skit-

setting: IHop restaurant at 11:00 P.M. on Saturday night, May 1st, 2018. There are two booths filled throughout the restaurant. There are a few tables with a couple people in them as well. One booth with an older man and a woman a few years younger than him. Second booth with Justice and her mom, Charley. The two booths that are filled are sitting back to back from each other. Complete strangers to each other. 

CHARLEY

Did you hear them?

JUSTICE

No, what'd they say?

CHARLEY

The man behind us, he's talking about going after his daughters husband? I think he said it was because he stole from him. 

JUSTICE

Interesting. That's kind of weird to talk about in an open place, don't you think?

CHARLEY

Well, yes. That's why I asked if you heard them. I'm not liking where this conversation keeps going. Now he's saying he's going to be at his house in the morning with his shotgun. I think his daughter is the woman he's sitting with. 

JUSTICE

What makes you think that?

CHARLEY

The woman just said, "No. This is ridiculous. You need to calm down and go home. Don't even think about showing up at that house or I will be calling the police, Shawn."

JUSTICE

Okay, well, I'm getting really uncomfortable. So let's just finish our food and leave. I keep making eye contact with the dude and I'm not feelin' it mom. Plus, this isn't our business and I'm not tryin' to have us even more included in this than we already are. 

CHARLEY

You're right. I'm done, let's get the check and go.

JUSTICE

Okay, good. 

(Justice and Charley walked to their car after they payed and got in. They buckled up and started the car. Justice was setting up the music in the car, as this is happening the man and woman sitting behind them walk out of the restaurant and stand outside arguing. All of a sudden, they watch the man slap the woman and walk to his car. Charley gets out and walks over to her asking if she's okay and let's the man know she's calling the cops. Justice continues to sit in the car and watch what's happening. The man stops and turns around to walk back to the woman and Charley. Justice turns to the backseats looking for something that could be used as a weapon if necessary and all she finds is a volleyball. She gets out and walks over to her mom and the woman and stands in front of them and the man.)

CHARLEY

Justice, get back in the car. 

JUSTICE

I'm good. 

(Justice looks at the man walking towards them and watches as he goes for his pocket.)

JUSTICE

What do you think you're doing?

(Justice continues to get yelled at by her mother about getting back in the car. The woman stands up and tells the man to leave and not come back. She'll be getting a restraining order on her and her family from him in the morning. Along with police protection for a few days. He stops what he's doing and walks back to his car and speeds off.)

JUSTICE

Alright, let's go. I'm already sketched and I don't want to be in this anymore. 

CHARLEY

Yep. Let's go.

JUSTICE

Mom. Next time something like this happens, please just mind your own business. It's better and safer for everyone. I don't know what could have happened, but I wasn't going to let you sit out there by yourself not knowing what either of those two were capable of. 

CHARLEY

You're right. I'm sorry.

JUSTICE

It's okay. Let's just go home now. 

News reading 10- The article I read talks about a nuclear attack on North Korea, how over 1/3 of Americans would be okay with dropping a nuclear weapon over North Korea, no matter if it meant killing about one million innocent people in the process. There was a poll that was taken with different scenarios, one with a casualty number of 5,000 and one with 1 million. There was no difference to the people that took this poll, they didn't care and still went with a nuclear attack. In the article, it stated, "If politicians don't expect voters to care about the difference between 5,000 and 1 million civilian casualties overseas, we probably can't expect that they'll care either." Which is a good point. People usually say something like this is a horrible decision and the casualties aren't worth it, but if the 1/3 of Americans that took the poll don't care about the difference of casualties, we really can't expect politicians too either. If the nuclear attack does happen, and there are several casualties, I feel as though that's when people will start to care and act like this shouldn't have happened. You can't act after something is done, the best time to act is before. So if needed, something can be done. I also think it's funny that the people okay with a nuclear attack happening are so okay with the amount of casualties that may occur, I can bet they'd be thinking differently if it were them on the line. How would they feel if it were us being targeted instead? They care then, but as long as it's not them, they couldn't care less. And that's not something I want to be apart of. I don't think there should be any nuclear attack of any kind. There can be a better way to fix things, better things to help other than war. War just seems to be the easiest path to take nowadays and that's really not okay. War doesn't solve anything but add more casualties and put more and more people at risk. I want to be done with any idea of war and move on to things that can be taken care of through talk or trade. Nuclear attacks aren't the move and neither is war.

