Thankfulness on Thanksgiving Day

Seeing as today is Thanksgiving Day, I decided to discuss some of the more enlightening and noble aspects the national holiday other than binge eating, football, and yearning for crazy sales tomorrow. When you really think about it, everyday should really be "Thanksgiving", but I doubt any of us can be content (or healthy) eating ten pounds of food all day, every day in the year. But I do think that the spirit of the holiday, realizing our blessings and feeling grateful, can and should be done everyday. I certainly feel that my life is blessed beyond recognition, and so, on this joyous, if not extravagant day filled with TV marathons and the oh-so-beloved Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I want to outline a few of the things I feel thankful for:

1. I'm thankful for being alive (a no-brainer).
2. I'm thankful for being healthy. Many times in life we all seem to forget that, somewhere out there, there is someone alive, but just barely clinging on, unable to truly enjoy "life" itself.
3. I'm thankful for my family, nuclear and extended. Family is a beautiful thing, which can uplift and enrich souls. I mean, c'mon, how many psychos and nuts in history have been orphans or at least had terrible parental figures?
4. I'm thankful for living in the US. Hey, I have to admit, despite all the flaws, inconsistencies, and double standards I witness everyday in a culture foreign from my own, I still appreciate the great opportunities I have in this country. I love Egypt, and I love to visit, but I wouldn't necessarily enjoy an "extended vacation" there.
5. I'm thankful for my friends. They make my school days fun and enjoyable, and give me a sense of belonging and welcome. And do I need to repeat the psycho bit?
6. I'm thankful for my religion. I have always felt comfortable, if not proud, of being a Muslim, despite all the recent incidents committed by a bunch of crazy, wack-job, hypocritical idiots who don't see the repercussions of their actions and the effect it has on peoples' understanding of Islam (hey, did they have no family or friends when they were younger?)

I could continue this list on and on until I reach infinity plus one, but, for the sake of space and not boring you with superfluous comments, I will have to stop here. Obviously there are many things that I have that I, almost criminally, take for granted, and I'm sure many of you out there might also be the same. I believe that it is incredibly important to engage in this sort of reflection every now and then, not only because it can make for good writing and get you points in a certain class, but also because when you realize all that you do have, that which you don't just seems so trivial.

And on that lovely not, I bid you all farewell. Happy Thanksgiving, and make sure not to eat too much or drive under the influence.

the King

"Why Nuclear Non-Proliferation", a King Makef Production

I decided to discuss the topic of nuclear non-proliferation in light of the many recent events regarding the spread of nuclear weapons technology. The US and the West have been rabid over the idea of Iran or North Korea joining the "nuclear club", something we've all noticed in the news and in the colossal anti-North Korea, and, even more so , anti-Iran rhetoric. And while I agree that these countries shouldn't have nuclear weapons (I have no qualms over them having nuclear energy), I am still dumbfounded and disgusted at the hypocrisy of the nuclear countries when they want others to halt nuclear production while refusing to address their own stockpiles. I am especially appalled at the US and Russia in particular, who each hold thousands of warheads and expect other countries to just obediently and willingly stop producing just one missile. I made this movie to prove the point that nuclear non-proliferation, or halting the spread of nuclear weapons, is something that all countries, nuclear or otherwise, must commit to. I address every living being on the face of the earth when I declare "Atomic Bombs Destroy."

As stated above, my claim is simple enough; atomic bombs (and all nuclear weapons in general) destroy lives, homes, and families, and therefore in and of itself are a menace that must be eradicated. Of course, this implies that anything that "destroys" is "bad", and anything that is "bad" must be "destroyed." While this is clearly known by many people today (it's the reason why, knock on wood, we haven't been foolish enough, yet, to repeat Hiroshima and Nagasaki), I wanted to drive this point home by using real images to emote fear, sympathy, and remorse into the hearts of those who watch my film. Whether it's the powerful infernos of a mushroom cloud, the terror and sorrow in victims' eyes, or the grief and remembrance of those in Japan who pray for their lost loved ones or others', I wanted these images to truly encapsulate the "destructive" nature of the A-Bomb.

One of the most graphic pictures that I remember lurching at the sight of was the child with the many boils on their stomach. Just looking at that truly made me wonder in awe at the power the atomic bombs had not only in terms of destructive power, but also in terms of the health of those who survived. I specifically chose not to repeat any pictures to give alternating and fuller messages, and to provide something new and fresh each time. The bombs I show are vivid and, with the exception of one or two, clear in color. Conversely, many of the pictures of victims are black and white. While this may be due simply to the technology prevalent at the time these images were taken, it serves my purposes of providing "graphic explosions" and "gloomy suffering."

