the bird on fire

What Would You Do…for Free Food?

May 17, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

We all love free food. But, how far would you be willing to go for it?

By Elizabeth Shay, Food & Drink Editor

Tattoos have been around for more than 5,000 years and have been rising in popularity in the past 25 years. According to pewsocialtrends.org, 15-38 percent of Americans have some type of long-term body art (HuffPost). People get tattoos for a variety of reasons, from the serious (self-expression and cultural tradition) to the not-so-serious (rebellion and…free food?)

Farmer Boys is an Inland Empire-based fast food chain that celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Since 1981, Farmer Boys have made a name for themselves through amazing burgers, all-day breakfasts, charity fundraising, and unique promotional stunts. The chain even changed its name to “Farmer Girls” during Women’s History month (Patch). Now, continuing the chain’s unconventional legacy, dedicated (and I mean really dedicated) superfans have a chance to win free food for a year. The catch? All one has to do is get a permanent tattoo of one of three offered Farmer Boys-related designs. The chain is partnering with The Honorable Society tattoo studio in west Hollywood and Rockin’ Ink Tattoo in Las Vegas to offer the 2”x 2” designs for free to those 18 and older (Press-Enterprise).

I asked some of Palm Valley’s own students whether they would be willing to demonstrate their loyalty to a restaurant in exchange for free food for a year by committing to getting inked. Here’s what they said:

Marianne: “If it was for life, that would be a different story. But for a year? Not worth it.”

Roman: “Yes, because you could go multiple times a day…Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner…I’d probably get one for Chick-fil-A.”

Caroline: “I would get one on my lip for Starbucks!”

Jesse: “Oh, totally. I’d get one of Del Taco ‘cause I go there all the time.”

I invite you all to answer. Would you go so far as to put a permanent piece of artwork on your body in the name of free food? Comment below!

Second Editor-in-Chief: Sara Habibipour

Sources:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/psychology-of-tattoos_b_2017530#:~:text=People%20get%20tattoos%20for%20many,tattoo%20parlors%20are%20open%20late

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmer_Boys

https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/get-inked-farmer-boys-tattoo-eat-free-year

https://www.pe.com/2021/04/21/dine-909-get-a-farmer-boys-tattoo-earn-free-burgers-for-a-year/

Profiting off a Military Junta

May 14, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

The events currently occurring in Myanmar are serious but not well understood by the average American. Read on to expand your knowledge of the wider political world beyond the borders of the United States.

By Evan Spry, Politics Editor

Myanmar has been under the global spotlight recently for a number of reasons, none of them good. The military takeover of the country was reminiscent of past events in Myanmar’s political history, with tensions and casualties being severe and catastrophic.

It has been four months since the Tatmadaw (the Myanmar Army) seized control of Myanmar’s government after an election they lost and claimed was rigged. As of, May 4th, 769 people had been killed while 4,737 had been arrested, according to the nonprofit Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (aapp.org). These numbers are rising, and it doesn’t seem like anyone is doing anything to stop it. This begs the question What can we, the average American citizen, do to impact this situation? Well, besides donating to local activists and humanitarian organizations or calling your local representative, there may be an alternative that is much easier.

The New York Times reports, “[Chevron] has a longstanding relationship with Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.” This gas company, also known as MOGE, is “state-owned” and “closely connected to the military generals who seized power from elected leaders on Feb. 1” (nytimes.com).

The plot thickens when we head over to the Yadana Gas Field, discovered as recently as 1980. It has produced on average since its start of operation “660 million cubic feet” of natural gas (offshoretechnology.com). This is with the help of Chevron. Because of Chevron’s involvement in the Yadana Gas Field, they have been “…netting annual profits of $100 million to $150 million from its stake in Yadana” (nytimes.com). This same field also bankrolled up to “70 percent of [Myanmar military] operations in past years” (nytimes.com). The New York Times reports Chevron has been sending highly professional lobbyists out to stop legislation that would be contrary to their profits, like sanctions on the military junta and its gas company (nytimes.com).

As you can see, Chevron appears guilty of aiding and profiting off of a military junta’s violent regime. In my opinion, they should be held accountable. The easiest way to hurt Chevron is to just not buy their gas. The situation in Myanmar is a tragedy, and the biggest issues the country faces are within. The various ethnic groups need to band together in the name of democracy and defeat their oppressors. This is obviously easier said than done, but I am praying for everybody in the struggle.

First Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Shay

Sources:

Daily Briefing in Relation to the Military Coup

https://www.hrw.org/asia/myanmar-burma#

www.offshore-technology.com

Tax Cuts?

May 14, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Politics is conflictual by nature, and just one of the many controversial issues that divide the parties is that of tax cuts. The blog’s resident Business Editor and economics buff, Jake Sonderman, offers an analysis of this issue.

By Jake Sonderman, Business Editor

“What we don’t need is more spending, and what we don’t need are taxes, and what we do need is a lot less of both.”
— Ronald Reagan

It is the age old question. Tax more, or tax less? In 2017, under Donald Trump, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed, and after-tax revenue for the top marginal income tax bracket went up 3% (taxpolicycenter.org). So it would seem that the “tax less” side had won. But, with President Biden in office, it seems inevitable that taxes will go up for some to offset spending in many other areas. There is a lot of criticism on both sides of the aisle on tax policy, with Republicans ripping Biden for proposed tax hikes, and Democrats ripping Trump for tax cuts for the rich. I would like to put a pin in the politics of this issue for a second and discuss whether tax cuts are really productive for an economy and whether they do indeed “pay for” themselves.

Are Tax Cuts Productive?

To start, any tax cut will result in more money in the hands of citizens. For a tax cut or any spending to be effective, it needs to “multiply” or circulate through the economy instead of simply going straight into the bank. So if any tax cut puts more money into the economy, who should get the tax cut to make it the most “productive”? Owen M. Zidar at The National Bureau for Economic Research looked back at history to see which tax cuts are the most effective in states in terms of employment growth. He found that tax cuts for low-income brackets produce substantially more growth than tax cuts for income brackets in the top 10%. Specifically, he found that a 1% tax cut for the bottom 90% of earners resulted in 3.4% employment growth over two years, and that a cut for the top 10% produced 0.2% employment growth over the same period. (nber.org)

Summed up, tax cuts are productive for the economy. But tax cuts for low income brackets produce much more growth than tax cuts for higher brackets.

Do Tax Cuts “Pay For” themselves?

The short answer to this question is “No.” For a tax cut to “pay for” itself, it would need to produce an absurd amount of economic growth. For example, if the government introduced a tax cut that costs $200 billion and brings the income tax rate to 20%, the tax cut would need to produce about $1 trillion in growth. 20% of $1 trillion is $200 billion. This is an oversimplified essence of the idea. The idea that tax cuts produce more revenue for the government is based on the Laffer curve, an idea adopted in the Reagan era. It is based on the idea that if an income tax rate is 100% or 0% the government will receive the same amount of revenue. In the Laffer curve, there is a “sweet spot” where the government produces the most amount of revenue (investopedia.com) (taxpolicycenter.org).

The problem with referring to the Laffer curve in my opinion is that it is often used out of context and used incorrectly. The Laffer curve is often misconstrued to say that somehow lowering tax rates for high income earners and large corporations will result in booming growth that pays for itself entirely. The Laffer curve has to work both ways, meaning that cuts can substantially lower tax revenue if the tax rate goes too low.

Too often politics gets in the way of the facts when it comes to taxes. Too often politicians say “tax cuts” when they mean tax cuts for only high income earners. Tax cuts are an economic tool that can be more effective even than government spending, but they are only sometimes used effectively. Tax cuts for low income earners undoubtedly spur substantial employment growth, and those are, in my opinion, the tax cuts we should be talking about.

First Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Shay

Sources:

https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/do-tax-cuts-pay-themselves#:~:text=Cutting%20tax%20rates%20thus%20almost,percent%20of%20the%20tax%20cut.

Click to access w21035.pdf

https://taxfoundation.org/the-distributional-impact-of-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-over-the-next-decade/

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trickledowntheory.asp

New Technologies from the COVID Era

May 12, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world forever. Now that we are finally making progress in curbing the severity of the pandemic, let us take a look at possible technological advancements made while responding to COVID-19.

By Erik Bearman, Science Editor

COVID-A.I.

