20% #1

My first of the two 20% projects that I am doing is going to be about me creating an app. I will need to get some app creating software, but other than that, I will have the needed computer and everything else I need already at my house. A major obstacle I have is that I can only work on this at my house. This will be a slight challenge because it will mean I have to work on it on my own time. The actual software that I need might take 2 weeks or more to find, but other than that I will be good.
I want to learn more about technology with this project, since more and more jobs involve technology. Since todays modern era revolves around technical devices and games, I believe it would be a good idea to get a head start on everyone else and leanr how to make an app now. Also, if I can make some money with this app, it wouldn't hurt. However, the main reason that I chose this topic is because the independent app makers control 60% of the market. That means it is a very good field to get into, since they have taken over the console games in sale cuanity, even though the console developers make more in money, because the games are priced higher. With the app industry booming it is, like I said, good to get a head start. This could very well turn into something that I want to do when I am older.
A few people who can help me are:
My dad
The software manual
Myself
All of these resources are invaluabe because my dad can help me with finding a good program, the manual the comes with it will tell me how to get started, and I can make sure that I work long and hard to get the project done on time. With any luck, my app will turn out great and will become one of the next big things!

Success

Recently, my class watched Chris Langan on the popular game show, 1 vs. 100. He happens to be the smartest man in America. Chris did well, and he even won $250,000! Now I have to determine weather or not Chris is successful. Based on my definition of success (having a roof over your head, decent financial status, food and water, and doing what you enjoy) I would have to say he is.
Mr. Langan does not have a PhD, or even a college degree. He was up for a paid government scholarship, but his mom neglected to fill out his form, and just like that, he couldn't attend any more classes. Even though he turned out to be a farmer, he enjoys it. In his spare time he works on his different theories. He is diffidently in a decent state, especially after winning the $250,000. He has food, and water. Chris is in a good spot to continue to live happily for the rest of his life. How many others can say honestly that they enjoy what they do? I'm not exactly sure the number, but I do know it is too few.

The Kinderdarten Debate

In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says that being delayed in your early life and being held back from kindergarten and sports is a good thing. He says it leads to an "accumulative advantage that will allow you to think and physically perform better than other kids in your grade. However, Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt have wrote an article that preaches why holding your kid back is a bad idea. They say that "Red shirting...can lead to less motivation than their peers."However they explain how they are the ones that are solely right, lets look at the arguments. These two pieces of work literally disagree on everything except that being held back helps sports. All that these article say is what they believe. Both articles have statistics to back them. For example, Sam and Sandra's article states that "In a class of 25, the average difference is equivalent to going from 13th place to 11th. This advantage fades by the end of elementary school, though, and disadvantages start to accumulate." However, Malcolm counters by showing that Most hockey players were born in January, February, and March, and January 1 is the cutoff. All of these kids proved to some how "...be bigger, faster, and more responsible than their team-mates."
So who to believe? The only thing I can go on is my personal experience. I know, or have known, several people who started school early. They are smart, but often less mature than their peers. They also have a harder time making friends. I also know that the principals for children who are older seem to be the same. They often are very smart, sometimes too advanced in their maturity level, and have a difficulty making friends. But there are always outliers. Some kids who were held back easily make friends, seem to be slightly less intelligent, and have average maturity. I have come to believe that neither party is wrong, but that success and failure depends on the child.