the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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What’s Love?

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By AI and Luke Sonderman

I asked bloggers to define that slippery concept “love.” Luke turned to AI. The result was “Blah.” Then, Luke went Luke-ish. His poem is not a love missive most want to receive, but it’s original.

Blog Advisor Zachik

Love according to AI: 

Love is a fire that burns within,

A force that knows no end or sin,

It binds two souls with gentle touch,

And fills their hearts with love so much.

Love is a melody sweetly sung,

A symphony that never becomes unsung,

It brings together hearts and minds,

And leaves all else far behind.

Love is a flower that blooms and grows,

A fragrance that always flows,

It lifts us up and makes us whole,

And warms the coldest, loneliest soul.

Love is a treasure that we hold,

A story that will always be told,

It’s the magic that lights up our days,

And forever in our hearts, it stays.

Love according to Luke:

Love is being right. 

There is nothing better than being right.

Whether being right makes someone else cry,

And especially when it makes someone else say “I am wrong,”

Love is being right.

Some people say “It’s not about being right, it’s about being nice.”

Those people are what I like to call LOSERS.

Do you want to be a loser?

No.

Be a winner.

Be Right.

If anyone knows what love feels like, it’s me. 

Because I am ALWAYS RIGHT.

Ask anyone, they’ll tell you. 

So the next time you feel down or lonely. Maybe unloved.

Scoot your way into an argument and WIN.

You can trust me. I am ALWAYS right.

Rain + coffee shops = happiness

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While most bloggers explored the literal coffee-drinking experience during our Coffee Theme Week, Alyna delved into a new corner of the coffee shop. She shares here a virtual cafe. For those of you missing your morning coffee-shop vibes, Alyna tells you have to access coffee-shop sounds any time of the day.

By Upper-School Blogger Alyna Rei

I hate studying or doing homework when it’s really quiet. If there is some noise in the room, then that is what keeps me from going into distracted deep thinking. Most days I listen to music on a playlist. But there are some days where I don’t even want to listen to music–even if there are no lyrics. Because of this, I decided to search around to see if there are other options. 

I came across a website called www.imissmycafe.com.  I found this website during lockdown when I had to study at home instead of going out. This website plays different sounds as if you were in an actual coffee shop. For example,  there are sounds such as people talking, coffee machines, coffee cups, baristas, rain, etc. The best part about this is that you can control the volume on each sound. The reason why I like this website is because you don’t pay for anything, you can control what you hear, and it is easy to access. 

My favorite combinations would be the sounds of preparing drinks, coffee cups, machinery, and rain, so I push those sounds a little louder. This website also comes with a playlist of songs that you can play while listening to sounds at a coffee shop. These songs are on the calmer side and have the aesthetic of a coffee shop. These aren’t my favorite songs, so I just open up Spotify and play my own songs. The way you can enter this soothing virtual coffee-shop website is by going on a browser and typing in www.imissmycafe.com. It will take you straight to the website.

So, please come in, and sit down to a cup of coffee in this virtual cafe, tailored just for you. 🙂

The screen

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A Poem, by Middle-Schooler Penny Andreas

As the screen turns on

And the pixels turn to color

I stare at it blankly

My mind turning into rubber

4 hours pass

I stay in the same spot

Not blinking once

My eyes about to pop

When it finally turns off

My eyes blink fast

Suddenly bored

Wondering what to do next

Chapters: Teens and Their Phones

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By Junior Alyna Rei

When considering the chapters in her life, Alyna considers the impact of that electronic device attached to so many of our hands.

Every parent that has a kid going through an electronic middle-school faze knows this story. This chapter of a teenager’s life is defined by them evolving into their more teenage faze with electronics. In this chapter, we learn, phones control our lives.

Chapter 1: the start of the faze

This phase begins when we get our first phone. I got my first phone in 5th grade. I carpooled with different people,  so that I could keep in contact with my family, they gave me a phone. In the beginning, we teenagers only used our “phones” for purposes like playing games when we were bored or calling our parents when we really needed to. We used our phones, but they didn’t completely take over–yet.

