The Mandela Effect- Phil Christodoulou

.The Mandela Effect is a theory of parallel universes, where large groups of people have similer alternative memories about past events. Many people believe that the reason of this is because we are switching through parallel universes, where our alter ego is becoming our reality. So, I love the band Queen and I've been listening to their music for a long time, and one song in particular (We are the champions). At the end of their song I've always thought it ended with "Of the world...", and I could swear that it was a part of the song. But then I watched the the video of the song...  https://youtu.be/04854XqcfCY?t=181 . Do you ever think that you have seen something before, like a person that you thought you'd met, or an event that you knew was going to happen, but you do not know how you know? Well I always do/ think of this and the "Mandela Effect" makes so much sense to me, that I felt like I always thought something was one way but it turned out to be the complete opposite.  Here are some examples...

Life isn’t like a box of chocolates.

Paramount Pictures

It seems that the majority of people confidently remember Forrest Gump stating that his mama always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” Well, it turns out that he actually said, “Life was like a box of chocolates,” despite what you may have felt you distinctly remembered.

Jiffy peanut butter doesn’t exist.

20th Television

It’s called Jif, even though people remember the popular brand of peanut butter being called “Jiffy” and having a campaign that told mothers they could fix their kids a snack “in a jiffy.” Jiffy has certainly been embedded in the minds of many, and it was even spotted in American Dad, during an episode in which the character is uncovering a conspiracy.

The Queen in Snow White never said, “Mirror, mirror on the wall.”

Disney

While the famous Snow White quote you’ve probably heard others say and repeated yourself is “Mirror, mirror on the wall,” it turns out the correct line is “Magic mirror on the wall.” Some people also remember the second part of that quote being “Who is the fairest of them all?” but apparently it’s “Who is the fairest one of all?”

Kit Kat doesn’t have a dash.

Nestlé

Some people seem to remember there being a dash in Kit Kat, making it “Kit-Kat,” but there isn’t one, and that frustrates them because they’re sure that once upon a time, there was one.

Curious George never had a tail.

NBCUniversal Television Distribution

A lot of people even claim to remember seeing him use his tail to swing from the trees. If you look up pictures of Curious George right now, you’ll see that he doesn’t have a tail, meaning either your memory made the whole thing up or you’ve, like, drifted into a parallel universe.

Now these are just a few examples, but for me it left me in shock...

https://www.buzzfeed.com/christopherhudspeth/crazy-examples-of-the-mandela-effect-that-will-make-you-ques?utm_term=.at7BenZ3B#.ldZpAM12p

Her Eyes (picture narrative) //Mikayla Bivona

 

In Honors English 9, Mrs. Brennan would put an influential photo on the board without giving us any background information, and then had us write a narrative about said picture.

I looked onto Time Magazines "The Most Influential Images of All Time" and chose this picture.

~~~~

People often wonder what our thoughts were when we were falling. I hear it in their thoughts at ground zero all the time. I don't really leave here, we all had the choice to, but I'm one of the few that stayed. We all wander around, watching peoples sorrow and listening to their thoughts. Especially when they're in the museum. There's a section of it showing a video of me falling. It's sad, I see people crying over me everyday... and they don't even know me. And every time, everyone wonders, "What were they thinking about?" 

I thought about eyes. 

The previous morning, my wife and I went to the doctor to learn the gender of our baby. Great news, my wife was having a girl. After that I had driven her to go get some Wendy's-- french fries and chicken fingers dipped in frosty was constantly her craving... I still laugh when I think about it. She would grab my arm and grip it so hard that I thought I would lose circulation in my hand, and she would quietly ask, "Wendy's? Pretty please?" I would look over, into her eyes, laugh and say, "I don't have choice do I?" As I pulled into the parking lot. 

Her eyes. 

They were the reason I fell in love with her.

~~~

When I first met her I was living in the apartment above hers. The only thing I knew about her was that she played this loud, heavy metal music. I seemed to be the only one in the building that didn't mind it. 

Except one day, when the girl downstairs was playing Metallica's, Master of Puppets relatively louder than usual. The little old lady next door, Mrs. Hackett, was walking down the hallway. I could always tell when she was going somewhere because I heard the slow shuffle of her walking toward the elevator. And every time I would hear that, I knew it was my cue to go out and assist her in walking down the hall. 

I opened the door stepping out into the hall, "Hello Mrs. Hackett! Where to today?" 

"Downstairs to tell that silly girl that some people are trying to sleep." I glanced at my watch, it was 4:23 p.m. 

"Oh no worries. No no, you go back to her room. I'll talk to her." 

She looked up at me, I towered over her 4'10 petite frame, "Oh! You are just the sweetest. Thank you honey." And with that, she shuffled back to her room. 

