Three Stupid Kids That Ruined the Fun for the Rest of Us

     There are many instances where a toy has seemed to be dangerous for children, or may promote a risk to those involved in using it, however, this was not eh case for the Aqua Assault RoboFighter, which was a very fun toy for 99% of users. It shot plastic missles as well as squirted out water, making it a super exciting toy for chilren. However, three children managed to kill themselves because of this toy, and as a result, the toy is now discontinued. The article named "Fun Toy Banned Because Of Three Stupid Dead Kids" was published by Theonion.com and it very harshly reprimanded these three children for engaging in dumb acts that led to their deaths, but more importantly, the discontinuation of the toy. Obviously, this article is full of sarcasm adn satire. One can notice merely by reading the title that there is no way that anyone thinks the death of three children can be less important than a toy.
     The first little boy died by shooting teh plastic missle launcher up his nose, ausing a severe brain hemerage. The purpose behind his actions was that so teh plastic missle can launch through his body and shoot out of his belly button. The second little girl died by breaking the toy into pieces, adn then consuming the pieces, assuming they then became edible. The third boy died by jumping off of the roof with the toy above his head, hoping to fly. All  of these stoies seem very sad, but teh author of the article, being very humorous as well as bluntly honest, deliberately mentioned how stupid these childre were, adn how they deserved to die because they are so stupid. Though the article may seem brutal for some, I had complete sympathy for the author, because it seemed as though he really liked that toy.

Coyote v. ACME SOAPST

     This week in class, we began the satire/parody section of the cirriculum. Fortunately, this theme came about the same time we were learning about satire in our Armenian class. Though it is much more difficult to understand 1930 Armenian humor, both are a refreshing relief from the same old, boring narration.  In "Coyote v. ACME", a satirical piece is written in relation to the old cartoon that we all know and love, "Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner". In this story, Wile E. Coyote is sewing the ACME dynamite company for selling him faulty equipment that caused much more harm to him than it did benefit him. The story is set up as a court ruling, where Wile E. Coyote is the plantiff, and ACME is the defendant.
     The speaker of this story is the lawyer of the plaintiff, Wile E. Coyote, who is presenting the case to the court, jury, judge, and the reader. All these people would be the audience of the story. The purpose of the story is to persuade the judge and jury that ACME is at fault for all injuries that it has "caused" to the coyote. However, from teh reader's point of view, the purpose can be for Ian Frazier to display the actual corruption of the court system at the time, mocking the type of cases that were presented at the time. The subject is the court case, adn the tone is an overall sarcastic, satirical, adn falsely serious tone, which the author uses to emphasize the sarcasm.

Kony Creator Running Naked on the Streets

     In this week's Los Angeles Times , an article named "'Kony' Creator Jason Russell Exhausted, Dehydrated Wife Says" is attracting much attention. "Kony" was a movie created by Russell that depicted the massacres going on in Uganda. During the first week that the video was posted through the social media sites, over a million views were seen. In this way, the video has been very viral and has been spread even through a lot of Europe. Now that there are critisisms surrounding the video doubting its legitimacy, some people like Russell are taking it to heart.
     Since Russell spent most of his adult life concerned with such human rights issues and working with "Invisible Children" which he created, he takes the video quite personally. Therefore, when he heard these critisisms, he must have become unstable mentally and physically, because it caused him to take off his underwear and run around his neighborhood naked. Witnesses say that he was pumping his fists in the air, screaming. He was later hospitalised, and his wife told reporters that he was.dehydrated, exhausted, and malnutrished. All these factors with the main vause, the cririsms on the video, caused a man to go running naked on the street. Surprising how aomeone can spend most of their life working on a serious project, finally get everyone's attention and respect, then blow off their entire reputation by not being able to handle a few critisisms.

The Great Gatsby: SOAPST Ch. 1-4

     The Great Gatsby is a book written in the modernism period where meanings were implied and readers had to read between the lines a lot. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the book, but unlike many stores that we have read this year, the speaker of the story is not the author, rather it is a character speaking from first-person point of view. This character is Nick Carraway, who is the next door neighbor of Jay Gatsby, a significant character in the book. The story takes place is 1922, during the time of the Prohibition and jazz music's emergenc. The main location the story is in New York, specifically Manhattan and Long Island in teh West and East Eggs where the rich people lived.
     The audience is not anyone in particular, so it is for the reader. The overall tone of the story is informative, descriptive, and calm. Throught the first chapter of the book, the reader is introduced to the narrator. This may build the basis for the relationship between the reader and the narrator, creating the trust that is needed for the reader to believe all that is said in the book. However, in the beginning of the story, the reader can sense some irony and contradictions in what the narrator says about himself and his actual actions. Therefore, what is said for the rest of the story can be percieved as from the view of a person who is biasing according to their opinions. Apparently though, all first-person narratives seem to be this way due to the opinions that the narrator puts into the story.

