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The things you do that are ABSOLUTELY irritating

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For Editor Makena’s Plant/Opinion Theme, Hannah weighs in with an OPINION. Pay attention: these are things that irritate Hannah, in her opinion.

By Hannah Hall

Do people ever just do things so annoying that it sets off an internal explosion? For me, the answer is an enormous yes. People don’t realize they are doing anything wrong, and that’s what really gets me. So, for your knowledge, here is a list of my personal pet peeves:

  • When people respond to texts with “I know”

I am guilty of doing this, I must admit, but please don’t be a know it all. It could make the person you’re responding to feel bad and defeated. Next time let out a little “really?!” and let them share their little fun fact!

  • People looking over your shoulders when you’re busy

Okay, this just gets me nervous. First of all, I feel violated. Secondly, I get self conscious about what I am doing! Please ask first.

  • One-upping

Okay, we get it, you’re cool and better than everybody. Just kidding. Please let people have their moment; you crush their passion when you one-up them!!! This is especially unacceptable in a group situation when it embarrasses the other person.

  • Always on your phone

I hang out with my friends to hang out with my friends. With all that being said, if you would rather be on your phone then talk to me, don’t waste my time. Please stay at home, pal.

  • Taking spots

Seriously……stop. If I get up to go to the water fountain or just do something else for not even 5 minutes and you took my spot, especially when I say save my spot, you need a class on how to be respectful, or maybe I need to take a class on how not to be peeved. Adding on to this, I hate it when somebody takes my unassigned assigned seat in class–you all know what I am talking about, and they knoooow it was mine??? This is also inexcusable and bothersome.

  • Talking over others

Everybody has their moment to speak. Just please wait for somebody to finish talking, and enter the conversation AFTER. One of the worst feelings is feeling unheard. And if you can’t wait a whole three seconds, just jump in at the tail of the thought after the point has been made.

  • Jumping into conversations

I wasn’t talking to you and nobody asked. It’s also rude to go into other people’s business; you never know if people are speaking about an inside joke or personal matters. This also includes answering a question that wasn’t directed towards you, oh, and when somebody challenges a thought of yours, who was not in the convo. This especially makes me scream!

  • When somebody does something they know obviously annoys people

If it’s annoying multiple people, just don’t do it. For example, this includes clicking your pen, bouncing your leg, kicking chairs, and staring at people right next to you.

  • Overexplaining

Once something makes sense, it makes sense. There is no need for somebody to keep blabbing on and on about a topic.

  • Telling excessive puns

Yes, a short and sweet pun is good every once in a while, but don’t overuse them. That’s all I have to say for this one.

PSA Disclaimer: I don’t expect people to do everything I say, and I definitely know the world does not revolve around me. I have a right to be upset; feelings just come with being human. Annoyance is just another feeling. And again, these are MY opinions.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Mmm, Magnesium

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By Luke “not-a-botanist” Langlois

Editor Makena asked all to consider Plants & Opinions for her theme. Luke takes a look at what plants need.

We all know that plants cannot just live on their own. Plants need water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide so they can carry out their autotrophic genius in the form of photosynthesis. Water, sunlight, and CO2  are all critical for a plant’s survival, but the average citizen often overlooks the specificities of another important element of a plant’s survival: the soil. One who is not well-versed in botany (or AP Biology) might simply say that soil contains “nutrients.” While this is true, knowing that soil has nutrients is not enough to keep a plant in good health. The goal of this post is to inform you of what exactly the term “nutrients” entails. Additionally, I will run through some brief symptoms of plant nutrient shortages, so you can recognize specific nutrient shortages in your own houseplants and how to fix them.

Before I dive into the nitty gritty, you should know that plants have two categories of nutrients: macronutrients and micronutrients. Plants require macronutrients in large numbers, hence the name macronutrients. Since these elements are needed in relatively large numbers, it is recommended that a plant caretaker regularly refreshes the plant’s base with these elements. On the contrary, micronutrients are elements that plants only need in small numbers, hence the name micronutrients. It is only necessary to replace micronutrients if the plant has a visible deficiency. It is important to remember that it is entirely possible to overdo it on the nutrients. Imagine a person taking a whole bottle of nutrient supplements in a day. It’s the same concept. Anyways, the main types of macronutrients are calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. The main types of micronutrients are boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Now, let us dive into a few signs of these nutrient deficiencies.

Macronutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Calcium (Ca) – New leaves (leaves at the top of the plant) have noticeably irregular or distorted shapes. Just because one leaf is strangely shaped does not mean there is a calcium deficiency, but if your plant seems to emerge with a brand new shape of leaf often, it may be time to replenish the calcium.

Nitrogen (N) – Older leaves (leaves found near the bottom of the plant) begin to display a yellow shade while the newer leaves display a normal, light green shade.

Phosphorus (P) – The tips of the leaves look like they have been burnt and may have that “crunchy” feel. The rest of the leaf will usually maintain its original color, unless there are other shortages.

Leaf with a phosphorus shortage

Sulfur (S) – A sulfur shortage will result in the younger leaves turning into the unhealthy yellow color first. Sometimes, older leaves will follow suit. This is not to be confused with a nitrogen shortage. If it’s a nitrogen shortage, the OLDER leaves are going to display signs of yellowing first.

Magnesium (Mg) – Older leaves begin turning yellow at their edges, which causes the leaf to display somewhat of an arrowhead shape in its center.

Micronutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Copper (Cu) – A plant with a copper shortage is going to have an unusual deep green color. This shortage may also cause a plant to become stunted.

Iron (Fe) – Just like that protein-fueled BEAST on the streets, your plants are capable of pumping iron, too. An iron deficiency is going to cause a yellowing between the veins of younger leaves. More severe iron deficiencies, like the one depicted below, can cause a yellowing around almost every vein in the leaf.

Zinc (Zn) – The terminal leaf of your plant may display a unique, rosette pattern. But, the plant is not just trying to impress its caretaker; it has a zinc shortage!

Here’s a disclaimer before I say a bit more: I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert on plants or a botanist. The physical traits that plants display vary from species to species, and some of these shortage signs may not apply to every species of plant. If it’s fall, and your plant is known to begin yellowing during the fall, do not go on a mad dash for magnesium. Use your botanical judgement to determine whether or not your plant needs some love. Before I depart, I would like to briefly explain how you solve these shortages. You are going to want to find soils or fertilizers that contain the missing nutrients and give them to your plants. Note: bags are not going to outwardly say “MAGNESIUM!” You may have to do a bit of research if you notice an unhealthy plant. The amount of nutrients that a plant needs varies based on whether the missing nutrient is a macronutrient or micronutrient, the size of the plant, and the severity of the shortage. To sum it up, gardening is a therapeutic and healthy hobby that many humans enjoy. It is only right that plants get to feel the same way.

Source: University of Arizona

Click to access az1106.pdf

Plant Editor: Makena Behnke

Common Misconceptions–Are Electronic Devices Contaminating Us?

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By James Zheng

For Editor Hannah’s Conspiracy Week Theme, James speaks on common misconceptions.

There is plenty of common knowledge–whether taught by our parents or heard from media–that we generally choose to believe because it is widespread. But, sometimes, due to our lack of cognitive and discriminating capabilities, and the misleading information around us, we cannot identify if the information taught is factual.

Electronic devices are everywhere. The thing that most people are concerned about is the harm electronic devices bring them. Here comes the question of whether or not electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers, and even routers, have radiant effects on us. While I was thinking about this, an article written by Chinese blogger Dao Dao  gave me a simple answer.

Dao Dao paraphrases common misconceptions regarding our smart phones:

“Mobile phones have radiation, so do not put [them] near you when you are sleeping! The router has radiation, which should be unplugged when you are sleeping! After using the computer for a while, wash your face carefully!”

But, he counters with . . .

1. Radiation is only a form of energy, just like light is also a kind of radiation. All radiation does not have the same property as nuclear radiation.

2. What is harmful to the human body is radiation with higher energy than light, which is called ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays, etc. Nuclear radiation belongs to ionizing radiation. This is the radiation that may harm the human body.

3. The usual electromagnetic radiation emitted by electrical appliances is generally called electromagnetic waves. . . . Its energy is lower than the light. As long as the power is not big enough to burn something, you don’t have to worry about its harm. This has already been confirmed by WHO (World Health Organization).