On New Years Eve, 2019, towards the start of the pandemic, BlueDot, a small company that analyzes and predicts outbreaks of disease, detected early signs of a potential pandemic “using data from ‘medical bulletins, even livestock reports, to predict where the virus would go next…And with that data it identified 12 of the 20 cities that would suffer first ‘” (cbsnews.com). Later on, California was able to predict which hospitals would be hit the hardest using BlueDot.

Outbreak Science: Using artificial intelligence to track the coronavirus pandemic - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Using A.I. to map where infectious diseases may spread has long been a part of outbreak science. As COVID-19 ebbs, artificial intelligences like the ones used at BlueDot will become more widely used and may even help prevent the next pandemic from ruining the senior years of future generations.

COVID-Filter

Coronavirus blood filtration system gets FDA nod for emergency use - SlashGear

In April of 2020, ExThera Medical received Emergency Use Authorization for a Seraph 100 Blood filter. ExThera was given EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) because the filter “showed encouraging preliminary results in critically ill COVID-19 patients at a military hospital in the U.S. and 14 other hospitals in Europe” (mddionline.com). The filter works in a two-step process:

Blood flows from the patient and circulates through the filter. As it does, the blood passes over receptors that imitate the receptors that pathogens target when they enter us.
The infectious material is absorbed by the beads which the receptors are attached to, allowing the filter to remove them from the patient’s bloodstream without adding anything to their blood which is returned to the patient with blood cells and proteins intact. (mddionline.com)

One day, these filters may be an everyday part of hospital equipment and could provide doctors the necessary time to treat patients. With future funding and development, they may be able to filter out harmful materials other than COVID-19.

COVID-Bees

Dutch researchers train honeybees to detect COVID-19 | CBC.ca

Researchers in the Netherlands have trained bees to detect cases of COVID-19. This might seem crazy, but bees actually “have an unusually keen sense of smell” (www.reuters.com). The process used to train the bees was relatively simple: the researchers gave the bees sugar water as a reward after the bees found a sample infected with COVID-19. But, if the bees could not detect a sample of COVID-19, the researchers did not give them a reward.

Now, the bees are used to detect COVID-19 in humans and can “cut waiting times for test results to just seconds” (www.reuters.com). An unBEElievable idea can make way for faster testing in the future for other diseases. Meaning less funding will have to be put into developing testing technologies and more communities will be able to get rapid, accurate results. From bees to filters to A.I., science never lets a catastrophe go to waste.

First Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Shay

Sources

A life well lived

May 12, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The Royal Family of England fascinates many globally, and there is much to learn about their lives. Recently, Prince Philip passed away at 99 years of age, after living a long, rich life. Blogger Roman Rickwood outlines the history of this notable Royal.

By Roman Rickwood, The World Editor

Prince Philip: A life in pictures - BBC News

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born June 10, 1921, in Corfu, Greece. Philip was born into royalty as his father was Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg. However, his childhood differed tremendously from that of typical childhood royals. When Philip was very young, his family was disgraced and exiled from the monarchy of Greece. Soon after, Phillip’s mother was institutionalized and his father fled with his mistress. Philip was sent to be raised by his grandparents in England. When in England, Philip attended Gordonstoun School and then proceeded to go to the Royal Naval College. From there, Philip became an officer in the Royal British Navy. Philip began his service in January of 1940 and served until the end of the second world war. Because of his service, he became a British subject. After his service in the Royal Navy, Prince Philip renounced his right to the Greek and Danish throne in order to become First Consort. On November 20th, 1947, Prince Philip wed his distant cousin Princess Elizabeth. Before his wedding, Philip was officially knighted and designated a royal highness. After marrying then Princess Elizabeth, Phillip continued serving in the Royal Navy until February 6, 1952. It was on this date, following the death of her father, that Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth. Because of the new responsibilities, Philip gave up his military duties and committed full time to royal duties. Over the years, Elizabeth and Philip had four children. It is calculated Prince Philip attended an average of 350 official Royal Events and appearances. He was always in the public eye. Prince Phillip often expressed his own views and did not always behave as a traditional royal. However, people loved Prince Philip, sometimes despite his many classic and quotable one liners. Along with his royal duties, Philip also managed to find time for philanthropy and passion projects; he served as the president of the World Wildlife Fund from 1981-1996. This program awarded grants and scholarships to over 6 million young adults. Prince Philip was and is regarded as one of the busiest royals. Over his time representing the royal family, it is estimated that Philip completed over 22,000 solo appearances. Prince Philip died April 9, 2021, at 99 years of age. He will be remembered as the face of the Royal Family and a dedicated father, husband, and civil servant. He will be remembered for his military services, sacrifices, and humor.

