Op-Ed Archives - Page 2 of 9 - the bird on fire

What’s Your Favorite Color?

November 28, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By 8th-Grader Jackie Doyle Padgett

We have a new addition to the Blog Staff: Jackie Padgett. Jackie breaks out with great enthusiasm for her favorite color: Orange. According to Jackie, the vibrant color of citrus fruit just doesn’t get enough representation and not nearly good enough press. She’s here to change your mind.

Knowing someone’s favorite color is probably one of the most asked questions when you meet someone–after asking their name of course. It’s used to start a lot of small talk. Well, my favorite color is orange. It’s one of those colors people either love or hate (According to Color Matters).

You may have seen results of the Statistics class surveys (posted outside of MS E-3, aka Mr. Gil’s room). Statistics class members went around the school asking people’s opinions on things. One Statistics group asked people What‘s your favorite color? On the posted findings, I noticed that no one said “Orange.” Orange didn’t even make it on the graph. This inspired me to change people’s minds about the disliked color orange. It deserves some spotlight, and, who knows, maybe after these facts, it will be your new favorite color.

HISTORY OF ORANGE

Surprisingly, orange didn’t really have a name until the 16th century (MyModernMet). It was mostly called yellow-red, but when orange trees were brought to Europe, people saw the vibrant fruit and named the color after it. Orange was used a lot by painters in 1809 after the first fully orange color was produced around 10 years prior (Pigments through the Ages). Van Gogh used shades of orange in a lot of his paintings to contrast the blues, purples, and blacks (Van Gogh Museum). Monet also incorporated lots of oranges in his work–mainly in sunsets and flowers.

THE MEANING OF ORANGE

With basic art knowledge, you should know that orange is a mix of red and yellow. Red is used in many things like stoplights/signs which are meant to capture your attention. Wearing red tends to give people confidence. Yellow tends to help people’s memory (SpringerOpen), and, apparently, wearing yellow makes people try to engage in a conversation. It makes people feel more active/talkative (SensationalColor). That’s why when you wake up, you might feel a lot more energetic after going outside and seeing the sun. Orange is said to project confidence and energy but also optimism. When you wear orange, it might make you more outgoing and adventurous because it’s such a bright color.

ADVERTISING

Thus, many famous companies use orange for advertising:

Snapple
Reeses
Nickelodeon
Dunkin
Amazon

They do this because the right color combo draws attention. This is similar to when on the highway some people will turn their billboards upside down to make you look. The companies who use orange are mostly toy stores, gift shops, and food places. Orange can symbolize cheap but good quality. So, if you’re shopping on Amazon and see that little orange arrow, it sparks a little voice in your head that pulls you in if you’re looking for good deals (even though they might not be). Also, children are more likely to pick up or play with things that are orange (TreeFrog.). They’re drawn to it. See Nickelodeon; it could’ve been any color, but Nickelodeon executives chose orange.

Orange will forever be my favorite color. I expect to see it on the next-color related chart (Statistics Class, I’m looking at you.). If you have any fun facts about your favorite color, feel free to share it in the comments below!

Hot Take: Biden Deserves a Second Term, and He’s Probably Going to Get One

November 3, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Senior Indiana Behr

In the last of our Controversial/Unpopular Opinions post, Indy vouches for President Joe Biden. Indy says, yes, Biden is a viable shot for a second term. Indy is not afraid to stand, possibly, outside popular opinion.

President Biden at his 2012 Inauguration (Photo Source: today.com)

Note: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made an announcement on October 9 that he will be running for President as an Independent due to his opposition to the Democratic National Committee’s public support of Joe Biden. This means Kennedy will likely be on the ballot in the general election in several states. This article was drafted prior to the RFK announcement.
–Indy

Full disclosure: My positions often align with the Democratic Party. As such, given the current field of the Democratic 2024 Presidential Primary, the state of our nation, and the current administration’s performance, I think that Joe Biden is the best option in 2024. However, I think he currently is not doing well in approval ratings and in his primary. I do think he will be reelected, but I think the election will be closer than I would have predicted a few months ago.

Polling shows that I am in the minority. Both Democrats (and most Americans) want younger, newer, candidates. Biden is winning pretty much all primary polls, but the alternatives are Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson. Kennedy is the son of Robert F. Kennedy, and is an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who is only prominent because of his last name. Williamson, who also ran in 2020, is a spiritual guru who once said amidst the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1992 that “sickness is an illusion and does not actually exist.”

On the other side of the aisle, Republicans are coalescing around former President Donald Trump. Though at one point it seemed like the primary might be close, it really isn’t looking that way these days. As of September 27, FiveThirtyEight ranks Trump as being in first with 54.7%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in second with 13.8%, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in third with 6.1%, and Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy with 5.7%. There are a few others also being polled who are below 5%, like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregate of the 2024 GOP Primary as of September 27th, 2023. (Photo Source: projects.fivethirtyeight.com)

On January 7, 2023, DeSantis was at 40.5% and Trump was at 42.4%. That’s a 1.9% margin, which is very close. But now, Trump is up 12.3% from then, and more significantly, DeSantis is down 26.7%. That is a huge drop-off. What happened? Well, DeSantis had some incredibly embarrassing moments. As the New York Times put it, “DeSantis Lost the Internet,” which is hard to come back from in the digital age. DeSantis doesn’t show well digitally. At one point, one of his staffers posted a video promoting DeSantis’s anti-LGBTQ policies that had a Nazi symbol in it. Once viewed as the future of the GOP, having won the governorship in 2018 as an underdog in an otherwise bad midterm for Republicans, and then winning reelection by nearly 20 points against a former Florida Governor–his reputation is now in the gutter.

