"The Fall of the House of Usher"

      Edgar Allan Poe can be considered the darkest writer of American Romanticism. His stories and poems are one of a kind and his descriptive style of writing grabs the readers attention within the first few lines. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is considered to be one of Poe's best works. The story is about a incest family who inbred for many years to keep the family blood pure. Usher and his sister are twins and are starting to feel the disorders and mutations of their tradition. Fitting into the gothic writing style; the setting was described as a remote and isolated place, the characters were being tormented psychologically and physically, and violent incidents were incorporated into the plot. The house(setting) was described as gloomy, faded and old. The descriptive language used throughout the story gives the reader a sense of mystery and leaves them wanting to read more.

    

"Man kills 2 Edison co-workers before turning gun on self"

     The article "Man kills 2 Edison co-workers before turning gun on self" written in the Los Angeles Times by Richard Winton and Angel Jennings talks about the horrific rampage that a Southern California Edison worker went on. The names of the victims and shooter is still unreleased. The man opened fire on his co-workers in the information technology offices. He strategically targeted certain employees and supervisors. Although the motif is still unclear, many believe he was angry and was in a conflict with the managment 'He told some people to leave and he was very deliberate about who he shot, he did not like management.' a source said. Before turning the gun on himself the shooter managed to kill two employees and put three more in critical condition.
     It is incidents similar to this that forces one to wonder what can cause a person to commit such a heinous crime. He took the lives of many and hurt their families. Whether or not the victims did or did not do anything, nobody deserves to be shot and killed. If he was going to commit suicide in the end, he could have just spared a few lives and just killed himself.

"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

     Edgar Allan Poe is known for his dark and gothic writing style. Almost all his works fit in with the definition of a gothic piece of literature. Gothic literature is best described as; a story that takes place in a dark and isolated place, the plot involves violence, the characters are tortured mentally and physically, and the presence of a supernatural power. This week in class we read and discussed "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. The man in the poem appears to be in a weak state of mind, he is trying to forget about his lost love. The setting is in a remote area and at midnight which gives the reader a sense of darkness. Lenore, his lost love is no longer present in his life and from the tone of the poem one can conclude she was a victim of violence. The man is obviously being mentally tormented because he believes he is having a conversation with a bird. He has become hopeless and believes that the bird will also leave him, which reminds him of his failures and losses. The raven can be considered to be supernatural because there is no such thing as a talking raven. All of these are characteristics of gothic literature and Edgar Allan Poe has done a great job in presenting it in "The Raven"

"A surreal, and deadly, scene in a Hollywood intersection"

     The article "A surreal, and deadly, scene in a Hollywood intersection" published in The Los Angeles Times describes an event like it was taken from a movie. A shooting in the heart of Hollywood. A twenty six year old gunman started shooting at random motor vehicles and pedestrians until he was gunned down by police. It was what seemed to be a normal Friday afternoon on the busy intersection of Sunset and Vine."As the violence unfolded, pedestrians ducked for cover and drivers slammed on their brakes to avoid the gunman. Dozens of people, many of whom described it vividly in Tweets, said it didn't even seem real at first." Many believed they were shooting a movie, after all, this is Hollywood, however the situation quickly turned real. The gunman wounded three, one man was shot in the neck and was rushed to the hospital and is now in critical condition. Luckily the only death was the death of the shooter. 

Favorite scene

      We recently finished reading The Scarlet Letter, and I have to admit it was not the most appealing book we have read. However The Scarlet Letter did have some very interesting scenes. If I had to pick it would most definitely be when Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold. As he is standing there he notices Hester and Pearl, he invites them to join him on the scaffold. Dimmesdale feels warmth as he is standing next to Pearl and Hester. He begins to wonder what would happen if the towns people were near to see him. Suddenly they see a meteor in the sky that is shaped like the letter "A". In their time they believed in myths of that sort, Hester and Dimmesdale believe it was for "Adultery", however later on it is clear that the towns people believe it represented "Angel" as a sign that Governor Winthrop is in heaven. This scene represents the sorrow that Dimmesdale is feeling and causes the reader to feel sympathy for him.

