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End of the Year: Study Tips

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By Levi Kassinove

It’s the end of the year, and you’re probably cramming for finals. I’m here to teach you how to actually study efficiently, so that you don’t have to lose sleep. First off, for the night before the actual test, I personally don’t think you should study. The night before my APUSH test, despite several people telling me I was crazy, I didn’t review anything and relaxed the whole day. I got nine hours of sleep. By test day, I felt prepared and ready to take the exam. All of the knowledge you get from studying doesn’t get the chance to solidify if you don’t take a day off, in my opinion. Studying your head off the night before the test will only make you feel overwhelmed and probably forget a lot of what you studied. 

Without further ado, here are some of the best studying tips*:

  1. Eat well.

If you’re the type of person who eats either nothing at all or complete junk food, you’re going to fail at both life and your exam. Eat some actual fruit for once–stuff that’s not jam packed with artificial chemicals you see on ingredient labels like “blue 10” or “red 9.” And, try to eat an avocado. Those things are amazing. 

  1. Go through past quizzes.

One thing that I like to do before an exam is look through past quizzes. A lot of teachers either put similar questions to their old quizzes, or they just outright copy questions from their old quizzes. It’s definitely worth it to go through your old quizzes before taking a final. 

  1. Get good sleep.

We all know that getting enough sleep (ideally 9 hours, realistically 7-8) is good for studying. Try to have some self control with your phone. At 11 pm at night, ask yourself, “Would I rather continue scrolling through TikTok, or get enough sleep to secure a bright future?”

  1. Don’t memorize.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when studying is to only focus on memorizing facts. In any subject, it is much more useful to make sure you understand the concepts of your course. For instance, if I were studying for APUSH, instead of memorizing the fact that Lincoln won the election of 1860, I would rather try to understand why he won and what the effects of that election were. The latter study option allows you to answer a much broader range of questions, rather than hoping that the one specific fact you memorized is on the test. Even in math, as long as you understand the concepts and what’s actually happening in the problem, you could use logic to answer the question–even if you don’t directly know how to solve it. 

  1. Relax.

The best thing that you can do for yourself before an exam is to relax. Studying comes second. Constantly having test material bouncing around your head right before the test is not going to help you remember the material. Just relax, take deep breaths, and try to meditate. If you struggle with relaxation, I suggest that you practice meditation. It can change your life.

*The above study tips, while reasonable, come from the anecdotal knowledge of Mr. Kassinove and do not necessarily represent the educational community at large.

Reptiles as Pets are Underrated

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By Sienna Price, Animal Activist

When I ask people, “Do you have any pets?” they rarely answer with I have a reptile. However, I, Sienna Price, have a bearded dragon. I think a reptile is one of the best pets. The main reason I got my bearded dragon, Tuk Tuk, was because during lockdown I really wanted a friend and a distraction from what was happening. 

Reptiles are interesting and make a very fun pet. Depending on the animal, reptiles can be relatively low maintenance. I would say bearded dragons are fairly low maintenance if you know what you’re doing. I researched A LOT before getting Tuk Tuk, and it still took some time after I got him to work things out. I got a bearded dragon because they are said to be the friendliest reptiles, but I think it’s like any animal. You can still get some that are not friendly.  Luckily for me, Tuk has the biggest personality and is very friendly and sociable, but again I am glad I did research before getting him. I know if he’s stressed or if he’s hungry and even if he wants to come out of his enclosure. When Tuk Tuk scrapes his cage he wants to come out, and when he has ring markings on his stomach he’s stressed. The most popular reptiles as pets are leopard geckos, bearded dragons, blue tongued skinks, snakes and chameleons. Of course, there are many different types of species of snakes and chameleons, so make sure you understand the needs of the specific species. 

Tuk Tuk in his holiday attire. You can get your own lizard Santa suit at PetCo.