As someone who wants Democrats to be successful, the unity seen on the GOP side lately worries me. An incumbent President only polling in the low-to-mid 60s during their primary reelection campaign is not an amazing look. Right now, RFK Jr. is at 15.1% according to FiveThirtyEight. Trump pretty much never polled that low during his 2020 primary campaign, where his two opponents were former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. Ultimately, his challengers received 1.08% and 1.31% of the vote respectively. Trump received 97.14%. I think it is very clear that Biden will win the primary, but clearly not all Democrats are behind him. However, I really do not think that this will affect him much in the general. I think almost all true Democrats will unite behind Biden in the general. I don’t think that this is necessarily the case with former President Trump.

FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregate of the 2024 Democratic Primary as of September 27th, 2023. (Photo Source: projects.fivethirtyeight.com)

Okay, so I have made it clear that though I think Joe Biden will win reelection; it’s closer than I wish it were. My main point is that I think Joe Biden has so far done well as President, and I think he deserves a second term to finish what he’s started. To be honest, in 2019 during the Democratic primary for the 2020 Presidential Election, I was firmly opposed to then-former Vice President Biden. In fact, he was one of my last choices, and I thought candidates like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, or Pete Buttigieg would be better. With hindsight, I do not think Warren or Buttigieg would have won a general election. I think Sanders probably would have, but I do not think his presidency would be fundamentally different from Biden’s, and I think he would have struggled with reelection even more.

Biden made many commitments in his run, like most candidates do, that have not been put in place as of yet. However, during his first two years, we had a 50-50 Senate, and Democrats had a very narrow House majority, so of course he couldn’t accomplish everything. The Senate has the filibuster which essentially means most major things actually need 60 votes, and even then, there were two Democratic Senators who made it hard for Biden to pass anything: Joe Manchin, a conservative from very red West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema, a Senator from Arizona who tried to water down every one of his proposals. After the 2022 midterms, Sinema became an independent but has still caucused with the Democrats and retained Committee seats as a member of the majority.

First of all, many people think that Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is a stain on his legacy. However, I think given his options, that was the best choice. I do not think the US should be the police of the world. I think that the initial invasion of Afghanistan in the 2000s was somewhat justified, but once we accomplished our primary goals, we should have just left. The Taliban are absolutely horrible, but American intelligence was apparently stating that the Taliban taking over almost immediately was pretty much impossible. Besides, if the Afghan military wasn’t able to fight for even a week after over a decade of practice, that’s on them! Nevertheless, Biden’s approval rating dropped by a lot after this withdrawal, and pretty much never recovered.

I also think the student loan debt issue has been handled very well by Biden. Some people think he went too far by giving “handouts” by cancelling debt, but some more progressive activists and politicians think he should go farther. I think he has done fine. I think if Biden were to cancel all of the student debt at once, it would immediately be struck down by a judge and ultimately the Supreme Court. I think therefore that his pragmatic approach of cancelling small amounts of student loan debt and temporarily pausing payments in different ways is the most effective way to accomplish this goal. We spend trillions of dollars on our military. So a few billion to help millions of Americans have an easier life is worth it! Some people say, “But what about those who already paid it back?” That’s cool, but other people shouldn’t have to suffer because you did. That’s not justice; that’s just kinda cruel.

I also think the Biden administration’s signature program, the Build Back Better Plan, might have not been successful in some ways, but none of this was Biden’s fault, and what he did accomplish was very impressive. Like I stated earlier, the filibuster in the Senate meant many bills that passed the House in Biden’s first two years struggled to gain traction in the Senate. But what came in the end was the Inflation Reduction Act, which is essentially a watered-down version of the original Build Back Better Act. Almost all of the social safety net proposals did not make the cut because of the filibuster and conservative Democrats like Sen. Manchin and Sinema opposing many of the proposals. However, major climate change solutions made it in the bill that is now law. Prescription drug prices are being significantly lowered, too. It also will help fund new clean energy plans.

In terms of his electability, many polls are starting to show him slipping against the likely GOP nominee, former President Trump. Personally, I don’t buy it. I think pollsters are screwing up. And even though the electoral college usually favors Republicans, 2024 may be an exception.

If the 2024 election were held today between Biden and Trump, I think it would go like this. The lightest color is Lean, the slightly darker is Likely, and the dark colors are Solid/Safe. Tan indicates a tossup. I think that Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin have a pretty good chance of staying Democratic, and though I think Pennsylvania is a little closer, I’m pretty confident it’ll go blue.

So overall, I am concerned about President Biden’s electability, but nevertheless, I think he will win in 2024. Disagree? Please comment: I’d love to prove you wrong.

Things I just can’t stand. And people do too much.

November 2, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Is there something that just gets under your skin? Something that sets your teeth on edge? Oliver opens up our theme on Things That Bug Us. If you’re victimized by irritating behavior, join in on the rant. If you commit irritating behavior, just STOP.

Has someone ever said, or done something that makes you feel mad or indignant? I certainly have. Here is my list of the seven most annoying things that I just can’t stand!

When someone says “No offense”

Is it just me, or does this just make it all that more offensive? Like if someone says, “No offense, but your shirt looks really ugly today,” it would be more annoying than if they just told you. “Hey, your shirt looks really ugly today.” Why? Because saying “no offense” doesn’t cancel out what you’re about to say. If you’re going to say something offensive, just say it. Don’t try to act all innocent and like you’re not being mean because you said “No offense.” (You are being mean.)

