Category: general news

Stuff having to do with the news in general.

Games.

theycallmedameLeave a comment

Finals. Then break.
Finals. Then break.
Finals. Then break.

It’s all you hear while walking through the hallways of the girl’s dorm.

There’s the occasional strum of a guitar from the room next to mine, and my roommate is hunched over her books, studying in a language that is not her own.

People are running down the halls, laughing about a three week break from school or screaming in a burst of rage, “I hate finals!”

And amidst all of the chaos, all of the sounds melding into one, melodramatic hum, I remain motionless. The last words printed on the book in front of me stand out above the pressing noise.

“There are worse games to play.”

And although the circumstances are different, the words adapt to mean everything and anything.

The game of studying for finals that will, in the end, not throw my grades off some horrendous no-returning-from-here cliff. They will not make or break my chances of getting into a college that awaits me two years in the future. They will only bring chaos to here-and-now moments.

As soon as the school leaves for break, everyone will forget their almost-meltdowns about how, “There’s no way I’m not going to fail my chemistry final.”

Through the race of muttered curse words, ripped pages, destroyed text books, and the silent but studious players in a never-ending game, everyone needs to stop and breathe.

After five or six two-hour long tests, it will be over, and everyone will have a three week break to regain the sleep they lost in preparation for a final that they will forget the information to in a matter of hours.

In. And out.
In. And out.
In. And out.

Valued.

theycallmedameLeave a comment

The value of the written word is highly under-appreciated.

People have shortened typed and written words to make it easier or faster to get their message across. But sometimes, their message is as dismal as “lol.”

The literacy rate in America must be on a steep decline, what with people typing with ludicrous letters and numbers left and right.

It does not seem like a big deal, but when I read something someone sent me, and it l00k5 lyk33 th15, I want to scream. L33t Speak and “modern-day shorthand” are both ridiculous.

Fragmented sentences, incorrectly spelled words, and poor grammar are not fashion statements, they’re just ways for you to display your stupidity for the world to see.

Please, World, write with the competence I’m sure you possess. Please.

Julian Assange

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

One of the world’s most controversial people, Julian Assange, was arrested on tuesday in London on sexual abuse charges. Julian Assange is the founder of Wikileaks. Wikileaks is the website where anonymous sources can post information that has to do with confidential American intelligence. The posting of this information has started heated debates about whether or not it is okay to post information like this on a public website.  One side argues that it will compromise America’s security,  and the other argues that it is freedom of speech.

Now that Julian Assange has been arrested, it has sparked a huge war between Assange’s followers, and his prosecutors. Some of his lawyers’ bank accounts have been hacked, draining their accounts.  The hackers have done this to protest the arrest, and emphasize freedom of speech.

Snowflakes in Southern California

theycallmedameLeave a comment

You may have already heard from my fellow blog-mates, but it is time once again for Secret Snowflakes to take OVS by the reins and kick off!

Each person in our school drew a name out of a paper bag and then had to go out and buy not one but five gifts for them, one for each day of the school week.

The presents usually start small and get gradually bigger, each coming with a clue (ex. I have blue eyes, I’m not a day student, etc.) to help the gift receiver guess who is giving them presents.

It is unfortunate, however, that some people do not feel up for the holiday cheer. Some people either give bad presents (like used airplane headphones) or no presents at all.

The people who do this tend to ruin the spirit of the rest of the school, and it makes the week before final exams all that more stressful.

I can only hope that this year everyone will receive and give presents, and no one will be left with a frown on their face.

Ocean Acidification

weirdjennyLeave a comment

nullThe greenhouse gas: CO2 not only influences our climate but also affects our ocean ecosystem. Each year, billions of carbon emissions from fossil fuels are absorbed by the ocean, and this will gradually turn the water into more acidic. This will greatly affect the calcium-based species, such as crabs and shrimps, which are the primary food sources for many marine animals. “We are seeing an overall negative impact from ocean acidification directly on organisms and on some key ecosystems that help provide food for billions,” said Carol Turley, a senior scientist at Britain’s Ocean Acidification Research Program. Many people have thought that the greenhouse gas we produced will only influence species on the ground and in the air; however, they are wrong. The evidence shows that those gases will affect the entire planet.

Neutron Bomb

weirdjennyLeave a comment

nullSamuel T. Cohen, who designed the neutron bomb, which intended to kill people but do minimal damage to structures, died from stomach cancer on Sunday.

Cohen  first introduced this bomb in 1958. As one of the scientists in the Manhattan Project, he has realized that the regular nuclear bomb has killed too many innocent lives and numerous of constructions. So this inspired him to invent this new technology.