4. Sunlight itself is a type of intense radiation. In terms of its power alone, it radiates much more than any electrical apparatus around you, plus ultraviolet radiation within the sunlight, which can directly harm the human body, but you should not be afraid of sunlight.

In conclusion, if you are still afraid of the so-called radiation of those electrical appliances, you might as well find a cellar to seal yourself up and not touch the sun.

Adding on to what this blogger has said so far, I found some other facts showing that cell phones do not harm humans.

From a Danish study:

How the study was done: “This cohort study, conducted in Denmark, linked billing information from more than 358,000 cell phone subscribers with brain tumor incidence data from the Danish Cancer Registry.”

What the study showed: “No association was observed between cell phone use and the incidence of glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma, even among people who had been cell phone subscribers for 13 or more years.”

From a Million Women Study:

How the study was done: “This prospective cohort study conducted in the United Kingdom used data obtained from questionnaires that were completed by study participants.”

What the study showed: “Self-reported cell phone use was not associated with an increased risk of glioma, meningioma, or non-central nervous system tumors. Although the original published findings reported an association with an increased risk of acoustic neuroma, this association disappeared after additional years of follow-up of the cohort.”

Although I have seen the experiments and articles proving the popular misunderstanding on the radiation that electronic devices brought, I do not totally think electronic devices are harmless. All the evidence might just be saying the risk is low. The research essentially eliminates the concern within public thoughts and debunks the rumors on the internet. However, I say, the risk could possibly be accumulative, and we should avoid careless exposure . . . over time.

https://www.zhihu.com/question/27191048/answer/35737238
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11158188
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22016439
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23657200
https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/43/1/275/731253
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet

Conspiracy Editor: Hannah Hall

HOCKEY!

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By Luke Langlois, prominent hockey fan, can’t ice skate

This week’s theme is “Making Daily Life More Interesting.” Life can be full of the same repetitive actions over and over again, so I asked my fellow bloggers to bring some spice to everyday life. Hockey playoffs definitely add spice to everyday life. — Editor Holden Hartle

Do you know what makes daily life more interesting? Playoffs. If you have been missing out on all of the various types of playoffs recently, fear not, for there is another sixteen-team conquest on the horizon– the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs. Nobody enjoys being left out of the loop, so today I would like to present some information about this year’s playoffs and present my predictions. I can assure you with 100% certainty that my predictions will be wrong. But, that’s half the fun. Without further ado, here are the participants in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Western Conference Matchups from Top to Bottom

  1. Calgary Flames (CGY) vs. Colorado Avalanche (COL)
  2. San Jose Sharks (SJS) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (VGK)
  3. Nashville Predators (NSH) vs. Dallas Stars (DAL)
  4. Winnipeg Jets (WPG) vs. St. Louis Blues (STL)

Eastern Conference Matchups from Top to Bottom

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ)
  2. Boston Bruins (BOS) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR)
  3. Washington Capitals (WSH) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (CAR)
  4. New York Islanders (NYI) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT)

Now that we’ve established the matchups, here’s some information regarding the playoffs in general and this year’s matchups.

  1. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2018-2019 President’s Trophy, meaning they had the best regular season record at 62-20-16 (wins, losses, overtime losses). This record ties the regular season record of wins set by the 1995-1996 Detroit Red Wings. In short, Tampa Bay is STACKED! But, history has shown that the best regular season team fails to win the championship. In fact, the ’95-’96 Red Wings team, the most dominant team in history, lost in the playoffs. Will history repeat itself?
  2. The Pittsburgh Penguins are making a playoff appearance for their 13th straight season, the longest active streak in the NHL.
  3. On the other side of the coin, the Carolina Hurricanes have ended their playoff drought, making their first appearance since the 2008-2009 season.
  4. The Washington (D.C) Capitals are the defending champions.
  5. The New York Islanders will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
  6. The Vegas Golden Knights are only in their second season ever but have landed at third place in their division.
  7. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been around since 2000 but are seeking their first ever series win (each series is best of seven).
  8. The St. Louis Blues may not be a #1 seed, but they have the best record in the NHL since the All-Star Break (about 2/3rds through the season), even eclipsing Tampa Bay’s win-loss record.

