"Favorite" Piece of Literature

When thinking of a “favorite” of mine, I always have trouble. Can someone really have one thing that they like above all else? Personally speaking, I do not think so. Though I do think that one can have a collection of favorites. One of my personal favorite pieces of literature that we read this year was The Death of a Moth. Although extremely odd, this piece was very intriguing. While reading it the first time, I felt uncomfortable; it made me squirm and my skin crawl, but after further analyzing and in-class discussion, I found it to be very different—in a good way. The darkness of the subject, along with the sadistic words, was very good at catching my attention and keeping it throughout the entire piece. The way it was written was also extremely descriptive; I felt as though I was actually there, staring at a moth struggle for its life in front of my eyes. Being very interested in psychology, reading such sick and twisted stories such as these, that definitely indicate some sort of problem in the writer, intrigue me greatly. While reading the story, I was not only trying to analyze what the writer was saying, but I was also trying to analyze the reader. The fact that a short story had such a big effect on me and my thoughts is what makes it one of my favorites. It made me think more than any other story I have ever read and that is what I love most about it. 

Once in a Lifetime...

If money were no object, what would you do for your “once in a lifetime” aspect?

If money were no object, I would choose to get into a van with a group of musically talented strangers and travel the world together. First, we would start off touring small places, such as cities and towns in not-so-popular states. Then once the word got out about our band, we would start going to much more popular states in America, such as New York, California, Texas. All of our concerts would be free concerts merely performed for the pleasure of the people, not for the materialism that comes along with the money. After we become very famous and widely known throughout the world, we will start performing in different countries as well, starting from small, unpopular ones and building our way up once again. This has to do with nature because we will be touring in that van throughout and living in the van as well. We will also be doing all of our performances in nature, such as in fields or farms, just to make it more personal and intimate. We will basically be looked at as the group of “musically talented hippies” because of the fact that we will be living in our vans with the exception of stopping by at hotels to shower and restaurants to eat. Once we get popular enough, we will go to Armenia and perform our songs as well as Armenian songs. This will not only increase our popularity, but also Armenia’s. This is truly a dream of mine because I will be surrounded by people who have the same interests as I do and I will be doing what I love most every day as free entertainment for the world and be able to connect with people on a different level. 

Pope Francis Speaks the Truth

"Francis Uses 'Genocide' To Describe Armenian Killing, Turkey Reacts"
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/12/pope-francis-armenian-genocide_n_7049802.html

On Sunday, April 12th, 2015, Pope Francis recognized the massacred of 1915 in Armenia as the first genocide of the 19th century. He said that denial is evil; "Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it" (1). He continued to say, "Silence encourages the tormentor, not the tormented" (1). This shows Turkey a justification as to why he recognized it as a genocide, although a justification was not at all necessary.Turkey was of course very shocked and upset by his statement and immediately called upon the Vatican ambassador to complain and mention that the country would release an official response later in the day. The minister of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, released his statement, saying that what the Pope said was "far from historic and [the] legal truth is unacceptable" (1). Pope Francis showed that he is not for public relations with countries, like America for example, and chose to speak out the truth in order to get justice for the men, women, and children who were senselessly massacred by the Ottoman Turks. Aram I, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, immediately heard and thanked the Pope for the recognition.
As previously stated, this showed that the Pope is not for pubic relations. By saying this, I mean that the Pope does not care for relations between the countries and how they can benefit from one another as much as he cares for what is right. Turkey is stuck in a corner. More and more publicity and recognition is occurring throughout the world; the best thing for Turkey  is to finally grow up and admit to their faults. Not only is it their last option, but it is the only one that is morally correct that is morally correct after a century of different kinds of torture to the Armenian people.

