the bird on fire

The Palm Valley School Student Blog

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Adventures Through Slab City

by 1 Comment

By Blog Adventurer Holden Hartle

Photo credits: Amanda Laule

Not to sound cheesy, but over Labor Day weekend I had the most amazing experience. I, along with a few friends, embarked on a journey around the Salton Sea. On this journey, we stopped at Salvation Mountain and, the real attraction, Slab City.

For those that don’t know, Salvation Mountain is a sculpture made by Leonard Knight. He dedicated 30 years of his life to the spread of one phrase: God is love. This phrase is plastered all over the mountainside. The pull factor of Salvation Mountain, at least for me, is that there is nothing like Salvation Mountain anywhere in the world. Its uniqueness and originality is unmatched.

If you travel half a mile east of Salvation Mountain, you will find Slab City. Residents live completely off the grid. There is no electricity, running water, or most things that make life in the desert comfortable, but residents make it work.

Upon arrival, you are greeted with rows of trailers, which may remind you of a trailer park. But, if that’s the case, this is the single greatest trailer park in the world. Beautiful murals line the entrance, and people are often outside their trailers selling various items, from pottery to art lessons.

Our specific destination was East Jesus, cleverly named as it is east of Salvation Mountain. East Jesus is an art gallery that is made entirely out of recycled material. We get out of the car and enter the appropriately named, West Satin. West Satin is more of a hang-out area rather than an art gallery. Inside was a group of people simply talking about their lives and their stories.

Before leaving home for Slab City, four different people came up to me and said, “Don’t get out of the car. You could get attacked by homeless people.” Let me tell you how glad I am that I didn’t listen to those people. The Slab City residents were some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. Though I never got his name, one resident gave us some insight into why and how someone would live there.

When I asked the man how he lives without common amenities, he responded with his own question, “How do you live?”

“With electricity and air conditioning.”

“Are you happy?”

“I’d say so.”

“Are you stressed?”

“Well, everyone is stressed where I live.”

“That is how I live comfortably. There are no electricity bills, no utility bills, and no rent. You just live. There is no timetable for when you have to do something. You just do it whenever you can.” To adults who pay bills and to teenagers who are generally stressed all of the time, this sounds like a Utopia. But it wasn’t always so Utopian.

When the government was surveying the area to build a wall between America and Mexico, they tried to drive the residents out. Their way of accomplishing this was to shut off Slab City’s water. Though he didn’t go into exact details, the man explained that now they have more water than before the government concreted their water pipes.

Their stress-free life and their sense of community is something that I’ve never seen before. We live in a society where we need to get everything done on a schedule, but why not take a breath? The residents of Slab City are living full Hakuna Matata, with no worries or cares. Most of us say that we could never live without our electronics or air conditioning, but look at the hundreds of people living in our backyard that have no electronics, yet they are some of the happiest people I’ve ever met. Maybe there is something to take away from these Slab City-ians about how to live a happy life.

Editor: Luke Langlois

A Misportrayed Krab

by 2 Comments

By new-to-the-2018-19-birdonfire staff, Blogger Luke Langlois

 

What’s the first word you think of when presented with our favorite animated restaurant owner, Mr. Krabs? It could be something like red, shiny, or even pointy-nosed. Unfortunately, the most prominent description of Mr. Krabs is “cheap.” How often do people use the word “cheap” in a good light? If you’re in need of a bag of Doritos, and a friend won’t lend a dollar, you’d call that friend cheap. If someone gets genuinely excited by a penny on the floor, they’re cheap. If your employer sells your soul for sixty-two cents, they’re cheap. By all accounts, Eugene Krabs has shown himself to be the stereotypical cheapskate. Society would like you to think that being the dictionary definition of a cheapskate is NOT a good thing. Though, is Mr. Krabs truly a cheap crab at heart? Or, is he an overly generous employer? After a brief look at some numbers, the answer is pretty clear.

Let’s take a look at the typical fast-food employee of the United States and compare it to Mr. Krab’s employees. In the United States, someone in the fast food industry is paid about $18,000 a year. In most large cities, the median rent per month for an average apartment would be at least $1,000. Without covering taxes, or any other basic need, that would amount to $12,000 a year, a majority of the salary of an average employee. Clearly, the average fast food employee does not make even close to enough to live in a safe apartment in the city while covering any other basic needs or amenities. How miserable! Who could ever work in the fast-food industry and live a fulfilled life? Spongebob and Squidward could.

