To Read the Diary of Anne Frank ~ By Cara Haley

      Anne Frank was truly one remarkable girl, and her diary is as extraordinarily significant as she.  She lived through a war, and even though she was unable to survive, the thoughts that she simply wrote down still lives on today. She was an individual who had a fiery soul of passion.  And of course, she never chide herself from asking questions about the things that were unknown to her or were said to be right. 

  The reason why I admire Anne Frank so greatly is because she was a realistic person with real struggles. Even through difficulties, there were her own personal inner difficulties that required exerting mental actions. Somehow though, she still saw life as a beautiful blessing that underwent a few curses. She emphasized that we all have our own decisions to make, and no matter the guidance our parents give us, the ultimate choice is ours.  

  The Diary of Anne Frank was truly a heartfelt written out in words, and those words  expressed her curious thoughts. Nothing in life is left to the point of being completely meaningless. Instead of having no values, she looked at life as a moment that will pass on by, and said that it was selfish to cling unto that. Anne's  young heart was filled with life and compassion for others.  I truly have respect for her bravery and her selfless ambition. Her words that are written will not be forgotten, but  remembered for hope. Those wise words will never fade away. But ""who would ever think that so much went on in the soul of a young girl?" Anne Frank is one incredible individual who expresses such unimaginable emotion in her dairy.  I strongly advice one to read it if they have not already. It will rouse your thoughts, and it might even change your perspective on a few things. The most important though, it will allow you to enter a mind that watched and documented the moment the world seemed to have been ending. 

                A Little Inspiration ~ By Cara Haley

      Life can be difficult, when is it ever not? But we are stuck  living in it, and we ought to at least have a passion in mind, especially when going through implacable times. A little inspiration is always needed, especially in a middle of a distressing week. So here are some musing words that I hope will leave you imbued, and ready for the day with a flaming ambition. 
 

  

  

 

The Elephant Man By Hannah Haley

     The Elephant Man is a book written by Christine Sparks that was published in 1986. It's a book that beholds an inspiring story of a man, John Merricks, who is trapped in his grotesque body. With a past that is beyond living hell, he is tortured and known as the Elephant Man. Silence is his greatest plea. Despite his mental disabilities and deformed body, he still finds joy in a hopeless life. 

     Thus, the man who brings hope to the helpless Elephant Man is Dr. Treves. While Dr. Treves is out to do good in the world, he often forgets of his own struggles. Through ugly mistakes and bitter memories, Dr. Treves finds John Merrick trapped in a abusing world. Both of the men help each other, significantly, through this one small journey of life. By this tedious journey, they both find joy and understanding. With compassionate souls, the two men become friends.

     Christine Sparks shows through this story that beauty can be found through the ugliest things. Beauty that is not seen through sight, but seen through the mind. This book teaches one not to judge others by their appearance, but to have mercy upon their hardships. If you show a person one bit of kindness, it can go a long way and change their life. You could help someone find oneself, allowing that someone to see their true form.

  I particularly loved this book because it allowed me to open up my heart, eyes, and mind to something that most would turn away from. If you want to know what an impact you might have on someone, I encourage you to read The Elephant Man. It's a story that will allow you to open up and allow exquisiteness to be seen through your heart. 

Why Failure is Actually a Good Thing by Christina Barron

Failure: "lack of success"

Nobody likes to have that word applied to anything. Be it themselves, a plan, an intangible concept - anything. The word failure automatically makes your heart start to split.

But it doesn't have to!  

A couple of weeks ago, one of my speech and debate club's coaches shared a very interesting article with all of the students, titled "You've fallen 99 times? You're hired!" written by Brandon Marshall. Read the full article HERE. She shared it, not to point out that some of us are less successful speakers and debaters than others - but as a note of optimistic encouragement meant to inspire us. 

The article talks about how employers should prefer job applicants who have fallen 99 times and only succeeded once over the ones who have succeeded 100 times. But why would an employer want to hire "failures"? 