Note, reptiles are not the easiest pets. You really need to know what you are doing. Everyone knows the basic needs of a dog without even owning one because dogs are so popular. If reptiles were more popular, I think their basic needs would be well known, too. They are also not the cheapest of pets to own–depending on the reptile you have. Tuk’s terrarium, which is forty gallons, cost around 200 dollars, and I would say forty gallons is the bare minimum for a bearded dragon. I have actually ordered Tuk Tuk a bigger terrarium that is one hundred and twenty gallons! It was a really good deal that I could not pass up. So, I think Tuk will be happy with my new purchase! Once you get your whole setup done, it does get cheaper again depending on the reptile. With Tuk, I order bugs to my house every two weeks, but I will feed him less as he gets older so it will get cheaper. And, note, many reptiles need heat lamps and a UVB light.

Before deciding on your next pet, I would strongly recommend considering a reptile. (As I just typed that sentence Tuk Tuk licked my leg.) Tuk Tuk brings me so much joy even if he is not the smartest sometimes. For example, yesterday he decided to jump off my bed. Don’t worry; my bed is really low to the ground, and he is okay. Thank you for reading, and, remember, next time, consider a reptile.

I Had Acne, Too, & I’m Here To Help

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By Jessica Denyer, thebirdonfire.org Editor-in-Chief

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone in the entire world has had at least a pimple in  life. Acne and general skin problems are recurring issues that billions of people deal with every day. I was one of them. I know how terrible it is to feel like you need to hide your face under pounds of makeup or try a new skin product every week. For those of you still suffering, I am here to help! Please, just listen!

Throughout most of middle-school and into my high-school years, I dealt with progressively worsening acne. It was really bad. No, like really bad. I have spent many nights crying into my serums just wishing that some day one of them would finally be the magic fix I needed. I know when I write these things, I’m really personal, but I know I’m not alone here, and I seriously want to help. 

I tried Clearasil. I tried Cetaphil. I tried every drug store brand. I tried every expensive brand. I tried Microblading. I tried special facials. I tried prescription creams and pills. NOTHING. Around the end of freshman year it was really starting to take a toll on me. Mentally, I was exhausted, and it was making me depressed. I would turn down plans regularly, and people would even try to talk to me in regards to my acne. “Have you tried….?” “Do you wash your face?” “You’d be so pretty if you could just get the acne under control.” Yes, these are all real comments I would get on a regular basis. Not to be dramatic, but it was totally ruining my life. I was at my wits’ end, until I heard about a skin expert and acne specialist named Nicole and her company Meta Skin Studio which was located in downtown Palm Springs but has since moved to Borrego Springs.

Nicole Mandallaz, or as I simply know her, Nicole, has been in the esthetics industry for over 13 years and has worked on everyone from Hollywood celebrities to little old me. For her, skincare isn’t just about getting the check; it’s about helping people and making them feel as confident as possible in their own skin.

Now, of course, I was skeptical, but anyone that knows me knows that I am never one to give up. I went home and checked out her website, and it seemed promising. I booked an appointment with her, and when I got there she was so lovely, and I could tell right away she was going to help me. I remember my mom even leaned over to me and said, “I think this one might finally work!” She assessed my skin, but also went on to ask me about my diet and regular habits. She was very detailed and wanted to know everything about me. No one else had ever gone into such detail. I think the thing I liked most about Nicole was the fact that she didn’t make me feel disgusted about my skin. She made me feel comfortable and confident that she was going to get me looking right. 

So besides her wonderful personality, what makes Nicole so special?

Nicole’s products contain ethically sourced, active plant extracts and botanicals that haven’t been diluted like most skincare companies, and they have research-backed results. Her products are all cruelty free, and her packaging is all completely environmentally friendly. I started on a special acne treatment of various products that she had hand picked for me, and she told me to try cutting out sugar, as my skin was inflamed, and sugar apparently contributes to that. After doing this for only two days, I couldn’t believe the immediate results I was having. My skin was less red; the acne itself had gone down, and the rest of my face was soft and smooth. I continued my treatment for six months, and by that time my acne was completely healed. Of course, I still get the occasional zit, who doesn’t? But, overall, my skin was perfect compared to how it once was. Now I use a different set of everyday products from her to keep my skin clear. 