News reading 9- The article that was just read is about suicides and first responders. It talks about how they are told at the beginning of the job to get a debriefing on what to expect. They have to end up seeing more dreadful and horrifying things that happen to people everyday than people who aren't in the police force. The statistics found in this article have said, "In a 10-day period this month, three NYPD officers, an LGBTQ liaison, and four other responders in Michigan, Minnesota, California, and Nevada have died by suicide." That's eight too many. I believe a lot of this also has to do with the type of things they see everyday and have to continue seeing throughout their job because this world is so messed up. The article also stated, "...there have been 97 law enforcement suicides verified by Blue HELP for 2019. An additional 46 fire/EMS suicides have been verified by the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance." Those are the "reflected confirmed suicides." Apparently, the "fire/EMS suicides are being under counted by as much as 60 percent." Something needs to be done. Suicides are something I don't want to keep expecting to happen. From experience, I agree that things should turn around. Everyone needs to do something to change these statistics and stop the suicides. The fact that people even think that it's their only way out and only thing to do to retrieve peace is horrifying. There's a lot to live for and there's a lot to deal with in life, but it all ends up being worth it. The things someone is put through shapes a person for the future. It all just comes down to how one handles those things.

Free Solo- The movie was a documentary about Alex, a man that free solo's. Which is climbing without ropes. A very dangerous sport. It talks about how much he loves climbing and how much he loves the feel of what he does. This documentary has observed that people like to know what's happening in one's life when they do something as risky as this. They like to know what motivates them so much to go and do what they love everyday and push their limits. Which is exactly what Alex does. Alex is the type of person that doesn't really react to a lot of emotions. He doesn't exactly have a good emotional relationship with anyone. So I understand that he doesn't understand that he may or may not be giving those around him a lot of stress and anxiety about what he does on the daily. I feel as though he should start to work on that but at the same time shouldn't. It's good to know that someone around you cares so deeply for you and wants the best for you, but when he's grown up like that all his life and has always just stuck to what he loves without thinking about how others would feel about it, it's hard to just change that instantly. I feel he should change that so he has more of a care about what would happen to him if he slips or falls and ends it all right there. Especially with the huge risks of free soloing. Things such as, death, making the wrong move, breaking bones, etc. It's a dangerous thing but it's hard to stop someone with such a great passion for it. I think that's a good point into why he doesn't have such an open mind on how people around him are feeling about what he does. He had stated in the beginning of the documentary that, "I would choose climbing over a girl any day." I don't know if this also goes for his mother or sister, but it's a good chance it does. I think knowing how people feel about something you love to do is a good things. Not always, but overall good. Throughout the movie, his peers have showed nothing but support and love for him, I'm pretty sure he realizes that, but at the same time, they also express the fear they have of him falling and bringing it all to an end. I think he understands what stress he's putting on them but also doesn't really care. He has a passion and love for something dear. Something that has been there for him since he was a little kid, when he didn't have anything else. He free soloed. And that shows a lot about how a lot about what happens around him doesn't really matter because of the huge amount of time he's spent climbing.

Thoughts on pooping- One implication of Zak Jason's treatment of pooping in the dark, without a phone or anything in hand is that it releases endorphins and can help with a proper rate of exit. Zak observes that it was like an immediate release when pooping in the dark. His point is that pooping with your phone in hand is threatening. He states, "Smartphones only make things harder, threatening bowel, rectal, and mental health, along with hygiene." I agree that pooping with your phone in hand doesn't exactly help you get it out and over with as fast, I haven't pooped in the total darkness and without my phone before, but my experience with pooping while on the phone only prolongs things and you end up sitting there far longer than you need to, so that confirms it. I personally don't think we should be using our phones while on the toilet but it's so much of a habit for me to have my phone in the bathroom, that I will turn around and go and grab it. It's like I can't poop without it. Of course, many will probably disagree on the grounds that pooping without your phone is dumb, so it may just take more evidence to convince everyone to really stop and not use their phones while on the toilet.

