Baggage

Nowadays teenagers' most prized possessions would be their smartphone, laptop, and TV. As a teenager myself, I consider that to be partially true. However, I can more than comfortably give up my phone and my TV. I would be able to give up my phone because it has caused more distractions and annoyances than productivity in my life. It is enjoyable to use as it has the power to do anything instantaneously, however its immense powers lead it to become the main path to procrastination. As for my TV; it would be rather easy to give it away because I often end up staying up late at nights watching episode after episode of TV shows that will never get me anywhere in life. Instead of reading a book, I spend countless hours hooked to shows i could live without. The one object in my life that I would not want to live without is my laptop. My laptop is the gateway to infinite possibilities and will be superbly useful to me in the future. My laptop is where I print my documents, read the news, and, most importantly, learn. If I do not understand a math assignment, I browse the internet with my laptop to find a tutorial on that specific lesson. If presented with the opportunity to leave the past behind and move on to a new destination with a fresh horizon of challenges, I would be content with a bag full of clothes and other simple necessities and my laptop.

EARTHQUAKE!

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0330-quake-puentehills-20140330,0,3860867.story#axzz2xT5nj33U

Earthquakes have long been one of the main fears of residing in the beautiful coastal state of California. The longest and most dreadful fault in the state, the San Andreas fault, has often been regarded as the godfather of the earthquakes that shake up the state. On Friday, March 28, 2014, the city of La Habra - along with neighboring cities - was shaken up with a magnitude 5.1 earthquake. Although it might not be the most devastating of earthquakes, it opened some thought about the possibility of another major fault line in SoCal. The Puente Hills thrust fault is especially dangerous due to its location. It ranges from the "suburbs of northern Orange county, through San Gabriel Valley and under the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles before ending in Hollywood." The rather "moderate" earthquake however has cause a decent amount of damage around the affected areas: the typical toppled furniture, broken glass, and fallen pictures. Experts say an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.5 could slip the fault open and increase shaking times by a minimum of twenty seconds and increase intensity tremendously. It is greatly dangerous due to its crucial, making it in the heart of many homes and businesses.

Video Satire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE80NuMkvg8

The issue at hand was a citizen upset at the construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was reportedly upset because it is stated in the Constitution that there is a separation of church and state, but he believes that Islam "combines" church and state. Jon Stewart begins his satire by pausing the interview and initially criticizing his use of pronouns. The man had been indadvertedly using his pronouns in the sense that the Constitution only protects him and not the Muslim people. When asked if any community should have the right to ban the construction of mosques, the man gave a shrewd yes and backed up his argument with "that is not discriminating based on religion." Stewart again pauses, chuckles, and blatantly states "I'm pretty sure that is the definition of discriminating based on religion." Furthermore, the man stated that "Islam is both a religion and a set of laws, thats the different between Islam and other traditional religions." Stewart fires back by saying that the religion of his people, Judaism, is dependent on a book called the Torah - which directly translates to "The Law." It is much easier to understand the situations when approached with satire like such. If it were not for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the news would be bland and boring.

Basketball Coach Sees Something In 7’3” High School Sophomore

http://www.theonion.com/articles/basketball-coach-sees-something-in-73-high-school,31599/

Basketball programs are often judged by how well they scout talent and the amount of star-power their incoming recruits have. Recruiting players based on height or race has always been a highly controversial issue. These monstrous teenagers are the hypothetical gold mine for college/high school scouts, and this article depicts the stereotypical coach's approach. Kelvyn Park high school basketball coach Keith Burris reportedly "sees something" in 7'3" sophomore Adrian Patton. Burris sarcastically quoted, "I can't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something special about that kid." The satire throughout this article is comedic gold. Not only does the writer show how self-empowering these coaches are and how they believe they are "amazing" scouts, but also points out their flaws. Any human being with a minuscule sense of logic would know that a player as tall as 7'3" would be strategically placed near the basket for minimal-effort, easy points. The coach wants to "try him as a shooter," but not all hope is lost because he has a "hunch" that he will thrive in the low post. As a basketball player, enthusiast, and dedicated fan, the sarcasm and satire present throughout the article was throughly enjoyed and highly appreciated.

Economy

Our lives here on the planet, sadly, revolve greatly around the concept of economy. What is an economy? It is an intricate system which shows a country's, state's, county's, or city's monetary stability, power, and influence. In our lives, the economy plays a great role because we need money to make our dreams come true. For example, my dream is to buy an old, wrecked Porsche 911 and restore it top to bottom in pristine condition and use it as my weekend car. However sweet that sounds, there is the economic situation of my family that my dream relies on. My father owns a business; if the economy is down, his profits are down. Also, my mother works at a school. If for any reason the economy takes a tumble again, the school would have to make cuts - one of them could be my mom. These situations also have their flips sides; when the economy is booming, my dad's business is flourishing and my mother has a chance at getting a raise. The economy has its ups and downs, but we have to never forget how blessed we are. The computers we are typing on, the homes we reside in, and the schools we go to are merely foreseen by us but are unimaginable assets for kids elsewhere. The economic situations we are accustomed to would be a dream come true for others. From buying water at a vending machine to buying a new car, the economy plays a huge role in our lives.