Prince Philip, husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 99

First Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Shay

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philip-duke-of-Edinburgh

https://www.biography.com/royalty/prince-philip

Prince Philip death: His life in pictures - The Washington Post

The Life You Can Save, a Philosophical Thought Experiment

May 12, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

The next post under our new sections format comes from the blog’s resident philosopher, Sara Habibipour. Philosophy is full of complex questions designed to make you think. Sara explores here a thought-provoking moral quandary.–First Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Shay

By Philosopher Editor Sara Habibipour

Imagine one day you’re walking across a park on your way to work. As you walk past a pond, you see something splashing in the water, even though it’s quite shallow. When you look closer, you find that the thing flailing in the water is a small child who isn’t tall enough to stand up in the pond. You look around for a parent, but there’s no one to be found; it’s just you and the child.

Of course, your first thought is to go save the child. After all, the pond is shallow, and it would pose no risk for you to just walk in and help them. But, you’re in your fancy work clothes that cost hundreds of dollars. And, if you stop to help the drowning child you’ll be late for work (and wet all day). Maybe you should just forget about helping the kid…

Of course not! Almost everyone would agree that it would be immoral for you to just walk past a drowning child and not help, especially if your only reason is to preserve your fancy clothes.

So, let’s apply this same logic to a starving child in Africa. You know that children are dying everyday from malnutrition, disease, and other preventable causes. So, if you’re not helping to save some of these children, by withholding your money from organizations trying to make a difference, then are you really all that different from the person who walks past the child drowning in the pond?

Peter Singer, the creator of this thought experiment, would say, No, you’re not different.

With everything that you buy that you don’t really need, you are making the choice between donating the sum you spend and buying whatever item you personally don’t need. That Starbucks coffee you had this morning? Based on the premise of this thought experiment, that could be seen as a selfish deed. Well, why not spend and donate? Sure, you can. Unfortunately, none of us have infinite bank accounts, so it might be easier said than done.

But, when will we know when we’ve done enough? When will we get to stop living in guilt?

In Singer’s book, The Life You Can Save, he suggests exact percentages based on income he thinks people should donate in order to have a balance between personal spending and helping someone in need. And, according to him, this can help you live a good life.

But, allow me to insert my own opinion on what it means to live a good life.

Of course, we should all do our best to help those in need, whether it’s a human in front of us or a human across the world. As a person who hopes to become a physician and travel to underdeveloped countries to give medical services, I would agree with Singer that it’s important, even our moral duty, to help those in need.

But, living a good life shouldn’t be confined to donating a certain percentage of your income. To know if you’ve lived a good life, ask yourself, “Did I try to make the world a better place? How did I do that? Did I try and reduce somebody’s suffering?” You don’t have to do something crazy to say you’ve lived a good life. Maybe you rescued a dog or you gave food to a homeless person–that would be considered reducing somebody’s suffering.

But, it also shouldn’t just be a “one and done” sort of deal. If you gave someone a dollar once, I would consider that a good moment, not necessarily a good life. But, if you try to implement these good moments (and whatever that may mean to you) regularly throughout your life, then you can say you’ve lived a good one.

Have your morning Starbucks. Treat yourself once in a while; you shouldn’t have to feel guilty about that. Just do something to regularly help others, and that’s when you’ll know that you’ve lived a good life.

First Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Shay

Astrological Signs and What They Mean

May 10, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

It’s Taurus season! Don’t know what that means? Based on your birthday, you can learn a lot about the personalities of you, your friends, and your family. Take a minute to read this detailed article by our Guest Astrology Blogger Jesse Denyer!

By Jesse the Amateur Astrologist

Hello, I’m Jesse, and nothing gets me more excited and energized than talking to people about their Zodiac signs and what they actually mean. Lately, I’ve noticed the majority of people at Palm Valley either don’t know their sign, or they know it but they don’t know what it means. Have no fear. I am here to grow Palm Valley’s understanding of their signs!