Chapter 2: when it starts to take over

This is when teenagers enter middle school. There’s social media, and teens have friends they want to keep in touch with electronically. We start to really want to be on our phones all the time. We look at the screen non-stop. Our parents have the authority to take away our phones when they need to. At the start, we would tolerate our parents taking away our phones, but we were awful happy with parents giving them back.

Chapter 3: now there’s no way out

This can be during middle school, but I would say this happened to me in high school. At this point, we’re obsessed with our electronic devices and can’t live without them. All our basic doings and necessities can be done with an electronic device. So, if our parents take away our phones, then it’s the end of the world. If our phone is dead, then we NEED a charger to get the battery up asap.

Sadly, these are a few of the many chapters in teenagers’ lives that tend to stay with them as they grow up. We always say the world is changing, but I can already tell this isn’t the best way to go.

America Needs High-Speed Rail

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An Indy Think Piece

A digital rendering of California’s proposed high-speed rail system. Source: hsr.ca.gov.

When we think of high-speed rail in America, we tend to think of Japan’s well-known bullet trains. Despite this, high-speed rail is actually increasingly common throughout the world, with multiple lines being found in Europe, Eastern and Central Asia, the Middle-East, and several other regions. Though high-speed rail does exist in America, it is much more sparse than it should be considering our country’s high GDP and infrastructure. 

The environmental impact of public transit, including trains, is a major reason why I think creating a better rail system should be one of our top priorities when it comes to improving our country’s infrastructure. The scientific consensus is that carbon dioxide emissions harm the environment, and research shows that while cars emit 371 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, trains emit only 177. This is less than half the carbon dioxide! 

Trains also take up significantly less space in cities throughout America and reduce traffic and street congestion. The traffic seen in many large cities not only has an environmental impact that affects our biosphere, it also affects peoples’ health. Children in places with higher amounts of traffic face higher rates of asthma, lung issues, and cardiovascular diseases due to the pollution caused by traffic. Additionally, more cars on the road means more car-related deaths. Pedestrian deaths are an often overlooked result of car congestion, but in 2020 over 6,000 pedestrians were killed by cars.

The reason that high-speed rail in particular is so needed is that many people will not use trains because of the inherent inconvenience of the current slow trains we primarily see in America. There are some high-speed lines in America, with Chicago being the main hub, but many states have no high-speed rail running through them whatsoever. For the states that do, they almost exclusively are seen in big cities. Though people in cities have limited access to high-speed rail, people in rural areas are completely and entirely neglected. I cannot blame people for choosing to fly as opposed to riding trains when our current system is so terrible. A nonstop flight from Los Angeles to New York is around five hours, but it takes three days to do the same by train, and you still need to change trains in Chicago and Texas.

Many people who oppose high-speed rail in our country argue that the cost is far too much, but I think it is more than worth it. The current estimate for California’s high-speed rail plan is 105 billion dollars, but I prefer that over our planet collapsing due to the effects of climate change while children experience asthma attacks due to horrific traffic clogging their cities. The initial investment is high, but it will pay for itself when it protects the people of our country’s safety, and the fees people pay for public transit also help cover these costs.

I hope you can see why I think that America is in such desperate need of high-speed rail and better public transit in general.

By Junior Indiana Behr

What should a 9,000-pound electric vehicle sound like?

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Each Wednesday I challenge the Blog Staff to a creative prompt.
I borrowed this week’s prompt from The New Yorker Magazine’s Instagram:

       “A zero-emissions vehicle has obvious benefits for the environment,
       but a quiet car is a mixed blessing for the public good.” For 
       distracted pedestrians, engine sounds signal a car is coming.
       What if they can’t hear it? So, electric-vehicle companies are
       trying to come up with a sound for their noiseless cars.