Now, we can take a look at Spongebob and Squidward, Mr. Krabs’s two most loyal employees of nearly twenty years. Both of these fast-food employees are clearly able to provide for themselves. They have sizable and safe households. Besides being the owners of safe and decently sized domiciles, Spongebob and Squidward live in the outskirts of a prime city under the ocean.  As far as us viewers know, there are no other major cities in existence in the Spongebob universe. Adding on to this, the most desirable homes in cities are usually the suburban ones, such as Spongebob’s pineapple or Squidward’s Easter Island Head. To sum it up, these employees live in safe and spacious homes in the prime of this aquatic metropolis. Not only that, but Spongebob and Squidward have been known to have more than just basic needs. Spongebob is well known for his expert caretaking as well as jellyfishing. Like Spongebob, Squidward is able to pursue his passions. He paints, plays the clarinet, and even takes dance lessons. These are all expensive pursuits, especially in a capitalist society! In comparison to our above-water society, Squidward and Spongebob are paid exceptionally well for their seemingly mundane jobs in the fast-food industry.

Does the point not drive itself home? Mr. Krabs, mistakenly portrayed as a cheap and horrible crab to work for, is in fact one of the most generous people you could EVER work for. If you hear anyone call Mr. Krabs cheap, sit them down and make sure their minds are forever changed.

 

DISCLAIMER: While Mr. Krabs pays generously and allows his two employees to live a good life, he has made a few mistakes. Luke does not personally support the following: thievery, counterfeiting, 24/7 labor, selling the souls of employees, assault of employees, jellyfish slavery, grave robbery, attempted murder, or charging people for breathing.

 

Editor: Bella Bier

Tesla–Sustainable Living At Its Finest

by Leave a Comment

By Shelby Armor

When we think about Tesla, Inc., we think about their cars. And, yes, their cars are 100% electric, and have no engine whatsoever. As of April 2018, Tesla has saved 3,330,166.37 tons of CO2 emission through their vehicles alone, and the number goes up every minute. But, Tesla does so much more. While their cars are groundbreaking, they also do a lot of things that help home life, and help to create a greener environment and promote sustainable living.

In addition to having 100% electric cars, they also produce solar panels, “Powerwalls,” and solar roofs. Their solar panels have a sleek design and seamless integration into the roof. The way they operate is by connecting to the “Powerwall,” which is another creation by Tesla. The Powerwall is a 100% self-powered battery that meets all energy needs of a house on any given day. When there is a power outage, the Powerwall can sustain the house for 7+ days on the energy it has created alone. It functions by taking the solar energy that the solar panels produce during the day and storing it. They also have a Tesla app, where you can track the power that is being used and how much you still have in your home. As Tesla is big on getting a sleek look, they also created a “Solar Roof,” which essentially acts as a solar panel and blending in seamlessly to your house. The solar roof connects directly to the Powerwall to power your home. Tesla grants a lifetime warranty on the solar roof itself, which goes through the subsidiary company Solar City.  

Tesla has been helping the world as well, not just the home. The Powerwall, announced in the April of 2015, and since then has been used extensively in home life and also in community service projects. Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, actually brought 700 Powerwalls to Puerto Rico, to the “Hospital del Niño” after the hurricane to help bring care to patients who needed them. For the actual Tesla cars, they do not use one big battery, but instead use thousands of small, cylindrical, lithium-ion commodity cells, like those found in everyday electronics. They put the batteries under the floor of the vehicle. Because of this, there is more space in the trunk and interior. An example of this is that the Tesla has a “Frunk,” or a trunk in the front. If you go to the hood and open it, there will be extra space to store things, since there is no engine there.

Tesla also created something called a “supercharger.” The supercharger is a free electric charger made by Tesla that exists all over the world for Tesla owners to charge their cars. There are 7,320 superchargers globally, and they provide up to 120 kW of power, meaning it would take around 75 minutes to get a full charge. I have been a fan of Tesla since I first heard of it a few years ago. I don’t think that people realize how much Tesla does besides their cars, and I hope this sheds some light on all of the work that Tesla is doing for a green future.

