Ethan Wirtschafter- Week 11- Turkey Trot

         

My favorite day of the year is forthcoming. Every single year I look forward to one incredible day on one incredible holiday. The Thursday of thanksgiving week where my annual neighborhood 5k race begins. It is known as the “Turkey Trot” and it is a 3.15-mile run/race all throughout my neighborhood, dodging in and out of cold snacks, down streets, and through different paths. It is very fun and for the past years, I have been the winner. When I was younger I was not as fast as some of the teenagers, college students, or adults who participated in this race, but always ran as fast as I could and did my best. As the years progressed I began to grow, become faster, more athletic, become stronger, and perfect my running technique. Now I am winning first place consistently and am extremely confident in my abilities that I will win again this year. It is a nice sense of pride and accomplishment after crossing that finish line with no one in sight. I check into the desk, they record my time, I am handed water and recovery food or drinks, and I am given my prize. Now for everyone that participates you get a free t-shirt, and I'll get back to that in a second, but there is a special prize for the first-place racer. You never know what it is going to be, but it is always something cool. Last year I remember I got a cool customized bag, and the year before that I got another T-shirt. Moreover, the t-shirts for this race are awesome and I usually help with the design. This year I didn’t want to help so that it would be a total surprise, so I am very curious as to what my neighborhood has come up with. All in all, I really enjoy the holiday of thanksgiving and this is just an amazing bonus to it. I get to gather with all the people in my community, compete to win, and get rewarded with free customized t-shirts and prizes. Do you have a favorite day of the year? Maybe a holiday or an attribute of one holiday? If so, comment below and tell me what you look forward to every year.

https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/BocaRaton/LevisJCCTurkeyTrot5k

Olivia Ball - Week 11 - I Beat My Mom in Tennis

  I am currently in quarantine, so I can’t really do anything besides sit in my house and watch tv. However, I need to do some sort of exercise, so my parents and I have played tennis a few times. Soccer is definitely my favorite sport because that is what I play competitively, but tennis is a close second. It is so much fun, and I love that it is an individual sport. Both of my parents are tennis players. My dad got a scholarship to play in college, but ultimately didn’t accept it, and my mom has been playing for a long time. The last few years, my mom hasn’t played as often, and my dad plays pickleball more than he does tennis. I play on the tennis team for school, but I rarely play after because I don’t have time, so I’m usually a little rusty. When we played on Friday, there were 3 of us, so I played on one side alone while my parents were on the other side. Obviously I lost because I was a severe disadvantage, being a weaker player, and being alone. Then, we played on Sunday, but my dad wasn’t available, so it was just my mom and I. We warmed up a little and then decided to play a match. I’m very excited to say that I beat my mom 6-1, 6-4. It was so much fun and I loved seeing how much I improve each time that I play. I can’t wait for the tennis season to start in January because it is definitely my favorite high school sport. What is your favorite sport? Have you ever played tennis?

Ellie Week 11: Should Clothes be Gendered?

Hey everyone. Yet again, we are going to rant about Harry Styles, but this time I actually have a point. As some people may know, a few days ago it was announced that Harry was on the cover of Vogue for the December issue, and to include, makes history as being the first male solo artist to appear on the cover for American Vogue (aka A VERY BIG DEAL). Although I could rant about how beautiful he looks and analyze every single photo, we’re not here to do that today. In the cover photo, his outfit (not visible but shown in other photos) has been quite the talk lately: a dress. For some reason, this has become quite the controversy over the past week, with people on Twitter ranting for no apparent reason and Harry’s supporters, friends, and peers coming to his defense, as expected. One response that really stuck out to me is Candace Owens. To summarize, she says “Bring back manly men,” along with many other hateful comments. Of course, I could go on a whole rant about her and raise my blood pressure while I’m at it, but this tweet really has a deeper meaning. She’s saying that Harry is less “manly or masculine” because of his choice in fashion, the dress, furthering the stereotypes that men and women have in fashion. These stereotypes have been dug deep inside of our society for hundreds of years and Harry is trying to break those stereotypes, saying that he believes everyone should be able to wear what they want and are comfortable in. In the interview with Vogue, he says “When you take away ‘There’s clothes for men and there’s clothes for women,’ once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play,” and mentions how he’s had fun finding and expressing himself through his fashion choices. It’s really that simple: he finds clothes he likes, no matter the gender they're meant for, and wears them. This may just be my personal opinion, but I think that the clothes you wear don’t define you as a person, and genders shouldn’t be gatekeeping clothing items. Now, I feel like I should include the double standard that Candace Owens wears pantsuits all the time and receives no backlash. So, per her theory, that would make her more of a man than a woman, because only men should be wearing suits and pants and women should only wear dresses and skirts right? WRONG. Many people are holding her accountable and mocking her tweet by commenting things like “Bring back womanly women!” on her posts. Now I’m not saying people can’t have their own opinion. If you think men shouldn’t wear dresses, there’s not much I can say to sway you, so just move along. Scroll. Get on with your life. But don’t bash people for wearing things they like when it CERTAINLY doesn’t affect you. To summarize, my frustration stems from the fact that I personally believe that no one should be judged for what they wear. It’s not your business, not your problem, and to be frank, no one really cares what you think. And at the end of the day, it’s just fabric. If you’re getting angry about cloth, maybe find a hobby. <3 

Do you think clothes should be exclusive to one gender? What do you think about Harry's cover?

