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Profiting off a Military Junta

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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

How to Break any World Record

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When attempting to break a world record, Evan finds himself engulfed in an adventure leading him to Africa.–World Records Editor Jake Sonderman 

By Evan Spry

Chapter 1

When Jake told us his theme would be “Records You Think You Can Break,” I first thought, “Great!…Another one of Jake’s dull-witted schemes, that he’s known for” because what easy record could any of us have a chance at beating that has not already been beaten? Surprisingly, everybody is constantly trying to break world records, which means the internet is stacked with “easy” records to break on sites like thrillist.com. This should mean I could just quickly pick one of these stupid tasks, beat the previous person’s accomplishment by the smallest amount possible, and also bring global recognition, glory, and, most likely, massive wealth to my name. Maybe pesky Jake actually had a good idea? Not the case! I was completely overwhelmed as soon as I saw the seemingly endless amount of equally-lame tasks I would have to endure.

These included time-based tasks like most jello eaten with chopsticks in a certain time, most t-shirts put on in a certain time, fastest placement of 24 cans in a fridge, and countless more. This is the type of task I had to eventually conquer, unless I wanted to stick a bunch of post-it notes on my face or actually exert physical excellence and ability, which is not happening/possible. The deal was sealed, as Albert Einstein would say, but I had to choose which time-based record I would need to break. This is way way harder than it sounds because I didn’t want to do most of the beatable options. I kept scrolling and scrolling the lists and soon the pages on Google. I thought all hope was lost, but luckily I found the perfect choice…

Chapter 2 

“Fastest time to put a double-duvet cover on a bed”–I must be blessed because my very own uncle used to be a French-maid for 30 years, and I could just ask him to teach me the best tips and tricks to master a “double-duvet,” whatever that is?

↙

Now, I just needed to contact my uncle, which was going to be more difficult than I expected. I had no idea how hard the pandemic hit him and how he had to return back to high-profile maiding at exclusive hotels around the globe. Turns out, they need his expertise back out in the field since hotels are reopening. When I called my uncle, the signal was super choppy and he said something about how he was at a “non disclosable offsite undisclosed location.” I tried calling him after he cut out, but I got no response. My plan was foiled to the core, and I couldn’t do anything about it. My uncle could be anywhere, and I doubt he was coming back anytime soon. I was devastated beyond human comprehension, and nothing could make me feel better.  

Chapter 3

As a last ditch effort before I completely gave up, I booted up my computer and went searching for a new record. As I foraged through the backlogs and back alleys of the web, I stumbled upon something that could replenish my chances at breaking a world record. There was a website called ezcheatworldrecbreaker.com; it would be unethical to cheat at record breaking, but I would have to because I needed to reap the rewards of breaking a world record. I was scrolling through the very simply-put-together website but couldn’t really read most of the text because it was in Russian; anyways the writing I could read was outlining a cool-looking futuristic design of some sort of machine.

When I looked closer, I realized that it was a crane that grabbed and placed t-shirts onto a human body at a rapid speed. When I went to click the picture of the schematic, a pop-up appeared that asked if I would allow the site to access my location. I knew that if there was any chance I could order one of these machines, it would need my location for shipping and handling. I clicked “allow” and was immediately greeted with downloads loading and running at the bottom right of my screen. Thank the lord though, I was also greeted with a bunch of messages that exclaimed to me that he was a Nigerien prince, which according to him is way different than a Nigerian prince–you know the princes that go online and trick people that they are going to actually share their wealth. Anyways, the Nigerien prince told me his name was Quincy and that he knew the inventor of the shirt-placing crane. 

Chapter 4

Unfortunately, Quincy told me that the only way he could get his hands on a machine for me is if I either flew out to South Sudan to receive an important machine part or send him 500 dollars via Paypal. Since I don’t have 500 dollars to send him through Paypal, I packed a suitcase with a couple changes of clothes and 5,000 dollars cash in case I needed to pay for things while I was there. I then bought the first ticket I could to Addis Ababa International in neighboring Ethiopia because I don’t think you can fly into South Sudan, but also Ethiopia’s capital has an epic name. Anyways, my flight is tomorrow, and I’m super excited to meet Quincy in person and secure the device that will change my life forever. Wish me luck!

