All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Advice/How To

Is it worth it to get a waterbed?

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By: Jimmy Somerville

Today I am asking the question: Is it worth it to get a waterbed in 2020?

I have slept in a waterbed for around a year, pretty much every night, so I will be telling you if it’s worth it or not from my own personal experience (so this will be pretty much all opinion based).

First off, I got the water bed in Christmas of 2018 because I wanted it after randomly getting the idea of wanting one. My dad thought it was a cool idea and we never really told my mom until it arrived, which she was not happy about. We found a waterbed on Amazon for, I think around $50-$60 bucks, so pretty cheap for a bed.

Filling the waterbed up was no easy task, as my dad had to buy supplies from Home Depot in order to get the water from the bathroom sink into my bed which are probably around 15 feet away from each other.

Once it was set and situated, it was very comfortable, and felt really good, although it felt strange at first lying on it as water was moving around and I could hear it.

I believe it is noticeably comfier than a normal mattress.

One complaint I had is that we didn’t want to buy a waterbed heater because that would get expensive, so I layered the water bed up with a couple blankets and I still got slightly cold by the chilly water.

Eventually, I wanted to move out of my brother’s room into my own room, so I had to leave the waterbed, but part of the reason I moved was because my lower back started hurting, which I thought could be because of the water bed. Once I switched beds, my back did stop hurting after a month. It could’ve just been a coincidence, because it was never any serious pain but I think the water bed was at least a partial cause of the back pain.

To answer my original question, I do believe it can be worth it to get a waterbed because it is very comfortable and surprisingly cheap, but it can get annoying easily and it may have caused back pain for me, but actually, many websites say it is supposed to help relieve back pain, so who knows.

At the end of the day, I’d rather sleep in a waterbed over a regular mattress 4 times out of ten, so technically, I prefer a normal mattress. And we never bought a frame for the waterbed, so it sort of rounds at the side of it which I imagine made it less appealing and perhaps less comfortable.

Thanks for reading!
-Jimmy Somerville

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Getting To Know/History

What is money laundering?

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By: Caden Ligman

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crimes estimates that annually, up to $2 trillion was made from illegal businesses globally. In the U.S. alone, this number is about $300 million, about two percent of the US’s economy. However, in order to cover up this illegal revenue, criminals hide their money. In order for them to actually be able to access their money they must be able to hide, and move their funds. Therefore, criminals resort to money laundering.

Money laundering is the process of cleaning illegally obtained money from its criminal origins. Placement, layering, and integration are the three basic steps involved in money laundering.

Placement is when Illegally made money is invested into companies or operations that seem legitimate. This is done by depositing large amounts of money into a bank account by posing as someone else. Depositing large amounts of money into a bank account however can raise suspicions among the feds.

The second step is layering. Layering is the process of distancing the funds from their origin. For example, someone who is laundering money might purchase real estate or expensive cars. This allows money launders to store their wealth in assets.

The last step, which is integration, Is the process of re-entering the money into the economy so that it can be spent or invested. Money launderers may invest in a legal business where they will claim payment by producing fake invoices that were never actually paid.

Money laundering has potential devastating economic, and social consequences. America’s greatest threats, such as drug dealers, terrorists and arms dealers, use money laundering to grow their operations. According to a report done by the U.N., laundering costs countries around the world $800 billion to $2 trillion each year. Money that is laundered also goes untaxed which results in higher taxes for average citizens.

There are also social effects money laundering has, money laundering also drives up the cost of government because of the need for extra law enforcement.

Today, the United Nations, and national governments, fight against money laundering, yet this practice still plays a major role in global crime. Not only have individuals practiced money laundering, but governments and high ranking officials have as well. No one knows for sure the total amount of money laundered around the world each year, but some believe it to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

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Science/Nature

Global warming over the past 100 years

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By Nora Doyle and Liv Miller

Global warming, by definition, is the unusual rapid increase in the earth’s average surface temperature over the past century. There are many different views and opinions regarding climate change and how much of an impact it has, or will cause, on the earth. Whether we choose to believe it or not, global warming is a huge issue affecting our earth and it’s only getting worse, and needs to be resolved.