 You can read Candace's full response here if you'd like (https://twitter.com/RealCandaceO/status/1327691891303976961)

Chile's Performance in the Soccer World Cup Qualifiers - Dan week 11

 For every world cup, which happens every four years, there are qualifying tournaments for each continent of the world to decide which countries will enter the world cup. Chile obviously is in the South American qualifiers, as it is located in southern South America bordering Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia. For many years throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Chile was a South American soccer powerhouse. They managed to win two "Copa America's" in two consecutive years and went all the way to the quarterfinals in the 2014 World Cup, where they eventually lost to Brazil. Though the Chilean's team excellence was undeniable, they have sadly significantly regressed over the past couple of years. In 2016 they failed to qualify for the 2018 world cup, making it the first World Cup since 2006 that they didn't attend. Currently, the South American World Cup qualifiers are going on, and every team participating has played four games so far. In those four games, Chile has won one, tied one, and lost two, both of the losses coming at away games. They have performed very underwhelmingly and are currently in 6th position on the qualifying table, where the first five teams get in. While there is still a long time to go until the 2022 World Cup, Chile must step up their game on the soccer pitch and be able to qualify for the biggest soccer event in the world. As a lifelong Chilean and hard fan of their soccer team, it hurts to see them so much worse and in this position, because all the great Chilean soccer legends that I grew up watching are now getting old and simply cannot perform at the level they used to, so all I can hope is that we keep qualifying and leave our future in trustworthy hands.

Jacob Abramchaev - Week 11 - Elon Musk Book Review

Yesterday, I finally finished reading the book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance. I want to start off by saying that if anyone enjoys reading (*Yair*) then you should definitely give this book a shot. Basically, it’s just a biography of probably the most important person in the world when it comes to the future survival of the human race. If you're not already familiar with who Musk even is, he’s co-founded world-renowned companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Paypal, and he’s the third richest person in the world with an estimated 90 billion dollars. I really enjoyed reading this book because it starts off with his humble beginnings in Pretoria, South Africa where he learned many core values that he holds close to himself to this day. As a child, he was very curious and he was an avid reader of science fiction, which inspired him to create a space company in his goal to colonize Mars. The book was well written, for it provided the reader with multiple perspectives of how Elon Musk has been able to achieve so much success. The book goes on to talk about each of his early startups and how he eventually grew them into billion-dollar companies. Overall, the book was excellent and inspiring, and Musk even reminds me of the real Tony Stark. Musk shows that in order to succeed in life, you're going to have to take big risks while working extremely hard. I really hope they make a movie about him in the near future. 

Do you guys have other great book or movie recommendations?  

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-rise-of-elon-musk-2016-7

Donna Klein "social event" Zev Blog 11

 Today was my first time seeing any classmates in person since the PSAT. It was strangeeee. I'm not really sure how to explain it but people look so different in real life. All of this sounds pretty weird to say in words but I felt so small! Like everyone else grew and I shrunk. I probably felt that way because everyone looks so small on the computer. Apart from what it was like being there, it was actually very nice to see people. The program was interactive, and I learned I know absolutely nothing about random trivia. I was surprised to see how dedication plaza was set up now, a lot has changed. Seeing and interacting with people there is definitely going to encourage me to at least call and reach out to my classmates in the future. Mrs. Joseph was still loud, Mr. Belotto was still quick to greet me with an insult, and Diana was still making Tik Toks. I'm not sure if I am going back to school next semester, but it was comforting to see the school taking every necessary precaution. I wish some more kids had gone today since there were only a couple and I definitely hope the school does more of those social events in the future. Being around people made my week, and it gave me something to look forward to when the time comes to go back. Did the in-person people find this to be a meaningful program, or was it just kind of another day since you're in school already? 

Living with Corona - Week 11 Coby Russo

Hello readers! As most of you know, I was diagnosed with the Coronavirus on Wednesday November 11th. So I just wanted to tell everyone what happened and what I've been up to! I started feeling symptoms late Tuesday night and thought that I would be able just to sleep it off. I thought it was just a little cold, but obviously it wasn't. When I woke up still feeling sick, I told my mom that we should go get a rapid test at FAU just to make sure I didn't have it. My mom went a little before me and thankfully tested negative. While impatiently waiting for my results I was very nervous and jittery. After refreshing the results page like 100 times, it finally came. It said, "positive". I immediately called the people I needed to tell and went straight into my room for the long and boring quarantine. For the next couple days, I had massive migraines, some loss of taste, minor fevers, congestion, and some coughing. I felt gross and couldn't move out of my bed. I've watched movies, seasons of tv shows, and played games from start to finish. I additionally gave myself a four day weekend because I felt that some stress free days were well deserved and needed. It's now day 6, and I'm feeling better. Unfortunately, I just have absolutely no energy. I know it sounds bad but just talking to people wears me out. This quarantine is very sucky. I can't wait to go out again, have social interaction, and breathe in the fresh air! I miss my "normal" life and I'm so excited just to get back to it. This whole pandemic has changed everyone's lives and it has made us realize what are the important things in our life. How has COVID-19 changed your life? Let me know in the comments!

Hunter David Week 11 Blog - NETFLIX

 For many years now, the streaming service Netflix has taken the world by storm. With hundreds of both original shows and movies, as well as the many they have purchased, there is always something to watch on the app. For me, Netflix is great at it helps recommend shows I normally wouldn’t really see on tv, and it pretty much guarantees that whenever I finish a series, there is always something else to watch. I have gotten to really enjoy shows such as Breaking Bad, How to Get Away with Murder, and so many others; all of them were so entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Netflix has also been able to create many of their own original shows that I enjoyed such as The Umbrella Academy and Stranger Things, shows with such create characters, storylines, and action. Netflix, and all of the other streaming platforms to come before and follow, was such an amazing invention, one that is obviously worth quite a large amount of money now. If it wasn’t for streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, etc., I’m not sure what I would be doing with my time, especially this past year throughout the COVID era. Every month, Netflix always comes out with something new or acquires something I’ve always wanted to watch, but just have never been able to. Do you agree with me? Are Netflix and all of the other streaming services out there a great invention, or would you rather be doing something else with your time instead of watching tv and/or movies? 