Bitcoin Enthusiasts On Controversy Surrounding Founder: Meh

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/08/global-ho-hum-greets-hubb_n_4922021.html?utm_hp_ref=technology
by Ryan Nakashima and Bree Fowler

Bitcoins have spurred controversy ever since the idea was introduced to the people. What was its monetary value? What was the purpose? Was it even going to serve its purpose or be a catastrophic failure. Bitcoins are a form of online currency and can only be traded with bit coins to purchase products and just about anything on the internet. As many controversial situations do, Bitcoins has two extreme sides. There are the supporters; who will commit their lives to prove to the world that Bitcoins will soon be of super monetary value and serve as a critical piece of our economy. Then there are the opposers who, from the get go, never believed in the power of Bitcoins and probably never will. The new spill of controversy has came about recently regarding the actual creator of Bitcoin. He was said to be a "Japanese American living in Southern California," but the man has recently strongly denied it to the Associated Press. The man has been known as "Satoshi Nakamoto." Although this has seemed like a rather great controversy as the backers of Bitcoin deserve to know who the real creator is, the proud supporters claim this will have little-to-no impact on the value and progress of Bitcoins as the people in charge now are making positive strides. Multiple key contributors, designers, and backbones of Bitcoin have testified that they do not care who the original creator is - but they do respect him greatly - and only wish to seek the future of Bitcoin with or without knowing who the original creator is.

Life

Many great minds have pondered one mighty, unconquerable question: "What is the meaning of life?" As I sat outside with my hypothetical thinking cap on, I suddenly realized I had sat out during the perfect time. As the sun sets in front of my eyes, I now could say I have solved the mystery of life. The thirty minutes I spent outside summed up life. First it was sunny; the sun's rays beamed with the spirit of hope, happiness, and productivity. Then, as the sun began to set, there was a dim moment where it seemed as if all the beauties of life were slipping away from my fingertips. And as I sat there, the darkness began to suck all the light away from the Earth. Suddenly what was a pretty, budding flower was hidden under the great shade. We all have that one moment in life to take advantage of, take risks, make mistakes, laugh, run from responsibilities, enjoy yourself, fall in love, live life. For the time will come when you look back and realize your life is entering a downhill slope and you wonder if you lived it to its potential. That moment when you realize everything is slipping away because of the sun setting is a moment you want to be proud of, not one you regret. That is the meaning of life. Do not simply let the moments of brightness and endless possibilities slip away until you reach the time in your life where you question yourself. Live. Do something so crazy if you tell your grandkids, they will think you are the coolest person they have ever met. Sit outside and take a breathe of fresh air, it will do wonders for you.

Jason Collins: First openly gay NBA player

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/23/jason-collins-nets-gay-nba-player_n_4843591.html
by Chris Greenberg
2/23/14

Jason Collins has earned a ton of respect ever since the beginning of his professional basketball career. The seven-footer was drafted eighteenth overall in the 2001 NBA draft from Stanford, where he built up his reputation as a gritty interior defender. A man of class and a great sportsman in general, Collins' move to announce his sexuality was straight-up and professional. Shortly after he was released by the Washington Wizards last season, he announced he was gay. His announcement received a gigantic amount of attention and controversy as he would not only be the first openly gay NBA player, but the first openly gay player in any of the four professional American sports (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB). The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent Jason Collins to a ten-day contract. Collins has stated that he does not care for the history of the game and is just excited at the chance to play for an NBA team once again. The Nets organization has cleared up that the signing was for basketball reasons and not used as a publicity stunt. As from the players' standpoint, there have been no significant comments regarding playing with an openly gay teammate. It is truly phenomenal to see how far along sports have come along; as much as five years ago, nobody would have ever expected this day to come. Although it might come off as awkward, it is a huge step for the NBA and a colossal step for the homosexual community.

