GOODBYE

Goodbye, AP Lang blog.
It's been a long, painful process, but I am done with you.

I have never been more relieved.



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Apes has changed my life.

This year, I took APES (AP Environmental Science). I didn't think it would be a significant class. I just wanted to avoid chemistry because I'm afraid to take it. Something about chemistry kind of frightens me. So, I avoided chemistry and opted to take APES this year and then take physics the following year. I didn't realize how much APES would change my perspective about the earth and pollution. As the year went on, I started to notice that I would feel guilty about not recycling, driving instead of walking, buying from companies that rely on child labor, etc. I think APES should be a required class because it makes you care about the environment. Humans have always altered their environment to satisfy their needs. These alterations were at first negligible, like small scale agriculture and chopping down trees for homes. However, we began to believe that we could do whatever we wanted with the earth. As technology has progressed, our ability to do real damage to the earth has increased. We, as a society, should care about the environment because once a certain point of pollution and environmental degradation is reached; we can’t reverse what we have done. Fresh water is something everyone needs to survive. 98% of the world’s water is found in oceans, meaning only 2% is fresh water. Of that fresh water, 70% is frozen in glaciers,only about 0.024% of the earth’s water supply is readily available to us as liquid freshwater. Fresh water is not a renewable resource when used unsustainably. Some places, like the United States, have plenty of fresh water for people to sue. The poorest people are the ones who suffer the most from shortages of fresh water. According to a study by the UN, 1.1 Billion people don’t have access to water for cooking, cleaning and drinking and 2.6 billion don’t have access to basic sanitation. This imbalance in water use between social classes is because of corporate monopolization of water use. Big companies, like Coca Cola, for example, take water from aquifers in poor areas of India where citizens themselves struggle to afford drinking water and use it in their bottling plants. The irresponsible use of fresh water is an environmental problem and a moral responsibility. The increasing human population is the biggest problem with degrading out environment. This is because the larger the population, the more resources necessary to support it.Many question whether an adequate standard of living for everyone is possible with 7 billion people on this earth.   The earth’s population started out small, as a whole not much was affected. As technology has increased our ability to pollute has as well. A growing population only makes this worse, with billions of people consuming nonrenewable resources daily, leaving an ever increasing ecological footprint. The largest problem is that more people create a larger demand for more space. This demand is satisfied by clearing trees for places to live and most often farmland to feed our growing population. Rapid deforestation is especially devastating to the environment. The burning of trees releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a gas largely responsible for global climate change. These trees were once preventing extra carbon dioxide to enter the atmosphere by absorbing it via respiration. When these forests are gone, habitats are destroyed. Habitat loss is the number one cause of species extinction. Many people believe that the best way to protect endangered species is protecting them from poachers and exotic pet trades, but protection from these businesses only goes so far. The majority of species loss occurs when an animal loses its native habitat and is forced to compete for resources in a foreign environment. While there are many negative aspects about the environment that we should without question care about, there are new technologies that will help improve our situation. Renewable energy is quickly becoming part of our daily lives. Using water for power isn’t a new idea. Windmills, which have been around for centuries, use the energy from a flowing river to crush grain. Today, hydroelectric power is generated by building dams on large bodies of water. We can use the wind to turn a turbine and generate electricity without any pollutants or external resources. The sun is the supreme energy source for all life on earth. Photovoltaic cells convert solar energy directly into electric energy. These cells can be incorporated into glass windows and stored on the roofs of virtually any building. Although solar energy is only 1% of the world’s current energy supply, by 2040 photovoltaic cells could potentially account for 25%. We should care about the environment because it affects all of us where we live. As humans, we are responsible for the care of the earth, and we know we haven’t been doing a great job. Now is a crucial time for environmental awareness. If we do nothing and continue a life of irresponsible resource use and pollution causing our climate change, we will soon reach a point where our negative contributions cannot be stopped. At the same time, technologies to support responsible resource use are being developed, presenting a great opportunity to become environmentally responsible. We should care about the environment to preserve life for our future generations and because it is what’s right. I think that some form of environmental science should be required for any student, kind of like how government and econ are required to graduate. Not everyone has to take AP, but maybe an easier version where everyone watches lots of documentaries.

Culture vs Fashion?