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Stranger Than Fiction

by Leave a Comment

By Reddit Investigator Brennan Nick

Most people know what The Onion is. It is a “news” source that posts hilariously fictional articles on ridiculous subjects. However, you do not need to look to fiction to laugh at stories that may seem as if they’re fake. Below are some ecstatically funny headlines that were found in actual news sources:

 

1. “Restaurant arms diners with squirt guns to ward off… seagulls”

Source: The Takeout

2. “Farmer accused of shooting murder blames gunfire on eggplant”

Source: 9news

3. “Scientists plan DNA hunt for Loch Ness monster next month”

Source: Reuters

4. “Man rescued from Taliban didn’t believe Donald Trump was President”

Source: Newsweek

5. “Uber’s search for a female CEO has been narrowed down to 3 men”

Source: The Denver Post

6. “Passenger turned away from two flights after wearing 10 layers of clothing to avoid luggage fee”

Source: The Telegraph

7. “UPS loses Family’s $846K Inheritance, Offers to Refund $32 Shipping Fee”

Source: Newsweek

8. “Justin Bieber banned from China in order to ‘purify’ nation”

Source: The Telegraph

9. “NPR tweets the Declaration of Independence, and people freak out about a ‘revolution’”

Source: The Kansas City Star

10. “Man who mowed lawn with tornado behind him says he ‘was keeping an eye on it.’”

Source: Times Colonist

11. “Ferry McFerryface to be name of new Sydney ferry after public vote”

Source: ABC News

12. “Alt-Right White Supremacists Claim Papa John’s as Official Pizza”

Source: Newsweek

13. “White supremacists taking DNA tests sad to discover they’re not 100% white”

Source: Global News

14. “Palestinian judge bans divorce during Ramadan because ‘people make hasty decisions when they’re hungry’”

Source: Independent

15. “After 4th DWI, man argues legal limit discriminates against alcoholics”

Source: Statesman

16. “Argentinian officers fired after claiming mice ate half a ton of missing marijuana”

Source: The Guardian

17. “‘Nobody kill anybody’: Murder-free weekend urged in Baltimore”

Source: The Baltimore Sun

18. “Texas judge interrupts jury, says God told him defendant is not guilty”

Source: Statesman

19. “Saudi Arabia accidentally prints textbook showing Yoda sitting next to the king”

Source: The Telegraph

20. “‘Japan’s slowest roller coaster’” derails, passengers don’t notice”

Source: Sora News 24

 

Editor: AJ Patencio

some movies that i love and you might not but i don’t care because i love them with all my heart

by 1 Comment

By Makena Behnke

 

some movies i like suck; some rule. it’s all a matter of opinion, okay? it’s summer, so instead of going outside and getting a tan, stay inside your little cave of a room and watch movies (most of these are on Netflix by the way). so, here we go.

  • The Craft. four girls experiment in the world of witchcraft. can they handle it, or do they go power mad? plus it has Skeet Ulrich soooo, yes.
  • Almost Famous. a 15-year-old kid goes on tour with a band in the 70s. as far as i know, this is the most realistic movie about band life on tour. also, a true story. love, peace, and joy, man.
  • 10 Things I Hate About You. despite what Leo says, it’s great. Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger? yes! also, a modern interpretation of a Shakespeare play? yes! also, set in the 90s? yes! overall, yes.
  • Hush. the horrorest of horror. not really, but it’s still good. It involves a deaf girl who lives in the middle of the forest and a murderer. the girl’s cat’s name is my favorite thing; i’m not allowed to mention it on the blog, but trust me, it’s good.
  • Peter Pan–the 2003 one specifically. the very story of Peter Pan just makes me so happy, but the actors and the way it’s executed makes me love it more.
  • Scream. so darn good. a classic. it has Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox–my favorite 90s actors. truly one of my favorite movies ever.
  • Bring It On and Bring It On: All or Nothing. i was obsessed with this for a long period of time. i probably still can remember most of the cheers (and probably most of the script), but don’t ask me to cheer; i won’t.
  • 13 Going on 30. a movie everyone should watch. although a little chick-flicky, it’s great. can a magical birthday present fast forward through seventeen years? 
  • Kong: Skull Island. i haven’t seen any other giant monkey movies, but this was on the plane, and i couldn’t sleep on the plane. so far, i’m a fan of giant monkey movies. my last two eight-hour plane rides were good movie days.

