Rova Dova

Part 140- Society

By Rova - June 10, 2021

I honestly don't know why society is more strict towards a woman than a man. So many rules are put in place for a woman that it's almost like she has no control over what she can or cannot do. It's like society doesn't want her to be who she wants and instead forces her to be someone else just for everyone else.

To a woman, they'll tell her to change her dress or cover-up, but won't say anything to a man even when they don't tuck in their pants? What's up with that? Then, women are expected to reach or be at this unattainable beauty standard, but when they use surgery to meet the standard they get judged? Why is that? Society wants us to fit in a specific category and continuously stay in, but it becomes overwhelming and almost a weight, to keep complying and keep changing ourselves to fit in. It's almost like we can't be who we want anymore simply because we're too afraid that we'll be judged or criticized if we don't.

After that, there are gender norms in clothing. Sneakers or shirts are gender-neutral but a dress or heels are not. This is simply because society considers 'men' as the default. Something 'girly' or feminine is inferior, causing 'neutral' to be biased towards most 'boyish' or masculine things. Because of this, young girls are to not be like the others, while young boys are afraid of being considered feminine if not boyish enough. Who makes something like this? Why is almost everything, even the simplest things like clothing, categorized by man or woman? Why is it that when things are not categorized it is immediately criticized? Why? Is it wrong if a woman prefers to wear a suit or pants rather than a dress? Is it wrong if a man likes to wear jewelry or wear makeup? Who says makeup is just for girls? Even though girls use makeup more than men, is it immediately labeled as a girl thing and boys shouldn't wear makeup?

Not to forget Abortion. I may be a little late to speak about this but I now will. High School Valedictorian Paxton Smith spoke out about Texas's new abortion law, the Heartbeat Bill, during her graduation. Abortion in Texas is prohibited as early as six weeks a woman is pregnant. 6 weeks. Most women don't realize they are pregnant within 6 weeks. Who knows if bringing another being into the world is something they are willing to do. The pregnancy could be a result of rape or even be something they are not able to do, mentally, physically, emotionally, or even financially. If it is something they are not ready for, yet have to comply with because of this law, wouldn't it be a burden upon them? Wouldn't it be something they would be pressured and forced to do by a stranger even though they are not ready for it? It's like taking away a woman's rights. Taking away something that is her decision. Something that will affect her life and is up to her whether she wants it or not.

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/03/1002831545/high-school-valedictorian-swaps-speech-to-speak-out-against-texas-new-abortion-l

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Coronavirus

Part 139- The Invisible Hand

By Rova - April 25, 2021

Hello! Today's topic is on the Invisible Hand. I was meant to post this last week but it wasn't completely finished so I'm posting it this week. (This post will kind of be in a research paper format, but this is my first time writing a research paper, so it won't be the best paper.) Anyways, here it is!

The Invisible Hand.
Similar to the name, the invisible hand is a metaphor for the unseen forces that move the free market economy or, the government. While it may be seen as interference, it actually is bringing order.

The invisible hand is part of laissez-faire, meaning let us do it, approach to the market. Even though markets can succeed by themselves, they need to be nudged to work best. This nudge comes from none other than the Invisible Hand. Here’s an example: Let’s say a business was hiring. People would present themselves and say they would work for $10 an hour. Well, to get the job instead of that guy, another would say they would work for $8 an hour, and so on. Soon, the government steps in and says we shouldn’t be working for less. So, they put in a minimum wage. The minimum wage is the lowest amount a person can work for. It gives a limitation on how low wages can be, so people aren’t working for less, but for more. The Invisible Hand nudged people in the right direction so that they could work their best.

Not only that, the Invisible Hand protects us, consumers, through acts and policies. For example, antitrust laws. Antitrust laws are developed by the government to protect consumers from predatory business practices and ensure fair competition. The practices include predatory acts to achieve and maintain a monopoly or price-fixing conspiracies. A common example is United States v. AT&T. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, which started the foundation of the company that would soon become AT&T, American Telephone, and Telegraph. As the company began establishing a network of subsidiaries in the United States and Canada, it held a phone service monopoly. Since it was the only phone service, it could raise prices and sales freely. After all, what other company could they turn to if they disagreed with AT&T? In 1982, U.S. regulators broke up the company into 7 individual Bell companies. Now, not one, but multiple companies can compete with each other, bringing orders to the market.