Maya Melamed 11- No homework week

This week at school we are having no homework week. When they first announced this, I wondered if all the teachers would actually listen to this and not give us homework. It has only been two days, but so far we haven't gotten homework. I realized how much stress has been lifted off of me knowing that I don't have work to do. Every week I'm stressed and piled up with a ton of work. I always think to myself, “Maybe it's just this week I'm having a lot of work, next week will be better”, but it honestly has been the same every week. I'm not sure if teachers realize how these big amounts of homework we get really affect our mental health. This is why I think this week was a great idea. I'm not sure why they chose this week specifically, but I'll take it. Personally, I think that this shouldn't be a one-time thing and should happen more often. I know that it's not possible to do this every week so  Maybe like every 3 weeks, they could give us a week off? I see how much better I'm feeling this week compared to others and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.  I think if the school was more open to doing this more often, students would really appreciate it. This is the only week where I feel like I can actually relax or have time to do something. During class, I don't have to stress about other work I have due and I can just focus on the class at the moment.  This is how I feel, but I'm curious to hear what other people think.

What are your thoughts?

Dori Baron, Week 11- Supporting Small/Local Businesses

Hi everyone! Welcome to another blog. This week, I’ll be telling you why it’s important to support small and local businesses. Recently, I was searching on Etsy, a website I haven’t browsed in several years, in search of comfortable, “cuter” face masks that actually fit me. I was impressed to see the really good selection, as well as how many talented people and artists there are. It’s incredible! There are so many unique, cool items to choose from, and let’s just say that I found masks galore.

I finally settled on a few masks and checked out, excited that I would be getting some better masks to wear and helping out smaller businesses. I later noticed that after my order was confirmed, one of the shop owners I purchased from even sent a personal note saying how grateful she is and how much she values each customer. Even though it may not seem like a big deal, it made me happy knowing that I helped to brighten someone else’s day. This is just one of the many reasons you should consider buying from small/local businesses. In fact, here’s a source with 43 more!  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2016/12/01/43-reasons-you-should-support-small-and-independent-businesses/?sh=17f894967007 

To sum up a few reasons, from the link above, you’re helping to make innovation possible, to fund great, creative ideas, to aid real people, to contribute to someone’s dream, and to bind communities together. Especially with this pandemic, it’s been difficult for many people to make as much money, so these at-home businesses are critical for some people to make a living! Hand-made items also tend to be more high-quality, sustainable, personal, and individualized, so you’re not only helping another person out but getting a great product too. Let me know if you like to support small/local businesses, and if so, which ones. If you don’t support any, comment down below whether you’re considering to start doing so after reading this post! 

Eden Richman Week 11 - Climbing

     I started climbing at a climbing gym freshman year and joined their climbing team around halfway through that year. In the first half of my sophomore year, I worked really hard and improved my climbing skills a lot. The highest level of a plain belaying wall (Just what you normally think of when you picture indoor rock climbing) I could climb was a 5.11 (keep this number in mind for later in the blog) I won't even talk about bouldering or lead climbing here because I haven't tried to do those yet since I got back to climbing. Anyways, I left halfway through the year for Israel. I told myself that I would get back from Israel and start climbing right away. My semester in Israel got canceled, so that seemed even better for climbing because I could get back to it soon. It turns out that I could not get back to climbing soon because of coronavirus. I waited for the entire summer and all of the school that we have had so far just to be able to go back to climbing. Finally, this week it was time to go back to climbing and start progressing again. I got on my climbing shoes and decided to warm up on a 5.7 wall (5.7 is less than 5.11 in climbing wall levels) I climbed up and down the wall, three times, just like past me would have done. I was really surprised about how out of shape I was. I obviously didn't work out or try to keep my strength over the summer but I guess it just slipped my mind that I needed to do that to keep my skills. By the second time climbing down the wall I was already worn out, I did not understand. I kept on climbing that day, and the highest level wall I managed to clear was a 5.8 wall, but I expected way more from myself. 

    I guess the moral of the story here is don't forget about skills that you have and keep working on them; because one day they could all be gone. Have you ever lost strength in an area of your life?

Crembo Recipe !!

Romi Avidor Week 11 11/16/20 Hi guys so there is something called crembo that is known as a very yummy israeli dessert. Many people have been making it from scratch lately because they have not been selling it in stores. When my grandma came from Israel, that was one of the many things I asked her to bring. Crembo is basically a soft wafer/ cookie with marshmallow fluff on the inside coated with a thin layer of rich chocolate. This tastes like heaven on a plate. This is by far one of my favorite traditional Israeli desserts. This weekend Gaya and I, mainly Gaya, decided to try and make it from scratch. Here is the beautiful, amazing, delicious, heavenly recipe. Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup of sugar ½ cup of water Cookie base or if you want to bake your own cookies you can 1 large bar of any chocolate of your choice 1 jar of biscoff cookie spread Procedure: 1. We bought the cookie base from Aroma (but if you want you can make a sugar cookie or something like that from scratch) 2. You begin making the marshmallow fluff to pipe on top of the cookie. You beat three egg whites (on high power) until they form into fluffy peeks, while boiling 1 ¼ cups of sugar into a ½ cup of water. When the sugar syrup turns into a gooey paste, you begin to slowly add the sugar mixture into the egg white fluff. Continue mixing the fluff for another few minutes (on high power) 3. After fully mixing the marshmallow fluff, you can begin to pipe it onto the cookie in a round shape to create a dome-like structure. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can simply put the fluff into a large ziplock bag and cut the tip to create the pipe opening. 4. When you finish piping, place the crembos in the fridge for an hour. If you are in a rush, you can place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (make sure they do not fully freeze) 5. To make the chocolate and cookie butter coating, you take a large bar of any chocolate of your choice and melt it down with a bit of Canola oil in a pot. For the biscoff cookie coating, take out the spread for the jar and melt it down, once again, with some Canola oil. (The oil is used to thin out the mixtures and make it easier to dip the marshmallows in) 6. Remove your crembos from the fridge or freezer, and dip them into the chocolate or biscoff mixture. Put them in the fridge for a few minutes to harden and take them out when you’re ready to serve! 7. ENJOY!!!! If you try out the recipe, send us pics ;))

