Taking Charge of Your Destiny

        At the time the Declaration of Independence was written, the colonists were already becoming increasingly frustrated with King George III’s colonial policies. In the list of grievances, the colonists stated, “He [King George III] has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. “ (pg. 121 in the textbook). This meant that King George III was summoning the legislative bodies, “representing” the colonists, to strange and distant places in order to dissuade them from passing legislation and accepting his unfair policies. As a consequence of ratifying the Constitution, today every state enjoys representation and has it’s own legislative bodies, who can pass laws that would benefit the people of each state. In 1765, Prime Minister George Grenville of Britain passed the Quartering Act, which required the colonies to provide food and quarters for British troops in their homes. This outraged the colonists to an extent in which they included this in their list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence, which stated, “He [King George III] has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.” (pg. 121 in the textbook).  Today, the Third Amendment to the Constitution states, “No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner…”  Although the list of grievances are long, the above mentioned are considered to be the most poignant ones.

Whose Behind the Wheel?

wsj.com
By Joseph B. White
September 10, 2013

         Ever since I was ten years old, I dreamt of having a driver’s license and driving my own car. This is true for any teenager in the United States, if not the world. Having heard that Google was about to produce manufacture it’s first driverless car, it was quite disappointing. Joseph White of the Wall Street Journal reported that Mercedes –Benz has  manufactured the S 500 series, which drove itself  from Mannheim to Pforzheim in Germany.  This model used a sophisticated navigation system, which allowed the car to find it’s way on public road. Mercedes used sensors similar to those already used in their S-class models. Additionally, Mercedes has added a color camera mounted behind the windshield, that could read stoplights, long-range radars to detect oncoming vehicles, a stereo camera with two lenses set apart to function like human eyes in order to detect distant objects, and a rear-facing camera to spot landmarks.  This idea would particularly be   beneficial for disabled people , who are currently dependent on others to drive them around. Another beneficiary group could be the elderly , who cannot drive after a certain age. However, it is not imaginable for a young person to give up the pleasure of driving a   vehicle for the first time and being independent.

 

Is Harry Potter Coming Back to a Theater Near You?!

September 12, 2013
By: Shauna Dolby
bbc.com/culture

         I tried to cover my eyes with my favorite blanket as I ensconced myself into the couch between  my mother and father.   I was scared and excited at the same time. I could not believe it. I was finally watching the famous Harry Potter movie for the first time. The music was mysterious and the suspense was intense and I could hardly breathe. I had to do it. I had to watch this movie. All my friends had seen this movie. At the time, I was only seven years old.  Once again, J.K Rowlings is partnering with Warner Brothers to produce a new series. The first film of the series will be titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter became one of the largest grossing films in history. This new movie will feature Newt Scamander, the fictional author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This textbook was taught at Hogwarts and was one of Harry Potter’s textbooks. Rowlings promised herself not to return to the magical fantasyland where Hogwarts began unless she had an idea that she would be excited about. Well, this was it. Rowling also mentions that in the upcoming film, Newt Scamander will be portrayed as a young wizard, struggling like Harry Potter. The only different aspect is that Rowling will portray life in the magical world seventy years before Harry Potter was born and when Newt was a little boy. Besides this movie, Rowling has also written Casual Vacancy, Quidditch Through the Ages, and the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Most people cannot wait to watch and see what other surprises are in store in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Most Harry Potter fans are counting the days until they could finally relive the fantastic world of magic.

The Nazi Car

By Jonathan Glancey
August 30, 2013
www.bbc.com/culture

        In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Hitler came up with an idea of a family car that would hold a family of five Germans, drive one hundred kilometer per hour, and would cost thirty-one weeks’ pay for an average German worker. Henceforth, the Volkswagen Beetle was born. This car did not go into production before the war, which was Hitler’s initial idea. The actual production began in 1945 in Germany and was shipped to England for inspection. The British motor manufacturers labeled the car as noisy, ugly, and too unattractive to capture the market. Despite the early negative reviews, the Beetle became the best selling car of all time, surpassing Henry Ford’s Model T. Even though many modifications have been made to the VW since 1945, the basic mechanical structure has not changed. The most amazing idea about the VW is that a car created from Hitler’s imagination would capture the hearts and minds of the Americans, starting from surfer dudes, college kids, and hippies. In 1968, the Beetle became known as the Love Bug when Hollywood released a movie called Herbie about an anthropomorphic car. However, the success of the car comes from it’s affordability, reliability, and distinct look.

