Mean Girls (2004)

cleveril000 Uncategorized March 28, 2024mean girls, movie, review 0 Comment

Mean Girls is one of the most iconic teen movies ever. It came out in 2004, which feels like forever ago, but it’s still super relatable even today. The movie was written by Tina Fey, who is also in it, and it’s so fetch.

The story is about this girl named Cady Heron, who moves from Kenya to the suburbs of Illinois and ends up going to high school for the first time. She’s super smart and sweet, but she’s also kind of naive. She meets these three girls, Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith, who are the popular girls in school. Regina is the queen bee, Gretchen is her loyal sidekick, and Karen is the ditzy one.

Cady gets sucked into their clique and starts hanging out with them, but then she realizes how mean they are. Regina is really nasty and manipulative, and she controls the whole school with her gossip and rumors. Gretchen and Karen are her minions who follow her every move. Cady tries to fit in with them, but she starts to lose herself in the process.

The movie is super funny and has so many iconic lines. There’s the whole “fetch” thing that Gretchen tries to make happen, but it never catches on. There’s also the Burn Book, which is this notebook where the girls write mean things about everyone in school. It’s so mean, but also kind of hilarious.

One of the best parts of the movie is when the burn book gets leaked and all the girls get into fights with each other. The principal of the school calls an assembly and explains why writing the burn book is not okay. Then, all the girls have to write apologies to each other. Cady’s old friend Janis, tells Regina the Cady is a fake friend. Cady and Regina get into this huge fight, and Cady ends up pushing Regina in front of a bus. It’s intense and dramatic, but also so funny. And then at the end, they all learn their lesson and become friends again. It’s cheesy, but also kind of heartwarming.

The acting in Mean Girls is really good. Lindsay Lohan plays Cady, and she’s perfect for the role. She’s sweet and innocent, but also tough when she needs to be. Rachel McAdams plays Regina, and she’s amazing at being mean. She’s so convincing as the popular girl who everyone loves to hate. And Tina Fey plays Ms. Norbury, the math teacher who helps Cady realize that being mean isn’t cool.

The costumes in Mean Girls are so iconic. The Plastics all wear pink on Wednesdays, and they have these super cute mini skirts and crop tops. Cady starts out wearing baggy jeans and t-shirts, but then she gets a makeover and starts dressing like the Plastics. It’s such a transformation.

The music in Mean Girls is so fun. There’s this really catchy song called “Jingle Bell Rock” that they perform at the Christmas dance, and it’s one of the funniest scenes in the whole movie. There’s also this awesome montage where Cady learns about all the different cliques in school, and the music is perfect for each one.

Overall, Mean Girls is such a classic teen movie. It’s funny, relatable, and has a great message about being yourself and not trying to fit in with the wrong crowd. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves a good high school comedy. It’s so fetch.

All Gorillaz Albums Ranking

kylee winn Uncategorized March 28, 2024alternative, Band, cartoons, Gorillaz, Ranking, virtual 0 Comment

I will be ranking all Gorillaz albums and giving my personal opinion on all of them. This is all opinion based, so it might be different from others, but hear my reasoning. If you didn’t know, Gorillaz is a British virtual band formed in 1998. The band consists of four fictional members: 2D (vocals, keyboard), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (electric guitar, vocals), and Russel Hobbs (drums). There are two real-life members. Damon Albarn, the former singer and front man for the British band Blur, who does all the vocals and music. The only other member is Jamie Hewlett. The co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl, he does illustrations. The band has a long story of complicated lore that comes with each phase/album. The lore is told/given through music videos, interviews, social media posts, comic strips, and many more. The band has made several very well-known songs such as Feel Good Inc, Clint Eastwood, On Melancholy Hill, Rhinestone Eyes, and DARE. That’s all the basics you should know, so let’s get onto the rankings.

Gorillaz (self-titled debut) – 8.5/10

This album is a masterpiece, it has so many bangers on it. The art on the cover is so cool, and very recognizable. I love Slow Country, Punk, 5/4, Re-Hash, 19-2000, Tomorrow Comes Today, Left Hand Suzuki Method, Clint Eastwood, M1 A1 and so many more. The only reason it doesn’t get a 10/10 is for some of the other tracks that I’m not a huge fan of. They all have good parts in them but I don’t really vibe with all of them. Also because this type of genre isn’t something I always listen to, but I really enjoy how this was created.

G-Sides – 5/10

I can say this album does have some classics, like 12D3 and Faust (my favorites). Most of the album was either remixes of some of the songs on the debut album. The other songs though were… fine. I don’t have much else to say besides that I do like the album cover.

Demon Days – 9/10

I can’t go on without giving this absolute god of an album a good rating. It is godly. The album cover is so iconic and cool. I love every song on this album, even the Intro. I love El Mañana, Kids with Guns, White Light, Feel Good Inc, Last Living Souls and literally everything. Everyone should listen to this album and I know they won’t regret it.

