the bird on fire

The Palm Valley School Student Blog

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I live in your version of sensibility…

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By Anne

 

My feelings are always wrong,

except for guilt which is what I deserve to feel

and the fear that must always control me:

 

My sadness and anger are selfish;

My happiness is a burden and a chore;

My very existence has brought hardship,

And my fault it has always been.

 

My job is to fix everything broken

and to hide from the world while doing it.

 

All people are evil inside;

To form relationships is a careless thing

–but being alone is pathetic.

 

My reality

fictional.

My opinions

wrong.

That which I love doing

isn’t worth doing.

At least this is what you’ve taught me.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

Time

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By Shelby Armor

The Desert Town Hall Forum hosts Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, next Thursday, March 8. Typically, the Youth Town Hall invites high school students to meet the featured speakers. Because Ambassador Kennedy is such a force in the poetry world (editing 19 New York Times best-selling anthologies), The Desert Town Hall Forum sponsored a poetry contest in her honor. The theme? “Giving Back”–for Ms. Kennedy and her extended family “exemplify a dedication to public service.” Shelby submitted the following poem:

Time is a fleeting thing

Going by before the chance to reflect is given

Going by with too many forgotten moments

My dad told me of Times where he went through battles

Battles he fought for his country

Battles he fought for himself

Battles he fought for his parents

He told me that these Times possessed lessons

He told me to always give a firm handshake

To never give opposers the satisfaction of victory,

Even if it hurts

I took these lessons with me through my life

And Time passed

The ever-fading moments flitting by me,

As I desperately tried to hold onto his lessons

And to form my own

When my father passed, I kept his memories with me

And when my children would ask about him,

I passed on his lessons

Telling of the battles he fought

And the things he sacrificed

I gave back everything he taught me

I gave them my own memories of Times gone by

The lessons I learned

The ones I took with me

The battles for myself

The battles for my dad

The battles for them

They took these lessons with them

And I knew that I had given them all I could

Lessons from fleeting Times that have passed

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Fusion Music: Fusic

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By Peter Kadel, Burgeoning Music Editor

America has historically been a place where cultures mix and blend to create new types of food, dance, literature, art, and music–a giant mixing bowl where people can embrace and experience other cultures. The blending of cultures is what will bring us closer together as a nation. One example of this culture-blend occurs in Fusion or Alternative Music. Here are three examples of some awesome Fusion Music.

A Tribe Called Red (genre–Pow Wow EDM): These Canadian DJs combine the music of Pow Wow’s from various Indian nations with electronic dance music to make a less repetitive, soothing sound. The group frequently collaborates with other DJs and Native American musicians to create a diverse body of work. There are more electric songs like “Electric Pow Wow Drum,” “Indian City,” and “Stadium Pow Wow.” Others like “We are Halluci Nation” and “I Feel” take a political stance and force us to confront the decades of mistreatment of Native Americans. It can’t be denied that the U.S and the various indigenous nations have a troubled and violent history and this genre could be the beginning of a new era in which culture can mix and blend instead of adhering to strict separation under the guise of avoiding cultural appropriation.

Dropkick Murphys (Irish Rock AKA Celtic Punk): Now, I may be biased because this is one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite genres, so be aware of that. This genre combines two styles that sound great on their own. The rich acoustic sound and meaningful lyrics of traditional Irish song combined with the speed, energy, and emotion of rock and punk music creates a strong emotional music. While some rock and punk bands rely only on anger to fuel their music, bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly (another Celtic punk band) speak to a broader range of human emotion. The sound of the genre itself, while not as unique as A Tribe Called Red, is distinct and entertaining. Celtic punk bands often gain popularity on Saint Patrick’s day when everyone is feeling a little extra Irish.

Native Howl (Thrash Grass): This pairing definitely seems like the strangest, least appealing mash up, but, as a lover of Bluegrass, I can say that a combination between Bluegrass and Thrash Metal is a fantastic union that is equally angry and folksy and all parts enjoyable. This genre is a good example of opposites attracting and playing off of each others’ strengths and covering their weaknesses. As Bluegrass relies heavily on acoustics and lyrics it can sound repetitive and all the songs can meld together. While metal has a fantastic energy and the songs are unique, the lyrics can often be lacking with similar phrases being used again and again. While Thrash Grass isn’t perfect, it is an entertaining fusion.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

Over 10,000 Views!