So, what is the point of me writing this? So that the good people of this school who may also be dealing with similar skin issues as I did can finally have some relief. Meta Skin Studio is a small business whose products really work, and I want as many people to know about it as possible both for the prosperity of your skin and her great business. 

A message from Nicole:

“You can think you’re doing everything right from what you read on the internet, but treating acne takes many things internally and externally to help you get clear. It’s not going to be as easy as taking a couple pills or using a few creams, and everyone is unique. What I do is help give you tools to manage acne for the long run. The results are all you, I just help along the way.”


Nicole has relocated recently to her beautiful new spot in Borrego Springs. If that feels too far a drive, you can have an online meeting with her and send her photos of your skin. She can give you an assessment remotely. 

If you want to learn more, reach out to Nicole at (760) 835-2004 or at www.metaskinstudio.com. 

Why do People Love to Hate?

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An Editorial and Explanation by Abigail Horwitt

According to my classmates, I am known to hate people. I wouldn’t say it’s something to be proud of, but it is something normal among people. Let me explain the reasons behind why people enjoy hating other people. 

First of all, what is hate? According to medicine.net, “Hate is the feeling of intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or a sense of injury.” Enough hatred towards a person can lead to hurting them, or even yourself.  Everyone has gone through uncomfortable hatred at some point, either after being betrayed, or hurt physically or emotionally. Yes, it is normal to have hateful thoughts sometimes, but having the feeling of hatred build up for a certain period of time can mess with your mind and body. It can also bring out more negative thoughts and feelings which can affect personal and general relationships. On the other hand, hatred can change the chemistry inside your brain by stimulating the area in your brain that is responsible for planning and putting actions into motion (medicine.net). This part of your brain will trigger aggression, causing you to either defend or attack. While that is happening, your brain will increase two of your hormones called cortisol and adrenaline which can cause things like weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and other chronic illnesses (medicine.net). The feeling of hate can further trigger anxiety, restlessness, overthinking, and paranoia. Very often your brain will try and predict what the person you hate might say to defend themselves against you. Overall, hatred can take a major toll on your mind and body, to the point where if you hate for too long, it could completely affect and hurt your mental health. Your body’s nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system are also negatively affected by hating someone. Having these extreme emotions can also trigger the release of stress hormones in your brain, and over time the stress hormones can cause inflammation throughout your body that can result in serious health consequences (medicine.net). The more intense your emotions become and the more you hold on to the hatred the more it affects your body. 

Love isn’t actually the opposite of hate. Love is the feeling of deep affection towards someone. The actual opposite of hate is mental and emotional indifference. Why? The reason for hate not being the opposite of love is because hatred is a form of attachment to the thing or person you hate the most. Instead of affection towards someone, the feeling of hate can falsely inflate the ego and creates a false sense of superiority and self-righteousness against the thing or person who is hated (medicine.net). What makes you feel better about hating?

Finding someone to hate with you.

The Science of People site asks, is the cliché true that “No bond is stronger than two people who hate the same person?” (scienceofpeople.com). Research out of the University of South Florida has discovered that people who are able to share their negative feelings towards someone compared to those who share positive feelings are more likely to form a stronger bond. So, that cliche does actually have some truth to it.

Even though hatred is socially unacceptable on most occasions, it’s natural; we’ve all felt it. Careful: hatred can be intoxicating. When we hate enough to share our strong feelings, we often find like minds, and people bond–but not in a necessarily healthy way (scienceofpeople.com).

Medicine.net recommends we acknowledge our feelings of hatred and find a solution to the problem; bring down our blood pressure; understand the root cause of our hate; and do something about it. Very often, the root of hatred is insecurity and mistrust. So, build and gather the tools you need to strengthen.