"Mexico seeks to fill drug war gap with focus on dirty money"

     In this world money is power, as soon as one has the ability to fund their plans it becomes not too far from reality. The article "Mexico seeks to fill drug war gap with focus on dirty money" written by Ken Ellingwood and Tracy Wilkinson in the LA Times discusses the plans of the Mexican government to hurt the pocket of the cartel. "The evolving anti-laundering campaign could change the tone of the government's military-led crime crusade by striking at the heart of the cartels' financial empire, analysts say." With the cartel thinking of creative and innovative ways of laundering their money, the mexican government must fight a battle to take back control. Many experts say that the flow of dirty money is triggering other illegal activities to take place. In todays society it is important to be aware of what is happening around the world. Most importantly one must be educated enough to not get involved in an illegal activity, especially one with the cartel.

Holy :O

Dimmsdale or Chillingworth?

     While reading "The Scarlet Letter" the reader obviously feels sorrow towards both characters, Dimmsdale and Chillingworth. I personally feel more sympathy for Dimmsdale. Although he sinned and he is equally as responsible as Hester for what happened. I developed my sympathy for him because it is clear that he regrets what he has done. He has been torturing himself and is not living a peaceful life. He is in the middle of two boulders, the truth and his position as a minister. I believe if Chillingworth and Hester were truly in love, the situation would not exist. "And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart(Hawthorne 123)

Insert assignment title here

     "The penalty thereof is death. But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom" (Hawthorne 54). This quote is another example of a writing of the American Romanticism period. Society is isolating and branding Prynne by making her stand on  a platform and by wearing the letter "A" on her chest. At that time, this punishment was considered to be equivilent or even worse then death. 

     The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and includes many features of American Romanticism in it. One example would be the the vivid description of the prison door. "The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than any thing else in the new world" (Hawthorne 41). The writers diction creates a clear image of the door in the readers head. The door is described as old and gloomy, one could describe it as gothic which fits into the American Romanticism period.

"L.A. County jails may be out of room next month"

     With the number of crimes growing, is it not a scary idea to think there is no more room to house and detain the criminals responsible? This scary thought is becoming a reality. In the news article "L.A. County jails may be out of room next month" written by Andrew Blankstein and Robert Faturechi in the Los Angeles Times the possibility of releasing inmates early is discussed. The county is thinking about releasing thousands of criminals awaiting trial. This is a concern because most of the accused will either not appear in court or commit a crime that might possibly hurt a member of the community. Although the police department is developing methods that will help determine the most qualifying detainees to be released, they are not one hundred percent certain.

     As a member of the Los Angeles community this news should concern all residents. Almost every persons main priority is their safety and the safety of their family. Could this new decision have an affect on the tax payer to perhaps relocate themselves out of the Los Angeles area?

"To my Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet

     "To my Dear and Loving Husband" is one of two puritan literature that was covered in class this week. The speaker of the poem is Anne Bradstreet. She is pleading her love(Subject) towards her husband(audience). This poem is clearly not following the rules of puritan writing because she is showing her emotions. This piece of literature is a display of love and affection which was very uncommon for puritan times(Occasion). Throughout her poem she uses many literary devices and techniques. For example, in the first three lines she repeats "if ever", which is known as repetition. She makes use of metaphors also. The speaker ends the poem with  a paradox by saying "That when we live no more, we may live ever."

A photo of Anne Breadstreet.

My Deadly Sin: Lust

      One of the seven deadly sins that I commit often and I am aware of is lust. I usually find myself looking at women and some objects lustfully. For example, while watching a movie I will without a doubt lust over the female actress alongside the character she was playing. When the movie ends I feel a indescribable feeling of disgust. This feeling usually fades away slowly as I occupy myself with other activities. Another situation I tend to find myself often in is, lusting over women such as waitresses, or women who are attractive and send out a good vibe.