More examples of these acts and policies include the Equal Employment Opportunity ( EEO) or the Credit Card Protection (CCP). The EEO protects consumers/people from being discriminated against by race, color, religion, sex ( including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, or genetic info. This act applies to hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. So, consumers cannot be discriminated against during any work situation.

Let's use a real-world scenario to see how the Invisible Hand would protect consumers. Let's say there is a gay couple, and they want to get their marriage certificate. Let's say there's only one person who can issue these marriage certificates or is the only one there. What would happen if they decide not to because gay marriage is against their religion? The EEO says that employees cannot be discriminated against by religion during any work situation, so what would happen? They would get fired for not doing their job. They are working for the government to issue these marriage certificates. They aren't doing it, but are acting as the government. It is their job to do that. They can be fired because they are not doing their job.

The Invisible Hand doesn't just protect consumers. They also protect businesses through similar acts such as the Paycheck Protection Plan ( PPP) or T.A.R.P ( Troubled Asset Relief Program). The PPP is a loan designed to provide a "direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll."

Finally, the Invisible Hand helps make taxes fair and efficient. Consider the term, Equality Among Equals. The most favored tax system is the progressive tax. This system claims that higher salaries enable affluent people to pay higher taxes, and lessens the tax burden of the poor. How does this relate to Equality among Equals? Well, equals of the same salaries will pay equal tax. So, millionaires will pay the same tax as other millionaires and people with slightly less salaries will pay the same tax as people with the same salary range as them.

The Invisible Hand truly is what brings the market to order. It is everywhere and helps everyone, both businesses, and consumers in similar yet different ways.

I have to say, for my first research paper, it went pretty okay. The first time I tried it I stressed out and spent such a long time on it, but now, I had a slightly easier time. Anyway, see you in the next post. Bye!

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Birthday

Part 138 - My birthday

By Rova - April 11, 2021

Okay...I'm here. I know I didn't post last week. Or the week before. But I'm here! But anyway, I just wanted to share something really exciting happening. As you may have read by the title, my birthday is coming up. ( It's tomorrow, lol.) Yes, I will be turning 13 tomorrow, and entering the teenager group. I will no longer be a 12 - year-old blogger but a 13-year-old blogger. So, since I am going to officially be a teenager, my parents- and I- did something really exciting. After such a long time, we finally painted my room. It is no longer the dull, common beige we all know, but now two shades of purple.

There's this really cool triangle design where we cut the wall diagonally and colored the top a lighter shade and the bottom a darker shade of purple. We did the same to another wall but cut it in the opposite direction so now it looks like a mountain. We also added these really cute mountain climber decals so it looks like they're climbing the mountain. Apart from that, I also got a new bed which is smaller and creates more space in the room, as well as an "egg chair".

Another perk about turning 13 for me is getting my first social media. To be honest, I have very little interest in being active online or even having social media. However, I do want Twitter mainly for any political updates. It just feels different when you get to find out yourself what people say instead of from your parents, you know? Aside from Twitter, I'm hoping to get Instagram. It's not too big or that popular- which suits me just fine- and will work well. I only really wanted Instagram because I wanted some other app to try besides Twitter. My first idea, Insta.

Last year we weren't able to do anything with friends due to lockdown, but this year I and my 3 close friends had a sleepover last night. I think it was one of my favorite sleepovers because it wasn't too chaotic, we all were really close with each other, and we were a small group. Of course, we stayed up until like 12:30 in the morning and acted like crackheads, but otherwise, we weren't that crazy. A night filled with painting saucer plant pots, building our own mini pizzas, music video, and song shares, and a late-night movie with ice cream followed by a morning of giggles, waffles with raspberries, and gifts is something I will never forget. :)

Lastly, I wanted to list out what I've done while I was 12. It's like a tradition where I record a video talking bout what I did at that age the night before my birthday. I haven't really thought it out but I wanted to list it out now.

