the bird on fire

The Palm Valley School Student Blog

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2018 Palm Valley School Pride

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By AJ Patencio

On November 4th, Palm Springs held its 32nd annual Palm Springs Pride Parade, and the PVS Gender Sexuality Acceptance (GSA) Club was there to represent our loving community. We were put in spot 79 and given a banner with a colorful take on the Palm Valley Firebird logo. I was one of the GSA members who joined them, and it was an amazing experience to march through the streets while surrounded by my friends. I’m glad to have experienced it in my senior year before I go off to college. However, it’s not my first time participating in the Safe Schools march at the Palm Springs Pride Parade.

During my freshman year, before PVS had a GSA club, I was one of the only openly gay students in the Upper School. Our English teacher at the time, Mr. Griffin, had talked with the advisor for Palm Spring High School’s GSA club and received permission to send any of our students who wanted to participate in the Pride Parade with them. He handed out flyers, but I was the one student from our school who actually went. I was dropped off near the parade and had to walk alone to meet with the PSHS group, and I knew none of them. I was an alone 14 year old surrounded by people I didn’t know in a loud and crowded place. It was a memorable experience, but not in a good way.

This year was different. I’m 17 now. I was with friends and people I knew and trusted. I was never alone and  always easy to find, as I had a giant rainbow umbrella that unintentionally attacked anyone who got too close. We had school GSA shirts and many rainbow-colored tattoos. I learned of a certain teacher’s habit of putting empty gift cards in his wallet. I ate greasy pizza with my friends as we laughed at a cringy pamphlet. I met enthusiastic parents that were proud of what their kids were doing. I got to have an amazing experience that I won’t forget. I felt happy with who I am, and I’m glad that others will be able to experience this in the future.

Editor: Holden Hartle

The Easy Solution to the Partisan Problem

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By Political Commentator-Blogger Luke Langlois

The United States, like always, is divided. There is quite the ideological split between “red” and “blue,” Democrat and Republican. Democrats tend to dislike Republicans and vice versa. Optimistic citizens seem to believe that the issue of division will resolve itself and patriotism will reign supreme. This will never happen. Therefore, I offer a simple solution: split the country.

So, if political parties seem to believe that they can run the country better, they should prove it! First, as democracy is very important, there will be a vote in every state. People will vote on what party they want their state to be governed by. The winning party will be the only party allowed to govern the state for the period of the split. For the sake of consistency, there will be third parties on the ballot. Though, we all know how successful third parties are. After the vote has happened, there should be a relatively even split between Democratic and Republican states. Now, I will address all of your questions. Yes, all of them. First, I must address the issue of the United States territories and Washington D.C. The United States territories will be auctioned off to other countries to help pay the national debt. Washington D.C. will be airlifted, via helicopter, to a safe location, probably Canada. Now that that simple issue has been dealt with, let’s dive into the logistics.

The country will be split for a period of 50 years. Both groups will receive their own federal government modeled after the former United States federal government. Then, the governance will BEGIN! The states shall govern themselves for this period of 50 years. After the period of 50 years, a winner will be chosen and the winning party will govern the United States for the rest of her days. There will be a highly complex process for choosing the winner. First, political figures from each side will be dropped into the ocean and will fight to the death with water guns. Then, the two groups will be measured side by side with a variety of factors. We’ll get an unbiased allied country to look at GDP, unemployment rate, overall happiness levels, et cetera. The winner will be determined by the latter factors. In the extremely unlikely case of a tie, the party with the most survivors from the ocean battle will run the country.

After a winner is determined, Washington D.C. will be retrieved from Canada, again with a helicopter, and governance will go back to normal, except there will be only one party controlling the United States. One day, I hope this dream will be realized.

Editor: Makena Behnke

The Peasant and The Devil–A Fairy Tale Re-Telling

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Retold By Harlow Berny

Centuries ago, in a long forgotten kingdom, there was a foresighted and crafty peasant renowned for his trickery. The best story of his clever deception was when he made a deal with the devil and pulled the wool over his eyes. The peasant had been working in his field all day, and as he readied to journey back home with twilight setting in, he saw a pile of burning coals lying in the middle of the field. As he got closer, he was astonished to find a small black devil sitting on the pile, grinning with its golden teeth.

