TBT: The Star Spangled Banner by Sarah Afshar

As today we celebrate Independence Day in America, I wanted to share some throwback (today is Thursday, after all) of me singing "The Star Spangled Banner" on Smule last year in 2018. I know I have probably shared this recording various times, but I never get tired of it, as I am not only proud of this recording, but proud to be an American who loves her life, her liberty and is always in pursuit of happiness. And did I mention I love my country? I love the United States of America and honored to be living here. #MAGA

 

To listen to my rendition of the Star Spangled Banner simply watch (or listen) to the video above. If it does not play, simply click here right now. I highly suggest listening with headphones, as I recorded this directly from the app using my voice and my iPhone. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Happy Memorial Day 2019

Today we acknowledge, recognize and honor those soldiers who have stood for us, fought for us and died for us. After all, if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. These soldiers stood for the United States of America. 

Whether you have served in the United States Army, the United States Marines, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force or the United States Coast Guard--thank you for serving the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

Some of those wonderful members of our military who are no longer with us and died in 2019 include: 

January

Chief Warrant Officer to Jonathan Farmer (age 37) of Boynton Beach, Florida (January 16, 2019)
Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon Kent (age 35) of Pine Plains, New York (January 16, 2019)
Sgt. Cameron Meddock (age 26) of Spearman, Texas (January 17, 2019)
Sgt. 1st Class: Joshua "Zach" Beale (age 32) of Carrollton, Virginia (January 22, 2019)

March

Spc. Jackson Johnson (age 20) of Hillsboro, Missouri (March 7, 2019)
Sgt. Holli Bolinski (age 37) of Pinkneyville, Illinois (March 7, 2019)
Sgt. 1st Class: Will D. Lindsay (age 33) of Cortez, Colorado (March 22, 2019)
Spc. Joseph P. Collette (age 29) of Lancaster, Ohio (March 22, 2019)

April

CpL Robert Hendriks (age 25) of Locust Valley, New York (April 8, 2019)
Sgt. Benjamin Hines (age 31) of York, Pennsylvania (April 8, 2019)
Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman (age 43) of Newark, Delaware (April 8, 2019)
Staff Sgt. Albert J. Miller (age 24) of Richmond, New Hampshire (April 19, 2019) 
Spc. Ryan Riley (age 22) of Richmond, Kentucky (April 20, 2019)
Spc. Michael T. Osario (age 20) of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho (April 23, 2019)
Pfc. Michael A. Thomason (age 28) of Lincoln Park, Michigan (April 29, 2019)

May 

Spc. Miguel L. Holmes (age 22) of Hinesville, Georgia (May 2, 2019)

As a proud American who loves her country--I salute you. And today at 3 pm on behalf of the National Remembrance Act, I will stop and remember what you have done for my country and myself. I express my love for my country and those of you who support America when singing National Anthem. 

Thank you to everyone who has served in the United Armed Forces. God Bless The USA.

Happy Memorial Day!

Drawing the line on Fake News

I voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016
in Idaho. Today, I have no regrets
and am proud of the decision
I made to help elect him as president.

Silence is golden, as duct tape is silver, but the human voice is platinum, are wise words to live by. And I am thankful everyday that I can use mine. You know, the voice. But where do we draw the line on fake news? Fake news is simply yellow journalism which is created intentionally to spread malicious propaganda, hoping the reader will not only fall for it, but spread the story. This is in addition to hoping the masses will follow, embracing the domino effect. Most of the time those who spread such agitprop are looking for a reaction from the reader and of course money from the clicks to story itself.

What really happens when you spread Fake News

An unidentified third-party may contact a media outlet about Donald Trump. The reporter who first heard of the story has decided they dislike Donald Trump for his past behavior, so this reporter has made a decision that they want to take the information about the president and exaggerate it to fit their narrative.

Without fact checking nor separating fact from fiction, the story then becomes amplified with untruths just because that reporter has decided they do not like Trump. Kind of like taking an original classic song and adding an array of pro tools to make it sound better when really the song sounds overproduced and worse. Now, does the song sound anymore truthful because of it's overproduction? Maybe this isn't the best example.

How about this? It is a fact school shootings have occurred in a fascist nation of the land of free and the home of the brave (the United States), but one must consider the legitimacy of their stories as according to the NPR (with the help of non-profit Child Trends) in an article titled 'The School Shootings That Weren't' there are quite a few that never even happened.

Was the intent to create a school shooting to strip away our 2nd amendment right? Guns are portrayed as being weapons used to kill, but nothing is mentioned about the strengths of a gun and how they can protect the people. Although you may or may not ever hear about this in the news, fake news will never cover the strengths of ever owning any kind of rifle or pistol. The fake news also camouflages the harsh realities and aftermath of school shootings and hurts real victims testimonies.

Donald Trump Tries To Stop It

The president of the United States, Donald Trump has been dubbed a "loose cannon" for calling out this ongoing, problematic issue. Because of this, people see him as the problem and not the solution. Instead of being thankful for Trump's ability to address these ongoing issues and want to fix them, they want to make him the issue. Why? It is a well known fact that those who continue to embrace various news outlets tend to overlook the problem at hand and go after anyone who uses their voice to challenge the problem.

When Trump originally coined the "fake news" term he was merely defending himself from the lies and untruths being spread about him. The 45th president of the United States used his liberty to defend others who are also a target of this type of disinformation spiel and went on to dispute the puff pieces created by various fake news outlets trying to push Hillary Clinton into office. And because most of these zines lack identity, it makes litigation extremely difficult to pursue.

