Yair Gritzman Week 15 - Review of Khan Academy History Content

 Review of Khan Academy History Content

As someone who does not always pay attention during history class, tests are always a struggle. I often spend about 2-3 days before the test reviewing all of the material we apparently covered in class but I was just not listening to it. After many engaging discussions, I have started to see the importance of learning history, which is why I still study for history tests.

For this test (tomorrow!), I was fairly uncertain about my knowledge of the Gilded Age and Westward Expansion (and everything else in the period). That is why I decided to try out Khan Academy’s Period 6 content, which includes many in-depth videos and articles. Although I have not taken the test, I can say for a fact that I feel more prepared for the test. I have a better understanding of the time period as well as its importance (or at least I think I do), which is important because I like to see why history matters. If anyone would like to see the resources, here’s the link to the content: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-6

I have also turned to Khan Academy for math help, especially during the past year. Some of the concepts I have learned tend to be confusing at first, and working on Khan Academy has helped me gain a better understanding of the concepts I am learning. I would also highly recommend this section of Khan Academy as well.

Have you used Khan Academy before? If so, what did you think of it? Are you ready for the history test? Or, how was the history test? :)

T.B. Buccaneers and K.C. Chiefs win their games, will now play in Super Bowl -Week 14 Dan

 This past weekend, the championship games for each of the two conferences in the NFL were played. Like always, the winners of those two games face each other in the Super Bowl on the first Sunday in February, and this year it was the Kansas City Chiefs, and unbelievably, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I say "unbelievably" because I myself am a HUGE Bucs fan, and I have been ever since I can remember watching football, but the thing is that they've always sucked. A lot. Like, really really bad. The last time they had won a playoff game before this season was in 2002! Almost 19 years ago! So for my whole life, they always sucked and never got anywhere, but this season, with the signing of quarterback Tom Brady (the greatest football player of all time) my Bucs were able to reach the playoffs, and then beat 3 amazing teams to make it to the Super Bowl, happy days for me! The Kansas City Chiefs, on the other hand, are a completely different situation. The Chiefs are led by wonderkid quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who only at 25 years old has cemented himself as the current best player in the league, and has already won a "Most Valuable Player" (MVP) award and a Super Bowl. He actually won the Super Bowl last season, as this is his second Super Bowl in a row. 

This game is going to be incredibly fun to watch and will not spare any drama. On paper, it couldn't be a more perfect matchup, as the Bucs and Chiefs have probably the two most talented rosters in the league, loaded with legends, current stars, and beasts in the making. Vegas betting has the Chiefs winning, but it's very close at only a -3. 

I think that this coming Sunday, we are about to witness one of the more entertaining Super Bowls of our time. I'm hoping it will be action-packed and most of all I'm praying for the Bucs to win. The Bucs winning the Super Bowl would be the most cathartic experience ever for me, I don't think I'd even be able to process it. Whatever, can't get ahead myself.  

Zev Englander Week 14: Tom Brady's Legacy Continues with yet Another Record

 This week was a great week to be a sports fan in America. It's hockey season, the basketball season is underway, but all eyes rest on the NFL. Tom Brady is highly regarded as the GOAT in the football world, and whether you're a fan or not, his legacy is one to be respected. Last week, two NFL legends faced off in the NFC championship. Long story short, Buccaner's newly acquired QB Tom Brady went into Lambeau Field and embarrassed Aaron Rodgers along with the Packers organization. The win sent the Bucs into Super Bowl 55. Brady has six super bowl wins, and this game will be his tenth appearance. To give some perspective, Tom Brady has been played in 18 percent of all super bowls in NFL history.  He's got the most passing touchdowns, playoff wins, and pretty much every other record in the books. At 43 years old what the hell could Brady have possibly done this time? The super bowl is held at a random pre-determined location every year, and no team in history has ever played a super bowl in their own stadium. Yet here we are, with the Buccaneers set to face the Kansas City Cheifs in Super Bowl 55 in Tampa Bay's very own Raymond James stadium. Brady is playing in the Super Bowl. At home. For the first time in NFL history. Personally, I am not a Brady fan. I always thought he was overrated and got carried by his former coach Bill Belicheck, yet here he is proving me and many others wrong. In the world of betting, the Cheifs are favored to win this game. I personally think the Cheifs will win next week's game. But what we learned this week and over his whole career is to always bet on Brady. What are your thoughts on Brady's career as a whole and this upcoming matchup? In the battle of a true blue-collar quarterback in Tom Brady against the flashy youngster Patrick Mahomes who will come out on top? 

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/every-regular-season-and-postseason-record-tom-brady-holds

Ethan- Week 14- The King has fallen before, but he will climb back up!

