How to Ski

Overview: I am writing this blog to help those who don't know how to ski and that they will use this as a reference to help them when they put on their ski gear and start learning how to ski. To me, skiing is very fun and most of the time challenging. If one is not careful and does not properly control himself, he could wipe out and something might fall out occasionally, like a pole, a ski, a helmet or whatever. So take a look at this how-to and see if this helps or not.


Granlibakken.com
The first thing to do is to get your gear. It is best to rent a pair of skis and poles just in case you're not satisfied with your ski experience. Get some warm clothing, obviously, unless you plan to ski in the sand, which does sound cool, but I do not recommend that.

You also need to take a look at the different levels of skiing. Level 1 skiing is more gentle and is appropriate for less steep slopes and I believe it is where cross country skiing fits. Level 2 is a balance between 1 and 3. This level is where most ski resorts fit in and is more aggressive than level 1. Level 3 deals with the most extreme and aggressive kind of skiing, taking on slopes not patrolled by ski patrol and this is where heliskiiers, or basically anyone who has enough guts to go beyond double-black diamond, would fit.




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Then, you will need to find out about the ski resorts near you. If you live in California, there are some ski resorts over in the Sierra Nevada, but it will be a very long drive if you live in Orange County where I used to live. Here in Utah, there are plenty of resorts like Snowbird, Sundance, Solitude, Alta, Park City (which has some like Canyons), and more, which is a lot to choose from. Once you have chosen your resort, I would like to tell you to go take a lesson at a ski school, but I'd like to get down to tell about posture and movement so you could learn a little better when you do go to a ski school.

The first thing to keep in mind is to keep your skis parallel. when you are moving slowly, put your skis in the shape of an arrow (like this >) to stop. If you are moving quickly, then if you are turning left, then put most of your weight on your right foot, and vice versa if you are turning the other way . That would cause traction and you'll stop. To turn, keep your body facing downhill and your hips facing the direction you are turning. It seems a little hard at first, but you will get the hang of it. It is important to turn and wind down the slope so you won't go too fast.

Those are the basics of skiing. I hope this information has been helpful to you all, so please comment and tell me if it does help or send some feedback. Thank you.

How to Memorize

Overview: I am writing this blog for those who have trouble memorizing things. In our school's curriculum, we receive plenty of memorization assignments a year. For some people it can be pretty hard to memorize something, or keep in one's head when it is time to recite it. It will benefit these people because it will be easier for them to remember it and get a better grade in the class.

Let's say you want to memorize the 13th Article of Faith. Memorizing that has been pretty difficult for me when I was younger, but through repetition and singing it, like in scripture mastery in Seminary, I was able to get it down cold. Otherwise, it is also a good idea to break the article down into sections. The first section would be "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous...", but feel free to break that down into smaller bits if you feel like you are having trouble. The second would be “and in doing good to all men…”, the third would be “indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul.”

Memorizing lines from a play, such as a Shakespeare play is a little trickier. It wouldn’t be practical to put a tune to your lines because in the performance, your character is talking, not singing. This is where breaking the lines up into sections comes into play. Let’s say you want to memorize the following soliloquy from Richard II

1. This royal throne of kings,2. this sceptered isle,

3. This earth of majesty, 4. this seat of Mars,

5. This other Eden, 6. demi-paradise

7. This fortress built by nature for herself

8. This happy breed of men, 9. This little world,

9. This precious stone set in the silver sea,

10. Which serves it in the office of a wall

11. Or as a moat defensive to a house

12.Against the envy of less happier lands,

13. This blessed plot, this earth, 14. this realm, this England.

          As you can see, I put numbers before each section for reference. So what I would do is read through this twice, and then repeat the first section five times, and then, when you’ve got it down, repeat it at least three times without reading. Do the same for the second section, and when you’ve memorized both sections, repeat them at least twice without reading. Do this section by section and when you’ve got the whole soliloquy memorized, read it at least once and then repeat it at least twice without reading.