World Records Editor: Jake Sonderman

Sources:

https://www.thrillist.com/gear/17-easy-to-break-world-records

https://www.google.com/search?q=grey+double+duvet+covers&tbm=isch&rlz=1CAVARX_enUS942&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiI3O6bjPjvAhWWhZ4KHcIVCdMQrNwCKAJ6BQgBEKoC&biw=1920&bih=961#imgrc=fLjLUawutLKudM

Multiverse Theory–Is There More Than One Evan?

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I think we can all agree the universe is undeniably large. Blogger Evan explores the question of “How big is the universe?” by explaining the multiverse theory.–Alternate Realities Editor Hannah Hall

By Evan Spry

Possibly the hardest question scientists and astronomers have to answer right now is, “How big is the universe?” This is such a difficult question to answer because it is nearly impossible to determine and there are different theories about the nature of our universe. One theory is that the universe is super big but finite, and the other theory is that the universe is infinitely big and ever expanding. If you ask me, the second theory is way cooler and more thought-provoking because it fosters deeper ideas like the multiverse theory, where there are an infinite amount of parallel universes coexisting at the same time. 

What is a multiverse?

A multiverse is the blanket term for the hypothetical group of multiple universes that would exist if our universe was infinite. The reason a multiverse would exist is because if the universe was infinitely big, there would have to be a repeat in the formation of matter at some point because there are only a certain number of combinations space could be made up of. If this sounds confusing, physicist Brian Greene has an analogy, “Think of the universe like a deck of cards. Now, if you shuffle that deck, there’s just so many orderings that can happen. If you shuffle that deck enough times, the orders will have to repeat” (npr.org). So if we do live in a multiverse, that means that there would be another universe, however far away, that would be almost identical to our universe. This means that there could be other versions of ourselves living out their lives as we speak! 

Stephen Hawking

One name recognized highly by everyone in the scientific community is Stephen Hawking. This is because of the countless scientific honors and awards he’s received over the years. In his last paper before his death, Hawking famously mentioned the existence of the multiverse saying, “We are not down to a single, unique universe, but our findings imply a significant reduction of the multiverse to a much smaller range of possible universes” (space.com). Ever since the 80s, Hawking has been teaming up with other scientists to find the secrets of the universe. It was in these studies that the Hawking-Hartle idea was introduced. This idea described how the universe formed after the Big Bang. Within this theory, more questions arose. Hawking and Hartle had implied that with the creation of the universe, there would have to be an infinite amount of other universes. 

In conclusion, there could be another copy of you somewhere else far away in the universe. However, we unfortunately won’t be able to solve this problem any time soon because of the technological achievements we’d have to accomplish before then. I think this is an awesome theory, and I would like to believe that there are an infinite number of Evans running, swimming, or flying around the universe–I just don’t have the evidence yet.

Alternate Realities Editor: Hannah Hall

Sources:

https://astronomy.com/news/2020/12/is-the-multiverse-theory-science-fiction-or-science-fact

https://www.npr.org/2011/01/24/132932268/a-physicist-explains-why-parallel-universes-may-exist

https://www.space.com/32728-parallel-universes.html

How the Heck did They Build This Thing?

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When I told bloggers to write about incredible architectural feats, I was hoping someone would write about the Burj Khalifa. Blogger Evan expresses amazement for the construction of the Burj Khalifa and what makes its existence so revolutionary. –Ed. Roman Rickwood

By Evan Spry

In just six years, the most iconic modern feat of architectural engineering was built up and opened, piercing its way to the top of every international height list while simultaneously winning world records. The handshake between Western and Arabic powers led to the creation of the sleekest skyscraper in the world, the Burj Khalifa. This symbol of Middle-Eastern power has dominated the Dubai skyline since its opening in 2010. I know that for me personally, when I was a kid, this skyscraper was one of the only things I could confidently say was from the Middle East. Not only was the Burj Khalifa outstanding visually and technically, it was also outstanding construction-wise. The foundation alone had 45,000 m³ of concrete poured, “weighing more than 110,000 tonnes…that’s equivalent to 18 Olympic sized swimming pools” (commercialinteriordesign.com). The Burj Khalifa was also heavily featured in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The Burj Khalifa is unique–from how it was constructed to how it was named. 