“Even legends are still human”, many fans utter after watching the main event at UFC 257 last weekend where Conor Mcgregor was KO’d for the first time in his professional MMA/UFC career. He lost to Dustin Poirier in their rematch in 2 minutes and 32 seconds of the very second round beginning with brutal leg kicks that wobbled Conor, leading to a boxing beat down finish by Dustin. People from all around the world were shocked at this result especially because Conor so easily knocked out Dustin in their first fight in under 90 seconds of the very first round, and did it flawlessly with his hands down low, right in front of Dustin talking to him, and with one punch it was lights out. This was also surprising because in their first fight Conor was so confident in the build-up that he picked the exact round he was going to finish Dustin in and how he was going to finish him, and then made it happen, which earned him the famous title: Mystic Mac, meaning he has the ability to predict when and how he will defeat his opponents (he has done this for many of his other fights). Conor was the favorite going into this fight especially because he walks through fights like they are thin air, KO’s world champions such as Jose Aldo unconscious within seconds, and performs at such a high level against the best competitors. Meanwhile, Khabib Numerdov was contemplating whether to come back to the UFC and he made a statement that if he saw something special on the UFC 257 fight card he would come back, mainly referring to Conor’s performance. But, now that he lost, the chances of him returning have decreased. Additionally, Jake Paul, a famous YouTuber, and boxer, has been calling Mcgregor out and trying to get his attention for a boxing match. He originally offered him a 50 Million dollar contract, which Mcgregor ignored, but after Conor’s performance on Saturday night, he made a mocking video where he offered him 1 bitcoin now or 10,000 dollars in cash. Lots of fans and media are saying this is it for the Notorious one, that he is too old and all hype now, but I can guarantee you of his return again. Conor Mcgregor was gracious in defeat, took it like a champ, and put his head down, and began working already. He has come back from being doubted before, overcame great adversity and injuries, and has risen to the top after falling. After Nate Diaz beat Mcgregor in their first fight he immediately began training for the rematch and defeated Diaz in one of the most remarkable fights in UFC history. Conor assures his fans that he is only getting started, he will dust off his ring rust (hasn’t been in the octagon for a while!), and he will become the champ again. After all, he has secured knockouts across 3 weight divisions in UFC, was the first person to hold two title belts at the same time, and he went 10 rounds boxing with the greatest boxer in modern history (Mayweather). Never doubt the king. The Notorious one is coming for the new lightweight belt that features the Ireland flag on it and he will be back better than ever!

https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/30612236/ufc-257-everything-need-know-conor-mcgregor-vs-dustin-poirier-2

Hunter David Week 14 Post - What Students Are Saying About Screen Time During the Pandemic

 Every week in the New York Times, the newspaper selects a few different writing prompts for current students to talk, write, and debate about. This week, students got the opportunity to talk about how they felt about their screen time usage during the entirety of the coronavirus pandemic. There were many varying opinions that were discussed.

One common thing that all students can agree with is that due to the situation, everyone’s overall screen time went up throughout the entire pandemic. Even after kids slowly started to go back to school, no more than every other things such as other extracurricular activities and homework/tests took place in a virtual setting. Many students talked about how bad it was for their health, how many saw changes to their sleeping habits and even their bodies due to a limit of daily exercise. 

Other things that were discussed were that the electronics kids were using became addicting to some students, and a few got eye problems, headaches, and even bad concentration from using it. One student named Tatia Goldberg even had to use blue light glasses, the light rays that are in electronic devices, in order to refrain from getting headaches from the screen.

It is quite obvious that based on the majority of responses from students about this important topic, the use of electronics during the pandemic is becoming a real problem for many and it doesn’t look like it is going back to normal anytime soon. Even after the pandemic is over, it is likely that the use of electronic devices will play a more prominent role in the society of many elementary through college students. Hopefully from this article, there can be somewhat of a solution found to try and best limit the usage of electronic devices in the everyday school classroom. What do you think, is the largely increasing screen time for students a bad thing, or is it something that should remain as it currently is?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-excessive-screen-time-presidential-priorities-and-fashion-statements.html 

Eden Richman Week 14 - QAnon Rethunk

     I'm sure many of you have heard of QAnon by now, but if you haven't, here is a summary of who they are. QAnon (or Q for short) is a combination of multiple conspiracy theories, but one of their main theory is that Donald Trump is in a battle with powerful democrats, socialists, the media, the government, and Hollywood, to fight them against their child prostitution ring. These were a lot of the people who stormed the capital on that day. Now some QAnoners are starting to reflect on their beliefs. After the major disapproval of everyone in the United States, many of these conspiracy theorists rethought what information they had, and decided to stop believing in this. Leaving QAnon is like leaving a drug addiction though, the theories are explanations to so many things that are wrong in this world, and it is an easy way out to understand something. There are multiple support groups online as well as a subreddit devoted to post Q recovery.

    Now more than ever is a time to show sympathy in this country. I know, and I think many other people know how easy it is to get sucked into misinformation and internet rabbit holes. these people have not only identified that what they know as facts are wrong, but they are actively trying to educate themselves, and I think they deserve a lot of respect for that. Just like we would support a drug addict trying to become clean, we should also help these people get over their imaginary realities. I don't know if any of you have family or friends who support this, but if you do, don't push them away because they will just get more sucked into the group. If America succeeds at uniting Q with everyone else, we will definitely be able to unite as a country with two parties.

source: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/399574-qanon-supporters-seek-way-out 

Let down your hair: New Army rules - Diana 14

 In the past, Army rules and regulations regarding women have been very strict, however, recently some of those rules have been altered. Over the years women in the Army have complained about these harsh restrictions, but finally, this past Tuesday Army leaders have started to loosen some of these rules. 