I could go on, but that should provide a bit of context for the reader. Now, for my grand predictions. 2019’s Stanley Cup Champion will be the Tampa Bay Lightning. Don’t get me wrong, nine times out of ten the President’s Trophy winner will get upset. Hockey is a sport that is PRIME for upsets, but it is my FIRM belief that Tampa Bay is just TOO GOOD! Here is a number; Tampa Bay’s goal differential is +103. This means that they outscored their opponents in the regular season by a total of 103 goals. To put this into perspective, the 2nd place team, Calgary, had a goal differential of +62, a far cry from 103.

NHL games are quite difficult to pull your eyes from. Unlike football, baseball, or basketball, breaks in the play are infrequent. In fact, players move in and out from the bench during play, no timeout or stoppage in play required. Even if you have never watched a game before, it’s worth it to stop and watch if you have the time. Besides the pure visual candy, NHL playoff matchups can go either way (unlike the NBA). You usually cannot slap the higher ranked team as the winner and call it a day. In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings team that stumbled and crashed into the playoffs ended up being one of the most dominant playoff teams ever seen, and they won it all (go Kings). Last year, the Vegas Golden Knights made it to the finals in their very first season of play, besting teams who have been around for half a century. But Luke, why are you telling us all this even though you say Tampa will win it all? Well, it makes sense considering the fact that Tampa has a statistical advantage on every team in just about every category. But, again, the regular season is wiped from the slate come the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if my bracket is an incoherent mess a week from now. Hockey is hockey. The playoffs start on Wednesday April 10th (TODAY). There will be a game on every night until the semifinal games where there may be breaks in days. This gives you plenty of time to check a game out. Catch the games nationally televised on either NBCSN or USA.

Making Daily Life More Interesting Editor: Holden Hartle

Mario v. King Boo? which Boo are you?

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By Makena Behnke

Makena responds to Editor AJ’s Theme of the Week: Video Games.

i am not a video gamer, and my video game knowledge does not extend much further than Mario Kart and Undertale (and my knowledge on that is very limited). Mario Kart is simple, fun, and it lets out my urge to game. i think we all have our favorite characters that are unspokenly ours every time we play; i switch between a handful of characters, but some people will only play as [insert character here]. this list of characters stems from a mix of Mario Kart 8 and normal Mario Kart. i present to you my top five and bottom five Mario Kart characters (not that i only play as these five, but they are my favorites.)

top five:

  • King Boo– the ruler of the Paranormal Dimension, and leader of the Boos and ghosts. need i say more?
  • Bowser– this hardcore turtle-thing does not put up with any funny business. great for bumping little characters out of the way on your way to the top of the leaderboard. he’s not that fast, but he’s Bowser, so it’s fine.
  • Mario– why disregard a classic character like Mario? he’s such a happy little guy.
  • Shy Guy– i like playing as pink or black Shy Guy; the color gives him more character. he’s a pretty zippy character since he’s kind of small in size.
  • Koopa Troopa– i find him pretty fast, and he seems like a nice dude with his sweet smile. plus, his shell comes in red and green.

bottom five:

  • Gold & Silver Mario– i have issues with this specific version of Mario. why do we need a metallic version of him? he just looks weird to me.
  • Pink Gold Peach– i don’t really like Peach to begin with, but i certainly don’t like Pink Gold Peach. i have never once played as Pink Gold Peach, and i don’t intend to play as her in the future.
  • Wendy– is she a baby? how old is she? what is her purpose? needless to say, i don’t play as her.
  • Ludwig– with his cool hair, he’s got kind of a cool look going on, but along with Wendy, i don’t like his character. he doesn’t have much purpose.
  • Lakitu– this specific character is the one that lifts you back on to the course when you drive off the track in Mario Kart…. i have encountered him too many times to not bear ill will against him. i don’t like him because i only see him when i’m losing.

Video Games Editor: AJ Patencio

conspiracies that probably don’t exist but are fun to think about

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By Makena Behnke for Conspiracy Week

let’s face it, basically everyone is obsessed with conspiracy theories (Editor Hannah is), they’re all over the media and in various conversations. some conspiracy theories make lots of sense (like iPhones are listening to us), and some are just plain stupid, but they are still fun to think about and come up with on your own. so, i present to you some unlikely theories with no evidence. enjoy.

