Everyone wants to bare their opinion to the world. It is something that is uniquely yours and cannot be replicated by others. I see thousands of posts online that analyze and interpret different forms of media, each showing a little bit of themselves each time they hit that publish button. I wanted to look at two that I found to see how the ecosystem is doing.

Overwatch 2 Review: I have been avidly playing Overwatch since its release in 2016, so I was excited to hear others’ opinions about the newly released sequel. GameInformer has some nice parity in this review; it acknowledges that the game is not perfect while still giving it the props it deserves. One of the most divisive things about Overwatch 2 is the switch to a free-to-play model, which has also led to the inclusion of a purchasable battle pass. Brian Shea, the author of the article, mentions that the game keeps all of the walled off content cosmetic. The only substantial issue is that when there is a new hero added (hero = playable character), the player must grind the battle pass for a substantial amount of time to unlock it. Shea keeps an open mind to the changes and does not let the awfulness of the company that made the game affect the objective value of it, and that is greatly appreciated.

Bad Habit Review: I looked up the most popular song right now, and Bad Habit by Steve Lacy popped up. I personally have never heard of the song or the artist, so I gave it a listen. Not my cup of tea at all, but the review that I found had a different point of view on it. Brent Faulkner, known as ‘the musical hype,’ found the song to be an incredible listen. He described it as being well-written, relatable, and diverse. Faulkner shows his unabashed adoration for the song, as he does not mention a flaw in his review. Often, many writers will force in a ‘problem’ in a review to seem unbiased. It is refreshing to see one that is so candid about their enjoyment. I would have enjoyed a more thorough look into the song itself. Faulkner has a master’s in music, so he could provide a unique and knowledgeable interpretation of the more subtle things in the song. All in all, though, it was an enjoyable read that attempted to change my opinion, though it did not succeed.

Around this time of year, when the leaves begin to fall and the first few flakes of diamond dust begin to pepper the ground, I usually get excited. The winter season brings so much joy to so many people, and every year, like clockwork, it comes around right as they need it to replenish their spirits. However, there is a danger lurking behind the facade of joy. As you sip your hot chocolate and snuggle deeply into the cozy couch, think for a moment what it would be like without those amenities. Take away the fireplace, the mugs filled with nutmeg, the blankets enshrouding your legs. What is left? Nothing but a slow, creeping, bitter cold.

I watched a video recently titled “Fear of Cold” by Jacob Geller. He overviews what cold is, why it is feared, and how ruthless and brutal it can be.

This video was truly enlightening, and it got me thinking about why cold seems to intertwine itself with any and all fears. When something unsettles someone, they get a shiver up their spine. A noise in the dark makes the blood run cold. A monstrous look incurs a paralyzing freeze, limiting all movement. So many different ways of explaining fear is directly related to cold. Jacob, in his video, lists many different fictional stories and real anecdotes that display and use cold. In The Shining, the reason the family is trapped within the horror is because of freezing blizzard that surrounds them. A white death that is indomitable. Jacob explains it well: “the monster might kill them, but the cold WILL.” Even in the dire situation that the protagonists of The Shining find themselves in, they refused to face the cold that lurked outside the walls. They chose the lesser fear, and it was certainly not the cold.

So cold is feared extensively, but why does it find itself aside fear so often? It feels as though they are one in the same in the minds of every living being. Well, I began to think of a single fear that all living things have, and of course I found myself staring at death. I immediately thought of the line from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, upon Captain Barbosa’s death: “I feel… cold.” Death and stillness are inherently cold, and that connection imbues fear. Cold is feared because it is so close to death. Cold is feared and used to explain fear because it itself is the ultimate fear, one of death.

Next time you enjoy the warmth of the fireplace, take a second to think of the creeping, unrelenting force that is being restrained, if only a little. Everyone should be cognizant of the dangers that surround them.

Consuming many different news sources is vital to be a fully informed citizen. Often, people find themselves caught in an echo chamber that either solely reaffirms their opinions or solely disparages them. To avoid that for myself, I have two distinct columns, one of which I disagree with and one I agree. I have got to break through that chamber one piece of writing at a time!