Name

The direct translation of Burj Khalifa is Khalifa Tower. Formerly, the tower was known as Burj Dubai or Dubai Tower but was changed to Burj Khalifa when the tower officially opened. The name Khalifa is derived from Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Maktoum, who is the president of Abu Dhabi as well as the United Arab Emirates. According to thetowerinfo.com, “Burj Khalifa and other construction projects in Dubai were once on the verge of halting” due to lack of funds. “[N]eighbor Adu Dhabi provided funds to Dubai in the hard time, this is the main reason for Dubai . . .renam[ing] the tower Burj Khalifa.” In addition, the word Khalifa carries Islamic importance. “It means Islamic world’s supreme leader” (thetowerinfo.com). 

Height

The height of the Burj Khalifa, free-standing at a whopping 2,717 feet or 828 meters, is what gives the building its status and prowess. Initially, before 2010, the height of the Burj Khalifa was kept a secret so that potential competitors could be prevented from surpassing it. Eventually, the owner of the tower publicly claimed it was 828 meters tall, making it the tallest building in the world in all categories. Since then, the tower has held the title of World’s Tallest Building, Tallest Free-Standing Structure, and Highest Number of Stories in the World (burjkhalifa.ae). The highest floor in the building is the 154th, which is 1,916 feet from the ground. However, this floor is blocked from the public. I wonder what kind of secret organization operates and owns the top floor. In my opinion, it’s the illuminati. Think about it, why else would a company be located at the top floor of the tallest building in the world? To throw its enemies off! I’m just kidding, you can easily look up who owns the top floor, and it’s just some rich dude, still a little weird though. Anyways, for the public, the highest of the three observation decks is on the 148th floor. This observation deck is 1,820 feet from the ground. It’s the second highest observation deck in the world, trailing behind China’s Shanghai Tower, which is 2,073 feet high. I’m sure you’ll need the same amount of adult diapers when peering over the edges of both decks. 

Architecture

Inspired by the Arabian desert’s beautiful hymenocallis flower, the footprint of the Burj Khalifa is triple-lobed with three elements arranged around the central core. The structure of the building is Y-shaped, which “provides an inherently stable configuration for the structure” (burjkhalifa.ae). This intricate architectural design has allowed the Burj Khalifa to remain the tallest building in the world ever since it broke the record over a decade ago. The tower has faced setbacks in regards to expanding upwards because of the upward spiral design that makes the tower decrease in mass as it gets taller. Even though the tower may not be able to expand in height when competition presents itself, the Burj Khalifa will always be the best looking for its height. 

In conclusion, the tallest tower in the world, the Burj Khalifa is not only unique and interesting in its height but also in its name, location, history, architecture, and construction. This skyscraper is a sign of Arabian pride and power and has been able to infiltrate the minds of most western communities in a positive way. I believe that the construction of the Burj Khalifa was also an important diplomatic event as it was a giant cooperative effort between both American architecture companies and Arabian property developers in the post 9-11 era. 

Architectural Achievements Editor: Roman Rickwood

Sources:

https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/the-tower/facts-figures/#:~:text=World%20Records,of%20stories%20in%20the%20world

https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/the-tower/design-construction/

https://www.commercialinteriordesign.com/insight/updated-how-the-burj-khalifa-was-built-including-design-foundations-cladding-and-urban-myths#:~:text=28%2C261%20Glass%20cladding%20panels%20make,at%20the%20peak%20of%20construction.

Burj Khalifa Facts and Information

https://www.som.com/projects/burj_khalifa

Invest or Starve

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Tasked with discussing the theme of “Missed Opportunity,” Blogger Evan decided to educate people about how to avoid missing money-making opportunities. Evan tells us how to invest better, without regrets.