“Why are you sitting in that fire?” the peasant asked.

“I’m guarding my treasure,” responded the devil; “it has more gold and silver than you’ve ever seen in your life.”

The peasant thought for a bit, before saying, “If this treasure lies in my field, then it belongs to me. It’ll more than make up for the crops you’ve burned.” He gestured to the ashes and blackened leaves surrounding the coals.

“It’s yours, if you give me half of everything your field grows for two years. I have plenty of money hidden around the world, but I have a desire for the fruits of the earth.”

“Fine,” said the peasant, “but so no disputes arise about the division, everything above ground shall be yours, and everything below shall be mine.”

The peasant and the devil agreed to these terms, with the devil believing he had gotten the better end. What he didn’t know, however, was that the peasant had sown turnips.

When a year had passed and the devil came again, the devil found nothing but withered leaves, while the delighted peasant dug up his turnips. “You’ve bested me this time,” said the devil, “but next year it won’t happen again. What grows above ground shall be yours, and what’s under shall be mine.” The peasant agreed to this, but when he sowed his crops, he used wheat seeds instead of turnip. The grain grew ripe, and the peasant cut the stalks down to the dirt. When the devil came once more, he found nothing but stubble and roots, and stomped off in a fury. “This might be my greatest trick yet!” shouted the peasant as he carried away his wheat and treasure.

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

A Re-Telling of Grimm’s

never seeing Her again

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By poet-blogger Leo Milmet

 

“i’ve seen too many Nicholas Sparks movies to be affected by

Our inevitable breakup,” i thought.

until this moment, that is. now it definitely affects me.

i don’t care what i said before.

it was utterly ridiculous to even think such a thing.

a golden-hearted, perfect Human sits by me.

i softly hold Her head to my chest.

this is the last time i ever get to do that.

tomorrow, i leave for the golden coast, for sunny California.

i’ve been there before, and it ain’t half as golden as She is.

She sits in silence; a silence i‘m not willing to break, not for the life of me.

what could i say? she’s my first love, has been for two years.

i might never see Her again.

She leaves tomorrow too, but for Pennsylvania;

there’s actually a chance that i will never again see Her;

i’m just sitting here absorbing that painful fact, kissing Her head.

i wish this truly Perfect Moment would never end, but it will.

it will.

 

what should i say?

“i love You?”

i do love Her, and i’ve said so countless times today.

She’s my best Friend, my favorite Person.

and nothing i could say or do or think or feel could take away the not-so-small pain of tonight,

the pain that comes before the first day of the rest of my life,

the pain that i will feel from never seeing Her again.

 

Editor: AJ Patencio

Review of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

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By James Zheng

Hey guys, today I got completely new stuff for you! I am not recommending the overwhelmingly popular anime, but I am recommending some meaningful anime. Today, I am going to present a unique anime for you. When you take a look at this anime title, you might think something like, ”What is this about? Publishing a magazine every month?” Well, that would be quite boring, right? Although the title seems really confusing, the story is perfectly arranged. In addition, the rhythm of story always sticks with the plot. As you are watching it, it won’t be too hard to follow the storyline.

Monthly Girls’ was produced by Doga Kobo animation studio, which is a pretty famous company. Doga Kobo’s anime style can be described as “cute.” Among the realm of anime, Doga Kobo dominates in character design. The company is so specialized in designing the appearance of characters that Doga Koba’s works are very attractive to teenagers. Monthly Girls’ was published by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd, and Media factory, and they both are the brand company of Kadokawa Corporation.

In short, Monthly Girls’ is a romantic comedy. But, the events that happen in the story do not follow the normal routine of romantic comedy. There will actually be many “What the heck?” moments. The funny and surprising storyline goes on for 12 episodes; right after you finish one episode, you might want to move on to next one immediately.