The first article is authored by Oren Cass and titled “Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness is Wrong. Here’s How to Handle College Debt Instead.” I realize that this article is a bit older (August of this year), but after reading it I felt that it was incredibly well written and deserves to be spoken about. As one can gather, Cass is against Biden’s student loan forgiveness. He believes that society has made college a “sine qua non of economic opportunity” when in his opinion it truly is not. He says that many students never graduate, and the others do graduate from college end up not utilizing their degree. Personally, the downplaying of a college degree is a bit too much. There are a sizable number of graduating students that are left without a job in the industry that they studied, but there are many that do move on to work with that degree. These people are presented so much more opportunity because of that diploma; without it, they would struggle. College is heralded as something that is entirely necessary because of the opportunities that it provides. It is necessary for some people to accomplish what they want to do and live how they want to live.

The second article is authored by Jessica Grose and titled “Why Parents Feel Like ‘Butter That Has Been Scraped Over Too Much Bread.’” The article overviews a “vibe” that has fallen upon the parents of America. Though I am not a parent, I do still sympathize. Grose explains that many people think that “everything feels more tiring [and their] to-do list is harder to conquer.” I believe that this has to do from a sense of nihilism that has blanketed the country. Grose mentions that the amount of stress that people have been under following covid, and the country’s recent financial struggles have caused people to find things less rewarding and harder to do. She argues that helping parents with better childcare services and reducing the stress on them is vital to removing this fog.

The story of Jackie Robinson is one of bravery and societal progress, and I was delighted to see that Mike Royko had written an article (“Jackie’s Debut a Unique Day”) about it many years ago. It is amazing to be able to read the experience of someone who was there at that pivotal moment when number 42 stepped on the field. The article provides an incredibly interesting view on one of the most substantial moments in American sports history.

Initially, Royko’s story begins before the baseball game has begun, and he provides insight into how the common man felt about Robinson. As a kid, Royko picked up on the general unsettled public. His writing is reflective of his understanding of it when he was a child; how does one man change everything about a sport that is played by millions? Choosing to include this introduction is crucial to fully describing the importance of Robinson and his play. Royko does not try to subdue the racism that was blatantly present during that time. He then begins to tell how he and his friend walked the five or so miles to get to the ballpark. Royko does more than just reiterate the actual happenings. He tells a story, and it adds so much strength to his writing.

Once Royko begins to talk about his friend and him being at the game, he goes into detail about the atmosphere. He explains that it seemed like everyone was one uncomfortable. There was a blanket of uncertainty over the entire stadium. The topic of racism has been analyzed and deliberated on highly for a long time (for good reason). However, simple words are not nearly enough. Royko writes not only words but an environment and a story. The reader can feel the tension through the ink.

I love the story of Jackie Robinson. He faced so much tribulation, and Royko does a good job of writing about how Robinson’s actions affected others. Explaining the man who bought the ball from him and how he thought the man would still feel today is masterful.

In 6th grade, I had the opportunity to join the band program at my middle school. They brought all of the students that were interested into the auditorium and gave us some instructions. We were told to sit down at specific sections depending on which instrument we were hoping to play. If you wanted to play the tuba, you would sit at the northernmost section; if flute was your choice, you would sit at the southernmost section. What was most interesting to me, and where I ultimately decided to sit down, was in the middle. This is where the percussion hopefuls sheepishly walked over to. The teacher that was giving the instructions saw about ten kids enter the center, which for my school and it being only one grade of kids, was a lot. I remember a chuckle from him. I would end up being one of four students to actually be permitted into the percussion section. (For some reason, the deciding factor was if your grade in math was at least a B. I have no idea why that was the case; it does not have any effect on how good of a percussionist you are.)

Joining the musical trap was one of the best decisions my feeble 6th grade mind could have made. I participated in band, doing wind ensemble concerts and parade and field shows, all throughout middle and high school. I have even continued this into my college career by being part of the Pride of the Plains marching band. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I hope more people consider being a part of an ensemble or band at some point.