Our bloggers answered the question: What should a 9,000-pound electric vehicle sound like? 

Here are a few of their responses:

Indy Behr:

Since pedestrians are already used to the roaring sound of a gas engine being a sign that a car is coming, I think that if electric cars had a speaker that simply played the sound of a gas car, no one would have to adjust their expectations. If we had a beep or something like that to signify an electric car approaching many people would take time to become acquainted with this, and during that transition period I imagine more people would be struck by cars. Therefore, the sound of a gas engine would be a perfect solution.

Levi Kassinove:

Option One: Silence. 1 minute of complete silence, interrupted halfway by the faint sound of a child laughing. This is followed by 3 minutes of silence, interrupted for 2 times at random intervals by leaves rustling and a stick breaking. 10 minutes of silence will now go by, followed abruptly by screams of utter horror as the car has now become sentient and is actively trying to make the driver crash. People miss the sound of their gas engines? Well, now they’ll be begging for quiet. 

Option Two: Play “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” by Grateful Dead on repeat.

And the class favorite . . . .

Penny Andreas:

Vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom Vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom Vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom Vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom Vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom

Do you have a suggestion? Should our electric cars beep? roar? play music? hum? purr? Play along. Leave your contribution in the Comments.

EV vs Combustion Power

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When I asked our bloggers to illuminate a cause, I didn’t really expect muscle cars to be of focus. But, I was forgetting Mustang fanatic Luke Sonderman was in the house.

Blog Advisor Zachik

By Luke Sonderman

Electric cars are taking the world by storm with some of the highest performing vehicles on the market for extremely low prices. Are these cars worth getting, or should you ride in style in a classic combustion?

Tesla Model S Plaid

The Tesla Model S Plaid is a piece of straight-up raw performance. With a 0-60 (mph) of just under 2 seconds, a top speed of 200mph, and over 1000 horsepower, the Model S Plaid is the definition of speed (tesla.com). Starting at only $140,000, you will not find a car with these specs in this price range or even at all! Yes, I know $140,000 is a lot of dough, but hear me out. The 2023 Ferrari 296 is one of the highest performing super cars on the market. With a 0-60 (mph) in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 205mph, this thing is a monster (motortrend.com). With similar specs to the Model S, the 2023 Ferrari 296 starting price is $317,000. I think that anyone could agree that the Tesla Model S Plaid is without a doubt the highest performing car of 2022 and is also the best deal. 

Now let’s get into why the Tesla Model S Plaid is not worth your 140 grand. First of all, it is absolutely no fun. The most thrilling parts of owning a high performance sports car is the sound, the look, the interior, and then of course the actual performance. Yes, the Model S passes the performance test, but it’s like driving a really fast golf cart. The interior looks like an Ikea design, and the exterior looks like an Apple Magic Mouse. When it comes to sound, well, there really isn’t any. 

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

One of my least favorite electric vehicles that is rising on the charts is the 2022 Mustang Mach-E GT. This hunk of junk has 480 horsepower, a 0-60 (mph) of 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 124mph. The specs aren’t nearly what the Model S Plaid’s are, but this car starts at $65,000 so don’t expect a supercar. Still, a 3.5 0-60 is very quick, and it is still a high performance vehicle.

caranddriver.com

The real reason I hate this car so much is because they named it a Mustang. The name Mustang has been reserved for Ford’s muscle cars since the 60s. Mustangs are my favorite cars, and I was so disappointed when they made this ugly EV SUV a Mustang when it is not. It looks very, very weird on the exterior, but the interior is alright. Is it worth $65,000? Absolutely not! Get a REAL Mustang GT. A loud piece of muscle. 

Chevrolet Corvette C8

As a Ford fanatic, I hate to give Chevy any credit for anything… but the 2022 C8 Corvette is a pretty sick car. This 8-cylinder monster comes equipped with 490 horsepower, a 0-60 (mph) of 2.9 seconds, and a top speed of 194mph (stingraychevrolet.com). Corvettes are known for their lightweight body and power-packed engines that make them so fast. Starting at only $61,000, this car is definitely the best bang for your buck when it comes to sports cars (roadandtrack.com).

