the bird on fire

The Best Coffee I’ve Ever Had

January 26, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

A Sonnet Ode by poet Levi Kassinove

Ere the morning fog vanished,

By the hand of the golden sun,

Which rises betwixt London clouds,

Amber divinity, I was fated to meet.

Awoken by wanderlust, at 10 a.m.,

I trekked through blighted streets,

Gazing with ardent curiosity,

At the aquaponic garden surrounded by glass.

When my shackled palette,

Consanguineous with fog,

Entered its welkin doors ensconced in light,

Mine eyes fell upon machinery old and new.

T’was a Japanese iced o’ th’ Panama geisha stripe,

The amber sun unshackl’d my tongue.

For context: When I was in London, I had a Japanese-style iced coffee, made with Panama Geisha beans. Japanese-style iced coffee is when the barista pours the coffee directly over the ice as part of its mass, as opposed to the ice being added afterwards with no regard for the proportion between water and coffee. Geisha is a highly prized strain of coffee bean, and this particular variety was grown in Panama.

What’s the Level of Coffee Addiction at PVS?

January 26, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By PVS student-blogger Louisa Richardson

The Blog Staff continues to plumb the depths of PVS’s relationship to coffee. Is it as simple as love-hate? Louisa sheds some light on our coffee-drinking habits, tastes, and associations.

Coffee is not something I have ever been allowed to have; however, apparently it is quite the controversial subject here at Palm Valley. Some people think that it is a great source of energy. Whereas others (Pip Watson) think of it as a “legalized drug.” Since I don’t drink coffee, I don’t have much opinion about it. The students and teachers at PVS do. Here’s what they had to say about America’s favorite morning drink.

Teacher Mr. Satterfield’s opinions on coffee:

I think coffee, like most things, is healthy in moderation. There are people who have done great amounts of research on the subject who argue that coffee provides significant health benefits. There is also, I believe, a body of research (and common sense) that suggests too much coffee is unhealthy. Personally, I rarely drink coffee because I want the caffeine to work when I need it to, which is usually on a long drive. But most people I know well do drink it often, and only a few of them have what I would call a coffee problem.

Student Pip Watson’s one of two opinions on coffee:

While I cannot comment on the nutritional value of coffee, I do know it contains copious amounts of caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive, mind-altering drug which most people shrug off as something that provides energy.

Teacher Mr. Parsons comments on coffee:

Coffee is at the heart of many cultures, particularly in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and it has been for centuries. Noteworthy individuals wrote poems and songs dedicated to the taste and effects of that little roasted bean. All around the world, coffee shops have sold this stimulating beverage to artists and their fans. These centers for creativity blossomed organically out of the thriving bean trade with South American and African nations. Famously Beethoven brewed his morning cup of Joe from exactly 60 beans, no more and no less. Many blame coffee for his often erratic and grumpy behavior. The downsides of coffee are not to be ignored. Drinking too much caffeine (the potent chemical that gives coffee its boost of energy) can make people irritable and can prevent a good night’s sleep. Folks can even become hooked on coffee; their entire mood depends on their next espresso. Let’s just hope it doesn’t arrive too latte (Dad joke intentional)!

Teacher Mr. Killeen’s thoughts:

On a scientific level, coffee has both benefits and issues when it comes to personal health. According to the Mayo Clinic, coffee may offer protection from Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, liver cancer, heart attack and stroke. However it can also lead to an increase in blood pressure which can also be problematic for people. Just like anything you consume, moderation and listening to the signs your body is sending you is important to maintaining good health.

Staff member Ms. Greer talks about coffee:

I think coffee, actually caffeine in general, is addictive but it is something I really enjoy. I love a cup of hot coffee in the morning or an iced coffee on a summer afternoon.

Student Olivia Puetz (or Olie) says:

I like coffee, but not black coffee because it tastes too bitter. I like sweet coffee like frappuccinos and lattes.

Student Brooklyn Hatrack believes:

I’ll be for real – coffee is disgusting. It’s so bitter and the taste never gets out of your mouth. It also doesn’t even energize you. Also, the breath of a coffee drinker is VERY distinct. It’s icky.

So, as you can see when asking the question “What are your opinions on coffee?” I found that a surprisingly large number of people do not think coffee is a good thing. This can only be proving my mother right. Despite Starbucks’ success, I am definitely starting to think that coffee may not be so great after all.

Sorry, “affogato” your name

January 24, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The Blog Staff, united in its passion for that morning drink so many of us (especially Indy) can’t do without, celebrates coffee this week. Penny, however, voices a different opinion.

