End of the World?

     Over five years ago, I heard about how the world was going to end in 2012. I was mildly shocked about how it would happen before Christmas. No presents! I also thought about how old I would be, and how I would look as a teenager, with a purse and boyfriend, and going to High School. It's 2012, and only one of the predictions came true, the rest didn't. First of all, the world didn't end. Second, I don't have a purse or a boyfriend. The only one that came true was the inevitable, and I am in High School.
     Back to the main topic, why do people come up with end of the world dates? Well, the practice of coming up with a date for the end of the world can be traced back to the Romans over 600 years B.C.E (That means Before Common Era, or before Christianity was a religion. Alternately, C.E means Common Era, or after the death of Jesus which is the time period we are living in.) That was one of the first recorded apocalypse dates, and with many more to come.
     Nostradamus, a famous prophet from the 1500s predicted that the world would end in 1999, and guess what, it never did. Every date for the end of the world has not come true. This is the case with the most recent one, which was yesterday. Probably the most famous one so far, the 21st of December, 2012 is just another case of false predictions.
     Most doomsday prediction dates have a reason behind them. Whether it be biblical, signs in the stars, or just a hoax made up by someone who wants money, there's always one. So what's the story behind the 21st? Well, the date can be traced back to a calendar that the Mayans used. The Mayans, an indigenous group that lived in what is now modern day south Mexico, or Yucatan (On an unrelated little fact, the ancestry on my dad's side are Mayan.) The long count calendar, called Tzolk'in, pronounced sol-kin, is the one that ended yesterday.
     Even though it ended, it never meant the end of the world, not even to the Mayans. The Mayans actually never predicted an end of the world date. The Tzolk'in started over. The reason it can be assumed that it started over is that, obviously, the world did not end, and the calender is circular, and was meant to start over. 
     A lot of people considered things like planetary alignment, solar flares, and other "signs" like a ring around the moon and more. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. No planetary alignments or anything. Only a solstice, which happens every year on this date, which is something that scientists knew from the start. Even NASA insisted that nothing would happen, and they (and many other scientific groups) were right.
  There is only one end of the world date that I believe in that science has proven correct. It will be in about 5 billion years, which is when our sun finishes the phase that is currently in and becomes a red giant, expanding and destroying Earth. Luckily for us, we won't be around to see this, and we can continue living on the planet for many years to come. Unless aliens come and take us away, or the planet Niribu crashes to Earth, or if there is a nuclear war...the list could go on and on! Anyway, happy holidays!

The Mayan Calendar

Malala: The Bravest Girl in the World

     Have you heard of Malala Yousafzai? If not, she's the Muslim girl with an insane amount of courage and an amazingly strong will! Malala, a 15-year-old Pakistani native who is fighting for the right of education, was shot a few weeks ago by the Taliban for speaking out about her cause. Yes, education is a right, and before complaining to anybody (including yourself) about how school is the worst thing in the world, listen to Malala's story.
     Malala started as a blogger for the BBC about living under Taliban rule. She would post about going to school (and not going to school), violence in the street, and life living as a girl in the Middle East. When the Taliban made it illegal for Malala and other girls, to go to school, she just couldn't stay silent about it. She probably got her beliefs about education from her father, Ziauddin Yousazai, a poet, school owner, and education activist.
     After protesting, Malala could go back to school, But one day, after school had ended and the bus has stopped, a man in a mask with a gun got into the bus and threatened to kill everyone unless Malala identified herself. After he saw which student was her, he shot at her, and one of the bullets went through her head and neck, then lodged in her shoulder close to her spinal cord.
     Miraculously, Malala survived. She is currently in the U.K. at a hospital, still recovering. The doctors say that she is going to be all right, thankfully!
     Think about it! She was shot for her and other's education! We have it so easy. We don't go to school with even the slightest notion that we are going to be shot for it! Whenever you want burn your schoolwork and books, remember Malala, and what she fights for.

Many people want Malala to win a Nobel Peace Prize. What do you think?

Elections!

     So we all know about the whole "Romney VS Obama" thing, but what about the elections themselves? There is so much more to checking a "Yes" or a "No" on a little piece of paper and sticking it into a box! There are also many terms that you might not understand that you hear your teacher or your parents use that all have to do with elections, so the major terms used in this post will be in bold with the definitions of all the words at the end.
     One of the most important things involving an election is what party you side with. Each party is defined by it's platform, or what they believe in. For example, the Democrat party has more liberal beliefs than the Republican party, who are usually conservative. Depending on the person's individual morals and beliefs, each person has a political party to which they belong to. The president and the candidates that run for president or any office also belong to a political party. A few other political parties include the Green party, the Libertarian party, and Constitution party.
     The President of the United States! What a title that is! But what do presidents really do? Well, the president doesn't have all the power that we usually imagine him having. Really it is by vote of the people and the vote of Congress that can pass a law. Sure the president has power, but really he signs the bills that are to become laws. All in all, the president is more influential than powerful.
     A president is selected every four years on an election day, and he serves four years at a time, otherwise known as a term. The president can only serve for two terms, or eight years in all.
     Electing or re-electing the president isn't the only thing that is decided on an election day, also laws and propositions are voted for. Laws and propositions are carefully planned with arguments for and against, a debate for each one.
     Registered voters over the age of 18 are sent a sample ballot in the mail with all the propositions, candidates, and laws to be voted for or against. You can go through ahead of time and decide on what you will vote for. Ask your parents if you can look at the sample ballot to see what kind of props and laws are on it.
     On election day, the voters go to an official polling location where the real voting takes place. The voters are checked in and given an official ballot. They go to a high, small table where it is private and they can vote. There are also electronic ballots in use that reduce the amount of paper. After the voter is finished they put the ballot into a box. And that is how voting is done! I would recommend to go the the polling location with your parents to see for yourself. And did I mention that you get a free "I Voted!" sticker too?


Glossary

Election-An organized and formal process of selecting, for example the President.
Party-An organization that wants to gain political power.
Platform-The principals, beliefs, and goals of a political power.
Democrat-A political party that follows strong liberal and social programs.
Liberal-The beliefs that are open to new ideas and not the traditional ones.
Republican-A political party that is conservative and stands for strong national defense.
President-Any leader or head of an organization, or in this case, the head of the United States.
Candidates-Any person running for election.
Vote-The formal choosing between things.
Congress-The national legislative body of a country.
Law-A rule or rules that are enforced by penalties.
Bill-A law before it is passed.
election day-An official day set aside for voting.
Term-The amount of term a president, or other political figure serves.
Proposition-Also known as "prop," it is a statement expressing an opinion or belief about a political subject.
Debate-An organized argument.
Ballot-An official document that is used to show what is voted. It can also be virtual.
Polling location-An official public place that is a place for people to vote.
Candidates-People that want to be selected for office.

P.S. I would highly recommend looking these terms up for yourself and learning more about them!