November 1,2022 Man weeps as he pays respects near area where tragedy took place
What Happened
On October 31,2022 over 10,000 young people were gathered in Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea a popular area for young people known for having a vibrant and exciting nightlife. There were halloween parties and events all around the district when during nightime hundreds of young people began to gather in alleys behind restaurants and clubs leading to the death of over 156 people and more than 173 more people were injured. The reason for the countless is due to a phenomena known as crowd surges now one reason that people die is simply due to being trampled and stepped on by so many people yet this only accounts for a very small number of the total deaths from the crowd surge. The true culprit of the large number of fatalities is that many people die to the pressure of so many people on top of each other something as simple as drawing breath becomes impossible. People die standing up and those who fall die because the bodies on top of them exert such pressure that breathing becomes impossible. Due to their people being on top and below each other everywhere in these crowd surges there is barely any room, and lungs need to be able to expand to allow oxygen into one’s body. This brings forward also the fatalities at the Astroworld festival(2021), E2 Nightclub in Chicago(2003), and the 1988 Dasharath Stadium stampede(1998). During the trgedy in South Korea we also see many storeowners in Itaewon trying to help the young people as well to mixed sucess. A strore owner in Itaewon said “We tried to rescue them, but our club was at the end of the surge and there were already three or four layers of people piled on, so we couldn’t” . There is another owner who spoke of the fact that even the people that he did help they appeared very dazed and struggling to breath due to what they had gone through.
An image of the vast amount of people in the surge
We are able to see the very public and outraged people of South Korea with President Yoon Suk-Yeol continuing to apologize and try to bring to justice the people responsible for the crowd surging and lack of control of the situation.”In particular, extensive reform is needed in the police work, which is essential to preparing for danger and preventing accidents, in order to protect the safety of the people,” Yoon said. Yet these statements have not stopped the opposition party and people of South Korea from protesting and calling for several government leaders to leave the government.”Step down, Yoon Suk-yeol’s government! Step down, Yoon Suk-yeol’s government!” the crowd chanted, waving their candles and placards. Besides the general anger that has come from the people of South Korea we are also able to see general sadness and despair in the nation with several Candlelight vigils taking across Seoul calling for justice and to remember those that died. The tragedy also caused the deaths of 19 foreigners who were visiting South Korea for the celebrations.
Candleight Vigils being help with people holding signs that say “”At 6:34 the country was not there [for the victims]”
This is a CIMA Law Group blog entry. CIMA Law Group is located in Arizona and specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations. If you live in Arizona and need legal assistance CIMA Law Group can help.
The recent death of Takeoff shocked the nation. Takeoff was a member of the rap group Migos which consisted of him, Offset and Quavo. All of them are pop culture and hip-hops icons from Atlanta, a city which has been named the new hip-hop capital. It’s not one wonder Takeoff’s death cause so much outrage.
Part of what made the Migos so popular, was their Atlanta influences and their commitment to remaining true to their roots. One of their biggest hits, “Bad and Boujee” hit #1 on billboard charts in 2016. This song is off their album, “Culture” whose album cover features many direct references to the City of Atlanta, like the Capital Building and the I-85 street sign. The group was further pushed into the spotlight when rapper, and fellow Atlantan, Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) called them “the Beatles of this generation” in his 2017 Golden Globes acceptance speech.
Not only did Migos heavily influence music they also influenced pop culture by popularizing new phrases and dances. Their most influential are songs like, “Pipe It Up” which became a dance move that could used in any song, or “Look At My Dab” which took over pop culture and became a dance move that everyone knows. They also popularized phrases like “Nawf Side” and “Bad and Boujee” which are both reoccurring lines in their songs.
While the Migos are one of the top rap groups to come out of Atlanta, they are continuing to build off the legacy of those before them. Those from the first generation, like 2 Chainz, Ludacris, Usher, and André 3000 helped to pave the way for rappers like Migos. Others like Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage are helping Migos to move Atlanta into the center of hip-hop.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
Let’s get one thing straight. This is a judgement free zone. I just want to lay out some statistics and implications. 40 million U.S. adults regularly visit internet pornography websites. 40 million adults in the U.S. like to go solo sometimes, who cares? Well, pornography consumption does not live in a vacuum. We’ve all heard the studies- regular porn watching does things to your brain and can effects your relationship with your significant other.