   Some of the new rules allow women to let down their hair, have nail polish on, wear earrings, and dye or highlight their hair. Basically allowing a woman to be a woman! These orders will take effect in February. However, the focus is not only about improving existing rules in the army regarding women. They are also trying to “expand diversity within the military and prejudice” . They are looking to create a diverse and inclusive team and change the military as we know it today. 

   On Tuesday some of the factors that went into deciding these new grooming changes such as health and safety issues. Army Sergeant Maj. Brian Sanders stated that the high tight hair buns may cause hair loss and scalp issues for women. Additionally, some women with a thicker hair type can cause the helmet to fit poorly and could possibly impair vision. Another point Sgt. Sanders brought up that women should wear earrings in order to allow them to feel like a woman even in a combat uniform. 

   I think these new rules are long overdue within the army environment. Women should not have to go into the army being stripped of all the things that make them a woman. We have a set stereotype of how the military is, but I appreciate that they are trying to get people to see past this stereotype and get a new rap for the “military”. What do you guys think of these new rules? 

https://apnews.com/article/politics-race-and-ethnicity-mark-esper-army-74e5d71ad043d0276d8cd46b7e76377f

Olivia Ball - Week 14 - Naomi Osaka Invests in the NWSL

 Naomi Osaka is one of the best tennis players in the world. When she is not training, she, like many other female athletes, do everything they can to make sure that women around the world can have the same opportunities in sports. 

The NWSL (national women’s soccer league), is one of the most competitive women’s professional leagues in the world, and for the last few years, the North Carolina Courage has been at the top, with the majority of their team being national team players. 

On January 28, Naomi Osaka invested in the NC Courage, making her the first investor since Steve Malik bought the franchise in 2017. Her goal is to “bolster women’s sports across the country”. The NWSL commissioner introduced her to many teams across the country, but she felt the NC was the best fit because of their success and diversity among the players. She hopes to inspire young girls that soccer is a realistic sporting career, unlike how when she was young, and she thought that tennis and golf were her only options. 

This is only the beginning the the growth of the NWSL and women’s soccer as a whole. While other celebrities begin to get involved, like Natalie Portman who was given the rights to start a team in Los Angeles, the viewership is reported to increase. This is such an important step in the ongoing issue of equal pay in women’s sports, and increasing the popularity of the sport would help them get there. 

Here is the link to the article from people:https://apple.news/AymtjOvtPSv23d0NcFSlD-g 

 

   

Ellie Week 14: Death of Cloris Leachman

 Cloris Leachman passed away on January 27. Sources say she dies peacefully in her sleep in her home in Encinitas, California. She was 94. 

    Leachman was known for her Oscar-winning and Emmy-nominated roles in “The Last Picture Show,” “The Middle,” and more. Leachman was “an actor of extraordinary range” and defied typecasting. She started out as Miss Chicago in the Miss America Pageant while willingly accepting unglamorous screen roles. In her early acting career, she played roles such as a prostitute in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and Timmy’s mother in “Lassie.”

Her colleagues had much to say about her and flocked to social media. Steve Martin said she “brought comedy’s mysteries to the big and small screen.” Ed Asner said, “Nothing I could say would top the enormity of my love for you.” And Rosie O’Donnell said “Applause on every entrance and exit.” 

Personally, I didn’t know of Cloris Leachman but my parents’ generation was apparently very aware of her performances and winnings. People say she was one of a kind and a trailblazer for acting in her own time. She told an interviewer in 1973, “Basically I don't care how I look, ugly or beautiful...I don't think that's what beauty is. On a single day, any of us is ugly or beautiful.” In 1971 she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and despite her photogenic looks, continued to play unappealing characters. Did you know who Loris Cleachman was? What do you think about her passing? 

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210127/oscar-winning-irreplaceable-cloris-leachman-dies-at-94 

Dori B, Week 14- President Biden's Actions Week 1 in Office

        In only one week of his presidency, President Biden has already signed a plethora of executive orders, ranging from coronavirus response to environmental and racial equity protections. 

        First, on day one, President Biden committed to rejoining the Paris Agreement, which Trump withdrew from in 2017, in order to prioritize combating global warming and climate change. He also signed an executive order, directing the U.S. government to reorganize resources to ensure that underserved people of color and minorities are protected. Further, President Biden ended Trump’s ban on entry to the United States from seven majority-Muslim countries and is resuming visa processing. Mask-wearing on federal property and organized government-wide Covid-19 response are also included in executive orders set in place by President Biden in order to crack down on the virus that has taken over 400,000 lives. Regarding immigration, Biden committed to revising immigration and deporation policies, as well as including undocumented immigrants into the U.S. census. Moreover, he signed an executive order that bans discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community. While there are several other executive orders that were signed on this day, I thought I would summarize some of the most impactful ones to prevent this post from getting too long.