Heartbeat

Each individual is the heartbeat of the community. Individuals provide life for a community and a community is completely and wholly dependent on its people. The people of the community defy the community. For example, a neighborhood is a community defined by where people live. Schools - like Pilibos - are identified, represented, and personified by their students and staff. An individual has to account for all their actions because a single action taken by an individual could exemplify the whole community. Hypothetically speaking, if Nareg belonged to the Armenian, Pilibos, and Glendale communities and he was recently imprisoned for 3rd degree murder and drug possession, he would not only shame one of the communities, but all. He will be characterized as an Armenian, therefore making Armenians seem like horrific people. He will be identified as a Pilibos student, making it impossible for people to view Pilibos the same way. Glendale will also be hurt as it will be known to sprout a mass-murderer. Now, if Nareg were to win the Pulitzer prize or the Medal of Honor, the same sort of ripple effect would take place. Each individual contributes to their community more than they could imagine, it is up to the people to make sure every tree they plant will bear fruit for the community.

There Isn't Much Loud Noise Where You're Headed

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-dunn-loud-music-verdict-20140213,0,5446202.story#axzz2tbpOT4lM
by Michael Muskal
February 15, 2014

A couple weeks back, the proud citizens of the United States celebrated the day dedicated to the monumentally influential civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What Dr. King fought for equality amongst all; an issue the United States has faced ever since the dawn of slavery. On Nov. 23, 2012, yet another racial injustice occurred as middle-aged white man Michael Dunn fired straight into a SUV full of black teenagers due to a dispute over loud music. The shots fired into the SUV killed Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old. It truly comes as a surprise as to how quickly it becomes "right" to pull that trigger when it comes to these racial issues. If Dunn were angered at a white 17-year-old, the mere thought of taking his life would have never even crossed his mind. There have been far too many incidents where the innocent lives of these young men have been taken over situations which could have ben handled much less violently. These young adults have parents, siblings, friends, and lovers who care for them deeply. Dunn was convicted on four of the five charges, but not on the most crucial one: first-degree murder. It does not take a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective to figure out this was indeed a first-degree murder. The recognition of these racial injustices has to be practiced in the court of law for the proper punishment of these criminals.

Beef Recall: Rancho Feeding Corp. Recalls A Year's Worth Of Beef Products

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/09/beef-recall_n_4754403.html
2/9/14

A Northern California company is recalling more than 8.7 million pounds of beef. That is considerably more than the average family barbecue. 8.7 million pounds is enough to feed approximately 4 and a half million families! The beef was reportedly recalled because it was "processed diseased and unhealthy animals without a full federal inspection." It was processed by the Rancho Feeding Corp., which has recently been under scrutiny by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection. The products had been under the processing for about over a year - Jan. 1, 2013 to Jan. 7, 2014 - and were recently shipped to distribution centers and retail stores in California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas. The recalled bunch includes beef carcasses, oxtail, tongue, liver, cheeks, tripe, and veal bones. Rancho Feeding Corp. also messed up last month when they recalled forty thousand pounds of beef. Although there have no reports of illnesses yet, such an immense amount of beef being recalled must be a serious issue. The people of California are avid eaters of steak and hearing news like such scares most. Modern ties have allowed sufficient technologies and means to solidifying the validity of the steak being distributed, as this sort of situation should not be repeated again.

Novel = Movie

The often unfair knack on a director's prowess is their "lack of attention to the details" in a novel. Novels are usually preferred over the big screen because most people do not see the same artistic vision whilst reading the illustrious details presented in the book as compared to the director's conception. As the cast goes, the actors were selected by relevance to description and familiarity to the people; the recipe of success. The movie was sound and the masterful minds behind the scenes did an excellent job paying attention to all the small details. As the movie left most speechless, my number one complaint was the over-exaggeration in not only the actors but the production. Something as minuscule as lighting a cigarette took approximately twenty seconds with extensive eye contact. It is understandable that the setting and the situation called for every small aspect to be blown up out of proportion, but it felt as if the director and the producers took every chance they could at elongating the movie with hapless, emotional melodrama. All in all, director Baz Luhrmann presented a fantastic film truly depicting Gatsby's welt extravaganza, open heart, and shady past. A wonderful film, great compliment to F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel.

Police officer delves baby in gas station parking lot

by Thomas Curwen
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-police-officer-delivers-baby-gas-station-simi-valley-20140202,0,648855.story#axzz2sCL7JHnm
Februrary 2, 2014

As pregnant mother and son were driving along the 118 freeway, the contractions kicked in and the mother knew she was due. They pull over and the son calls 911; the mother still struggling. Anna May, a dispatcher for the Simi Valley Police Department, answered the call. May contacted the paramedics and the senior police officer, Kyle Crocker, was the first to show. A less action-packed day, to say the least, for Crocker as he was coincidentally paired with an Explorer Scout as a ride along. As he pulled up the scene, he saw that the three kids and their grandmother were at the scene - whether they were in the car with them is unclear. Crocker then commanded his Explorer Scout ride along to move the family members away from the scene as it seemed he was ready to take matters into his own hands. Initially, he attempted the soothe and calm down the aching mother by informing her that the fire department and the paramedics should arrive shortly. Short after, the mother was ready to give birth and the policeman - still unaccompanied by paramedics or the fire department - was determined to deliver the baby. The delivery was successful and as people might not appreciate policemen, they can truly be heroes.