Words are for WIMPS!

     I am an Armenian. When I was younger I used to go to a lot of day camps during the summer because my parents had work and would not trust me at home alone. I was very shy, especially among those that I was not familiar with, so I did not talk much. However, when I did talk, they all looked at me and said, "Wow, you have an accent," I believe everyone has an accent but they, as well as the people around them have become so accustomed to it that they stop noticing it. This also applies to the way people talk. I usually do not realize, but I say the word, "bro" a lot. I also may cuss a lot without realizing, and say "yallah" or "haydeh" a lot, too. The people around me and in my environment may be very used to it, but I know that if I were to talk the way I do to my friends with a random stranger they would think I'm crazy.
     We are all the same when it comes to judging others based on the way they speak, unfortuantely. By hearing someone talk, we can assume that they are a "redneck", or a "rabiz armenian", or a "stupid valley girl". What we really need to focus on is the content of what people are saying, not the way in which they say it. Sometimes, I may have a lot to say, but I cannot gather all my thoughts in complete sentences to express what I feel, and what comes out is a bunch of words that don't match or are three different languages plus sound affects ombined. My point is that people have different ways of communicating with one another. We should not be so quick to judge, and try to better understand the person before making any assumptions about who they are, and not base it on how they speak. The language of communication does not necesarily entail the words we speak with, rather, it focuses more on the ideas we tranfer.

Students Shot at an Ohio School

     Early Monday morning, gunshots were heard at a school in Chardon, not far from Cleveland. Two people were said to have shot at the victims. Three boys and one girl were injured by the gunfire. Many parents were very conscerned and one mother told reporters that she was texting her daughter in the morning and her daughter told her that she heard gunfire. This was very shocking news for the parents because no history of such incidents had ever occured in this school.
     The article was found in the Los Angeles Times app on cell phones early in teh morning at 7:35 AM. The article was called "Shooting Reported at Ohio High School." It was very interesting to read about this in the morning because it was as if it were breaking news. Though it would have been better to recieve better information in the morning, considering I heard it on teh radio and on my phone meant it should have been signifcant. Further information will be given throughout the day.

The Party of the Century!

     If I was able to have 100,000 dollars, I would probably do a lot more than throw a party with all of it. However, if I were to spend it all on one party, I would go crazy! I would rent a beach house and throw the party there. I would make an invite on Facebook and invite only the people I would like to party with. I would go buy drinks (or make someone over 21 go buy them) and the best food ever, and we would all eat like crazy animals. For the dj, I would have to rent Tiesto or David Guetta so that the music will be really good throughoutthe night.
     We would all dance and party all night. When we would get tired we will sit on giant comfortable couches that I will buy because I know we will all be in food comas. While we are in the food comas, we would also be drunk so we would be laughing and sitting like lazy potato sacks and having the time of our lives. Afterwards we would all go to Disneyland, because everyone knows a party isn't a party without Disneyland! As the party is ending, we would all go swimming and burn off all we gained and then go to sleep on the waterbeds that I will buy.

What's Really Breaking the Lakers Apart?

     Everyone knows that this season in the NBA has proven to be a difficult one for the Lakers. People can blame things like the change in the coach, the change in the team chemistry, or the overall bad energy because of all the recent losses. However, according to an article named "Who Ultimately Will Win Between Kobe Bryant and Mitch Kupchak?", all-star Kobe Bryant blames the Lakers' manager, Mitch Kupchak for creating rumors of Pau Gasol's trade, which has caused negative energy in the team. Though this may be far-fetched, it is exactly the type of rumor that is eligible of disrupting a team's chemistry.
     Kobe needs to shut his mouth and do what he does best- win games. He is in charge of the aspect of the Lakers, and Kupchak is in charge of the management section. Kobe wanted out of the Lakers a few years back, and after Kupchak refused to do so, the Lakers won two championships. Kobe wanted Bynum to leave the Lakers for Jason Kidd, that did not happen, and Bynum proved to be a great attribute to the team. The point is that Kobe may be in control with what happens on the court, but Kupchak needs to control the business off the court. When they stop interfering with one another, the Lakers might start to win.