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Shelby Armor marks our milestone.

Our blog, The Bird On Fire, recently reached a huge milestone. For the first time ever, we reached 10,000 views! The Bird On Fire was formed in 2014 as a Winterim course on how to create a blog. The first post was on December 18, 2014, stating how we have many fun posts to come. When Blog became an elective offering in 2015, we landed on our motto: “Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans” (Thank you, Gaige Griffin). Now look how far the blog has come! As we hit 10,000 views, we go back and remember the fun times that have happened since its formation. Who could forget Brennan’s exposé on the Doomsday Clock? Or Makena’s comforting poem on “Comfort”? Or Gaven Li’s famous recorded Blog-sponsored ping-pong competition? (280 views on YouTube!) We thank each and every reader for coming back time and time again to read our posts. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, and we are excited about where we’ll go in the future.

Pictured above is the very first post of the blog.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Story Starter . . . Can You Finish It?

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Sophomore Doreen Yuan is working on a novel. She’s given us the start of it. She has great plans for her mysterious figures. But, let’s play. Where would you take the story?

 

Snow Country Train

                     Chapter One                         

“In the Endless Snow”

 

Story begun by Doreen Yuan



 The piling snow made it hard to see the end of the railway track, a place buried in a  raging storm. Driving past, we see the faded shadows from struggles of passengers long ago. You can only see the ongoing snowfall, and the occasional dry dead trees in the snow. My friend Dazai, who had been suffering from the stale air in the train carriage, suddenly sat upright and winked at me with a mysterious smile. He then reached out and pulled up the window frame, shaking off the rust, letting the cold air rush into the train car.

Dazai looked out of the window, as the wind and snow fell on his hair and shoulders. Luckily, the train doesn’t travel quickly, or else I’d fear that the cold would bite his skin. My friend Dazai is clearly cold, but he insists on reaching out the window for the snowflakes. He quickly withdraws his hand when the cold wind picks up, turning into a flurry. He stretched his hand out and marveled at the melting snowflakes on his skin.

“This is such a fleeting thing.”

The other man in the carriage fiddled with arranging a briefcase.

The melted snow made an imprint on Dazai’s suit, darkening the fabric, but a few flakes remained. The other man with the briefcase, AnWu, as always, looked helpless. And, once again, he opened his neat briefcase, took out the plain checkered handkerchief and handed it to Dazai from across the table.

“It’s dangerous to open the window in this storm. It’s dangerous.. Please don’t…, ” said AnWu.

Editor: Shelby Armor

The 2018 Lunar New Year is Soon!

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Graphic by Harlow Berny

By Harlow Berny

Hello, Palm Valley Students, and Happy Valentine’s Day! As many of you know, the Lunar New Year/Spring Festival/Seollal is this Friday and will mark the start of the 2018 Year of the Dog. There will be an Advisory presentation and activities based around it today. Have a good day!

Editor: Claire Jenkins

FYI: For those interested in the personality and characteristics of those born in a Dog year, chinesenewyear2018.com says,

Men born in the Dog year are straightforward and genuine. They are energetic, though they’re more pessimistic inside. . . .

Women born in the Dog year are very cautious. They are indifferent towards people they don’t like, and don’t trust easily. But once they do, it’s permanent. They are intensely protective of their friends and family.

 

Be Careful Out There

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Advice of the Week from “Dear Claire”

According to Medical Daily, 24,000 people per year die from being struck by lightning, so obviously you should consider carefully before leaving your house. A BuzzFeedYellow article says 450 people die per year falling out of bed. So, the risks of getting out of bed should also be considered carefully–maybe just stay there and hide from whatever objects could kill you. Our day-to-day activities clearly are an adventure in living dangerously. Claire’s compiled some interesting, unexpected, and worrying ways to die. Watch out for the following.

(A list of “Unexpected Ways to Die” on Valentine’s Day? “Dear Claire” says, “Death can be romantic. Haven’t you read Romeo and Juliet? Thanks, Mr. Griffin.”)