          Like I said, I’m writing this blog to help people memorize poems, lines, and other literary works and writings.  I myself am skilled at memorizing things, but I think some people might not be fully informed, so I’d like to invite comments. If my advice really did help, I’m open to some success stories. Thank you. 

3 Interesting Blogs

Steve's LEGO Blog

Steve's LEGO Blog caught my interest while I was looking for blogs. I was obsessed with Legos when I was a kid and I am still fascinated with them today. The blog's latest post was about how old Lego sets differed from new sets. Steve liked the licensed Lego sets like the ones from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc., but it didn't encourage much imagination in kids. What he really liked about the old sets was that sets like in the Castle theme encouraged imagination, for the minifigures included had a basic design, allowing you to use your imagination and imagine what role they play. Nonetheless, I've used both licensed sets and

SurgRob

This blog has also caught my interest. This blog is about robots in the medical field. I like robots and I am fascinated about their role as helpers for humanity. That's why I take interest in robots made for medical duty. The latest post made on this blog has a map of Europe showing the hospitals that have a surgical robot called the Da Vinci, which I believe is a very advanced robot, since surgical robots have to be very precise when doing an operation. Another intriguing robot is a robot specializing in injections. I am yet to wait a few more years to see more advanced robots.

Utahmilitia.tripod.com

My friends, the patriotic spirit of the minuteman lives on. Utah has only a few militia members compared to other states like Texas, but the militia's website tells about the suggested gear, training, and mission statement of the American militiaman. It really impresses me to see how in the midst of all these blatantly unconstitutional gun control laws, there still exists militias whose duty is to form the nucleus of the community civilian defense force, as it says in the Second Amendment, "A well regulated [well trained, armed, and disciplined] militia, being necessary to the defense of a free state...". Basically, on the National Militia Standards page on the blog, it talks about training, tactics, gear, medical equipment, organization, command, and emergency preparedness. I know these militias are NOT terrorists (and that's just a label most people would slap on them), and they are not against government, but they are against corruption, and I hope we don't have to engage in a second civil war, but the Second American Revolution has already begun in the hearts and minds of the people several years ago, and if the current government pushes too far, then we have two choices: 1. depend on the government, marching lock-step in all they tell you to do, whether you like it or not, or 2. Be prepared and take you and your family's safety and freedom into your own hands. Most importantly, we will be truly free and happy as long as we depend on Jesus Christ, our redeemer, and I know that if we trust Him, he will guide us, no matter what situation we are in, He will comfort us.

College Tours

I know this is kind of late, so bear with me: On January 21 my class and I went to the Brigham Young University and took a tour there. We went to the Gordon B. Hinckley building and relaxed near the fireplace and looked at a go-kart. Three students were the guides for most of the tour that started in that building. They took us on the roof of the Spencer W. Kimball Tower and we slowly but surely looked at all the surrounding buildings on campus, such as the Joseph Smith Building. When we went downstairs, we separated into two groups. One group went to an economics class and the other, which I was in, went to the nursing school and the science center. At the nursing school, Ian, Ben, Chandler and I had our blood pressure taken. Mine was in the normal range. Then we went out into the cold and went to the Eyring Science Center. We saw plenty of cool science exhibits and then went downstairs and saw a particle accelerator. We then went into the Library and saw all sorts of libraries and museum exhibits.

Two days later, my class and I went to the Utah Valley University and took a tour there. We saw many places, like the honors classroom and the institute. The Institute building was my favorite part of the tour. It had a lounge, a cultural hall, a chapel, just like a meetinghouse, except the lounge. Later, most of us used the free smoothie coupon and bought a free smoothie at Jamba Juice during lunch.

My name is Taylor Hall and I am a son of God. I was born to be tested in this life and perfect myself so that the Lord can shape me into what I will be. The only thing that is stopping me is my weaknesses. If I hand them over to the Lord, He will strengthen me and make them strengths.