Injustices Occur All Around the World

"Arrests after woman beaten, set ablaze in Afghanistan"

By Greg Botelho and Masoud Popalzai 

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/20/asia/afghanistan-woman-killed/index.html

On Thusday, April 19^th, 2015, an Afghan woman was brutally abused and burned alive in Kabul. She was dragged onto a roof and hit with a stick, while many angry, screaming men surrounded her and started beating her. A video was released, showing the woman’s face covered in blood, before she is pushed to the floor and beaten with rocks, boards, and kicked multiple times. In the last part of the video, it shows her being engulfed in flames. It is not known for sure whether or not she was alive during the time she was put on fire. The reasoning behind this horrific and inhumane act was due to the assumption that she had burned the Quran. CNN says they have not seen any proof that she had done such a thing; Afghanistan’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs found no evidence either.

Nahid, a 45 year old woman, was a witness to what happened. She said she heard a group of women and the victim yelling at each other, which got the attention of men nearby. Police tried to keep everything under control and closed the gates to keep them out, but it did not work, as the men jumped the fence and started beating the woman. The physical abuse ended once one of the men poured fuel on the woman and lit her on fire. After they burned her, they threw her corpse away in the Kabul River.

On Saturday, 11 men were arrested in connection to the death of the woman, but the investigation is still ongoing. The President spoke up and assured that his government is meant to protect and safeguard all Islamic values, including prohibitions of burning the Quran, if that is even what the woman did. But he continued on to say that judging this was the job of the nation’s security and legal system and not the job of citizens. "No individual is allowed to make oneself a judge and use violence to punish others in degrading manners," the President said. "Launching personal trials and choosing who to punish stands in clear contradiction to Sharia and Islamic justice."

Gender Roles are Simply Made Up

What is the impact of gender roles that society creates and enforces?

       According to the dictionary, the definition of the word ‘gender’ is the state of being male or female. But in my opinion, the word ‘gender’ should not be a permanent way to differentiate people from one another. The definition of the words ‘gender role’ put together is the public image of being male or female that a person presents to others.But again, this image of being male or female is not the same image throughout the entire human population. The way a person wants to present themselves to others should solely consist of their own opinion of what that gender does. In reality though, it is not that easy. Society unfortunately contributes to this image and what the ‘right’ image should be among each gender. It is a known fact that most people do not like the idea of ‘different’, therefore they set expectations on everything; even the way each gender should act. This does not only apply to gender roles, but also to people who might be confused with their gender in the first place. Unfortunately for people who are confused with their gender, gender roles, or sexuality, they are frowned upon by society. Although there are many people, including myself, who do not go by most of what society does or thinks, the whole idea of ‘society’ is very contradictory.  It is contradictory because we as a people make up society, so we as a people can change the mentality of society. We can change the impact of things that society creates and enforces if we just open our minds up a little. It is okay for a man to be a nurse or a woman to be a doctor; it is okay for a man to wear a wig or nail polish or for a woman to have short hair and never wear dresses; it is okay for a man or woman to stray away from society’s “perfect image” because it is okay to be different and have your own “perfect image”. 

Orphaned Baby Girl

'Baby found alive hours after car overturns in river'

By Vivian Kuo and Joe Sutton

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/08/us/utah-baby-alive-submerged-car/index.html

On Saturday, March 7, 2015, a man was out at a Utah river in hopes of some great fishing, but instead found an upside-down car with a baby girl trapped inside. The four door car was founded upside-down in the water. Rescuers arrived and tipped the car onto its side, finding the 18-month-old girl strapped in her car seat, alive, and her mother dead in the front seat. Her mother, Lynn Jennifer Groesbeck, died at 25 years old. The baby was taken to a Salt Lake City hospital, where she was in critical condition. According to a resident nearby, he had heard a loud crash the night before around 10:30 but saw nothing unusual when he stepped outside (1). If that noise of the crash was the car going into the river, that means the baby survived in the cold water, upside-down for 14 hours. The police are not sure yet as to what happened for the car to end up in the river, but took the car in for examination to check for break failures or malfunctions. Members of the mother’s family said that she had left Salem, Utah and was supposed to be on her way home in Springfield, which was about 9 more miles away. The baby’s condition is still unclear, but it was confirmed that she had not been submerged into the cold water during this tragic incident and did not get hypothermia, but three police officers and four firefighters were treated at a hospital for hypothermia. 

