school usually starts after labor day so possibly sept. 6 or seven. speaking of college, some of the websites for applications are hard to navigate b/c they don’t have much organization. i like this site b/c it’s easy to navigate, but some college websites, it’s hard to figure out how much tuition fees, application fees it is for some colleges and it’s like hunting down several sites and the information is still vague. i am waiting to consult with my guidance counselor to help me with the process. ocean county college is 2 years and then rutgers university is 4 years for masters (if i can transfer my credits which i think i can b/c i had a friend do it). i am interested in going for the cancer research program at rutgers and taking a course in biology at occ. i will probably continue for a phD at rutgers or maybe go to stockton university. occ is a liberal arts college and it doesn’t seem to generate much respect from people, but it’s a good way to get the introductory courses out of the way and the money isn’t too expensive around 14,0000 per semester. some of the customers at the restaurant are pushing me to go for a less complicated career instead of science, but i like science and i will go for it. i think people look down on me b/c i work at a restaurant and they think i’m not smart.

Also i like this quote “What you fear often comes to you to haunt you and if it doesn’t it limits you from being your true successful self.”

anyway looking back at some of the posts that i wrote on other sites, this seems to describe me. i am very passionate about my goals and have an immense willpower to see them through no matter what it takes and i don’t let strong emotions get in the way, but when i do, i use them to help me advance forward. i like to workout, but most of it’s moderate lifting and dancing. about the ducking and covering part, sometimes when i trust someone i trust them immensely and when i get mad at someone i get pretty irritated, so i have intense emotions that sometimes other people don’t like.

I am reserved, intellectual, introspective. Rarely does she do anything requiring a lot of energy or display of emotion — but when she does, anyone within a few planes would do well to duck and cover.

about the college essay, i have been drafting it a few sentences at a time, just letting the natural flow of words flow out of my heart like i do with my poetry. i have decided to do the essay called “How the Blog Changed my Life” and i have added a few details on paper. the few sentences that i have posted are on page 37 on August 19, 2016 at 9:53 am. i have senior year and also 2 years at a community college that doesn’t require an essay, but rutgers does and looking up the essay topics, they are pretty straightforward. i think my essay would fall under “What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?”
or “Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.” or

• Describe a time you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.

i agree that the brain develops and learns from childhood experiences and having a different lifestyle would change one’s personality, maybe that will also be part of my essay. that who i am not only has been shaped by the words i write here, but also by my parents. i’m finding that i have a lot of good ideas for the essay especially since it talks about finding my self-identity. i believe that when we die, we become reborn as a new person b/c we leave behind our physical selves and the things that we’ve learned. although, there has been evidence that young children have a higher creative ability than adults since it is easier to start art as a child, than an adult since the child is more imaginative. also in my ap biology book, it says that a one week child may have a hind brain, fore brain and back brain. at 3 months, the child develops a cerebellum (allowing some crawling) and the brain slowly develops and different parts such as right hemisphere and left hemisphere develop in one year. children 10 and younger have neuroplasticity with their brains (Ben Carson discovered this) b/c the removal of one hemisphere (possibly due to seizure) is okay for the child since their other side takes over the functions of the missing half and they have the same cognitive ability. humans are truly complex and amazing creatures. it takes around 500 bee stings to kill a child, but 1500 to kill an adult. even though, adults have stronger immunity, children have better plasticity of their muscles and cells.

i wrote the short poems in 2013 when i was in seventh grade b/c there were times when i felt sad and lonely, but the times when i felt happy, i wrote the poems so when i was sad, i would read them and be inspired. i think this is a cool coincidence i woke up at 4:03 this morning and i turned on the radio and this song was playing called “If you Only Knew” by Shinedown. anyway the lyrics were “‘Cause it’s 4:03 and i can’t sleep without you next to me, I toss and turn like the sea.” i thought it was pretty cool, anyway at 4:03 pm, while i was writing a poem i heard a song on the radio that reminded me of the poem i was writing called ’embracing the light’ which is about embracing myself for who i truly am and letting the divine into my life. the song is called “Chasing Cars” by Snowy Patrol. and the part of the lyrics were “all that i am, all that i ever was is here is your perfect eyes. your all i can see. i don’t know where, confused about how as well. know that these things will never change for us at all.” i like this part of the lyrics b/c it’s about embracing life for its beauty even if you feel insecure b/c life is too short and also being confused or worried doesn’t make a situation better so you should just accept it as it is. also at 4:03 the full moon was quite bright in its light and at 6:20, i watched the moon become a small disc in the sky and disappear with the dawn breaking. i went out for a run at 6:20 this morning and when it was 6:26, the sun rose and the brilliant light shone upon the trees and the wind blowing, it was great. drinking in the sun’s rays as it began to illuminate the sky just as i was making my way home and when i was home, the sun had fully risen. i have a goal of being a molecular biologist at princeton university.