I did DI this year virtually and placed 4th
Coronavirus Log series: 138 parts
Live election Blogging for 2020 elections- 35 posts
I started 2 new stories- Missing piece and When Can I See You Again- and wrote the most I ever have on them
I started following a new musical artist: BTS
I started practicing for my SAT's
I'm doing much better in Marathi, and I have started being independent in taking care of and managing my work
I finally reached and completed Level J for both math and reading for Kumon ( Something I have wanted to achieve for so long)
I started reading Economics
Experienced a slice of real-life: Bourbon Street ( I'm sure all of you know my thoughts on that. If not, here is the link to my "New Orleans Trip" post.)
Had a successful plant garden and harvest, and have started another one this year

Now that I think of it, I haven't achieved/done as much as I usually do. A lot of these are just new things that I've done. Not accomplishments. It may be because of COVID, but I definitely aim to achieve a lot more when I become a 13-year-old.

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Coronavirus

Part 137- New Orleans Trip

By Rova - March 22, 2021

By the time you- my readers- read this, it will most likely be Sunday and I’m already at home, or maybe be finished by Saturday, or before I return home from New Orleans. It’s Thursday, as I start to write this post. I’m thinking I should write a little by little during the day so that the memories are still fresh in my mind. Enough about how I’m writing this. Let’s talk about the trip.

I’m actually not sure about what I’m feeling about this trip. No specific emotion comes to my mind. Am I enjoying it? Am I upset? Do I love it? Do I want to go home? Am I afraid? What do I think about this? Don’t get me wrong, I’m really grateful that my parents gave me this and that we’re somewhere for spring break. But... I can’t describe how I’m feeling. I could say that I’m enjoying it, but it feels wrong. I’m not hating it or upset either. I’m...neutral. To be honest it didn’t register clearly in my mind that we were going somewhere for the break. Usually, I would be excited and would be ready at least a week before but this time... I don’t know. I just kind of went with it at the moment. But then it started to sink in. On the way here, during the 8-hour-long road trip, I understood that we were going to New Orleans. It’s been about a full 24 hours since we’ve been here and I’ll share some of my experiences.

Yesterday, once we arrived, we rested for about 2 hours and then walked around Bourbon Street. I didn’t realize it was Bourbon street until my dad told me, and I was surprised. I did not expect for it to be crowded, filled with a strong stench of alcohol, cigars/smoke, and a faint pungent smell of what apparently is weed. Not to forget, the loud, blaring music and cheers from people on balconies and on the streets, partying. I don’t have a problem with that. Well, the smells were a problem, it otherwise it was fine. People were having fun and were leaving me - and my family- alone so I didn’t have a problem. But, there was something/somethings that were very uncomfortable and disturbing. I don’t want to really mention it, but I’ll just say it wasn’t very appropriate. This threw off my first impression of the city. I have to admit, I was starting to think negatively after that. Did that really happen? Oh my god is this what it’s like? I hope not. Oh god, I wanna be at home. Should I just fake being happy? For my parents? No. I shouldn’t. I at least shouldn’t let it get to the best of me. ( I learned later that this is how Bourbon Street is, at night. It's not the safest or best place for kids at night.)

Walking along Bourbon Street

The best part of that night, though, was dinner at GW Fins. It had amazing food. The Lobster Dumplings for appetizers were incredible. The sauce that went with it was perfect and was really good. It was really creamy and went nicely with the lobster. I had the Parmesean Crusted Sheepshead which was pretty okay. I didn't really like the charred taste from the beurre blanc or the taste of the sheepshead, but it was tasty.

The Parmesan Crusted Sheepshead

We later had a Creme Brule with fresh fruits at the restaurant and took "home" a Salty Malty Ice Cream Pie. It was basically a regular pie with a pretzel crust, topped with caramel whipped cream and chocolate-covered pretzels. Even though it had partially melted when we ate it at the place we were staying, it was really good. ( It had also rained later at night but wasn't that big of a deal.)

I still didn't forget about what happened that night, so the next day- Thursday- began with the same negative thoughts. In most of my pictures from Thursday, I'll have this weird, unhappy-like expression of me trying to smile. I guess I wasn't really in the mood in-between times. Now as I look back at them I mentally slap myself for being such a dumbhead. It was a really nice day and it was really fun but I was being a dumbhead and had a bit of a sour mood. I tried to be happy, but it didn't really show.

Anyway, on Thursday we had breakfast at Cafe Beignet and it was...not that great. The space was pretty but the food didn't really have any taste. I'm not sure if that makes sense. It was bland.