Top 5 College Majors You Should Reconsider

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By Levi Kassinove

It’s the end of the year. Graduating high-school seniors are signing up for next fall’s college courses, which means they’ve already made some decisions about what discipline they’re going to major in. This is a list of the majors that I think** you shouldn’t go into. Let me explain my reasoning. 

The undergraduate majors in this list aren’t necessarily the most useless ones, just the ones I personally dislike. If I offend anyone, hopefully it’s not someone I know personally. Also, this list is not in any particular order. 

*Levi’s Disclaimer: Do not take my advice seriously. Go into anything you want.

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies

It’s the study of leisure. This is the major for people who want to create summer camps, become a recreational therapist, and design parks. That’s fine, but my question is: Why? Why would you want to spend your time in college learning about recreation, which is something we all take part in regardless of the presence of government-provided recreational services. You could learn about something that actually advances the world. Creating a park designed for maximum leisure isn’t going to stop wars. It’s not going to advance our scientific knowledge. So, it just seems like a waste of time and potential to me. 

Computer Science

Too many CS students only sign up for the money that comes with computer-science-related jobs. Says Michigan Computer-Science Professor Igor Markov, “Based on my recent teaching experience, there are definitely many students signing up for CS majors who aren’t prepared enough and have difficulty getting through foundational material” (Forbes). I say, it’s a fine major, but it’s too popular. We don’t need a million people trying to be computer scientists.

Junior High/Middle School Education

The people who have the patience to teach kids in middle school are a godsend, but it’s not something that I’d do for a million dollars. 

Astronomy

I love looking at the stars, and I’d love to have a nice telescope for astrophotography, but learning about space is something that doesn’t interest me at all. I feel that the secrets of the universe are more easily discovered at the quantum scale rather than astronomical. Also, you won’t become the next Stephen Hawking. Realistically, you’re gonna end up recording data for the rest of your life. You aren’t smart enough to become a theoretical physicist surrounded by giant chalkboards with equations written everywhere. 

Pre-law/Criminal Justice

Too many movies depict lawyers as the most arrogant and pretentious people in the room. They’re right. I participated in Mock Trial once, and some of the “attorneys” were infuriatingly rude. There was one girl who kept cutting me off in the middle of my testimony! She would ask, “Did you see Jamie and Eric arguing at Jamie’s mother’s funeral?” and I would respond, “Yes, but-” and she would cut me off right there. Now, that might just be my anecdotal experience, but according to law gazette.co.uk, the general public views lawyers as “arrogant, disinterested or unapproachable.” And, on top of being viewed as an arrogant lawyer, you may end up defending people that strike against your moral compass. Criminal defense lawyers often have to defend clients against charges of pedophilia, murderer, rape, and other unsavory acts. So, unless you want to be viewed as a narcissist while also having to defend the worst people of society (if you choose to be a criminal defense lawyer), getting into law is a bad idea. 

While these are my least favorite majors, most of them are still useful to the world. But, I ask: How do lawyers deal with the guilt? And, thank you middle-school teachers. Also, I used to love running around the playground and sliding down slides; so, I guess I have Leisure Studies majors to thank for that. If any of these majors are right for you, it’s not my place to say it isn’t. But, I hope I convinced you to re-think that career in law. 

*Our Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Levi Kassinove are solely his own and not necessarily those of thebirdonfire.org.

Book v. Book

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By Alyna Rei, thebirdonfire Book Critic

Today, I will compare two of my favorite books, both of which have changed my way of seeing romance: Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas and Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Both of these books are popular for the younger adult group and the rom-com readers. Spoiler alert! If you are planning on reading these books, read a different article on thebirdonfire.

Spanish Love Deception~


Backstory-

The book starts off with our female character Lina (Catalina) Martin and her “enemy,” Aaron Blackford. Both co-workers vie for the same spot of team leader. Both work as engineers with high ranking jobs. Lina is struggling to find a date for her sister’s wedding. Aaron is willing to be her plus one, but Lina automatically declines due to them not getting along. They have no chemistry, she thinks. As we dive deeper into the story, Lina realizes she’s never really hated Aaron. Both fall in love and live happily ever after the end. 