Coffee Experiment! Diana #11

    If you know me you know that I LOVE coffee. I have always gone to Dunkin or Starbucks for coffee because I could never seem to find the perfect at-home recipe. Recently my dad and I took on the challenge of making coffee at home (that we actually like). My dad bought three (yes three) authentic coffee machines off amazon for a pretty great deal. Of course, we are not keeping all three but we had to test them all out to make sure we got it just right. Now the machine is not the only factor in making a good coffee, but we also had to find the perfect beans. Here's where I started my experiment. I first set up my five different coffee blends and made a shot of espresso for each one. I then labeled them and put them in the fridge to cool. After cooling, I went ahead and made five small cups of coffee for my dad and me to taste blindfolded. Finally, after all that trouble, we narrowed it down to our two favorite blends and the best machine (we returned the other two). Despite finding the best machine and coffee blend, we still have to focus on the sweetener and milk components. If you put too much or too little of something it can really throw off the whole drink. We have almost got the perfect drink, but we are still working on it. By now you probably think I'm crazy, but once we find our coffee match we will be saving a lot of money by not buying drinks anymore. Anyway, what are your coffee recipes?? 

UCF Graduation

 UCF Graduation

Yesterday, I drove up to Orlando with my family for my brother’s socially distanced graduation at UCF. The graduation ceremony was different from typical graduation because all he did was walk onto a stage and take a few pictures. Regardless, the ceremony was still meaningful and worth the three-hour drive. 

When we got to Orlando we checked out my brother’s room, which was a big mess. We picked him up and went to the graduation hall, where we took some pictures outside by a nice fountain. We then walked into the hall where his ceremony lasted less than 15 minutes. We walked into the room and heard his name announced like normal graduation, but we were one of the only ones watching. Somehow, my mom founded a way to shed tears of joy, regardless of the situation. 

After the ceremony, we walked a bit more around the campus and hung out with our new graduate. My brother was extremely excited about the ceremony because we all paid attention to him and drove up all the way from Boca just to see him. It was well worth the long drive to see my brother graduate from college. 

On the way back, I tried to get some studying in for my history quiz. I watched a few Heimler’s History videos about the Pre-Civil Wartime, which was somehow interesting to me. Must have been the special occasion of my brother’s graduation that got me through the studying. Now I realize this is like a day in the life of my blog. Sorry about that and thanks for making it to the end of my 250-word blog. 

Week 11, Aly Strauss, Ducks

 Week 11, Aly Strauss, Ducks

It was last week on a Friday, and we were driving like normal to school. Everything was happy and my mom was driving, but then everything changed. As my favorite music (top 40) was playing I screamed STOP, and luckily I wasn’t too late. My mom almost ran over a duck. SHE ALMOST RAN OVER A DUCK!

I know no one really cares if a duck is run over, but I do. I love ducks. They are so cute and I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t care if they ran over a poor innocent duck. Like, who in the heck would ever run over a duck and not care? I literally love ducks. They make cute little quack sounds and some of them are cute and yellow. They also have cute little ducklings and they walk in a cute, little, straight line. 

Just imagine the horrors of hearing a little hurt “quack” under your freaking car. Ahhhhhh that would be so upsetting, it’s like a puppy. A cute, sad yellow puppy with wings and feathers. Would you be upset if your mom almost ran over a duck?

Lauren Hodes- Week 11- Movie Review Snowden

Hey guys so today (Sunday, November 15th) I watched the movie Snowden on Netflix. This move was extremely eye opening and informative. I highly recommend it to everyone. It tells the story of Ed Snowden, a former CIA and NSA official, who becomes a government whistleblower. During his time at the National Security Agency, he sees the mass spying that the government does on not only the American people but civilians all over the world. From phone cameras, to text conversations, to facetime calls the NSA has access to it all. This brings up the question of is America taking advantage of our freedoms and acting in a totalitarian way? Or does the government have these systems in place to protect us against foreign and domestic terror threats? While watching the movie, there is all but a thin line between intense oversight and security. Although Ed Snowden committed treasonous acts and leaked classified information, was he just trying to protect the American people? After 9/11, these safeguards were put in place but technology has taken over our lives. Not only are there real wars but now the government is just as focused on cyber security. Our day to day lives are being spied on and recorded while our government has access to it all. Snowden, from my perspective, is a patriot and did not have any ill intent when becoming a whistleblower. I believe that he cares so deeply for our country and was shocked by what is going on behind the scenes. All of these security concerns really bring up a moral dilemma. I do not typically watch movies like this because I usually watch comedies or romcoms. I’m happy that I decided to watch this with my family. This was different and something everyone should go watch.