Picture of Cafe Beignet taken at night

Breakfast at Cafe Beignet

After that, we just walked around and hung out at Jackson Square. We saw the St. Charles Cathedral, walked around Jackson Square, and went on a lunch cruise. The cruise included lunch with a tour along the Mississippi River. Lunch was of fried(?) fish, rice with red beans, andouille sausage, Jambalaya, and a side of Potato salad with Bread pudding for dessert. I can't eat pork so I wasn't able to eat the sausage- apart from a small piece I was allowed to try- but otherwise, the food was delicious. Even though rice with beans isn't very tasty, it fits well with the menu. Best thing I ate, the fish. It was a bit hard to cut, but it made up for the taste. It was cooked well and was really tasty. I don't remember exactly how the Jambalaya tasted, but I do remember eating the chicken from the rice and leaving the sausage bits. I'm not sure if it was made traditionally or a more quick-recipe kind, but, it was really good. ( That's really all can say, seeing that can't recall the taste properly.) One thing, though, potato salad is cold and tastes weird. Oh and, the bread pudding was kind of okay. I was pretty surprised when eating it. I thought it would taste like bread, and never had it before, but I was pretty shocked to taste something much more interesting than bread pudding-ised. ( Is that a word? I don't think so.)

Cruise Lunch

The cruise was also really fun. The boat gave me "Steamboat Willy" vibes. We saw an old Domino Sugar factory, different ports, and boats, along with a couple cities and houses.

Boarding~

One word to describe Beignets is Powdery. You won't believe the amount of powdered sugar they put on. There were about 3 per bag, and once you finish eating them, there's only a whole 2-3 inches of powdered sugar left at the bottom. The Beignets itself tasted like a mix of funnel cake and a fried pastry with a topping of powdered sugar. It's guaranteed to make eating messy and stain your clothes with powdered sugar drops. For a popular treat, it was pretty okay. Even though the taste is faint now, it was really sweet and tasted good, but I wouldn't recommend eating one every day.

Me and my dad attempting to eat a Beignet
without being messy
( *whisper* we failed)

We later walked around Jackson Square a bit more, missed going to the French Market, got a foot massage, and went back to the hotel. We just decided to go get some McDonalds for dinner. ( I know right, amazing.) The biggest achievement of that day, to me, was how the negative thoughts in my head reduced. By the end of the day, I was convinced that New Orleans wasn't that bad of a place. Yes, I was uncomfortable from time to time, yes it was a new environment, but that didn't mean it was all bad. We got a new hat for dad! We went on a steamboat cruise and saw amazing things, ate delicious food, and got our pants stained with powdered sugar! We visited Jackson Square and visited St. Charles Cathedral. We even saw a magic show just in front of the cathedral and had a good laugh! So many wonderful things happened that day, and I realized that I was wrong for thinking so negatively.

Friday. The next day was Friday, and oh boy was it fun. We had breakfast at The Ruby Slipper Cafe, and I REALLY recommend eating there. Their food is amazing and really good. I ordered French Toast Bites- I was in the mood for something sweet- and it was delicious. The description makes it sound really sweet with the French Toast bites fried and tossed in cinnamon sugar, served with cream cheese icing and praline sauce, but in reality, it wasn't that sweet. It was very light and you would only really taste the sweetness when you first eat it. My parents ordered Egg Benedicts, and they look SOOOOOOOOO good. ( They also tasted amazing. I loveddddd it)

Eggs Benedict

If you want a light, yet filling breakfast, I recommend The Ruby Slipper Cafe. Their menu has a lot of exciting options, and I bet they all taste as amazing as what we had on Friday. Anyway, we went on a guide around the Garden District. Garden District: Pretty and old. There's a lot of history dating back to the 18-1900's and just looking at the houses is amazing enough. Such simple yet amazing designs each hold a unique story about the past resident. ( No spoilers!)

After the tour, we went to eat lunch at a restaurant which I forgot the name of. Katie's something. Not that great customer service- it was really slow- but really good oysters. We only ate oysters there. We were in and out in less than an hour. I preferred the Spinach cheese oysters over the garlic ones, but they were both really tasty.