Thoughts-

This book is easily one of my favorite books. I read specific scenes just to get the story back into my head. I love how Aaron has eyes for Lina and only Lina. The romantic gestures such as Aaron learning a new language for Lina and Aaron having his full attention on Lina make the plot way better.

The Love Hypothesis~

Backstory-

We meet  Olive, a Stanford PhD who studies Pancreatic Cancer. She has to convince herself that she’s over her crush; to prove it, she ends up kissing our main male character, Adam Carlsen. Adam Carlsen is a department professor. No student likes him due to his strict and manipulative teaching. Both end up having to fake date and convince people they are in love so that Olive can convince her friends that she’s over her crush and Adam can convince the department he’s not leaving for Harvard. They swear they won’t fall in love. It’s easy in the beginning, but fake dating can escalate. 

Thoughts- 

When I read this book, I read it in one day. It was pretty good. I appreciate how Olive is a strong independent woman and how she’s so determined to achieve her goals. I also enjoy Adam’s cold behavior with Olive’s bright personality because even though one character is cold and one character is very bright, there can be this sort of balance between the characters that make the story more interesting and attention grabbing–a little like Beauty and the Beast.

Comparing the two-

Let’s talk about the romantic scenes first. In Spanish Love Deception, we are shown Aaron’s affection towards Lina. We see how both people love each other deeply and nothing is awkward between them. For The Love Hypothesis, in my opinion, Adam is kind of awkward. It’s like he needs a lesson about loving someone. I see how Olive has to take the first step. Nothing is wrong with that, but it would be nice to see Adam show some affection. 

With these two books, I feel like it would be nice to see a point of view from the male’s side rather than just seeing a woman’s perspective. The reader needs to see how the male is feeling and what they truly feel. The book would be ten times better with a male’s point of view at some point.

I would like to see a book truly mean what it’s meant to be about. If I’m going to read an enemies-to-lovers book, the characters should be enemies that hate each other. Or, if I’m going to read friends to lovers, I would like to see two friends with no romantic connections and build on from there. We can see how in The Love Hypothesis, Adam and Olive go from strangers to friends to lovers. In Spanish Love Deception, it’s claimed that the pair are enemies and can’t stand each other. But, reading on, I see that the characters don’t feel true hatred towards each other. 

Which book do I like better?-

Both of these books have flaws, but every book has something to improve or has some sort of flaw. In my opinion, Aaron’s affection towards Lina just made the book a little better than Adam’s awkwardness in The Love Hypothesis. I love both books, but you would see me pick up Spanish Love Deception again before The Love Hypothesis.

How To Do Anything You Want In Your Dreams

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By Oliver Martinez, Middle-Schooler with an Opinion and a Dream

If you don’t live under a rock then you probably have heard the phrase “everything is possible.” This is partially true, as some things like going back in time or reviving the dinosaurs are impossible. But, there is one way to make it possible–in our dreams. Anything is possible in our dreams: we can fly, go back in time, be rich; the list goes on. But how can we do this? It’s called lucid dreaming. You may remember Levi’s post on Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming in “Has Levi Been to Area 51?” Lucid dreaming is the act in which you become aware of what you’re dreaming and you’re sometimes able to control the dream. 

Oliver and Levi wishfully dreaming.

How can you have a lucid dream? According to healthline.com, there are a couple reliable ways to test if you’re lucid dreaming. Here are a few:

  1. Test reality. Testing reality is the process of asking yourself if you’re dreaming, or if what’s happening is real. Experts suggest doing this every 2-3 hours. Wake up; ask yourself “am I dreaming?”
  2. Get a good sleep routine. Try to sleep a good amount of hours each night. Around 8-10 hours of sleep is ideal. Also, try not to take in caffeine and peer into a computer screen before sleeping as both can affect dreams in a negative way. 
  3. Keep a dream journal. Keeping a journal with all the dreams you’ve had is a good way to force the brain into remembering each dream. This can affect your dreams as it increases the chances of you realizing you’re in a lucid dream.