HANDS UP

In this episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart uses satire to express his opinion of the “hands up” movement all around America. Members of the football team,the St. Louis Rams, ran out before a game holding their hands up in respect of the Ferguson case. The St. Louis Police Association complained, saying that they are deeply offended and expect an apology and punishment for the players. They stated the action to be “tasteless, offensive, and inflammatory” (1).   Jeff Roorda states, “To us, it seems like rather than allowing wounds to heal, that they are picking at the scabs”. To this comment, Jon Stewart states very sarcastically that the police think that punishment and apology is the only way to get past this ‘outraging’ incident. The players and coach refused to apologize, but according to the police and media, they had apologized. The Rams official and players, however, denied they ever apologized at all. The police department tweeted the definition of apology and one of the responses from the Rams players.

“Apology: “Expression of regret for not being able to do something”

@KDEMOFF: “I regretted any offense their officers may have taken” “

What the officers did not realize is that this response was merely passive-aggressive and not at all sincere. Stewart’s satirical response to this was creating various tweets between the St. Louis County PD and the St. Louis Rams. He also states that the Rams released a ‘non-apology’ and that instead of rejecting this ‘non-apology’ like a group of normal people, they accepted, making it a “he said, she said” type of situation. 

Standardized Testing

“New Education Initiative Replaces K-12 Curriculum With Single Standardized Test”

By: Unknown

Source: theOnion

http://tinyurl.com/k7qqhrr

On February 19, 2015, the United States Department of Education came up with a better education system for all children grades K-12. All children five to eighteen will take a four hour long standardized test. Only, every student will have identical copies of the test, no matter what age group they belong to. This will ensure that each student is evaluated equally and that there is no discrimination towards anything; not even age. So basically, 5 year olds will have to take tests on things they did not even know existed! The topics of the standardized tests are; World War I, cursive penmanship, state capitals, pre-algebra, Newtonian mechanics, and biology. According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, there is no better way to ensure consistency in America’s schools! This test will completely replace the normal curriculum for grades K-12, including classwork and homework. Ten year old Jeff Escudero says it has been very stressful studying, but that he is glad he will not have to go to school after he takes his test. This article is something every high school student can relate to. It makes fun of the very high importance and relevance that is placed on ACT/SAT tests. The unnecessary significance that is placed on these standardized tests puts too much pressure on students, making it seem as if these tests are their only tickets to a good college/university. So this parody is very relatable by students in school; high school especially, since they are getting ready to go to college. The article also gives the ten year old boy as an example to show the ridiculousness when stated that he will stop going to school after the test due to its high importance.

Blinded

No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.

                                                                                                                        -Nick Carraway

Gatsby has been in love with Daisy for five years, but in those five years, they have also been separated. During this separation period, he came up with a vision of her that, over time, became less realistic and more idealistic; it became an illusion. He was unrealistically aiming for perfection when Daisy was far from it. Instead of accepting who she had become, Gatsby was trying to relive the past, but this would require him to unite once again with the Daisy he had fallen in love with. Daisy had grown, changed, gotten married; she was not the same. The vision he had of her was not her, but an apparition. It was “ghostly” and unreal, an illusion. Since Gatsby is constantly haunted by his past, he is also haunted by ghosts and he creates and chases them, just like he did while idealizing Daisy. Gatsby is preoccupied with ghosts, therefore making his heart “ghostly”.

The word “ghostly” is also used in another place in The Great Gatsby;

“Gatsby pointed out a gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman who sat in state under a white plum tree. Tom and Daisy stared, with that peculiarly unreal feeling that accompanies the recognition of a hitherto ghostly celebrity of the movies.”(Great Gatsby, Chapter 6)

Tom and Daisy seem to have somewhat of an “unreal” feeling while seeing this celebrity in person for the first time. Before seeing the celebrity, she had been like a ghost. Daisy is Gatsby’s “perfect” celebrity. He looks up to her as if she is a Goddess. Daisy had been like a ghost to Gatsby until he finally reunited with her, just like how the celebrity was a ghost to Daisy and Tom.