My walk- I was walking down the sidewalk, passing several areas of the large park I was walking in. Kids running around and jumping on the swirling seats and jungle gyms. Moms sitting on the benches with their heads tilted up towards the warm, bright sun, enjoying their little tanning time. A soft sound of the overfilled stream rushing through the trees and under the bridge. Everything in sight was just peaceful and calm. I kept walking toward the stoplights to go through the crosswalk and keep coming upon this little girl spinning in a swirling seat. Her arms and legs both sprawled out from the seat, her feet pushing her every few moments, and her head dangling down. I couldn't exactly tell what she was doing at first, I thought she was just being a silly child and spinning until she got sick. Trying to see how long she could go before she had to stop and take a quick breather before everything came out of her small stomach. But she just kept spinning, I decided to see if what she was doing was just so fun or just so calm. I walked to one of the several swirling chairs and sat down, I attempted to do the same thing she was and sprawl out, but those seats were just so small and I'm just so much taller then that small child. I walked up to her and asked, "are you having fun?" She didn't stop. So I figured she was scared and didn't want to talk to a stranger about how long she's been spinning or what she was even doing. So I understood, smiled and walked away. As I was walking I turn around and she still keeps spinning. She looked so stress free and happy, I wished I could try it myself. Too bad you have to grow up sometime, right? I got to Hardees and couldn't stop thinking about the small child. I took more of a thought into it and started to realize she was just trying to find a peaceful thing to do. Spinning and letting your face and body warm up in the sun with the sounds of the outdoors around you? One of the best things in life. She was probably imagining herself on a beach, laying next to the water and tanning like there's no tomorrow. Opening her eyes to dogs splashing through the water just to catch a Frisbee their owners throw for them. Seeing so many items of food along the pierre and a huge amusement park as well. Life at it's finest. She has a good imagination, and that says a lot.

News reading 8- The article was about abortion and women's rights. There are 24 democratic presidential candidates and they all had something to say about abortion and what they would do to enforce those things. In places that have anti-abortion laws, there are a few people that have come up with clever plans for "safeguarding abortion access." The Hyde Amendment is about banning federal funding on for most abortions, so some of the democratic candidates have "converged around a series of policies that would have seemed remarkably progressive just five years ago." The democratic candidates also move toward increasing and multilayered support for abortion rights, while republican candidates have "backed increasingly restrictive laws." In my opinion, abortion isn't the best thing to go with. There are other ways if someone decides they can't go through with having a child. I understand people that have abortions also probably know that as well, but if they know, why not go with another choice? I don't exactly support abortions, but I don't diss on them either. I agree that if someone feels as though they can't have a baby, they are too unstable, or too unprepared then yes, make a better life for that child and don't have it or give it to someone else. I personally think that if someone is pregnant, it is their choice to do what they please with their body. It's their body, not the doctors, not the "baby daddy," not the mother or father of the woman who is pregnant. It is and always will be, that woman's choice.

News reading 7- President Trump had put a tweet that had said, "Iran made a very big mistake!" I don't think this was the best thing to do in all honesty. The tweet in my eyes makes it seem as though he was threatening Iran over the internet for everyone to see. As though he was planning something and going to pursue it soon. There's a phrase, "the fog of war," and it talks about how when opposing sides are in the heat of conflict, they don't always know what's going on or how to take things. I think that's how the tweet that President Trump had uploaded could have gone so badly wrong. When stating things in person or over the internet, I feel as though people should be very more clear about what they are actually meaning.

