An End

During 6th period on Friday, my phone started going off. It was my New York Times app informing me that Obama is to pull out all the troops in Iraq by the end of the year. This means that we as a country will be able to say that the war in Iraq is over. A war we've been in for 8 years now is going to finally be over.

Iraq

Being opposed to the war in Iraq, I thought this to be great news. When I received that notification 6th period, I even thought to myself, "Wow, I'm going to remember this moment for the rest of my life as the moment I heard the war was over". I was genuinely excited. Yet, no one else knew. I waited for the day to progress for there to be some sort of commotion and nothing happened. No one ever mentioned it. In fact, I still find myself informing people today about this news and its been almost five days now since it has been announced.

So many Americans don't know yet! When World War II was over, there was people dancing in the streets for crying out loud. It just seems that this time around, no one cares that the war is ending.

Now,  I understand that World War II had much more US casualties than the Iraqi war, but that does not make the Iraqi war insignificant! I'm not completely sure what kind of reaction I should expect from people when I tell them that the war is definitively over, but I want SOME reaction. Perhaps I just have not brought it up with the right people, but shouldn't everyone care? We are all Americans and it affects us all. 

The Fun Theory

In all honesty, some basic human responsibilities are dull. No one looks forward to recycling bottles, watering their plants, picking up their dog's poop, etc. This mixed with laziness is why our oceans are now poisoned by plastic, why house plants die of thirst, and why nice shoes are ruined by stepping in doggy poop. 

But what if these tasks were fun to do? 

The Fun Theory is an idea, created by Volkswagon, and it basically states that through fun, you can improve people's behavior for the better. Volkswagon not only applies this theory while designing new cars, but they also set up an international competition based on this theory. The winner was selected by a panel of Swedish experts in environmental issues and behavioral science. His name is Kevin Richardson and for his idea, he won 2,500 euros. A video of his idea and its application to real life can be seen here:  

After spending about an hour on the website for The Fun Theory (thefuntheory.com), looking at all the cool ideas, I have concluded that it is INGENIUS. And many of these ideas could legitimately benefit society. My favorite theory being that you can get more people to use the stairs instead of the escalator by making it fun to walk up the stairs. People in Stockholm did this by transforming a staircase, next to an escalator, into a giant piano. 66% more people chose the stairs instead of the escalator that day. The video of this theory can be seen HERE.     

I just have one problem with The Fun Theory though; When did it start having to be fun for people to do the right thing? In many of videos I have watched on the website they provide you with statistics about how the particular theory of the video actually changed human behavior. The difference between the numbers before The Fun Theory was applied, and after The Fun Theory was applied are astonishing. 

Nowadays, we live in a world where we constantly are entertained from our phones, our tvs, and our computers. Especially in America where in 2009, the percent of people who didn't use internet at their homes was at a low 31.3% (US Census Bureau). And since 2009 it seems logical that, that percentage has only decreased. 

These forms of constant entertainment make our duties to be a responsible human being seem boring and unappealing, which is why they're not getting done. I wish we lived in a world where most people didn't have to be amused to throw out their trash into a garbage bin instead of on the ground. But, until then, The Fun Theory is a nice solution. 

Your thoughts?

-Chrisanthy S

Incarcerated Ink

This past week in American Studies, we've been discussing civil rights at length. Me being a somewhat free spirited teenager residing in the North Shore (a very liberal area), I found myself being on the left side of all the civil liberties we put up for debate. But, I must admit, about a week ago I didn't think much of the first amendment. Honestly, I think I took it for granted.

Juan Pablo Pino

As mostly everyone knows, a good number of countries do not share nearly as many rights as we do. One country in particular has been in the news frequently lately for a completely absurd arrest. The country of Saudi Arabia recently arrested famous Columbian soccer player, Juan Pablo Pino, for wearing a sleeveless shirt in a mall. This shirt showed off Pino's numerous religious tattoos and so mall-goers complained to the Saudi police and had Pino arrested. In Saudi Arabia, it is against the law to not have your tattoos covered. Luckily, Pino was released the same day after expressing "deep sorrow." 


Saudi Arabia has also recently banned women from driving. If you needed any more evidence to help you understand the extremely limited amount of civil rights Saudi Arabia gives its citizens, this is it.


The thing that struck me the most about this story, was the panic I imagined Pino felt. Saudi Arabian police are definitely not the friendliest of people, perhaps they are even the scariest of people.


One could not even fathom this arrest occurring in America. Especially since tattoos are becoming increasingly popular here. Now, the right to have things like tattoos and body piercings seems to me like a right we take for granted. After hearing this story, I can sincerely say, I truly feel thankful to live in such a just nation. 


-Chrisanthy S


If you want more information on Pino, an article can be found HERE.

Mary Bach's Own 2 Cents

If a store charged you 2 cents more than the listed price would you say something? And what if they offered you a refund, would you still be mad? Mary Bach found herself in this situation at a Walmart store in Delmont, Pennsylvania. Mary bought a 98 cent sausage and Walmart charged her a full dollar for it. Her solution to the situation? Sue Walmart. She sued Walmart over the 2 cent overpricing even after they apologized and gave her a refund.

Mary Bach

My initial reaction to this news story was that Mary Bach was being completely ridiculous. 2 cents was not worth the time and money of a lawsuit. I also did not consider her a consumer activist like most news articles had been referring to her as.

As I dug deeper into my research of Mary Bach, I learned that this was her 5th lawsuit against Walmart. And all five lawsuits have been for the same problem.

Perhaps Mary Bach does feel strongly about consumer rights, and since Walmart has made this mistake (perhaps not even a mistake) so many times, they deserve to be penalized. Walmart is not known to be the most honest or fair company and maybe they need people like Mary Bach to set them straight.

But on the other hand, seeing as this is Mary Bach's 5th lawsuit against them, could this be a source of income for her? Walmart makes a small mistake, and since she is a consumer, she's allowed to cash in.

In America nowadays we see a fair share of stupid lawsuits, and I think that's why my initial reaction to Mary Bach's story was so negative. Just another person trying to make easy money is how I saw it. Now that I've had time to mull it over, I still find myself to be a little iffy on my opinion of Mary Bach. If you're really passionate about a cause, is it okay to make money off of it?

Please feel free to put in your own "2 cents".

-Chrisanthy S

A link to a news article about Mary Bach can be found HERE.