what do you think of the name of cytele? looking back at freshman year, i’m surprised at the names i used for the characters and i also have a great sense of humor and imagery in my writing. i used her as one of my characters. forensics project:

i’m putting all my good essays on this site b/c it will be easier to navigate them and access them when i need them, hope you don’t mind.

Special Agent
By Shirley

In the fictional novel, Jigsaw Jones Mysteries Volume One, by James Preller; a detective, Mila Yeh, is a cryptographer (person who works with codes). Mila sends messages to Theodore Jones (Jigsaw) in code. She is the brain that helps Jigsaw solve his cases. The codes she writes and deciphers often helps them both solve a case. Those labeled Jigsaw are the codes Mila has to decipher from her friend. Here are the codes they write to each other:
The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster/ Mila’s code <20-8-9-19*9-19*1*6-1-11-5*3-12-21-5.>
Substitution Code>
1. Write out the alphabet.
2. Write the numbers one to twenty-six under each letter.
3. They work in pairs.
4. Each number in the code stands for a letter.
5. This is a fake clue. {Solved Code]

The Case of the Spooky Sleepover / Jigsaw’s code< ME ETMEA TTHETRE EHOU SEAAFTERSC HOOL.>
Space Code-
1. Find the real words.
2. Separate them with a /.
3. ME ET/ ME/ A T/ THE/ TRE E/ HOU SE/ AFTER/ SC HOOL.
The Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards/ Jigsaw’s code
Alternate Letter Code>
1. Cross out every other letter.
2. MQEWERTY MUEP ASTA TFHJEL OMFBFCIZCTEI ALFKTHEDRR SXCVHZOKOPL.
3. The red letters are the letters that are crossed out.
4. MEET ME AT THE OFFICE AFTER SCHOOL.
The Case of the Mummy Mystery/Mila’s code< blue the witch candy purple mummy and tall man green is like door monster red going brown to trick treat orange get black you! Color Code- 1. The only that matter are the ones that come after the color words. 2. Circle the color words. 3. Underline the words that are next in line. 4. blue the witch candy purple mummy and tall man green is like door monster red going brown to trick treat orange get black you! Eyewitness Challenge Shirley: The perpetrator was a female. Le: A box of safety matches was taken. Parents: The suspect had curly, brown hair and appeared to be 37 years old. Mom: She was wearing white-rimmed sunglasses (on her head), a blue sweatshirt, and Nike shoes. Common Tells in Poker “I have a good hand.” 1. Acting Uninterested in a Hand While Still in It: player is acting as if not excited about his/her cards, but is. 2. Shaking Hands: if you notice a player’s hands shaking as she/he places a bet, she/he possibly has a really, really good hand. 3. Glancing at Chips After Looking at Hole Cards: when a player looks down and sees a strong hole, she/he may glance over at his/her chips to see how much she can bet. “I have a drawing hand.” 1. Checking Hole Cards After a Flop: watch for the player to recheck his/her cards, they’re checking whether that black Ace was a spade or a club. 2. Taking a Long Time Before Calling a Bet: if a player seems to be doing some mental calculations, he/she is most likely figuring if the pot odds are in his/her favor. My common tells in poker: 1. Taking a long time before calling a bet. 2. Checking hole cards after a flop. Newfound knowledge can help me make them less obvious. I could possibly pull off false tells. Forensic- Science Drama The Case of Johnson Murder Characters: Setting: Saturday afternoon in Detective Alex Mr. Johnson’s house on Green Police Haven St. Thomas Johnson (Mr. Johnson’s son) Dale Gregory (suspect) Dan Teller (found guilty) Scene 1 Act 1 Police: What did you say happened in 234 Green Haven St. at 4 yesterday, Alex? Alex: On Friday at 4:30, I heard a scream from Mr. Johnson’s house. I checked the next morning and saw in the living room Richard Johnson lying dead with a knife in his heart. Police: Did you get a good look at the suspect? Alex (shaking his head): It was too dark to see anything, but he/she might have left fingerprints. Police: Very well, let’s have a look. Alex leads them into the living room Police: I don’t see any fingerprints. Alex nods, then notices holes in the backyard. Alex (to the police): Look! The suspect must have been walking on stilts. Police: That’s a mighty clever suspect/s. A sudden clang followed by footsteps makes them jump .A figure appears in the doorway, he looks at Alex and the police in puzzlement. Thomas Johnson: Who are you? What are you doing here? Police and Alex: We’re Detective Alex and police. Who are you? Thomas Johnson (states his name): I’m Richard’s son. Alex and the police exchange looks of excitement. Police (to Thomas): Did you see the suspect that killed your father? Thomas: I got a glimpse of him under the full moon. Alex and police (breathless with excitement): What did you see? Thomas: Not much. He was 5’’ 7’ and wore a blue cape with black rubber boots. Alex: Wow! That