matrix was much better before Reloaded and Revolutions. Even though the new ones still touched on the same plot line as the original, it lacked the “coolness”… As Eric once said "it's just random fighting [and a juxtaposed plot] without the bad-ass hipness." The long ramblings of Morpheus, the neat background music, the hard-core attitudes, awesome settings, tasteful Kong Fu scenes, etc… The new movies are too played up and based solely on making more money, not out of creativity or exploration. If you look at the covers and posters of the publications that Warner Bros puts out, the “color scheme” of the matrix has been institutionalized. The Matrix is almost a "brand name" and has been sold out like a "franchise". The new movie is more intent on giving the story of the war and the whole system of the matrix, and not on making it something that you see and go “woah, that kicks ass”. For instance, the whole dialogue of the fight scene between Neo and Morepheus makes you go “that’s so sweet”. Biblical allusions ("Your my savior man, my own personal Jesus Christ"), clubbing scenes, white rabbits, hacking motif… they all contribute greatly to the over all affect of the movie. One of my favorite movie lines is "What is real? How do you define real? If real is simply what you can..." by Morpheus in the first matrix. That line is just "so cool". Now, after seeing the new ones, I notice that the characters have been entirely destroyed. No longer can I think, "woah, that's awesome". The Matrix was better before the new movies. I was much happier before the new movies. The new movies have taken something great and gone too far with it, totally destroying the "coolness" factor.

The Matrix Website

11.1.03: Tonight, Emma and Devlin threw a little shindig at Emma's place. The food was totally radical and the excitement was certainly there. I enjoyed seeing everyone's goofy costumes. Towards the end, I started to "loosen up" and started a mosh pit to Smells Like Teen Sprit. I dressed up as a "hippy" and wore these super awesome pair of jeans that my sister gave me (no worries, they're "unisex").

The Pictures

11.1.03: Yesterday was halloween. At school tons of people dressed up. The whole school day was one giant party. No one got any work done - excellent. During lunch, Kit was tied to a bench. We tipped it over so he was trapped in. Then some senior poured power aid on him and Nolan kept on poking him. It was cruel, though he agreed to it (kinda). It probably went too far though. After school, Allen, Nolan, and Bittner came over. We hung out for a while, then met Thomas and JCB at the movie theatre for "Scary Movie 3", which, by the way, was pretty lame, although it did have it's funny moments. After the movie, Bittner and Nolan went home. Allen and I played guitar back at my place for a while and ate dinner. We then proceeded to walk over to Nolan's house. On the way there, we saw Fabe, Ross, Fink, Sydney, and Gordon. We hung out with them for a while. Then Allen and I went back to my place to wait for his dad to pick him up. It turned out that we had just missed his dad by a minute, so we hung around talking and playing the guitar until his dad came again. Halloween was pretty radical.

The Pictures

10.26.03: This weekend, my parents and I went to Boulder, Colorado to visit my big brother, Jeff. My dad and I took an early morning flight on Saturday to Colorado Springs. My mother had flown in on Thursday. On Saturday, we hung out at my brother's awesome house for a while; then we went rock climbing in the "sport park", an outdoor sport climbing area. That night we went to dinner at Hapa. Today, we went rock climbing again in the sport park. As my first time climbing in four months, I was able to on-sight a 5.10 (top rope of course). It was good to see my big bro. His house is really uber cool and his room is cozy. I can't wait to return to Boulder.

The Pictures

10.19.03: They call him the king of the blues for a mighty good reason. Tonight, my pop and I went down to Tall Stacks to see BB King play. The tone he gets out of his guitar, Lucille, is completely mind blowing. At around age seventy, he kicks major ass. And boy oh boy, "he got soul". The background musicians were also pretty cool. Essential Recording: How Blue Can You Get

Bootleg Video

10.17.03: Tonight, Eric and I went to see the Tall Stacks Music Festival. It was totally radical. We saw John Hammond, who played solo blues. It was just him and his guitar. The Kelly Richey Band did a pretty cool cover of Hey Joe (Hendrix). The highlight of the night was seeing Nickel Creek. They were awesome. It was truly amazing. In their last song, they incorporated Coldplay's "Yellow" into the song. That was hissiaot indeed. They had a guitar, a mandolin, a violinist, an a classical bassist.