To break it down, there are certain gasses in the atmosphere called greenhouse gasses. According to Biologicaldiversity.com, those gasses allow shortwave radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and warm the Earth’s surface. The energy that then radiates from the surface is called “long wave radiation”. That radiation is trapped in by the greenhouse gasses and then warms the land, oceans, and air. This whole process is called “the greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse effect is not bad in itself, it actually is what keeps our earth warm, and we wouldn’t be able to survive without it. It’s when coal, oil, and natural gasses are burned at such a high rate that start to create a problem because they are sending enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that can’t be absorbed quickly enough. This is what is causing global warming.

Scientists have said that global warming most likely started around the late 1800s, but recently, they have been led to believe that it could have started even before that, around the early 1800s.

As far as to when it was discovered, there were many people who had findings of global warming, but their ideas weren’t fully processed so it never was made public. There were many events that led up to how global warming was made an issue. There was never a breakthrough to some long awaited mystery as to why the earth was getting warmer, as much as multiple scientists, mathematicians, etc. were piecing together findings over the years. But according to Theguardian.com, there was a Swedish chemist by the name Svante Arrhenius who “became the first to quantify carbon dioxide’s role in keeping the planet warm. He later concluded that burning of coal could cause a “noticeable increase” in carbon levels over centuries.” So, if you are searching for a founder there’s your guy.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the August 2020 average global land and ocean surface temperature was +0.94 degrees celsius (1.69 degrees F) above the 20th century average of 12.7 degrees C (54.9 degrees F). This year’s temperature increase is the second highest temperature since global records began in 1880. Only August 2016 was warmer with an average temperature of +0.98 degrees C (1.76 degrees F). Since 1880, the global temperature has increased by 0.8 degrees C or 1.4 degrees F.

Why should we be concerned about a 1 degree increase in global temperature? Well, according to ‘The World Counts,’ “global temperature primarily depends on the amount of energy it receives from the sun and how much of it is radiated back into space.” The numbers should barely, if even at all, change, unless there is another factor “affecting the change in temperature. The amount of energy that the planet radiates back into space is dependent upon the chemical composition of our atmosphere – like greenhouse gases.”

So if this is such a disaster, what are we doing about it now? Short answer; clearly not enough. Although, according to ‘National Geographic,’ countries around the world did acknowledge that they needed to do something about climate change back in 2015 with the Paris Agreement. This agreement was to make pledges to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Scientists are also currently “working on ways to sustainably produce hydrogen, most of which is currently derived from natural gas, to feed zero-emission fuel cells for transportation and electricity. Other efforts are aimed at building better batteries to store renewable energy.”

People are switching to solar powered energy as well. There are many organizations that are trying their best to raise awareness and collect donations to stop climate change. If more people believed in it and participated, we could maybe start to see some real change.

Another topic of discussion is about what happens if we do something about climate change and why we should. We should take action against climate change because it affects our oceans, our weather, our food sources, and our health. Sheets of ice like in Greenland and
Antarctica are melting. The new water from melted glaciers causes sea levels to rise and spill out of the oceans causing floods. Warmer temperatures cause extreme weather. This extreme
weather includes droughts that make it harder to grow crops. Water supplies are limited for plants and animals. If we don’t do anything about it, all of these things will get much worse,
putting all lives on earth at danger.

Advice/How To

What is mental health?

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By: Grabe Blumer-Lamotte

According to MentalHealth.gov their definition of mental health is, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.”

If you experience certain mental health problems over the course of your life, your thinking, feelings, behavior, and mood could be changed. There are many factors that can lead to mental health problems, including: biological factors such as genes, and the way your chemicals in your brain work; life experiences, like trauma and/or abuse, and finally, any past mental health problems in your family. 