Top 5 Unexpected Ways to Die:

  1. Eating a cherry pit: The inside of the cherry pit is lethal! Don’t eat it!
  2. Elevator crash (cdc.gov says 30 people die annually by elevator): If the elevator seems unstable or old, maybe don’t get in it!
  3. Vending machine falling on you: Even if a bag of chips is stuck on the other side, do not rock the machine; it may fall, and you will DIE.
  4. Electrocuted by a toaster: Don’t touch a toaster with wet hands; it increases your chances of getting electrocuted. Also, don’t put any metal in the toaster to fish out your toast (forks, knives, etc).
  5. Hippo attack (bbc.com says 500 people per year die in Africa via hippo attack): Hippos are more aggressive than they appear, and they are known for charging at smaller boats and capsizing them.

Editor: Brennan Nick

*Medical Daily referenced.

A Performance on Puns . . . . A Play on Words

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Compiled by Shelby Armor and Bella Bier

It’s the last week of school before February Break. If you’re dragging–not that you’re counting the days,–here are some puns to brighten your day. Puns make us giggle. Just ask Holden.

  • Yesterday I accidentally swallowed some food coloring. The doctor says I’m okay, but I feel like I’ve dyed a little inside.
  • I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind.
  • Why don’t some couples go to the gym? Because some relationships don’t work out.
  • A friend of mine tried to annoy me with bird puns, but I soon realized that toucan play at that game.
  • I’d tell you a chemistry joke, but I know I wouldn’t get a reaction.
  • Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was just a soft drink.
  • When notes get in treble, bass-ically they get put behind bars. The alto-nate punishment is to push them off a clef and hope they land flat on sharp objects.
  • I once got into so much debt that I couldn’t even afford my electricity bills, they were the darkest times of my life.
  • Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I’ll show you A-flat minor.
  • When William joined the army he disliked the phrase “fire at will.”
  • Claustrophobic people are more productive thinking outside the box.
  • Why don’t programmers like nature? It has too many bugs.
  • Atheists don’t solve exponential equations because they don’t believe in higher powers.
  • Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
  • A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”
  • My friend’s bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast.
  • I got a job working in a hayfield. After one day I bailed.
  • Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It’s very time consuming!
  • What does a clock do when it’s hungry? It goes back four seconds.
  • Two windmills stood in a field. One asked the the other, “What type of music do you listen to?” The other replied with “I’m a big metal fan.”
  • What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
  • A girl said she knew me from the Vegetarian club, but I had never met herbivore.
  • Broken pencils are pointless.
  • Did you hear about the cartoonist who died alone in his apartment? Details are sketchy.
  • I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
  • There were two ships. One was painted red; the other was painted purple. They collided. At last report, survivors were marooned.
  • Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job? She couldn’t control her pupils.
  • Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
  • I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.
  • I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.
  • I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded.
  • I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
  • Bakers trade recipes on a knead-to-dough basis.
  • What do you give a sick horse? Cough stirrup and neighsel spray.
  • I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
  • Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
  • What did the mummy do for the talent show? She wrapped.
  • What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite.
  • Without geometry, life is pointless.
  • Someone just stole my Thesaurus! I’m at a loss for words.–Brennan

Do you have a pun to share? Reply in the “Comment” section.

Ex: From Peter, “We’re getting so many suggestions for headlines, kinda like a ‘title wave.'”

Editor: Brennan Nick

*Punoftheday.com referenced.

PVS Trip to USC!

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By Shelby Armor

On January 28, PVS California Scholarship Federation students and friends took a trip to the University of Southern California to watch the Trojan men’s basketball team beat the Cal Berkeley Bears. Along the way, they got a campus tour from PVS Alumni Nick Kaufmann and lunch at USC’s new multi-function Village.

PVS students pose in front of USC’s iconic “Tommy Trojan” for a photo. Can you spot alumnus Nick Kaufmann? Chaperones Mr. Zuniga and Mr. Killeen?

PVS students pay rapt attention to USC freshman and PVS alumnus Nick Kaufmann as he leads a campus tour. Note senior Sydney Scheck’s intense interest.

Thinking of Love

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Thinking of love? Valentine’s Day is on its way. “Anne” has some ruminations on the subject for you.

 

By Anne

 

It’s as if you’ve turned my heart into an ocean

at the same time you’ve lit it on fire.

It seems to slosh around with every motion;

I can feel its weight, its infinite depth.

There is no limit to its flow.

The fiery tongues dance inside me,

engulfing everything they see.

I feel the warmth of both comfort and anxiety.

 

Editor: Peter Kadel