Bootleg Video    The Pictures

10.13.03: This weekend, I went to New York City to visit camp friends and family. I got into the city at about eight o'clock and met my sister, Jill, for dinner at BurritoVille. Jill and I then walked to this strange rice pudding place called Rice To Riches. They had every type of rice pudding, it was amazing, but tasted kind of funny. Then we went to China Town to look for a "tacky" antenna for my sisters cell phone. Without finding one, we walked to the midnight showing of "Donnie Darko", which turned out to be great. We took a cab to my sisters apartment and went to sleep. The next morning, Saturday, I went down to the tip of Manhattan to meet my grandparents for lunch. It was good to see them for the first time in a while. I then met my sister in SOHO, where we went to a "walking tour" as a course requirement for one of my sister's classes. We walked around downtown and visited the "five points" (see "Gangs of New York"). After that, I met my other set of grandparents at my uncles apartment on the upper east side. My grandpa wanted to watch the rest of the baseball game (the Yankees won 4-3). When the game was over we went to Luke's for dinner. The next morning I met my sister, her roommate, and my buddy from camp, Doyle in Tribeca at 9:45 for brunch. After brunch, Jill and her roommate left Doyle and I. We hung out around his neighborhood, ate at the Corner Stone Grill, and toured his new apartment. We then called another friend from camp Ariel. He met us downtown. The three of us walked all the way up to Times Square to jam at Mannies, a famous guitar shop. We then went into Virgin Records. Despite their giant selection, the prices were way high. After that, I called another friend from camp, Abramson. Doyle, Arial, and I took the subway down to Brooklyn where we met Abramson at his giant brownstone on Park Slope. We jammed on guitars, reminisced old times at camp, and overall had a great time. It was getting late so we took the subway back to Manhattan where I went back to my uncle's place and went to bed. The next morning, I woke up and tried meet Sophie somewhere, but her family was in town, so she couldn't do any thing. :-( I went down to Times Square/Mannies and played guitar again. Then I went down to the Apple Store in SOHO. Finally, it was time to leave, so I took a cab back to the airport, and then back to Cincinnati. I had alot of fun in New York City, and I hope to return soon to see more camp friends.

The Pictures

10.3.03: Tonight, Eric and I went to see the new Jack Black movie, School of Rock. Quite simply put, the movie was hilarious...non stop laughter. It is a definite must see. Jack Black plays the part of a burnt out musician who takes his roommate's job as a substitute teacher at a strict elementary school. He finds his own strengths through the kids as he helps introduce them to rock music. He forms a band and plays at Battle of the Bands.

IMDB Entry

9.28.03: Today is my Birthday. I am now 15 years old. For my birthday, my parents bought me the amp of my choice - The Fender Deville 410 Amp. It is an all tube amp with 60 watts of power. This thing rocks the house. It has four ten inch speakers, giving it a very broad range of tone. When the clean channel is turned up loud, it starts to give out that blues distortion that Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix have. Since Sam Ash was having their grand opening, they gave me a free acoustic guitar (see rollover) with the amp! They were also able to match the cheapest price that I found online ($20 less then they were selling it for). A sweet birthday indeed!

Fender Specs

9.27.03: Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Friday night, and this morning, I went to temple to pray for the new year with my family. I enjoyed services, especially the music. It is a family tradition to go apple picking with the Safdi's every year. We picked two bushels of apples and a few pumpkins too.

Apple Picking Pictures

9.20.03: This weekend was homecoming. On Friday, there were soccer games and a bonfire. Saturday there was more winning soccer games and an excellent dance that night. As the first high school dance, I think that it was much better than any of the middle school dances. Some 7hills veterans were there including Zaki. Over all, homecoming weekend has been fun.

The Pictures

8.17.03: I have just returned from the best summer at camp yet. This year I was a first year senior camper. The first year senior campers were mixed in with the second year campers. I did tons of hiking, biking, soccer, lacrosse, guitar, chillin', and over all, just having a great time. I took a four-day bike trip from camp to the ocean, went on a five-day backpacking trip all across the Pemigewasset wilderness (40.5 miles), and hiked all of the presidential mountains (11 of them) in 15 hours (25 miles). The senior camp traditions were great, and I will miss all of the second years.

Pictures Taken by Me

Selected Pictures Taken by Camp

6.23.03: Apple has just come out with a brand new line of products, including the long awaited G5 processor. Created by IBM and Apple, the G5 is the first 64-bit processor to reach the home computer. The new Power Mac G5 (shown on left) has many new features and specifications. Apple is also developing a new version of their operating system: Mac OS v10.3 Panther. It comes with many new things, including a new version of iChat that supports video conferencing, and Apple's own web browser, Safari. As well as the new iPod and Music Store that came out last month, Apple has made a video camera called the iSight. I urge you to click on the links above for more info.