People still doing the cringy Fortnite dances

This one’s probably one of the least annoying because it doesn’t really affect me. Truth is, we’re past 2017. Those times are long gone. Yet I still see people in the streets doing those goofy dances. Like the Floss or the Orange Justice. I honestly feel kind of bad for these people because that trend is so outdated and cringy.

People who use their phone during the movie in a theater

This is just annoying. What’s the point in paying 13 dollars for a movie ticket to just go do something you could do at home? Seriously, like that is just a waste of time and money. If you’re going to use your phone during a movie and not let others enjoy it, then don’t go. It’s that simple. Just use your phone at home or elsewhere.

Bikers who take up the whole road

Okay, I have absolutely no problem with biking, I think it’s very fun and a good form of exercise and travel. However, it’s just so annoying when we’re going somewhere and there is some guy in the middle of the street doing wheelies and tricks and driving in the middle of the road. Honestly, nobody cares if you can do a wheelie with a bike. Go to the sidewalk or to the side of the road where people can drive without having to worry about possibly hitting you.

People who party all night and blast their music until 2 a.m.

I absolutely understand that sometimes people want to have a party for whatever reason. Once in a while is okay. But there are some neighbors who party from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and blast their music every other week. To make it worse, they scream vulgarities, throw beer bottles, and reek of the awful smell of smoke. I used to have neighbors like this. And they literally partied EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. We had to call the cops on them so many times because they blasted their music loud until 2 a.m. It was basically impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Even neighbors that lived a couple houses away heard it and called the cops. Eventually these partying neighbors moved out, and we were saved.

Bandwagons on sports

These people I probably dislike the least from the rest of this list. Still, it should be noted; they are very annoying. So, basically, a bandwagon is a person who just hops onto the trend because everyone else is doing so. A bandwagon on sports is when someone roots for a team just because they are the best, or they just won a championship. This pet-peeve came from a friend who didn’t really like American football. But a couple days after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl he was idolizing the team and saying he has always been a Chiefs fan. The thing is, when a different team becomes the best and wins the Super Bowl, he’ll change teams and claim he’s always been a fan of that other team.

People who burp intentionally

This is just disgusting in my opinion. It’s so common, too. I don’t know if people think it’s funny or cool, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting–especially when you’re at a restaurant eating and someone else chugs two bottles of Mountain Dew just to burp super loudly. It kind of makes me lose my appetite.

Those are my seven biggest pet peeves and annoying things people do. I have many more, but they’re less irritating. Do you have any pet peeves? Let us know in the comments.

Why Dr Pepper Is the Best

October 26, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

Wouldn’t You Like To Be A Pepper, Too?

By Senior Gil Maruvada

In our pursuit of controversy, we’ve unearthed Oliver’s unpopular sports opinions and the fiery opinions of PVS middle and upper schoolers, its staff and faculty (Thank you, Louisa). Gil, who “requires controversial opinions in order to tell the difference between his own identity and that of other people,” finds this was a subject made for him. Gil stands alone(?) in his love for Dr Pepper. He explains why he’s “a Pepper.”

In Waco, Texas, at the turn of the 19th century, before world wars and the Great Depression, an invention that would change the face of the world today was created. That something was the soda Dr Pepper, first sold on December 1st, 1885 (thoughtco.com). It is the world’s best commercially available soda sold in most retail stores. Now, you might have a personal favorite brand, but Dr Pepper is the best soda you can get just by walking into any store near you. That might be a bit of a bold claim, so allow me to prove definitively once and for all that Dr Pepper is better than its alternatives: Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain Dew, etc.

Now, let’s get this straight first, Dr Pepper has no period. While Dr Pepper was initially stylized with a period, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company dropped the period in the 1950s, so referring to it with a period is incorrect (drpeppermuseum.com). Additionally, there is no consensus as to why it is called Dr Pepper, and if it was named after a person there are competing theories as to who (dallasnews.com).

The superiority of Dr Pepper has been heralded by a small circle of pepper enthusiasts, some may call it cult-like but I like to think of it as the global Dr Pepper ~~conspiracy~~ community. Dr Pepper is something entirely different from Coke or Pepsi because Coke and Pepsi are colas while Dr Pepper is a pepper soda, which is an entirely different category pioneered by Charles Alderton. And while soda sales overall have been going down for other companies, Dr Pepper sales have been going up (cnn.com).

A large number of people swear by Dr Pepper as well (not just me). Elizabeth Sullivan, who drank three Dr Peppers a day, credits it with her longevity; she lived to be 106 years old (nbcdfw.com). She famously stated that “Every doctor that sees me says they’ll kill you, but they die and I don’t” (time.com). She has a point–-Dr Pepper is a heaven-sent elixir and panacea.

Centenarian Elizabeth Sullivan discusses here her affection for Dr Pepper.

Now Dr Pepper isn’t for everyone; some people don’t like its additional flavors and complex layers (and while I think these people are weak and inherently wrong, they technically have the right to their own incorrect opinions).