D-Sides – 7/10

This album is super cool. The last half is remixes, but the first half is perfect. I love Rockit, Murdoc is God, and Hong Kong the most. A lot of these songs are such fun songs and make me happy to listen to, or if I want to relax and sleep. Definitely a solid album.

Plastic Beach – 8.9/10

The only reason this doesn’t get a 9, like Demon Days, is because there are a couple songs I’m iffy about. But other than that I absolutely love this album more than anything. Oh my lord, like actually I love it so much. There are a whole bunch of songs on here that make me so happy and go feral. I love To Binge, Empire Ants, Superfast Jellyfish, Broken, Pirate Jet, On Melancholy Hill, Rhinestone Eyes and so much more. The whole aesthetic of this album is actually so perfect. All the songs transition so well into each other and give you goosebumps. Plus, the album cover is super cool and this album had so much lore.

The Fall – 6.5/10

This album really is cool, as it was all made and recorded on an iPad during the Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour. I love Revolving Doors, Amarillo, and California & The Slipping of the Sun are songs on the album. Some of the other songs are pretty good, but a bit different from my usual taste. I do appreciate the album cover since I love a bit of 2D every once in a while. It’s a good album to listen to while working.

Humanz – 7.8/10

This album is actually pretty good and way too hated. I didn’t give it a full 8 because it’s obviously not as good as the debut. I like Ascension, Saturnz Barz, Momentz, Charger, Andromeda, Busted and Blue, Let Me Out, She’s My Collar, Out of Body, Ticker Tape, and The Apprentice. They all look really cool on the album cover. This album is very solid though and I like the transitions.

The Now Now – 9.9/10

I might be biased because I’m a sad person, but this is my number one Gorillaz album. It is phenomenal. The only reason it didn’t get a full ten is because I don’t really like Hollywood, Sorcererz or Lake Zurich. And I apologize for that, but otherwise everything else is perfect. I also love how it’s 2D being without Murdoc and how sad he is. It sounds like a day at the beach, but you’re too sad to enjoy it. My top three are Souk Eye, One Percent (underrated), Magic City, Idaho and Fire Flies and Tranz. The art style too is so cool.

Song Machine – 8/10

This album is a classic. I absolutely love the way it sounds. There are a couple songs I’m meh about, but the rest of them are so fun! I love the music videos so much, Désolé and The Lost Chord completely broke me. I like Chalk Tablet Towers, Pac-Man, Aries, Momentary Bliss, and The Valley of The Pagans. But overall it’s super good. Also, this albums art style is my #1 favorite art style and how the music videos are.

Meanwhile EP – 4/10

This was a random release and it was… good. I only liked Jimmy Jimmy, the others were.. okay. I thought it was fine and it’s always forgotten about. There was like no new artwork at all for it. Which makes it even more boring. It was like a mix of Cracker Island and Song Machine, which sounds like it’d be good, but to be honest it wasn’t.

Cracker Island – 7.9/10

I gave this a .1 point higher than Humanz because this, unfortunately, is the only album I’ve seen released while being a fan. Plus, I like almost every song on here. The album cover and art style is so cool and amazing. I like Oil, Cracker Island, The Tired Influencer, Skinny Ape, Possession Island and Captain Chicken. I do think this album got way too much hate. Yes, it’s their “pop” album, yes, it sounds different from the normal Gorillaz style. Do I still absolutely love it? Of course. People act like they aren’t allowed to experiment and try different things. But it’s really a great album.

Conclusion

Now, you may or may not have been angry or agree with my opinion. Still, I stand by what I have said and no one can tell me otherwise. Gorillaz is my #1 band of all time and I know so much about it and its music, its lore, and its background. I don’t know everything though, and I’m aware of that. I’m also a new fan, since I became a fan in November 2022. I have plenty of merch, vinyls, cds and what-not, but I’m still praying that one day I can go to a Gorillaz concert.

I love this band so much and it does deserve more popularity in this day and time. It was huge in the early 2000s but they’re not as big anymore. I have been actively obsessed since I started listening to them. Who knows when my phase will end? They bring such an accent to the music industry. No one will ever compare to what they’ve created.

I know I won’t ever stop liking them or really ever leave my phase, but I will rise and fall with how obsessed I am with it. I love these albums, characters and people so so so much. They’ve actually changed my life, all for the better. Thank you Damon, Jamie, 2D, Murdoc, Russel, Noodle, all the collaborators, and anyone who has played or worked with Gorillaz. I couldn’t be happier and more grateful for how this band turned out.

The Case of Sherri Rasmussen

hawkikad000 True Crime March 26, 2024#True Crime, Cold case, crime, detective, investigation, murder 0 Comment

The Murder

On the evening of February 24th, 1986, John Ruetten would return home from work to find his wife, Sherri Rasmussen, laying dead on the floor. She was shot 3 times and had a bruise on her face, with a porcelain vase being broken over her head. Sherri also had a bite mark on her arm, that an investigator noticed and obtained a swab of, which was then determined to belong to a female. The case was eventually dropped, being decided as a burglary.