Sadly, there is a downside to things we find good. According to WebMD, lucid dreams can lower your sleep quality. They can also make it harder to fall back asleep if you’ve woken up. Imagine waking up after having a lucid dream about somebody chasing you, or falling from a cliff. This can seriously make it hard to fall asleep again.

I have personally experienced a lucid dream, and I found it really interesting and crazy how real it felt. In the dream I was running through some mountains, but after going so fast I fell into a river. Right before touching the water I woke up. I was nervous, but around 10 minutes later I fell asleep. In my opinion, you should definitely try these methods to have a lucid dream yourself as they are very exciting and are definitely an experience you would want to live through and share with others.

The Only Music You Should Listen To This Spring

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Each season, Luke makes a playlist for the ride home. His winter list had 150 songs. Now, he begins compiling his spring list. You might want to borrow a few.

By Luke Sonderman

As we are approaching the last few weeks of winter, it is time for me to collect the music I will be listening to until summer comes around. The gloom of December is gone, and the energy and sunshine of spring is coming. 

I’m going to start off the playlist with something energetic. Jane’s Addiction is a Los Angeles alternative rock band that has been around since the late 80’s (allmusic.com). With lead man Perry Farrell along with guitarist Dave Navarro, Jane’s Addiction changed the game of music forever. Through adding funk and style to their music, Jane’s Addiction owned their own genre that no one had ever heard before. With major hits like “Jane Says” and “Been Caught Stealing,” Jane’s Addiction well deserves being on this list. If I had to add one song by Jane’s Addiction, it would have to be either “Just Because” or “Stop!”

Next up on the playlist would probably be something by the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighters, led by legendary drummer, songwriter, and guitarist, Dave Grohl might be one of my favorite artists of all time. The Foo Fighters were born out of Dave Grohl’s rise to songwriting after the death of Kurt Cobain, singer for Nirvana for whom Dave Grohl was the drummer. The first song on my winter playlist was the Foo Fighters’ “Something From Nothing” from their hit album, Sonic Highways. Now, I want to add something a bit more powerful. I would say that the most powerful and energetic album by the Foo Fighters would be In Your Honor. If I had to pick one song from In Your Honor to be on this list, it would probably be “No Way Back,” which is up-beat, and LOUD!

Since I’m grabbing a lot of post-90’s songs, maybe it’s time to add something a bit older. My favorite classic rock band, Led Zeppelin, has some crazy songs to add to this list. With energetic singer Robert Plant, legendary drummer John Bonham, tasteful guitarist Jimmy Page, and the great bassist John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin rocked the 70’s. My favorite album is Houses Of The Holy, and, for this playlist, I will probably add “D’yer Mak’er” which is a groovy, layback song that anyone can dance along to. 

Moving up from the 70’s to the 80’s, we have my favorite hard rock band, Motley Crue. Motley Crue rocked Los Angeles in the 80’s playing sold-out shows for massive crowds with their hit albums Shout At The Devil, Dr. Feelgood, Girls Girls Girls, Too Fast for Love, and Theater of Pain. There weren’t any Motley Crue songs on my last playlist, but for spring, I am adding “Red Hot,” “Dr. Feelgood,” and “Smokin’ In The Boys Room.”

Finally, my favorite band is Manchester Orchestra. The band has songs for every season of the year. Don’t be alarmed, Manchester Orchestra isn’t actually an orchestra but a vast multi-genre rock band that released its first album I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child in 2006 when frontman Andy Hull was just around 20 years old (allmusic.com). The band really took off in 2009 with their album Mean Everything To Nothing, which ranked on the Billboard Top 40. Manchester wrote many songs that made it on my winter album such as “The Alien,” “The Gold,” “Girl Harbor,” “The Sunshine,” and many others that I would recommend anyone listen to on a cloudy day. For the upcoming spring season, I add happier songs like “My Friend Marcus,” “In My Teeth,” “Shake It Out,” “Pensacola,” and “I’ve Got Friends.”