 

In Monthly Girls’, Sakura Chiyo is a heroine who wants to express her love to the hero, the famous romance author Nozaki Umetarou. When she comes to Nozaki, she is feeling extremely nervous which makes her say the wrong words to Nozaki. “I am your fan!” When those words come out, Nozaki freezes. And all the sudden he replies, “You could come to my house tonight.” Then, the story begins . . . but not as you expect. Basically, to give you a sense of the setting of the story rather than spoiling it, I would say that’s the most intriguing part of Episode 1. Watch it; see what happens.

Before I decided to recommend this anime, I already knew that many people prefer action anime. On the other hand, I am saying that we could switch our taste of anime by seeing different anime styles. Moreover, Monthly Girls’ definitely will not disappoint.

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

我不喜欢这世界，我只喜欢你。–Jeremy Cheng on the memoir “I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you”

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Fashion & Food Critic and Blog Poet Jeremy Cheng reacts to the novel I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you, by QiaoYi, published by Hunan Children Publishing Company.

QiaoYi is not a proper writer but a recorder of normal life. She had a brother named Guanchao, a dog named Dollar, and a lover named Mr. F. She had the best girlfriend named Hao WuYi.

 

This book follows Yi and her lover from school uniforms to wedding dresses. Although the writing technique used is not a traditional Chinese writing technique, she uses many Chinese characters and makes them into elegant words to narrate her story.

 

I like this book because of its graceful writing, which not only shows a desirable life but also shows the style of writing and intoxicating vignettes.

Why QiaoYi wanted to publish her story

Microblog, a Chinese Twitter, had posted the question, “How do you define your relationship with your boyfriend?” QiaoYi provided an answer which attracted many readers. People wanted to learn about her story.

Many readers went to her Microblog and found out she recorded fragments of her life with a Mr. F. Many people said that her life was so sweet and adorable but the articles were too short. In that period, she only wrote three pages of her life.

The day after the influencer re-posted, her post was mentioned by many other influencers. More and more people said, “Please don’t stop posting about your lovely life. It is so sweet.”

See, I wasn’t alone. I was so moved by the pursuit of pure, warm, loving and beautiful love. In this chaotic and complicated world, how precious it is to get a simple and deep feeling of I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you. This is the warmest and most adorable love story I’ve ever seen.

I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you is a loving memoir of a couple, which records the warm and budding love story between two lovers. In a light-hearted and humorous style, the author truly records all the problems a girl encounters in her youth, gradually becoming strong, and independent. From the naive times of students to the sweet and interesting things after marriage, it is ordinary but not plain. It draws the love and vitality from the drip of life, and makes the readers smile. It is understood that love can be really sweet and life can be really warm.

Warm! Adorable! Sweet! Almost every paragraph can make readers laugh, but there are also tears.

Some people wonder that why QiaoYi called his lover Mr. F. QiaoYi said F is instead of Fu Jun which is a more endearing way to say “husband.”

Elegant Sentences

*When Mr. F was young, he asked his father where he came from. His father was different from other fathers who said kids were picked up from the rubbish dump. His father said,

     “You are the angel from heaven. The God thinks your mom is the most beautiful woman in this world; therefore, God sends you to protect her.”  

     “What about you?” Mr. F asked.

     “When you grow up, you will leave her. So I will stay with your mom until we get old.” -Mr. F

*He said that he stands in front of the emergency room, and thinks really hard. If I had gone, he will change his name to mine and continue to live for me. -GuanChao.

*Life is too long, so we need to stay with an interesting person.–QiaoYi

*The most regrettable part of growing up is that we always meet the best person in the most naive years, but we don’t know it. –QiaoYi

*In front of me, you do not need to be strong. –QiaoYi

*Some people are full of anger and malice because they have never been treated with gentleness. I believe I can always be gentle because I met a good person when I was young. –QiaoYi

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

Brighter

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By Gladys Canby

 

My joy is

starting to return.

Colors are brightening and

I have been

smiling more.

No more is the me who

keeps her eyes

fixed on the ground.