is the best clue to solving this mystery. Police: We’re very sorry about your father, Thomas; perhaps you could help with burial. Alex and Thomas: Not now, we’ve a mystery to solve. Police: I’ve got a computer for research. I’ll type in the given information and see the results. Five minutes later… Police: I’ve got it! (He shows Alex and Thomas the data) Alex (reviewing the information): Looks like Dale Gregory’s our best suspect. They go to Dale’s house. Dale denies everything and the lie detectors prove he is not lying. Dale: I had nothing to do with Richard Johnson; I am great friends with him. However, I know the suspect had brown hair and green eyes. I believe it to be the work of Dan Teller. Police: Where does he live? Dale: 454 Red Nut Dr. Police and Alex: Thanks. Alex (to police and Thomas): This case is tiresome. Police and Thomas: Yeah, it is. Let’s hope the next is guilty. They arrive at Dan Teller’s house. Police interrogate Dan Teller. He is found guilty. Alex, the police, and Thomas: Whew! Mystery solved. English I Honors/Original Myth April 7, 2014 Memory: Princess Destroyed by Pride On Herringsworn, an island in the mid-atlantic, there resided King Whit and his nymph wife, Reason. They had a beautiful daughter with auburn hair and green eyes called Memory. Memory was excellent at remembering and analyzing information. King Whit and Queen Reason were very vain about their daughter. King Whit and his nymph wife, Reason wanted Memory to have the best husband. King Whit consulted an oracle who told him, “You’re daughter will live a long and joyous life as long as she doesn’t know pride.” King Whit did not think this was a bad fate and told his wife. When Memory reached sixteen, a contest was set in place to determine who her suitor would be. Hundreds flocked to Herringsworn like migrating birds to win the favor of the beautiful princess. The king told his daughter that she could choose whatever test she desired. Memory chose an IQ test. The test involved mostly memorization and analyzing data. The suitors were no match for the princess and lost their lives. All around the world, many men tried and failed to claim Memory for their wife. King Whit and his wife were despondent, but Memory, in her heart was glad. She did not want to marry any of the suitors; she dreamed of a day when women could make their choices when and who to marry. Then, one day Memory arrogantly declared “I am smarter than even the wisdom goddess, Athena. Athena became fiercely angry and called her friend, Allison, Goddess of Revenge to punish Memory. Allison killed Memory’s parents, but even though she was grief-stricken, Memory refused to recant her words. Seething, Athena turned Memory into a computer that stores information and can analyze data, but does not boast. The data storage in a computer called random access memory is derived from her name. It is often said that when the computer freezes, it is Memory trying to free herself from her computer transformation. She has never succeeded and mankind still uses Memory to store data. Shirley Liu June 18, 2014 English II Honors Summer Reading The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Closed Reading Journal- Major idea/Conflict Quotes: o March 2000- “Don’t leave me here on this terrible world, I’ve got to get away; there’s going to be an atom war! Don’t leave me on Earth!” (Bradbury 32) Significance- Bradbury is foreshadowing the destruction of Earth by nuclear weapons. The taxpayer wants to board the fourth expedition to Mars, but the crew will not let him. They tell him that the other three flights had failed and he does not want to go. The taxpayer does not want to be left behind and keeps imploring. Those who could went to Mars and those who could not perished on Earth. o February 2002- “And from the rockets ran men with hammers in their hands to beat the strange world into a shape that was familiar to the eye.” (Bradbury 78) Significance- The men did not like the crystal pillars which were formed with both religion and science and they destroyed the Martians’ artwork. The Earth men had long relied on science to explain the laws of the universe and could not comprehend religion and science coexisting. When rational, scientific views were introduced, and proven, the Earth men ceased to have faith in idolatry. The Earth men forgot about the old names and figures, but gave the names to the places on Mars based from the ones on Earth. o November 2005- “Across town there was a rocket port. You could still smell the hard, scorched smell where the last rocket blasted off when it went back to Earth.” (Bradbury 146) Significance- The men wanted to go back to Earth to see their families and partake in the war. The men had all been trying to get away from Earth because of the atomic war. They had begun to worry about their families. After receiving a radio message from Earth, telling them to come home, the people left for Earth. The only people