In 2009, however, Jim Nuttal and Pete Barba brought the case back up as their burglar theory was invalid, because of the female DNA. As they investigated the case, more evidence appeared that proved the burglar theory to be incorrect.

Another Investigation

The evidence, before the 2nd investigation, suggested that a struggle began upstairs between Sherri and the culprit, ending at the 1st floor with Sherri dying. More evidence appeared in the 2nd investigation that proved this wrong. At the top of the staircase was a pile of stereo equipment on top of a VCR. If the struggle first began upstairs, leading downstairs, the stack of the equipment would likely have been knocked over, however the equipment was standing upright. For this to happen, the culprit would have had to go back up the stairs and re-stack the pile of the equipment. This is very unlikely to happen as when a burglar succeeds, their main priority is most likely to flee as soon as possible, proving that there was no burglar.

To support this theory, a fingerprint was found on the stack of equipment, but it had no print, suggesting that the culprit had gloves on. The blood was later proved to be Sherri’s, meaning that after she was shot, the culprit stacked the stereo equipment at the top of the stairs to make the case look bigger than what it really was.

From this, the detectives narrowed down their suspects to five females. One of these suspects was a woman named Stephanie Lazarus.

Stephanie Lazarus

Stephanie had dated John before Sherri. Both had never considered that they had major relationships. A bit into their relationship, John had accepted a job to be a hard drive manufacturer, and Stephanie had applied to be a LAPD uniformed officer, and was accepted.

Eventually, John had met Sherri and was then dating her behind Stephanie’s back. Stephanie later learned that John and Sherri have had a serious relationship. Stephanie wrote to John’s mother, “I wish it didn’t end the way it did, and I don’t think I’ll ever understand his decision.”

During John and Sherri’s engagement, Stephanie would often visit the apartment that John and Sherri shared. Stephanie would make excuses like her skies needed waxing. Sherri was bothered by Stephanie’s visits and was beginning to question their relationship. She eventually asked John to tell Stephanie to stop the visits. John responded to her cries by saying that, “They were just friends” and “You should just ignore her.”

It eventually escalated even farther. Stephanie would start to stalk Sherri on the streets. According to Sherri’s father, Nels Rasmussen, Stephanie would visit Sherri in her office and tell her that her relationship with John was not over, and “If I can’t have John, no one else will.”

The two detectives, Jim and Pete, learned that Stephanie was a LAPD Officer, and had been promoted to work on art theft cases as a detective. She was one of the only two detectives in the nation’s full time unit that were devoted to this specialty. She was noted as one of the least promising suspects by the detectives, however, since Stephanie was still in the department, they had to work carefully.

As the investigation continued, they narrowed down the suspects as more evidence appeared. At the end of this, the only suspect left on the list was Stephanie. Now they had to be extra careful; they referred to Stephanie as “No. 5” and would only work after hours.

They proceeded to look into details about Stephanie’s life back in the mid-80’s. They gathered intel from another detective and learned that at the time, the weapon that most officers would use as a backup was a .38. Stephanie used that type of gun. Jim and Pete then supposed that the best time to commit a murder like this, while working for the LAPD, was to commit it on a day off. Sherri had been murdered on one of Stephanie’s days off.

To add even more to the evidence, the murder weapon had been disposed of after the crime. For a police officer to lose or dispose of a major weapon would cause severe penalties, so using a backup weapon would be the obvious choice. As stated before, Stephanie had the same type of backup weapon that was used in the crime.

It was now clear to Jim and Pete that Stephanie was the murderer, but they had to prove it. They worked discreetly and informed superiors about the investigation. The detectives wanted to take a DNA sample from Stephanie. When Stephanie disposed of a cup that she had been drinking from, the detectives swiped a DNA sample from it. When tested, the DNA had matched the DNA from the bite mark on Sherri’s arm. They had found the culprit.

The Arrest

With the careful planning for the arrest, officers waited outside of Stephanie’s home. A short time after they had all lined outside, they received a call from the department headquarters. They requested that the officers would wait at the headquarters instead of Stephanie’s house, as she would be required to give up her equipment there. This would limit the risk of Stephanie retaliation when learning that she was the prime suspect of the murder.

When she arrived, she was asked to talk in an investigation room just to “tie some loose ends” in the Sherri Rasmussen case. While the interrogation went on, she said she didn’t remember most things about the case, since it had been many years since, but seemed to remember some. She admitted to visiting Sherri’s office and seeing John at his condo. The interrogation eventually escalated to the point where Stephanie decided to leave the room altogether. While walking down the hallway, she was met with officers that swiftly put her under arrest.