There are two distinct reasons that makes being part of a band so great. One is the obvious camaraderie that is created. Being a part of something bigger than yourself breeds connections like nothing else. Secondly, it teaches you to dust yourself off when you fail. There have been so many times that I have had a huge cymbal crash during a piece where I have been just half a beat off, or hundreds of missed spots on a football field during a field show. However, each time I have failed I have come back just a bit better. Participating in band has helped me to spread that to other parts of my life too. I would not trade it for anything.

There is a swamp of commentary surrounding climate change. With every disappearing iceberg comes another pundit explaining the need for action over frivolous infighting.

This does not reflect my opinion of Friedman’s article “Putin’s War is a Crime Against the Planet,” though. Friedman does a fantastic job of bringing to light the under-discussed repercussions of war, namely focusing on how war is harmful to the climate of the Earth.

He begins by explaining how far reaching this war’s impact is and how it has such a reach. The world has become so interconnected. There is now instant communication, travel methods that are faster than anything the human race has seen prior, and large amounts of international trade. The world has become a singular ecosystem as opposed to the many microcosms it was before. “[T]he world is flatter than ever.”

With this newly connected organism, it now means that any change to one part affects the whole. This is why Putin’s reprehensible attack will have widespread effects. The large amount of fuel and other natural resources used will expel huge quantities of gases into the atmosphere. Global trade commerce will take a large hit, and people’s lives will be affected by the pictures and reports sent over instant communication. It is a wave placed upon a calm lake.

Of specific interest to Friedman was the exorbitant use of natural resources by the war. Necessary valuables such as oil and gas is of the most talked about. The war has led to shortages on these products, and with necessity comes desperation. Friedman explains that there are large amounts of untapped oil reserves hidden in the thick foliage of remote forests. Ranging from The Amazon to Canada, these tree sanctuaries are ripe with natural resources, and they become threatened because of that. Friedman goes into minute detail over this correlation, and that is appreciated.

Overall, Friedman’s article serves a great purpose and lays out sources to justify itself. As an opinion piece, it is important to not only say how one feels, but why one feels. Friedman does thing incredibly well. Personally, I would have enjoyed a magnifying glass placed on how the political climate’s affect on the world would look like. Explaining the repercussions more thoroughly might have added a bit more punch to the writing and would have helped to strengthen Friedman’s points. This article was a great read over a topic that unfortunately must be spoken about.

This past July, Samsung was struck by a cyber-attack that compromised many users’ personal information. The names, demographics, dates of birth, and contact information of said users were all illegally accessed and acquired. This breach of security was not detected until the following month in August. Samsung was fully aware of the incident and its impact on August 4th.

They did not release a statement until September 2nd.

Critical information that is integral to the users’ lives was compromised fully, waiting to easily be used by nefarious individuals. Yet, Samsung felt that it was not necessary to inform the users of this breach until nearly a month after Samsung themselves became aware of it, and two months after the breach actually occurred. This lack of urgency is completely unacceptable.

Personal data is incredibly valuable. The entire technological industry is upheld by companies that gorge themselves on streams of information that is syphoned from phones, emails, and other technologies that are used daily. Entire apps are made solely for the purpose of extracting precious intelligence about their users. There is a saying surrounding the digital world – “If you are not paying for a product, then you are a product.” This product is worth billions of dollars if the spending of these major companies is to be believed. In 2020 alone, LinkedIn earned 3$ billion dollars by providing advertisements to their users. People’s pockets and especially the knowledge of what they like to empty them on is coveted fiercely in the technological world. It is chased down by the quickest of cheetahs.

On the other side of the coin, people’s data is not valued by the people themselves; the privacy and scarcity of it is. Obviously, people hope to limit how much is known about them by companies and malicious hackers to keep themselves safe. One small data leak can reveal a singular person’s social security number or their banking information, and this can cause huge damage. Identity theft or simply theft can cripple a person financially in a blink of an eye. The importance of personal data and the ability to limit who has it is indeterminable.