By Middle-Schooler Penny Andreas

(If you love coffee, prepare to be offended.)

From cold brew, to de-caf, to your extra tall carmel macchiato with 2 teaspoons of creamer with just a hint of sugar along with the smiley face on top, I dislike coffee. For the most part, I think coffee is gross and disgusting.

First, what actually is coffee? If you think about it…It’s ground up beans that are served hot. Some people even add flavors like “pumpkin spice,” along with cream. I don’t know about you, but beans with creamy chemical flavoring are disgusting. Also, What is the smell? To me it absolutely smells like burning rubber, or dry desert dirt. Both are gross.

Second, the taste is the most revolting, sickening, repulsive, icky, gut-churning, and monstrous thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. It tastes extremely bitter, even with (I promise) two cups of creamer. I swear every type tastes like the specific definition of dust and dirt. No matter how many types of coffee I have tried, I find almost no difference except the fact that some are spicy…which has been somewhat concerning to me.

Third, there are actually hazardous things when it comes to drinking the beans! Consuming and drinking too much coffee can lead to nervousness, addiction, frequent urination, or not being able to control urinating. Is coffee worth the risk of peeing your pants in public? I didn’t think so. However, there are some health benefits that coffee can give you, but that’s only if you don’t put a quart of creamer and a cup of sugar in your coffee. It can help you prevent cancers, heart diseases, and depression (hsph.harvard.edu). But note, once addicted to coffee, your body has an extremely hard time working and functioning without caffeine’s help. This can make you constipated–or the complete opposite. This is often caused because the caffeine in coffee affects the muscles in the digestive system.

So, as you can see, there are many things that happen to you internally when you drink the beans, from constipation, the loss of ability to control urination, and the gagging from the horrid taste. So…drink coffee or pee your pants in public? I wonder what you will choose….

*Affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert.

I Saved A Turtle

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

By Junior Luke Sonderman

By the title you may think I’m one of those paper straws, anti-plastic, and save-the-turtles-shirt type of guy. You’re 100% wrong. I don’t do anything small. I go big. Instead of picking up trash on the beach and posting those little save-the-turtle squares on Instagram, I did the real thing and I saved an actual turtle. You may be wondering what I mean by “I saved a turtle.“

It all started at the Tamale Festival in November. I did my usual thing… eat tamales and drink horchata, but as I wandered the fair grounds I noticed a small easy-up with those little plastic aquariums. What I saw inside the aquariums was absolutely mind boggling. THEY WERE GIVING AWAY TURTLES TO CHILDREN WHO WON THE CARNIVAL GAME. I had to get one of the turtles and save him from the wrath of young children with little dirty fingers.

My turtle’s name is Demetrious or Demetry. Whatever you prefer. He is a Red-Eared Slider who is around 2.5 inches long. Most people think that owning a turtle is a high maintenance job, but it is actually pretty easy.

Every day, I like to start my morning by getting up and turning on Demetry’s UV light. This is his source of sunlight and vitamin D. This usually wakes him up in the morning. One important thing you have to put in sub-aquatic turtle tanks is a basking platform. This can be any dry platform above the water with sunlight pointed at it. This is where they dry off and absorb sunlight. This is also where I feed my turtle Demetry. My basking platform is a floating styrofoam rock structure.

When it comes to feeding my turtle, I used to like to put his turtle pellets on the basking platform. Demetry, smart little fellow, kept knocking the pellets in the water. The reason–turtles only eat underwater. I also learned turtles mostly poop while they’re eating. So as a shortcut to cleanliness, I feed Demetry in a plastic container full of water. When he’s done eating, I put him back in the untainted tank and clean the soiled container.

The one pain that comes with having a turtle is replacing the water and cleaning the tank. I replace half of the water in his tank every two weeks or sooner depending on how musty the tank looks. Once the rocks at the bottom of the tank collect enough sludge and grime, I empty the whole tank and clean off the rocks in the tank. It is important to keep the water clean, and there are chemicals I put in the water weekly that reduce the amount of sludge, grime, and murkiness in the water. I also clean off Demetry when I replace the water because his shell will get sludge from the water on it.

I highly recommend getting a lil turtle like mine. He is very cute and isn’t susceptible to the ocean threat of plastic straws. A turtle is a very easy pet to own and very lovable. Demetry and I play a game of hide and seek. Since I’m bigger, he swims to the other side of the tank when I walk towards the aquarium. But, I sense I’m winning him over.