By Evan Spry

In this day and age, there are only really two ways to make money. You can either earn an income by working, or you can invest in assets. In this article, I will make the case for the latter money-making method. Have you ever wondered what really goes on in the stock market, you know, the thing that supposedly measures the stability and success of our economy even though it only represents a minuscule group of elite corporations? Well, I think the simplicity of it all will actually surprise you. We’ve all been told that it is much too complicated for the average person to understand investing, and that only the minority of CEOs and hedge-fund managers could possibly benefit from the stock market. It used to be, you had to invest through a stockbroker, or go to the bank. Nowadays, the absolute best thing about investing in the stock market is that anyone can do it. And, there are just too many benefits in investing to ignore this money-making opportunity. Here are the top five reasons you must invest your money:

  1. Beat Inflation: In our world, almost everything fluctuates over time. This fluctuation happens a lot in economics, and one of the best examples of this is the increase and decrease in the value of certain countries’ currencies. This fluctuation also increases inflation, like how in India, “100 rupees today would only be 96.5 rupees next year according to recent Indian inflation statistics, which implies that you would lose 4.5% of your money every year if kept as cash” (Businesstoday.in). This simply means that if you were to invest your money into something, instead of having it as cash, you would have saved money.
  2. Retirement Corpus Creation: Investing as soon as possible is best because while doing so, you can set aside funds for retirement and create a retirement corpus.* This corpus will accumulate wealth over time, adding a safety net of savings for the future. Of course, in this case, time is almost more valuable than the money itself, so you should start this process as soon as possible. 
  3. Tax-Saving: Some possible investments can give you a double-return by “…providing returns as well as reducing your taxable income” (Businesstoday.in). This is saving money. And saving money is making money! 
  4. High Returns: Another reason I urge you to invest is the fact that investing helps you achieve higher returns than a bank’s saving account. The average interest rate today on savings accounts is .05% (smartasset.com). Some markets could even provide returns upwards of 20 percent, if everything goes perfectly. So, investing in the market will make you more money over time, but there are still the obvious risks involved. 
  5. Wealth Creation: The last reason investing is something you need to do is probably the simplest, plain old wealth creation. If you invest your money, it allows it to grow, which can offer big returns for it in the future. Allowing your money to compound positively is probably the best thing you can do, so invest!

*Retirement corpus is the fund you need to put aside as savings by the end of your work life to receive an adequate pension for your retired life (aegonlife.com).

**All investment strategies and investments involve risk of loss. Nothing contained in this website should be construed as investment advice. Any reference to an investment’s past or potential performance is not, and should not be construed as, a recommendation or as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit.

https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/beginners-guide-for-wealth-creation-why-should-you-invest/story/278719.html

Missed Opportunities Editor: Erik Bearman 

The Next Tesla!

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When prompted to write about up-and-coming businesses, Blogger Evan Spry took his focus global and chose to write about an up-and-coming Chinese electric vehicle company: NIO. Watch out Tesla.

By Evan Spry

Blue Sky Coming

One of the most recognizable names of our contemporary history is Elon Musk. Musk took the world by storm with his groundbreaking technological feats and his popular electric car brand, Tesla. But, what if I told you that Tesla will soon no longer be the only synonym that comes to mind when someone mentions high-quality electric cars? China, the largest automobile market in the world (according to statista.com), constantly is looking for new ways to improve the automobile industry within its borders. Unfortunately, China is also high on the list of most polluted countries in the world, which motivates Chinese manufactures, politicians, and entrepreneurs to find cleaner solutions to automobile emissions. One of these cleaner solutions lies in electric cars.  

In November 2014, NIO, a Chinese car manufacturer was created. NIO was founded on the idea of turning the sky blue wherever they went. The company’s Chinese name, Weilai, literally means “Blue Sky Coming.” But, what are they actually doing? And, how do they differentiate themselves from Tesla? Well, since NIO is such a young company, they were able to start with the idea of moving quickly to autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars. In fact, in 2016, NIO received an “Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit” from the California DMV and immediately began testing on public roads under the “Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program.” 

Battery Swapping

Unlike Tesla, NIO has established a battery swapping station network that stretches over thousands of kilometers of Chinese expressways. This method is much more efficient because battery swapping only takes, on average, five minutes, while filling up your gas tank or recharging your battery takes much longer. Battery swapping has proven effective in China. Globalnewswire.com says, “As of August 2020, NIO has built 143 battery swap stations across 64 cities in China, and completed over 800,000 battery swaps for its customers.” 