In early 2012, the trial began for Stephanie. The prosecutors accused that the murder was committed over jealousy from Sherri’s relationship with John. Defense said that Stephanie’s friends denied that she had any violence towards the failed relationship with John. They called their last witness who said that some fingerprints found in the investigation did not belong to Stephanie.

Prosecution showed the jury photos of Sherri and her found body. They said the fight wasn’t fair. The prosecutors reminded that there was no alibi for Stephanie at the time of the murder. Some time in March, Stephanie Lazarus, was convicted of first degree murder. She was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. She is currently serving her sentence in the California Institution for Women in Corona.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sherri_Rasmussen

Chocolate – Good or bad?

gracebrowning Uncategorized March 26, 2024candy, chocolate, Culture, Lifestyle, sweets 0 Comment

We all know about the treat that is called chocolate. While some people think, “Yes! This is the simplest treat ever that no one could ever ruin!” others think, “Ewww. This is not good. Why would people ever eat this!?” So today we are finally deciding whether or not chocolate is delicious or nasty.

Let’s start with the good things. First, chocolate can improve your blood flow and lower your blood pressure, however, you can only get those benefits if you eat dark chocolate or dark cocoa powder which is the least liked chocolate. Second, dark chocolate is good for your brain! Studies show chocolate increases brain blood flow, oxygen levels, and nerve function. So basically if you eat some chocolate occasionally, your brain health will improve little by little! Lastly, chocolate can improve people’s mental health, like emotions. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation and cognitive function, so it’s no surprise that chocolate can immediately boost your mood on a bad day! Research has shown that those who eat dark chocolate have significantly decreased chances of developing depression.

Now that we have covered the good side of chocolate, let’s travel to the darker side. There are many bad things about chocolate. People just don’t really bring them up because it is sort of uncommon to not like chocolate since so many of the things that we do involve chocolate, such as Valentine’s day, Halloween, and even just national chocolate day. But never the less, we are going to exploit the negatives of chocolate. First, chocolate has high fat and sugar content. Its consumption has even been associated with acne, obesity, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.

Next, chocolate can have bacteria on it. Kristen Numez said, “25% of chocolate samples had bacterial contamination when examined during a study, featured in a 2015 article, in the journal ‘Food Control’. Interestingly, the cocoa beans showed little contamination, so the contamination occurred during processing. Enterobacteriaceae on the workers’ hands revealed the source.” So when you eat chocolate, you don’t really know what you’re consuming. And Finally, chocolate has a lot of undeclared allergens in it. Food allergies affect millions of people. Undeclared allergens often trigger product recalls. An April 2017 paper in the Journal of Food Protection showed that many chocolate bars contain undeclared allergens like milk and nuts. These foods can cause severe reactions in some people. So overall, Chocolate can be unhealthy because of its high fat and sugar, it can be dirty with bacteria from all over and it can have undeclared food allergens and make people sick.

So, in this article we have listed the good and the bad things about chocolate. We haven’t really decided if chocolate really is good or bad, so it is up to you and your personal opinion.

Why Park City ski resort is the best in Utah.

jacobmic017 Uncategorized March 22, 2024Park City ski resort, ski resort, skiing, Utah, Utah ski resort 0 Comment

Utah claims to have the best snow in the world, so they’re going to have many different Ski resorts, but to me Park City is the best one. From the lovely weather, to great terrain, it can’t get much better. There are many great and unique things about the resort that I want to share. So here’s why Park City ski resort is the best:

Great Terrian

Park City ski resort has a wide range of terrain, and ways to ride the mountain. From flat easy bunny hills, to steep rocky back-country, it’s for everyone. If you’re a new rider there are plenty of greens, and easy hills to learn on. If you are immediate, Park City’s got you too! There’s also a lot of blues, and easy blacks. Even if you’re a professional, or expert at skiing, there’s very challenging runs at the top of the mountain that you can go down. In addition, for all the free-ride skiers/snowboarders there’s a great terrain park on both sides of the mountain, with huge jumps, half-pipes, and jib sections. Park City’s terrain isn’t the only good thing about it, their lodges and resorts are amazing too!

World-Class Resort

Park City’s actual resort is world class. People come from all over the world to ski and vacation there. Park City being my home mountain, I have met many people from all over the country, and even the world, who came to ski here. The lodges have many restaurants inside them, and great views of the mountain. Being able to chill in one of the resort pools, or hot tubs, is the best feeling after a long day on the slopes. Also the workers and people that you’ll be with and meet in the resort, and on the slopes is another reason why Park City is the best Ski resort.

The people

At Park City people are very kind, joyful, and excited. When you go out to the town there’s just a great feel about it! And when you’re on the slopes, people are usually very kind and everyone’s just enjoying themselves and skiing. The teachers for new skiers/snowboarders are also very helpful, and teach you how to correctly go down the mountain. Having a fun atmosphere while going skiing is half the fun. That’s a huge factor as to why this resort is the best. But how convenient is going to Park City?