Some early symptoms, according to MentalHealth.gov, can consist of, “Eating or sleeping too much or too little, pulling away from people and usual activities, having low or no energy, feeling numb or like nothing matters, feeling helpless or hopeless, smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual, feeling angry, upset, worried, or scared, yelling or fighting with family and friends often, experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships, having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head, thinking of harming yourself or others, inability to perform daily tasks.” If you have any of these early symptoms I strongly suggest talking to a trusted adult about making an appointment with your doctor to talk about them. 

Everyday people that struggle with mental health problems are often told: that they are “faking it,” “it’s just a mental thing,” “that is something you decide to have,” and many more little comments that are very degrading to the mental health community. Making those comments not only hurts the person you said it to, but it also makes the mental health community less important. You are stating that everyone that has a mental health problem is just faking it and they can just fix it right away.

If you are in need of help the numbers given below could help save a life.

  • National helpline, 800-662-HELP (4357)
  • Child abuse, (800) 422-4453
  • Suicide Prevention hotline, (800) 273-TALK (8255)
  • Rape, Sexual Assualt, Domestic Violence, and Incest helpline, (800) 656-HOPE
  • Eating Disorder helpline, (800) 931-2237
  • Planned Parenthood hotline, (800) 230-PLAN (7526)
Science/Nature

Burning wastes and its effects

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By Olivia Kendle

Many people think that it is a good idea to burn trash rather than put it in a landfill. Many parts of the country have waste incinerators to burn much of their trash. This article will look at how waste incinerators might not be the best way to handle trash.

First of all, the economics of incinerators might not be as good, because they are more expensive to run, and they are risky investments. Tip fees, which are the fees paid by the trash haulers, are more expensive than the alternative of composting and/or recycling. In one city, they discovered that recycling $18 per ton, and incineration cost $50 dollars per ton.  

Incinerators are also another form of environmental injustice. The people working and living by the incinerators are often exposed to toxic pollutants such as mercury and lead. They release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and also dangerous ash. Also, many people with low-incomes end up coming to work at incinerators.

There are 76 incinerators around the country, out of 23 states that have made incinerators legal. In many states, incinerators are classified as “renewable” energy. According to the Institute for Local Self- Reliance; “The perverse designation of incineration as ‘renewable’ subsidizes a practice that wastes energy, kills jobs, and produces toxic pollution.” By recycling and composting, etc., you are opening jobs for others, but also creating a safer and healthier environment for you and everyone else around you. 

So, as you can see, incinerators are not only hurtful to the environment but to people and creatures around it. They are more expensive than just recycling or composting and they don’t really make renewable energy. We should take another look to see if we want to use waste incinerators over other healthier ways to dispose of our trash.

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Advice/How To, Travel/Food

How to make better burritos 

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By: Quentin Miller

So, you want to make a better burrito, well I’m here to explain the best ways to improve the way you craft it. This isn’t a specific recipe, think of it more as an overall guide of how you’re doing a lot of things wrong. 

Well, the first thing you’re probably doing wrong is the tortilla. If I had to guess, you’re using a really thick doughy tortilla, stand up right now and go look at the brand of tortilla you’re using, if it’s Mission you’re already not doing good.

You’re going to want to start with a much thinner tortilla with more fat; it makes it stretchier and easier to fold. If you’re homemaking tortillas, first, good luck, and second, just experiment with flour and fat combinations until you get something that feels right for you.

Next thing you’re probably doing wrong, you’re probably just making hamburgers wrapped in a tortilla judging off how much spice there is.

Now, I’m not going to judge anyone for using store bought taco seasoning, because truth be told it actually isn’t that bad. But, it’s far from perfect.

So, you’re going to start with chili pepper as the body of your seasoning, from there, you’re going to add the following ingredients to your preference 

  • Cumin
  • Garlic/onion powder
  • Salt and ground black pepper (you can add a lot of salt if you’re into that)

Also, you’re going to want to add cayenne for extra spice. If you’re too weak to handle some spice, substitute for extra black pepper.