World Records

Sitting atop Purog Kangri glacier, the NIO ES8 broke a world record for successfully getting to and remaining at 5,715.28 feet above sea level while being in a temperature of -5 degrees Celsius. This would be the highest altitude ever achieved by an electric car. Purog glacier is the third largest glacier in the world, making this also the only time an electric car has ever been there. Unsurprisingly, this is not the only record NIO has broken. In the Nurburgring, a German motorsports complex that hosts events, the NIO EP9 only took 6 mins and 45 secs to run a track of 22 kilometers (13 miles). This was the new lap record and very important for electric automobile development. 

Invest!

Not only is this car company blowing its competitors out of the water but its stock shares have also been going through the roof. In 2020, NIO’s stock rose over 1,190%, according to investorplace.com. Currently, each share of stock costs 59.99 USD, and it looks like it’s only going up. Yahoo!Finance surveyed 300 investors, and they concluded that NIO shares would rise to 100 USD by 2022. 

In conclusion, NIO is an up-and-coming Chinese company that everybody should know about and keep their eye on. NIO’s ingenuity has caused it to become a big competitor of Tesla’s, and who knows what could happen if they really pick up in the West. Also, if you are an investor or interested in trading stocks, you might want to check out NIO as they are projected to increase their value a lot in the coming future.* 

 *All investment strategies and investments involve risk of loss. Nothing contained in this website should be construed as investment advice. Any reference to an investment’s past or potential performance is not, and should not be construed as, a recommendation or as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit.–Editor Jake

Up-and-Coming Businesses Editor: Jake Sonderman

World record for speed

https://www.nio.com/news/nio-ep9-breaks-nurburgring-nordschleife-lap-record#:~:text=May%2012th%202017%20%E2%80%93%20Munich,vehicle%20with%20our%20NIO%20EP9.

 Yahoo Finance https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nios-stock-reach-100-2022-220104889.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANTFmB6a8PTDuSApyNAxsNRzfRh-W9eS2R6XYk_DEUPDR_r1l9PPvaPWIdantO563s8pbl0OjRLvD5snwTHVXDEaYIwTvbesEvtkujilPb19A9nTFz0ObfPd3ahO7xx123if-o-Utyf7KP9JRELUNkdUi0oQxSZBVsXQ5MV2-dPH 

World record for height

https://www.nio.com/news/nio-es8-sets-guinness-world-recordstm-title-height-571528-meters#:~:text=At%20the%20height%20of%205715.28%20meters%20and%20a%20temperature%20of,achieved%20in%20an%20electric%20car.&text=The%20slogan%20of%20NIO%20is,can%20realize%20our%20vision%20soon.

I Love Pappy and Harriet’s

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Blogger Jake recounted what it’s like to play on stage at Pappy and Harriet’s. Evan tells us what it’s like to partake as audience and eater. (Hint: Order the bacon-cheese fries.)

By Evan Spry

With our heinous vaccine rollout and everything, it’s seemingly pointless to imagine yourself partying at a social event in the near-future. Still, I think we should all  have a checklist in our minds of what to do post-COVID. That time is coming. This checklist provides optimism for the future and stakes a belief in the fact that COVID will go away soon. 

I don’t know about you, but I definitely noticed pretty off-the-bat how much I took live music for granted. It’s been so long since I’ve been to a concert (thanks to COVID) that I don’t even remember what it’s like. As I yearn to go back to the live music experience, I can’t help but remember my favorite venue, Pappy and Harriet’s. Pappy and Harriet’s is a big restaurant/bar/music venue. It is located in Pioneer Town, near Joshua Tree where the weather is usually great with the occasional slight snowfall in the winter, which only makes the area more beautiful. 

I have been to Pappy and Harriet’s probably five times and never have I had a bad experience. Personally, I think the best music to listen to at Pappy’s is folk-rock/jam band. My mom’s favorite band, The Mother Hips, is one of these, and I’ve seen them there a couple times. At these shows, the audience is so into the music and there aren’t nearly as many L.A. hipsters that block your view with their fedoras. 

Unfortunately, when there is a band playing at Pappy’s, it most likely means that it’s going to be packed. If this is the case, do not plan on eating dinner there. Sometimes, it’s so crowded they just close the restaurant completely. However, even though you may not always be able to enjoy a big meal while listening to a live band, the food is amazing. They are a typical American restaurant that serves red meat, burgers, and salads. But my favorite item on their menu is the bacon-cheese fries. These fries are to die for and definitely hit the spot. 