Romy H Week 11 Mini HSI reunion x StandWithUs

 Romy H Week 11 Mini HSI reunion x StandWithUs

This weekend, the group I went to Alexander Muss High School in Israel with had a mini zoom reunion. Two of my friends, Sophie and Emily, and I are all interns for StandWithUs. They organized a program called “We went to Israel, now what?” The goal of this event was to rekindle our love for Israel, understand the importance of being an advocate for Israel, and learn how to have an effective conversation with people we might face that are anti-Semitic or anti-zionist. One of our teachers that taught the Israel Studies course was on the call and told us a story that reminded us of how Jews are all connected and are responsible for one another. We all shared our favorite memories from our trip, which made me sad because I miss it so much. Then, the coordinator for their region in the StandWithUs internship presented a slideshow that helped us learn universal techniques to conduct a conversation with someone you might disagree with. I had already learned about this during our extensive training as interns, but it is always good to review this important information because it prepares you for life on a college campus and beyond. I highly encourage you guys to get involved with StandWithUs or other initiatives to further educate yourselves, so you can be prepared to face people that are anti-Semitic or anti-zionist. It is so important to be able to stand up for our religion and land, but there is a lot of learning that needs to be done before you are truly ready for those confrontations and conversations. Listening to the other side of every story is key, and most of us have never been exposed to it. Going to a Jewish Day School, we learn about our perspective, but in order to formulate an opinion, you need to be educated on both sides of every story. This is something that I have learned at AMHSI and StandWithUs and drives me to continue educating myself so that I am better prepared to educate others. If anyone wants to get involved or has any questions, let me know and I would be happy to help! 

Isaac Berkower - Week 11 - Is there such thing as free-will?

Free will is the idea that people choose their actions, and that they aren't forced into choosing their actions by anything but their own mind. I personally believe that every person has free-will because if I didn't then I would have to accept the premise that everything is either predetermined by G-d or that the universe is nothing more than a bunch of molecules interacting with one another--two of the competing ideas to free-will. From a religious perspective, free-will must exist because it is the essence of why people were put on this Earth by G-d. This world is a test to see how we behave when put in tough situations in this imperfect world. The fact that it is a test says that we have the possibility of failing, meaning that we have the ability to choose our outcome in life and whether or not we fail this test. Outside of religion, it would be hard to accept the idea that free-will does not exist because that would mean that there is seemingly no purpose to life. Just from a logical perspective, if we don't control our actions or their outcomes, then there is no purpose for us other than to survive, just like animals. If this were true then every person would give in to their base feelings and would live their lives as selfish beings. We know that this isn't the case because most people aren't selfishly living their lives and think about others all of the time, or at least most people believe this to be true. And, if this idea that people aren't just selfish creatures is true then that would prove that there is free-will, allowing people to have a moral compass and not just be selfishly living their lives. It is impossible to know for certain whether or not people have free-will, but I think that every person should at least believe that they are acting based on their own will so that they feel that they have a purpose in life, because if there is no free-will, and a person specifically believes that the world is just a bunch of molecules interacting with one another then that would paint a very groom vision of what goes on in the world, and people would feel depressed in their lack of purpose on this planet. What do you think about free-will? And, if you disagree with anything that I said, clarify your point of view.

Jacob Poller Week 10: A Defense for the Floyd Rose

A Floyd Rose guitar tremolo system is a tremolo that relies on string and spring tension to keep the guitar in tune. And it's a very delicate system. One of many things can throw the balance off...that includes playing. I currently have two Floyd Rose equipped guitars and I built one of them. This gives me a special look into how aggravating and tedious these things are. Let’s start off with the installation. First of all, you’re going to need one which  will set you back around two hundred for an “original” (there are cheaper alternatives, but may include less tuning stability and QC issues). And if your guitar is built to have one it’s a very simple install. just place in the pegs, put on the springs and intonate. That’s what you would think if you had a vintage style tremolo. Nope! Now you gotta put the strings on while the tremolo itself is pulling down into the recessed cavity in the guitar. Once you have it strung up (which if you’re new should take somewhere from 15 minutes to 6 hours). But that’s it right? We can play now? Think again. Now you have to intonate the entire thing, which entails detuning the entire guitar one string at a time and adjusting little saddles that the strings rest on. If you’re lucky, you get all of them on your first try and then that’s it. But, since no one is that lucky you need to retune it all the way, see how far you need to adjust, detune, adjust, then retune. Just the intonation should take you about an hour if you’re experienced. 

But, this is just a one time thing with each guitar you decide to put one on. And there are some massive upsides to having one. First of all is the massive increase in tuning stability. Even if you buy a lower quality Floyd, you will immediately notice that it's almost impossible to throw out of tune. It’s this reason why Steve Vai, Joe Striani, and Alex Lifeson can do so many amazing things on stage with their guitars. Another massive upside is the amount of trick you can do with it.  You can do divebombs (as seen in Eruption), or harmonic squeals (as seen on any Pantera song), or you can just go crazy on the bar and it’ll sound awesome. The Floyd gives a player a sort of unseen freedom. You can do all sorts of amazing things both on stage and in the studio.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Review week 10 - Dan

 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is my favorite show. There. I said it. It's Always Sunny is a show about a group of 4 friends who own a bar in Philadelphia and the show takes us through their day-to-day lives in which they always find themselves doing something utterly stupid. The group is made up of Charlie, who is the most undisciplined and immature of all of them, Mac, who isn't very smart, and siblings Dennis and Dee. Dennis is very full of himself and more often than not, Mac and Charlie's love interests end up going to Dennis. Dee is actually very nice and doesn't have a flaw as significant as the ones that the guys have, but she does get treated very poorly by them. Another main character of the show is Frank, who is Dennis and Dee's father. Frank is played by Danny DeVito and is possibly the funniest TV show character I've ever watched. He has zero filter and constantly makes offensive jokes. Since they own and work at their bar, Paddy's, they have access to alcohol 24/7, so more often than not in every episode while they are going through their daily shenanigans, Mac, Charlie, and Dennis are very inebriated, and they don't like to admit they have a drinking problem. This show is definitely not for everyone, and it's been challenging for me to try and find another show that's similar to It's Always Sunny or even has a similar sense of humor. If you enjoy laughing a lot and don't mind risky jokes, then this is certainly the show for you. Every episode will take you through a day in their lives, and it will not fail to make you laugh very hard. 