Convenience

Park City is located in, well Park City of course. That’s about 38 minutes away from Salt Lake City airport. So it’s really not far if you’re flying in. Park City is a small mountain town, so it’s not gonna be in a major city like Provo, or Salt Lake. There are two sides of the resort: Park City, and Deer Valley. You can go to both sides depending on the pass you are using, but if you are trying to ski to the other side it will take you about 20 to 40-ish minutes if you’re slower. I’ve been to both sides, and they are both great. You can park on either side if you are planning to just ski there. With that being said, it’s a pretty convenient place to go skiing.

All these reasons are showing why Park City Ski resort is the best one in Utah. It was voted as the number one resort in the country, in 2021. The terrain is amazing here, as well as the people and workers. The lodges and resorts you can stay in are outstanding, and very enjoyable. The convenience of where it’s located, and its two sides are also very beneficial. All in all, Park City Ski resort is the best in Utah.

Shooting happened at Lakewood Church.

calvewil000 True Crime March 14, 2024#True Crime, bomb, crime, shooting 0 Comment

A shooting occurred at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church last Sunday, injuring 2. The suspect was killed when police showed up. Texas authorities said: “At 1:53 PM when the Spanish speaking session was about to begin, someone shot at the church”

The suspect, who was a woman, carried a long rifle, she was wearing a backpack and a trench coat. She had a child who was about 4-5 years old. I don’t know why she brought a child, but she did, and that’s crazy. After she started shooting, off duty officers engaged and returned fire. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

2 people were injured, including a 57 year old man who was shot in the leg, and the child the suspect brought with, who is in critical condition. Why would you bring a child and then make the small child in critical condition? That’s very messed up and dumb.

The suspect mentioned that she had a bomb, but when a bomb squad was sent to search the premises, her car, and her backpack. There wasn’t any bombs on the scene. I’m guessing that she had a plan to blow up the church, but she was stopped.

She was spraying some substance on the ground of the church and around the church. Police said that there wasn’t any threat to the public around Lakewood Church.

During a conference, Senior Pastor, Joel Osteen, thanked law enforcement, and was devastated by the shooting that occurred. Joel Osteen says “We don’t understand why all these things happened, but we know God’s in control.” and he said “We’re going to continue to move forward. There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us, the forces of God are stronger than that,” he continued. “So we’re going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what God’s called us to do, lift people up and give hope to the world again.”

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced the death of the shooter. “Correction: shooter is down,” Gonzalez wrote on social media. “But it does not appear that@HCSOTexas deputies fired shots; other agencies fired.”

“It’s traumatic. Not only for our community, but it’s certainly traumatic for the officers who had to take a life and we worry about their mental health as well, so our prayers are with them,” Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said in Sunday’s news conference. “It is very important and tragic that a church was shot down by a crazy woman.”

Police advised that if there are people with missing family to go to the family reunification center at Greenway Plaza’s Life Time Fitness gym.

Lakewood responded on X saying to pray for Lakewood and the community.

Someone says “Soon after, she told the news station, she heard repeated bangs, almost like mechanical sounds.”

“Our hearts are with those impacted by today’s tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston,” Abbott said. “Places of worship are sacred.”

Newly elected Mayor of Houston who ran on a law and order platform praised the Houston area agencies for collaborative response to the active shooter.

Washington post said: “Lifeway Research, owned by the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, did a survey of Protestant pastors last year. It found that by far the most popular security plans pastors have are an ‘intentional plan for an active shooter’ and armed congregants. Fifty-four percent of the pastors polled said they have a plan involving armed churchgoers. Three years earlier, that number was 45 percent, Lifeway said.”

Houston Police Chief, Troy Finner, said “patrols will be increased at places of worship across the City of Houston.”

Who I Think Will Win the NBA MVP

henrysticht Uncategorized March 4, 2024#Kia MVP, #nbabasketball, Basketball, Current Events, NBA, Sports 0 Comment

In this article I will not only be covering who I think will win the NBA MVP, but also the Rookie of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the year, Defensive Player of the Year. Although the NBA has already released a few awards, such as the last six awards listed, I will still cover who I think should win.

The NBA has already released the Defensive Player of the Year award, the Clutch Player of the Year award, the Sixth Man of the Year award, the Most Improved Player award, the Rookie of the Year award, and the Coach of the Year award. The winners are as listed above; Jaren Jackson Jr., De’Aaron Fox, Malcolm Brogdon, Lauri Markkanen, Paulo Banchero, and Mike Brown. I won’t cover the Clutch Player of the Year because the statistics were too confusing for me to understand.

MVP

Joel Embiid

While NBA.com has Nikola Jokic being the frontrunner for an MVP, I believe that Joel Embiid will take home his first MVP. Joel Embiid is an offensive force. After winning 2 straight NBA scoring titles, and no MVP’s, I believe its his time to take home an MVP. He is currently averaging 33.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.2 apg. Most points per game plus 10.2 rebounds in my opinion is an MVP caliber stat line. NBA.com has him 2nd in the Kia MVP ladder.

2. Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic may become the first player to “three-peat” an MVP award since Larry Bird did so in 1983-86. He may join the 4 player club as an MVP “three-peater”. He is currently averaging 24.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 9.8 apg. He is averaging the most assists by a center this year(3rd in NBA), and the 2nd most rebounds by a center and all players. NBA.com has him as 1st in the Kia MVP ladder.

3. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum co-led the Celtics to a 2nd place spot in the Eastern Conference, only 1 game behind NBA.com’s 3rd place MVP contender, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is averaging 30.1 ppg, 8.8 ppg, 4.6 apg. A near double-double from this year’s All-Star game MVP with a NBA record 55 points. NBA.com has him 4th in the Kia MVP ladder.

4-10

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

5. Donovan Mitchell

6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

7. Domantis Sabonis

8. Luka Doncic

9. Kevin Durant

10. James Harden

The winner of the 2023 MVP award is yet to be announced, but hopefully will some time in May.

Rookie of the Year (ROTY)

The Rookie of the Year award has been dominated since day 1 by one person: Paolo Banchero. He was the consensus 1st overall pick. The only player that could’ve stolen it from him was injured rookie Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

1.Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero was the consensus first overall pick of last year’s draft to whoever had it. The Magic were the lucky winners and, of course they picked Banchero. Averaging 20 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, he leads all rookies in scoring. NBA.com has him 1st for ROTY.

2. Bennedict Mathurin

Bennedict popped off in his first few games as the Pacers 6th man. In those first couple of games he averaged 24 ppg. Overall, Mathurin averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg. NBA.com has him 4th for ROTY.

3. Jalen Williams

Jalen Williams was a standout at Santa Clara, and became a prolific scorer for the Thunder in the second half of the year. He averaged 17.24 ppg in the second half of the year. Overall, he averaged 14.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg. NBA.com has him 3rd for ROTY.

4-10

4. Walker Kessler

5. Jaden Ivey

6. Keegan Murray

7. Jabari Smith Jr.

8. Jeremy Sochan

9. Malaki Branham

10. Shaedon Sharpe

The winner of the 2023 ROTY award was Orlando Magic forward Paulo Banchero.

MOY

1. Bobby Portis

Bobby Portis is currently second in the 6MOY runnings. He is on the Bucks team that s looking to claim their second title in 3 years. He is averaging 14.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.5 apg.

2. Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon is the 6th man for the Boston Celtics. His team is looking to claim their first title since 2008, and edge out the LA Lakers in the race for the most titles. They are both currently tied at 17 rings. Malcolm is averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 apg.

3. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley is the 6th man for the surprising Knicks team. The Knicks are currently hoping to get past the Cavaliers in the first round, which would be the first time in 10 years they won a round in the playoffs. Quickley is averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg.

The winner of the 2023 6MOY award was Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon.

MIP

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai has upped his number from last year(24.5 ppg, 45.3 FG%, 30.0 3pt%, 5.0 rpg, 5.9 apg) to 31.4 ppg, 51.0 FG%, 34.5 3pt%, 4.8 rpg, 5.5 apg. He is also sixth in the MVP runnings. He led the Thunder to a play-in berth, and a 9/10 game win versus the Pelicans with 32 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. This year he was a first time all-star.

2. Lauri Markkanen

Lauri has made a huge improvement from last year. Last season he averaged 14.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg on 44.5 FG% and 35.8 3pt%. This season he is averaging 25.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.9 apg on 49.9 FG% and 39.1 3pt%. He is well deserving of the award he took -although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should’ve won. However, he failed to bring the Jazz to a play-in berth, finishing 12th place in the Western Conference.

3. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson is- in my opinion- one of the most underrated players in the league. Averaging 24.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 6.2 apg on 49.1 FG% and 41.6 3pt% he is a top 20 scorer. He is the bringer of Julius Randle’s comeback(even though he won MIP in 2019-2020). Last year his stats were: 16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.8 apg on 50.2 FG% and 37.3 3pt%.

The winner of the 2023 MIP award was Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen

COTY

1. Mike Brown

After winning in a literal landslide, Mike Brown coached the Sacramento Kings to their very first playoff berth since the 2005-2006 season. He had help from the Clutch Player of the Year award winner De’ Aaron Fox, and the rebound title winner Domatas Sabonis.

2. Mark Daigneault

“Coach D” -as many people abbreviate his name- led the OKC Thunder to a play-in berth after a horrible losing season last year. Without the 2nd overall draft pick from 2022, his team was led by 12th overall Jalen Williams and Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander.

3. Joe Mazzulla

He was supposed to be the Celtics assistant coach after Will Hardy moved to the Utah Jazz, but after the Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was fired, he took the reigns of one of the most dominant teams ever.

The winner of the 2023 COTY award was Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown.

