The Impending Takeover of the Universe

Firstly, I apologize for not writing in, like, forever. I was selected from my school for the Alameda County Science Fair, and I also happen to be on one of the debate teams from the South Bay Debate League selected for the Nationals. So, I've been trying to keep up with all that work, and my blog was left neglected. Well, here's yet another vocab paragraph I hope you'll find amusing.

          NEWS FLASH: A terrible calamity has come to pass. We are now officially immersed in a sea of annoying siblings! Completely sane siblings are growing extremely sparse and in some cities, are extinct! Mentally capable older siblings and parents have tried, but they foundered in the whining, screaming, and wailing of their children. They wish they could simply throw them out like the refuse the children turn any house they visit into. These relentless maniacs will not desist from sucking your very soul out of your body. Soon, they will preside over the universe, and we will be superceded by monsters less than half our age. And these horrible creatures won't even have to try. They will be perfectly sedentary as the rest of us unfortunate souls scurry around in fear, doing their bidding.

7 Delicious Microwave Recipes to Satisfy Any Late Night Craving

Everyone needs a self-indulgent comfort food to keep them company. Here are seven easy microwave recipes to keep you company and satisfy any craving.

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup

The classic chocolate chip cookie, new and improved. Whip one up all for yourself, in the microwave!

2. Nutella Mug Cake

The perfect 5-minute dessert for all you Nutella lovers!

3. Lemon Bars

Just plain lemony goodness... These might be good for a casual party or bake sale; they look fancy, but they're super easy to make!

4. Bacon

Bacon in a pan takes forever, and it's usually all gone in half the time it took you to fry it. So try this recipe for perfect microwave bacon!

5. French Toast

You can have this 2-minute French toast anytime of day to satisfy your sweet tooth. Add syrup to taste, of course.

6. Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake

These mug cakes are the greatest thing since sliced bread! Yet another delicious, warm, "cinnamony" mug cake. And it takes only 3 minutes!

7. Brownies

Chocolate indulgence, all yours in one minute! Literally.

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Well, enjoy your microwave desserts this weekend! :-)

Note: I do not own any of these images. Each one is from the site corresponding to the recipe.

Sorrow and Revenge — A Short Story

This is another one of those paragraphs I write for my English class. I know some of the vocabulary is too fancy for the piece, but I had to fit the words in somewhere! It also has a dark theme, which is different from my previous paragraphs. Enjoy!

          She peered out anxiously from the shadows. She heard loud, angry voices in the distance. The men were chasing after her brother, who was acting as a decoy while she escaped. Suddenly a gun shot followed by a bloodcurdling scream split the air. She ran, her feet pounding hard on the cement. Tears and mud streaked her face as she turned the corner. It started raining, adding to the gloomy milieu. Her legs burned with pain as the rain drenched her. Her wet hair whipped her as she ran furiously, never slowing. Her brother was dead. A calamitous accident had killed her parents just a year ago, and now she was on the run, escaping the cause of her pain. The only family she had left now was her aunt, who was shiftless but extremely cruel. Her aunt's goons we after her, while her aunt basked in her own filth back in her luxurious mansion. She turned into a deserted alleyway and ducked behind a trash can. It was raining heavily now, and she pulled some old newspapers around her to try to keep warm. She thought of how her mother used to be so pert and positive, but now her memory only brought sadness and regret. She tried to distract herself by digging through the trash can, but she found nothing to appease her voracious appetite. She leaned against the cold wall in despair. She slid to the ground, fondly remembering her parents and her brother, the warm meals they used to share, and the stories her father often regaled them with. Her brother's strange quirks used to drive her crazy, but she missed them now that he was gone. All at once, she snapped out of her reminiscing when she heard a loud yell. Deep voices approached. Tall figures blocked the dim light from the street. She held her breath and pressed herself against the wall. These men were dangerous, especially because they were brave. It wasn't gallantry; rather it was a fear of nothing. As soon as they were after someone a long chase always ensued. Their victims never escaped. The men advanced into the alley. She froze, listening. Then she saw them. They stepped in front of her. She heard one of the men cackle menacingly. They were quite overbearing, and she shrank back in fear. The accident flashed through her mind. The smiles, the laughter, then, the next moment, the crash and the blood. The tears began afresh, flowing down her cheeks, fast and warm. She was going to avenge her parents death. She stood up. A man fired at her. She ducked, and the bullet tore through the wall behind her. She raised her fist and punched the man closest to her, hard. He reeled back in pain. The men fired their guns, She grabbed the metal lid of the trash can, and, using it as a shield, kicked someone in the shin. She thrashed and flailed angrily, hitting everything in her way. She knocked the revolver out of one goon's hand and drove him to the ground. Suddenly, all was silent. She gazed upon the dead men around her. Then she turned on her heel and walked out into the street. 

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Here's to a day full of love.

Valentine's Day, agreed, is a day to show your love for your significant other. But I'd just like to establish that if Valentine's is the only day you show your love, your relationship is not going well. And hey, just because someone doesn't love you the way you want doesn't mean they don't love you with all they've got. Chocolates and roses aren't the things that matter. Okay, now that that's over and done with, let's get to what I was really meaning to write about.

It's common knowledge that women are regularly disrespected, patronized, exploited, labeled, denied rights, paid less, and overall just treated as inferior. "Now, women in the workforce are more likely to have at least a bachelor's degree than not. They're also making gains in occupations that traditionally have been dominated by men: doctors, lawyers, scientists and professors, to name a few. Today, women in their early 30's are just as likely to be doctors or lawyers as they are to be teachers or secretaries." "While the gender pay gap has narrowed over time, women who work full-time today make 78 percent of what men make, on average. The gap is even greater for women of color: non-Hispanic black women made 64 percent of what men made in 2013, and Hispanic women earned 56 percent of what men earned." "Only 12 percent of protagonists in the 100 top-grossing domestic films released in 2014 were female, down from 15 percent the previous year. The percentage of female major characters (defined as characters who appear in more than one scene and are instrumental to the plot) was the same in 2014 as it was in 2013, as was the percentage of female characters with speaking roles (major and minor)." Every 107 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Each year, there are about 293,000 victims of sexual assault. These rates are even higher in countries such as India, where 93 women are raped every day. Everyday, women are criticized about their bodies, and told they are not good enough. 

But that's not all.

Men are criticized, too, though the situation is not as bad as it is with women. Men are told that if they don't have a six-pack, they are not "real" men. That they have to be tall and muscular. That they have to have facial hair. Society is still too focused on a person's outward appearance rather than their personality.

 We are humans, not objects. And we are all built differently. Imagine a world where everyone looked the same. That would be pretty boring, wouldn't it? So, this Valentine's Day, go out and accept everyone for who they are and love them for being themselves. 

For more, visit:
http://www.businessinsider.com/sheryl-sandberg-presents-mind-blowing-stats-about-how-and-why-women-hold-themselves-back-2013-2
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/10/31/women-more-likely-to-graduate-college-but-still-earn-less-than-men
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/02/10/presence-of-female-film-protagonists-declined-in-2014-study-says?int=a3d208