      Looking into the other six deadly sins I am happy that I commit lust. I am happy because it usually causes no harm and if it happens so I am the one getting harmed. When thinking about the situation I usually am in a happy place and it is nice to get away from reality from time to time. I would not mind being branded with a scarlet letter for lust because I can not see how being lustful can be a sin and something to be ashamed of. However, I have very different views  towards life compared to those of puritan times. Thus, naturally have different opinions.

"from Letter From Birmingham City Jail" MLK Jr.

     This week in class we read many letters. Letters are meant to keep people in touch. Letters are usually informal, spontaneous and intended for only a single person. "Letters from Birmingham City Jail" written by Martin Luther King Jr.(Speaker) on April 16, 1963 from Birmingham Jail(Occasion). This piece of literature was written as a retaliation towards a newspaper article that degraded African Americans. MLK wrote it to inform, persuade and explain his situation. It is no secret that the African Americans were subjected to segregation and harsh treatment. MLK was preaching civil rights and equality.(Subject) His methods were calm and encouraging(Tone).
     I enjoyed this letter especially because it has become a part of history that shows the story of a group of people. These group of people will fighting for a cause that they were determined to win. I admire that because it reminds me of a similar minority that are determined and have a cause, the Armenians. He has left a memory of him behind that will never be forgotten.

"Gulf oil spill claim payouts reach $5.5 billion"

      The BP oil spill around a year and a half ago is barley fading out of peoples memories. The damage done was irreversible and many businesses are feeling its effects even today. BP had taken responsibility and has paid nearly five and a half billion dollars in claims. The article written in the Los Angeles Times "Gulf oil spill claim payouts reach $5.5 billion" by Richard Simon discusses the situation with the claims. Although there have been many claims that were truly concrete and believable, there have also been numerous claims that were suspected to be fraudulent. "A number of claims are suspected to be fraudulent and have been referred to the Justice Department." A representative said that he continues on receiving  about two thousand claims a week.
     Should one who made such a great mistake be given a second chance? "The hearing was held the day after BP won federal approval to drill its first exploratory oil well in the gulf since the April 20, 2010" BP has affected the lives of many people and possibly even the lives of future generations. The United States must do its duty and make decisions that will protect the interests of its citizens.

Speech Presentation

     This week, we spent much time on our speech presentations. All of them were done exquisitely however one stood out. The "Oklahoma Bombing Address" by William J Clinton was presented to the class by Andre Dzhambazian and Armen Safarian. The presentation was done in a smooth manner that was easy to understand. The presenters also did a great job of explaining and analyzing the speech they chose. At the beginning of the presentation the class was in its regular state with around half of my classmates paying attention, once the subject was introduced one was able to hear a pin drop. You could have seen the expression on peoples faces change instantaneously. Another factor that really touched me was the pictures they included in their presentation, hearing something and seeing something are completely different.

     The Oklahoma Bombing was a terrorist attack that caused many Americans to loose their lives and leave many families incomplete. The speech given by Bill Clinton was very heart warming and touching. Although it was part of his responsibility to give the speech, one could feel the words rise from his heart and roll of his tongue. Overall the project was perfect and I would rate it a ten out of ten. Good job.

"President Obama criticizes Republican approach to jobs crisis"