  • you have a doppelgänger that shows up at night, but you are not able to see it. this doppelgänger looks exactly like you except their face is much more weathered and leathery. think the “Other Mother” from Coraline after she goes wack.
  • merry-go-rounds are a government ploy to rid our minds of memories of our childhood that could harm the government. the government has lots of secrets they want to hide, and maybe children have some of that precious info. there could be a government tool inside the poles or the fake animals that extract the classified information.
  • antarctica isn’t real. maybe the people that went to “antarctica” to study were part of some big scheme to make us think that it’s real. for what reason? i don’t know. perhaps people that passed by “antarctica” only passed by a giant movie set. consider it.
  • there is a mirror world outside of our lives. this actually could be possible since we literally have no way of knowing if it is real. there could be an opposite world where you are your best friend with the brown hair and they are you with the blonde hair. i believe it.
  • “soulmates” reappear in our various lives. the theory of soulmates is well-known; you meet someone who is so perfect for you that you feel like you were made for each other. this springs off the idea of past lives and reincarnation, so dream with me, folks. what if your past soulmate found you in the form of a butterfly that landed on your nose on the day of your previous anniversary? or maybe now they are your pet dog weaving between your feet. maybe there’s a double universe of sorts where you both exist as humans, but in separate worlds. maybe there’s a universe where you, a gopher, know the route that your soulmate takes on their way to work and you always pop up while your human soulmate walks the route. alternately, you, a human, often come across a cat that sleeps in a cafe window and only walks over to your booth and no one else’s. (i actually believe this theory the most.)

Conspiracy Editor: Hannah Hall

A Review of “This War of Mine”–Those Behind the War

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By James Zheng, Blogger & Gaming Critic

Are games just games? Are games just for entertainment? That’s what I used to think. But now I have a completely different answer ever since I found This War of Mine. People say that you can see the nature of yourself when you are playing games because your mind is fully involved in the gaming. This War of Mine (TWOM) is a reflection of yourself.

TWOM was developed and published by 11 Bit Studios, a game company located in Poland. It’s not a commonly known gaming company, and currently they have just reached about 100 employees, but this game was released five years ago. It was quickly nominated as the Game of the Year on Steam. I was impressed by this small but growing company.

Game critic Johnny Durn writes, “For soldiers, war is about victory. For us, war is about getting through.” TWOM is a realistic survival game. In this game, the background is set during a period of war, and you get to select a group of people to control in order to survive as long as you can in a shelter. Depending on the group, each character will have different abilities or professions–such as runner, scavenger, chief, etc., which determines their advantages and disadvantages. There are two time periods in the game. During the daytime, you get to organize everything in your shelter and make some useful tools. The most necessary thing to prepare is food for everyone, as well as making sure everyone has enough rest. During the night, characters have three actions to take: scavenge, sleep, or guard.

So, that’s a brief description of the gameplay. But why do I say TWOM is a reflection of yourself? Well… this game is really close to reality. Everything that could happen during a time of war in real life could happen in this game, but since most of us have never experienced a life in war, TWOM will give you a fresh taste of that.

More like a test of morality and humanity, this game exposes everything about war and tries its best to make the player become a part of it. In the game, your psychological state becomes the essential element. Many factors could lead to the collapse of your character’s psychological state; for example, they could become sad. When a player does not deal with this emotion properly, it will lead to negative actions and obstacles. For example, if a survivor steals private items from other shelters or kills someone, it could greatly affect their psychological state. But, here is something that could happen: food and medicines are important in this game, and they are extremely rare, so a player has to use them scrupulously. If the player is in a difficult survival situation and facing the choice to steal in order to save a teammate or kill someone in order to rob their shelter to keep your own shelter running, will you still adhere to your morality and humanity? Whether you choose to or not, your teammates will blame you for many reasons (survivors could start a quarrel or fight), and suddenly this builds pressure on you. However, there is never a right choice in this game since it’s a war after all, and you are either doing this for yourself or your team and you have to take the ultimate risk and pray for a good result.

The difficulty of this game is intermediate. Most of the time it depends on how many survivors you’re managing. Different from the common survival game, This War of Mine can really stress the player out because resources are so limited. A situation could become destitute any time, and there is always a dilemma in making decisions.