The End Result

If a reporter creates a story with one-dimensional, aggregated news content, does that mean the reporter is right and the reader is wrong for questioning it? What if that reporter covers a story, but neglects the points they are trying to make by concealing their views with deconstructionism and banal reductionism based on opinion and heresy? As everyone has the right to free speech and freedom of press is embraced in more ways than one, does this mean they have the right to publish whatever they choose to a platform with a bigger audience? Fake news is equivocally fabricated and manipulated as well as, relentlessly mocked to not just media and journalism, but to those who are engaged and affected by it. And because of its nature, it can cause more harm than not. There are consequences to every action and it is crystal clear these consequences are inevitable to avoid.

This goes with the question we all have-where do we really draw the line on fake news?

Just voted for Trump in Idaho

As an Iranian American, I can admit that I live in one of the best, if not the best country in the world. And as I love my life, I embrace my liberty and pursue only happiness. After all, the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

As you can see from my ballot (which I have the right to post and share, as I live in Idaho where it is legal) today, I just voted for Donald J. Trump for president of the United States with Michael R. Pence as Vice President.

I voted for Trump because I believe in spite of his shortcomings, he is still a much better candidate than Hillary Clinton. And I am sick of having any "Clinton" as a leader of this country, as they prove they don't do anything while in office. With that said, I truly believe Clinton will not do anything while in office. Maybe collect funds to benefit herself and life. She has had many years to make change and has done nothing. I believe as an outspoken businessman, Trump will do so much more in office. I believe he cares about the people, which is why I support him for president.

And although Jill Stein isn't as bad as Clinton, I don't like those that spread misinformation about global warming and climate change. I also don't believe she would do anything for this country that would benefit the vast majority of status quo society. Overlooking these facts, she doesn't seem like a bad person and I think it is admirable she is running for president. Unfortunately she doesn't have my vote today.

Remember every vote counts. I have always identified with the "Independent" party in terms of political affiliation; however, I decided to go with who I thought would be a better choice for president of this country. And as much as I would love for a woman to be president, I cannot support Hillary Clinton or Jill Stein.

Happy Independence Day

238 years ago the 13 original colonies of the United States were announced and were identified as sovereign states. Although Declaration Of Independence was a work in progress, it was officially ratified on July 4th 1776 which is 238 years ago from today.

As we celebrate this amazing day with our loved ones, always keep in mind that we live in the home of the free and the land of the brave. 

With that I said, I share with you pictures of the fireworks in downtown Pittsburgh that I took one year ago today. The fireworks will start in a few hours, so I wanted to share these. 

Happy Independence Day!



2013: Happy Independence Day

Today I spent my 4th of July with Joe reminiscing the joys of being an American citizen. As many of you may or may not know, my boyfriend served in the United Armed Forces (US military) for several years. In fact, when I first met Joe he was working in the Army National Guard. At that time, I was only 17 years old. He was 19. 

He and all talked about the memories of meeting in 1998 and what he went through while serving in the United States military from 1998 until 2002. I am extremely fascinated by his stories. A lot of what he has shared is incredibly intense and I am deeply reminded of his bravery. 

When I look at history, the United States has been through a lot yet still remains standing as the greatest country in the world. History speaks for itself and I am honored to be a citizen of the United States. Currently, I am in the steel city of Pittsburgh where I went to college and of course I am here with Joe. 

The day was filled with great food (veggie burgers, veggie dogs, potato salad, root beer floats, etc.), great conversation (liberty is one thing I love to exercise on a daily basis) and a celebration of fireworks (in downtown Pittsburgh) and real, tried and true happiness. When I hear songs like "God Bless The USA" and "Stars and Stripes Forever" I am happy. And when I look at fireworks, I am reminded of how lucky I am to live in the home of the free and the land of the brave. 

What more can I say? Happy Birthday America! Happy Independence Day! 

2007: Top 5 Living Influential People in America

When it comes to being a major influence on the majority of status quo population in the United States today, it involves much more than making an impact. Being influential is about being universal, while knowing your place in this world. It's about being independent and not fearing or regretting what you say nor what you do.

I find individuals influential who make themselves better citizens, despite what is being said about them or the criticism they endure. Individuals who are compassionate, yet true to themselves and continue on with their lives, despite the adversity they face. Individuals who know their purpose on this planet. Being influential is nothing more than an individual being human.

Although, I believe the most individual influential people in America are deceased and believe that I could categorize all American individuals as heroes who benefit from what I defined as "influential" (see above), I believe the top 5 most living influential people in America are:

1) Bill Gates (computer software developer, innovator, marketer, and icon)
2) Oprah Winfrey (talk show host, humanitarian, and icon)
3) Steven Spielberg (film director, writer, and icon)
4) Donald Trump (businessman)
5) Michael Jackson (singer, songwriter, entertainer, and icon)

Bill Gates has done a lot for technology. He is moving upward and forward which makes me not only believe, but rightfully know he is the most influential person on the planet. And without him, we wouldn't have internet access.

Oprah Winfrey is a journalist turned talk show host who worked hard to get where she is. Although I don't always agree with her, I respect her for using her voice to and for a higher purpose.

Steve Spielberg has brought so much to the world of entertainment and continues to do great things, which have a major influence on many. Especially those who enjoy his movies and work.

Donald Trump is a very strong, witty business man with a lot of influence. As he continues to build more to add to his empire, he proves that he is a very important citizen of the United States.

Michael Jackson is the king of pop and has such a strong influence on so many people, especially those who love and enjoy his music. He is the most popular pop star on the planet.