The other day, I saw a girl wearing a bindi to school. If you don't know what that is, it's a little gem worn between the eyes that is symbolic of marriage in Indian culture. I don't know why she wore it, but it really bothered me that she did. It’s a shame when people can’t recognize that somethings aren't about them. Cultural appropriation is not about infringing on a white person’s ability to wear what they see fit. It is

disrespecting a culture, trivializing history and infringing upon another person’s identity

People put on prints and jewelry and not realize that they are playing dress up with other people’s lives. It does not make you innovative or special or smart. It makes you foolish, disrespectful, and an upholder of white hegemony. The pieces of another’s culture are not for us to wear when the fashion trend swings that way. It is not a means to earn money. Putting on a bindi or kente or a headdress does not signify that you are attempting to be connected to the respective cultures each of those items come from. It doesn’t inherently teach you something. It doesn’t make you a part of that identity either.What’s incredibly pathetic is that when some people are told that they are engaging in appropriative behavior, behavior that hurts others, that effects an entire group of people they ignorantly cling on to said behavior. They feel attacked and lash out like a smile child who has been scolded for doing something improper for doing something that is hurtful.

The Avengers is awesome

The Avengers is a really awesome cinematic event, while I didn't get to see it on its opening night, I did over the weekend. Its the culmination of a decade of different movies made about the back stories of the Marvel super heroes. While it wasn't perfect, the Avengers definitely lived up to my expectations.
The movie begins right were Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America left off. Loki, Thor's mischievous brother, is heading for earth with a new weapon, one that can fire beams of energy and brainwash people. S.H.I.E.L.D leader Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson... awesome) has gathered various superheroes together to create the "Avengers Initiative" and attempt to fight and stop Loki from taking over the world blah blah blah. In the beginning solo films we’ve gotten to know Tony Stark, old-fashioned idealist Captain America, arrogant Thor, Black Widow and the uncontrollable Hulk – but Avengers takes things a step further by showing us how these characters are growing and evolving – and better yet, growing and evolving because of their interactions with one another. For all of the impressive action the best moments in Avengers are arguably the slower, character-driven scenes. Whedon’s penchant for snappy dialogue is on full display, and it’s a great experience to see.Tony Stark and Dr. Banner talking about science so no one else in the room understands, or debating the value of the traumas that made them both into tragic heroes. The special effects in the movie are pretty great, especially Hulk, who finally looks like the actor playing him, and the classic version of the character first created by artist Jack Kirby. The aliens, Iron Man, Thor’s hammer and the rest, all look great. Visually, the movie is the most impressive work that Marvel has done to this point. As for the 3D version it’s totally unnecessary. It’s not a bad conversion and doesn’t detract from the viewing experience – but it rarely adds anything, either. If you’re debating which way to see the film: go 2D. However the story is very predictable in terms of its plot. A lot of the big sequences still have a very “TV” feel to them – and on the whole, Avengers plays like several episodes of a very well-built TV series, rather than a feature film that has truly “cinematic” moments in it. There are a few, but only a few.
Overall, it was a pretty great movie and I'm absolutely certain there will be more.

Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage

President Barack Obama made a risk taking descision to openly endorse gay marriage, becoming a civil rights figure and slightly changing the way his re-election campaign will run. Obama’s decision thrilled many of his supporters at a time when the president needs additonal backing and some financial support, even though it has outraged some of his more conservative supporters. This may be especially true in the state of North Carolina, which voted the night before to ban same sex marriage, and in Florida, Ohio, and Virginia, all states that currently have strong amendments defining marriage only as between one man and one woman. President Obama told ABC news last night that he had decided “It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”
Obama being the first president to openly support gay marriage is a milestone to many supporting gay rights/civil rights. Maybe presidents before him supported same sex marriage in private opinion, but it is an impressive first step to openly declare a postition on an issue that, in this decade especially, has become a very prominent civil rights issue. Religious conservatives that did not originally support Mitt Romney may now support his campaign. I don't think that this will be a large help to Romney's campaign much because people who were already against same sex marriage probably weren't going to vote for Obama anyway because of his more liberal beliefs. Obama's beliefs encountered a similar reaction when he announced that he is "pro-choice", supporting a womans right to make their own opinion about abortion. Within 30 minutes of the president's announcement, recieved many generous contributions to his re-election campaign. (up to $10,000, which is the maximum amount allowed for a private contribution.)
I think this is all really interesting, but not as big of a deal as the media portrayed it to be.

Oh my God I love Pancheros

I wrote about food again because I was really hungry.
First, just look at this for about ten seconds.