But this doesn’t answer the question of what Dr Pepper is. Dr Pepper isn’t a soda but a representation of human freedom. Every soda above Dr Pepper in sales is owned by either PepsiCo or the Coca Cola company. That makes Dr Pepper the third most popular alternative company, the third choice in a two party system. Sodas emulate politics. Coca Cola and Pepsi represent how a two-party paradigm can naturally emerge in a voting system. The only difference from politics is here people vote with their money. But a two-party system inherently restricts options and variability. Coke and Pepsi both have supporters and detractors who would fight to the end for their corporate overlords’ sakes, but in the end they are both really similar sodas. Dr Pepper, however, is an alternative to the system, a giant cooperation in its own right stepping into the ring and making a spectacle. This battle will not be fought with the force and passion of political debates but with the slow and steady machinations of the economy. And I for one would welcome a new Dr Pepper paradigm, where pepper sodas completely take over. Out with the old corporate overlords and in with the “new.” It just tastes better.

The 2008 Dr Pepper ad campaign: Be a Pepper.

*The views expressed by Mr. Maruvada do not necessarily represent the views of The Bird on Fire, Ms. Zachik, and PVS, or anyone else for that matter.

Controversial Sports Opinions Likely to Get Me Into a Fight

October 19, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Blog staffers are exploring “Controversial/Unpopular Opinions.” They ask “What’s Your Hill to Die On?” They argue for Joe Biden grabbing that second term. They admit to liking Dr. Pepper. Oliver has some hard-and-fast opinions on sports. Oliver loves sports. Oliver knows sports. And, here, he’s not afraid to share his (unpopular?) opinion on some famous sports figures and sports events.

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

I’ve watched sports since I was a little kid. I generally enjoy watching; however, there are certain ideas or opinions that I just don’t agree with. So, here, I’ve compiled a brief list of my opinions on sports most likely to get me into a fight. For now, I’m talking about basketball and football/soccer.

LeBron is better than MJ

Okay, so there are many reasons as to why I believe LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan.

First reason, LeBron led an awful, losing Cavaliers team to the finals in his first years at the Cavaliers. Michael Jordan did none of that until he got his Bulls super team in 1991 with the likes of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. When LeBron made his first finals, who was the best player next to him? Drew Gooden? Not to mention LeBron was playing one of the best San Antonio teams ever assembled with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Also, let’s not forget that Michael Jordan got even more amazing players added to his team. In 1996, he came back to the best team ever assembled with the likes of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper-–the list goes on. No kidding: he was going to win a championship. With a team like that, not winning a championship would be embarrassing. The point is, LeBron made more finals playing for a bad team while playing against amazing teams. MJ needed a super team to succeed.

Reason 2: On top of the championship’s success, LeBron has surpassed MJ in just about every category. He has 6,000 more points than MJ (NBA.com). LeBron has double the amount of assists. LeBron has more rebounds and more blocks as well. Point is, he’s better at almost everything.

Reason 3: One more interesting thing I want to mention is that when LeBron was drafted by the Cavaliers, the Cavs hadn’t made the playoffs for four years. LeBron sent them to the finals in just four years. A couple years later he proceeded to make it all the way to the NBA Finals eight times in a row, from 2011-2018. LeBron joined the Lakers in 2019. At the time, the Lakers hadn’t even made the playoffs for six years and were last place in their conference. However, after just two years of LeBron being with the Lakers, they won a championship. LeBron is simply the better player. I’m not taking any credit away from MJ; he was a fantastic player and is easily in the top three of all time, but he required a super team to gain success, and LeBron proved he didn’t. Championship success isn’t everything there is to basketball, and flashy scoring doesn’t make you a better overall player.

LeBron and Curry could’ve been the best NBA rivalry IF it hadn’t been for Durant

I was just thinking about this the other day, and it makes so much sense. From 2015 and on, Curry and LeBron were at their peak, and watching them play was magical. They made the finals and the games so exciting. These were close, hard-fought games. LeBron had just returned to the Cavs and was giving it his all to get the Cavs their first chip. Curry and LeBron met in the finals in 2015. It ended with Golden State and Steph Curry winning the series 4-2, but it was close and an exciting matchup. In 2016, it was even better, the Warriors held a 3-1 lead over LeBron’s Cavs, making it almost impossible for the Cavs to come back, but they miraculously did. In fact, they came back to win their first-ever championship. These years were some of the best in the NBA. But, in 2017, everything was ruined. The Warriors went on a huge signing spree. Their most remarkable signings were Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee, Shaun Livingston, and, the worst of all, Kevin Durant. This automatically not only made them the absolute best team in the NBA but possibly the best team ever. After that, there was virtually no hope for the LeBron-Curry rivalry to continue. Both their teams made the finals again twice, but the Cavs were literally shredded. Hence, ended the legendary rivalry between LeBron and Curry. Thankfully, Draymond Green had a fight with KD and this marked the date that KD left the Warriors – ending the Warriors’ absolute dominance of the league.

Oliver has a *few* basketball jerseys at home. Pictured are just his favorites.

. . . moving now to Soccer/Football . . .

The 2022 FIFA World Cup was rigged

Yup, you read that right. The 2022 FIFA World Cup was rigged! Here is my reasoning:

Reason 1: I will start off simple. Argentina won with five penalties to their favor. Argentina scored off most of these penalty kicks (fourfourtwo.com). Five penalties doesn’t sound like that much, until you realize that teams that make it to the finals play a total of seven games. There were more games where Argentina’s opponents were penalized than games that were penalty free. We haven’t seen this many penalties in finals since 1966 and 1978.

Second reason why the FIFA 2022 World Cup was Rigged: Who was the referee in the final? According to FIFA, the referee for the final is picked at random from all eligible referees in the World Cup. But, FIFA picked Polish referee Szymon Marciniak to referee the final…. This was a potential conflict of interest. Why? Because who eliminated Poland? France. And it was France who was playing Argentina in the Final. Think about it? Who was hating on France . . . ?