But let’s zoom out and look at a bigger picture. The production and participation of pornography is sex work. Because of this, when consuming pornography it is important to note your role in this industry. The truth of the matter is that pornography creates a market for women and children to be exploited and human and sex trafficking is there to fill that demand. People, especially young people, will be lured in by the promise of easy money, but then find themselves in a never-ending cycle fueled by threats towards their family and endless abuse.
Conscious consumption is so important. Again, pornography does not live in a vacuum, and what someone in Ozark, Missouri is consuming regularly can be negatively impacting someone in another country all together. We are making an effort to be conscious consumers when it comes to goods such as food, water, and necessities, so let’s become conscious consumers in the entertainment that we consume.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
Check Your Registration: Make sure that you are registered to vote! There are multiple websites that you can check your registration with online. They’ll ask you your first and last name, your address, your date of birth, and your email. Quick and easy!
Check Where You Vote and What Time To Vote: You can easily find where you go to vote by either typing it in a search bar or by calling your local congressman/congresswoman. You can also find the hours in which voting is open by searching it. It may range from state to state, but the normal hours are from 7 A.M. to 8 P.M.
What To Bring: If you’re a first time voter or you recently moved to a new state, make sure you bring a form of ID. If you’re not a first time voter, you don’t need to bring a form of ID. However, I do recommend you bring one just in case.
Whether it’s work, friendships, or relationships – setting boundaries is an important step toward having a healthy mental space and healthy relationships. But how do you know what boundaries to set and when to set them? Here are some ways to do so.
Types of boundaries to set. According to Michelle C. Brooten-Brooks, LMFT with Very Well Health, there are three main types of boundaries: clear, rigid, and open. Clear boundaries help there be more empathy and open communication. These boundaries are flexible. Rigid boundaries are as the name suggests, inflexible. while open boundaries tend to cause codependency.
When to set boundaries. There are different situations where boundaries need to be addressed, that includes your physical space, your mental space, and others’ spaces. You can also set financial boundaries.
On November 1, most people were winding down from all the Halloween fun or began preparing for the upcoming holiday season. On the other hand, many mourned the tragic and unexpected death of rapper Takeoff. He was shot to death in Houston outside of a bowling alley. His killer is yet to be caught.
Takeoff was a member of the hip-hop group, Migos. The other members of the group are rappers Quavo and Offset. Despite being in a musical group together, the three members are also close relatives. The group was founded in 2008 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, where they are all from. It took several years before the group rose to fame. After five years of hard work and constantly producing music, the release of “Versace” in 2013 blew the group up. The song became a Billboard hit single. The most famous of artists in the music industry desired to work with them. From there on out, every Migos song and album became the face of hip-hop music.
Often compared to the Beatles, Migos has significantly influenced culture. The two groups are tied for the most simultaneous Hot 100 entries amount any group on the Billboard charts. Before Migos, the Beatles’ record had been untouched for more than 50 years. In the groups’ career, they have been nominated for Grammy’s, BET Awards, and several other high honors for their music.
The loss of Takeoff shattered the hearts of millions of fans. People associate memories with his music. Some of the most formative years in one’s life had Migos’ music playing through every high and low. A life taken far too soon, but his legacy will live on through his influence on music and through each of his songs.
In recent years, the climate crisis has gone from bad to worse and many in the younger generations have been taking action. In 2019, we saw Greta Thunberg sail across the Atlantic Ocean to the U.N. Climate Action Summit. Then in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic became the only thing on people’s minds and rightly so. However, as this becomes the norm, everyday life has started find its new rhythm.
For many in younger generation, an important part of this is fashion. To many in Gen-Z, fashion has become a new and important part of their self-expression. Additionally, with the rise of Tik Tok, trends now spread faster than ever. One of these trends is a ‘Haul’ or showing off all the new clothes that you just bought in a short video. These hauls started with buying cheap clothes from stores like H&M, Shien, and Boohoo. Part of having a ‘good haul’ was having lots of cute and trendy clothes to show off, and for many the only way to afford this was to start buying these types of sites. However, as the climate crisis started to move back to the forefront of Gen-Z’s minds, many started to realize that buying clothes from these kinds of sites was not sustainable. These stores are what’s known as ‘Fast-Fashion.’ Fast-Fashion companies have many reasons for being problematic but simply put its their usage of sweat shops and their disregard for the sustainability.