Apple's Website

6.21.03: Right before the clock stuck 12:01, I heard 3-2-1. Joesph Beth was having a big party for the new Harry Potter book which came out tonight. The fifth Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is 870 pages long, the longest one yet. It was quite the experiance. When I first started to walk in, I looked down the street, where there were an unbelieveable amout of people lined up to get the book. Inside, there were people running around dressed up like Harry Potter characters, including Attie, Margo, Paige, and Torie. While standing on que (to sound british like Harry) with my dad to receive the book, my dad and I saw my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Wolf. She was really psyched to get the book. In truth, I wasn't that excited about it, I just thought that I'd see what was up at Joesph Beth, and visit my friends who were super excited. Now I just have to spend the time reading it...

Harry Potter Official Website

The Pictures

6.17.03: For the last seven days, I've been enjoying the mountains in Telluride, Colorado. We flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico and drove up to Santa Fe. We spent the day there exploring different places and sites. Then, we drove to Telluride, Colorado. In Telluride, we hiked, rock climbed, and enjoyed the nice views. On Sunday, Jefferson Starship played a concert in mountain village. Telluride was awesome, and I hope to return soon.

The Pictures

6.10.03: Tonight there was a small but festive party at Torie's house. After much hard work, Torie and I finally got enough people to come. From goofy skits, to neighborhood strolls, the party was a blast. We made a move (password protected), which turned out, uh, interesting. This was a good way to end my summer with kids from 7hills for the next 8 weeks.

The Pictures

6.4.03: The last couple days have been the last of my Middle School and Eight Grade experience. The dance last night (6.3) was pretty fun. This morning was the closing ceremony. I accompanied Devlin Cole in "Good Riddance" by Green Day on guitar. I am now in 9th grade. After the ceremony, the grade went to Eastgate Adventure Zone or some lame place like that where we raced go carts and played mini golf. My whole Middle School experience turned out very fun in the end.

Random 2002-2003 8th Grade Pictures	8th Grade Ending Dance Pictures
8th Grade Graduation Pictures	Seven Hills Website

5.29.03: I just got back from the 8th grade's annual Chicago Trip. I had a great time. On day one, we got to school at around 7:30 and boarded the bus for a long ride to Chicago. When we got there we saw an exciting winning Cubs game at Wrigley Field (see rollover picture). After that, we went to Navy Pier and ate dinner. After dinner, the grade checked into the Holi-Dome hotel where we all went swimming and played various games. After the evening activities, the fun began. I was roomed with Migala, Rohit, and Fabe. Next door to us was Brett, Hervis, Collin, and Gilman. We opened up the door between rooms and played video games and watched movies all night long. I only got a few hours of sleep and Fabe didn't get any! Despite the lack of sleep, the next morning we woke up wired and boarded the buses for The Art Instatute of Chicago. That was alright, though I think that Mrs. Donovan enjoyed it ;-). After that, we stopped for an hour and a half at the Chicago zoo, which is pretty small compared to the Cincinnati Zoo, but we still had a great time. Then we boarded the buses again for the long ride home to Cincinnati.

The Pictures

The Movie

5.24.03: The party at Spencer's house for Joey was pretty cool. From swinging from vines in the woods (see rollover picture) to watching funny Japanese television shows, the party was a blast.

¿Pictures?

5.16.03: The newest Wachowski Brother film, The Matrix Reloaded is a one of a kind thriller that leaves you hanging in the end. It combines dazzling special effects with a philosophical plot line. However, the movie left many uncertainties. The 1999 hit introduced an action story with an intriguing and complete plot. The new film expands the plot and increasing the action. I thought that the action scenes were exciting, but too long. There needed to be more actual acting to develop the plot. Overall, The Matrix Reloaded is a must see. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Matrix Website

4.25.03: As Mr. Betts would say, the party is to be "left with a 'hmm'". The glow-bowl atmosphere was dark and gloomy and provided a rather lame party. The pizza was "interesting" and the bowling was funky, though, it was a nice thing to do on a friday night. Perhaps in the future they might consider putting the glow-bowl on a different week as the Middle School's annual Bowl-A-Thon. Oh well. The pictures turned out well.