Basically, failure can be a good thing. It is a sign that you actually bothered to take risks. Most people would much rather play it safe and stay in mediocrity rather take a risk that will either have them labeled a “success” or “failure”. An example of this would be not taking the SAT or ACT at all just because you might get a less than fabulous score. You will never know the results of that “might” until you take a risk and try! Yes, it could result in “failure”, but it could also result in “success”.

By taking a chance and exposing the possibility of failure, you build your strength and character by exercising determination. When all you do is succeed, you’re not risking or accomplishing anything. All you are doing is staying cozily preserved in your warm comfort zone. But to grow, you have to get out of that zone and try something new, which could quite possibly, result in failure.

So, next time you take a risk and fail, instead of throwing a pity party and giving up; simply pick yourself up, learn from your mistake, and keep trying. Failure is a good thing because it causes you to take risks that grow you into a much stronger person than you would be if all you did was succeed. 

Mhmmm, Chocolate By Hannah Haley

It's a evidential fact: Chocolate is the best candy there it! Now, if you beg to differ, might I tell you that the most popular candy to eat during the holidays is chocolate. Chocolate shaped hearts, bunnies, trees, you name it! People often buy chocolate because it is bound to bring happiness for loved ones. As Valentine's approaches, much of us know that thousands of people are going to take delight in eating chocolate. Chocolate is just the best type of candy there is because it has so many varieties as it is while still being chocolate. Thus, if you're one of those chocolate haters: you're missing out on the enjoyment of life.

Well, it's not a fact that chocolate is the best candy there is, but it should be!

                                 

Political Scandal of the Week: Vaccines by Caleb Wright

The recent measles outbreak has inspired a sort of battle of wills in the political arena. Republicans are tripping over themselves trying to get their remarks about vaccines out, in an attempt to have influence on primary and general election voters. This vaccine outbreak originally started the place all wonderful things do: Disneyland. Since then, it has spread to 14 states with 102 different cases.

Now, it may not be a very popular opinion in homeschool-land, but vaccines are awesome. I would gesture to call them the most beneficial invention of the past two hundred years. As Melinda Gates said in an interview with the Huffington Post:

“Women in the developing world know the power [of vaccines]. They will walk 10 kilometers in the heat with their child and line up to get a vaccine, because they have seen death. [Americans have] forgotten what measles deaths look like.”

Mrs. Gates was referencing the growing movement of people against vaccinations, aka “anti-vaxxers.” Anti-vaxxers aren’t just hurting themselves and their children, but infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems unable to get the vaccines. They even harm children who get the measles vaccine, but fall into the <1% failure rate. Choosing not to get the flu vaccine is one thing (frankly, the flu vaccine is mostly guesswork), even though I get it every year. But, people who decline vaccines for measles and other diseases that used to be cured in the Western world are putting others at inherent risk.

Out of Republican Presidential hopefuls, three camps have emerged. First is the few who believe that vaccines should be mandatory; Ben Carson, a former pediatric neurosurgeon, is the only major player who has taken this stance. As he said in a statement to The Hill,

“Certain communicable diseases have been largely eradicated by immunization policies in this country and we should not allow those diseases to return by foregoing safe immunization programs, for philosophical, religious or other reasons when we have the means to eradicate them.”

Other Republicans, namely Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, have taken more moderate positions, with Gov. Christie telling The Hill in the same article that “parents need to have some measure of choice” in vaccinations.

Last come the potential candidates who don’t just advocate against the government forcing people to get vaccinated, but against vaccinations themselves. Sarah Palin (obviously) has believed this for years, and unfortunately, Rand Paul has adopted this position. Don’t get me wrong, I really try to like Rand Paul. But, he’s not making it easy for me to like him. As Vox News reported, he declared that he had:

“heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.”