I STRONGLY suggest that you do not look at any walk-through to help you conquer this game. I want you to feel this game by yourself, completely. In the whole process of the game, you will learn many things that you could never learn from other games. It’s going to be a crucible for any player. The game borrows the words of Ernest Hemingway as its theme:

In the modern war, you will just die like a dog for no good reason.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Sources Reference: https://www.zhihu.com/question/26834036/answer/34292120

Scandal in the Universities

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By Holden Hartle

Editor Hannah challenges bloggers to write on the topic of Conspiracy. Holden goes to the conspiracy in the news . . . the College Admissions Scandal!

As I’m sure most of you know, there has been a big scandal within some of the big name universities. Parents of high school seniors are bribing admissions officers in order to guarantee a spot for their child. In addition, there have been cases in which parents have bribed standardized test proctors to practically take the test for their children, ensuring that they get a higher score. There are even cases of parents bribing coaches of various universities in order for their child to get an admissions offer via fulfilling a team spot.  

Before I become too subjective, let’s begin with the facts. Fifty students from six different states were guaranteed a spot into a big-name university due to bribes from their parents. These aren’t cheap bribes. Most of them are hundreds of thousands of dollars allocated towards a single individual. Note: this money isn’t going to a school. These weren’t donations to the university. If they were donations, the money could go towards constructing a new building or hiring more professors. Rather, hundreds of thousands of dollars were sent to admissions officers, proctors, and coaches.

Some of the colleges involved in the scandal include Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, University of San Diego, University of Texas, Wake Forest, and recently, University of California Irvine.  

And now, to get subjective. If you are planning on applying to these universities, still apply. Though this scandal does put a bad name on the university, not the whole university is at fault.  Rather, the bribed individuals should take the blame.

I interviewed Jake Mulé, who applied to UCLA, and asked him if this scandal was a big deal to him and if this scandal affected his perceptions of the school. He said that “it doesn’t deter me from the colleges I am looking at. The problem is within the system. It is hard to be what colleges want us to be. [Bribery] is how people are willing to get ahead.”

Most of the people I interviewed generally agree that the universities aren’t to blame. Asher Mai, who applied to UCLA, USC, and Stanford, said that “It’s not the university’s fault.” Amanda Laule agreed adding that “the universities should make sure their admissions officers aren’t accepting bribes.”

Personally, I agree with Jake that this scandal points out the obvious flaws in the college admissions system. I also agree that colleges should be more attentive to potential bribes that their admissions representatives and coaches may be receiving. But the whole conspiracy affects me on a more personal level. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling, the prosecuting attorney, said that “for every student admitted through fraud, an honest and genuinely talented student was rejected.” From someone who has felt the pain of a rejection email, it is so difficult for me to watch these people have their path to college paid for by their parents, and at the same time, have to watch my talented friends get denied from their dream universities. And consider this: even though there are only fifty cases that have surfaced, this is something that has happened in years past, and something that doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon.

Conspiracy Editor: Hannah Hall

Mercury Retrograde–A Brief Explanation . . .

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By Hannah Hall, Blogger and Extreme Amateur Astrologer

Astrology nerds everywhere blame their seasonal problems on Mercury in retrograde. Problems arise such as communication issues, being easily annoyed, or lack of focus. This blaming of Mercury Retrograde sometimes gets me rolling my eyes, but the general idea of this phenomena is interesting. Retrograde refers to a planet moving in reverse. A planet moving in reverse? What I found in my research is that this retrograde isn’t as wowing as it seems.