        On day two, President Biden specifically focused on the topic of the coronavirus.  For example, he signed multiple executive orders, such as encouraging Covid-19 safety in both domestic and international forms of travel, improving accessibility to Covid-19 treatments, enabling a better data-driven response to Covid-19, and providing support for the reopening and continued operation of schools. There are several more orders he signed in terms of Covid-19 response, so if you want to find out more details, check out the sources below!   

        On day three, President Biden signed executive orders improving food assistance programs, aiding veterans with debt, protecting the unemployment insurance of workers who are unable to go to work due to the pandemic, helping the delivery of stimulus payments, addressing Covid-19 economic relief, and providing more protections for federal employees. On the weekend, Biden went with his family to the church in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood and also visited a local bagel shop to thank some of his supporters while helping smaller businesses.   

        On day six, President Biden signed additional executive orders, which repealed the transgender military ban, reinforced travel restrictions due to Covid-19, and promoted the “Buy American” agenda. Finally, on day seven, President Biden committed to evaluating Trump’s housing policies, ending the use of private prisons, providing respect to the sovereignty of Alaska Native and American Indian tribes, and condemning xenophobia and discrimination against Asians (nbcnews source). 

        Personally, I think it is amazing how President Biden is already taking so much action in such a brief amount of time. The steps he’s taking to protect the economy, environment, lives of workers and families, as well as various discriminated/underprivileged communities is very encouraging. While he may not be everyone’s choice for  President, I think it’s important that everyone at least gives him a chance. In my eyes, it is clear that Biden is making real attempts to help improve the country and prevent further division within this nation. Of course, let me know what your opinion is though!  

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/here-s-full-list-biden-s-executive-actions-so-far-n1255564 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-sunday/church-and-bagels-to-go-bidens-first-white-house-sunday-idUSKBN29T0P

Coby Russo Week 14- Polk County Fire Captain Steals COVID Vaccine

 

                                                         ^PCFR Captain Anthony Damiano

    Polk County Fire and Rescue Captain Anthony Damiano was reported of stealing three COVID-19 vaccines with the help of paramedic Josh Colon. After getting arrested earlier this month, detectives monitored a phone call between the medic and Damiano (who wasn't arrested at the time), revealing the captain's wrong doings. The theft advised Colon to explain that the vaccines just simply fell off the desk at the station and were just never used. 

    On January 6th, reports revealed that two syringes of the vaccine was stolen for the captain's ill and elderly mother, but on January 26th, his mother claimed that she never received any vaccine from her son. Eventually two out of the three vaccines were found in Damiano's friend's car in St. Cloud (which had to be thrown away, but the Florida Health Department gave vaccines to the firefighters who didn't receive any). On Tuesday, Captain Anthony Damiano turned himself in at the Polk County Jail, facing a charge of official misconduct and petit theft, and paramedic Josh Colon is currently facing 16 charges including forgery and falsifying medical records.

“He betrayed those who worked for him by taking advantage of a paramedic. At the end of the day, he’s washed up, legally. He’s washed up with his colleagues,”- Sheriff Grady Judd.

    After reading this article, I was absolutely disgusted by the actions of these two men. We are all going through the same situation, but we all need to wait our turn. Instead of remaining patient for a little while, Captain Damiano and paramedic Colon are facing several charges and are doing time in jail. Sadly, this isn't the only case of a COVID-19 vaccine theft. What are your thoughts on people stealing these vaccines?

https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/polk-county-fire-captain-accused-of-using-paramedic-to-steal-covid-19-vaccines/

Romy H week 14 The Stock Issue for Dummies

 

The question is what happens when people get too good at your own game? Boom- roasted. That’s pretty much what happened this week- rich businessmen/hedge funds(to be explained later) lost money because people figured out exactly how to manipulate stocks and money for personal benefit. I’ll explain to the best of my ability, and in the most basic way, what happened and why it isn’t quite fair. 

Here’s what you have to understand. There are calls, puts, short positions, and long positions; it’s complicated and there are more offers than just that, but those are most important for now. Hedge funds are a group of investors that pretty much gamble with stocks- hoping for a profit. When they see that a company’s stock is steadily decreasing, they will buy a short position/a put. When they buy that stock they have a certain time frame where they have to sell their stock back. They are betting that the stock price will go down, so they make a profit. 

Here’s a super simple example. Let’s say I “borrow” 1 banana stock for 10 dollars from monkeys and say that I’ll give it back to them by Tuesday. I got that banana stock for 10 dollars, but I had a feeling that the price would decrease. I then sell the banana stock to someone for those $10. The next day, I was lucky and the price did go down to $8. Then I buy the stock back for $8 and give it back to the monkeys making a profit of $2.

This is what big hedge funds are doing, but with hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. The general public realized what they were doing and decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. People started buying the stock of businesses that hedge funds thought would decrease. When you buy stocks and options, the stock price goes up, so those hedge funds would lose money. That’s exactly what happened with Game Stop. As this article states, “champions of the 99% are cheering louder from the sidelines, saying the moves mean that hedge funds, Wall Street and the 1% are finally getting their comeuppance(a punishment someone deserves).”