DPOY

1. Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies PF/C led the Grizzlies to a 2nd seed berth in the 2023 playoffs. He averaged 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. The Grizzlies were the 2nd best rated defensive team during the playoffs. The Grizzlies were the 7th best defensive team during the regular season.

2. Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez was the 3rd star for the Milwaukee bucks this year. He averaged 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. In the playoffs, the Bucks were the 14th best defensive team, but during the season, they were the 5th best team.

3. Evan Mobely

This year for Cleveland he averaged 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers were the best defensive teams with the defensive rating. During the regular season, they were the best team.

The winner of the 2023 DPOY award was Jaren Jackson Jr.

The NBA Teams With the Brightest Future

henrysticht Uncategorized March 4, 2024#Thunder, magic, NBA 0 Comment

If we’re talking about bright futures, we have to talk about the OKC Thunder. The youngest team in basketball made the play-in, and was one game shy of the playoffs. With MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm, the Thunder can expect a few changes in the next upcoming years.

The Magic are also a great candidate for brightest future. With Paulo Banchero as a rookie, he averaged more than 20 ppg, and with a chance to get Scoot Henderson or Victor Wembanyama, their future has never been better.

The Rockets also have great potential with Jabari Smith Jr, Jalen Green, and a 14% chance to get the before mentioned Victor or Scoot. They were battling with the Spurs for 15th in the Western Conference, which they tied, only winning a measly 22 games. For example, the Bucks won 58 games and lost 24.

The Detroit Pistons already were the worst team in all of basketball, but this season didn’t help. But, with rising stars like Cade Cunningham Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey, they only won 16 games. They could’ve done better, but their team leader, and the player they depend on most Cade Cunningham got injured after just 12 games. They went 3-9 with Cade, which is a win percentage of just 25%. It is still better than their season long percentage of 19%.

These next teams have the dimmest futures.

The Milwaukee Bucks have a problem no one is talking about. They have an average age of 29.47, and their lone star, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 28 years old, Jrue Holiday is 32, Khris Middleton is 31. They have traded almost all of their picks away, with only having 5 in the next 6 years. 3 of them are second rounders.

Miami Heat’s average age is 28.13. They too are experiencing the same problem as the Bucks. Only 4 draft picks in the next 4 years, none in this draft. On the bright side, 3 of the draft picks are first round draft picks. With star Jimmy Butler only doing good in the NBA playoffs, and Bam Adebayo’s being able to go into free agency in 2026, the Heat are in trouble.

The Phoenix Suns have one of the best current cores for a basketball team. 26 year old Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant, that trio is good for another year or so. Kevin Durant is now 34, CP3 is a whopping 38 years old,

The Struggles of Queer Women in Nigeria

clover ?! Uncategorized March 4, 2024LGBTQIA+, LGBTQIA+ lives matter, Nigeria, Queer Women 0 Comment

Many women in Nigeria, and just queer people in general, have to be cautious of getting “kitoed.” Now, you probably don’t know what I’m referring to, so I’ll explain it. Getting “kitoed” is basically where a queer person will meet another queer person online, they talk to each other for a while and then they meet up (in most cases, it’s meeting up for a date.) But once you arrive, the person they met online will try to hurt the queer person in some way or do something bad to try and turn them back into a heterosexual, which usually results in violence.

In this article, the nigerian women tell the stories of their experiences being “kitoed.” The Nigerian women, who I will just call Izzy (that’s what they refer to her in the article.) Izzy met another lesbian woman online and they began talking.

Eventually, the two women met up, the other woman changing the venue at the last minute of where they were going to meet up and just insisting that they go back to her home instead. Izzy agrees and at first, everything seems fine, but just something feels off. That was until there was a knock at the door, and as Izzy describes it “that knock ruined everything.”

Two men entered the apartment and ended up sexually hurting Izzy. The entire ‘lesson’ behind this attack was to try and teach Izzy on “how to enjoy a man.” Sadly, because of this attack, Izzy ended up getting pregnant.

She told her father about how she’d gotten pregnant and how she did, but her father kicked her out for getting pregnant, because in this family, having a lesbian daughter and that daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock was forbidden and a taboo thing.

Her mother found a church which agreed to take Izzy in but there, she said, as a pregnant young woman with a masculine appearance, she was made to prayer meetings, known as deliverance meetings, intended to “get rid of her demons.”

Izzy stated she also had to endure many sexual advances from men within the church community, including pastors.

“At night, I couldn’t sleep without a man coming to touch me.” she said.

Izzy ended up fleeing the church after a three month stay, but after several more months of sleeping in cars, or squatting with friends, her father reluctantly took her back in and let her stay in his home.

I find it incredibly terrible that practices like these, to try and convert someone’s sexuality, is considered normal in Nigeria when it definitely shouldn’t. People in the LGBTQ+ community shouldn’t have to be threatened with being beaten, raped, blackmailed or even killed just for being who they are

For example, Twenty-eight year old Raflat – whose name has been changed – told CNN that last year, she had to take 6 months of conversion therapy at an Islamic school her mother walked in to see her daughter and her girlfriend “making out.”