With these problems in mind, Gen-Z and the Tik Toc community didn’t take long to find a new and trendy solution to the problem. To stop shopping at these stores and start thrifting their clothes. Thrifting provides a cheap alternative to buying more ethical yet inexpensive clothes, so now everyone can be trendy and environmentally conscious.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
A plaid mini skirt with black tights, a knit turtleneck sweater, and chunky Doc Martens. That is a common fall outfit for the mainstream cute girlies. However, this outfit can be pricey for the average 18-25-year-old, even on Amazon. So we turn to more affordable, but still stylish options. The rise of fast fashion online outlets such as Fashionova and Shein has provided a way for people to keep up with fashion trends while paying a reasonable price.
But what is the cost of the uptick in the fast fashion industry? Where there are cheap prices, there has to be cheap labor. Earlier this summer, there were rumors that workers in Shein factories were using the tags on the clothing they were making to call for help. On these tags, extra words would be added to the care instructions that, when put all together, were cries for help. Do with that information as you would, since the information was not corroborated. The hype soon died off.
Corroborated or not, this should stir up some questions. Simple deductive reasoning and looking at how mass production can be achieved cheaply and in large numbers tells us that something is very off about the fast fashion industry. There are claims that these workers are being paid no more than $20 a week, which makes sense when we look at how ridiculously affordable these clothes are.
There is a human cost to these trends, but if that does not move you, maybe environmental issues will. The cost of modern slavery (because that is what this is) is an environmental one. Another reason for these low prices is that these companies are not disposing of their waste in the right manner. These materials, which are full of harmful chemicals, are discarded haphazardly. An investigation has shown river beds piled high with this waste, the chemicals seeping into the drinking water of millions.
The most comfortable suggestion is to let the government take care of it. There can be sanctions against these large companies and countries. This would reduce the amount of clothing being made, the environmental blunders, and the human slavery. But this is a more personal thing. If you go to YouTube or TikTok and type in “Shein Haul,” millions of videos will pop up with people buying a ridiculous amount of Shien clothing. We are consuming this content and are being influenced into buying. We are telling these people, workers and consumers, that human slavery is okay.
So… stop.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
A scene from “Le Manoir Du Diable”(The House of the Devil)
Beginning of Horror
People since the beginning of time have always wanted to elicit fear in each other, we have a want/need to be scared. People have always told each other scary stories around a fire or would tell their children scary stories to make sure they behave. This need for fear transferred to different art forms such as paintings, music, and even books. Books for the longest time was where people would get their share of horror Brahm Stroker’s “Dracula” elicited terror at the idea of a monster that drank blood to sustain itself, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” the story of a monster created from corpses and its existential crisis, then there was the poems and stories from Edgar Allen Poe which continued this trend of terrifying people all over the world.
Yet people would soon be terrified of a whole new format where they could both read and bring to life the horrors they would have had to create in their minds, film. Film to be viewed by an audience was first brought to the public on December 1885, at a showing by the Lumiere Brothers. Originally all films were silent, with a live orchestra accompanying movies being shown and movies being much shorter than they are now. Yet, as we see with so many other mediums people wanted to be scared and we see the creation of what many people consider the first horror movie. In the mid-1890s, Mellies created “Le Manoir du Diable,” sometimes known in English as “The Haunted Castle” or “ The House of the Devil,” in 1898, and it is widely believed to be the first horror movie. The three minute short film which had been lost for many years included supernatural elements such as cauldrons, bats transforming, and even a portrayal of the devil. This short was a precedent to what was to come, for the next couple of years we see films based on the horror genre, including Dr.Jekyl and Mr.Hyde and the original Frankenstein. Other big horror hits of this film include the German expressionist film the “Cabinet of Dr. Calgiri.” Yet one film from this period where we continue to see its influence on horror films to now is the monumental “Nosferatu” which included figures hiding in the shadows, the slow eerie movement, the drastic use of lighting and darkness this was also one of the first movies where one of the main goals was to scare and terrify the audience. Then there was its general influence on vampires in films many of the staples of vampires was first showcased and solidified in this film including a vampire’s weakness to sunights, their need of blood, and the types of outfits they would wear as well. The film also began to show the world that horror as a true genre that should be taken more seriously. It was also during this time that we see the first use of the word “horror” to describe a film genre, horror at this time was just seen a romantic melodrama with a dark element.