Reason three: FIFA needs money. As much as I hate to admit it, I believe FIFA is corrupt. This was evident from the moment FIFA picked Qatar to be World Cup hosts. Countries put bids in to be hosts. Wrote The New York Times of Qatar as host: “The United States Department of Justice on Monday said for the first time that representatives working for Russia and Qatar had bribed FIFA officials to secure hosting rights for the World Cup in men’s soccer” (nytimes.com). My theory? FIFA rigged the World Cup final to be Argentina vs any other team because FIFA knew that Argentina was the team that would generate tons of money. Just imagine, if the final had been Croatia vs Netherlands – virtually no one would have watched it, but since the Final included Argentina and Lionel Messi, it was the best way FIFA could get millions, maybe even billions of people to watch it.

My fourth and last reason as to why the 2022 World Cup was rigged is that FIFA needed to complete and pad the world-famous Messi trophy cabinet–which leads me to my next controversial opinion.

Messi is not the best player of all time

Sure, Messi is a good player. However, he is not the best. Here are some reasons as to why there are better players.

Reason 1: Messi joined Barcelona in 2004. There is proof of Barcelona paying the refs from 2001 all the way until 2018. According to Fox Sports, FC Barcelona paid a total of 7.3 million euros in the span of 18 years to José María Enríquez Negreira, who was vice president of the refereeing committee in Spain at the time. I would conclude that most of the trophies won in those years are rubber trophies (foxsports.com).

Reason 2: I think that another reason people really say that Messi is the best of all time is because they hear others say that, and also because the 2022 FIFA World Cup is the most watched ever as it has been the most televised. I believe that since this was the most accessible World Cup, most people who haven’t watched before just naturally assume that the winners are the best and that their best player is the best, which seems natural to think but isn’t necessarily true.

Reason 3: With the popularization of Soccer/Football in the U.S., Americans (for the most part), are just going with the flow (which is fine and understandable), but had they done a little digging, they would realize there are players who have done so much more for the game – like Pelé, or Maradona or even Zidane. Pelé won three World Cups, the only player to ever do so. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Pelé has the most goals ever with 1,279. Pelé scored hundreds more than even Ronaldo or Messi. He never had to play in Europe to prove he was the best. He played in friendlies against the top teams in the world back then and won. He was an elite goalscorer from anywhere in the field. And he did this back in the 50s, the 60s, and the 70s. Just imagine what he could have done if he had the technology of today.

Truth be told, I know no one will change their opinions because I wrote an article about my controversial takes on sports. But, if you want to contribute your controversial takes on sports, feel free to do so in the comments.

Best of Blog ‘22-23

May 23, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Junior Luke Sonderman

It is the end of the school year, and we have written a lot of interesting blog articles. We have had returning blog writers, new blog writers, and even some guest bloggers throughout this school year. I am excited to bring to you my personal rating of this year’s blog articles!

1. “Teacher Madlib Video” by Levi Kassinove and Luke Sonderman

As much as I hate to nominate my own blog article out as the #1 of the year, I have to give the #1 spot the “Teacher Madlib Video” I did with Levi. This video blog consisted of nearly 100 videos of teachers saying random adjectives, nouns, and verbs that all fit into a Madlib-style story created by Levi and me. When this video launched from The Bird on Fire, the viewership was hot. Everyone was talking about the outrageous story we created using the words of Palm Valley’s very own teachers. If you want to see this video, visit thebirdonfire.org.

2. “Stop Taking Your Pets Everywhere!” by Indy Behr

My selection for the second best blog article of the year goes to Indy Behr for “Stop Taking Your Pets Everywhere!” This blog article started an absolute riot in the comment section, and anyone who has read my articles knows that I am one for chaos and controversy. In this article, Indy discusses the dangers of allowing emotional support animals in public spaces. In a lengthy evidence-supported response to Indy’s article, Palm Valley Alumnus Luke Langlois said, “You use anecdotal evidence and buzzwords like scientific evidence to deny the one true motivation behind this post: you are a dog HATER.” In defense, Indy responded to Luke saying, “For the record, its[sic] pretty clear your argument is shaky when you attack my motivation and falsely accuse me, someone who very much appreciates dogs, of being a dog hater.” As tensions and tempers arise, Blogger Levi Kassinove responds to Indy’s comment with “*It’s” to correct Indy’s improper grammar. The comment section was almost more entertaining than the article! If you want to read the article and the battle in the comments, visit thebirdonfire.org.

3. “Steak of the Gods–Wagyu” by Levi Kassinove

One of the most popular articles of the year is my #3 choice, “Steak of the Gods–Wagyu,” by Levi Kassinove. I, myself, have never tried Wagyu, but after reading this article I almost feel like I have. Levi says that when you take a bite “it’s like a hedonist party in your mouth.” And, yes, he used the right form of “it’s.” Aside from making my mouth water, this article was a hit in student life! Walking through campus, I would hear Wagyu this, Wagyu that. I had never even heard of Wagyu until Levi told me about it! Even teachers were asking Levi about Wagyu during class! If you want to have a “hedonist party in your mouth,” visit thebirdonfire.org.

4. “Dear Marley” by Jess Billimore

Although this article is what I consider a “cop out” (a minimal effort article that scores a good grade with Ms. Zachik, our blog advisor), I have put it on this list because of its widespread popularity. In this article, Jess gathered questions that various staff and students had for her chihuahua, Marley, and answered them from the point of view of her dog. So when you read this article, realize that Marley isn’t actually a talking dog, and, no, she didn’t actually answer these questions. Marley was a hit in the Upper, Middle, and even Lower School! The mother of Palm Valley 1st grader Natalie responded to the article saying, “Our Natalie loved reading this 🙂 thank you.” To view Marley (not actually) respond to Palm Valley’s questions, visit thebirdonfire.org.

