Challenges with Song of Solomon

The most challenging aspect of reading a book like Song of Solomon is just keeping track of the timeline along with the descriptions of the characters. I felt that with all the flashbacks and quick pace action, it was hard to get a good grasp of the characters' appearances and their age. The story progresses so quickly and I feel like we didn't really get a good introduction to many characters and how they might appear, especially skin color which is vital in this novel. It is just extremely important to be able to understand the characters and the timeline because each character is drastically different and plays very different roles. The beginning of the story especially is hard to understand because the timeline is all over the place and there is little to no context or background knowledge.

There are multiple ways of addressing this challenge. The approach that I go with is I usually like to read an overview of the chapter before I read the actual chapter, so I get a good idea as to what the chapter is about. That way when I read the actual chapter I can focus more on details and not the big picture as much. This allows me to get a better understanding of the characters and focus more on what is happening in the moment instead of thinking about that along with the overall grasp of the chapter. If this doesn't work and I still don't understand something, I would go to Mr. Lawler and ask questions. Song of Solomon is certainly a novel that comes with its challenges, but there are ways to cope with them.

A Necessary College?

The Electoral College votes per state

With the 2016 Presidential Election completed, the result was not what many were expecting. The Republican party had won with Donald Trump, triumphing over Hillary Clinton. Something about this election stood out to many. At the end of the voting process, the votes were counted up and Hillary had actually won the popular vote but lost the election. This upset many people because this debate split the country more than most past debates. These results led to a question from the people. Should the Electoral College be abolished?

There are many points arguing for both sides of the spectrum. Many Democrats are in favor or abolishing the electoral college after this year's election. A large amount of people now believe that the nation should go off a popular vote now. Some people say that "States don’t use an Electoral College to choose their leader, neither should the nation". Others say that the Electoral College is unfair because it weighs votes in smaller states more.

While there are a lot of people saying that the Electoral College is not needed, many are still saying that it is vital to our voting system. People claim it is a key part of federalism. Robert Hardaway, a professor of law at the University of Denver, says " It is the foundation of our system of government". See here for more info. Not only is it a foundation for our system, but the system has overall served the country very well since its creation.

This leaves many questions up for debate. Is the Electoral College really necessary? Will there be consequences for its possible removal?

Is it Worth the Risk?

Kratom pills and capsule

How can something that looks like some kind of synthetic marijuana and have similar effects to heroin be good? Welcome to Kratom. To be truthful however, we don't actually know if it is a good thing. It has been called many things. From "dangerous drug" to "miracle pain medicine", this drug has split the country on whether or not it should be illegal or not. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has yet to officially declare Kratom a schedule 1 substance. Other schedule 1 substances include Marijuana, LSD, and Heroin. Like many other drugs of this category, there are positives and negatives to taking it.


Kim Byrom, an Atlanta local, has a history of back problems. She started taking Kratom and noticed an immediate impact. She swears it's safe and has helped her back aches greatly. Byrom also says, "If I didn’t have Kratom -- I’m not going back to pain pills. I will illegally use it. I stand firm with that."  However, the DEA looked into this and found more than a dozen deaths possibly linked to Kratom. On the other end of the spectrum, Brandon Short, a psychiatrist in Florida, claims that Kratom is a central nervous system depression and can cause seizures. Read more here. Another issue is that this drug is in fact an extremely efficient pain killer, and could boost the scientific research and development. Placing Kratom in schedule 1 could halt the production and discovery of  useful new medication. When it comes to drugs however, there is always one question that comes to mind. Is it worth it?

With the drug already being banned in Alabama, Wisconsin, Vermont, Tennessee, Indiana and Arkansas, should the DEA look to make it illegal in all states? Is it already too late for people like Byrom who claim that they are more than willing to go outside the law to keep up their supply of the painkilling drug? Why do you think the DEA hasn't already banned this drug when it has such harsh side effects?

Trash is Cash

We throw away so much food

Why do we waste so much food? Did you know that we throw away about 40% of our food? People always joke around these days saying that "kids in Africa could've eaten that." There is actually a lot of truth behind this. In the USA, the average person throws away 20 pounds of food per MONTH. Industrialized countries waste only 8 million tons less than all of sub-Saharan Africa food production. We need to be more grateful for the food we get because YES, it makes a difference.

The landfills are all the evidence we need. With organic waste coming in at second place in landfill population and emitting the most methane, it is quite obvious that our waste is also effecting the environment. There are many organizations and charities that try to help with this massive food issue, but they simply can't keep up with all the food going to waste. Many people want to help but sometimes just can't figure out how or just don't want to put in the effort. This leaves people with many questions.

How can I save food? What are some techniques or tips? The answers are actually quite simple.
Create a shopping list and store smartly. Many people will say that all of this really has no impact as a whole, but if everybody tries to not be as wasteful, it can make a huge difference. Read more here.

Health Over Stealth

The two main political party candidates

On September 11th, Hillary Clinton attended a 9/11 memorial in New York, but left abruptly due to the heat. However, when she went to go get into her van to go, she was seen stumbling, and needed to get dragged into the van by some bodyguards. See HERE for videos on Hillary's fumble. She was shortly after diagnosed with pneumonia because of dehydration and overheat.

Now many people are asking if candidates health records should become public. This is of course a very big issue this election year, as both the candidates are around 70 years old. Hillary's incident with pneumonia has certainly put a wrench in Clinton's campaign. Donald Trump however respond very confidently to these demands. He says that he will 100% release his medical records if Hillary does the same. He has however, already released a doctors note from his gastroenterologist that says,"If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual elected to the presidency” (Politico). Trump's doctor recently also stated that his mental health was excellent as well.

This is becoming an issue, not only because of Hillary's recent debacle, but also because of past disappointments. Some can relate this issue to Warren Harding, our 29th president, who died just two years into his term from a heart failure. Another example could even be Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who kept his diagnosis of tuberculosis under wraps, only to die one year after a partitioning South Asia. It could be just like George Ana, chairman of the department of health law, bioethics and human rights at Boston University School of Public Health, says, "Why do some open up? I think the ones who talk believe they are better off with the information out there. They must think the speculation is worse than the reality" (CNN). However if it's one thing that all this speculation does, it's raise the question. Should the presidential candidates bring their health out of stealth?