The thing that is bothering most people is that they stopped the ability to buy those stocks- which was what made the hedge funds lose money. Our economy is supposed to be free and open, so restrictions are something that might be illegal. It seems like they are only putting restrictions on stocks when it benefits them, which isn’t fair. The general public caught on to their game and beat them to it. Nobody really knows if they will be getting in trouble or how this will work out legally...yet. 

This whole situation is very complicated and there’s a lot more to it that I don’t understand completely. This is what I could gather from my research and tried to make it simple. 

What do you think? Do you think it’s fair that brokers stopped the ability to buy stocks because hedge funds would lose money? 

https://apnews.com/article/gamestop-stock-surge-explained-fb377363d1b04809706619a6bcc9e549 

Isaac Berkower - Week 14 - What is going on with Game Stop and the stock market??

Game Stop is a company that sells video games. Over the past few years, and especially with the corona virus, it has went down in value a lot with the demand for disk games going down as downloadable games, and online games become more popular. Because of this, a few major hedge funds decided to short the stock. This basically means that they are betting that the stock will go down in value, and if they are right, they will increase the money that they invested, but if the stock goes up in value, they could lose a lot of money. 

In three weeks, the stock went from being worth $18 a share to at its peak being worth nearly $350. That is more that a 19 fold increase in value, which is insane for a stock be that volatile in such a short period of time. 

The reason for this insane jump in value of the stock can be traced to reddit and a few memes. A group called "WallStreetBets" on Reddit found out that a few major hedge funds put a lot of money into shorting Game Stop stock, and wanted to make these hedge funds lose a lot of money on this short. So, they had most likely millions of people invest some extra cash that they had into Game Stop in order to artificially make the stock go up in value. Some of these people ended up making upwards of 1 million dollars from this, all because of this Reddit group and the meme.

Why did these people decide to do this?

The motivations for these people trying to destroy hedge fund companies is seen by some as a way to protest the government always bailing them out when they fail, but not bailing the people out today when they are forced in some places to not be able to work and make money for themselves. 

What ended up happening was that yesterday, a few major stock trading apps shut down the ability to purchase a share of Game Stop. Many saw this as unfair and Robinhood, one of the trading apps that did this is now facing two law suits for this, showing how much the people are outraged with Robinhood trying to protect these hedge funds.

Law makers are now set to meet about this and could potentially be adding more regulation to the stock market because of this. In my opinion, more regulation shouldn't be added because these hedge funds used similar tactics in order to have success. They would buy stocks low and tell people to invest into the stock even when they knew that it was not that valuable, and when it would get a lot higher, they would sell the stock, even as they told people that the stock was a good buy. 

What is your reaction to this?

Link to meme song about this: https://youtu.be/rejpDqQUcV0 

Sources:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/why-gamestops-stock-surge-is-shaking-wall-street

https://nypost.com/2021/01/28/crowd-chants-f-k-robinhood-at-wall-street-protest/

Lauren Hodes- Week 14- Government official accused of dual loyalty to Israel

    Anne (Chani) Neuberger was given the position of senior director for cyber policy on the National Security Council under the new Biden administration. Anne Neuberger, who is also an Orthodox Jew, is a highly regarded official in the Pentagon. She has worked her whole life for the position that was just given to her. Personally, it is very inspiring to see someone like her so high up in government. Anyways, after being given this position major news outlets began berating her in regard to her ties with AIPAC. NBC news reported that the Yehuda and Anne Neuberger Foundation allegedly gave $500,000 to AIPAC. The Neuberger’s defense was that their private organization “carr[ies] out the charitable and religious purposes of the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.” Then the article explained how this isn’t a legal issue but more of an issue because Neuberger may have bias towards Israel. Then going on to say that this will create the “appearance of bias in favor of Israel by a top American official” and “Israel aggressively spies on the U.S.” Essentially, NBC news said that Anne Neuberger, a Jew, has dual loyalty (an age-old antisemetic trope) and cannot be trusted too high up in government. This is just incredibly disappointing to see happening in this day and age. All politicians have different lobbying groups and even some foreign governments backing them. For example, according to politifact.com, the Clinton foundation received “nearly $10 million in foreign government donations'' most of which from Saudia Arabia. On the other side of the aisle, Mitt Romney has taken around 13 million dollars from the NRA in his career. Mitt Romney was running for president and the Clintons are arguably the highest ranking family in US history. So, why does this seem to only be an issue with Jews? It seems Jews can’t escape antisemtic criticism and questions of dual loyalty because we finally have a country of our own. Anyways, hopefully antisemitism doesn’t get much worse. Let me know your thoughts about the Anne Neuberger situation in the comments below. Here is the link- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/foundation-linked-biden-pick-cybersecurity-gave-500-000-pro-israel-n1255931