Now, this list doesn’t even cover half of my spring list, but this is what I have come up with so far. I encourage you to listen to any of these songs as they are all songs I listen to on repeat. Although I am sad that my winter music time is almost over, I am super excited to dig into my spring playlist.

Raising Canes Is Overrated and You’re Wrong

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Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is a fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in chicken fingers. They recently opened at 5601 Ramon Road, in Palm Springs, California. Is Cane’s worth the hype? Is Cane’s even good, other than the fact that it’s blowing up on social media? Luke Sonderman tells us about other fried chicken that is superior to Raising Cane’s. Is Cane’s chicken too bland? Too cold? Not worth it? Well, we’re about to find out thanks to Luke’s straightforward review. —  Editor Ani Madanyan

By Luke Sonderman, Chicken Connoisseur

Fried chicken is a very important piece of American cuisine. Recently, the newest fried chicken sensation has been the glorious fried-chicken sandwich which has spread to fried-chicken joints all over the world, even in our Coachella Valley. 

My favorite fried-chicken place in the Coachella Valley is Dave’s Hot Chicken on Jackson Street in Indio. Dave’s Hot Chicken serves massive chicken tenders and chicken sliders. While ordering, you get to pick your spiciness level from Lite Mild to Reaper (which is so spicy, it requires the consumer to agree to a waiver before ordering). 

Dave’s Hot Chicken hotness waiver

Number 2 on my list would have to be Popeye’s Louisiana Chicken on Varner Road in Palm Desert. I have been eating at this Popeye’s since before I can remember. Popeye’s not only serves tenders and delicious sandwiches but also bone-in chicken, unlike most other fried chicken places in the Coachella Valley. I usually order their spicy-fried-chicken sandwich or their spicy tenders. 

Before I trigger all of the die-hard Cane’s fans, let’s just hate on Kentucky Fried Chicken for a little bit. I have to admit, their bone-in chicken is pretty good. But their popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, and chicken sandwich??? I’d rather eat sand. Their chicken tenders and sandwich are completely dry and have way too much black pepper on them. 

Although we don’t have one in the Coachella Valley (for now), I have to give Chick-Fil-A some appreciation. Chick-Fil-A is by far my favorite fried-chicken joint and fast-food restaurant outside the Coachella Valley. They have the juiciest chicken in their sandwiches and their tenders along with the tastiest buttered buns with two pickle slices. Their waffle-weave fries are so waffley they’re out of this world. On top of that, their milkshakes are the best milkshakes out of every fast-food joint in the United States. They do something to the milkshakes, I don’t know what, but they are so good.

Finally, this one is for all the Raising Cane’s fans out there. YOU’RE WRONG. Raising Cane’s is not even close to the best fried-chicken joint out there. Yeah, their tenders aren’t too bad, but what’s all the hype about? Their menu is super basic, and everything is so plain. They completely copied Del Taco’s crinkle-cut fries, which aren’t even that good to begin with. I went to the newly opened Palm Springs location and waited over an hour in a super-slow drive through just to receive cold chicken, a missing piece of toast, and a lemonade full of melted ice. And, after being open only a month, there has already been a corpse found in front of Raising Cane’s (kesq.com). 

So, if you don’t want plain cold chicken, or if you don’t want to be found dead in the parking lot, you may not want to wait an hour in the drive-through at Raising Cane’s Chicken. Get some Dave’s Hot Chicken instead. 