 

Warning: some movies are Rated R, so beware.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

cot vs. caught

by Leave a Comment

By House Linguist Brennan Nick

In case you did not know, the people of Shakespeare’s time spoke much differently than we do today. If someone in Shakespeare’s time came today and spoke to you, you may only be able to understand about 75% of what they are saying. However, the year 1600 was “only” about ten generations ago. Now, I personally do not feel like I speak much differently from my parents, let alone Shakespeare. Besides, there have been massive enunciation shifts from Shakespeare’s time to now. So I wondered, what massive sound changes are going on right now?

 

Well, one thing that I learned very recently is the fact that some people pronounce the words “cot” and “caught” differently, while an increasing number of people pronounce them the same. This is called the cot-caught merger. This blew my mind when I learned this because I never realized that we were experiencing sound shifts right now. The difference is between the “aw,” “au,” “al,” and “ought” sounds and the short “o” sounds. The difference can be seen in words like . . .

–“cot” and “caught,”

–”collar” and “caller,”

–”stock” and “stalk,”

–”chock” and “chalk,”

–and ”don” and “dawn.”

 

It used to be that everyone made a distinction between the two different vowel sounds. However, people are increasingly pronouncing those vowel sounds the same. This shift is occurring the most in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and West Virginia, the New England Area, and the entire western half of the USA, with some exceptions such as San Francisco (See map).

With this knowledge, I then decided to collect some data on who pronounced the vowel sounds the same way and who pronounced them differently. So, I went around to many people here in Southern California and had them say these words:

“Rock cot talk rob stalk water

Call stock caught doll also”*

*Unbolded = “cot” sound for all words

Bold = Both “cot” and “caught” sounds used

 

Here is what I found:

People who did make a distinction: 10

People who did not make a distinction: 27

 

Even though I got the data, I still wanted to find some characteristic that determined who made a distinction and who did not. Age did not have to do with it, as there were both teachers and students who made the distinction and did not. What I found to be the greatest determiner was whether or not they were from California or if they were from elsewhere.

 

People who made a distinction and are not from California–8.

People who made a distinction and are from California–2.

People who did not make a distinction and are not from California–7.

People who did not make a distinction and are from California–20.

 

This can be explained by the fact that, in California, the two vowel sounds are merged by most people; whereas the two vowels are largely unmerged in many other areas of the country.

 

All in all, this was a fun experiment.

 

Below is a video where you can “hear” the difference for yourself.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Fear and Loathing

by 1 Comment

By Leo Milmet

 

I’ve been called a liar.

A bit excessive.

A weak little weasel who has just gotta toughen up.

A cold-hearted young man with a face of stone.

A slave to my fears.

A bitter soul.

I’ve been asked “What the hell is wrong with you?” countless times.

I’ve been unfavorably compared to the accommodation-needing, annoying kid in the car who constantly asks “Are we there yet?”

I’ve been told, by well-intentioned people, “Mine is different. You wouldn’t have a problem with mine.”

 

 

All I said was,

“I’m afraid of dogs.”

 

Editor: Peter Kadel

Common Mistakes I’ve Made While Driving

by 3 Comments

By Claire Jenkins

Now mind you, I have a PERMIT, not a license. I am but a child in the driving world, and it is a SCARY world, people. For those of you who have been driving for years, it may seem like second-hand nature, but for us newbies it is practically WWIII. Whether you are trying to switch lanes or make it through a four-way stop in one piece, it feels like death flashes by every five seconds.

Below is a list of driving no-no’s that I accidentally “yes-yes’d”: 

  1. Stop signs are suggestions, right? Maybe not. But, okay, sometimes they are hidden behind things, such as bushes or people, and sometimes I’m just stupid, alright. I sort of made a rolling stop at one, but like, right in the middle of the intersection. It’s fine; I’m fine.
  2. Blinkers. Blinkers are complicated, and sometimes I mix up which way to push them. So, if you ever see an idiot turning right with their left blinker on, it’s probably me.
  3. Four-way stops. Okay, but if you and THREE other people all arrive at a four-way stop at the same time and everyone on your right goes first, excuse me, what? Then everyone is waving their hands at each other, and everyone is slowly inching forward, and next thing you know it’s been two hours and everyone has moved AN INCH. Driving is not for the impatient.
  4. Not hitting bikers is hard. Not honking at bikers is harder. Bikers shouldn’t be allowed on the road. That’s it.
  5. You know how you can turn right on a red light? Yeah, except I went left on a red light. Live fast die young; honestly, I’m amazed I’m still alive.
  6. What’s the difference between reverse and drive? I found out the hard way, and so did the curb in front of me. Olé, friend.
  7. I’ve cut people off before, but I haven’t killed anyone yet. I swear it’s not malicious; I really just don’t know what I’m doing.