The titular Villain of the 1922 film “Nosferatu”
Universal Mosters
During the 1920’s we begin to see a surge in monster films, possibly inspired by Nosferatu. No movie studio was more invested in making more “monster” movies than Universial. During the 20’s we see universal release such silent films as “The Hunchback of Nortre Dame(1923), The Phantom of the Opera(1923) and the “The Man Who Laughs”(1928). One important feature of these early films that would help influence the future of the “monster” films was Lon Chaney, dubbed the “Man Of A Thousand Faces”, who would utilize heavy makeup to portray the monster but he would also play the silent film monsters as sympathetic although the actions of the monsters were deemed “evil” due to their intentions of love the audience sympathized with the monsters as well. During the great depression we saw the birth of one of the most popular and enduring movie monster with Count Dracula, expertly portrayed by Bella Lugosi, the film was a hit for Universal making over half a million dollars. During the next couple of years we see the introduction of Frankenstein, his Bride, the original creation of Prince Imhotep(the mummy), The Wolfman, the Invisible-man, and finally the Creature From The Black Lagoon. The movies and monsters were a hit Universal perfected the art of giving audiences what they wanted during the 1940s. The studio produced a steady stream of films extending and expanding their monsters’ myths, sometimes in surprising ways. One interesting aspect of the films was that they were actually part of a shared universe as well, even before Marvel did it the monsters were already perfecting the concept, we would see each monster appear in the other monsters movies such as “Frankenstein Meets The Wolf-Man”(1943),”House Of Frankenstein”( 1944), and “House of Dracula”(1945). To ensure that the films continue to be successful Universial tried adding comedic duo “Abbott and Costello” to the monster’s universe as well with movies such as “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”(1948),”Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisble Man”(1951),”Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy”(1955). Yet like so many things the age of the monster came to an end, the movies were no longer successful, and the audience wanted a new kind of horror in their films.
The Universal Monsters including: The Phantom of the Opera,Gil-man,Count Dracula, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and the Wolf-Man
Psychological/Religious/Gory Horror
People no longer wanted the campy horror films of the 1950’s they wanted a combination of several things in their films and this was a movie that was much more psychologically complex, utilizing a religious element, or that had over the top gore in them. One of the greatest examples was Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film “Psycho”a complex story about Marion Crane a woman who is on the run from the law and decides to stay at the Bates Motel where she meets her swift end at the hands of Norman Bate’s. The rest of the film is centered around a combination of Bate’s dealing/hiding the evidence, his mental state, and Marion’s friends trying to figure out what happened to Marion. A combination of master directing by British director Alfred Hitchcock, a haunting score by Bernard Herman, and a terrifying performance by Anthony Perkins as Bates lead to the movie being a hit, leading to the film somtimes being called the first slasher movie as well. There were queues around the blocks in cities across America as word of mouth grew. Grossing US$32 million (equivalent to A$468 million today) off a budget of US$800,000 (A$12 million today)
There was another type of horror that was getting people’s attention and this was that of religious horror. These were films that included talks about the devil, demons, and cults in their stories. Some highlights of these type of films include “Rosemary’s baby” (1968) a film about a woman giving birth to the anti-christ and the satanic cult working to help her raise the baby, “The Omen”( 1976) a film about the anti-christ, and finally and arguably the most successful of all these movies “The Exorcist”( 1973) a film about a priest called to a home to exorcise a girl taken over by a demon. These films were so successful also based on a cultural obsession that people had during this time dealing with fears about the devil and occult. The Exorcist stands out among all these movies due to the fact that it was the first horror film nominated for an oscar for best picture, it would have physical effects on the audiences who watched it( including people heart attacks and there is a report of a miscarriage in one case), several cities tried to ban the movie, and the film was thought to be cursed since several crew members and actors died during the film.
There was one final type of horror that got people’s attention during this time and that was a more violent type of horror film where there was gore. For some reason people wanted more violent films and it was possible to create these type of films with a pretty low budget but that would turn a pretty large profit And no film better showcased this than George A Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) a film that is considered to have created many of the rules that Zombie movies now follow. Romero reinvented the zombie subgenre of horror with this film, but he also introduced thought-provoking metaphors with the microcosm of society that the story follows through the end of the world. It also is groundbreaking in the fact that its main lead was an African-American man something that was very scarce and uncommon in films. The movie was made on a shoe string budget of only $114,000-$125,000 was able to make over $30 million dollars at the box office becoming a hit.