Now You See Me & Now You Don't

By Richard Roeper
www.suntimes.com/...421/now-you-see-me-just-an-empty-illusion.html

            Richard Roeper gave an overwhelming thumbs down to the movie “Now You See Me.” According to Roeper, the first few scenes of the movie indicate a spectacular film about magic. However, after a few minutes into the movie, it starts the downhill tumble. Roeper uses the above claims of value to comprehensively devalue the movie. In the movie, four professional magicians have been recruited by an anonymous person to pull off outrageous stunts on stage. One of their ultimate acts was to rob a bank in Paris, while performing single handedly in a Vegas hotel. Instead of an illusion, the actual money in Paris disappeared. Detective Dylan Rhodes, an FBI agent, is brought to solve this spectacular mystery/crime. Last but not least, Thaddeus Bradley, an ex-magician, is brought into the plot to expose the secrets of the magicians and how they pulled this stunt. Roeper points out claims of fact to prove this movie was nothing but a substandard allusion. To begin with, Roeper points out that there are numerous characters and most of them are not well developed. Four tricksters are given comic book names, which take away the seriousness of the plot. Then, the FBI agent who is brought to solve the case dismisses the case by thinking it is a joke. This does not make sense because the concept of the heist is intriguing. Also, Roeper points out the fact that most of the focus of the movie takes place with the FBI agent instead of building the individualized characters of each magician. Eventually, the movie ends with more questions than answers. However, does the audience even want to know the answers?

Leonardo Da Vinci: The Artist or the Anatomical Researcher?

By Alastair Sooke
August 28, 2013
bbc.com/culture

Leonardo da Vinci throughout his life produced no more than twenty paintings, which the whole world knows about and appreciates. However, for long periods of his career, which lasted close to fifty years, da Vinci wrote sketched detailed diagrams of the human anatomy. Da Vinci made many important discoveries such as the first accurate description of the human spine and the earliest known description of the cirrhosis of the liver. He spent years studying and dissecting cadavers, trying to understand how the human body functioned. He drew detailed sketches and explained how each organ operated. Perhaps the most impressive of all was his complete study of the human heart. He was the first person to discover that the heart had four chambers instead of two. Da Vinci also discovered that vortices helped close the aortic valve. Since he never published his research, these vital informations remained unknown for centuries. Da Vinci remains to this day a truly phenomenal human being because he was researcher and a scientist who could actually draw perfectly. This special talent gave him the ability to produce remarkable and detailed drawings of the human body and at the same time to explain how every part of the human body functioned.  Da Vinci’s extensive work, known as Anatomical Manuscripts, can be found in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.

Don't Knock It Until You Try It

Imagine a scoop of white, velvety, smooth, creamy, mint ice cream (asyndeton) bursting with chunks of decadent dark chocolate pieces (pathos). As soon as it hits the tip of your tongue, your brain senses the sweet perfection of the mint ice cream and as soon as that melts away, you are left with hunks of dark, luscious chocolate to savor and feast upon. The second spoonful is highly anticipated by your brain and your taste buds. Once that second spoon enters your mouth, the flavors are enhanced to a point of nirvana. Then the third and the fourth and the fifth and the final spoonful (polysyndeton). Desperately, you maneuver your spoon, gently clinking the sides of the glass bowl, looking for one additional morsel to devour. Alas, there is none. You resign and wait patiently for another day in anticipation of having another scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream made by Haagen Dazs. Eating this ice cream is truly a wonderful experience.  It transports you directly to heaven for a short period of time and you lose track of what is happening around you. When you are finally jolted back into reality, it leaves you with sweet memories of that chocolaty, minty goodness.