Have you ever watched IASIP? If you have, did you like it? Why or why not?

Zev Blog 10- Middle Child

 I have an older sister and a younger brother. No other siblings, I am the middle child. If you are the middle child in your family, click off of this blog post. Parents will never admit it, but the middle child will always be treated differently. For example, if I am anywhere near my brother and he gets upset the question is IMMEDIATELY "what did Zev do."  My theory is that in every imaginble situation in a family with 3 children, the old one is protected with immunity and trust, the youngest becomes the victim, and the middle child gets the blame. Even if it's a minor inconvenience such as someone leaving a a dish i the dishwasher they can just yell out it was Zev and just like that I did it. Living as a middle child is like always being voted first in Among Us. If I were to accidentallty cut myself, it would be a we don't care, go take care of it yourself. But if my brother did the same thing it becomes magnified drama like he is going to die and we need to go to surgery and save him. The other side of it is expectations. My parents are veryyyy on top of both my siblings when it comes to my siblings, but they don't seem to care if I'm working hard or not, and I'm not sure why. Maybe this is the only thing they trust me with? I'm not sure. Do any other middle children experience similar things? 

Ellie Week 10: Avocado Toast Recipe

 Hey everyone! Recently, I’ve been eating avocado toast a lot and I couldn’t think of anything else to write about, so I’m gonna share my recipe. First, I take whatever bread we have in the house, this week was the leftover challah from shabbat, and toast it for about 3 minutes. Then, I put on this delicious truffle butter from Trader Joe’s and let that sit and melt. While I wait for the butter to melt, I make the avocado mash. I cut an avocado in half and cover one half with saran wrap and put it back in the fridge (usually the half with the pit in it so it stays fresh for longer). The other half I slice vertically and horizontally, then take a big spoon and scoop it all out in a little bowl. Then I take a fork and mash it up so it looks like guacamole, but sometimes it takes too long and makes such a big mess, so I just leave it as little chunks. Next, I add some lemon or lime juice and mix it up. By then, the butter has melted and I spread that all over the toast and then spread the avocado mash on. Then I sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and top it off with the “Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning” also from Trader Joes. Finally, I put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to melt the cheese, and because by then the toast has already become cold. Then I take it out and enjoy! Do you like avocado toast? What is your recipe?

Olivia Ball - Week 10 - Spoilers?

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog. Today I had lunch with Coby and it made me realize something. I hate suspense and surprises, so most of the shows that I have watched had been spoiled for me before I started watching. It doesn’t affect my ability to watch the show, and make the experience better for me. The only thing that I can’t watch after knowing the result is sports, so if there is a game I want to watch, I have to stay off social media. However, that is not the case for most people. Most people find that knowing what happens defeats the purpose of watching in the first place and they avoid spoilers at all cost, Coby. 

I realized after this conversation that this concept applies to many things. If someone tells you something is bad, do you take their word for it or want to experience it yourself? If someone tells you that someone is not trustworthy because of something they did to them, do you distance yourself from them, or be friends with who you want to be with? A few weeks ago I gave a terrible movie review and asked if you would still watch it after knowing that. 

I’m curious what all of you think. Does knowing what happens in a show or movie stop you from watching it? Do you usually like suspense and surprises? 

If anyone is looking for a new show, watch Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix. 

The Impossible Review- Coby Russo Week 10

 

*Some spoilers included, so watch and then read!

WOW! What an amazing movie! Welcome back everyone to the most glorious and notorious blog you will ever read. The Impossible, starring 13 year old Tom Holland, is an exhilarating movie about a family trip to Thailand gone wrong. Based on a true story and event (the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami), the family gets separated on Christmas weekend while lounging and playing by the beachside pool. The ground starts shaking, the trees start falling, and the water comes roaring through the resort. Lucas (the oldest son) and Maria (the mom) find each other being swept away by the waves and debris. While trying to reach each other at a safe location, Maria injures her leg and chest badly. After arriving to dry land, they find a young boy named Daniel in a pile of leaves all alone. They eventually get found by other survivors and are brought to a nearby hospital. There, the mother gets treated and Daniel is separated from Lucas and his mother. After her first surgery, Maria explains to Lucas, Tom Holland, that he needs to aid others around him, he helps reconnect families in the hospital. While doing so, Maria gets transported to a different area of the hospital where patients in a more critical state are placed. Lucas gets frightened but eventually finds his mother and sees that Daniel has reconnected with his father. Meanwhile, Henry (the father) and the two younger sons (Thomas and Simon) are still at the hotel because the tsunami only swept them away by a short distance. Henry sent his sons to the mountains while he continues to search for his wife and his eldest son. Miraculously, the entire family finds themselves at the same hospital at the same time. In the end, the entire family is brought to Singapore so that Maria can revive the proper care she needs. This heart warming and sincere movie tugs at your heart strings and makes you think about the importance of family. Would you ever watch this movie?