Oysters for lunch

However, we had EVEN BETTER oysters at Red Fish Grill. Well, my dad did. He ordered BBQ Oysters while I and my mom shared crab. I can't explain how amazing their food was. I love crab, I didn't know I was craving crab, and I got crab. Even though all I actually could do was crack open the shell, extract the meat out, and dip it into butter, it was really good. I became a crab-cracking master that night! We also had cauliflower-rice and crawfish balls with the platter. I'm not that interested in crawfish or cauliflower-rice, but it was pretty tasty. I have to say, the BBQ oysters were tied with the crab. They were also pretty amazing. Even though blue cheese tastes like nausea to me, it was really good. The oysters were pre-shelled and you tasted the sauce and actual BBQ taste rather than the oyster itself. It was like the oyster was a base, and everything else was the main part. I'm not complaining. I really liked it.

Me enjoying some crab

Crab platter to the left, BBQ oysters to the right

Everything was really savory. In the end, we had Bread Pudding, a house favorite. They brought over two plates of it- one with and one without soft serve- and poured the chocolate sauces on it IN FRONT OF US. I have a video of it but it's not very good quality. Just imagine two brownie-like cakes in a medium-sized cup-bowl thing, one with a bunch of vanilla soft serve, topped with almond bark, with white and regular chocolate drizzling over it. Yum, right? We then left and took one final picture of Bourbon Street. Here it is.

You can't see my face, but this picture shows me happier than how I was last time we took a picture on this street.

My Overall Opinion:

You've read all my crazy writing and made it this far. Thank you. Now, here's my opinion. I see New Orleans as a very lively and fun place. Everywhere you walk or go, it will always be filled with noise. Mainly music, but also from chatter. People talk, interact, and have a lot of fun in this city. There won't be a single spot without some music, whether it's from street DJs, stores, or even cars, it'll always be noisy. Even though there are times you could be uncomfortable or uneasy with the people around you and their actions, you can see that they're just having fun. How they're having fun is a different story, but that doesn't matter. I really admire the people of New Orleans. In the Garden District, I saw people greeting each other- stranger to stranger- and helping each other out. When a person needs the nearest bathroom or wants to find an ice cream shop, a person or two will be there. New Orleans is a very exciting and thrilling place to be. I wish I had a little more time to enjoy myself, but that doesn't mean that I regret wasting most of my day on Thursday. My mood on Thursday actually helped me see how exciting New Orleans is. The liveliness of the city changes my original opinion and showed me how amazing and exciting a place it is. So, in the end, I enjoyed myself. I was feeling happy.

Blog Format:

I've never written about how I write, but I wanted to explain myself and how I wrote this blog. You see, I'll be publishing this post without editing most of what I wrote. Yes, I'll revise the spelling and grammatical errors, but not what I wrote. I decided that I would write this blog and leave it be. I wouldn't go back in and re-write a sentence or a thought. I wanted to just write whatever I felt at the moment. I wanted it to contribute to the story of my experience. Even though I may not have had a lot of opinions in between, I kind of just wanted to share my thoughts and the "journey" of how I got to my opinion. I wanted to tell every thought and feeling as well as the restaurants and places we visited during my break. I hope that makes sense. :)

Miscellaneous:

Here are some miscellaneous pictures along the way!

Guess who~
The fish bag is the perfect touch.

Some pretty houses near the Garden District.
( I put on a filter)

Me chilling while wearing my
dad's newly purchased hat.
;)

On the way back home to Texas.
I had carried my iPad and keyboard with me
in case I had some inspiration for my story.
This is one of my INSPIRATION moments.

Quite a big tree, isn't it?

Me and my mom near the Garden District

Us at The Ruby Slipper Cafe

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Coronavirus

Part 136- Short Check in

By Rova - March 09, 2021

Hi. I'm not really sure what I want to write, so I'm just gonna go with the flow. To be honest, I don't even know why I suddenly felt like posting. Maybe because I haven't posted in a while, aside from Sunday. Otherwise, I'm not sure. What should I write about? Everyday life, recent topic? I'm not sure. Things have changed around here. ( Gosh why does this sound like a diary entry?) Just last week Governor Abbot announced that masks were not mandatory and stores can fill up with the normal size. I guess it's a bit of a personal treat, seeing that March 2nd was Texas' Independence Day. People have been taking advantage of that, and over the weekend, I saw a couple people not wearing masks. We can't complain though. I had actually expected more people to not be wearing masks but apparently not. Just a few picked out from the crowd.