Why I Hate The Color Yellow

January 18, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

By Junior Levi Kassinove

Middle-School Blogger Penny proposed we write about the color yellow. The Blog Staff accepted her challenge and came up with some surprising associations. Levi’s reaction went more in the direction of . . . yellow journalism.

CONTENT WARNING: I will trash on your favorite color if your favorite color is yellow.

Before I get into all of my reasons for hating the color yellow, let me just back up my opinion with cold, hard science. According to apartmenttherapy.com, yellow is the favorite color of a wee 5% of the people. Perhaps this means that I’m preaching to the choir. I imagine, however, 95% of people who don’t love yellow don’t completely detest yellow like I do. So, here are my top three reasons for hating the color yellow.

It’s the Symbol of Death and Decay

Head over to the cemetery and dig up your favorite grave. Open up the casket, and you’ll find a yellow corpse. Not a red corpse, not a green corpse, but a pale yellow corpse. When one has jaundice, one’s skin turns yellow. When one does not brush one’s teeth, one’s teeth turn yellow. When the yellow sun attacks people during the daytime, it can give them skin cancer, or worse, a farmer’s tan. Yellow is also the color of vomit. In general, yellow just radiates disease and rot. Some negative symbols with the color yellow include but are not limited to the radioactive symbol, wet floor signs, and general cautionary signs.

Yellow is a Negative Motif in Literature

In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, there is a yellow book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian, which, upon reading, throws Dorian down a spiral of self-hatred and guiltless crimes. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster that Victor creates is described as having yellow skin and yellow eyes. In a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, titled The Yellow Wallpaper, a woman suffering a temporary psychosis hallucinates a woman being trapped behind snaking bars as she stares at her room’s yellow wallpaper. Finally, in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, yellow is the color of Raskolnikov’s apartment walls, representing his impoverished state. No, I am not just listing off books from my English class.

It’s just straight up the worst color

When you see someone walking down the street, are they wearing yellow? 99% of the time, the answer is no. They are wearing jeans and a white t-shirt because they don’t want to look like they’re cosplaying as Morty Smith. Compare that to colors like blue and beige–the colors that look good in the world, and you’ll see that yellow has no place amongst these aesthetic giants. The sun is pretty, you say? Have you ever looked at it for more than three seconds? I didn’t think so. Yellow is a symbol of prosperity? It’s also what color your walls turn into when you smoke too often. I wouldn’t exactly call that a sign of prosperity.

Morty from the show *Rick and Morty* (usatoday.com)

From cancer-causing rays of sun to depictions of alcoholics in literature (Dostoevsky’s Marmeladov), yellow connotes the worst of the worst. It invokes a visceral reaction from me and many of my peers and teachers. Louisa said yellow makes her think of “thrown-up hot dogs.” Mr. Satterfield eloquently commented, “Yellow is the color of lukewarm indecision and treachery achieved by laziness.” Indy concluded that the color “reminds me of urine.”

My Return to Broadway…

January 12, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Indy Behr

I have always enjoyed seeing shows on Broadway. I saw my first performance of The Lion King when I was seven years old. Since then, I have returned about eight times to see several shows. Because of COVID, I have not been able to go back since November 2019 when I saw Beetlejuice at the Winter Garden Theatre. My first show since COVID shut down Broadway was also Beetlejuice, yet it was very different from my first visit.

The Original Production of Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is a musical based on the Tim Burton-directed film of the same name. Though the basic plot is relatively similar, there are some major differences. It’s also, of course, a musical, making it very different from the initial work. It initially opened for tryouts in Washington, D.C., in October 2018, where it developed itself over time before moving to the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in April 2019. Initially opening to somewhat mediocre reception and lackluster sales, its reviews and finances drastically improved within a few months, partially thanks to popularity on TikTok. On the site, hundreds of people danced to Beetlejuice’s “Girl Scout” song.

I initially saw Beetlejuice in December 2019, just a few weeks after the Winter Garden Theatre announced it would be ending the show, or as Beetlejuice’s promotional material framed it, evicting the show. The show’s run was scheduled to end abruptly in June 2020 (like all Broadway shows, it ultimately closed in March 2020). It was closed to make way for an adaptation of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. This move was very controversial, and instantly the Beetlejuice the musical publicly shared their attempts to move it to a new Broadway theater. Ultimately, the musical announced after two years of searching for a new home that it would be re-opening with a near-identical cast at the Marquis Theatre on April 8, 2022.

The Return of Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice resumed performances on April 8, 2022. This was always intended to be a limited run, and it closed on January 8 after eight months of shows. That being said, it will be going on tour and will be hitting Los Angeles in July and San Diego. I should probably note this musical is recommended for those thirteen and above.