Nun Gives Birth To Baby Boy In Italy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/nun-gives-birth-baby-italy-francis_n_4619218.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

by Agence France Presse

The unimaginable has happened! A 31-year-old Salvadorean nun gave BIRTH to a beautiful baby boy  on Wednesday. Considering the absolute fact that a nun is supposed to be abstinent, the birth of a child is rather surprising. When asked about her pregnancy, the nun claimed she thought she had stomach cramps/pains. She was later hospitalized; there she found she was pregnant. The baby boy weighs 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds). There are no further details on how the baby was conceived as she has not admitted - nor denied - her breaking of the rules. Obviously she is not Mother Mary and she is not carrying baby Jesus, so it should be interesting to see how the Church deals with this. So far, it has been nothing but positive feedback: "other new mothers in Rieti hospital have begun collecting clothes and donations for her." She named the boy Francesco - a name famous in Italy - but she most likely named him after the Pope's chosen title or Saint Francis of Assisi, who is the nation's beloved patron saint. There have been many outrageous events recently, but a pregnant nun has to be up there as one of the top most unbelievable events.

Party

The purpose of a party is simple: to lose oneself in the aura of a great crowd and to enjoy oneself with  delicious foods and beautiful decorations. If I were to have a grand amount of money to spend on my own party, I would have my party on an island. I would provide services for all my guests to meet up at a dock, from which they will be picked up on speedboats and escorted to the island. The island will be verdant and majestic, such as a tropical paradise. Colorful flowers, waterfalls, and endless, calming serenades will sooth my guests as they make their ways to the house. My guest list is one that I am proud of. It includes my friends and my family, but also includes the A-list celebrities and the billionaires I met on my journey to this wealth. Unlike many house parties however, food will not be placed out and about for my guests to devour whenever they feel. There shall be a dining room; when seated, my professional waiters will take down orders but with one catch - any food their heart desires will be prepared as I have the most extensive kitchen and cooking staff on the planet. There will be a mini orchestra playing all night. A party like such is thrown to have a great time and to show the world that the most successful parties are the ones thrown with attention to meticulous details and exuberance of class.

CES 2014: Formula E fully electric car powers up in Vegas

Jessica Naziri
January 10, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ces-2014-formula-e-electric-car-20140110,0,1500014.story#axzz2qDR5Mc8q

Who would have thought that one grand topic could unite "tree huggers, tech nerds, and fast-car aficionados" during the annual gathering of technology freaks and the brains of the future? Racing events, especially the Formula 1 race, are truly sensational venues. The engine roaring loud enough eardrums are popping, enjoyable finger foods, and a chance to make it big - or lose big - with competitive betting. The thrill of these special vehicles traveling an upwards of 100 miles per hour brings in the most attention as the winner of these races are honored. The Spark-Renault SRT 01E Formula E race car is the first Formula 1 race car to be fully electric. "The car burned some serious rubber with not a trace of exhaust." When automobile enthusiasts first heard of this, they were probably assuming the race car was going to experience a lack of speed and throttle due to its electric engine. On the contrary, the Formula E race car can reach speeds up to 150 mph and has an impressive zero-to-60 time of 3 seconds. It has the capability to outperform the other race cars all without making noise. The only remaining issue is the life of the battery as it is only 25 minutes with of breathtaking speed. A truly awesome advance in racing technology as it pleases almost every audience.

Prohibition - Jazz Age

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/p/prohibition.htm

During the early twentieth century, the United States was knee-deep in a dilemma involving the consumption and distribution of alcohol. Alcoholic beverages were a giant aspect of the wealthy peoples' lives since the beginning of time. American moguls who were the main influences of the States' economic boom in the early to mid 1800's were rarely ever photographed without a cup of whiskey in their hands. The perception of alcohol was completely different up to the early twentieth century,  as it were previously viewed as necessary and a fountain of brilliant ideas. As medicinal advances were made, the effects of alcohol were suddenly brought about. The American government found it was necessary to ban the manufacturing, selling, transporting, and consumption of any alcoholic beverages starting from 1920. Alcohol being a very heavy influence on the peoples' lives, the Prohibition led to massive crime rates, protests and rebellions, and numerous amounts of undercover bars and lounges which skid past the law. Mobsters, gangsters, dealers galore. It was time of confusion for the United States because as alcoholic beverages became illegal, the consumption rose up around 400%. There was no way to stop the consumption, so the law was withheld in 1933. Alcohol and crime do not mesh together perfectly; but it does make for one hell of a party.