So what is the Zodiac?

The zodiac is a particular part of the sky that goes approximately 8 degrees north or south of the ecliptic. The path of the Sun, Moon, and other planets are visible within the belt of the zodiac. They move across the celestial sphere over the course of a year. The zodiac is divided into twelve signs with corresponding constellations. Depending on where the twelve signs were in the sky on the date, time, and place of your birth, your core personality was shaped by the sign’s placement.

Now, before you begin to think that this is all bogus, let me explain an important factor in this that will be explained in detail in a later blog post. You may read the summary of your sign here and think, “I’m nothing like that” or “Only some parts of that are right.” You must remember that although your birthdate indicates your sun sign, the time and place of your birth affects your moon and rising signs. Those two other signs have a massive impact on your personality as well. For example, a Capricorn with a Leo moon might not be as aloof as a core Capricorn because Leos are extremely outgoing. For those of you who are left curious about your moon and rising signs following this blog post, don’t worry…. we have something special for you in the next astrology post.

Without further adieu… Let’s get started.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Hello, my fellow Aries! I have a special place in my heart for us. Not to be biased, but we are a very special sign for a lot of reasons. We are the first sign of the zodiac chart, meaning we are the start of a new zodiac cycle. We represent the beginning of new life and the spark of new beginnings. We are also one of three fire signs, associating us with fierce liveliness and an abundance of personality. We are the sign of the ram, meaning we are hard headed by nature; we are known to be very courageous though sometimes reckless. We are naturally fierce competitors and don’t like to go down without a fight. We can be honest sometimes to a fault and tend to have no filter. We can also be sensitive but do not like to show it. We are very generous and would do almost anything for someone else. We are very energetic, loud, and fun, and we enjoy being the life of the party. However, we do have an introverted side, and our social battery does run out after a while. Most of all we are extremely loyal to people, but if trust is lost, we Aries are quick to move on.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Taurus is the next sign of the cycle. They are one of the three Earth signs meaning that they feel a special connection with the serenity of the outdoors and have an overall relaxed attitude. As the sign of the bull, Taurus can be rather stubborn and do not like to take advice. They are extremely ambitious and do not shy away from a little hard work. They value honesty very highly and will turn on you quickly if deception is detected. They will never shy away from an argument, and nothing brings them joy like being right. Tauruses look for security and feel very comfortable in routine and will stop at nothing to maintain that sense of security. They are known to have very kind hearts and are very patient. They are also known to lack confidence at times and may not aim as high as they can for fear of failure. However, if they persist and keep their ambitions high, they can achieve anything they set their strong minds to.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

As an Air sign, Geminis are known to be very “go with the flow,”and are known to be very flexible people in general. They are the sign of the twin because they are not known to be the most emotionally stable of the signs. They can be very moody and change feelings and opinions on a dime. They are very intellectually inclined and find joy in learning new things. Due to their witty behavior, and usual sense of humor, Geminis can be very fun at social gatherings. They are hard to hold down and routine is something that doesn’t really matter to them. They are not known for making plans unless they are at the head of it. They are good multi-taskers which helps strengthen their intellectual abilities. Sometimes they can come across as very cold and aloof, but do not let that fool you as Geminis love very deeply. Sometimes they just forget to show it. Geminis are achievers and don’t stand for laziness, making them great workers in life.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

As a Water sign, Cancers are known for weaving really well between their emotional space and the real world making them an extremely philosophical sign. Cancers love the feeling of home and comfort. As the sign of the crab, they always like to know they have their shell to retreat back into for comfort. Cancers are very protective and will stop at nothing to protect those they love. They are known to be very outgoing but also have a shy side. They are extremely strong willed and can tend to have a “my way or the highway” attitude toward life. They feel emotions very deeply. Though they are good at separating their emotional status from their real life, they are a very emotional sign and can be extremely sensitive. They are very devoted to family and their relationships and will be extremely loyal to you. Cancers are very motivated to get what they want and can sometimes have tunnel vision. However, that motivation ultimately leads them to success.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