Now, this car not only has the performance of a supercar, but it has a fighter jet style interior. If I bought a sports car, I would want it to look like a fighter jet. Now the exterior is cool, don’t get me wrong, but I favor the older model exteriors such as the 2017. When it comes to what I’m looking for in a sports car, it has the noise, it has the performance, it has the interior, and it has the coolness factor. When it really comes down to it, I would probably spend my 60g’s on a Mustang, but if you are looking for a speedy, quick car, then I would totally go with the 2022 Corvette C8. 

(thecarconnection.com)

(thecarconnection.com)

Mustang Shelby GT-500

Now the car I have been waiting for… the Mustang Shelby GT-500. This is definitely my favorite car, and I believe it is the coolest car on the market. This supercharged 5.2 liter 8-cylinder muscle car comes packed with 760 horsepower, 180mph top speed, and a 0-60 (mph) of 3.5 seconds (guideautoweb.com). I know what you’re going to say…. I know it has way more horsepower than the Corvette, and it is still a bit slower. But, this car is a powerhouse. The wow factor of this engine will blow your mind. It is loud, powerful, and very pretty. As a muscle car, Mustangs have a generally heavier body than most every sports car, which is why they tend to be slower than cars like Corvettes and Teslas. But the power you feel under the hood of a 2022 Mustang Shelby GT-500 is nothing like a little Tesla or 400-horsepower Corvette. 

Of any of the cars on this list, this one would be the one I would get. The GT-500 has everything I look for in a sports car. It has impeccable performance, a crazy engine, a very loud exhaust, and it has a beautiful interior and exterior. Although I may be biased as a Mustang owner, I believe that this is the best car money can buy. Starting at $70,000, the GT-500 is the epitome of style, power, and fun. 

(motortrend.com)

In the end when it comes to gas vs. electric, I would go with gas. I’m a junkie for speed, noise, style, and power, and electric vehicles do not have all of those characteristics. If all you care about is a minimalistic aesthetic and a quick little golf cart, then I would get a Tesla.  But if you want some real power and muscle, go with a Mustang. 

Monster Prom 2!… Well, Almost

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By Dayton Kennard

Hello readers! If you can remember, a while back I did a post on Monster Prom, a dating sim that’s also a competitive multiplayer game entirely about romancing monsters who are probably too old to be in high school but are anyways. The game developer, Beautiful Glitch, made a wonderful and unique take on the classic dating sim and continued to bring more intriguing and outlandish adventures to their fans through seasonal updates, as well as new downloadable content. But just this week, they’ve done something many fans have been eagerly awaiting…

Beautiful Glitch has officially released their KickStarter for Monster Prom 2: Holiday Season!*

Where is KickStarter? Who is KickStarter? Why is KickStarter? Kickstarter.com is a website that allows content creators to raise money for a project through “pledges” of money from interested people in exchange for rewards for their loyalty! Beautiful Glitch used KickStarter to fund their first game (Monster Prom), and are now using it for funding their second game (Monster Prom 2)!

While they only released the KickStarter for Monster Prom 2 this week, they surpassed their funding goal in nearly one hour; they went on to raise over $100,000 in about 12 hours, and now have raised over 400% of their original goal in just about 24 hours! This is likely due to the tempting rewards they have made for their backers, including (but not limited to) dakimakuras, custom characters, polaroids, and even a trip to Barcelona, Spain!

While it’s not even been a week since its launch, the Monster Prom KickStarter is already surpassing expectations rapidly, and seems to continue growing daily!

Editor: Luke Langlois

*https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/corintio/monster-prom-2-holiday-season

Holden Rants About a Topic Does Anyone Still Read This Title Part 5

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What is Gaming Disorder?

