China Singer Competition: British Singer Wins

China's 2018 "Singer Competition" awarded first place to British performer Jessie J.

"Singer", as the name would imply is a singing competition show much like "X Factor," but instead of showcasing new singers, "Singer" puts already renowned performers head to head.  Jessie J won crowds over with her fashionable ensembles, appreciation for Chinese culture, and obviously singing chops.

Jessie J revealed in an interview following her win that she was "asked to compete in a singing competition in China... alongside the biggest established singer/artists across Asia." While no doubt Jessie J's enjoyed her "3.5 months" (Instagram) in China, Jessie J has certainly found a large market for her music.  China is home to 1.38 billion people. (For comparison, Britain is home to 65.64 million people).

As you'd expect, Jessie J couldn't very well say she decided to go to China to build a fanbase for her music. Not at all. Jessie J's response was that she was trying to "bridge a gap between two cultures."

Marina Hyde, writer for The Guardian humorously noted that she believes the arrangement "to have been made in a bilateral Sino-British huddle during a session break of the UN security council."

Watch Jessie J's rendition of the Titanic theme song "My Heart Will Go On."

The Right Way to Cough

When you are sick, the air coming out of your mouth when you cough or sneeze may contain germs. The average human cough forces out thousands of tiny droplets of saliva. In fact, science has found that about 3,000 droplets are expelled in a single cough. When you cough, mucus droplets are released into the air at speeds over 40 miles per hour. Those germs can infect innocent people next to you who breathe in those germs and become ill. Therefore, cough or sneeze into a tissue or your shirt sleeve.

Since most colds do occur between October and April (covering most of the school year from September to May) students are most likely to be sick and spread germs.

How Can There Be Too Much Torture... in Entertainment?

While I do not condone the use of torture, condemning the use of torture as violence in entertainment is going too far. True, psychology might dictate that children watching torture or aggression might be more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior themselves. Young viewers could be influenced or try to emulate the actions portrayed. However, this is all speculation. It is far more likely that children are turned violent by their schoolmates, teachers, or parents. Then what? Do we ban everything and everyone?

In the popular show “24” torture is the main feature of plots; violent methods of torture portrayed vary, and include chemical injection, electric shock and old-fashioned bone-breaking. Some people argue that it is because of such shows that children have become desensitized to violence. They claim that torture portrayed in television shows have made people less horrified by the idea of torture and harming another human being.

Technology: Part of our Shame Culture?

Let me start off by saying that I really like flip phones. I think flip phones are great. They're practical with the screen of the phone being protected on the inside and there's just something so satisfying about the swish of opening a flip phone.

The flip phone

Why then do I have an iPhone?

Sunset Splendor: As the Days Get Shorter