This quote is so important in the book because it shows just how much Daisy had Gatsby hooked onto her and how much he idolized her, despite her many imperfections. He was blinded by the love he thought he had for her, when in reality, he did not even know who she was anymore. In the picture, he looks at her with such passion and love, as though she is exactly who he wants her to be. But in reality, she cannot be that woman. 

State of the Union Address

'Obama State Of The Union Address Highlights Battle For The Middle Class'

Source: Huffington Post

By:  Michael McAuliff, Sabrina Siddiqui

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/obama-state-of-the-union-address-_n_6471266.html

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address hinted at his goal to have a new, easier lifestyle for all those in the middle class, but the Republicans could not disagree more. “Obama mentioned the middle class at least seven times and touted ‘working’ people at least nine as he rolled out proposals to offer new child tax credits, raise the minimum wage, extend paid family leave and make college more affordable. He mentioned ‘families’ 16 times” (1). By doing all of this, Obama shows how important his goal is to him, but Republicans disagree, as they think it is not as easy as it might seem. Although it might seem as though Obama was very serious with his words, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers was disappointed that she did not hear more from him about how they can actually achieve these goals. “I thought he painted a little rosy picture of how things are, at a time when people continue to see their wages actually shrink, take-home pay shrinking. Job opportunities are not enough”, said Rodgers (1). Republicans were aware of the negative message they were giving off, but they also suggested that Americans would not buy Obama’s prescriptions. People also questioned how his words were any different from what he has said before; why this night is any different from all other nights? Sen. John Boozman made a very good point; he said “They understand that there’s nothing in life free. When you promise universal this, universal that, somebody’s going to have to pay for that, and the reality is the middle class always winds up paying the bill” (1). Getting the point of view from both the president and everybody surrounding makes one question whether Obama is actually going to keep his word this time or if he is just speaking so that the Americans ‘buy his prescriptions’?

Ourfalian Party

My Gatsby party would take place on one of the Maldives Islands. These beautiful islands are found in Asia; therefore all my out-of-town guests would be sent a free plane ticket, where they would be treated like First class, no matter where their seats are located. After enduring the 20 hour long plane ride of endless food, drinks, and pampering, the guests would be dropped off on the island. Other than my current AP Language class, my entire family and hand-picked individuals would be invited. These hand-picked individuals consist of anybody I have associated with, along with celebrities; one definitely being Leonardo DiCaprio. Anybody living around the area would also be welcome into my extravagant party. After the guests are dropped off on the island, we would make our way out to the beautiful beach. On the plane ride, all the guests were asked to fill out a paper which stated their favorite food. So when we get to the beach right before the sun sets, each individual is served whatever they had filled out on the paper. After eating and watching the amazing sun set, the real party begins. Every type of alcohol and soda is placed out into huge coolers for the guests; the soft, relaxing music is replaced with loud, upbeat music. The entertainment arrives; the empty white sand is covered in dancers and acrobats are swinging from the trees and the DJ on the stage is occasionally replaced by live music. The music varies from jazz to pop to techno to foreign music, such as Arabic and Spanish. All the guests are pulled onto the glowing sand to dance. The Maldives have some sort of glow-in-the-dark sand, which is why I chose it over every other beach in the world. The guests are also offered to take a late –night swim in the clear ocean. The party would not have an ending time, but whoever thinks they have had enough for the night has a hotel room awaiting them. My guests would be treated like royalty; pampered until they become spoiled; but they would also have the time of their lives with the breathtaking setting and unforgettable party. 

Fugitive Car Thieves Caught

"Police: Fugitive Kentucky teens arrested after multistate hunt"

By: Faith Karimi and Joe Sutton

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/18/justice/kentucky-teens-arrested/index.html