As the second Fire sign in the cycle, much like Aries, Leos are known for their passionate nature. As the sign of the lion, Leos have a lot of pride (haha get it). But, in all seriousness, Leos love nothing more than being the center of attention, and they often achieve this with their fiery, enthusiastic, and courageous natures. However, sometimes, they come across as arrogant, as their self confidence is almost always at a 10. They are also natural born leaders, sometimes to a fault–that fault being giving leadership where it is not needed and stepping on other people’s more submissive toes. They are extremely creative as well and love showing off their talents. I promise, if a Leo walks in the room, you’ll know.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

As the second Earth sign in the cycle, much like Taurus, Virgos are known for their realistic approach to life and have a deep-rooted connection to the material world. Their zodiac sign is represented by the female, meaning they tend to be sensitive and fragile, but also picky and critical at the same time. Virgos are very loving deep down, but on the surface they can appear very cold, as they sometimes suppress emotion. They are very independent and usually successful because of their ability to go at it alone. Although they can appear cold, Virgos are always willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need. They are known for being perfectionists in their work and work meticulously to achieve their goals. They love to better themselves in any way possible and growth is something they find extremely appealing.

Libra (September 23- October 22)

As an Air sign in the cycle, much like Geminis, Libras are very easy going and prosper in a life of harmony and balance. Their sign is represented by the scales, meaning they are extremely diplomatic and try to bring balance to their lives and serve as the balance for other people as well. Libras are extremely charming and make strong relationships. They enjoy the little things in life and are easily pleased. They are naturally kind, even tempered, and extremely empathetic. In their search for balance in their life, Libras can actually be very indecisive. They hate conflict and do not handle it well. Libras are the peacemakers.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

As a Water sign, much like Cancers, Scorpios are known for their strong emotions and intuitiveness. Scorpios are the sign of the scorpion, and they usually receive a bad rap. They are stereotyped as being vicious and conniving, with stingers just like actual scorpions. However, this is simply not the case. When you understand a Scorpio’s traits, it makes more sense. They feel emotions very intensely and react the same way. They appear friendly yet their emotions are volatile and unpredictable at times because of their deep passion. Therefore, they react in a volatile and unpredictable manner sometimes. They are also good at self defense. If they feel as though they are being cornered or in danger they will lash out appropriately. They can get carried away with their feelings. Intellectually, they have a lot to offer and just the way they get carried away with emotions, they can get carried away with academics and hobbies. I am quite fond of Scorpios because I understand the way they are wired. Kill the stereotype.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

As the third and final Fire sign, much like Aries and Leos, Sagittarians have a controlled flame to their personality and do everything with passion. Sagittarians are represented by the Centaur, a half man-half horse creature from ancient mythology. This is because Sagittarians are courageous, fierce, and always ready for an adventure. Sagittarians have a deep love for exploring the world they live in and love to adventure into things they are passionate about. They are known perfectionists and can be very self critical. They are known for their positive outgoing personality and enjoy attention. However, they do enjoy their alone time as well. Sagittarians hate to be wrong and will rarely back down from a fight or argument. They are known for being very self protective and independent.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

As the third and final Earth sign, much like Taurus and Virgo, Capricorns are very stable and grounded to the earth. Capricorns are represented by the Sea Goat, a half goat-half fish creature from ancient mythology, meaning that they flow easily between different types of people and are versatile to different situations. Capricorns are generally pretty serious and confident. They love structure and thrive under direction. They are extremely ambitious and complete anything they set their mind to. They are stubborn, and, even though they can come across very melancholy and quiet, they have an extremely sunny disposition. They are known to worry a lot and stress about things. They are very intelligent, and, especially under direction, Capricorns thrive in challenging situations.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

As the third and final Air sign, much like Gemini and Libra, Aquarians are known for dealing with new information and ideas in a balanced and relaxed way. Aquarius is represented by the Water Bearer, meaning that Aquarians are able to take on other people’s emotions effortlessly and are not influenced by them. Aquarians are strong and dominant in life. They know what they want and aim to get it. Aquarians are very good at seeing both sides to every story and are fantastic mediators. However, on the other hand, they can also be fierce in arguments as nobody knows what they want more than an Aquarius. They are extremely good at forgiving and forgetting especially if they are wronged by someone. They tend to hide their emotions as they want to appear sturdy and unbothered. It would take a lot to make an Aquarius cry. They are extremely intelligent and love nothing more than showing off their knowledge, but not in an arrogant way, in a proud way.