How Yellow is Perceived

January 12, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By 8th-grader Louisa Richardson, a new voice on thebirdonfire.org blogger staff

In our pursuit of the color yellow, Louisa reflects on how yellow has been perceived over time and literature and TV shows and house paint.

The color yellow has been and remains to be perceived in many different ways; for example, according to “The effect of colors on perception,” the color yellow is often associated with madness and mental disorders (Salesbook). However, yellow can also be perceived as a happy, warm, and comforting color. (See Mr. Satterfield’s reply in Alyna’s Yellow survey.)

In television shows like How I Met Your Mother, yellow is often used to portray someone or something good. In the show, the yellow umbrella is used to portray and signify the mother we’re waiting to meet.

The missing mother in *How I Met Your Mother* is, for many episodes, kept hidden beneath a yellow umbrella. Photo Source: NY post

But, because yellow is also sometimes used to show sickness, directors and writers often use different shades of yellow to convey positive and negative associations.

When painting our house, for example, using a light shade of yellow has always been something I have found comforting. The house I lived in for most of my life in Oregon was painted a light shade of yellow, and, considering the climate we lived in (which was usually dark and cloudy), neighbors told us they were comforted by that yellow.

Louisa’s comforting yellow house back in Oregon — Photo Source: www.redfin.com

However, when people use a very dark or vibrant color of yellow, it can sometimes look very old or sickening. Many people associate the shade with vomit.

So, my question for you is, how do you perceive yellow?

So Long Yellow

January 10, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

A Poem, by Middle-Schooler Penny Andreas, addressing the theme of Yellow

Lemon

Sponge

The sun

Birds

Pineapple

Homer Simpson

All yellow

Now that it’s gone

I see purple

Some shades of gray

Sometimes pink

Never yellow

Gray lemons

Purple sponges

The sun that is somehow gray and pink

Gray birds

Purple pineapple

Purple mutant Homer Simpson

Goodbye yellow

My world

The rainbow

Seems empty without it

Even the streets lined

With yellow markings

They’ve disappeared from my sight

So long yellow

What Is Yellow To You?

January 10, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Upper-Schooler Alyna Rei

Starting off the new year and a new semester, the blog staff has opted to free itself from the dictatorial constraints of Ms. Zachik and choose its own themes. We begin the year with “Yellow” to kick off the new term.

Everyone has an opinion on the color yellow. Some people say they like it, some people say they are repulsed by it. Some are in the middle. What comes to mind when you hear the word yellow? Sunflowers? Happiness? Rubber ducks? Vomit?

For me, personally, the first thing that comes to my mind with the color yellow depends on the yellow. If it’s a lighter, almost blinding shade of yellow, I think of heat because of the desert or a warning sign just like what Christina Lam said. If the shade is softer and warmer, I think of a nice calming sunset. This shade brings me ease and has a more “home-like” feel.

I put this question to different people and was able to get a variety of answers.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word yellow?

Ms. Castellano (Teacher): “When I was younger I never thought about dreams and colors. At some point I had a dream about a yellow feather. It was the first time I remembered dreaming in color. Since then, yellow represents that flight feather I dreamed of long ago.”

Ms. Maguire (Teacher): “When I hear yellow I think of sunshine, warmth, and cheerfulness. I imagine sunflowers, daffodils, palo verde trees, daisies, and all the other yellow flowers that bring an undeniable burst of brightness into the world. I have a sunny yellow Le Creuset dutch oven that I adore; I just got a new tea kettle that is a rich golden hue, and I have kitchen towels in various shades of yellow. Yellow is great for everything except clothing; it makes me look green.”

Ms. Carter (Teacher): “The first thing that comes to my mind is a sign in my classroom that is yellow that says “Bienvenue a la classe de français.”

Mr. Satterfield (Teacher): “Yellow is a calm color in an uncalm world. Yellow is warm, but not hot. Yellow is comfortable. Sleepy, even. Bumblebees are yellow. Sunflowers. The Sun. Yellow is the color of the sky at sunrise or sunset when there are no clouds. Yellow is lemonade on a hot day, or the flames in a fireplace on a cold one. Yellow is the banana you eat and the snow you don’t. Yellow can’t be rushed, and you wouldn’t want to, anyway.”