Imagine the damage that could be caused if a security breach such as the one that struck Samsung had revealed such sensitive info. The effect on people’s lives would have been catastrophic. This was a distinct possibility with this Samsung leak, and yet they handled the situation as sluggishly as a snail.

They did not care.

Companies are as fast as cheetahs for themselves, and as slow as snails for those they trample on. This needs to change. Legislation and policies must be put in place that require companies to inform users that a data leak has occurred the instant the company becomes aware of it, regardless of severity. Personal data has shown to be incredibly valuable, and that value should be reflected in how companies handle negative situations, even if it is not significant. People have the right to know if unsavory individuals know who they are.

Policy Claim: More legal protections must be instantiated to shield users of websites, apps, and other such programs from data collection that has not reasonably and actively consented to.

Reason for Claim: The use of programs such as websites and apps is nearly ubiquitous. As such, having information surrounding that use is incredibly valuable and sought after. However, in doing so, the users are put in danger. Sensitive information (credit card information, addresses, general habits) can be put in precarious situations, often without the consent of the user to begin with. Even more so, when consent is given, it is often given flippantly and without a clear understanding of what is actually being consented to. All of these factors create an ecosystem online that is horribly predatory and dangerous.

Value claim: With technological advancements allowing for obscene amounts of data collection, powerful, useful, and accurate conclusions can be drawn consistently. From as harmless as presenting products on Amazon that fit a certain user’s preferences to anchoring a nefarious program on a commonly visited website, the data can create both solutions and problems. It is highly yearned for because of this quality.

Factual Claim: Revenue generated from big data and business analytics is projected to gross as high as 274.3 billion dollars.

Value Claim: Privacy has become more and more valuable as the ability to be private has diminished. It is incredibly difficult to be completely private; going off of the grid is an ordeal because of this.

Causal Claim: Due to the increase of data collection, data breaches have become all the more common and dangerous. Huge corporations can find themselves compromised and all of the sensitive data stored released into dangerous situations.

I took a walk down to Harmon Park and was able to have a conversation with Terra.

She works at the animal hospital here in Kearney. My mother is a veterinarian as well, so that was a cool coincidence! She enjoys the animals the most out of all the aspects of her job. She loves seeing them happy and healthy after a job well done!

I do not normally strike up many conversations with strangers, so this was an interesting post to make. I enjoyed it though!

Scrolling through The New York Times page, I came upon an editorial about censorship of books and other material. Normally, articles like these are a dime a dozen, but this one is just different enough to warrant writing and reading, even if they only stand on top of the dead horse instead of beating it.

This editorial does a wonderful job of posting sources along with its talking points. It opens up with a variety of instances of attempted or successful censorship in the United States. From a school trying to revoke a teacher’s license because she gave out a QR code that led to library of banned books to referencing the recent news of a Nebraskan student journal being dismantled for writing about pride month, the sources provided are specific, recent, and impactful. The language used in the editorial is above the average article as well. Here is one example: “Acts of censorship are often tacit admissions of weakness masquerading as strength.” This is a great statement. It clearly states the opinion of the piece powerfully, without holding back. This makes it worth reading; taking just that little extra step to differentiate from the rest of the rhetoric surrounding censorship.

The array of claims that the editorial uses is diverse and succinct. It often references specific statistics, such as the definite 137 gag order introductions. This is an example of a factual claim. Later in the article, it references the closings of many libraries and the firings of library staff. This is linked to censorship, which is a substantial causal claim. Finally, of course, there is the policy claim, which culminates in the predictable but valid opinion of ‘censorship bad.’ It is a bit more eloquent than that; the editorial targets the act of censorship as a political weapon, stating that using it to gain political points is wholly undemocratic. This is a point that I agree with wholeheartedly. It is unfortunate that this same conversation must be repeated at nauseum for the few in the back that do not seem to hear nor care. Though at first this topic seemed one already beaten, the horse has come back to life. It truly is astonishing the hypocritical lengths some will go to stamp out ideas that they do not agree with. At the very least, they were able to get a solid editorial out of the stupidity of some people, so there is that consolation.