In comparison, Hillary Clinton has come out strongly in favor of vaccines, using the hashtag “#GrandmotherKnowsBest.”

These differences will have important effects if this issue gets politicized in 2016. As the statistics-journalism site FiveThirtyEight found in an article worth checking out for the graphs alone, mandatory vaccinations were the issue Republicans disagreed with scientists the least on out of scientifically controversial issues, with a split of only 21%. Democrats were split with scientists by 10%.

This plays into the 2016 presidential election rather simply: the more conservative the voter, the more likely they are to vote in the primary. Someone like Ben Carson might lose the primary on mandatory vaccinations alone, while someone like Rand Paul would get a strong boost from a skeptical view of vaccines.

However, in order to win the general election, a candidate can’t just win conservatives. He has to be able to appeal to Republicans, independents, and even some disillusioned Democrats. Someone perceived as anti-science like Rand Paul does not have a chance of doing so.

Too many of the potential candidates are focusing only on the primary instead of the general election, instead of keeping both in mind. In order to win both the primary and the general election, the eventual Republican nominee will have to recognize the need for parental choice, but at the same time not come out hard against vaccines. At the moment, only Chris Christie and Jeb Bush accomplish this.

Before You Post That Selfie by Christina Barron

Happy [insert selfie] Sunday!#SS #ChurchWasGreat #ootd #HashTagGameOnPoint #YouGetThePicture #NoPunIntended #CheesyBlogIntro 

If you happen to follow me on social media, you know that I myself am an occasional "selfie"*  poster, as is the majority of the teenage population. I don't have anything against selfies. I honestly think they can be a lot of fun and are a great way to promote [classy] creativity  and confidence, when taken and shared in moderation. 

However, the quote* below really sparks some deep thought that usually isn't a part of everybody's "everyday" selfie game. But it should be, especially for those of us who call ourselves Christians!  

Really makes you think, doesn't it? 

Physical attractiveness is merely skin deep, but the Lord looks at the heart. So next time you decide to post a selfie, I encourage you to remember that quote. Afterall, would you really want to share a picture of yourself with the world that is not a reflection of an genuinely attractive soul underneath? 

* "Selfie" is defined in the Merriam Webster online dictionary as "an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks"

*I am so sorry but I have been unable to locate the original source of the quote.  

Cool Hand Art by Anita Durairaj

These are some really art pictures done with hands. Enjoy!

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How to Get Your Business to Make More Money by Anita Durairaj

Have you ever had a business opportunity? Maybe a Lawn-Mowing Business or a tutoring opportunity or even a bake sale? Well, here is an effective way to attract more customers and make more money.
Let’s say business isn’t coming along well. What could be the problem? Well, unless you’ve got some dynamic idea to change the world, your average lawn-mowing business is just that: average. There are hundreds of such businesses out there and you’ve got to compete with them all. “Maybe, but mine is the best” you might be saying. So, why it is better? That brings us to our strategy:

 v  Tell the Customer What You’re First In

 “I’m the best” doesn’t cut it. All your customers have seen enough unreliable teenagers to laugh in your face at such a statement. However, even if you do list the strong points of your business, chances are your customers may still not be convinced. The key to getting into your customer’s mind is to be first. To illustrate this point, ask yourself these few simple questions:

Who’s the name of the first person to walk on the moon? Neil Armstrong, of course.
Who’s the name of the second person to walk on the moon?
Not so easy to answer, is it?

What’s the name of the highest mountain in the world? Mount Everest in the Himalayas, right?
What’s the name of the second? Who knows?

The first person, the first mountain and the first business is what is going to occupy the position in your customers’ minds. Kodak, IBM, Xerox, Hertz, Coca-Cola, GE. What do these brands have in common? They were all the first brands in their categories. And they’re still the leading brands today [A.Ries J. Trout, (1991/2003), Positioning: The Battle for your Mind.] To be first is to be invincible. But how can your business be first?