The Pictures

5.10.03: The last middle school play can only be described with one word: amazing. For the Middle School Spring Show, Mrs. Giles, the director, chose "Puss 'n Boots", a ferry tale about a clever cat who outsmarts an ugly ogre. Taylor and I were double cast as the roll of the King. The cast party was exciting and a little crazy. We reflected on the many theatre memories that we had all shared throughout the years. I will miss all of the people that I worked with during the play.

The Pictures

4.12.03: I just got back from the Ohio Association of Student Councils Annual State Conference. The experience was indescribable. I saw inspirational speaker, Kent Johnson, and learned much about leadership. There was a fancy banquet followed by an amazing dance. The middle schoolers brought on the trip were Devlin, Lauren, Abby, Emily and Me. As my third and final year as a middle level delegate, I had a wonderful time.

The OASC Home Page

The Pictures

4.4.03: Over spring break, I went to Telluride, Colorado with my mom and my dad. I did a lot of skiing there, and by the end, I was able to rip through the double blacks. On the last day of skiing, I skied with my friend John. John is a ski school instructor, so he was pushing me to my very limit. The weather in Telluride was mostly sunny, with a good snow the first day, and lots of wind and clouds the last day.

The Pictures

3.1.03: The Middle School's annual dance was last night. This year was the first time that we actually got a real DJ. Many would say the party was terrible, many would say that the party was great. I think that the party had ups and downs, but over all, the energy was low, but the excitement was high.

The Pictures

2.24.03: This morning, I woke up with a big grin on my face. School had been canceled because the news had hyped up a snowstorm that never happened. I called Ross and Nolan to go sledding. We sleaded all day and made an excellent movie.

The Movie (WMV)

2.20.03: Over Presidents Day weekend, I went to Whistler, Canada with Sarah to go skiing. Unfortunately, on day one, I got the flu. The Eustis' and my Mom said that the skiing was great. I managed to take a few pictures.

Whistler Website

2.5.03: No, you eyes aren't failing you, it's actually a segway! One of my mom's clients won a contest, and now he has a segway! I was lucky enough to be invited to his house to try it. The segway is amazing. All you do is lean foreword or back, and it moves! I can't wait until these are released to the general public.

The Pictures

The Movie (WMV)

1.26.03: I just got back from an excellent ski trip with school. Though there were only four eighth grade guys (Makirs, Chen, Bolkhy, Me), we still a fabulous time. During the days, we skied, and at night, we went bowling, swimming, gaming, tubing, night skiing, or we could just hang out at the chalet.

The Pictures

Seven Hills Website

1.1.03: Well, I should first start out by wishing you happy new year; Happy New Year! When school was let out for winter break, I got very excited because I knew that soon I would be on a plane to Colorado to ski. The plane flew into Denver. There, my brother picked up my sister, mom, dad, and me. We drove to Boulder and stayed at my brothers apartment for 2 days. Then, we went to Vail and Beaver Creek, where we skied for a day at each. After that, we made the long five hour drive to Telluride, Colorado. Telluride had excellent skiing. Though we only got to stay there for three days, it was the best part of the trip. I can't wait to return to Telluride.

The Pictures

The Movie (WMV)

12.20.02: School was out for the winter break, so Sarah Layman, Ginny Krone, and Anna Valentine decided to though a big formal party at a fancy country club. I brought my new camera and took lots of pictures. Michael Chen and I also made a "covert mission" movie (see below). The party was a big kick off for a wonderful winter break.

The Photos

The Movie

12.19.02: Oh yes, just what you think...the Seven Hills science class annual egg drop contest. This year, there were two different varieties of it. There was the team egg drop and the individual egg drop. For the team egg drop, I created an inefficient design with Robert Lampe and Michael Chen. The idea was good for it, but the engineering was wrong. That egg died at 3 meters (out of 9). The next day was the individual egg drop. I made a container out of balloons attached with tape. The egg survived at all levels. My capsule was also the lightest in the class. The egg drop was great fun.

Seven Hills Website

11.22.02: For the past four weeks, I have been working on the school play The Honorable Urashmia Taro. The play went excellent and ended with a fabulous cast party. I can't wait for the next show. The play is a story of a young fisherman who goes under the see to save a kingdom from the evil sea scorpion. The play was a great experience.

Playbill Cover (PDF)

11.16.02: I just got back from a great party at Sarah's house. Though it was small, it was certainly awesome. People were pretty wild and crazy. The picture you see on the left, is Kathy, Sydney, and Lauren in a bathroom... Nolan, Bob, and I also made htis awesome video called Pillow Fight II. It's great!