5. “An Ode To Levi’s Hoodie” by Indy Behr

Last but not least, my #5 pick again goes to Indy Behr–this time with “An Ode To Levi’s Hoodie.” In this article Indy discusses Levi’s treasured $139 hoodie made from alpaca fur. Indy even quoted me as I nicknamed Levi “Princess Levi” for his outrageous bougieness that was only topped off by this ridiculous hoodie. I mean come on, the guy eats $100+ Wagyu steaks. Like most of the articles on this list, it was a hit in the Middle and Upper School. Levi was getting questions left and right about his hoodie that Indy discussed in the article. After a week of Levi getting away with wearing this out-of-dress-code hoodie, Head of School Dr. Sherman told Levi to go back to wearing a school sweatshirt. To hear more about Indy’s obsession with Levi, visit thebirdonfire.org.

It has been a fun year in Blog, full of great articles by our various blog writers, but it is time to say goodbye. Hopefully, you will hear more from me next year if I return to the blog staff, but until then… adios, 再見, au revoir, הֱיה שלום, さようなら, ลาก่อน, до свидания, and goodbye.

Would YOU eat ethical fish eggs???

April 20, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Levi Kassinove

Hello. Today I’m going to tell you a little tale about…caviar–otherwise known as the cured eggs of the sturgeon fish.

Caviar in the 19th Century

Man devouring 70K worth of caviar in seconds (grubstreet.com)

Let us travel back to the 1800s, when caviar was eaten by the bowlful by even the poorest of peasants. It was cheap and abundant, like lobster once was, which was fed to prisoners and slaves. During this time, the Russian Empire was the largest exporter of caviar in the world. They were pretty much the only producer (solexcatsmo.com). Then, the rest of Europe and the US started producing caviar. Soon, every American diner was giving caviar away as free appetizers. People were obsessed with it. There was demand, but it was still cheap. Even in the 1970s, caviar was only $60-70 per pound (nytimes.com). Comparatively, the lowest quality caviar is now upwards of $1000 per pound today (bestercaviarstore.com). What REALLY caused the upsurge in price was the immense overfishing of sturgeon. Multiple species of sturgeon declined in population, with the popular beluga sturgeon suffering the worst. It is now listed as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN. As a result, the illegality of fishing for the beluga sturgeon caused caviar industries to turn to farming, making wild-caught sturgeon extremely valuable. But, we don’t have to kill the sturgeon to enjoy the eggs any more…

How We Can Harvest Caviar Today

Female sturgeon getting an ultrasound (caviarstar.com)

Whereas the traditional method for extracting caviar involved cutting the fish’s stomach open and ripping its guts out, the stripping method is much more ethical. One method involves simply injecting the sturgeon with a hormone that separates the eggs from their connective tissue, and then massaging the eggs out of the sturgeon a few days later. This method does not kill the fish, and even allows the sturgeon to produce more eggs in the future. An ultrasound is used to determine the optimal time to perform the procedure. By harvesting the caviar without killing the fish, we can slowly repair the damage done to the sturgeon population due to overfishing. (ift.org)

But How Does It Taste?

Stylish caviar tasting (nailsbyshurik.wordpress.com)

There is a MASSIVE difference between fake caviar (bowfin fish eggs) and real caviar (sturgeon eggs). Bowfin is a bony fish that yields small, dark, red-tinted roe (caviarstar.com). Bowfin is a cheaper and easier-to-produce alternative to caviar. Even according to the Food and Drug Administration, “real” caviar comes only from sturgeon (ift.org). I’m not gonna talk about the red eggs because that’s not caviar either, although salmon roe is pretty good. A good way to spot the difference between real caviar and bowfin eggs is simply to look at the price. If you see a jar of black “caviar” being sold for $10-15, it’s fake. Bowfin also has much smaller eggs than sturgeon. The bowfin eggs will taste overly salty and fishy, giving you a terribly inaccurate impression of caviar. Real caviar is absolutely delicious. It’s subtle. Sturgeon eggs are creamy, nutty, and only slightly salty. If it tastes fishy, there’s something wrong with it.

I highly recommend that you all try caviar at least once. And, if you can, make sure that the caviar was ethically produced. As they say in Russia, do svidaniya!

Fireworks: Boom or Bust?

April 5, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

While we’re well past New Year’s and still months away from the 4th of July, Louisa says it’s never too early or too late to consider the wisdom of igniting the skies with fireworks.

An Op-Ed by 8th-Grader Louisa Richardson

I have a question, one that seems to be quite controversial: Are fireworks a good thing? Is a moment of “Ah!” worth the trauma they cause?

Personally, I think that fireworks should be illegal. They are bad for war veterans (MIlitary Vets), PTSD victims (Coping With PTSD), and animals (Humane Society). Here are several reasons why fireworks are bad in general.

My first reason as to why fireworks are bad is because of how difficult it is to find an article on why fireworks are a good thing. The first things that come up when you type in “fireworks” in your search bar include . . .

fireworks are bad

fireworks are stupid

fireworks are illegal

fireworks are bad for the environment

When you hit “Enter,” a bunch of injuries come up. Headlines read: “Don’t Blow It This Fourth Of July because Fireworks Are Illegal In City Limits!” If you click on an article such as “Don’t Blow It . . . ,” you often see accident stories and statistics involving fireworks, which brings me to my point, safety (cityofredlands.org). The city of Redlands cites “More than 16,000 fires and almost 9,000 emergency room visits are associated with fireworks nationally each year” (cityofredlands.org).