Well, ever heard of Amelia Earhart? She was the third person to fly the Atlantic Ocean Solo, but that’s not the reason she got famous. She was the first woman to do so. If you can’t be first in your category then set up a new category to be first in. And then tell your customers about it. Going back to the lawn-mowing example, you could advertise to your customers that you’re the only one in the neighborhood who does the front lawn and the backyard. Or maybe you can be the cheapest in your neighborhood. Whatever you can think of to be first in, the customers will simply lap it up!
One interesting strategy is the “against position”. An example of this can be seen in one of 7-Up’s advertisements; they called themselves The “Un-cola”. Avis did something slightly similar in one of their advertisements: “Avis is only No. 2 in rent-a-cars so why go with us? We try harder. When you’re not the biggest you have to… Why? Because we can’t afford to take you for granted. Go with us next time. The line at our counter is shorter.” [A. Ries J. Trout, (1991/2003), Positioning: The Battle for your Mind]

Tell your customers what you are, but also tell them what you’re not. Make yourself first in the customer’s mind. May the customer be ever in your favor!

Scientific Incentives to Give Better HUGS by Christina Barron

First... let me welcome you back to The Quirk! SAC Day's Journalism Class is really looking forward to this semesters' blog project! I hope you all enjoy our posts!

 Anyways, on to my article! 

 I don't know about you, but I personally love hugs. Interestingly enough, this morning, as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across this intriguing link that a friend of mine had shared. Naturally, since I am a hug enthusiast, I just had to click on it, and that click lead me to do some further research. So, here are some scientific incentives to give better hugs, more often!

 First of all, to understand all this business about what a good hug is and how to give one, let me briefly explain some of the science behind the bountiful benefits of hugging.

During a hug, a bonding hormone called Oxytocin is secreted into your bloodstream by your pituitary gland. This hormone serves to calm your nervous system, thus lowering your blood pressure and your cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Studies show that Oxytocin has the power to heal feelings of anger, loneliness, and depression. Another hormone, Serotonin, released during longer hugs, works to lift one's mood, resulting in a feeling of relaxed happiness.

These hormones work in harmony to increase your level of friendship by giving you a sense of belonging, thus boosting both you and your hugging partner’s self-esteem. Some studies even claim that hugs hold healing powers towards the immune system (somehow, hugs activate the thymus gland which balances the bodies white blood cell count) and can help relieve physical pain.

 So by now you’re probably wondering, “What kind of hug brings about these benefits?”?  It’s pretty simple really. Basically, “homeschool hugs” don’t usually make the cut. According to psychological research, a “good hug” lasts at least 15-20 seconds, and uses both of your arms. To make it an even better hug, give a gentle squeeze before you let go.  Bear hugs are the cool hugs I’m talking about!

Who should you hug, and how often? Although normally reserved for greetings and goodbyes just for close friends, good hugs should be given to everyone! You never know what someone could be going through inside – choose to be a bright spot in someone’s day by warming their heart with a hug! To be honest, I would hug everyone I know if I could, but I understand that not everyone likes being hugged. Some people aren't all that comfortable with physical touch because it just isn't one of their love languages  . I respect that, as should you! But for the rest of us who do enjoy and actually needs hugs, give them the good hug that they need as often as they need it! Psychologists recommend giving at least 8 hugs a day in order to reap all of the benefits. That’s not always possible, but it is definitely a great goal to shoot for!

So whether you personally enjoy them or not, hugs are awesome! They are such an easy gesture and they make you and your hugging partner feel happy, relaxed, safe, and loved all while supporting each others health. 

This is February. February is the month centered on the dreaded Singles Awareness Day beloved Valentine’s Day – a holiday devoted to love. So I present a challenge: during this month, every time you say "hi" to someone, go the extra mile and share the love by giving them a great hug!!! Here's my virtual hug to you: 

Come redeem your imaginary ticket for a real one next time you see me!