Jazz Music in the 1920s

Jazz music is known today as one of the most sophisticated forms of music that dates back to times of the prohibition. In the 1920s, it was predominantly becoming the way for African Americans to express themselves while being accepted into the society at the time. Jazz music became the platform of rythmic music but also had an impact on classical music. Great jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goon erred from this time period. However, it was not looked at with such optimism as people had hoped.
Many people of the time viewed jazz music as a terrible noise that was ruining the values that the older generations had set up for the people. People said that it was so annoying that it bothered their nerves. Some even claimed it had the power to scare the bears away! Despite these claims, people still listened to it willingly. Jazz music in the 1920s had an influence on Big-band style swing jazz.

Bombs Hitting my Family's Hometown

     An article in the Huffington Post from February 10, named "Syria Crisis: Bombs Hit Security Headquarters in Aleppo" stated that 28 more people were killed, among them being government workers and members of the military. No one is taking the blame for all teh anti-regime acts going on in Syria. The governent says that it is the "terrorists" that are against President Bashar Assad who plan all these attacks in attempts to overthrow the government, but the "terrorists" say that the government set off the bombs themselves to destroy the opposition, and make abti-regime activists look bad by framinf them adn saying they want to overthrow the government. It seems as though no one will ever find out who teh true aggressor and the true victim is.
     Whoever is attacking is targetting the innocent civilians, in any case, which is the worst threat this uprising has to offer. Earlier on this week, China adn Russia vetoes teh U.N.'s resolution attempt to overthrow Assad, and therefore, teh Syrian citizens are stronglyagainst those countries at this point of time. Russia vetoed the resolution because Syria supplies them with weaponry. This selfish act of rejecting a resolution that could help end a potential emerging civil war is teh reason why Syrians are saying, "Russia is killing our children. A conference wil be held on February 17, where Assad's ruling Baath party will attempt to calm the uprisings. However, it seems as though Assad is trying to attack as many rebel-concentrated areas before getting to thdate of this conference in order to wipe out however many he can before he has to formally stop. It happend in Homs a few weeks ago, it has moved on to Aleppo, and it must stop before any other innocent people are killed.

Nature Observations...We Should Do This More Often

     It is 12:15 PM and I forgot to do my blogs again. I hear running footsteps in teh apartment from my balcony. I hear the rolling of wheels, most likely from a valise of some sort. My predictions are true, because I see what looks like a couple running to what is probably their apartment, after a trip from a faraway, carefree land. They are back to face the hearsh reality of what their life is, not at that relaxing vacation spot. I hear the chirping of crickets from my balcony, which looks very beautiful by the way, especially at this hour. It looks as if my balcony was captured from a scene in Tuscany, with flowerbeds on teh railings and a pot overflowing with pink flowers above my head. It seems perfect outside, but the glass door leading to the inside of my house ls me see the image of my sister sitting and vegetating on the couch, with flashes of light hitting her face from the television ten feet away in the otherwise, dark room. I would much rather be out here than in there. Thanks for assiging this blog Ms. Kirkman.
     I taste the rosemary plant that is directly by my side, and it tastes tangy and reminds me of sweet potato fries from Granville Cafe. Why does everything come down to food in my head? That and basketball, which reminds me that I have a game tomorrow, a very important game. I am going to give it my all and work collectively with my team to ensure success, whose fate only lies in our hands. I cannot see what I am writing because it is so dark, and I am beginning to think my bladder is getting weaker because I just moved my position and peed a little. I will google things that strengthen my bladder later. As the half hour is coming to an unfortunate close, I see a petal from the flower pot hanging above my head fall onto the table that I rest my feet on. A piece of the whole has just left its home. I guess that is what all life comes down to. Dropping away from your comfort zone into a cold, unforgiving place, such as this table. Learning to adapt is the turning point, though, which is why I just placed this flower petal into the soil of the flowerbed laying beside me to act as a compost to new life from its newly finished life.

Some Lives May Not Be Worth Saving...(I'm not a bad person, I sware).

