here's some tea for your refreshment...

We are in the midst of a political turmoil.  With the results of the primaries coming out soon, and little to be desired in the candidates, with the dire situation of the Flint water, with the newest relations with our biggest rival, with the new appointed Supreme Court Justice, America is undergoing vast changes. On the outside, our democracy seems the same equitable system as always-however, there's so many problems that if it were not for our stable system, would have destroyed our country already.

Source: politicalcartoons.com; Artist: Dave Granlund

Nothing is more appropriate for this blog post than a cartoon about the Flint situation, right? A event that has gained a national attention and aid from many helpful communities that could have easily been prevented if not for a sneaky cover-up by the governor-- now that's a good topic! In the midst of all the hate against the government and pity for the Flint residents, Granlund is able to satirize the guiltiness of Governor Snyder himself. The setting of the cartoon is before congress, bringing the whole idea a sense of ethos.  The conveniently yellow water besides is a sign of hospitality- or is it? His question frames his guiltiness: he knows that if the water is truly from Flint, he cannot drink it for it is poisonous.  Yet if he will not drink the water himself (highlighted by the sweat from his collar) then why would he let his own citizens drink it? The painful irony fully exploits the faults in the governor's actions and the preventability of the crisis.

Going too far?

There has always been a fine line between knowledge and innocence- or is there?
This week's discussion of the limitations and expansion of science reminded me of our frequent discussion of knowledge and innocence in past English classes- is knowledge power or is ignorance bliss?

the opposite lanes 

The obvious truth is you cannot have both- you cannot be educated yet be not be educated.  If that is the case, then where is the line drawn? The endless possibilities of science and technology stretch from finding the cure to cancer in "the spontaneously radiant radium" to replacing genes in "tobacco plants with... purloined genes". These include the "best and worst of our quest for knowledge".  The idea of choosing innocence over knowledge in the Measure of Restraint highlights the moral implications of going too far in science.  It may be okay to examine the leaves of tobacco plants, but the idea of "forever altering" the genetics of these plants has long lasting effects that extend beyond a single science experiment. If we keep on looking for the cure to cancer, will we eventually come to a spot where we must decide between risking lives to find the cure or staying on our path of ignorance? This decision might've already been put to test with the Curies' found radium.  When "properly used [it is] an effective treatment for cancer", but when it's used "craz[idly]", it "takes it's toll".

A eternal change.

So I am back to my original question that, from the humble origins in 6th grade english, still has not been answered.  Raymo brings up the true perils of going too far in the quest for knowledge, but the multitude of dying cancer patients show the true perils of not going too far.

Gandhi, Janet, and a short PSA

PSA: Reading Videotape at 2AM is not recommended.

So if you thought that Videotape was going to be a light read like me, and decided to venture upon it at night, you would have found it is no haiku.  Hereafter today, I believe everyone will stop procrastinating when they read.  The rhetoric throughout the piece is extremely shocking, as it uses a innocent child to convey its idea. The child "videotaping" the entire scene adds a sense of innocence to the piece; the fragmented sentences later in the piece reflect the fragmenting nature of the encounter for everyone involved, but especially the child. Throughout the piece, DeLillo rarely gives any of the characters names, leaving their identities to be very vague, showing that this incident could happen to every, even you. Some say giving the wife a name- Janet- is like the rest of the characters are hot for humility, but I disagree.  I think adding a name for her adds to the verisimilitude throughout the piece- it also shows how you tend to show family tragedies to highlight the idea of the "shortness of life". This idea of family goes along with Gandhi's idea of peacefully protesting- after all, you wouldn't want to lose family over violence that could be avoided peace, now would you?

I didn't want a picture of a murderer at 2am, so here's an accurate depiction of me trying to write a puzzle paragraph

I will admit that some of the words from the puzzle paragraph were quite awkward and forced. However, it was interesting to have several words to incorporate since it gave me a path to write my blog (rather than have me stare a blank screen for 2 hours).

The Olive

Tired Student Fustrated in Self for Already Sleeping

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY--  Pressured to stop the coffee machine and proceed to her bed at 1AM in the morning, tired student Nathan Greene was said to be extremely frustrated in himself for already going to bed. "Usually I have to drink at least three cups of coffee and two cans of Red Bull, and stay up until 4AM, but this... this is embarrassing", said a gloomy Greene, who eventually finished brushing his teeth in disbelief. "It's hard to comprehend, but I'm actually tired.  God, I'm better than this. I can't be going to sleep when all my friends are still up watching Netflix.  Where's the swaggness in that?" A disoriented Greene was later seen getting up in the middle of the night to take a snapchat of himself studying to send to his friends.