Alfred Hitchcocks “Psycho” Villain Norman Bates
Slashers
Then the psychological/religious/gory era came to an end and instead we have the birth of a new type of horror, the Slasher. These films are characterized by having an effective killer, a high body count of murders, and not utilizing firearms to kill their victims. The movie that most people consider the first slasher film was John Carpenter’s “Halloween”(1978)a film which has all these elements but also adds several elements to the genre that many films would follow including a silent killer, the killer wears a mask or is horribly disfigured, and there is a final girl who survives the ordeal. Slasher films didn’t have to worry too much about a good or well thought-out story the main thing people wanted was their iconic killer and violent kills. No where can this then be seen with the “Friday the 13th” film series which was created almost as a direct response to Halloween with it being created to showcase the blood and gore that Halloween lacked. It also included the silent and terrifying Jason Voorhees’ and his hockey mask that would continue to terrify people for years to come. Then another villain was created by horror icon Wes Craven in the “A Nightmare On Elm Street” film series with the burn victim Freddy Krueger. Craven inspired by a story he read about people dying in their sleep created a villain that people could not even escape in their sleep from, the film helped save an entire studio with its success. Yet, there was one aspect that set Freddy apart from other slashers during this time and this was a sense of personality to Slasher villains, a stark juxtaposition from the archetypically silent Slashers like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. Freddy actually talked and liked to taunt his victims. Other villain highlights during this time include Leather face, Pinhead, and Chucky. Then in 1996 Wes Craven saved the genre once again with the parody-horror film “Scream” introducing the world again to a talkative villain with Ghost face.
Famed Slasher Movie Icon Freddy Kreuger from 1984’s “A Nightmare On Elm Street”
Found Footage
One drawback of the slasher craze was the fact that there was an over-saturation of the genre with so many slasher movies out people became bored with the genre. Leading to a craving for something else but people didn’t really know what. Until the release of the 1999 film “The Blair Witch Project” which follows three fictional student filmmakers trying to make a documentary about the Blair Witch, a local legend in the Black Hills of Burkittsville, Maryland. The film is presented in style not really seen until this time and this was the “found footage” format in which a film is presented as if it were found on film or video recording, appearing more real than if it were presented in a typical film fashion. This along with a combination of digital marketing that made it ambiguous to if the film was real life or a movie made people want to go and watch the film, then leave the film with a sense of dread, made the film a massive hit. The film which cost $200,000-$750,000 made $248.6 million at the box office. It lead to a string of other films which made just as impressive box office on equally small budgets. Including “Cloverfield” (2008) and “Paranormal Activity” (2007) the audience loved the format and the marketing that would go along with the films making it seem like the films were truly happening in real life terrified and delighted audiences. Each of these films even created their own successful franchises as well.
Movie Poster to 1999’s Blair Witch Project
Modern Horror
Like so many trends and fads as we have seen there again was an over-saturation of found-footage horror films and audiences stopped loving found-footage horror films yet again. This now leads us to the modern era of horror that we are livining in now. Modern horror is all over the place with its focus and what is successful. We are seeing a rise in movies based on stories by horror writer Stephen King, including an adaptation of his 1986 book “It” which ended up becoming the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, making $701.8 million at the box office. Then there are other horror franchies that have also been successful including “The Conjuring” and “Insidious” films which bring back the horror and terror of earlier religious films. Then we continue to see yet again a surge in love for slasher films as well with the remake/sequel to John Carpenter’s Halloween(1978) creating a new successful trilogy whose final film came out this year, “Halloween Ends” (2022).
Pennywise the Clown, Villain from 2017’s “It” one of the highest grossing horror movies of all time
The genre of horror continues to change and evolve in response to the audience’s need for terror and will continue to change.
This is a CIMA Law Group blog entry. CIMA Law Group is located in Arizona and specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations. If you live in Arizona and need legal assistance CIMA Law Group can help.
With season three scheduled to be released in summer 2023, Henry Cavill has already announced that he won’t bereprising his starring role in season four of The Witcher.
CIMA Law Group Blog 