Jordan Peele- Jordan Peele apparently assumes that people are a scary thing. How we all have a darkness and are capable of anything, especially around our peers. What Peele has said, I definitely agree with. It's completely valid. According to Peele, "It's what we're capable of when people are around us. We're capable of the worst monstrosities." In other words, he states that when around one of our biggest influencers (peers) we tend to do whatever we think would please them. How we would literally do anything to feel like we fit in or to fit in for that matter. While Peele is right that we are capable of anything around our peers, he seems on more dubious ground when he claims that, "Our fear can drive us to destroy somebody for the fear of being on the wrong side of the mob." I don't completely agree this statement. I understand "fear of being on the wrong side of the mob," but I've never witnessed someone go after another just to be welcomed into a group of people. I'm not saying I don't believe this though. I believe that some have done this, but there are also several people in this world that wouldn't hurt someone else to their benefit. We are capable of practically anything and everything. I don't disagree with that. A lot of people that have been on this earth have done some horrifying things. A lot for the fun of it and some for the point of protection or acceptance. What I mean when I say "for protection or acceptance," I'm talking about gangs mostly. Gangs or cults as examples have a lot to do with an initiation quest. Cults usually go for the killing of people and so do some gangs when it comes to initiation. They also go for jumping someone in. People go for gangs because in a lot of places there isn't anyway to have protection for their family alone. So becoming part of something bigger, would mean a better life for their family. Even if it does set them up with "bad" people. I put bad in quotations because not every gang that you hear of or see is horrible. Yes, bad things have happened or are being done throughout their whole movement, but a lot of it is trying to make enough to support their crew, families, and even neighborhoods sometimes. That's not really the point though. The point is, yes, people are influenced everyday by the people they are around, but not everyone has to do what their peers are going for. A lot of people push that away because they don't want to go after someone else for their own benefit. People are good. Not always, but that can change. Yes it is necessarily true that humanity is a scary thing and people are capable of anything but does that mean they're going to pursue that? Is it always the case, as I have been suggesting that people are all good? No. because honestly, who is all pure? Who do you know that's never once in their life done anything illegal or wrong? In my case, I've never once met someone that hasn't done a single "sin" sort of thing in their life. Yes, they are still good people. I'm not saying they aren't. You can do something bad and still be good.

The future- I believe that there won't really be a future for anyone on this planet in a few years. I honestly don't even think we'll make it close to 15 years in the future. With the way we're treating our planet, there's too much waste and pollution in the air and the water. Lead pollution in Flint, Michigan, plastics and other trash surrounding and in the ocean, oil leaks, and littering. I wish I could say what I'd really like to imagine the future being but with everything that's been said and happening, I doubt anything close to "flying cars" or even a world to live in will be here. I can only see there being a future if we start to pick up our acts. Stop littering, put fundraisers and donations out to clean the planet. When a famous building (I forgot the name of) burnt down there was so much money raised over night to rebuild and fix it. With about half of that we would have enough to clean the trash in the oceans. At least that'd be a start to picking up the planet and helping us and wildlife survive. If that were to happen, I could see us continuing to take care of the planet so we have a good 50 years or so left on the planet. In that time, I could see us making so many changes to our planets well being and then making everything better and upgrading everything. Maybe actually having flying cars in a few years. I mean, Tokyo seems to know what's it doing when it comes to upgrading. So I don't doubt that we wouldn't be able to as well. I love the planet and I love living on the planet. I want to be able to grow up and have kids of my own so they can write an essay about what they see in the future as well. Knowing we might not make in a few more years scares me, but it also pushes me to live my life to the fullest. Everyday is a new day and a new adventure.

News reading 6- In this article, it had talked about how a couple kids had gotten kicked out of their ROTC scholarships and the military for coming out as gay/lesbian/bi. There were only 3 kids in this article and probably more, just not said or talked about in this article. It's over one person in particular. He had gotten a scholarship to the University of Portland using ROTC and came out as being gay. He had stated that after this happened he was immediately kicked out of the military and told to resign from the scholarship. He claimed he didn't even know the ramifications of resigning from the scholarship when it was happening. About a week later he had realized he was going to be kicked out of school as well unless he got student loans. He's now 45 and still paying off student debt. Being kicked out of the military and having a full ride scholarship taken away from you because you open up about your sexuality and are finally comfortable with who you are is a terrifying thing for some LGBTQ members. Not knowing how people are going to react when you come out and then finding out that some people aren't as okay with it as you thought? I would be personally embarrassed and alone. Things like this shouldn't be an issue. I don't know why it is, but it is. It shouldn't be. It's an ugly thing and all anyone is trying to do when they come out to their families or peers is try and feel accepted and not alone.

Overrated- I personally think Netflix and Fortnite are becoming pretty overrated. A number of people have recently suggested the same, along with a few other things. A few people have observed that for Netflix and Fortnite when playing/watching you end up doing the same thing because it ends up being very few choices to continue with either things. In other words, these anonymous people believes they're both becoming just too plain and boring. I agree that Netflix and Fortnite have become too boring, because my experience with both of these confirms it. Netflix has very few good movie choices, the ones that are good I've already watched. I continue to just end up watching the same series over and over again in separate times because there's nothing to watch anymore. It doesn't even have "Rick and Morty." That's the most disappointing thing for me at the moment. With Fortnite, I've never really understood the point of the game. You just repeat the same things until you can unlock a new level and do the same things again. I've never really been into it. Although I grant that I still love watching Netflix, I still maintain that it's overrated. I'll probably start thinking differently when they add more shows and movies. For Fortnite, I may be more interested if they did something similar to what I was suggesting for Netflix. Maybe just add more obstacles and different avatars, make it less predictable.

