Luke Ryan

Martial arts movies make up a significant chunk of the film industry. The action, flying punches and roundhouses might be looked down upon by some critics with their long noses and high sensibilities, but us regular peasants often grow quite fond of a solid martial arts film. Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee might […]

The mass exodus of Rohingya out of Rakhine State, Burma/Myanmar has been staggering. Recent months have seen unrelenting violence and bloodshed, usually aimed at civilians. Burmese news outlets have reported that ninety percent of the Rohingya population in Rakhine State have fled their homes and currently reside in Bangladesh, just next door. According to the […]

Though the movement began before 2018, #WhiteWednesdays has gained steam and more international attention since the Iranian protests that ended in early January. Women have been removing their hijab in protest of the strict dress code, enforced by law since 1979. The first image/video to really go viral was of Vida Movahed, taken on December 27, […]

On Feb 23, 1945, the United States Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi in Iwo Jima. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer for the Associated Press, would snap the picture that would define the U.S.’s involvement in the Pacific for WWII and become a symbol for American veterans for generations to […]

No one wants to be preached at, unless they’re in a church or gathering to listen to a politician spew out his or her alleged values. This is the reason many people roll their eyes when you utter the word “themes” in regards to a story. They think of the childish “moral of the story,” […]

Education. It’s lauded by many as the ultimate tool against poverty, extremism and racism. Some make it seem like it’s the pinnacle of achievements for the average person in the United States. Those who aren’t inclined toward formal education often scoff at it, those who are inclined that way profess its importance to anyone who […]

21 February, 1916 — German and French armies go head to head, starting in the early morning. Lead erupted from the barrel of a Langer Max siege and coastal-defense weapon, firing 15 inch (38 cm) rounds into French positions. The first building to take a hit would be a French cathedral, and the firing of […]

I was walking through Central Park in New York City on Monday, and, alongside the rest of the flags in the city, I noticed one at half-mast (the one pictured above) — lowered after the recent shooting in Florida. It struck me that many have recently decided that symbols of solidarity have been declining in […]

The Burmese/Myanmar government has received a list of 8,032 Rohingya that will be repatriated into the borders of Burma. The list went to Burmese Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe recently, who is coordinating with Bangladeshi officials. These repatriation efforts are essentially trying to get many of those who have fled, back to the home of […]

The conditions are just right: the pillows are soft and plentiful and you rest your head after a hard day’s work. You hug a large, soft pillow on your mattress that threatens to swallow you whole it’s so soft. The blankets on top of you are a blissful, heavy weight that embodies the essence of […]

On Sunday I found myself on the ferry headed toward Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty stands. It overlooks New York City and New Jersey,  Like fireworks on the 4th of July, taking pictures does it little justice and everything seems so much smaller than it does in person. Fantasy or science fiction television […]

Thomas Jefferson is known for a good many things, to include being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence that is the foundation of the United States. He was also the Secretary of State under George Washington, Vice President under John Adams, and he became a man pivotal to our current understanding of the […]