Isaac Berkower - Week 10 - I Couldn't Think of Anything Else

This week, I couldn't think of a single thing to write about, so I thought that I would just write about myself writing this blog. Being a very creative person, the first thing that I did when I wanted to start this blog was to come up with an amazing idea to look up interesting blog topics. Obviously, my writing this blog shows that I couldn't find anything, or maybe this is what I found online to write about. After looking up interesting topics online, and if I couldn't find anything, I usually look through the news to find something non-controversial going on in the world today and write about that, but this week, I didn't really feel like writing about a current public event, so that front failed as well. At this time, as a last resort, I would write about the Parsha in the Torah this week, and if you look through my blog posts, you will see that it's only come to writing about the Parsha once. Now you might ask why I am not writing about the Parsha this week, and to that, my answer would be that I am currently too lazy to write about the Parsha with any seriousness, which is a similar reason to why I didn't write about any current public events or thought-provoking ideas that I had this week. Anyways, that is the process that I take when writing my blogs, and feel free to expose yourself in the comments about how you write your blogs. Do you have a process similar to mine?

Jacob Abramchaev - Week 10 - Topgolf Review

Last weekend, I went to Topgolf in Miami for the first time with my family, and a couple of friends had told me awhile ago that I should go, so I guess it was finally the perfect time to go. At first, I thoughtit would be kind of  boring because I don’t know how to play golf, but it was actually really fun. When I arrived there, it was much bigger than I expected, it looked like a mini stadium with three floors. The place was nice and it only costs $40 for a bay and you can have up to six people with you. When we got to the area, I just picked up a random golf club and set the ball up. I took my first hit was with the biggest golf club, which was called the “The Big Dog.” I actually managed to get a good hit and the ball went flying across the course. After such a good hit I thought it was going to be super easy, but it was the total opposite. I ended up missing the ball a few times, while the pros next to me were just hitting crazy shots. Overall, I would say it was a different type of experience, and if you’ve never been there before then you should definitely go and try it out for yourself. You don’t need to have any prior golf experience whatsoever, so in a way its very beginner friendly. 

Since some of you have already been there, I was wondering if you enjoyed or if you thought it was boring?

https://topgolf.com/us/

Hunter David Week 10 Blog Post - NBA Coming Back Too Soon?!

 With the recent news that the NBA is already making a return near the end of the year, a huge question is likely forming in many people’s minds. Is it too soon for them to return? Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of the NBA, especially the Philadelphia 76ers, but for the players who recently returned from a long stay in Orlando in the bubble, many might be hesitant to start again so quickly. With such a tough schedule at times, the NBA can take a huge toll on one’s body, which is why all of the players look forward to the offseason. Obviously, there are many players that are fine with jumping right back in, as they are looking forward to another year of trying to win the coveted NBA Championship prize. With free agency and the NBA Draft happening in a span of the next couple of weeks, players and coaches have to already begin getting situated with how they will be organizing their practice for their current and upcoming players. It will definitely be interesting to see if this year’s rookie class will be affected or not to the changes brought by the coronavirus. All we can do now is wait and see what will happen. Either way, I am looking forward to another sport already coming back; hopefully, with a new line of coaches and other staff, the Sixers can actually make a deep run in the playoffs this year. So what do you think, is it too soon for the NBA to come back on December 22nd, or has it been enough time for both the players and viewers to take a break from watching/playing the sport?

Tropical Storm?!

Romi Avidor Week 10 11/10/20 Florida is crazy as Floridians we like to call this state bipolar. I 100% agree with this statement. It is literally a joke. They always say there is going to be a hurricane, a tropical storm, or flood warning and nothing ever happens. This weekend they said that there was going to be a tropical storm. I will admit, sunday night was definitely intense. The wind was insane and so was the rain. I went to a restaurant with my family and then when we finished and left it took us around 5-10 minutes to get the courage to run to the car. The next day, Monday morning, the sky was CLEAR. It was like nothing happened the day before. I was shocked, there wasn’t even any flooding in my neighborhood or on the roads I drove on. Since I am online anyways and there was a G day, I didn’t go to school on Monday. For my younger siblings, they cancelled in person learning, but they had school online instead. I thought about it and realized, will we ever get hurricane days off again? Since we have remote learning as a second option this makes it easier for our school to deal with hurricane days, but it sucks for us because we look forward to getting days off of school. I was so upset because every other year, school would’ve been cancelled and there would be no such a thing as remote learning. Living in Florida was great because we got the advantage of hurricane days off, but now it's not that great because we do not actually get the day off. Will it be like this forever? Will they resort to online learning every time there is a problem and we can’t come to school? What do you think?

Maya Melamed 10- squadapp.io review

 

This weekend I tried out the website squadapp.io with a few friends. On this website, you can watch any movie or show with your friends virtually. It's kinda like zoom where you share your screen and are able to see everyone on camera. We decided to watch a few episodes of a show together. While you watch you can see all your friends and chat all together. This made watching the show much funnier because we can chat with each other and write funny things. We were only 5 people, but I'm pretty sure you can have up to 6. It's cool because you can screen share anything and don't just have to watch shows and movies. You can watch youtube or share other things you have on your device. It's very similar to zoom in the way that you can screen share, turn your camera on/off, mute yourself, and chat, but I think this website is better because we are on zoom all the time so it's better to change it up. I have always seen websites like this but never actually tried it till now. Now is a good time to use this too especially if you can't go out much and see your friends due to covid. I recommend everyone to try this and watch something with your friends. If you are bored at home, it's fun and will keep you busy. 

Have you guys ever used a website like this with your friends? 

I will put the link here  https://squadapp.io/

Dori Baron, Week 10- Rest in Peace, Alex Trebek

Hello everyone, welcome to another blog. I think it’s safe to say that this past weekend was a rollercoaster of emotions. With the election still going on and new information/results coming out, people were already experiencing many different feelings at once. News soon came that Rabbi Jonathan Sacks passed away, bringing about sadness (RIP). Then, news regarding Alex Trebek’s death did too.