Student Working Out at Gym as if it were Prom Tomorrow 

GEORGIA-- Tightly clutching her newly bought gym clothes and shoes, Cassidy Gerald breathed heavily as she finished her last set in the gym, confirmed sources last Thursday. "I need to look thinner by tomorrow-- I promise" whispered Gerald, as she jumped 5 millimeters above ground to make sure she could see her newly formed muscles bulging in the side mirror and silver flash of the Nike sign on her sports bra. "Don't worry, these flabs will be abs in no time". At press time, Gerald was petrified to realize she had been looking at someone else's body the whole time.

Hi, I'm a pollo-pescetarian

That's right, a pollo-pescetarian.  Basically, I only eat poultry and seafood (with the exception of the times when my parents force me to eat the steak they prepared for dinner).  This is by no means a very hard or restrictive task- red meat was always too heavy for me and seafood is probably the best thing ever.  That being said, reading "Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace was quite a harsh journey.  Lobster is probably my favorite seafood, and reading reasons why such preparation is unethical was definitely not a helpful boost.

can we just...

I have several issues with the argument that cooking a lobster is just plain out cruel.  First of all, the idea that you're killing a lobster in front of your eyes is not a new one.  In fact, if you go to China, it is not uncommon for freshly slaughtered chickens to be hanging by their neck, awaiting their next customer.  If preparing a lobster yourself is cruel, then what about chickens? Turkey? How about that well done steak you had for lunch yesterday?  In the end, that nice dinner is really a dead animal, and if you have problems with that, then you should probably be a vegetarian.  While this all sounds quite harsh, it is only the reality.  And whether you are fine with the idea of killing another living mammal for your eating pleasure or not, that is a personal decision that should not inflict on others.  There should not-- and is not-- a universal decision on vegetarianism.  In fact, you can see from my own classification that there are many parts to such a decision.

maybe a more pleasant picture for some of you

I know I make quite a few controversial points here that can be easily disputed.  As a disclaimer, I am not bashing Wallace's points/essay in any way.  In fact, my argument here only strengthens his, as he states that discussion of this conundrum "should stop... right here"(680).  Everyone has there own varying degrees of moral codes, but for now, I'm going to stick with my lobster dinner.

Asian girls and public space

Like many of my fellow asian female friends, I am a bit under the average female height, a little smaller on the eyes, and a minuscule bit darker on the hair.  It's not hard to spot me in the crowd- actually, just kidding, it's hard to see my head under the crowd of heads above mine.  It's not uncommon for a whisper to ask if I am in the wrong school- "does she know this is high school?" "why is her hair so straight? I bet she wakes up early to straighten it every day" "she is obviously sleeping while she is walking- you can't even see her eyes!". 

I clearly remember my first encounter with being a responsible-aged girl stuck in a small body.  As I was biking with  my younger brother around my subdivision, a concerned, elderly woman approached me and asked if I was lost.  It came as a shock to me that she did not ask my brother (who by the way, is 5 years younger than me) but rather approached me.  Maybe it was because my new bike had a bit of a disproportion to my body, or that my bright pink helmet just screamed trouble, but regardless, I was the weak one.  This incident repeated itself many times, whether it was me driving the car or when I went shopping alone.  My uncanny appearance always rose a couple stares and usually resulted in a concerned inquiry about my age. 

As for now, I will try to make my appearances a bit more inconspicuous- maybe I should look into height enhancers or change my hair color.  Maybe I should cut my hair short and start wearing male clothing.  Maybe then I wouldn't have the power to "alter public space" (Staples). 

Dear Dad...

I can't remember the last time we had a conversation.  Maybe it was about college, maybe about getting my license.  Honestly, such exchanges have long become extinct.  I had some time to reflect this week on our relationship through thought-provoking discussions in english, and I think I know where it all went wrong.  Well, not wrong.  Just lost our connection, our relationship.

We've always had a precarious relationship based off goals and expectations.  I remember you canceled my birthday dinner when I was 8 because I didn't win my piano competition.  Or that time you made me quit art classes because I wasn't sleeping 10 hours every night.  Or how about that time when switched my violin teacher without me knowing because I was sitting "too far back".  I know you always had the best intentions for me, but your way of communicating your love never made it out of my fickle childhood.  I supposed I need to take part of the blame as well. I was always the slow child that all asian parents hate-- took their time with everything and had "rests" that were longer than the "working" time.   With little communication and a whole lot of unattainable goals, we slowly drifted apart as I "[grew] faster mentally" and became "more myself" (Manning 145).  I was able to separate who I really was from your dreams for me.

I hope one day we will be able to rekindle our relationship and see each other without the barriers of expectations and reality.  Maybe we will talk about college again.  Maybe you'll look into some "good" majors to go into and give me choices I must choose from.  Or maybe, "rather than any of this", we can sit down and have a open-hearted conversation (Manning 148).

-- your daughter