After making sure she was safe in her room, I headed downstairs. I had no trouble finding the room she was staying in. I knocked on the door, and when I realized that she probably wouldn't hear that, I banged on the door, hoping not to break the old wood. I heard the music turn down, and suddenly a young woman--maybe a few years younger than me-- stood in front of me. She was tall, about my height, maybe two or three inches shorter. She had a pixi hair cut and a perfect smile. 

And her eyes. 

Unlike any eyes I've ever seen before. They were a light brown with specks of gold and green in them and a dark blue ring around them. I couldn't even get a word out. 

"Hi there," she said cheerfully. 

"Hi," I said, unsure of what to say. It was only then when I realized she was covered in paint. It was on her arms, her chest and neck, her face and even in her hair. Mostly blues and oranges, I looked past her and saw that her apartment was a mess with paintings and paint everywhere. 

She moved her head in the way of what I was looking at, she let out an awkward laugh, "Can I help you?" 

"Oh, yeah. Uh, your musics a little loud... and some people upstairs are trying to sleep..." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. 

"Oh my musics loud? Wow I had no idea." She said sarcastically, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly, "You don't really look like you're trying to sleep," she said, observing my suit and tie I had yet to take off from work.  

"Look, I mean there's a little old lady upstairs who goes to bed really early, and I'm here on her behalf to ask you to--please-- turn down your music. I'm sorry, but she's just a sweet lady she's not asking for much-" 

"Got it. I'll turn it down," she smiled, putting her hands in her back pockets. 

I got lost in her eyes again, not knowing what to say. 

She smiled, "Uh, hah, if that's all I think I'll get back to my work." 

"Yeah. Yeah thats all." I said, running my hand over my hair. 

"Okay then. You have a good night and tell the little old lady that I'm sorry." 

"I will," and with that she shut the door. 

I stood there for a few more seconds, staring at the peeling green paint on the door before walking back upstairs. 

When I got back upstairs, I changed into sweatpants and a tee-shirt. Opening a bottle of beer and sitting on the couch I turned on the T.V.. I couldn't focus on the show and frankly, I don't remember what was on. All I could think about was her eyes. 

And that's what I thought about when I was falling. 

Her eyes 

and how I somehow knew our daughter would have the same ones.

Christmas in Greece! By Grace Becker

Greek literature is obviously a major topic we discuss in class and how the Greeks lived through ancient mythology, but what about the modern Greece culture? More specifically, Christmas! Compared to Christmas in America, I have found some really interesting similarities. Let's take the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center for example, which for many people, is a great attraction during the holidays. However, in Greece, they have something quite similar. In Aristotelous Square, every December in the city of Thessaloniki, a large Christmas Tree along with a three masted ship are set up and lit. This is a major tourist attraction in Greece.
But there are also many differences between our cultures. We know of Santa Claus as the gift giver on Christmas, however in Greece, the gifts are brought to children by Aghios Vassilis, also known as Saint Basil. And instead of coming on Christmas Day, the gifts are brought to the children in the New Year on January 1st.
Overall, it is surprising to see the differences yet many similarities there are in these two cultures. However, this holiday and new year are a very important celebration in both.
Merry Christmas, or how they say in Greek, Kala Christougenna!

Identity: Chapter 2 by Julia Young

Identity: Chapter 2
My body was merely a shell. A shell with my brain in it... or rather just my eyes, as I was yielded no control. I was conscious in sight, but not in mind. My brain said scream, but the muscles in my face just didn't listen. It was as if all my muscles were deaf to my helpless cries, and rather listened to another force that knew sign language. I continued to stare at the reflection in the mirror, as that was all I could do. I stared at my self, refusing to call me 'me' and resorting to using 'it' instead. All it's moves mechanical and monotonous, my body had been transformed into a robot. My head was shaved, my body, stripped down to a white cloth; my skin even had a silver tint to it, my lips, pale purple. All that I could use to identify that this being was me was it's eyes-- my eyes. Their deep warm hazelnut color contrasted with the coldness of their surroundings: a sign of life in an otherwise dead tundra. Yet they were expressionless. You could not see my fear, my anguish, nor my despair. As I helplessly stared into the mirror, my eyes only stared back... empty.

This is a continuation of my last blog post, "Identity: Chapter 1". Although inspired by the same picture as before, I thought that the picture above-- another one from the same collection-- went along with what was happening in this chapter. It not only created a visual for what was going on in the character's head, but also inspired some of my writing.
I hope to continue to write at least one more chapter to this story as I really like how it is developing. Writing these pieces provides me with a chance to relax and enjoy writing in a way that we usually don't write in class.