Neutron bombs use tiny particles which can penetrate buildings without any big damage but kill humans by attacking their nervous system. Moreover, it has shorter nuclear contamination than the regular nuclear bomb. However, many ethicists have questioned that this weapon is designed to destroy only life. Samuel argued that “this is the only nuclear weapon in history that makes sense in waging war. When the war is over, the world is still intact.”null

America’s richest and most powerful celebrities

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No one can deny the fact that television play a huge role in one’s daily life. Television influences us and our children’s mind in both good and bad ways. Yet there is absolutely no way we can restrain ourselves from watching it. Therefore today, celebrities sit on one of the most powerful positions in the world. Here are the 10 most powerful celebrities of the world-

10. Madonna- the pop artist who has influenced many young men and women to sing is sitting at number 10.

9. Johnny Depp– The tattoo lover is an actor, screenwriter and director who has stared in two films so far that have made a profit of 1 billion, making him one of the most powerful celebrities.

8. Sandra Bullock– with two hit films in a row and an oscar in her hand, Sandra Bullock is not only a powerful celebrity but currently the most highly paid actress.

7. U2- the world’s biggest rock band had a world tour in 2009 that had made 311 million dollars. Each tour brings in 10 million dollars, and with the addition of their income from C.D’s and stage shows, they are the highest earning band in the world.

6. Britney Spears– despite the hard time after her break up with ex husband, Britney Spears managed to get back on the charts of highest selling albums in 2009. This is perhaps what they call, “sweet revenge.”

5. Tiger Woods- Tiger Woods’ fall from global sports icon to tabloid fodder was stunning. However, he remains the highest paid athlete in the world with brands such as nike and electronic arts at his feet for advertising.

4. Lady Gaga– a new comer in the world of fame, she grabbed attention with her outlandish outfits and strange videos. She now earns a whopping 96 million a year.

3. James Cameron–  director of the highest grossing film of all time,  Avatar, which earned $2.7 billion at the box office alone and has changed the way Hollywood makes films. In the near future almost every studio blockbuster will be released in 3-D. Cameron is already at work on Avatar 2.

2. Beyonce Knowles– continues to expand her empire beyond music. Endorsement deals with companies such as Nintendo and L’Oreal, her growing House of Dereon fashion line bring in millions of dollars per year.

1. Oprah Winfrey– host of the Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah Winfrey, is the only self made billionaire celebrity in the world. She gets more media attention than any other celebrity in the world and had made spawned the careers of Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray and Dr. Oz.

“Sula”

pikachu04Leave a comment

sula
In English recently we have been reading books that send powerful messages out. The latest book we have begun to read is titled Sula. This book revolves around racism, slavery, segregation and life throughout the early to mid 1900’s for the African-American race. The author’s style of writing is raw and brutally honest to the point of almost disturbing the reader.

However, thus far I have enjoyed reading this book because of the way it touches the reader. A relationship develops between the reader and each character in the story as it progresses. The way that the story is told is also very special because it allows the reader to experience what the characters experience in the book, no matter who the reader is.

Mr. Weidlich himself said in class yesterday, ” I know I’m not a young African-American girl, but I can imagine and almost feel what Sula feels in the book.” The story offers insight into the life of these people who are suffering, and my favorite part is that the book gets me to step outside of myself and see things with new eyes. I look forward to completing the book in class.

Swastika Crime Brings Fear to New Mexico Town

Paloma SpencerLeave a comment

When I was 10 years old, I can remember most vividly my mother’s high pitched yells at the discovery of a swastika drawn onto our icy front porch window. Unaware of the swastika’s degrading meaning, it wasn’t until later in my life when I truly realized the seriousness of this horrible symbol.

Just yesterday did a horrible occurrence of pure racism occur in a small town neighborhood of New Mexico. After completing their shifts at the local Mcdonald’s, three coworkers branded a swastika shaped coat hanger onto the arm of a local Navajo man. This 22 year old mentally disabled man was then forced to stay silent as the three men shaved a swastika into the back of his head while writing racist slurs such as “KKK” and ‘White Power” on the victim’s body.

Sadly for this town, this case has served as just one of many domestic hate crimes over the past year.

Fortunately, local leaders have gained focus on bettering the relationship between the Navajo community and the Whites. In addition, due to new laws instituted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, officials are able to more easily prosecute these men for their disgusting hate crime.

Estimated to serve up to ten years in prison once convicted, these three men represent the malicious, disgusting ways of a person who still believes that one should be treated horribly simply due to the color of their skin.

While reading this story, the common question of “what kind of person would do this?” constantly rang in my head. Not only were the men conducting a horrible hate crime, but the victim was only an innocent, helpless man. I honestly find it quite cynical that a man who can beat another down due to his race is the same man who regards himself as a higher person. Maybe it’s the guns they carry or the repulsive words they utter. But simply put, these white supremacists are one of the most sickening forms of a person I could ever encounter.

We Aren’t Really Horsing Around..

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

I’ve been riding horses since I was five and there have only been a few years of my life where I wasn’t fully immersed in a riding program. When I came to OVS, I expected the riding program to be just as it was at my old barn, Springdown, but it wasn’t at all. I can barely remember the Lower Campus’ program, but when I came to Upper and I was incredibly pleased.

Horses

It was 2006 when I joined the Upper Campus’ riding program, and since then I can safely say that I’ve ridden almost every horse, jumped every fence, and gone on every trail offered.

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