Pisces (February 19- March 20)

Pisces is our final stop of the zodiac cycle. As the third and final Water sign, much like Scorpio and Cancer, they float effortlessly between emotions and reality and do let the two interfere from time to time. Pisces are symbolized by two fish swimming away from one another, which exemplifies the separation between emotions and reality. As the last sign of the zodiac cycle, Pisces are thought to be the wisest sign of the zodiac as they are the oldest. They are very sensitive, compassionate, and understanding of others. However, they do not like to put their emotions on display and prefer to keep them under wraps, as they prefer to focus on their own personal journeys in peace and quiet. They avoid confrontation at all costs and prefer to let problems sort themselves out. They are very creative and artistic whether that be through their work or hobbies. They are generally very gentle natured and easy-going, making them friendly and easy to love.

So, there you have it. Do you well represent your sign? No? Stay tuned. Jesse will explain how your moon and rising signs factor into your personality as well.

Sagittarian Editor: Sara Habibipour

Reshuffling the Blog

May 7, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

In these last weeks of the year, your favorite bloggers of The Bird on Fire are keeping things fresh and switching some things up. Introducing…Section Editors! In these final weeks, you will be treated with posts from various topics ranging from Business to Nature, with every blog staff member heading their own section on one of their unique interests. Bloggers will also take turns acting as Editor- in-Chief. We’ll also be incorporating posts from guest writers, so feel free to submit your own, as we welcome new voices. —First Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Shay

Meet the Section Editors:

***The World of Sports***: Roman Rickwood

And . . . **Special Correspondent to Shanghai**: Quintus Ni

Rethinking Speed Limits

May 5, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Speed limits are frustrating obstacles us drivers have to face. Roman offers an alternative solution by promoting decriminalizing city speed limits.

By Roman Rickwood

Speeding is the number one traffic violation in the United States (blinetrafficschools.com). For me, speed limits within the city are pretty much necessary because of the amount of cars on the road, as well as the numerous amounts of pedestrians, commuters, and cyclists. Thus, when I first began thinking about decriminalizing speed limits, I quickly ruled out decriminalizing city speed limits. Speed limits in and around city streets make sense to me. As someone who has been a licensed driver since December, I am just now learning how to judge when the light will change. So, speed limits should be based on how long it would take someone to safely decelerate and come to a complete stop. In my opinion, when speed limits are being set it is based on a few things. These include 1) the condition the street is in, 2) the number of stoplights, 3) foot traffic, of course, 4) congestion. I inevitably came to the conclusion that speed limits on roads with street lights and pedestrians are necessary. With all that being said, let’s talk about highways.

Germans at loggerheads over autobahn speed limits | News | DW | 27.01.2019 — Germany’s autobahn

Most highways in California have speed limits from 60 mph to sometimes 75 mph. I will be blunt when I say that these limits are far too slow. Most major highways within California have four lanes. It is generally known amongst drivers that the furthest left lane is known as the fast lane, and the three right lanes are generally going to be for slower traffic. When you go down the highway you see almost all the semis in the first two right lanes. This is because the majority of semis are governed at 60-65 mph, so, for example, on the I-10 the only vehicles you see in the first two right lanes are either semis, or people that are hauling trailers. This system works well because it allows these massive machines to be more safe and they have less worry about being cut off and having to brake rapidly. However, if we go two lanes over, we see a completely different story. We see people going with “the flow of traffic.” To see a different model of traffic flow, I looked at the autobahn between Berlin and Hamburg in Germany. This is famously known as the “Highway with no speed limit.” There have even been records of 300 kph hit on the autobahn. As it is explained, it seems that there are certain lanes with speed limits that are done for the protection of 18 wheelers and regular commuters who don’t have cars capable of hitting these incredible speeds. The autobahn has a 26% lower chance of having a deadly accident than other roads and highways with speed limits, a 2017 study shows (motorbiscuit.com). Knowing all this, I think we can all come to the conclusion that while decriminalizing speed limits sounds radical and dangerous, once you look deeper into it it makes more sense.

If I still don’t have you convinced that an unregulated lane on major highways is a good idea, then this argument might.