     Sunday morning I had arrived an hour early for scouts and had nothing to do, so I decided to walk to Starbucks. There, as I was waiting for my chai tea latte, the New York Times newspaper caught my eye. I knew I had to pay a dollar for it, but I gathered all my courage, and aloofly walked out of the coffee shop with an overpriced drink in my hand and a "free" newspaper under my arm. In it, I came across a very intersting article named "Rescuing the Birds Many Hate" by Alex Vadukul. This article explained how there is a group of activists in New York that call themselves the "New York City Pigeon Rescue Central", whose main interests are saving the injured birds that seem to be ignored and maligned by those around them. In the article, a story is told about one of the main members of this group, Jennifer Dudley, a forty-four year old woman, who "saved" two birds she encountered who she named Skipper and Lulu, who eventually ended up dying. A fellow member's words of wisdom on the situation were, "At least he's safe now, that's what matters."
     My response to this article is what were the editors of the New York Times thinking when publshing this ariticle? I could think of at least fifty other subjects that would make use of the half page article that this one wasted. God created animals. God created humans. God meant for everything to eventually die. Accept this fact. What good is it serving to the world to take a pigeon to a hospital to be examined and cured? As far as I know, that pigeon is not going to be very beneficial to the rest of society, nor is it going to make a difference in the balance of the universe. Time, money, effort, and man-power should not be wasted on those things that will be of no benefit to us or anything else that surrounds us. Even after the treatment, the bird dies. I understand that these actions are put into affect because of good intentions, however, saving a few pigeons every year will not change the world in any significant way, especially in a city like New York.

Am I Going to Kill Myself?

     As terrible as this may sound, I find myself closely resembled by Willy Loman's character in the book. Though I'm sure many people will write that they are related to the characters Happy or Biff the most, I know that deep inside, we are all Willies trying to survive in this harsh world. I would like to believe that the world is not as bad as it seems, and that I will be as successful as I want to be in the future. I want to achieve my own dreams, just like Willy did. I do work hard every day in order to achieve these dreams, and I do my best to stay focused on accomplishing it. The only thing I hate is that Willy cheated on his wife, and that is the main difference between us.
     Though the acceptance of the truth can prove to be difficult to me, I like the fact that I still dream. Too many people have accepted the misconception that their dreams will not come true, and that dreaming will get you nowhere. Yes, I may not end up in the WNBA, but that does not mean that I cannot have the pleasure of envisioning that I will be as successful one day. I would like to think that this world is capable of being kind and forgiving. I remain optimistic in viewing Willy's perception by seeing the light in what he may have seen, instead of believing that he is just an ignorant coward unable of accepting the truth. He is merely trying to be happy. Though I may not be as ignorant of the truth as Willy, and though I do accept the reality of situatons, as much as it may pain me to do so, I still do have that little bit of hope, that little bit of belief in childish dreams' existence in me, and I would not give that up for anything in the world. After all, Walt Disney's vision of Disneyland was laughed at when he mentioned his brilliant idea of creating it to others, and it stands in it's glory today, pointing the finger to all that doubted it's existence in earlier years.

Death of a Salesman SOAPST

     Death of a Salesman is a play written by Arthur Miller set to take place in the late 1940s. This time was a time of reformation and innovation, as well as a time of struggle. Set to take place right after WWI, Death os a Salesman is surely an accurate and clear depiction of that time. The speaker of the book, as well as the main character, is Willy Loman. Willy Loman is a salesman who travels around a lot for his work. However, despite his past successes, he is not doing so well lately healthwise as well as financially. Stretches of this can be seen in the book when he is caught talking to himself due to various reasons such as his stress from work and not being able to pay off his insurance bills.
     The strory takes place mostly in Willy Loman's house, in New York, NY in 1949. Some scenes in the book can take place in other places also, like in his boss's office, or with his mistress in Boston. The audience of the story can be the reader. However, since it is a play, when it is being performed, it's audience can be the spectators sitting in the crowd to watch the play. The purpose of the story is to informteh audience about Willy Loman's family and the situations of that time. Also, the purpose can arguably be to entertain the audience with an interesting story. The subject of the story could be reachign the American dream, or the acceptance of reality compared to the denial of the truth. The overall tone of the story is modest,  but sad. The book in itself was a very good book in my opinion, and thought the first fifty pages went by slowly, the rest of the book was a breeze to read.