Romi Avidor Week 14 A Year After The Tragic Loss

Romi Avidor Week 14 A Year After The Tragic Loss On January 26, 2020 the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others took place. As you may know, Kobe played on the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team previous to his retirement. He had set the bar very high for future basketball players, and set many records that have not been topped yet in the NBA. It has been a year since, and no one has forgotten. You may wonder how they have been continuing to commemorate him and here is the answer to that. The players on the LA Lakers continue his legacy and bring his spirit on the court with them every time they play by“...transform[ing] pain into appreciation”. After every huddle of theirs, they break it off by saying, “Mamba on three… One, two, three - Mamba”. If you do not know, everyone knew Kobe and his nickname that was given to him, Mamba. They have been saying this since the day of the crash, before the corona virus even broke out and the, “...NBA season hung together by threads”. Later on in the season after the games had stopped, they started an NBA bubble in Florida. Everything was different in the world, and life was not the same as it was five months earlier, but they never stopped remembering him in their huddles and continuing to bring his energy to the court. Lebron James said, “[t]here are a lot of things that die in this world, but legends never die and he’s exactly that… it’s all about representing that.” Anthony Davis, another player for the LA Lakers also said “[e]ver since the tragedy happened, we had a mindset that this is bigger than, you know, ourselves, [a]nd there were so many signs in the bubble that he was there with us” nearly a year later! The players on all teams continue to pay tribute to him and who he was. They wear shoes that were customized in his memory, they have tattoos, and “[t]hey shout his name after the biggest shots of their careers.” Till this day, they talk about how they want to make him proud, and they sure have succeeded. Anthony Davis says how even a year later he's still in shock of what happened and it is still hard for him to process it, but the LA Lakers team does not fail to come together during every game, and count to three and say Mamba. https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-01-26/kobe-bryant-death-anniversary-lakers-honor-memory

Aly Strauss, Week 14, Black Hole Discovery

 Aly Strauss, Week 14, Black Hole Discovery

Black holes are scary. They are mysterious and no one really knows what happens when an object goes into a black hole, all they know is that black holes swallow objects, and the objects are never seen again. Of course, there are theories like how they open to other universes, or they are like time travel holes. Recently though, something occurred to throw us off even more about black holes. Astronomers recently discovered a star that supposedly went into a black hole, and now, it is out of the black hole. A star survived a black hole!

From what scientists knew prior to this discovery was that black holes basically sucked stars and the stars are never seen again. This star though is just orbiting around the hole like how Earth is to our sun. This is also weird considering the physics around it. The star is just orbiting around with a nine-hour time stain.

According to scientists, this is how it all went down: the black hole was just doing it’s own thing, and swallowing solar systems like normal, and all of a sudden a sun-like star happened to be close (close enough to be swallowed). The black hole divested the star’s outer layers, so the star turned into a white dwarf. Now, the star is just orbiting the black hole.  

This has never been seen before. For the first time, a star has been seen to survive from a black hole! There is so much more to uncover about black holes and space! It is so cool how we are still finding this stuff out.

Jacob Poller Week 14: Lady Gaga's Star Spangled Banner at the Inauguration

Hey everyone, today’s blog will be using a lot of information provided by the very popular youtuber Adam Neely. So if you want a much more in depth explanation I highly recommend you watch his video.

    As we start off in the anthem, we see that it starts off in a very strong manner with the percussion and wind instruments. As well it’s in the time signature of 4/4 and in the key of gb, which is kind of standard for what it is today. When she starts singing we see how simple and yet beautiful. But when she starts singing the line “What’s so proudly we hailed” on the “proudly,” there’s a shift where it becomes almost jarring. As we come to the second line it’s very stately with none of the pop esque acrobatics yet to come. Everything up until when she says “And the rockets red glare,” is very standard for this. But, when she gets to “the rockets red glare” she starts singing as if she is in 3/4 time while the band is in 4/4 time. Eventually she comes to the start of 3/4 time. When she arrives at the line “...that our flag was still there.” she gestures to the flags of the four hundred thousand people who died during the coronavirus. And during the line she stays on the word there for a long time almost giving it a Broadway esque feel. And with that, the feeling of the 3/4 time has really taken effect with the whole piece feeling like it's faster than it really is. And when she comes to the end she seems to come to the line “of the brave.” a little early, and knowing this composition, it was probably intentional. Finally the band resolves the piece bringing this all to an end. And while I do think this was possibly one of the better iterations over the last many years, it still has almost nothing on Whitney Houston’s Super Bowl performance in 1991.

Yair Gritzman Week 14 --> Google Threatens to pull out of Australia

Google Threatens to pull out of Australia

 Google has taken some profits away from news companies because people tend to view their news feeds from Google, and the news companies do not get paid for those views. The Australian government is considering signing a law that forces Google to form agreements with every news organization in Australia, in order for the news companies to make a profit from their work. This led Google to threaten to pull out its company from Australia. Google does not see the law as fair because it is virtually impossible to make deals with every news organization in Australia. Australians would likely survive without Google (using search engines such as Bing or Yahoo), although it would be strange for Australian citizens to randomly adjust.

In the past year, companies such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon have been brought to court because the government wants to stop their possible monopolistic practices. For example, Google makes up 95% of search users in Australia, making it difficult for another company to try and compete. Therefore, the U.S. government is working on regulating the companies so that other businesses can compete with them. 