Finally, for the pièce de résistance, I picked out Russell Watson's "Il Gladiatore" because of its massive power and vigor. Watson's voice is booming and declaratory, and the chords are simply emotional. The lyrics are in Italian, but they nonetheless capture a solitary, lonely, and contemplative feeling fitting for a topic as serious as stopping the spread of perhaps the most destructive weapon known to man yet. The piece was meant to instill yet even more emotion, worry, and almost sheer distress, into the hearts of my audience, and with a slow musical line and a varied instrumentation including drums, horns, and string instruments, it certainly gets the job done right. Certainly, if I had picked something excessively upbeat or preppy like "Barbie Girl", my audience would have been listening with confusion and incredulity.

This movie was meant right from the start to awe-inspire, to cast fear, to induce terror, and, above all, to produce a call of action. I wasted no time on fluffy, roundabout rhetoric or apologetic claims like the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki "ended the war." Sure, they may have done that, but at what cost? The menace of atomic bombs, the ugly beast of nuclear weapons technology must be put to rest, not piecemeal, not gradually, but cold turkey, by all nations, not just the ones we don't like or consider "threats to our security." "Atomic Bombs Destroy," end of story.

My Entitlements

Main Entry: en·ti·tle·ment

Pronunciation: \-ˈtī-t^əl-mənt\

Function: noun

Date: 1942

1 a : the state or condition of being entitled : right b : a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract
2 : a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
3 : belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges

(from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Entitlement)

I am entitled to many things. I am entitled to be respected. I am entitled to freedom of choice in my actions. I am entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." I am entitled to be loved. I am entitled to equal opportunity. I am entitled.

But that's not all.

I am entitled to A's in all of my classes until the day I die. I am entitled to no homework in all of my classes until the day I die. I am entitled to a hot, smart, athletic, independent-minded wife that everyone would be jealous over. I am entitled to eat all the junk food I want and not get fat. I am entitled to be a Congressman representing Minnesota. I am entitled to be President of The United States of America and Egypt. I am entitled to be Supreme Overlord of Earth. Why you may ask? Because I'm...

the King

Andrew Jackson's Been Impeached?

Our AP Comp class has recently been delving into the topic of spoken arguments, and when I was assigned this blog post for class, I was originally at odds over what to write about. Luckily, I have a very obvious and easy choice; my AP US History class's simulation trial of the "impeachment" of Andrew Jackson. The arguments are pretty obvious, we should or shouldn't impeach President Andrew Jackson. I was a member of the jury, and I was given four articles of the Constitution to use to determine my decision. It was then up to the defense and prosecution to sway me and my peers to one direction or the other.

First, each side would make opening statements to hint at what their arguments were going to be. The attorneys making these statements were confident and poised, and looked directly into the eyes of the jury. These statements were formal and eloquent in language, and the defense's opening statement even included praises of Jackson as "the greatest man on Earth who would never do wrong" or "the friend of the common man". They were intended either to produce or remove support and sympathy for Andrew Jackson, and both held hints of truth within them.

Both sides used interpretations of the Constitution as the base of their arguments, and both sides had "witnesses" to use as well. Usually, an attorney would call a witness to the stands, and would then ask questions that prompted answers that would help to support their argument. They would have to ask prompt, precise questions, ones that wouldn't pry too deeply into the witness's life, and ones that didn't involve opinions. They didn't talk too fast or slow, but spoke in a moderate pace, making direct eye contact with the witness themselves. Following this, the opposing side would initiate cross-examination, asking questions that would help to debunk the argument in question. They often asked questions one by one, attempting to find flaws or trap the witness into a position where they either seem "unconstitutional" or contradict themselves. Questions would once again have to be prompt and non-opinion answerable.

At the end, both sides would make closing arguments that were meant to tie everything together and remind the jury of their main points. They often had impressionable endings that were meant to leave us contemplating and, hopefully, supportive of their side. The prosecution, for example, claimed that "if there was any doubt whatsoever into the nature of Jackson's actions", that Jackson must be held into account and impeached.

Obviously these arguments were made in a way to persuade the jury and I to vote one way or another, and were conducted in a fashion to make the opposing side look wrong or illogical. Although I liked both sides' arguments, in the end I was forced to make a decision, one which I don't regret. Despite the non-conciliatory tone of the "impeachment" trial of Andrew Jackson, I found that both sides acted cordially and respectfully, and it was certainly very entertaining for me, Senator Akef, to preside over.