News reading 5- The news post I read, talks about how shark attacks have gotten worse in the upcoming years. It explains how the attacks have to do with how, in the water we look more like their prey than anything. Surfers especially. Since their usual prey splashes as much as surfers do, they think they're prey. In 2019 total, there have been 36 shark attacks around the world. But the main thing that's been noticed is that most of the sharks attacks that have happened throughout the past years have been provoked. There's also a variety of sharks that have made the attacks. Not just great whites. Tiger and bull sharks, mako, nurse, lemon, and spinner sharks have also been the causes of attacks through the years. Something people can start to do to better the "already low chances" of getting in a shark attack is staying out of a known shark nursery ground. Avoid swimming during or after storms, it makes the water more cloudy and churn up the bait fish which lead to "shark feeding frenzies." Don't swim during dawn or dusk. There's a very low chance that people get into shark attacks, but there are also many reasons for why people are attacked. Splashing too much, provoking sharks, swimming in areas that you probably shouldn't and at certain times of the day. If you know it's a time of day that chances are higher for sharks to be around then you probably shouldn't be swimming.

Frederick Douglass Essay- One area in the book had me thinking a little bit. In Chapter 10, there's a part where he starts talking about religious slaveholders and how he never wants to be brought upon one again. He states, "...religious slaveholders are the worst," and continues to express how they're so much more mean and horrifying than non-religious slaveholders. This confuses me a little. In my opinion, I would have thought that there wouldn't be "religious slaveholders." That, that goes so far against their ways and what they believe in. Meaning, if someone is religious, I wouldn't see expect that person to go and harm another under God's name and still go and praise him and act like what he/she is doing is what he would want or is saying to do? I would have expected to see "religious slaveholders" as totally against what was happening and what other slaveholders are doing to human beings as completely horrifying and disgusting. I was expecting to see them as people that act as though they are there to torture and hurt their slaves but in reality be trying to save them from the others. Keep them protected and keep them from being beaten half to death everyday from walking a different way. After reading how he saw religious slaveholders, I see them as horrific people. I see anyone that was a slaveholder as a disgusting, ugly human.
I've never understood slavery. I never understood the point of beating ANOTHER human being half to death because of the color of their skin. I've heard a lot about why it turned out to be like this. Things such as, people were scared of the skin tone, they didn't find it normal. Or, they weren't human because they had a different skin tone. That because they had a different skin tone, it showed or in this case, proved, they were property and not human. Slavery will never make sense to me. The fact that the color of someone's skin can create that much hatred and distrust into people not of color is head turning to me. I don't know why or will ever know why people went to such great lengths to prove that they OWNED someone else because they were black. Reading things like, "...gave me a very severe whipping, cutting my back, causing the blood to run, and raising ridges on my flesh as large as my little finger" over and over again because they couldn't carry enough wood or continue working for 12 plus hours a day? NO. That's beyond disgusting and horrifying. That's something that doesn't even have a word to describe it because of how vicious and ugly it is. If someone is a different color then you, they are STILL a human being. They still bleed red, they still walk with two feet, they still have emotions, they can still be broken down. They aren't just nothing to be kicked around. I wish there could have been something done way before anything like this ever happened. I wish people would have just seen people with a different skin tone as people as well. Not as property.

News reading 4- This reading is about how Iran has decided to break the 2015 nuclear deal. They've announced that by June 27 (10 days away) they'll have enough low-enriched uranium for nuclear reactors. The deal was made between the US, Russia, European Powers, Iran, and China. It was made to stop Iran's path to a nuclear weapon and in-trade, get sanctions relief. Iran has apparently broken from the deal to compel either the US or European Powers to "loosen financial pressure." In my opinion, this mainly started when President Donald Trump had decided to take us out of the deal last year. When that happened, that meant that sanctions were reimposed and we had tried to block the European Powers from dealing with the country. That's now become a different story. Europe has been creating a "barter-trade system," which is where they would do business with Iran disregarding America's sanctions. I personally believe that would be a good idea. If Europe decides to do trade with them, Iran has agreed to follow the 2015 nuclear deal. This also means that Europe would have to give Iran, "access to the global financial system and grow business ties."