I don’t really know where I stand on Google’s issue with the Australian government. On the one hand, there are news companies that are not making as much money because of Google. This does not seem fair because there is not much they can do about the situation because of how powerful Google is. That is part of the reason why the Australian government wants to pass this law to restrict Google. On the other hand, Google is a big technology company, and our world is shifting towards more companies like Google. The future of news on the internet may be Google News, so it might be a good time for news companies to adapt and change their business models.

What do you think about the current situation with Google in Australia? Do you think the Australian government is right to force Google to make deals with news organizations? Do you think Google should leave Australia?

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-threatens-to-remove-search-engine-from-australia/

Maya Melamed 14- Israel Closes Their Airport

    On Sunday, Israel announced that they will close the airport for at least a week. This is their only major airport, so it's a big deal. They are closing off all international travel, hoping to vaccinate more of their citizens before it gets even worse. Starting on Monday at midnight, incoming and outgoing international flights at Ben Gurion Airport will stop until at least the end of January. The only exceptions would be cargo flights, medical evacuation, and firefighting flights. They will only allow departure for extreme cases like family funerals and court actions, but you will still need to be approved by health authorities. The prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu, said: “No nation has done what we are about to do- we are hermetically sealing the country.” The reason for all this is to prevent having the virus’s mutations enter the country and for more people to get vaccinated.

 Israel has surpassed all other countries in vaccination about 27 % of its population with at least the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. They expect to vaccinate another million over the next week. Israel’s cases are very high which has caused a big capacity at the hospitals. They believe that once more people get the second dose of the vaccine, things will begin to look better but are still worried about the new mutations of the virus. Some of these mutations seem to be more contagious and are expected to dominate in Israel within the next few weeks. They hope that closing the airport for the first time during this pandemic will give people more time to get the vaccine before these mutation cases rise. 

    I think what they are doing is smart and it's good that many of them have been vaccinated. Hopefully, closing the airport will pay off and cases will start to calm down. What do you guys think? Do you think closing the airport is a good idea?

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-coronavirus-ben-gurion-airport-closed/2021/01/24/be24f790-5e67-11eb-9430-e7c77b5b0297_story.html 

Ethan- Week 13- The SAT is so hard!

    First and foremost, I do not like the SAT. There are some people who are naturally really good at it and there are some that are not. I feel I am in the “not” category. Although I do well in school and succeed in difficult classes, this does not translate that much into the SAT for me. I study hours and hours every week to try and raise my score and have found that it is a very slow process. It takes constant repetition and review of mistakes to raise your score, and you really have to devote a lot of time, energy, and will to get a really good score. There are a few factors that make this test very difficult for the majority of students in school. First, it is a time test. The SAT is extremely long, especially if you have extra time, and that by itself can drain people’s energy. The SAT tests your stamina as you have to be able to perform at a high level for 4-6 hours just sitting still, which is not comfortable. Additionally, the SAT is also a speed test. Many of the questions are easy if you had lots of time to figure out how to solve them, but this test seeks to evaluate how one performs under time pressure and finds shortcuts to answers. This makes students think in unconventional ways and not try and do a problem the long way, but rather look to eliminate answers and find the correct one fast. Furthermore, the content is difficult and there are many concepts to memorize. For the math section, you must know many different concepts, equations, and methods. For the English portion, you need to know many grammar tricks, rules, ideas, etc., and they give you difficult passages to comprehend. For any students that have great success with the SAT or feel that you have mastered one portion of it, do you have any tips for me and the class besides practice? Does anyone disagree and think the test is not that bad? Let me know what you think about it or the ACT.

1. https://blog.prepscholar.com/is-the-sat-hard#:~:text=Here%20are%20a%20few%20factors,and%20a%20high%2Dstress%20environment.

2. https://reasonprep.com/how-hard-is-sat-math-really/

Dan Jaime Week 13 - Soccer season

 Soccer season finally started!! A couple weeks ago, the 2020-2021 soccer season for the DKJA eagles began, and like every year I'm on the team. Our season so far hasn't been ideal as we haven't lived up to our expectations. We've lost 3 games and won 1, but what hurts the most is that all the games we lost have been super close and contested. Ultimately, stupid mistakes lead us to lose games, it seems like the only team that can beat us is ourselves. 

Our team this year is very different from last year, as we've gotten some great additions in a lot of important positions. We now have Olivia at goalie, which is huge because our goalie last year, Zach Klein, can now play out on the field where he is better suited. Olivia has been great at goalie for us, making a ton of pivotal saves. We also got some nice freshmen additions to the team, including two new starters. Although our games so far haven't gone our way this season, it's still a great feeling to get out there on the field a couple times a week and go compete head to head against other schools. You guys should come watch us play! This coming week we have 3 home games, all at 4 PM, so come watch. 

Have you ever been on a soccer team before? Do you like playing or watching soccer? 

Olivia Ball - Week 13 - My NOT Serious Review of the Inauguration

 I want to start this off by saying that I’m not a huge fan of politics and don’t really follow it that much. But this week, we had a break from class to watch the inauguration. To be honest, I wasn’t even planning on watching it, but my Mom said I should, so I did. This is my funny, not serious review of what I got from the inauguration, at least what I could hear over my Mom talking on the phone. 

