Y. Code Talkers During WWII

In 20^th century wars we watched an interesting movie based on code talkers in World War II called, Windtalkers. It starred Nicholas Cage and was a great movie. I never knew that they used code talkers in the war and I found it quite interesting so I decided to look into it a bit more.

The Navajo language was used as code to communicate over radios. Communication is essential during wars to know when to attack and when to fall back. If an enemy can hear and know what you are doing, they automatically get the upper hand. Codes were frequently used over radios, and most often broken. In 1942 Philip Johnston came up with the idea to use a code that would be very hard to break, a code based on the Navajo language. Johnston presented this idea when he read in a newspaper that people were trying to use Native American language as code. Instead of making up new words they used words already in the Navajo vocabulary. For example, “fighter plane” became known as “hummingbird” and “battleship” became known as “whale”. A demonstration using the Navajo “code” went successfully and then enlisted 30 Navajo code talkers, one dropped out so 29 started the program. The program was successful and the marines were able to recruit an unlimited amount of Navajo code talkers. By the end of the war 420 Navajo men were code talkers. There were some cons of code talkers. They were often mistaken as being Japanese. Military leaders were also very skeptical of them and they had to prove themselves. Commanders often had to have a body guard for each code talker so that they would not be misidentified as a Japanese soldier. “The Navajo code talkers played a large role in the Allied success in the Pacific. The Navajos had created a code the enemy was unable to decipher.”

Overall, it is very interesting that the Navajo language was used and played a huge role in WWII.

Y. Ralph Wilson

Western New York lost a very special person yesterday on Tuesday, March 25^th. Ralph Wilson Jr. died at the age of 95. Not only was he the founder of the Buffalo Bills, he had a major influence on shaping the NFL. He was also a co-founder of the AFL. Wilson is also credited with initiating the merging of the NFL and the AFL. He was also inducted to the NFL hall of fame in 2009. Wilson is also responsible for bringing the Buffalo Bills to WNY and doing everything in his power to keep them here. The Buffalo Bills stadium is named after him and has been since 1998. Wilson Bought the Buffalo Bills for $25,000 in 1959 and at the time it was a very risky venture. Today the team is valued at roughly $870 million.

                Wilson died in his home in Detroit with his wife and children by his side. The death of Wilson has Buffalo fans upset. Not only is the founder and owner of our own Buffalo Bills gone, the fate of the Bills is unknown. The transfer of ownership of the Bills may take several years. For the time being it will be ran by a trust because no quick sale of the team is expected. The Bills are not in immediate danger of leaving WNY. It would be a $400 million dollar fee to get out of the lease the Bills currently have with WNY. In 2020 the final three years of the deal can be bought out for $28.4 million. So this is most likely the time the Bills will leave WNY, if not sooner.  In order to honor Ralph Wilson, one light was left on at the Ralph Wilson Stadium. Many previous players and people gathered to tell stories of his life and experiences shared with him.

X. SAFE Act

The NY SAFE Act is really stirring up a lot of commotion. Most people have firearms and feel comfortable having them in their home for protection. It is understandable why people are outraged that they want to take away something that is the 2nd Amendment in the Constitution.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"
 Here is what Governor Andrew Cuomo says about the NY SAFE Act

"The SAFE Act stops criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun by requiring universal background checks on gun purchases, increases penalties for people who use illegal guns, mandates life in prison without parole for anyone who murders a first responder, and imposes the toughest assault weapons ban in the country. For hunters, sportsmen, and law abiding gun owners, this new law preserves and protects your right to buy, sell, keep or use your guns."

- Governor Andrew Cuomo

I think this outrages people mostly because it is a right protected in the Bill of Rights. It is a right that has been extremely important since the country was founded. Now here's why I think the bill isn't going to stop violence: if someone truly wants to acquire a gun and can't due to the new law, they will find a way to no matter what. It is a nice thought that the SAFE Act will stop all crime and violence and shooting but it really won't. And so many people are so against this act. It really is cutting it really close to taking a right of ours away.
To even think it would be possible to have strict gun laws is crazy. So many people will be breaking the law and there will always still be a black market to get guns from.