Fireworks are very dangerous; this may seem obvious as they are literal exploding sticks of fire, but apparently not obvious to everyone. One of the most obvious things that gets ignored when discussing fireworks is the danger to personal property. It would be wise, of course, to light fireworks away from one’s house. However, even one of my very intelligent blog colleagues, Levi Kassinove, has lit them in front of his house. Levi’s stories of fireworks include how his cousin almost killed his family with a held-upside-down firework that somehow lit nothing on fire, and how his neighbors once lit a tree on fire with a firework. People often don’t respect firework safety because it gives them a better view, or a better time! I understand the desire to have fun with fireworks, but that doesn’t mean abusing safety rules, and risking the safety of yourself and those around you, which usually leads to injuries or death.

Injuries and death due to fireworks are far more common than they should be. In the year 2021, in the weeks surrounding the Fourth of July, it was estimated by the United States CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION that there were 1,500 injuries due to fireworks and 1,100 due to sparklers (CPSC.gov). The simple answer to this problem would be to follow safety regulations, but people are very silly and sometimes unintelligent–not only that but accidents can still happen. Deaths due to fireworks can happen pretty much anywhere: nightclubs, Fourth of July celebrations, just at home, and even churches.

Another issue with fireworks is that they can be very frightening to certain groups. Fireworks often sound like gunshots to veterans, victims of shootings, and just people who have a phobia of guns. Many folks have been through horrible things, and is it really worth it to have them go through it all over again for something like one minute of happiness? The sound frightens some, but so does the smell. Fireworks smell like the aftermath of a bomb to some veterans (US Department of Veterans Affairs). We don’t want to remind people of awful episodes just because kids like the pretty light show.

I’m sure that we have all seen or experienced a dog flipping out because of fireworks nearby. One thing you may not know is that all animals fear fireworks. Animals aren’t used to having giant booming noises above their habitat, and this can make them really terrified. Dogs hide under couches of course, but not every animal has the luxury of a couch to filter the noise. There is a very simple fix to this problem.

Drone firework shows are becoming more and more frequent as a substitute for real fireworks. They aren’t bad for the environment; they aren’t bad for veterans, and they aren’t bad for animals.

In conclusion, just because I hate fireworks, doesn’t mean I want to rob others the happiness of a light show. I encourage all of these firework fanatics to sit back and enjoy a drone fireworks show some time. They can be even better than fireworks!

This is an example of a drone firework show in Shanghai (Drone Fireworks).

Why Lindsay Lohan’s “The Parent Trap” is the Greatest Movie Ever Made and Often the Most Misunderstood

March 16, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Indiana Behr

I know that’s a long title, but hear me out. My favorite movie of all time is the 1998 version of The Parent Trap. I think it is genuinely flawlessly crafted. It incorporates elements of a classic romantic comedy, but the dramatic elements are also done well. It may be a Disney movie, but there is no doubt this film can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I think that it is also misinterpreted by most people who watch this film. I think that the character often viewed as the villain, Meredith Blake–the stepmother-to-be, is not a villain at all, and is a much more complex and layered character than one might think after the first watch. I argue that the twins are actually the villains of this film.

Why The Parent Trap (1998) is the Best Movie Ever Made

I genuinely do not enjoy a single movie more than I enjoy The Parent Trap. This film is of course a remake of a film of the same name that was released in 1961. I have seen the 1961 version a few times, and I think it is a very well made movie. However, I actually think the 1998 film is an improvement upon the original. Most Disney remakes are pretty underwhelming, especially the ones that turned animated movies into live action. I feel like this version is an exception.

It may be inspired by an older movie, but the creators of the remake were willing to make any changes they felt necessary to keep the story fresh and contemporary, and I felt like it was successful. In the original film, both twins were from different parts of the United States. In the remake, Hallie is from Napa, California, all the way in the Western US, while Annie is from London, England. I think this makes the culture shock more significant, as it is two different countries rather than just two regions of the US.

I find Hayley Mills’ performance in the 1961 movie to be very good, but I find Lindsay Lohan’s performance to be even more impressive. Lindsay Lohan was just 11 during filming for the 1998 film; whereas Mills was already 15 during production. Additionally, Lohan had to learn an accent from an entirely different country, and I think she did so skillfully. Mills only had to learn the accent of another region of the US. I also generally think the other performances in the 1998 version, such as the butler and housekeeper, were better, and I think the humor has stood the test of time better than the predecessor.

Another reason I really like this movie is the music. I think the soundtrack of this film is excellent. The opening credits that show a montage of the twins’ parents meeting on the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner set to Nat King Cole’s L-O-V-E is probably my favorite movie opening ever. Whether it’s the suspenseful music heard during the scenes at the summer camp in the beginning or the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun when Hallie (pretending to be Annie) helps her mother, Elizabeth James, at her fashion business, I think that the music is perfectly done from beginning to end.