Finally, if you want even more spice, add some hot sauce. You’re going to want something very spicy because if you drown your pan in hot sauce it’s going to be too wet. My personal favorite choice is “Desert Creatures: Black Widow’s Kiss.” I add about 6-8 drops of this into my pan while I mix the seasoning and meat (full disclosure, I have an extremely high heat tolerance and should not be the standard for how much spice should be in your food).

We’re almost done here, only two steps left.

So, the filling of the burrito is surprisingly not important. You can use any meat you want really, chicken and ground beef are really the only options people consider and that’s for good reason.

For ground beef, make sure you brown it to your preference, you’re going to want it pretty much 100% brown.

Next, for vegetables, just do whatever you want. I like just onion, but any pepper isn’t bad and some weirdos like avocado, just do what you want and make sure it fits comfortably in the tortilla.

Once again, cheese is just a preference thing. I love myself some ghost-pepper jack but cheddar is just fine. Really, any cheese with cheddar-like properties (ability to melt and texture/consistency) works fine. 

Last step, folding your burrito.

Now, I’m not going to actually tell you how to fold it; if you don’t know how to I don’t know why you’ve read this far on a burrito improving guide – you need to go back to the basics.

Now, after you folded the burrito in a stable way, you’re going to get the pan you warmed your tortillas on. Get it very hot and sear the top and bottom of your burrito, this’ll seal the fold and add a mouth watering light crunch to the tortilla.

Congrats! You’re done now, if you followed every step you will now have the most spicy burrito possible. If you wussed out on a few of the extra spicy steps, you’ll still have a considerably better meal.

A lot of these techniques require a lot of trial and error, so don’t expect to get the perfect burrito first try! Just keep trying and eventually you’ll be making burritos like a pro.

Music/Concerts

Females in the rap industry

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By: Irene Cohen and Ellie Mulvaney

From the start of the rap scene in the early 1970’s, the genre was catered almost exclusively towards men. Even to this day, women aren’t taken as seriously as their male counterparts despite the skill that they bring to the table, due to the lack of representation.

These women have historically used their influence to speak out on issues that prevail as unjust in our society, and to this day, work to shed light on the unspoken voices of other women, and black people, around the country.

A recent example of the media predominantly failing to consider women as serious artists was the Nicki Minaj versus Cardi B “feud” that sparked roughly 3-4 years ago. Over and over, the two were painted as temperamental and petty, though these misconceptions majorly came to be under the false standard that there may be only one true queen of rap. A fellow female in the rap scene, Megan thee Stallion, told ‘Billboard’, “Us women have always been talented. But it was a thing where there could only be one woman at a time.”

Because of the lack of mainstream female rappers, fans and consumers put these women under the type of scrutiny many men don’t have to deal with. They are less seen for their talents than for their rumored competition and scuffles, despite how true they may be. Cardi B herself said, in an interview with ‘Complex’, in 2017, “I feel like people wouldn’t even be satisfied if me and [Nicki] was making out on a freaking photo, I feel like people just want that drama because it’s entertaining.”

Regardless of the relationship of Nicki and Cardi, they were charged by the pressure to dominate female rap, rather than encouraged together, simply because of their gender and the lack of credibility given to their craft.

Certain female rappers have voiced their thoughts on the inequalities that many of them face being black women. Queen Latifah’s song “U.N.I.T.Y.” showcases this by speaking on issues such as sexism in the rap industry’s culture, sexual harassment, and domestic violence.

However, that was not the only song in which she used her platform to speak on important issues. On her song “Ladies First”, she collaborates with rapper Monie Love to advocate for the union of women, and to not be pitted against each other. They also expressed their pride and love for being women.

