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.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
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.
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.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Injustices Occur All Around the World
"Arrests after woman
beaten, set ablaze in Afghanistan"
Source: CNN
On
Thusday, April 19th, 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."
Sunday, March 8, 2015
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.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
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
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.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
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”.
“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’?
Monday, January 19, 2015
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.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
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.
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