Alive- On the one hand review 1 argues that the movie was more of a compassionate film. When they eat the human flesh they were on more compassionate terms. It also talks about how the movie "draws considerable power from staying more human than heroic." On the other hand, review 2 contends that the movie wasn't that good. It was more of a "corny" film. That a lot of the events throughout the movie didn't exactly quit make sense. Things such as; the human flesh that looked more like chicken, and Nando recovering from a bad concussion. My own view is that I honestly agree with the first review of the movie. I personally thought it showed a lot of motivation and faith to keep moving and get through the crash. I did have some negative aspects to the movie as well. This is when I'd also agree to the second review. When they had to turn to cannibalism to survive, the pieces did very much look more like chicken then anything. Now, I understand it's a movie and they wouldn't actually eat real human flesh, but they could however make it more gruesome like and more similar then a piece of chicken. Overall, I definitely agreed more with review 1. I acknowledged the fact that most of them stayed more sane considering how long they were there and how hard it was to get through a 70 plus day stranding in the cold Andes Mountains. They all did their bidding and helped out with what they could. They all took care of each other and tried their best to keep everyone alive. Especially with the couple horrific events that happened. Those being said, the plane crash for one and then the avalanche that caught them all by surprise when they were sleeping. Killing more of the people in the plane. Review 1 agrees when he writes about them helping each other out and "staying more human than heroic." While I agree with review 1 up to a point, I cannot accept that they didn't act heroic at a few points throughout the movie. One example being, when Nando and Robert continued to walk towards the "green valley," they sent their third companion home and went on to get help. Whether they knew or not if they were actually going to hit the "green valley." I feel as though that was a pretty heroic moment. Yet some readers may challenge my view by insisting that's just what people do for each other. I understand that but I also don't agree with that. I would want to be rescued as badly as they do but to know what I'd be walking into leaving the plane and going into the many mountains. Along with how cold it was? No, I believe it to be very heroic, and there's nothing wrong with that. They saved everyone in the end because they had the willpower and faith to keep going and hit the "green valley" one of their team members had told them about.

News reading 3- The article states that people with mental illnesses and personality disorders are helped when in greener areas. It talks about how nature is a good boost for their mental and emotional states. They had found that rates of depression and/or anxiety would be lower in children raised in greener neighborhoods. It would show that they wouldn't be diagnosed with any mental illness. So with children being surrounded with higher levels of green space and then comparing to children that aren't around a good amount of green space, they hit a 55% chance of being diagnosed with a mental illness. They had done a study where they chose over 500 lots and either cleaned or greened them. They also did a poll on the residents before and after the transition to see how it helped them mentally. It was stated that, "residents of neighborhoods where lots had been greened were much healthier psychologically." The data also showed that, "Around greened lots the levels of feeling "depressed" dropped by 42 percent, feeling "worthless" by 51 percent, and having generally "poor mental health" by 63 percent." I like the thought of this study and the findings that came with it. I in a way do see where being around greener, more full of nature areas would help with someone's mental health. My dad lives out by the pactola reservoir, so when I drive out there, there's such a beautiful calming setting around me. It makes me feel more at peace with everything around me. there are hardly ever any cars driving past our house and that's relieving to me to not here the sounds of loud cars flying past our house. The sound of hearing birds chirp and the fresh smell of the morning breeze is just amazing. I personally agree to this study and what it's found out.