First, to put this into perspective, you know when you are in a car and the car next to you speeds up suddenly and it feels like you’re going in reverse? This situation is kind of like the Mercury Retrograde. Basically, both planets are obviously still moving forward, but the perspective that we have on Earth makes it seem like Mercury is going in reverse because the speed at which Mercury orbits is much faster than Earth’s. According to Emily Ridout, folklorist, astrologer, yogini, and writer of Mercury Retrograde: Why You Should Care, “In Astrology, when planets are in retrograde motion, it indicates that the energy of that planet is moving more inward. In our outward, achievement-oriented society, this can seem scary, but I assure you, it’s not.” So with all of that being said, why do we care about planets in retrograde? Most people get the misconception that with astrology, planetary movements dictate our actions and what we have to say and do. But this is wrong. Instead, we are supposed to take in account what is happening around us and take that energy and channnnneellllllllll it into your actions. Specifically during the Mercury Retrograde, our communication skills are affected adversely; this means anything between our speech to the thoughts in our head is affected. You see? This is why people are always buggin’ about the retrograde! It’s because communication is a basic aspect in each of our lives, and when an extraterrestrial body is supposedly dominating and hanging over our every move, a natural reaction would be to freak. But have no fear, even though you may or may not have a sudden loss of focus, or anything of that sort, astrology just suggests during this time you stick to familiar things and don’t start anything new; go easy on yourself; relax. Adventure after the retrograde is over. So continue doing yo’ thang and walk that walk and especially talk that talk.

One more thing: Mercury Retrograde happens multiple times a year! This year the retrogrades are March 5 through 28; July 7 through 31; and  October 31 through November 20.

Disclaimer: I am no professional zodiac master. Try these additional sources for further information.

https://www.emilyridout.com/blog/mercury-retrograde

https://www.goalcast.com/2018/09/07/mercury-retrograde/

Everything You Need to Know About Mercury Retrograde

Don’t be a GAMER SHAMER

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By Luke Langlois

This post is the first to come out of AJ’s week of editing, where the theme for posts is video games. In the following week, you will see more posts coming out in this theme as well.

When you hear the word “gamer,” what does your imagination picture? If my prediction is correct, it probably is not a pretty picture. Perhaps this “gamer” is in a room with closed blinds, no lights, and a locked door. Perhaps this gamer has untold quantities of empty soda cans sprawled out on the floor, not a bottle of water in sight. Perhaps this gamer’s keyboard is more dust than keyboard. This dust is not the typical brand of dust. No, it’s worse: Dorito dust. Whatever the picture may be, I’m sure it’s not positive. When industries rise, so do their critics. The rise of the gaming industry has followed this historical trend.

The term “gamer” does not carry a positive connotation; it is actually quite the opposite. Many media outlets are quick to jump the gun and mount an opposition against the newest gaming phenomenons, like “Fortnite,” calling them addicting, brain-melting, too violent, and detrimental to the overall health of the world. Gaming is almost always connected to being lazy or chronically unhealthy. But gaming should be recognized as a valid hobby, just like any other pastime such as golfing, moviegoing, fishing, or even knitting. After all, gaming is a juggernaut industry, and a “gamer” is not just someone who locks themselves in a dark room playing video games.

What would you consider to be the larger industry: movies or video games? Judging by the sheer influence that movies have on our popular culture, you might be guessing MOVIES! Indeed, the film industry pulls in large chunks of change. Last year, the international film industry pulled in a whopping forty-one billion dollars. That’s an impressive number. I personally would enjoy having forty billion dollars in my bank account. But, I would also enjoy having a bit more than double that amount. Oh, maybe ninety billion would be better? The gaming industry pulled in a bit more than that, at ninety billion dollars. That number represents the international revenue pulled in by the gaming industry. Not convinced that gaming is for more than just the hermit crabs of the world? GameSpot estimates, China has more people who play video games than the entire population of the United States. That’s over three hundred million people in just one nation who play video games. China is not the only video game haven; the United States has an estimated 211 million gamers (Variety).

Gaming is one of the premier hobbies of the world, and it should be recognized as such. There’s no reason to feel ashamed for really diving into a game, whether it be on your mobile device or your Xbox. Conversely, if you don’t play some type of video game, there’s no reason to spite those who do. After all, the non-gaming may soon be a global minority, if they aren’t already. Gaming is for everyone, and the numbers show it. So, don’t be a gamer shamer because gaming is not just a niche hobby anymore.

Fortnite may look goofy, but maybe it’s not so bad.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Sources

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2018/08/25/worlds-top-5-video-game-markets-generate-98-b-revenue-2018/37544189//
U.S. Film Industry Topped $43 Billion In Revenue Last Year, Study Finds, But It’s Not All Good News
https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/how-many-people-play-games-in-the-u-s-1202936332/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/