Ummmm, apart from that, nothing else. I've been writing a lot lately. Not just on "When Can I See You Again" but also a short story series called "Missing Piece". This one's a more relationship-emotion-based story, focusing on the bond between 21-year-old Abyssinia-Nia- Eswaran and her 5 stepbrothers- Rune, Evander, Abraxas, Cronus, and Kadon. Obviously, I'm a stickler for rare, mythical names. I literally spent a whole 2 hours researching the perfect names for the boys after 20 minutes of finding a name for the main character. (Nia.) I dedicate myself to writing stories with odd, unique, mythical names for the characters. There will, not be a story that doesn't have some rare name.

The reason I brought this up is that I can't seem to focus on ideas. You see, I had such a good idea and was so excited for "When Can I See You Again", but started losing motivation. I soon got the idea for Missing Piece and started working on it. But now, I have another story idea. It's an action-based one that I got inspired by from a short series I finished reading. Like, I just finished, and my mind is in SHAMBLES, absolute shambles after reading that. It was so good and such an amazing thriller that I'm just, blown by the ending. The ending was REALY simple but the story and concept and plot were just so good that it really breaks my heart to have it end. That's where my idea comes from. And this is where my problem is.

I'm not focusing clearly on ideas. As much as I want to at least get down a few thoughts on a document for this idea, I'm trying to hold myself back. I already have two storylines I'm working on, and I don't want to start writing a third that I'll most likely stop paying attention to soon. Plus, I want to actually get somewhere with my plots and ideas before working on a new one. If I start working on a new idea, I'll get caught up in that one until I lose motivation ( which happens after a few weeks) and then feel bland and with no mood to write on that story, or the other two. Sooooo....you see where my mind is right now. Shambles and mixed-feelings.

< Minor Side Thoughts: Me fangirling warning>

And, a minor side-note. I've recently had BTS's Born Singer stuck in my head and I have DEFINITELY NOT been crying every time I hear the song. ( I read English lyrics while listening.) The song is so good, even though it's really old, and it makes me cry because it's such a from-heart and experience song. Recently (a few months ago) they received their first-ever Grammy Nomination after a long time, and found out a few days ago they will be performing there. The song makes me cry because the song talks about their struggles as they became idols, and now those struggles were worth it. ( I'm fangirling so much right now, I'm sorry! ) But here's the first few lyrics of the song- translated- so you know what I mean.

I'm a born singer, A belated confession ( I Swear)
The mirage that always seemed so far away is now before my eyes ( It's here)
I'm a born singer, A belated confession
But I'm so happy ( I'm good)

{Suga} The very first stage we stood under the name Bangtan
I revisit how we felt about our first stage 3 years ago
Still I'm nothing different from a rural Daegu rapper but
I wrote the word "pro" on top of "amateur"
While rapping and dancing on the stage I wanted so badly
I feel yet alive, the tiresome trip to work and back home
I can withstand such troubles because my people are watching me
Because even if my body hurts, the cheers come rolling in...

Favorite Part-
{RM} And let the haters on me It's a day job they've always been at
While you were teasing the keyboard I fulfilled my dreams
Sunglasses, hairstyle I know why you ridicule me
In any case, it's me who's gone further than you at age 20

Born Singer- (It's a stage mix- watch with captions)

Translation - English translation

Alright, alright. I just fangirled there for a couple of minutes but it was worth it. I needed something to write about and I needed to write out my emotions for this song anyway. But, I do recommend it. It's really good and so heart-felt. But, anyway, I'm out. Bye!!!!!

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Coronavirus

Part 135- Money

By Rova - March 07, 2021

We all know what currency/money is and can easily recognize it. But what about people who can't? What do they have to do?

Many countries have their currency in different sizes depending on the denomination, but in the United States, only the coins are different. Otherwise, the paper bills are all the same size. Frankly, the idea of having different colors or sizes for US dollars didn't exist. Plus, it was cheaper to print them all in the same color and paper. Nowadays, it is expected for them to be the same color and size because it's stayed this way.