News reading 2- In an article about lead clean up and the cost of money it will take, it talks about how many benefits can come from it. Yes, it will cost a good billion dollars, but it could help us and the earth  so much more. I for one, would rather be alive for another 40 years then die in 5 years when I could have had the rest of my life in front of me. It also states that, "children exposed to more lead get worse grades in school, are more likely to become teen mothers, and are more likely to drink recklessly." When I read that quote I laughed. Lead? Causing us(teenagers) to drink more recklessly and become teen mothers? I don't in the slightest bit believe that. But I do somehow see where that's coming from. With how many things are messing with the earth and causing so much damage to it, we only have about 5 years left, I can see where more and more kids would want to go out and do more and live a little before that 5 years is up. Especially considering they/we "have" our whole lives ahead of us. It could be gone instantly and some wouldn't have even got the experience of graduating, going to college, committing to their dream job. I understand where that reasoning came from but I also see it as a lie. How can a substance turn us into wanting to become teen mothers, drink more, and have worse grades. If we didn't have close to about 5 years left unless this planet is picked up now, I don't think I would be able to see where the article was coming from when it said that.

While they rarely admit as much, we do just watch as a professional singer will sing the national anthem and that often takes for granted that we don't get to experience that joy or bravery anymore. We get to stand and wait to go back to the game and not do any work.  Peter Seeger observes that we as a group at certain events would sing the national anthem together. We would all go through the fear of being put on "blast" and trying to match the notes. But in all doing so, we'd be standing there with each other matching pitches or not, it'd show bravery for a lot of people. Nowadays, we sit and watch while someone else does the singing. Usually a single person. In the second quote, this person agrees with Peter Seeger when he writes, "The rest of simply do what we are going to do for the rest of the game: watch, listen, and enjoy as someone else demonstrates skill and courage." I agree that Peter Seeger has a point, because in my experiences at baseball games, basketball games, football games, etc, we all just stand and watch as someone takes the lead. My experience as a citizen arriving at the games confirms it.

News reading- In the news reading I read, it talked about how there must be something in the ultra-processed foods that causes us to overeat. An ultra-processed diet causes us to eat over 500 calories more than a minimally processed whole food. The article was going with something in the food affecting the gut microbiome. Meaning, with the many types of bacteria lining our stomach and colon, it can cause us to overeat and become more at risk of containing a chronic disease. This personally disgusts me. The fact that ultra-processed foods can hurt our bodies that badly is horrifying. There should be more rules and better actions taken to prevent what's being put in the food that we consume so much to continue to be put in our food. Things such as: not adding so many colors and additives, not pumping them so full of chemicals.

who am i? I'm a 17 year old girl that loves being outside during the summer and inside watching Netflix and being snuggled up under a blanket during the winter. I love being with my friends and going out. Camping and going to the lake are some examples. Sitting around the fire, talking and laughing, listening to music and just overall having a great time. Laying in the hammocks by the lake and having a small breeze glide across my face after a long day. Just being in the company of those I love makes my days the best they can be. I'm a happy, fun and caring person. I like being around positive vibes and good energy. I surround myself with people I know will always match my energy. People that bring negative vibes around me, I don't appreciate. I don't hesitate to kick negative energy out of my life the minute it starts causing problems for me or those around me. I understand the balance of negative and positive/good and bad, but I also know when I should allow myself to accept the negative coming into my life for a reason. I'm sort of a spiritual and peaceful person. I believe a lot about the zodiac signs, sun and moon symbols and Deja Vu. I love everything about what makes me, me. It overall changes me to make peace and find peace in everything that has and will happen. I don't fight unless pushed. I don't let things tear me down unless there's a good enough meaning to why I should be feeling the way that I'm being pointed to. I also love tattoos and piercings. All of my tattoos have meaning behind them. The small planet on my wrist resembles the love I have for the Solar System, the semi-colon on the back of my ankle represents suicide prevention and a reminder of those I've lost to suicide, the sun and moon along my thigh represents dark and light/good and bad/negative and positive. To me, I interpret those as meaning with every bad thing that happens there will be a good outcome/ with every dark night comes a bright day/ with every negative encounter there's a positive outlook. The mushroom on the inside of my ankle is a mother/daughter tattoo. The mushroom is supposed to symbolize good fortune. I have a small arrow on my lower stomach, close to my side. It resembles my zodiac sign, which would be a Sagittarius. I'm also adding the moon phases above my collar bone and a small wave on the inside of my left middle finger. The wave, to me, represents relaxation/calm. A reminder of surfing in Hawaii, Florida, and California. The moon phases resemble feminine energy. Some things it symbolizes are wisdom, reincarnation and spiritual connections. For the piercings, I plan on getting my belly button and septum pierced. I've always enjoyed the thought of getting them pierced, so I said, "Why not?" and plan on going on my birthday.