I was in shock when I first heard. I knew that he was, unfortunately, suffering from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but I was optimistic and truly thought he would recover. This is especially since from the outside, it was hard to even tell he was sick. He carried on hosting the show every single weekday evening, not missing a beat, which I found really inspiring. Even though I’ve obviously never met him or spoken to him, it still kind of felt like someone whom I knew personally passed away. After all, from the time I was nine years old, I watched “Jeopardy!”. Whether it was at my grandfather’s house after a family dinner or in the comfort of my own home, the TV would often be playing the show at 7:30 pm following “Wheel of Fortune.” It wasn’t just a game show of smarts, but it was also an amazing, fun opportunity that connected people from all over the nation. 

Also, I can’t help but wonder who will be taking the place of Alex Trebek. From what I’ve seen online so far, it seems that George Stephanopoulos, Betty White, Alex Faust, Laura Coates, and Ken Jennings are the strongest candidates. This is unconfirmed though as of now, and apparently, Alex Trebek never wanted to be involved in choosing who the next host would be when he eventually would retire. I think it could be interesting if Ken Jennings took over since he’s a well-known, record-breaking, and likable former champion on the show, but I’m not sure what the future will hold. Either way, it is clear there are big shoes to fill, and without Alex Trebek, the show will undoubtedly never be the same. I’m definitely curious about how the show will go on. Let me know in the comments who you think might be the new host or if Trebek’s death affected you in any way. 

(Article About Alex Trebek’s Death) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/arts/television/alex-trebek-dead.html 

(Article About Who Might Be the New Host) https://nypost.com/2020/11/09/who-will-replace-alex-trebek-as-jeopardy-host-meet-the-top-candidates/ 

 

Week 10- Ethan Wirtschafter- The real Footbal’

Soccer may not be more fun to watch compared to all other sports, but here is why it is a better overall sport compared to others. First, to play soccer you do not need to be physically imposing. A sport like basketball for example requires one to be extremely tall in order to succeed (with some possible exceptions), or football or rugby, which require the athlete to be an absolute machine/unit, but soccer does not. The greatest soccer player in the world (debatably), Lionel Messi, is 5’7’’ 159 pounds. To say the least he is no DK Metcalf (NFL fans know what I’m talking about). Moreover, there is a wide range of body types when it comes to soccer players, showing that the sport transcends physicality, to some extent, and more requires high-level skill and decision making. There are tall players, short players, strong players, skinny players, fast players, and even slow players. To give another example, Andres Iniesta, one of the greatest midfielders to play the game, was not exceptionally fast or strong, but he was incredibly skilled with his footwork and had a high soccer IQ (game knowledge). In soccer, skill is incredibly more significant than physical strength, very different compared to other sports. Next, Soccer is a worldwide competitive sport unlike football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc., where almost every continent plays to a great extent. Because soccer is an international sport, it allows an individual to represent their country and compete at the highest of levels against other countries. Soccer is an inexpensive sport; you really only need some cleats and a ball. Soccer is extremely good for your health, specifically your heart, your mobility, stamina, and leg strength. Soccer players are less likely to get injured compared to most other sports according to a 2006 study. Soccer is fun and is considered the most popular sport worldwide. In conclusion, soccer is great, but it still has some flaws. One of which that bothers me greatly is something known as “flopping”, which is basically just pretending that you are hurt in order to get the ball, a freekick, or a penalty. Soccer players, and the sport in general, is made fun of because of this one reason, and they deserve to be. There are some ridiculous flops that are commonly seen from players like Neymar Jr. who will get touched in the slightest of ways by an opposing player and will immediately fall to the ground and begin to roll for a mile across the field screaming in pain. Ultimately, that flaw is mainly exclusive to professional soccer, so I suggest trying this sport out if you do not already play it because it is very fun. Do you want to play? Do you disagree that it is the best sport, and if so why?

https://www.kidsprosoccer.com/10-reasons-why-soccer-is-better-than-any-other-team-sport#:~:text=Athleticism%20and%20fitness%20are%20important,football%2C%20for%20men%20and%20women.

Eden Richman Week 10 - No More Out Of School Days?

     Whether it was for finding out that we had a cold, or that we all got to stay home because of a hurricane, getting out of school is such a joyous experience. I remember being little, and I would throw a piece of ice out my window to make sure it snowed the next day (I am not a superstitious person, this is a very weird case). I would sit in front of the TV eating breakfast, watching names of schools that were closed that day slide across the screen until my district was there. I remember my first hurricane break, it was like a vacation! Having days to relax and have fun was crucial to my childhood. But now let's fast forward. It is March 2020, and everyone thinks that they are going to get a break from school for a couple weeks. Coronation! It was a really exciting thought. Then, a week went by, two weeks, three, and there was no sign of stopping. Students have been doing online school for a while, but it still seemed like a vacation to them, like it wasn't really school. Summer came and went, and covid-19 has not followed suit. Schools all across the country are staying virtual, and this raises one question (well it raises many questions, but the most important one in my opinion is): What will happen to sick days, hurricane days, snow days?  We are all aware that it is possible to teach children online, so will these out of school days be replaced with virtual learning? Imagine living up north as a child, and finding out that the school was closed. You get all excited, put on snow pants and jacket, then head out to play in the snow. But no, you have to be stuck inside, staring at a screen, while a world of fun is passing by right outside the window. Imagine having a cold, and needing to log on to online school, instead of getting rest, and maybe playing some video games. 

    The topic I am bringing up is so crucial to this country's.. no -  the world's future. I know that no one making decisions like this is going to see my blog, but in my opinion, online school should not be used as a replacement for fun out of school days. What do you think? Should online school continue after corona?