Queen Latifah is far from the only female rapper to speak out on social issues. More recently, Megan Thee Stallion has spoken about the injustices black women face all around the country. Megan spoke out on SNL about how Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron did not bring justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

She later on went to say in a ‘New York Times’ opinion piece that “When women choose to capitalize on our sexuality, to reclaim our own power, like I have, we are vilified and disrespected.” She says this in reference to many judging her choice of clothing claiming she’s doing it for male attention. She says much more in this article, such as how black women’s bodies are constantly being put under a lens by the public and the media. This opinion piece covers an array of issues black women face, the title of it embodies the article very well: “Why I Speak Up for Black Women.”

Women in the rap industry have had to, and continue to, face many hardships and discrimination both in their career and in their lives. Despite this, these women rise up to become successful. Their success is incredibly inspiring to so many, especially since they are able to use their platforms to spread their beliefs and advocate for the change, for equality, not only in the rap industry, but for black women everywhere.

Advice/How To

How to increase “happy brain chemicals”

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By: Joxery Mezen Camacho

Our brain is full of many different chemicals that control and impact our nervous system. There are over 100 chemicals in your brain and every single one is important for your brain to function! I am going to talk about four important chemicals in our brain that can lead to an increase in happiness and how to increase them to help you get in a better mood! 

Dopamine 

The first chemical is dopamine. This chemical is meant to help motivate you to go forward and complete big goals and tasks! Dopamine is a kind of reward chemical and these are just a few ways to increase it: 

  • Completing a task (big or small)
  • Eating food
  • Filling in a checkbox 
  • Celebrating small wins 
  • Doing self-care activities 

Oxytocin

The next chemical is oxytocin. This chemical is what causes humans to be such social creatures! The feelings of happiness it releases during positive social interactions is something that drives us to be social! It also helps fight stress and improve your relationship! Here are a few ways to increase oxytocin: 

  • Playing with a baby
  • Hugging your family and friends 
  • Playing with a dog
  • Giving a compliment 
  • Opening up emotionally 

Serotonin

The next chemical is serotonin. This chemical is known as a mood stabilizer which can also lead to feelings of happiness! A few ways to increase it are: 

  • Getting bright light from the sun
  • Meditating 
  • Exercise
  • Massages 
  • Spend time in nature

Endorphin

The final chemical is endorphin. This chemical works to relieve pain and stress! A few ways to increase endorphin chemicals are: 

  • Watching a comedy
  • More exercise 
  • Eating dark chocolate 
  • Laughing exercises 
  • Essential oils

These four chemicals are very important and play vital roles in our brain. The ways listed to increase these chemicals are all natural and things anyone can try. Some may work better than others, so give them all a try and see what works the best for you!! 

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Fashion/Make-Up

Gender and fashion

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By Grace Helmke 

Our society entirely revolves around judging a person based on how they look. We attempt to discern who this person might be through the things they wear, the style of their hair, or the makeup they put on.

Since the day we are born, we have been taught to think a certain way about these choices in style. If a person wears a dress, then they’re a girl. Men can only wear pants. Only women can wear makeup.

Stereotypes surrounding gender and fashion, that have captivated society for centuries, are shifting. Slowly, generations are breaking the bonds of traditional ideals, questioning what is taught, and making their own rules. 

As we are discovering more and more about gender as a social construct, we are learning about fluidity in the fashion world; an industry that has long been the source of exclusion on all spectrums. In a lot of places, websites and stores are continuing to play into the binary definition of gender.

However, there has recently been a wave of gender fluid, or gender inclusive apparel companies. Runway ready brands like Rich Mnisi, Eckhaus Latta, and Older Brother, lead the pack of designer wear that does not conform to gender norms. They have disregarded the tradition of categorizing by gender, and have placed merchandise under types of clothing (trousers, sweater, blouses, etc…) 

The Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston, has also questioned the idea of gender stereotypes through a garment exhibition called “Gender Bending Fashion.” The exhibit discusses gender identity as a spectrum, and explores clothing in history that has challenged what was widely accepted in society. 

This movement of discovering one’s own identity in clothing, and disregarding the norm, is present in the stars. Billy Porter (he/him) is an actor and singer who has defied any and every societal standard. He questions what masculinity and femininity really is through his own self expression.