Countries such as India, Australia, and Malaysia, have a distinct length for each denomination. Not only are they different sizes, but a simple, money identifier card can be used.

Tactile marks along the tool can help identify which bill is which when lined up to the card. Money identifier tools are also very useful. The user has to insert the money into one of the devices, and then the device will provide information about the bill through speech, or a combination of beeps or vibrations.

Some governments tried a more direct approach. In Canada, money is produced in such a way that there are braille dots to indicate the value of the bill.

A very simple way to identify the denomination of bills can be through folding. Particular bills can be folded in particular ways to identify which is which. To be honest, I don't find this very efficient. Yes, folding may help but it also may be a hassle to fold a bill every single time in a very specific/particular way each time you get one.

Okay, okay. I know I'm not some cheesy reporter or spokesperson telling you stuff, but I've really got to explain one- no two more things. Laws! Yes, laws. Specifically, ADA and IDEA laws. ( Oh and maybe a mention of the U.S. Currency Program in between.)

ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a civil rights law that "...prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and public places that are open to the general public." This law is to make sure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Similar to the ADA, IDEA provides students with a disability with Free Appropriate Public Education. There are 4 parts to this law. Part A covers the general provisions of the law; Part B covers assistance for the education of all children with disabilities; Part C covers infants and toddlers with disabilities; lastly, Part D consists of the national support programs administered at the FEDERAL level.

Under the U.S. Currency program, U.S. citizens who are blind or visually impaired can obtain a currency reader device at no cost. The story behind this is quite interesting. You see, the BEP ( Bureau of Engraving and Printing) was directed to file a status report every six months on their project to provide meaningful access to the United States currency for blind and other visually impaired people. In May 2010 the Department of Treasury and the BEP issued a notice in the Federal Register to inform the public of the features BEP was proposing to the Secretary of Treasury. This included raised tactile features, large, high numerals, and a supplementary currency reader program.

In April 2011 BEP developed an app called EyeNote to assist blind and visually impaired people in identifying U.S. currency. 2 years later, in June, BEP submitted its plan for Meaningful Access to U.S. Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals to the Treasury and the Senate Committee Appropriations. However, in September 2014, the GAO released a report saying that BEP fell behind schedule in its plans to produce U.S. currency with raised tactile markings. BEP estimated that currency with tactile features could be delayed until 2020. Until then, the GAO encouraged the government to focus on distributing currency readers while the plan for tactile features was developed.

Maybe we will have a new type of U.S. Currency. Or I wonder if it will be a special order once only disabled people have this type of currency. Hmmmmmmm. I wonder... Or would that be harder? I personally think that tactile marks or even a bill reader are the best options for finding the denomination of bills. Only 1 out of 10 students learn braille so tactile marks may not be very common or effective unless we do something to increase the learning of braille. ( But we can't force people.) Maybe just get them to memorize the tactile marks. They wouldn't necessarily have to learn braille but instead just the needed dots/marks that are associated with the currency. Even if people don't learn braille, we can always have bill readers which are already effective and useful today. Either way, they both help disabled people with bill denominations.

Even though the U.S. has come up with a solution- as I mentioned above- I think that they should consider or even try printing currency of different sizes. Even though we've been used to printing them all the same size would it be more effective to just change the size or would it be costly and a problem? It really doesn't matter, to be honest. ADA was made to prevent discrimination against visually impaired people yet it can't help with money? What if they're out in public and don't know how is around them? That person would know how much money they have, right? So now, when you think about it, the United States hasn't really come up with anything for this problem. ( And it took me nearly 7- 8 paragraphs to get it through.)

https://www.banknoteworld.com/blog/the-dimensions-of-money-why-do-banknotes-come-in-different-sizes/

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Coronavirus

Part 134- Death Penalty

By Rova - February 21, 2021

Quick Facts:

Capital Punishment, or more commonly known as the death penalty is a state-sanctioned homicide as a punishment for a crime. ( Also known as death row)
The ordering that someone is punished with the death penalty is called a death sentence

Okay, so, big news. ( More like drastic, serious news.) A woman named Shabnam Ali has become a death row convict in Uttar Pradesh. What's wrong with that? Well, she is on course to become Independent India's first woman to be executed. This means that she is the first woman to be executed in India since they became independent. ( Well, there have been a few cases, but this is the first time a woman has been hanged in recent times.) Shocking, right? Here's why.