The Pictures

The Movie (WMV)

11.3.02: Holly shizer! I'm sitting on the plane currently, and I'm thinking back to the wonderful time I had this weekend. This weekend, I flew up to New York, where I met my friend from camp, Doyle. I slept over at his house and the next day we drove to New Jersey for my friend, Danny's Bar Mitzvah. The party was defiantly"rad-diggity". Many camp friends were there and the girls from Danny's school were fine. Doyle and I slept over at Danny's house. The next morning we enjoyed a brunch with Max, and Danny's family. Danny, Max, Doyle, and I went out side and made a half an hour movie. The movie is awesome. Over all, this weekend was the best weekend I've had in a while.

The Pictures

The Movie (WMV)

10.26.02: Well, Bob and I are still contemplating how we are going to start cleaning up this excellent party. The party started with no one showing up, but as the night progressed, more people trickled in. If you've seen my attic, you would know that it is quite the place for "activities with the bed", and just chillin' to watch movies. Over all, the beginning of the party sucked, but the end was definitely awesome.

The Pictures

The Movie

10.19.02: Today, the boys soccer team played in a Championship game against CHCA. After three overtimes, one of which was played with no goalies, and a shoot out, we lost, zero-two. Overall, the team played a great season.

The Pictures

10.18.02: A few hours ago, ross threw a great party. While some would call the party a "social clash", many others would say it was an exciting experience for all of us. The whole time, people were laughing and giggling! It was a blast!

The Pictures

10.17.02: On Thursday, the girls A team volleyball team played against Scumit. Sadly, we lost. The girls played a wonderful season and we hope for the best in the future.

The Pictures

10.16.02: A few weeks ago, Ross and I went to Chicago for my cousins Bar Mitzvah. It was a load of fun. It was on my Birthday though. There, I saw most of a lot family which I have not seen in a while. Ross and I chilled with my cousin Mark.

The Pictures

10.15.02: Last week, I went to New York City to visit my sister. She is in college at Columbia. While I was there, I did much site seeing. The picture on the left is me in front of Tom's Restaurant, the restaurant where the characters in Seinfeld. I also visited the Apple store. It was gigantic! Two floors and a huge presentation screen. Over all, New York was a load of fun and I hope to go back soon.

The Pictures

9.6.02: Last weekend, I had one kicken shindig at my house. Sarah dressed up as "O'Neel Girl" (see picture) and we made a funny movie of that. Ben and I played guitar until our fingers fell off. The roll over image is Lauren and I playing guitar. Now, school is in, so there will be less cool parties. :-(

The Movie (WMV)

9.2.02: When summer holiday was over, I only had a few days to chill out at home before I was sent to live at Sarah's house for the week. I stayed there because my parents were taking my sister, Jill, to university. Currently, Sarah is staying at my house because her parents are taking her brother to college. While the parents have been gone, things have been excellent. A few days ago, Lauren, Sarah, Bren, and I went to Kings Island. The picture you see here is us joking around in one of the picture stands there. I also had a kickin' party over at my house. Now, school is right around the corner, and I still have to buy school supplies.

Crazyness

WOW! This summer, I went to a camp in New Hampshire called Camp Walt Whitman (it has nothing to do with poetry, it's just the silly name). This summer, I was in cabin 9B. The summer was the best summer of my life!! My friends Doyle, Shreck and I had a band called the Shamrock Odyssey. We were "The Duo With the Third Person". Doyle played backing guitar and was the lead singer. I played lead guitar and was the backing singer. Shreck just jumped around with a sign. This summer was definitely rad.

Camp Website

The Pictures

I just got back from The Middle School's annual Adventure Treks trip! On the trip, we were put into groups with two counselors and one teacher. We had Ms. Carstins as a teacher. The counselors we had were also very nice. I learned much about leadership on the trip, too. On the last night, all the groups had a contest to determine who could make the best Mexican food. We could only ask the counselors four questions, and we had to make all the food ourselves. WE WON! We rock climbed, rafted, eco challenged, backpacked, hiked, and, overall, just had a great time!