X. St Patricks Day

Every year on St. Patrick’s Day my mom makes a special dinner. We have corn beef and cabbage. I honestly have no idea about the significance of this meal on St. Patrick’s Day so I decided to research it. What I found out was quite interesting. Corn beef and cabbage is not a traditional dish in Ireland. Bacon and cabbage was the traditional mean in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day. In Ireland only the wealthy people ate beef. When people from Ireland moved to New York City they looked for a substitute for bacon. Beef was much more affordable in the United States than it was in Ireland. People started making the beef the way they would make bacon. So corn beef is actually an American tradition rather than an Irish tradition. St. Patrick’s Day takes place on March 17^th every year. It has been recognized as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. Up until the 1970s Irish pubs had no choice but to be closed on St. Patrick’s Day. Now St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated widely in many different countries. In Dublin, Ireland approximately one million people take part in the annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Saint Patrick is the Patron saint and the national apostle of Ireland. People celebrate Saint Patrick because he is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. A theory for why St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17^th is because that was the day he died on. Shamrocks, green and gold and luck are associated with Saint Patrick’s Day. I don’t think many people know what they celebrate on Saint Patrick’s Day and they just use it as an excuse to have parties and consume alcohol. Overall my only Saint Patrick’s Day tradition is eating corn beef and cabbage. March 17^th is a day I look forward to each year!

W. Aspartame

                People turn to diet sodas as an alternative to sugar filled soda. However, though you are saving yourself the calories, the chemicals in soda are taking a toll on your body. Artificial sweeteners impact health very negatively in the long run.

                One of the most harmful chemicals in these artificial sweeteners is Aspartame. Aspartame contains Phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol. Aspartame is linked to cancer. Here is a list of a few side effects of Aspartame: seizures, neurological disorders, vision problems, brain tumors and weight gain. That isn’t even half of the side effects, just to give you an idea. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid impact the brain and the nervous system directly. Here’s something really interesting, researchers have found measurable amount of formaldehyde in people’s livers, kidneys, and brains that consume aspartame Formaldehyde causes serious health problems and is found in cigarettes, natural gas, exhaust from vehicles, power plants, and many more things. And this is just one of the dangerous chemicals found in artificial sweeteners. A few more dangerous chemicals in artificial sweeteners are Aceslulfame-K (carcinogen), Sucralose (cause shrinking of the thymus gland, liver and kidney dysfunction), and Saccharin (carcinogen).

                My mom has always drank diet soda, and not because it is the “healthier” alternative but because she likes how it tastes. It always concerned me because I know the dangers but I didn’t want to confront her and make her mad at me. But for the past two weeks, on her own, she has stopped drinking diet soda. It makes me very proud of her because I don’t want her to have health problems because of a drink. I am still very concerned though because she has consumed so much of it and I really hope it hasn’t had a negative effect on her.

The FDA approves of a chemical that causes cancer and is extremely unhealthy for people?

V. My Pals

As cheesy as it may sound I am truly blessed to have the friends I have. I watch other people I go to school with switch up their best friends all the time but I know that no one could ever come between me and my girls. I wouldn’t consider us a “click” but there really is no one else we hang out with. We have grown such a strong friendship going throughout middle school and high school together. We are all so close and spend every weekend together. We all trust each other so much. As lame as it seems they really are like my sisters. I mean I have a better bond with them than I do with my own sister.

    It truly scares me that next year I will go away to school and have to be without them for months at a time. I can’t see myself ever meeting such loyal friends. We all have so much in common and yet are so different at the same time. We do everything and go everywhere together. You know when you invite one of us someone all five of us are going to show up. We are definitely a package deal.

    I think for us this summer will be really fun and we will make it a great unforgettable summer before we start going in separate directions. No matter what though I know we will always be so close. And even if in 10 years we don’t talk much anymore I know that if we get together it will be like we never missed a minute. I could never ever picture what my life would be like without them and I wouldn’t even want to. I think everyone should have a couple of friends they are extremely close with because it really has such a positive impact on your life.

V. I'm Ready

    Do you ever just know when you are ready for bigger and better? With a semester and a half of high school left I am just completely done. I think the biggest way of showing that is that I missed the honor roll for the first time ever this past semester. But the thing is I’m not even Cupset about it. I wake up to come to school (almost) everyday and spend the day doing what I consider to be pointless work. I can’t wait to be in college and be working toward my career. I think high school is fun the first two years but there is a point when you realize you are ready to move on. I will miss seeing the same kids everyday next year but thats just a part of growing up. I understand that I am still a kid but in some ways I feel like I’m being treated more like a child now than in middle school. Like, really, I can’t go anywhere without a pass or I get a detention? Half of my grade is 18 years old but god forbid we are allowed to leave school for lunch. I really do understand rules are rules, but administration needs to realize we aren’t 8th graders and if we aren’t given respect we won’t give respect. It’s a funny thing really.

    I just hope the next three months fly by because being treated with so little freedom is not in any way preparing us for college. I feel like high school has not made me ready for the future at all. I’ve learned so much useless information but yet when it comes to living on your own and paying bills and such I’m completely clueless. I think our education system needs a reform, because throwing kids into the real world without knowing anything really won’t do justice for anyone.