That, my friend, is a burrito from Pancheros. Beyond that tortilla is whatever you want it to be. Chicken? You bet! Rice? Yes sir? Deliciously warm and just-spicy-enough queso? For a dollar extra you sure can! Puppies? I sure hope not! Really though, a Pancheros burrito is probably one of my favorite things in life. I've been a regular customer (once or twice a week) for about a year now. This blog post isnt all about my love for Pancheros. Its also about my biased admiration for their business model and how they market their product.

Pancheros is set up in the same way as Subway (which I'm sure everyone is fimilar with). You walk in and are asked to choose between a burrito, quesadilla, taco, or salad. The most popular is obviously the burrito, which has become it's calling card. You then choose the type of meat (my favorite is chicken) then add rice, (or beans, which I think are gross) cheese, salsa, corn or really whatever is your preferance. Pancheros chose this model probably to put an emphasis on customer choice. The one thing from Pancheros that is standard is their tortillas. They press a lump of dough at 420 degrees and then allow it to achieve a golden brown color. Pancheros is proud of their "fresh pressed tortillas", adopting the slogan "it's all about the tortilla".

I admire Pancheros business strategies as much as their food. Pancheros (or 'Panch' as dubbed by youth) originally set out to be a quantity Mexican restaurant with no specific intended audience. Their first location was in down town Iowa City, Iowa. Its close proximity to popular shops frequented by college students at the University of Iowa made it an instant hit. The chain has been expanding ever since. Although it exists primarily in the Midwest, a few locations exist in other states such as Arizona, Maryland and Florida. Recently, Pancheros has been making an effort to attract itself to more young people (even though that is already a good majority of its business). Pancheros opened up its own blog, named after its slogan Bob My Burrito. There the social/marketing manager posts many videos talking to his audience. The manager, a young man named Reid, creates a young feel about Pancheros. He connects with his audience using twitter, a popular social networking site among young people. There, followers of Pancheros' twitter account can win prizes via "twiter trivia" where the first person to tweet back can win a free burrito. Pancheros has an "ambassador program" where young people who love Pancheros can become a representative for the store. I'll apply for the position soon, as my obsession level should be apparent.


Alright, so I'm really hungry now. I'm going to go get a burrito. Bye.

"How Its Made" is mind numbing but you cant stop watching it.

Earlier today, I was practicing a usual teenager's ritual of doing absolutely nothing on Sundays up until about 5 pm. Around 5, people my age realize all the homework they'd pushed back and then sit for a three our block of pure misery and procrastination. I'm come to accept the fact that this is how it always will be. Before 5pm, there is literally nothing to do. I found myself laying in my room, completely immobile for hours eyes glued to the TV. The dreary weather made my room a dull gray color, and I was almost in a trance. Then, I made the horrid mistake of turning on the Discovery channel, where the most dull show ever created was streaming. That show is How It's Made.

Every single episode is the same format. Choose any item you like, say a bicycle. You will first be greeted by a frame of a finished bicycle sitting there. And then you hear a dull description of what a bicycle is used for. At this point you are already sucked in, and don't even question the fact that you already know darn well what a bicycle is for. This is America, we all have them. Then the narrator will give some unnecessarily awful back story to the preparations of a bicycle being made. "First measurements are taken for the proper height for handlebars." At the time, this completely passive information just made me continue to be sucked in like a zombie. Now that I am free from How It's Made's trance, the fact that they stuff this incredibly dry informational show with useless information (ironic) makes me rage. I understand this show isn't targeted at my age or gender demographic at all, and that someone else probably does enjoy it. I don't think the show is flawed in what it does. All its job is to tell you how something is made. What I really find humorous now is that because the show is so dry, you can easily end up watching a few episodes without really noticing. That is exactly what happened to me. I cant recall whatsoever what I learned about watching those shows. All I know is that from 1 pm to 3 pm that show had me in a trance that I was unable to get out of.

Part of the reason why this show is so flat is because of the chosen audio. The voice over work is done by Brooks T. Moore, who's website is hilariously depressing looking. Moore seems to be only known for his work on How it's made, which he restates very often throughout the few-faceted website.

Lolla!