Porter has captured the attention of many in a number of ensembles. He has graced the red carpet in ball gowns, glistening onesies, and golden winged garb.

Another celebrity who defines his own dress, is Jonathan Van Ness, a gender nonconforming (preferred pronouns are he/him, but is okay with being called she/her or they/them as well) influencer who gained recognition through the Netflix show ‘Queer Eye.’ His signature style revolves around heels, skirts, and a handlebar mustache. He is melding attire traditionally associated with men and women, and creating his own definition of fashion as it relates to his own identity.

Like many issues that are faced in America, and around the world, there is still a lot of progress to be made. But with gender becoming an increasingly talked about topic, stores are beginning
to shift more and more towards gender inclusive branding.

Exhibitions are being created to get it out to the public that clothing is fluid, and there are historical fashion rebels that have defied society in order to be themselves. Figures such as Billy Porter and Johnathan Van Ness are just two of the many leaders who challenge what is considered normal, inspiring others to wear what they love, instead of what is accepted. 

Getting To Know/History

The terror of Genhis Khan 

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By: Mohamed Ahmed

Childhood and young adulthood

There is a lot controversy around Genghis Khan’s childhood. Based on information from multiple sources, this is the basic background of Genghis Khan’s early life. He was born superior to others. In his blood flowed the blood of the great Khabul Khan. When he was born he had a blood clot and to the superstitious Mongols that meant that he was destined to become a great ruler. 

When he was nine his father was poisoned by a rival tribe. He wanted to take charge of his clan immediately but the clan refused to acknowledge a nine-year-old. His family was removed from power and he was enraged. 

He soon later killed his half-brother and became the leader of the Mongols. 

Rise to power 

Genghis was captured by another tribe at age twenty, and was tortured but he wouldn’t submit. When he escaped his reputation spread like wildfire. 

He wanted to unite all of the Mongols so he made an elite fighting unit. He used that squad to one by one unite the smaller tribes into his own. Then he would draft the men from the tribes that he beat. 

His force was over twenty thousand strong when he went up against the rival tribe that killed his father. He easily defeated them and went on to his next revenge. 

His next target was the tribe that tried to enslave him but couldn’t because of his iron will. He beat them and boiled all of their chieftains alive. 

He beat one more tribe before he had full control of Eastern Mongolia. 

He planted spies and knew the importance of intelligence using his spies to figure out military strategies and to assassinate rival strategists and key opposition members. He used new tech from enemies he defeated. He used many communication techniques so that his troops could adapt mid battle and receive commands long distance. 

The reign of terror/benevolence 

He made sure the quality of his troops was high and didn’t let anyone in his army who wasn’t an expert at horse riding and close range combat. Genghis had elite troops that could handle horses with just their legs so they could shoot arrows or use their lance, shield, javelin, or dagger with their hands. 

Genghis knew that a battle wasn’t only the men at the front so he had carts with extra supplies, officials who cataloged the plunder, and shamans who could give spiritual support, raise troop morale, and even treat the wounded. 

The shamans then bestowed the title of Khan on him. 

He then, with all of Mongolia with him, conquered the Xi Xia province of China in only two years, and earned the unconditional support of its people. He then attacked the Jin Dynasty, and had an epic battle that lasted twenty whole years. 

While that was happening, he had diplomatic relations with a combination of Turkey, Afghanistan, and Persia. These relations were destroyed, when he sent a caravan with 450 men, and they were executed as they were thought to be spies by the Turkey, Afghanistan, Persia group. 

Genghis then sent three diplomats. The lead diplomat was killed and the other two’s beards were shaved. They returned in shame. Genghis Khan then invaded their dynasty with 200 thousand men and razed city after city. In only two years he forever destroyed this dynasty. 

He started an age that had many morals and values and brought law to the war torn lands and even made it a meritocracy. He made religion free choice, and even made a mail system that was better than the ones for the next few centuries. 

For more information, please visit:

  • infographics.com
  • Biography.com
  • ancient.eu