What's the Deal with Harry Potter? by Claire Riley

I know that i'm pretty late to the Harry Potter series, as they have blown up YEARS ago. But, I just recently found the time to read them, and I am SO INTRIGUED. I just got sucked in, and now I can't stop. I actually finished the first book the same day I started it, and within only a week I have read 3 of the books and 1/3 of the 4th book. So as it is clear is see, it is a pretty great series. The question I want to answer is why. What makes these books so attractive and precious, that there are now two entire real, life sized WORLDS made to reflect the book? J.K Rowling, the now famous author, has been known change the modern world of literature, and there must be distinct reasons.

You can spot a Harry Potter lover from a mile away. I have many friends who are fans, wearing shirts with quotes from the books and they fact that like to brag how many times they have re-read the series. I asked a Hogwarts loving friend, Caitlin Scarpa, as to why she loved the books so much to see if we had similarities. She stated, "I really like the sense of childish wonder and adventure that you get while reading these books. I have read the entire series twice!" I believe that Harry Potter has been a book that was originally directed to a younger audience, so Caitlin had read them earlier on. This is why she gets a sense of childhood when reading them, and gives her a good thought to look back on.

Sadly for me, I am just now picking up the books, so I can't have a nice sense of nostalgia when reading. ALTHOUGH, I am still a kid! Perhaps I can still read over these books again, and relive the wondrous world of Harry Potter. The way J.K Rowling writes has opened up to all audiences, and have gone from silly kids books to life-changing experiences everyone has heard of.

Josh Williams- A Christmas Carol Summary

  A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is a novel that captures the joy and essence of the holiday season.  This novel tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his life in England during the middle of the nineteenth century.  Scrooge, the owner of an accounting firm, is a greedy  and grumpy old man who is determined to make those around him as miserable as he is.  At the outset of the novel, Scrooge is especially irritable due to his least favorite holiday, Christmas, being right around the corner. Many people, including his nephew and his clerk, attempt to spread the holiday cheer to Scrooge.  These efforts are all met with disdain.    

On Christmas Eve, the ghost of Scrooge’s old business partner, Jacob Marley, visits Scrooge at his home.  He warns Scrooge of the dangers of continuing to live his life the way he is.  The ghost of Marley had been forced to wonder Earth for eternity as punishment for living a life full of greed and scorn.  Marley tells Scrooge that over the course of the next three nights, he would be visited by three spirits that would attempt to help him turn his life around.     

The next night, Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. This ghost take Scrooge through Christmases that had occurred in his past.  Scrooge re experiences times including a Christmas when he was a young child attending boarding school and a Christmas he spent with his fiance who had left him due to his greed for money.  Scrooge is driven to tears by the events he witnesses.  The following night, the Ghost of Christmas Present visits Scrooge.  This ghost shows him how other people are experiencing the present holiday season.  Scrooge visits the house of Bob Cratchit, his clerk.  He witnesses how Bob and his family make the most of their minuscule earnings to enjoy the holidays.  Scrooge also gets to see the party that he had been invited to by his nephew, but had blown off.  Scrooge begins to realize the joy of the holidays.  On the final night, he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  This ghost takes Scrooge to witness future Christmases.  Scrooge observes many different people who rejoice after referring to a man who has died.  He soon comes to realize that the man they are referring to is himself.

Scrooge returns to the present a changed man.  He realizes that he can’t change his wrongdoing in the past, but knows that he can control how he will act in the present and in the future.  Scrooge decides to spread his newfound joy to the people around him.  He begins to build relationships with both his nephew, Fred, and his clerk, Bob.  Scrooge also becomes more charitable and begins to treat all people with respect and kindness.  In doing so, Scrooge ends his selfish and miserable behavior and establishes himself as a caring member of society.           

Since its publishing in 1843, A Christmas Carol has become an iconic piece of holiday literature.  It is widely known and has been adapted into many different versions.  There have even been plays and films based off of it.  Some of the most prominent adaptations include the film A Christmas Carol by Disney and The Muppet Christmas Carol.  This popularity may be due to the timeless message that this novel presents.  It is portrayed that human decency will always prevail if it is provoked. Dickens shows this by embodying the spirit of Christmas while at the same time portraying the moral standards that all members of society should hold themselves to.

  

Evan Silberstein

Greek Sculpture- Laocoon and his Sons

         Recently, our class has been looking at Greek plays and I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the sculptures during the time. One of the sculptures I found were Laocoon and his Sons, built by Athenodoros and Polydorus. The statue depicts the Trojan priest Laocoon (also a priest of Apollo) and his sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus, fighting sea serpents. The story of Laocoon begins with him disgracing Apollo by having intercourse with his wife. Apollo then sends down two sea serpents to crush Laocoon and his to twin sons. The story of Laocoon and his Sons is known in the western art world as "the prototypical icon of human agony".