Next summer, I want to go to Lollapalooza, or Lolla. I really want to go this year, but I think I should save that experience for later. See, at Kennedy, going to Lolla is kind of like a senior trip experience. The summer after I graduate high school I will be a completely independent adult, and going to Chicago by myself wouldn't be a problem at all. Being young sucks sometimes, especially the age of 17. I'm old enough for plenty of responsibilities but not quite old enough to go out on my own. Life is a dance around the boundaries of age.
 Lolla is an annual music festival held in Chicago. Lolla started back in 1991 by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farewell. Back then, the festival was mainly underground Grunge bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, rap such as Ice-T and industrial music such as Nine Inch Nails. It was at Lolla was where the term "Alternative Nation" was coined. The explosion of alternative rock in the early 1990s propelled Lollapalooza forward; the 1992 and 1993 festivals leaned heavily on grunge and alternative acts, and usually featured an additional rap artist. Punk rock standbys like mosh pits and crowd surfing became part of the canon of the concerts. These years saw great increases in the event with the inclusion of booths for open-microphone readings and television-smashing pits, and tattooing and piercing parlors. Lolla began receiving some criticism when corporate marketing became intertwined with the kiosks at Lolla. Journalist Steve Albini criticized Lollapalooza for its corporatization of "alternative" music. In a 1993 interview, Albini commented:
"Lollapalooza is the worst example of corporate encroachment into what is supposed to be the underground. It is just a large scale marketing of bands that pretend to be alternative but are in reality just another facet of the mass cultural exploitation scheme. I have no appreciation or affection for those bands and I have no interest in that whole circle. If Lollapalooza had Jesus Lizard and the Melvins and Fugazi and Slint then you could make a case that it was actually people on the vanguard of music. What it really is is the most popular bands on MTV that are not heavy metal."
The festival ran annually until 1997. From 1997 until 2003, Lolla became a music tour and traveled all around North America. In 2003, Lolla re-gained its lease with the Chicago Park District and has been there ever since.
Oh man, there are so many awesome bands going this year. My favorites from the long line-up are: Passion Pit, The White Panda, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Frank Ocean, FUN, Neon Indian, Florence + The Machine, Sigur Ros, Childish Gambino, and Of Monsters and Men. Of Monsters and Men was originally a very little heard of folk-type band in Iceland. I came across them one day on the music website Pitchfork and immediately fell in love. I listened to them for months before one day I was sitting in Pancheros and heard one of their songs playing. Somehow, Of Monsters and Men had been discovered and the were no longer my little secret. They are still considered underground, but I really miss how relatively unknown they used to be.

Espresso & milk

For the short period that Caribou has been open, I've seen a lot of people come in. Most of them aren't really coffee fans, but enjoy drinks mixed with coffee in them or smoothies from the store. Its a lot like how people just like being associated with brands, so they get drinks from us that aren't what true coffee is all about. I have had a woman order a cappuccino (probably because it sounds cool) and then say she didn't like it. When I asked her what she didn't like about it and what else I could offer her, she responded with "Ohhhhhhhh, there's just too much coffee in here. I don't really like the taste of coffee." she ended up getting a Snowdrift, which is a mixture of flavored syrups, milk, oreos, and ice. She loved it. It just makes me laugh at how much people want to be thought of as a coffee drinker but can't even have a lightly-coffee based drink. Often people ask what the difference between many drinks are because they really have no idea. So I'll go through the most common coffee drinks and explain how they're made.
Most people know what a latte is. Lattes are probably my favorite drink. To make a latte, you brew two shots of espresso while preparing milk to be steamed. You put the steamed milk into a pitcher with a thermometer to monitor it. On the espresso machine, there is a wand used for steaming milk. You would then dip that wand into the very edge of the milk and press a button to begin steaming. Until 100 degrees, you keep the tip of the wand underneath the milk to create air bubbles. This is known as frothing. Once the temperature passes 100 degrees, dip the wand completely in the milk to heat the rest of it. The machine is timed to stop when the temperature of the milk passes 160 degrees. After pouring your shots of espresso into the cup, you take the milk canister and, while using a paddle like spoon, hold the froth back and pour the milk into the back of the cup to mix it evenly with the espresso. Once you start approaching the top of the cup, you pull the ladle back very slightly. This allows a small amount of foam to enter into the drink, forming a shape. At Caribou, we strive for what is referred to as the "half moon shape", which leaves a little froth at the top. Or if you want to get creative...

There is another important aspect to the latte, the crema. Crema is a sweet, sugary texture that forms at the top of espresso. When brewed perfectly, the crema will sit at the top of the latte and create a very subtle, sweet taste when first drinking the latte. I always add raspberry syrup to my latte before entering the milk, making it a raspberry latte. This could be done with any other kind of syrup, vanilla lattes are the most popular. If you don't really drink coffee but want to try it, a latte is usually one of the first steps.