By Holden Hartle, who has played video games

In our pursuit this week of everything gaming, Holden uncovers a surprising disorder.

Image result for gaming disorder

I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t think this was real when I first heard about it. But, it’s a real mental disorder that the World Health Organization (WHO) added to the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and that the American Psychology Association (APA) added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-V) .

What does Gaming Disorder look like? Some of the symptoms according to psychiatry.org include, “preoccupation with gaming, withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away (sadness, anxiety, irritability), inability to reduce playing, unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming,  and the use of gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness.” These are the same symptoms that someone might go through if they were addicted to a drug of some sort, i.e. the inability to stop and the feelings of sadness and anxiety when it is taken away from you.

Now, if you’re an incessant gamer like me, these symptoms scare you. But fear not, only a very small portion of the population actually has the disorder. The criteria is very specific and needs to last for a certain amount of time in order for someone to be diagnosed. A case study in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction states that, ”The diagnosis of IGD is not easy,” and, “[Gaming disorder’s] psychological, social, and health consequences require further study.” The study goes on to explain that little research has been done into the effectiveness of the various types of treatments of Gaming Disorder and which treatment is best.

Another case study, this time from Yale, explains that the dopamine boost in a cocaine addict’s system after a hit is the same dopamine boost from someone who has Gaming Disorder. Furthermore, when a video game addict plays video games, he has conditioned his hypothalamus to reward him every time he plays video games. This makes sense when you consider the fact that a video game addict goes through similar withdrawals to that of a drug addict. When he isn’t playing video games, his body feels empty without the constant string of dopamine flowing through his system

To remind you, a very very very small percentage of the population actually has Gaming Disorder. The screening process is very scrupulous in order for a psychologist to actually diagnose someone. If you feel like you may have this disorder, however, contact your local psychologist, and they may be able to help.

Video Game Editor: AJ Patencio

Mario v. King Boo? which Boo are you?

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By Makena Behnke

Makena responds to Editor AJ’s Theme of the Week: Video Games.

i am not a video gamer, and my video game knowledge does not extend much further than Mario Kart and Undertale (and my knowledge on that is very limited). Mario Kart is simple, fun, and it lets out my urge to game. i think we all have our favorite characters that are unspokenly ours every time we play; i switch between a handful of characters, but some people will only play as [insert character here]. this list of characters stems from a mix of Mario Kart 8 and normal Mario Kart. i present to you my top five and bottom five Mario Kart characters (not that i only play as these five, but they are my favorites.)

top five:

  • King Boo– the ruler of the Paranormal Dimension, and leader of the Boos and ghosts. need i say more?
  • Bowser– this hardcore turtle-thing does not put up with any funny business. great for bumping little characters out of the way on your way to the top of the leaderboard. he’s not that fast, but he’s Bowser, so it’s fine.
  • Mario– why disregard a classic character like Mario? he’s such a happy little guy.
  • Shy Guy– i like playing as pink or black Shy Guy; the color gives him more character. he’s a pretty zippy character since he’s kind of small in size.
  • Koopa Troopa– i find him pretty fast, and he seems like a nice dude with his sweet smile. plus, his shell comes in red and green.

bottom five:

  • Gold & Silver Mario– i have issues with this specific version of Mario. why do we need a metallic version of him? he just looks weird to me.
  • Pink Gold Peach– i don’t really like Peach to begin with, but i certainly don’t like Pink Gold Peach. i have never once played as Pink Gold Peach, and i don’t intend to play as her in the future.
  • Wendy– is she a baby? how old is she? what is her purpose? needless to say, i don’t play as her.
  • Ludwig– with his cool hair, he’s got kind of a cool look going on, but along with Wendy, i don’t like his character. he doesn’t have much purpose.
  • Lakitu– this specific character is the one that lifts you back on to the course when you drive off the track in Mario Kart…. i have encountered him too many times to not bear ill will against him. i don’t like him because i only see him when i’m losing.

Video Games Editor: AJ Patencio