In India, women were never, or even rarely, given the death penalty because they were seen as multifaced and indispensable members of the family. People would/could never see women as criminals, stereotyping them as caregivers and nurturers. Yes, they were arrested for crimes, but never sentenced to death. I have to ask, did they think that a woman was innocent just because she is a caregiver. Even though they take care of a family and are very precious, women shouldn't be let go easily or not given the right punishment if they commit a terrible crime. Barbaric, inhuman ones. For instance, the Amroha Case. The one we will be talking about.

Amroha Case:

Ms. Shabnam has been convicted of killing 7 members of her family- Father, mother, older brother, brother's wife, elder brother's 10-moths old son, younger brother, and her cousin- in 2008. She apparently, sedated 6 of the members- except the child- and then chopped their heads off with an ax while her lover- Saleem- held them by their hair. She then throttled her 10-months old nephew. After doing so, she would have been the sole heir to the house and property. Apparently, her family did not approve of her relationship with Mr. Saleem, a Class VI dropout. 5 days after that they were arrested, and Ms. Shabnam was found to be 7 weeks pregnant. Her 12-years old son appealed for President Ram Nath Kovind to "forgive" his mother, and that same day Ms. Shabnam filed a second mercy petition with the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

She initially claimed that she was the one who raised the alarm of her family's murder and that, unknown assailants had entered her house and killed everyone. During the trial, the couple turns on each other. Ms. Shabnam claims that Mr. Saleem entered the house and killed everyone, but Mr. Saleem claims that Ms. Shabnam called him and confessed that she killed everyone.

The Mathura Prison- the only place that has a female execution place- "prepares" itself for Ms. Shabnams's execution. Apparently, the hanging house has not been used in quite a long time and needs maintenance.

I actually want to know why she did this. I know that her family wasn't in favor of her relationship and her anger could have gotten the best of her, but why? It's even slightly possible that she is innocent. She has been doing her very best to use legal remedies so her mercy petition could be heard. Under the law, if multiple people have been sentenced to death in the same case, they have to be executed together. So, they have to be executed after they exhaust their legal resources. But, I think that she shouldn't be forgiven. Even though the death penalty is kind of a way to get justice for murder or even free a family from the guilt of not finding the murderer, it is really extreme and inhuman. It's been about 12 years since this has happened, and she has been in jail this whole time. During this time she might have changed and realized the gravity of her actions. I'm not saying to easily let her go. She literally murdered 7 family members, including a teenager and a mere child. Maybe life without parole would be better than the death penalty. I don't think she or Mr. Saleem should be let go easily or even sent to rehabilitation and then be let go, but I also don't think they should be given the death penalty.

It doesn't show that we are any better than those who have murdered others. Even though we are legally doing this, it is still inhuman and very extreme punishment. We're almost the same as them when doing this. It's like violence for violence. Except, more controlled violence for uncontrolled violence. Even if the penalty isn't given, they should be given life without parole. To make up for the time lost for those family members. ( I know that's not how it works.) Maybe serve to make up for the lives lost and make up the time they still had left? If given life without parole, they already would be serving prison until they die. But maybe they should do something during their time to make up for it. I'm not sure. ( It's a bit silly, I know, but I'm just stating my mind.)

Anyway, that's all I have to say in this case. I honestly am at a loss for words. I just don't know what to say about this. I had to stop in between writing and think about what I mean and actually think. I could feel myself going back and forth from sides and facts, not knowing where I was going. There are so many things I wanted to talk about regarding this and I just couldn't phrase it right. It's so hard to believe what happened. I-I just don't know what else to say.

https://www.epw.in/engage/article/women-death-row-death-penalty-and-social-politics

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/death-sentence-india-prepares-carry-out-first-ever-hanging-women-convicts-9677094.html

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mathura-jail-prepares-for-amroha-murder-case-convict-shabnam-s-hanging-1771007-2021-02-19

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Part 140- Society

Part 139- The Invisible Hand

The Invisible Hand.
Similar to the name, the invisible hand is a metaphor for the unseen forces that move the free market economy or, the government. While it may be seen as interference, it actually is bringing order.

Part 138 - My birthday