First, right as I turned the TV on the announced that Lady Gaga would be singing the national anthem. That honestly made me laugh so hard. A pop star who is known for being a little crazy and dressing crazy is who they chose to sing the national anthem!? Usually when you go to sporting events, the person is more “meaningful”. Don’t get me wrong, she was amazing and I love her and her voice, it was just a little out of place for the setting. 

Then, later on, they announced that Jennifer Lopez would be singing a song as well. I don’t even remember what she sang, but unlike Lady Gaga, I am not a fan. She also performed at the new year’s eve thing, and she was horrible and looked like toilet paper. Again though, she was actually really good, and I was impressed. 

The next thing I noticed was when Kamala Harris was taking the oath to become the first female vice president, the person reading it to her pronounced her name wrong. When Kamala repeated what she said, she specifically made it clear what the correct pronunciation was. You would think that for someone that is all over the news, they would know how to say her name right. 

Lastly, the last part I watched was the 22 year old poet. To be honest, I don’t remember her name even though everyone has been talking about her. My response is usually, “was that the girl with the red thing in her hair?” She was also an amazing speaker and loved what she had to say. It was very inspiring and interesting, I just can’t seem to remember her name. 

Okay this is actually my last one, Biden is actually a good speaking and listening to i’m is not painful, but when he gave his speech it felt so long. According to Mrs. Leibowitz, our generation is just like that. I think that is pretty accurate. 

Thank you for listening to my takeaways from the inauguration. Please don’t be offended because I took this situation super lightly. If you have any other funny things you noticed, feel free to share in the comments. 

LOL enjoy the Bernie meme that is going around everywhere!

   

Dori B, Week 13- What's Your Personality?!

 

        Hi everyone! I don’t know about all of you, but I think the topics of psychology and personality are particularly interesting. Although I took AP Psychology last year, I still find myself wanting to learn more about different subjects relevant to this science. I also find personality analyses to be fun; so recently, I took this popular personality test called the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator from https://www.16personalities.com/. I recommend you take it if you have free time and want to know more about what traits you might have as a person! I thought it was easy, quick, and that the results were pretty accurate for me (disclaimer: I’m not being paid to say any of this).

        To give a brief historical context, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator that we now know today came from Carl Gustav Jung and Katharine Cook Briggs. Carl Jung is famously known as the father of analytical psychology and developed the idea that people fit into either introversion or extraversion. Basically, if you’re an introvert, you’re more satisfied and energized when alone or in the “internal world,” while an extravert prefers social, “outside world” experiences.

        Jung also contributed to the concepts of cognitive functions, regarding whether one is more Judging or Perceiving. Someone who is Judging would be organized, decisive, and prefers clear structures and outlines, while a Perceiving individual (referred to as “prospective” in the test I took) is more relaxed, flexible, and prefers spontaneity. These theories were later recognized by Katharine Cook Briggs in the 1920s and then implemented in a personality indicator that she co-authored. This is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator that is still widely used today! 

        Your personality result is composed of a four-letter acronym, with each letter representing a different trait (for example, introversion, extraversion, judging, and perceiving). When I took the test, I got INFJ, which translates to introverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging traits. This would mean that I am more introverted, imaginative, empathic, and prefer organization. Each personality type also has a cool nickname that describes your result, such as “Protagonist,” “Logician,” or “Adventurer.” I would be considered an “Advocate,” which, fun fact, is the rarest personality type!

        While this assessment, or any personality evaluation for that matter, could be flawed or inaccurate, I thought it was fun to try out, and I actually found that my results fit me really well! I think it’s also interesting to hear what other people got as their result, and see how we might be similar or different in terms of personality. At first, I didn’t know what any of the relevant acronyms or terms meant, but the website explains what everything means clearly. If you want to find out more, definitely explore the website linked in this blog post. Let me know if you end up taking this test and what result you got, what you think about this indicator, and/or if you’re interested in any aspects of psychology!

https://www.16personalities.com/articles/our-theory 

 

Zev Englander Week-13 Tennis Season FINALLY

 School is a drag. It never ends. When you finish a stressful assignment or get a hard test out of the way there is generally another monster around the corner for you to lose sleep over. What I find best is to focus on what you have to look forward to. For me, in the first semester, I have football to look forward to on the weekends, then during the second semester of school, I have tennis season. Apart from going to the gym, I have barely left my house and certainly haven't seen people, so sadly getting out of the house becomes something to get excited about. The season started on Tuesday, and it was surprising and pleasing to see so many go out that wanted to play. There are kids from all grades, and a lot of my friends are playing. It's great to see them in a safe way, and I also obviously enjoy playing tennis. The coach has us running a lot which I don't mind, but most importantly I feel like I have something to look forward to every day. For me, it makes the school day easier to get through, and I feel more focused on my work at night. I'm also sleeping better after getting fresh air and exercise. Being able to play a sport in person is just such a great experience and I'm happy my parents are letting me play even though I'm not in school. Is there anything that you look forward to during the school year that works as a motivator? If so what is it?