I really do try my best, guys. Thanks for enjoying my stupidity, and don’t report me for breaking as many laws as I have while driving.

Editor: Makena Behnke

some coffees i’m ready to try… now:

by 2 Comments

By Makena Behnke

many people enjoy drinking their normal morning coffee. it may be a latte, cappuccino, or a normal drip coffee. well, lattes, flat whites, and mochas are just the tip of the iceberg–

  • turkish coffee~ coffee with fine grounds and a cardamom pod included. also referred to as arabic and greek coffee. (turkey/greece/middle eastern area)
  • cuban espresso~ espresso sweetened with sugar while brewing the shot. (cuba)
  • marocchino~ espresso, cocoa powder and milk froth. sometimes thick hot cocoa and/or nutella is splashed in. (italy)
  • galão~ 1 part espresso and 3 parts foamed milk. (portugal)
  • kopi tubruk~ coffee with coarse grounds are left in the mix and are boiled with solid sugar. (indonesian)
  • swedish egg coffee~ the egg cuts the bitterness and heightens the smoothness. supposedly it doesn’t taste like egg. (sweden)
  • qishr~ spiced coffee husks, ginger, and every once in a while, cinnamon. (yemen)
  • fat americano~ substitute hot water with a can of Coca-Cola and pour it over ice. (america)
  • cafe breve~  0.5 part milk foam, 1 part steamed half and half, and 1 part espresso. (america)
  • red eye~ drip coffee with a shot of espresso. (america)
  • mazagran~ lemon juice, ice cubes, water, and espresso. (portugal)
  • espresso romano~ shot of espresso with lemon. (italy)
  • cafe tobio~ 1 part drip coffee and 1 part espresso. (america)

Editor: AJ Patencio

Is Far Cry 5 a “5 out of 5”?

by Leave a Comment

By Peter Kadel

Far Cry 5 is the latest installment of the Far Cry published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft. The game takes place in the fictional Hope County in Montana. This is the first game of the series to take place in the United States. Many of the jokes and quests are more relatable and the characters seem to be more relatable and more farcical at the same time. As a sequel, the game stays close to the core concept of Far Cry: Lots of weapons, outlandish and wacky side characters, maniacal and oddly charismatic villains, and an expansive open world. But, it also mixes it up with a plethora of new minor features that give the game a fresh feeling for the first couple hours of gameplay. The gameplay itself is pretty standard for a Far Cry game. The main villain(s) is/are the Seed family and their radical evangelical cult, The Project at Eden’s Gate, who have taken over Hope County, Montana, and are capturing, brainwashing, torturing the people of Hope County. The main leader of the cult is Joseph Seed who oversees the entire cult with support from his three siblings: Jacob Seed, a cruel and merciless warrior who believes in culling the weak; John Seed, a charismatic man who forces people to confess their “sins” and submit to the cult; and Faith Seed, a sort of enchantress who uses a hallucinogenic drug to control and manipulate her enemies and turn some cultists into drug-fueled berserkers. Each member of the Seed family controls a region, and players have to defeat the three lieutenants and liberate their region before getting to the leader Joseph.

 

The main story of the game is entertaining at parts, but as a whole it is disorganized and lacks a compelling reason to follow the main quest. In all honesty, I only completed the main questline because the side quests were even more one dimensional and linear, with one exception–the Clutch Nixon Stunt missions, which are a series of time limited vehicular feats which you must recreate. The quests themselves don’t have a compelling backstory, but they unlock a series of star-spangled vehicles that are really fun to drive/fly around. But, in general, the game fails to provide a compelling reason to complete missions other than “do this to get some cool stuff” or “because an NPC [Non-Player Character] said so.”

 

That being said, the game is entertaining and provides an enjoyable experience in many parts. New vehicles such as planes, helicopters, and semi trucks offer more options in terms of gameplay and how to overcome certain challenges and obstacles such as enemy strongholds and convoys. The game also includes a new type of weapon–melee weapons. These give the player more stealth options in terms of combat.

 

SO! Overall the verdict is: Far Cry 5 is an entertaining game and provides a good gaming experience, but it isn’t worth the 60 dollars needed to pay for it, so if you would like to purchase it, I suggest waiting until it is cheaper.

 

Editor: Bella Bier