Armpit-gate

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Hopefully, we all regularly use deodorant for our day-to-day lives. We don’t give much thought to it though, and the reality is that there are questions that need answering. What’s the deal with aluminum? Why are “clean deodorants” better than extra strength? This week, conspiracy theorist Jessica Denyer goes armpit-deep in the world of Big Deodorant to expose their dirty secrets. – Editor Levi Kassinove

By Jessica Denyer

I have a conspiracy theory. The last time you went to buy deodorant you probably noticed that there are a few new brands such as Native or Schmidts who are advertising their “clean” deodorants. The main feature of these deodorants is that they are aluminum free. Popular brands like Secret and Dove are also trying to capitalize on this new clean deodorant market. But what does aluminum free in our deodorants even mean? Is aluminum bad for you? What is the deal with these new deodorants? These are questions I asked. 

Now before I start this, I feel like I have to clarify a confusing fact. Antiperspirant is made to stop you from sweating so much. Deodorant is to make you smell less bad. However, nowadays deodorant companies have antiperspirant in them but still advertise them as deodorants. The antiperspirant part is the part that has the aluminum. (Healthline.com)

After a research dive into the internet, I learned that sweat itself does not have a smell, but when it touches your bacteria-ridden skin it does. When the sweat touches the skin of your armpit, which is a warm dark place, the bacteria on your skin mixes with your sweat to give you that classic armpit funk. This is what deodorant is for. It is meant to deodorize, or really remove bacteria from your armpits, or hide smell. WebMD says, “Deodorants offer two forms of protection against odor. The first is antimicrobial properties that reduce the number of bacteria producing odor. The second is a fragrance that masks odor that is produced” (webmd.com). A common concern is that aluminum in antiperspirant/deodorants can cause breast cancer and other not-so-great things, so many choose to avoid aluminum in antiperspirants. The American Cancer Society says, however, that there is no scientific evidence of the link. (Healthline.com)

This got me thinking. I have always been someone who would buy extra strength or clinical strength deodorant out of fear of smelling bad. I’ve always been an athlete, and we live in the desert heat, so sweating is an understandable fear. I would still find myself having to re-apply multiple times a day to achieve my goal of no smell. I would always think to myself, “Geez, it’s not like I have a sweating problem, imagine the people that do. What would they even use?” 

Fast forward on my conspiracy journey to summer of 2021. I was standing in the deodorant aisle at Target, and I decided to smell the Native deodorant for fun. Native claims to be aluminum free, vegan, and cruelty free. I had no plan to buy one as I figured if the extra strength deodorant doesn’t work, the clean deodorant would do absolutely nothing for me. However, I smelled one of them, and it smelled so good that I decided to buy a travel-sized one. The next day I applied it just in the morning, and throughout the day I could smell only the deodorant. By the end of the day, I realized that the deodorant not only kept the “funk” away, but the smell of the deodorant itself was fragrant and lasted all day long. This inspired more research which leads to my actual conspiracy.

So, if the old regular deodorant doesn’t work, and the clinical/extra-strength deodorant only kind of works, then why all of a sudden does this new clean deodorant do the trick? What do they have figured out that everyone else doesn’t? Or do they…

I began researching ingredients, and Native’s website clearly and plainly states that they use baking soda and magnesium hydroxide to act as the antibacterial (anti-stink) component of their deodorant. These are both extremely common things found in everything from antacids to toothpaste and are harmless to the body. There are only 10 ingredients in their extremely effective deodorant, and all of them are natural (Native). On the flip side, when you go onto the Secret website and go to their line of aluminum-free deodorants, they do not list ingredients, just very blankly state that they are just aluminum free (Secret). This is where my conspiracy was born.

Now, technically I have nothing to back this up, but due to this circumstantial evidence, I am now a firm believer in this claim: I think that big deodorant brands choose to leave out a component (natural or not) that is completely anti-stink so that you have to use their product more often and therefore buy more. I feel like this is not too outlandish of a claim. Where before I was buying a deodorant every 2-3 months, I have now been using the same stick for almost 6 months. 

Believe me or don’t, but either way I recommend switching to any deodorant that is aluminum free. 

Drop a comment if you’re with me here.