left behind were Walter Gripp and Genevieve Selsor whom Walter left after a few minutes of meeting because of her messy hair, sticky, chocolate covered hands and immature behavior toward him. Central Characters: o “It was just the idea of them watching us make fools of ourselves. The Martians dead or not. Doesn’t an old thing always know when a new thing arrives? “(Bradbury 54) Significance- Spender believes that the spirits of the Martians are still there. He does not like the crew getting rowdy drunk and acting like fools. In his conversation with the Captain Wilder, Spender tells him that he became angry and killed six of the men from the fourth expedition. Spender could not kill the captain because the captain seemed so much like himself in another view. Both the captain and Spender wanted to protect Mars from being overrun by science much like Earth had been. o August 2002- “Who wants to see the future, who ever does? A man can face the past, but to think- the pillars crumbled, you say? But there they are. I see them.” (Bradbury 86) Significance- Muhe Ca, a Martian is telling Tomas Gomez (Earth man) that the Martian cities are alive and that the pillars are upright. The Martian thinks Tomas is talking about the future or the past and tells Tomas that he could face the past with the pillars crumbled. Tomas keeps saying that the Martians are from the past, that they are not alive after the chicken pox epidemic, but Muhe Ca keeps denying it. Muhe Ca sees the city in perfection and the Martians are going to have a feast. o November 2005- “Prepare your place of food. One hundred thousand miles of territory is all yours. Tonight is indeed a great night. There’s more, half of Mars is also yours.” (Bradbury 141) Significance- The Martians were very forgiving and accepting people. They let Sam Parkhill, the Earth man claim all their territory. Even though, Sam did not like the Martians and killed some of them, the Martian leader issued that all the land should be his. Parkhill is the literary foil of Spender because unlike Spender who wants to preserve the beauty of Mars, Parkhill uses his shotgun to shatter all the crystal pillars of the Martian cities. Parkhill also sets up a hotdog stand and anticipates customers, but none come because they are busy with the war on Earth. Character Comparison: Sam Parkhill is similar to Hitler. Hitler was a dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933-1945. As Hitler did not like the Jews, Parkhill was prejudiced against the Martians. In Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), on November 9-10 of 1938, the Nazis set fire to Jewish synagogues and the Gestapo brought Jews to their headquarters to be sent to concentration camps. Parkhill destroyed the Martian crystal cities by using them as target practice for his shooting. Parkhill wanted to take over Mars and did not want the Martians in his way. Similarly, Hitler wanted a fascist Germany with a perfect Aryan race and those who stood in his way were killed. Political opponents such as the Soviet communists and Jews were thrown into concentration camps such as Auschwitz. Opinion of novel: The Martian Chronicles was an entertaining and engaging novel. Ray Bradbury illustrated the Earth men conquering Mars after Earth was destroyed. The book explains how nuclear technology went too far, leading to the destruction of Earth by an atomic bomb. The most enjoyed chapter was “April 2000: The Third Expedition.” On the third expedition led by Captain John Black, the crew landed on Mars and saw their hometown Green Bluff, Illinois during 1926. The crew thinks they have gone back in time because they see their dead relatives alive. Captain Black is suspicious and thinks it is the Martians disguising themselves as their relatives. He believes that the Martians used their telepathic powers to create the scene from the thoughts in the men’s minds. Captain Black believes the Martians are planning to kill them. He tries to escape to warn the others during the night, but his long-deceased brother, Edward awakens and kills him. This chapter explains that you should not always believe everything you see. The Earth men were fooled into thinking that they were on Mars with their dead relatives, and they were elated to see them; but they were really Martians in disguise. At the end of the novel, the Earth men go back to Earth to be with their families and take part in the war. Only a few people were left behind on Mars including Tomas Gomez and his family, Genevieve Selsor, and Walter Gripp. All in all, this was an amazing novel. Bomb Race to Build-and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon By Steve Sheinkin Character Comparison: Klaus Fuchs is like Harriet in the novel Harriet the Spy. Klaus is a German physicist who was recruited by the British to help assemble the atomic bomb. Like Harriet, Klaus was a quiet outcast who was a spy. Klaus provided the Soviet Union with information