No more do I fight myself

over whether or not

I am important.

Now,

I am starting to feel

like I matter to

someone.

I’m starting to feel like

I exist.

I have begun my life,

and ended my survival.

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

Air

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Our Fashion, Food, and Travel Correspondent Jeremy Cheng breaks out into A Poem.

 

I fell into the deep;

I am unable to breathe.

You bring me air.

In this moment,

Nothing else can stop me from loving you.

I follow your steps;

You lead me to see the light.

Sunlight forms a spotted shadow through the gaps between leaves which makes me realize the meaning of life.

I imagine

Sitting close to the river,

Picking up a guitar.

You

Just playing and singing for me.

Lying down on the grass,

Smelling the fragrance of grass.

Then,

I realized that

If you were not here,

I would die.

I think

This is love

And you

Are my air.

 

Editor: AJ Patencio

Speed “Limits”?

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A Satirical Op-Ed By Luke Langlois

Hello to my fellow licensed drivers. Today, I am here to present an idea: the speed limits should be just a recommendation. We should all drive faster. There are so many reasons to leave the slow-driving hooligans in the dust.

Most cars literally encourage driving faster: Why is it so easy to drive faster? Well, it’s because you should drive faster! Driving slowly requires effort. It requires control. Honestly, who doesn’t want to just stretch out and floor it? To add onto this, why would a speedometer have speeds over 100 on them if you are not supposed to go over 100? When I’m cruising down Da Vall drive in my Lamborghini, I make it my goal to hit 160 before I get to school.

You use more fuel: Look, the world is running out of gas. By driving faster, you burn more fuel. By burning more fuel, you accelerate the rate at which we run out of fuel. If the Earth runs out of fuel, we would be forced to move to renewable energy! By moving to renewable energy, all of the world’s problems will be solved, no questions asked. Also, by burning more fuel, you have to spend more money. Spending money helps the American economy. Woo!

You save time: When I was a slow driver, I arrived slightly later to school. I was always in a rush. I found myself missing the five seconds that I could have had if I had just driven faster. I could open my locker with those 5 seconds! That time builds up, and we all know time is our most valuable resource. In a week, driving faster could save you a few minutes. Awesome!

You get more run-ins with the police: Who doesn’t love police officers? By driving faster, the police will happily spend more time with you due to your service to our community via economic contribution and a vastly efficient lifestyle.

You get to agitate the people in front of you: Under the shade of anonymity, annoying others is fun! By driving faster, you get the opportunity to ride the bumper of drivers in front of you. Who doesn’t love free rides?

So, that’s what I’ve got for today. Trust me, the list goes on. There are an endless amount of benefits to driving faster. I strongly encourage all of my readers to add at least an extra 50 mph to their average driving speed.

*Do note the element of satire and irony in the piece. The Blog advocates safe driving and good health.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Existentialism at the Third Grade Level

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By Guest Blogger-Editorialist Charles Schnell, Singing “Hello, Dolly!” Too Loudly in the Afterlife

 

The possibility that there is no almighty deity, definitive meaning, or afterlife is a frightening notion, particularly if you’ve been paying for a Netflix subscription all this time.

After taking AP Chemistry for quite a few weeks now, I have come to hope that there is an afterlife, that there is more than this.

Though, when I reach the afterlife, I have a few questions that need some answering before I can start enjoying myself. Firstly, how long has it been since the afterlife was founded? How late is the neighborhood delicatessen open? Will my college debt carry over? Are there more levels of education? Have we gotten a clear lay of the land? How much money are the cartographers making per 1,000 maps? And, of course, is there anything after the afterlife? Is there anything after the afterlife’s afterlife? How many afterlifes are we going to have to go through before we get some peace and quiet? And, on average, what is the cost of quality plumbing in each of them?

Having posed those questions, we must remind ourselves that all of them will be answered eventually. It is of the utmost importance that we try not to worry about the future so much. How could we? There’s too much going on in the present moment to consider what could be, as well as what could have been.

Editor: Luke Langlois