Party from the Twenties

      In the novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby throws an extravagant party every weekend. He has the city's best orchestra and caterers, and the wealthiest, most popular people attending. Gatsby spends so much money for his guests, yet so many people arrive who barely even know anything about Gatsby himself. However, everyone who goes to the party enjoys themselves. If I had $100,000 to spend on a party, I would make it as amazing a party as I could.
      The party would be in the summer, in a huge house on the beach shore.The theme of the party would be the "Roaring Twenties".  The entire house would be decorated with colorful, twinkling lights. The walls would be covered in newspaper articles reproduced from that era. All the food being served would be items that could be found in the United States during the twenties. Even the music would be a jazz band, and singers performing songs from the nineteen-twenties. I would do this, because I have always loved the Jazz Age in the United States, since it was a time where many people were happy and carefree. It was known as a time where people would enjoy themselves, and that is how I would want people to feel at my party.

Journalist Dies Trying to Get Shoes

      In a recent article reported by CNN, it was stated that a famous journalist named Marie Colvin died in Syria in bomb and rocket firings. Colvin was a New York native but worked for London's Sunday Times. She had been stationed in  Syria for the past year and had been reporting on the horrors there because of attacks claiming to be to find terrorists hidden in the country. Colvin had reported on the death of a young boy just the day before being killed. The boy had been hit by a piece of flying shrapnel from a bomb in his chest.
      Marie's mother, along with others, believes that she was targeted because of her last story, as well as for being known to report stories that were against the Syrian government. She had walked into a makeshift press center, taking off her shoes as was the custom. When she heard the bombings, she quickly tried to retrieve her shoes and leave the building, but a rocket landed a few yards away from her. Many brave reporters like Colvin have suffered similar fates. We must acknowledge their courage and relentlessness, because they risk their lives for something they believe in. Marie's family has created a fund in her name that will aid charities that she would have supported.

Jazz Music in the 1920s

      Throughout the  history of the United States, various trends have consumed the people for a decade or two. One of the most beloved, and well-known eras was the Jazz Age. This took place during the "Roaring Twenties" from approximately 1920 until 1930. A major aspect of the Jazz Age was Jazz Music. This was a revolutionary time for musicians experimenting with new styles of music. At first, Jazz Music was critized by the older generations who prefered more traditional styles of music, and were afraid it was tainting their culture. However, Jazz Music quickly took hold of the younger generations. It especially took off so quickly, as a form of response to alcohol prohibition which was also going on at about the same time.
      Some of the well-known musicians and bands of the Jazz Era were Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and other orchestras in Chicago and later on New Orleans. Most orchestras had approximately seven to twelve musicians in their group. Many of them could not pick their own material to perform, since their recording companies would do so for them. However, the music still flourished and quickly caught on. Its influence has become so strong, that many artists are still inspired by the music from that era. It has come to be known as one of the most joyous and reckless times in United States history.

Prison Sentence for Bullies

      The issues concerning bullying have been growing constantly, becoming more and more severe. In a recent article written by Paula Hancocks titled " Two Teens Sent to Prison for South Korean Bullying Suicide" it is clear that these issues have reached a fatal stage. Just last week a teen was said to have committed suicide by jumping off a building, stating in his suicide note the names of his bullies and the reasons for his actions. The bullies later confessed and face over three years in prison. The fifteen-year olds confessed to forcing the victim to play in online games, later on taking all his winnings, as well as stealing food from his home, beating him, and forcing him to eat food off the floor. The parents of the bullied student have filed a lawsuit against the school of their child, as well as the parents of the two bullies.
      This article shows how bullying is not only a major problem here in the United States, but also all over the world in places such as South Korea. It has become almost uncontrollable. This must be stopped in order to prevent young children and teens from feeling helpless and victimized by the torment caused from being bullied. For many teens, it seems as though they believe suicide is their only outlet. Therefore, measures must be taken to prevent any more teens from causing harm to themselves which can ultimately become fatal.

"Indian baby's case opens doors into a dark world"

            In a news article written by Moni Basu on Saturday, the story of a two-year old Indian girl's struggle for survival comes to light. Three weeks ago, a fourteen year old girl brought baby Falak to a New Delhi hospital claiming that she was her mother. The girl said that the baby was crying all night, and losing her temper, the girl began hitting her and biting her. She claimed that later on, the baby slipped and fell on the bathroom floor, and as her head began to swell the girl bandaged it. When Falak did not wake up the next morning, the teenager took her to the hospital. Doctors conducted surgeries in order to open up her airways, however they are still not certain if Falak will survive, or have permanent brain damage.
      The story of baby Falak, is similar to the stories of many other baby girls and women living in places such as India, Congo, and Pakistan. The problems with human trafficking, prostitution, and selling women into marriage constantly grow and remain unregulated. In a recent study, over forty-five percent of young women in India are sold into marriage before adulthood. This devastating story must be taken seriously by the Indian government in order to control and prevent cases like this from happening. Investigators have been looking into Falak's case, and have found her biological mother as well as older sister. Her biological brother is still missing. Police have also arrested ten men who are thought to be part of a human trafficking group.

"8 minutes pass before cops got sent to Powell home"

      This article was written by Gene Johnson and Mike Baker, describing a recent release of the 911 phone call regarding the Powell home's fire. On Sunday, Josh Powell locked himself and his two young boys in his home, and burned the house down, killing himself and both his sons. a social worker had dropped his sons' off for a supervised visit, but as soon as they ran through the door, Powell locked the social worker outside. As she smelled gas, and  heard crying from one of the boys, the social worker quickly dialed 911 to report what was happening. By the time the operator understood what the worker was trying to say, it was already too late. The officers were not dispatched in time, because the operator did not view the situation as a serious emergency. When the first dispatched officer arrived at the scene, the house had erupted in flames already.
      Five minutes after the original emergency call, Powell's sister called 911 as well, because she had just received emails from her brother stating that he could not live without his sons and instructing her what to do with his possessions. Powell had recently lost custody of both his sons. This article shows what could happen if people are not ready to interpret situations currently when they are faced with life or death situations. The operator should have been able to realize what was going on, and quickly sent help when the social worker asked for it. Situations like this can be prevented, with correct training and experience.

Nature Observations

      Today, in the late afternoon, I went outside and just looked at my surroundings. There was a sort of calm stillness in the air. It was slightly cool outside, but the sun still provided some warmth. I sat on one of the benches near our fire pit in the backyard and looked at the view. As I was looking, I realized that I do not spend much time outside in my backyard, just looking at the view. I could see all the tall buildings and sparkly lights flashing and reflecting off their windows. I realized that I could even see some of the backyards of a few of my neighbors. As I was looking, a little boy opened his patio door, and a dog ran out with him. They disappeared behind some bushes when the boy found a ball and threw it too far.
      As I was looking at the view, I heard a rustling sound behind me. When I turned to look, a couple of rabbits were scampering around in our yard. Whenever I am outside, I always see rabbits quietly munching on grass. When it realized I was looking at it, it stiffened to see if I was going to hurt it. When I did not get up to move towards it, it continued eating something in the grass. A slight breeze blew by, and it carried the scent of one of the rose bushes near where I was sitting. I remembered when we were younger,  my sister fell in the bush where the sweet smell was coming from, and scratched her arm. When it started getting darker and colder outside, I decided to go back inside.