In conclusion, I encourage you to think up the first place you want to go party. Think about a festival, and picture yourself there. If you do this, the positive energy from that will manifest in reality and secure your future festivities. So, in the meantime in your quarantine, don’t party with anyone and do stay home; just think about partying in the future, when it’s safe. 

Festivities (in a post-Coronavirus time) Editor: Hannah Hall

Celtic Costume or Soldier’s Skirt?

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Blogger Evan Spry has explored his culture in several articles. With his newest post, he dives into a traditional Scottish aesthetic, focusing on perhaps the most famous symbol of the culture: the kilt.

By Evan Spry

Since the end of the 16th century, Scots have been embracing and promoting their traditional culture to everyone by brandishing their skirt-like kilts. Very few cultural traditions have been able to infiltrate popular culture like that of the kilt. The Scottish kilt is such a popular symbol of Scottish culture that I guarantee the first thing an average person thinks when they think of Scotland is the famous kilt. But why are these kilts so popular? Well, for one, they’re comfortable because of their ergonomic and breathable design. The other reason is that the second a man puts on a kilt he transforms into a handsome, Gaelic warrior.

This popular traditional aesthetic has not changed very much since its debut in the 16th century. In the beginning, kilts were worn as full-length garments by the Gaelic men of the Northern Scottish Highlands. Apparently, “The word ‘kilt’ is a derivation of the ancient Norse word, kjilt, which means pleated, and refers to clothing that is tucked up and around the body” (authenticireland.com). The men’s kilts back then were also a little more risque than the modern version is now, as they usually cut off way before the knee. Nowadays, the majority of kilts you’ll see worn will go below the knee. These kilts were made “using self-colored garments, which were white or dull brown, green or black as opposed to the multicolored plaids or tartan designs recognized today” (authenticireland.com). As more efficient kilt-making techniques were introduced around the 1800s, a new tartan pattern was developed. The tartan cloth was dyed and designed in criss-crossed lines.

The plaid pattern never gets cut off in a traditional kilt.

History of the Kilt

Unfortunately, the power of the kilt grew too strong for the British monarchy. The kilt-wearing Scots launched a rebellion in the Highlands. So the British Parliament imposed the Dress Act of 1746. This act, steered by King George II, made it illegal to wear the beloved Scottish kilt. By the time the Dress Act was repealed in 1782, it was already too late for many kilt-wearing Scots. As decades of harsh enforcement didn’t allow the traditional kilt, many got used to not wearing them at all. However, this was not the end of the kilt. Since King George banned them almost completely on the basis that they represented Scottish culture and allegiance, they became iconic symbols of national pride for the Scots. Soon, this love for kilts gave way to the creation of specific tartan patterns for specific Scottish clans. The image above is the design for my family’s tartan kilt, which represents the Johnston/Johnstone clan. And, since I’m at least one quarter Scottish, I have enough Gaelic blood to wear our family kilt. Although I do not own any Johnston clan kilts, I would love to in the future.

In conclusion, the traditional Scottish aesthetic of kilt-wearing will live on indefinitely as a symbol of national pride. I found it super interesting finding out about the traditional “aesthetic” that my ancestors showed off. I encourage you to find out what your ancestors wore as their “aesthetic” because I’m willing to bet it’s probably pretty weird.  

Source

https://www.authenticireland.com/scottish+kilts/

Aesthetic Editor: Elizabeth Shay

Secret Kiwi Salvation

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Worried about finding a proper bunker to wait out the end of the world? Let us help you with your bunker shopping. Blogger Evan explores the phenomenon of companies filling the market with apocalypse-proof bunkers. 

By Evan Spry

Eleven feet under the ground, somewhere in New Zealand, there’s a secret multi-million dollar survival shelter that Gary Lynch, general manager of Rising S Company, will tell us is owned by someone he’s not allowed to reveal. Rising S Co, like many other survival-shelter manufacturers, are getting clients in New Zealand. Because of this, New Zealand is seeing a rise in bunker manufacturing. Bloomberg.com reports, “The underground global shelter network Vivos already has installed a 300-person bunker in the South Island, north of Christchurch, said Robert Vicino, the founder of the California-based company.” The tech elites and billionaires of our world are literally fleeing to New Zealand to live in real life Hobbit Holes. What does this say about the current state of the world? In the past few years, Rising S Co has “…planted about 10 private bunkers in New Zealand…” (Bloomberg.com). They also said that “The average cost is $3 million for a shelter weighing about 150 tons, but it can easily go as high as $8 million with additional features like luxury bathrooms, game rooms, shooting ranges, gyms, theaters and surgical beds” (Bloomberg.com). 