Long Summary

The Pictures

If you read the article called "Science Fair!", you will soon find out that I competed in my school science fair and that I won. After the school level science fair, I went on to regional science fair. There, I received a superior rating, which is the highest rating you can get. It turns out that the judges gave me a perfect score, 40 out of 40! Then, I went to state science fair. That was quite an experience. There were so so so many people there! It was at the basketball court that Ohio State uses to play on in Columbus, Ohio! I didn't get to stay for the awards ceremony because I had to leave for a play later that night (see article to the left). A few days ago, I got a letter in the mail from Ohio Sci Inc. saying that I received a superior rating! The bad news is that I will not be able to go to nationals because I am in middle school. Over all, science fair was a g-r-e-a-t experience.

Science Fair Website

This year, The Middle School chose the play Anne Of Green Gables as their annual production. It was directed by Mrs. Giles. In the play, I was Mr. Phillips, a psychotic school teacher, and The President. The play was great! It would have helped if I knew my lines though. I messed up a lot in my President Speech. Even though it was a hassle to show up at play practice everyday after school until 5:00, I had a great time doing the play.

Playbill Cover (PDF)

School was out, so guess what I did...I went to Telluride, Colorado. Since my parents were going to Spain, I went with the Safdi's. They were all very nice and treated me well. Once during the trip, Anne Safdi, in a serious voice asked, "Where does all the snow go when the ski lift closes?", at that, we all started cracking up!. In Telluride, I skied every day. There is also a new bowl called Prospect Bowl. The day before Easter, there was a bikini race where a bunch of people in bikinis raced down the mountain. Then later that day, a band called The String Cheese Incident played up on the mountain. There was more pot there then what I saw in Jamaica! The picture on the top left is of the concert. There is some awesome skiing there. I ate tons of good food too. I miss Telluride so much, and I want to be there right now.

Telluride Website

I just got back from OASC trip. The OASC is the Ohio Association of Student Councils. Every year there is a big state conference where student councils from all over Ohio come together and have a leadership workshop. After it's all over, there is an amazing dance. I had tons of fun on the trip, and I hope to come next year. Also, I tired an Icee for the first time, and I loved it! You should have seen my face when I first tasted it!

The OASC Home Page

At last, there is an OHIO Quarter! I've been waiting for this for along time. As you can see in the picture to the left, the OHIO quarter has an airplane because the Wright Brothers built their first plane here. The coin has an astronaut on it because Neil Armstrong, the first person in space, was from Ohio. He now lives in Indian Hill (Cincinnati). I can't wait to get my hands on one of these!

US Mint's Home Page

Last night, I went to the Student Senate Lock-In. It started out VERY dull and boring, but as the night progressed, things started to brighten up. Everyone had lots of fun. A quarter way through, Matt and I were standing outside discussing the progress of the lock-in, when Spencer, Fink, Zaki, and Joey come running at the building. It was late!What were they doing at school? Sadly, Matt and I couldn't let them in because of rules, so they just stood out in the rain, banging on the doors. We made some skits while we were there. The skits are in the movie. Then we played an awesome game of Hide and Go seek. Over all, I think that everyone had a great time!

The Movie (WMV)

The Pictures

Yesterday, after school, I went to the mall with Spencer, Ross, and Fabe. There, we met Cassia, Caitlin, Lauren, and Sarah. After that, Spencer, Lauren, Sarah, and I went back to my house and played hide and go seek and basketball. The movie starts at school, then to the mall.

The Movie (WMV)

I just got back from a day of science fair. It turns out that I won, and am going on to districts in Miami University. Today was a very hectic day, but I'm happy to get science fair off my back, well kind of! Tonight, I'm going to Sports Plus with my grade. It's one of those parent network things. The movie of science fair is my cool friend Joey talking, then Robert Lampe comes in screaming and distorting every thing.

The Movie (WMV)

There was a middle school dance on Friday. I have to say, that it was one of the worst dances ever. Nobody danced, and all that was played was rap music! Terrible, terrible, terrible!

The Pictures

The party at Sarah's house on Saturday was indescribably killer. It was definitely kicken'. We made skits and movies, and had LOTS of fun.

The Movie (WMV)

The Pictures

Apple just came out a new IMac. Equipped with a G4 processor and a nice super drive. The super drive can burn CDs and DVDs!

Apple's Web Site

This weekend I went to Connecticut for my friend Drew's (he's my friend from camp) We had LOTS of fun and partied hard!

The Movie (WMV)

The Pictures

The day school was out for winter break, Sarah had an awesome party! I took many pictures and we all made an amazing movie. It has The Blair Witch Project III and Skits.

The Movie (WMV)

The Pictures

School was out, so guess what I did, I went to Jamaica! It was very sunny and warm.

The Movie (WMV)

The Pictures