about the Manhattan Project, the project to build an atomic bomb. Most of the Americans liked Klaus; they believed he had left the communist life behind in Germany. When the Americans found out about the Soviet atomic bomb; they found telegrams sent from America by Soviet agents. The Soviets were not worried, but the Americans deciphered their code. It was discovered that the 1994 telegram had a top-secret paper written by Klaus Fuchs. Similar to when Marion got her hands on Harriet’s private notebook and spills the secrets to the whole school, Harriet gets in trouble; the British intelligence was notified by FBI intelligence, Robert Lamphere about Klaus spying. When the Americans find out, they gave Klaus imprisonment for fourteen years. Opinion of novel: Bomb by Steve Sheinkin was an interesting novel of atomic physics. The German physicist, Otto Hahn used uranium (chemical symbol: U) atoms and they watched what happened when they were placed near radioactive isotope, U-235: element that has an unstable nucleus and neutrons flying around in its outer shell. The result was shocking, the U-235 nucleus split called nuclear fission. When American scientists realized that nuclear fission would release a tremendous amount of energy and when placed in a chain reaction; it would create an atomic bomb. The Americans quickly began recruiting scientists to build an atomic bomb before the Germans- their enemy in World War II. There was a lot of suspense in the novel. When Robert Oppenheimer (leader of the Manhattan Project- secret project in Manhattan, NYC to build atomic bomb) realized, uranium 235 was hard to manufacture quickly and the Americans wanted more than one bomb, they decided to bombard uranium atoms with two isotopes of hydrogen creating plutonium. The race to build the bomb became intense when the United States discovered that Germany had a uranium supply and heavy water- water consisting of a proton and neutron to cause a chain reaction. The British, allies of the Americans sent Knut Haukelid (Norwegian) to destroy the heavy water plant in Vemork, Norway. Steve Sheinkin was very descriptive when he said the bomb created a ball of fire that went from orange to purple to black and spread like a mushroom cloud over the Trinity site in Los Alamos, NM where the first plutonium bomb was tested. Cosmic Alignment Discovering my soul’s true purpose Awakening to divine love and healing Breaking the illusions No longer confined by the walls of limitations Accepting myself and my talents Forgetting all I’m lacking I breathe the divine in At peace with my life I’m running and quite sure where to go The world illuminated in a new light Detached from material wants and pressures I am free I am alive My inner self becoming more vibrant, taking the path of spiritual fulfillment I’m going home I’m going to the place I belong I’m one with the divine, at peace, filled with love and light. Life is a miracle Living isn’t hard at all It doesn’t matter who you’re not, it matters who you are and how you use it So don’t bring yourself down if others seem better than you You have your talents as well I know what I believe inside I’m awake and I’m alive Wherever I go, whatever I experience I’ll be okay Filled with divine light and love, life is effortless Life is beautiful Live every moment to the fullest If you are angry, there are other people out there who have it worse than you or the person who made you angry is out there dancing So release your worry, doubt and anger; it only wastes your energy in life and takes away the precious seconds when you could be happy Live as if you were too die this moment Be happy with who you are, embrace life cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life Be one with the divine, be one with yourself Experience life as a miracle, don’t live with regrets, they only hold you back Free your soul, free your heart and soar, align yourself to the path of your true purpose. Haikus Late for Class Bells ring for first class Students hurry in the hall Late to class again Summer Scorching heat from sun “School’s out!” The children shout. Popsicles dripping. Sunset Sky of bright colors The sun’s red shadow sets To rise another day I’d Live for the Moment (freshman poetry book) If I had my life to live over, I’d believe in myself more I would not let myself get depressed I would be more expressive of myself and stop letting other people take advantage of me I would stop letting other people put me down Oh I’ve had my moments and, If I had to do it over, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to go after my dreams despite obstacles Just moments, one after another, instead of caring what others think of me If I had to do it over again, I would go dance like no one’s watching If I had to live my life over, I would love like I’ve never been hurt I would worry less I’d be less hard on myself. Radioactive questions and Explosive answers were titles to a project.