Even with speed limits in place, people will still speed and drive recklessly, so you could think of this lane as a place where reckless and fast drivers can perform these actions without putting the lives of everyday commuters at risk. While there are a million gray areas, the main idea is this. There can be one or two lanes where people can drive as fast as they want without having fear of being pulled over. Here, people may take risks. Those adverse to risk can drive in the other lanes. I justify all of this with the argument of personal freedom and free will. After all, this is America.

Decriminalize/Criminalize Editor: Evan Spry

Sources:

Is the Autobahn Safer Than U.S. Highways?

https://www.idrivesafely.com/defensive-driving/trending/it-time-american-autobahn

https://www.blinetrafficschools.com/top-10-moving-traffic-violations-and-how-to-avoid-them/#:~:text=1.,where%20they%20may%20change%20frequently.

Bail, Felons, and Voting–What about it?

May 5, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

One of, if not the most, controversial government systems in America is our justice system. Hannah describes three parts of the justice system she feels need changing.

By Hannah Hall

The American justice system is arguably good and bad. The good includes putting people away who are worthy of being put away due to their heinous actions. But, there are also some parts of our system that should be changed–some more obvious than others. In my opinion, there are three aspects of the justice system that I find unfair, and that I believe should be fixed.

#1 The Bail System

“Justice for all” is a huge part of America’s character. But how can we tag the word “all” to the end of the phrase if we have a bail system that creates inequity? It’s basically saying that if you are rich enough, you don’t have to completely face the consequences of your crime–one being detention. Let’s just say two people commit the same crime, maybe assault. In California, the bail would run between $10k and $1mil (allprobailbond.com). That is a heck ton of money if you ask me!!! A rich person, on the other hand, may look at that and say no biggie. Somebody could post bail and bust their buddy out. This is happening all while the other person who has no money and no rich connections completely loses freedom, career, income, and time home with family, and most importantly they sit in jail for who knows how long. All while the rich person gets to sit at home awaiting their trial. “Money bail is a price tag on freedom that only serves as a wealth-based discrimination,” says nonprofit Equal Justice Under Law (equaljusticeunderlaw.org). California voters in the last election battled over abolishing bail. The bail-bond industry survived this proposition.

Hannah’s Opinion: Abolish Money Bail.

#2 Felon Voting

In many states, felons lose their right to vote once they are released. But other states have certain processes to go through in order to restore a convicted felon’s right to vote. Some processes include a pardon from their respective governor, waiting until their probation is complete, or paying fees. In only Vermont, Maine, and the District of Columbia, felons never lose their right to vote, even while incarcerated, and in 19 other states felons receive automatic voting restoration upon release (ncsl.org). I disagree with Vermont, Maine, and D.C.’s position on letting the incarcerated vote. I think that right comes at the cost of being convicted for a crime. You do it, you lose it…(sorry to the innocent people in jail!) However, I can fully say that I think a felon’s voting rights should be automatically restored upon release from imprisonment. All they should have to do is re-register to vote, then, boom, it’s done…rights restored.

Hannah’s Opinion: Restore Felons’ Voting Rights.

#3 Private Prisons

Luckily this one is on its way out. On January 25, 2021, our President Joe Biden signed an executive order to stop contract renewal between private prisons and the Department of Justice (newsweek.com). Starting off, there is no reason a prison should be run for profit. Simply, it is unethical to take advantage of an incarcerated population with few rights. Secondly, private prisons are criticized for being under-regulated (ojp.gov). This lack of oversight invites assault, poor food supply, and insufficient medical care. All people deserve basic human decency.

Hannah’s Opinion: Abolish Private Prisons.

If you have any incarceration-related opinions, please drop them in the comments. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Let us know what you think should be criminalized or decriminalized within the justice system.

Decriminalize/Criminalize Editor: Evan Spry

Sources:

https://www.allprobailbond.com/blog/types-of-crime/common-california-crimes-bail-amounts/#:~:text=Assault%20Charges&text=Bail%20amounts%20for%20assault%20range,a%20%2450%2C000%20to%20%24100%2C000%20bail.

Click to access 181249.pdf

https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx

https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-moves-end-federal-use-private-prisons-after-pledging-reduce-mass-incarceration-1564700