Why the Twins Are Actually the Villains and Meredith Blake Wasn’t Actually That Bad

Both versions of The Parent Trap have the repeatedly used evil step-mother trope, but part of why I prefer the 1998 edition is because I think the character of Meredith Blake was a much more complex and layered character than Vicky Robinson, her 1961 equivalent. Over the last few years, many others have come to this conclusion, and in 2022, Elaine Hendrix, who portrayed Meredith Blake, stated that she sympathized with her character. She even made a TikTok with the caption, “He had twins he secretly separated at birth when he broke up with their mother and didn’t tell you about it until the twins discovered each other at camp and swapped places to try and get their parents back together.” Really makes you think, huh? Maybe the twins and their father were the villains more than Meredith…

I am not going to lie to you, when I first watched this film, I thought of Meredith Blake as a classic Disney villain, but after hearing others’ opinions and watching it again, I have started to understand Meredith Blake’s actions. Even after they first meet, Annie, pretending to be Hallie, is incredibly passive aggressive towards her, intentionally splashing her with water by aggressively jumping into her pool, and then blatantly lying by calling her “number twenty-nine” when it had already been established she was the first relationship her father, Nick Parker, had entered since the twins’ birth. Then, after Annie describes this interaction by phone, Hallie states, “Well, you’ll just have to break ’em up. Sabotage her. Do whatever you have to.”

When I advocate to others that Meredith Blake was not actually as bad as she is made out to be, their rebuttal is often that she stated that she wanted to send Annie to boarding school. However, I think this was just hyperbole, especially considering she never seemed to make any effort to go through with it. I do not think you can blame her for being somewhat angry about her boyfriend’s daughter being incredibly nasty towards her after meeting just once.

Once the twins successfully get their parents to reunite in San Francisco, the twins and their parents go back to Napa where their father lives after Hallie convinces them to go on their annual camping trip with her father. However, before leaving, Elizabeth, not a fan of the outdoors, tells Nick that she thinks it would be better if Meredith went instead. The twins were unsurprisingly unhappy with this, but Elizabeth insisted. Then, during this trip, the twins are horrifically cruel towards her. They put a lizard on her head, which crawls into her mouth first. Then, they give her sugar water claiming it will help with mosquitoes, and tell her that whacking two sticks together will scare off the mountain lions. There were in fact no mountain lions where they were camping.

Then, after all of this, the twins do something that ultimately destroys Meredith and Nick’s relationship. They take Meredith’s air mattress from her tent, and place it in the lake at the camping site, and she floats away asleep, only to wake up in the morning in the middle of the lake. First of all, this is obviously just a horrible thing to do to someone. Second of all, this is dangerous! Falling into the middle of a river when you are asleep could very well cause drowning. After this, Meredith approaches Nick and says he has to pick between the twins and her. I think him picking the kids was obviously the right decision, but I very much sympathize with her.

Overall, I recognize Meredith Blake is kind of aggressive at times, but I also think she is a very determined character who knows what she wants. I think it’s fair to say that money may be a part of her interest in Nick, but I do not think he was oblivious to this, and I do think she probably liked him. This very complex character is part of why I like this movie so much, and why I prefer it over the original movie. I think you should try watching or rewatching The Parent Trap (1998) with this perspective in mind.

Stop Taking Your Pets Everywhere!

February 16, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 10 Comments

By Indy Behr (who, it should be noted, thinks his cats are cool–but not transportable)

The Blog Staff opted to take a deep dive into Pets. While several of our bloggers write with great affection and sentimentality about pets, Indy has a . . . pet-peeve. He doesn’t want to see your pets in public.

Over the last few years, I have observed an incredibly frustrating trend.

People have started to feel comfortable bringing their pets everywhere, especially dogs. I genuinely cannot walk down the aisle of a grocery store without walking next to a mini poodle. I once witnessed a small dog defecate in the aisle of a Gelson’s. I have never been all that much of a dog person, but, if I encounter a dog in my neighborhood, I will absolutely tolerate it. However, now people can take their pets on AIRPLANES without cages for “emotional support.”

I would firstly like to make a very clear distinction: service animals for those with visual impairments and/or other physical disabilities are entirely necessary, and I will never have any issue with them being wherever they need to be. Service dogs are considered something that most places are rightfully required to allow by the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, ada.gov publicly states that “emotional support dogs” are not service animals, period. Service dogs are required to be trained. With training, they don’t bother others or lick them at random. I know there are some people reading this who are going to think how insensitive I am, but I am not the only one saying this. I am sure for many people your flight or trip to the grocery store will be more fun with your dog, but that does not make bringing Fido along a medical necessity.

When airlines let untrained dogs sit out in the open on planes, it can be downright dangerous. One man needed twenty-eight stitches after an emotional support Labrador attacked him on a Delta flight from Atlanta to San Diego. And, now, there’s a get-around even for airlines that require documentation stating pets are necessary. Many websites will let you pay and get a “certificate” that makes your pet an emotional support pet. This can include pigs. This can include, somehow, horses. You can say that you have panic attacks without your duck on planes, and, bam, you are able to fly across the country holding a bird in your hands that can poop and quack whenever it wants.

The whole idea of emotional support animals being helpful in almost any case has nearly no scientific evidence. The Journal of Applied Developmental Science has said the only research on this issue is much too early to reach any conclusion (washingtonpost.com). Previous studies often had other issues–like not controlling other causes for increased or decreased stress in the presence of animals. I don’t think that we should be letting emotional support animals everywhere until we know they actually work.

If you are reading this and thinking, “But I know my dog makes me happy!”–I am not doubting that this is the case, but if there is still no actual evidence that your dog does things like lower anxiety in the long term, I do not think it is worth it to allow your untrained dog into all public areas. If you are considering paying someone online to say that your animal is for emotional support just because you want to take them out in public, please do not.