Mr. Gil (Teacher): “Yellow” is a song by Coldplay. Everyone knows the yellow brick road even if you have not seen The Wizard of Oz. Looking down I thought of yellow shoes that I would never wear. Looking at the walls of my classroom, I see the dark yellow paint that one of my students really hates. Over by the clock there is a UC Berkeley flag that has a shade of yellow named California Gold. When I don’t have anything else to look at, I think about how yellow is not my favorite color. Keep up the good work with the blogs, I like reading them.”

Maya Karpaty (Senior): “When I think of yellow I think about bananas. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they aren’t but I always seem to come back to get one when I’m hungry. I also was going to say something basic like “the sun,” but there’s a big debate that the six year old in me says I should color the sun at the corner of my paper orange. I don’t know. Also bees.”

Landon Elder (Junior): “When I hear the word yellow, the first thing I think of is a Rubber Duck. I think of a Rubber Duck when I think yellow because I like Rubber Ducks. They are squishy, cute, and I love ducks. . . . Rubber Ducks are great.”

Christina Lam (Junior): “The first thing that comes to mind when I hear yellow is nuclear waste. Yellow has been used in warning signs and to cause alertness. It’s used for its blinding hue in warning pavers which are the yellow bumpy things on sidewalks for people who can’t see well. Yellow has been associated with illness within history. It also just seems like the color anxiety would be.”

Cole Robinson (Junior): “When I think of the color yellow, it reminds me of any good times in my life. It is associated with most happy moments for me, although it escapes me on why. It could be because of how the many hues of yellow fill me with a sense of warmth and comfort.”

Abby Assefa (Sophomore): “When I hear yellow, I think of sunflowers and happiness. I feel that when you look at yellow it is an overall bright and positive color. Sunflowers also exude happiness because of their yellow color. Although yellow is not my favorite color, I always get a nice feeling when I see a yellow thing.”

Seeing the different responses shows me how we interpret this bright color. You can really see how much thought goes into people’s heads with the one simple question, What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word yellow? Even Fyodor Dostoevsky, Oscar Wilde, and Mary Shelley have something to say about yellow, right, Mr. Griffin?

The after.

January 10, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

The life and times of G.B Eripmav

Serial Fiction, by Middle-Schooler Penny Andreas

London, January 30th, 3018

Dear Diary,

It’s been one year since the human population and the animal kingdom became extinct. They left behind yet another world of destruction and later decay. I live here alone in this old and empty barber shop. I am the only one left of my race; however, there were not originally many. I have been forced to feed off of a substance other than my first choice: blood. Although nothing really has the taste of murder and the releasing of an empty soul, I have found other items give me a similar shiver down my old spine. I have found that cranberries are one option that is always around; they seem to grow in every watery bog. They are quite bitter. But, when served in a glass cup and sprinkled with crickets, there is an obscure taste that I find almost . . . alluring. I am left with few other options.

London, February 1st, 3018

Dear Diary,

From my concoctions, I seem to have made myself ill. I am barely able to write. I cough and cough. I am absolutely disgusted about being sick. It really is terrible; though I am grateful to still be alive. It’s a terrible day today, too; the dark clouds came back like the day everyone perished. That memory will be forever stuck in my mind. How I wish I could somehow forget it. Alas, the sun has finally come out. It’s been at least a week or so without it. Not much happens. I still sit here alone and in perfect solitude. Anon I shall look for at least one sign of life. I shall deeply wish forever for another source of life, since I am immortal and other life has been completely diminished. Farewell for now, I have some more thinking to do.

Somewhere…Perhaps what used to be London, February 13th, 3018

Dear Diary,

I do recall wishing for another sign of life, but the wish backfired on me. I have found a species…or so I think. They are terribly tall with hidden faces behind cloaks. I do not recognize the language they speak, nor do I have the ability to in my current state. They came across my home in the old barber shop carrying great big weapons with fire. They have brought me somewhere…perhaps what used to be London, since there is a giant collapsed clock that stands in decay. I’ve heard it’s called “Big Ben.” At this moment, I am currently sitting on a cement ground. I sit in an empty room. I do not remember how I came to this room. It is all a blur. I managed to grab my notebook and a pen as I was being taken. I have things to try to remember now. Farewell.

I possibly may know this place, February 22nd, 3018

I am now guessing that I was knocked out, due to my throbbing headache and my knowledge of nothing that happened earlier. I am now in a blue room with what looks like UV lights above me. Whoever this species is, they do not have much knowledge or know of the existence of my race. I am deeply interested in this odd situation, and I wonder if they are a species from a new planet, or maybe something extremely out of the ordinary on Earth. Anything is possible….I hope this ends soon. Farewell until tomorrow.