Dalton Hayes (18 years old) and Cheyenne Philips (13 years old) from Kentucky were arrested Sunday after being on the run for two weeks for a series of car and gun thefts. The two were found and arrested in Panama City Beach, Florida. They are suspected of stealing three cars from various states; two of the three cars had guns inside as well. They were being searched for from Kentucky to Georgia. The two  were found in a stolen Toyota Tundra, asleep. They were awoken to various cop cars and taken into custody without further incident. Officials are trying their hardest to get them sent back to Kentucky in order to make them undergo their many felony charges. Both kids were known to be “increasingly brazen and dangerous” (1). Sheriff Norman Chaffins stated, “I know Dalton, and he has a history of making bad, bad decisions. I was the school resource officer before I was elected sheriff. Dalton is known to have disciplinary and defiance issues at the high school with authority” (1). Hayes was also charged with burglary and was out on bond. Cheyenne was reported missing on January 3 from Clarkson, Kentucky. Hayes’ relatives said they last heard from him in a text on January 6. According to Officer Chaffins, the first car they stole was a truck in Clarkson. Jim McGrew, the owner of the car, says they drove the car out of his garage before speeding down the road, crashing into a fence, and fleeing on foot. The wreck cost McGrew $7,100 in damage to his truck. An hour later, they stole a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with a firearm inside. It is a big relief to the authority to finally have been able to catch the two. 

Flappers or Feminists?

     

Flapper- a fashionable young woman from the 1920s intent on enjoying herself and flouting conventional standards of behavior.

Women in 2015 have changed drastically since the 1920s. “Flappers” were basically the rule breakers of the time period; they would smoke, although smoking was not found ‘attractive’ on women and was not considered ‘lady like’; they would dance along to fun, upbeat songs and drink alcohol; and they would dress out of the norm for the time. Their style basically consisted of loose, eye-catching dresses that reached mid-calf or to their knees and exposed their limbs, short hair, and bedazzled hats that covered their foreheads. Back then, having a masculine or manly look was considered attractive, thus the loose dresses. The dresses they would wear would be loose enough to make it look as if they were flat-chested and did not have a small waist and hips. Women with bigger busts would bandage themselves in order to fit in with the look. The typical look of a 12-14 year old flat-chested and tanned girl today was what was desired by all-aged women back then. As for the hair; it went from being bobbed, to shingled, then Eton cropped around 1926-1927. The receding length of the women’s hair was considered very daring and shocked some older citizens. Cloche hats were meant to cover women’s foreheads, as foreheads were not considered fashionable in the 1920s. They were also worn to show off that the woman had short hair.

During this time period, women went against everything that women were supposedly known for; their long hair, their curves, and their lady-like, elegant qualities. They now applied a lot of make up in public, instead of excusing themselves to the powder room and doing so. I feel as though the flappers were trying to get a point across with their style and actions; they tried to show that even though they were women, they did not need to abide by the rules set on women by society and men. They wore and did whatever they wanted and still had fun doing so and they proved that all the qualities women “should have” been known for were not necessary.

 

Bobbed-shingled-Eton cropped

Source:http://www.fashion-era.com/flapper_fashion_1920s.htm#The Flapper

The "Happiest Place on Earth" is Not So Happy After All...

"Mickey, Minnie and measles for nine Disneyland tourists"

By: Kevin Conlon

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/07/health/disneyland-measles/index.html

    Between December 15 and 20, nine tourists from California and Utah visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park and were infected with the measles. Measles is caused by a virus and spreads through the air; it causes runny nose, cough, fever, and blotchy rash on the entire body. It can also result in red, watery eyes, body aches, and tiny white spots with blueish/white centers found inside the mouth. The reddish-brown body rash usually begins three to five days after the typical flu symptoms occur. Measles are a very serious case as it is highly contagious and can be fatal. It was considered eradicated in the United States in 2000 but in 2014, we saw a record breaking number of confirmed cases. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), there were 610 cases confirmed last year. Health officials assume that Disneyland was where the highly contagious disease was prevalent. “Travelers to areas where measles is endemic can bring measles back to the U.S., resulting in limited domestic transmission of measles. Disneyland and other theme parks in California are international attractions and visitors come from many parts of the world, including those where measles is endemic”, says a health official from the California Department of Public Health (1).  Those who show symptoms of even the simple flu (fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, sore throat) should immediately contact their doctor since the rash appears a few days later. People must be very careful as measles are passed on through the air and the only way to prevent it, as of now, is to getting vaccinated.