With our world’s current social and economic inequalities only increasing, we are seeing more examples of inequities such as these crazy kiwi survival bunkers. Fortunately, mass bunker-buying is not a new thing.  Latimes.com reports, “tens of thousands of Americans built private fallout shelters as Cold War tensions rose in the early 1960s.” This doesn’t mean that an increase in bunker buying is a good sign. Evidently, we are currently going through tough times, and it does not make sense to use the money that you have left to buy a high-tech and safe place for you and your family. This is nice for your family, but it is a little pessimistic and selfish to spend millions on a fallout bunker. I know it’s a lot to ask, but instead of spending money on bunkers, people could invest in bettering the world. People could do so much with those millions of dollars, and, let’s be real, we won’t need to live in bunkers for at least another half-decade.

I couldn’t find anything about the economic effect of these bunker-buying sprees, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt the Kiwi economy. However, it’s kinda weird having an American move to the neighborhood, only they’re at a secluded bunker at the top of the hill.

Anyways, I guess if you want to waste your money on a high-tech bunker, you should look 2,500 miles southeast of Australia in the land of hobbits, wizards, and dwarves. 

Apocalypse Editor: Erik Bearman

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-19/-we-needed-to-go-rich-americans-activate-pandemic-escape-plans

https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-03-23/rich-are-running-from-coronavirus

Why Don’t You Go Take a Hike?!

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Editor Hannah likes “being outside a lot.” She recognizes the benefits of the outdoors, so she assigned “Wilderness” as a topic for her Blog Staff. Evan, too, finds the outdoors beneficial. Let him explain.

By Evan Spry

As time has evolved, being out in the wilderness has become a lower and lower priority on the list of things to do. Nowadays, it is so low on the list of priorities it contributes to our growing unhealthiness. According to the CDC, in 2017-2018, 42.4% of American adults were obese (CDC.gov). I truly believe that, among other things, a lack of outdoorsiness hurts. It is so interesting that something that would seem so primal and instinctive would be this absent in most of our lives. The reason is that many of us would chuckle at the proposition of going to the wilderness with your friends or family just to be in nature. Many people would rather sleep on a comfortable mattress with a TV hanging on their wall with access to the almighty microwave than sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground with a campfire as your only heat and light source at night. I don’t blame these people at all. I mean, there is a reason all of us live in buildings with electricity and running water. Progress is a thing that is important. I don’t think the solution to our unhealthiness is to completely revert back in time and live in caves. The solution is that we should spend a chunk of time in the wilderness. The reason spending time in the wilderness is important is because when you’re really there, and all that is on your mind is adapting and surviving, you forget about all your “real world” problems and return to a primal state of acceptance and awareness. You learn to love and appreciate the natural world and its gifts. You live in the day and sleep in the night. You are surrounded by a completely different energy than that of a big city. It is an organic energy that feels refreshing and pure. Soon, you get used to living and surviving like your ancestors did so long ago. Every action you take to increase your chance of survival in the wilderness feels like a huge victory. Also, when you’re not distracted by the noise and light pollution of the city, everything seems right, everything is peaceful. It is dark out when it’s supposed to be and light out when it’s supposed to be. Something that most people don’t realize is that putting yourself through the nice experience of camping in the wilderness is an effective meditation. Like I said, you’re not worried about the problems of the “outside world” if you have to survive in the wilderness. When you are able to think about those problems, you have a much different perspective….You have the perspective of a survivor. So, I urge you to go out and experience the wilderness. Survive in it. If you don’t find an amazing and meditative experience, then I am sorry. However, I think it is important to connect to our natural world and rhythms.

Wilderness Editor: Hannah Hall

Source Referenced:

CDC

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db360.htm#:~:text=Among%20men%2C%20the%20prevalence%20of,those%20aged%2060%20and%20over.