Raflat stated, “I was called a disgrace, a failure, unworthy.”

As soon as she arrived at the school, her ankles were chained to the floor in order to let “the demons naturally leave her body.”

I find it disgusting and cruel that people will discriminate against others just because they aren’t attracted to the opposite gender. Weren’t we taught in school that we can be anything we wanna be? That you can always be yourselves? It’s always disgusting to see these kinds of people saying “you can be anything you want to be!” then harassing others for being themselves.

Now these situations I talked about, these can happen anywhere around the globe, not just in Nigeria, but still, it’s terrifying that people in the LGBTQ+ community have to be wary of such violence just for being themselves.

What do you think?

Top 10 NBA teams to win the Title 2023-24

henrysticht Uncategorized March 4, 2024#LA Clippers, #OKC Thunder, Basketball, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns 0 Comment

In the NBA, there are many great teams, and players. But who is the best? Below are my top ten favorite teams to win the NBA in the 2023-24 season. It may be too early to tell, because we’re not even at the All-star break yet, but the Celtics, Thunder, Clippers, and Bucks are my favorites.

#1 Boston Celtics

Currently 1st in the Eastern Conference, they have a record of 38-12, which is the best across the NBA. in the off-season, they acquired “unicorn” Kristaps Porzingas, who has been averaging 20 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 apg. Jayson Tatum has been averaging 27 ppg, a step down from last year, 8 rpg, and 5 apg. Jaylen Brown was extended to a 304 million dollar contract during the off-season, where the Celtics also traded reigning 6th Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, and Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart. Jrue Holiday was also acquired during the off-season, making for a great defensive and offensive team.

#2 OKC Thunder

The Thunder is the 2nd youngest team on average, and they are currently tied 1st in the Western Conference, with a 35-15 record. They have a bright future, so even if they don’t win this year, they are still my favorite for the years to come. Led by All-star guard and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they are in the top 5 of 6 different team stats.

#3 LA Clippers

After they added James Harden, they have won 30 games and lost 13. They are first in the Power Rankings, but 3rd in the Western Conference. Will an All-star Caliber roster consisting of Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden be enough to get them to the NBA Finals? Maybe. Will it be enough to win? No. Maybe if this were 5 or 6 years ago when all of these players were in there prime.

#4 Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are coming off a Finals victory over the Miami Heat. They have a top three player in the league in Nikola Jokic. This team is a solid squad, currently sitting at 4th in the Western Conference, only behind the T-wolves, Thunder and Clippers. Nikola Jokic is the 2nd favorite to win the MVP award, only behind Joel Embiid, who may not even play enough games to qualify for the award.

#5 Minnesota Timberwolves

Currently tied 1st in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves have a 35-15 record. They are led by the defensive focused, All-star trio of Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, and DPOY Rudy Gobert. They have the second lowest defensive field goal % of all the NBA teams, only behind the Boston Celtics.

#6 Milwaukee Bucks

They fired their coach, Adrian Griffin despite having a 30-13 record. Since then, they hired Doc Rivers, a coach who won a title with the Celtics in 2008 and have gone 3-4. Led by All-star duo Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are 2nd in the Eastern Conference.

#7 Philadelphia 76ers

The ‘6ers are currently 5th in the Western Conference with a record of 30-18. Embiid, their star player has only played 34 of those 48 games. But he has been averaging 35 ppg in those 34 games, one of which he dropped 70 against Rookie of the Year favorite Victor Wembamyama.

#8 Cleveland Cavaliers

Currently 3rd in the Eastern Conference, this team is led by former All-stars Donavon Mitchell and Darius Garland. Jarrett Allen helps get boards and Evan Mobley adds in 16 ppg. This team led by the former Utah Jazz guard is 18-4 in the last 22 games. The team is 31-16 overall.

#9 New York Knicks

4th in the Eastern Conference at 32-18, the Knicks have been having a great year. Led by Jalen Brunson, they are 8th in the Power Rankings. Jalen Brunson has been averaging 27 ppg, and 7 apg, whereas his teammate, Julius Randle, has been averaging 24.0 ppg, 9 rpg, and 5 apg. They went on a nine-game win streak, which ended in Crypto.com arena against the Lakers.

#10 Phoenix Suns

With great potential comes expectations. The trio of former MVP Kevin Durant, 3 time All-stars Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal have led “The Valley” to 6th in the Western Conference at 29-21. In the off-season, they acquired notable guard Bradley Beal in a three-team trade that sent Chris Paul to the Warriors and Jordan Poole to the Wizards.

The article may be done, but the question still remains. Who do you think will win the NBA title? Leave your guesses down below. (Records and stats are from 2-7-24)

Sources: NBA, ESPN

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