     It is no secret that the nation and its' people are going through a very difficult time economically. It is harder for one to find a job, receive an education, pay off loans, and thousands even struggle to keep their current jobs. It is the responsibility of the leaders of the United States hand in hand with the people to provide citizens with jobs and secure their future.
     "President Obama criticizes Republican approach to jobs crisis" by Peter Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times. In this article the author discusses what President Obama is doing in order to increase the number of jobs and boost the economy. "President Obama suggested that Republicans were adopting a "No, we can't" approach to the jobs crisis." The President is touring in order to urge the citizens to demand the republican members of congress to pass his bills and increase jobs. It seems like Obama is trying to create more jobs in fields that would be beneficial to the betterment of the future as opposed to making the wealthy wealthier. He is proposing bills that would allow more teachers to teach,construction workers to build, and so on. By doing so he is pumping money into the economy, which in return will slowly increase. The only problem that he is facing is getting these bills passed. The article included a quote which was very powerful and logical. "I think more teachers in the classroom is a jobs plan. More construction workers rebuilding our schools is a jobs plan. Tax cuts for small-business owners and working families is a jobs plan.That's the choice we face. And it's up to you to decide which plan is the real American Jobs Act."

Five Virtues

     Not one person in the world can honestly say they are perfect. Individuals may strive for perfection and may never reach it. It is important for one to acknowledge the mistakes of themselves and continuously work on them to minimize them. Self-awareness is key. If I was  able to set up and follow five virtues they would be:

(1) Tolerance - Make people around you comfortable with who they are and were. Acceptance                                of people.

(2) Sensitivity - Be aware of the people surrounding you and their emotions. Look at life from their perspective. Sensitive people are often more thoughtful, appreciative and loving.

(3) Humility - acknowledge the special talents and traits of those around you. Help your friends, family, and people around you feel special and appreciated.

(4) Ambition - use any opportunity big or small that is presented to you. Have goals and make sure to reach them weather they are being a millionaire business tycoon to being a owner of a small coffee shop. Set your goals and work towards them.

(5) Exploitation - do not use anyone for personal gain. The person can be a friend of sixteen years or an acquaintance met sixteen hours ago. If you are profiting while hurting people around you, do not do it.

     Working on these virtues is important to me. It is quite simple because these concepts have been instilled in me and my sibling since the day we were born. I admit that sometimes I do not follow them. I do break these virtues and realize what I have done seconds after. To me it is important that I was aware of myself being in a wrongful situation and it indirectly affects me. I believe situations like this become a reason for me not to repeat my wrong doings in the future.

"Straw Into Gold: The Metamorphosis of The Everyday"

This piece of literature is an autobiography written by Sandra Cisneros. She is writing about her life, struggles and achievements. The autobiography is written to show that success is nearby even if it is blocked by clouds, it is also an introduction. The audience is whoever would like to read about her life. She introduces herself at the beginning of the autobiography by telling a story of a past experience. She explained how she did not know how to make a certain food but she gave it a try and was complimented on the taste by her friends. She was trying to tell her audience that nothing is impossible to achieve as long as one puts their mind to it, hence comes the title "Straw into Gold".
     Throughout the story she discusses the obstacles she faced in life, which became a reason for her to start writing. The writer remembers her parents. She was emotional like her father and strong willed and smart like her mother. She feels as if she was not a normal girl according to her family because she had left home before any of her brothers had. She states that her parents had always been there for her, they had birthday and graduation parties, her parents tried to provide the best they could. She loved her parents because they molded her into who she was today. Towards the end of the autobiography she lists all the places she has been to around the world and states her successes. Living through poverty and seeing the negative side of life has made her success that much sweeter.

It is a fiesta!

     Have you ever wanted to go the perfect place, you just could not find? A place like no other? Do you want to enjoy a wonderful environment that is every adults dream, however suitable for children? Look no further. Others may try to convince you that you should go to Paris, Hawaii, Bahamas and even Las Vegas to have the time of your life. Everyone that likes to party knows Cancun is the place to be! It is the ideal place weather you want to take your family, going on a honeymoon, or partying it up with your friends.

     The hotels provide amazing foods throughout the day (which are all paid for). During the day there is unimaginable amount of activities for every type of person. There are water activities such as Jet Skiin, snorkeling, and scuba diving for people that like to get their adrenalin pumping. For the extreme adrenalin junkies there is zip lining and pair a sailing. People that like to enjoy their vacation in a more relaxing way, may get massages, sip martinis on a beech front view, go golfing, and so much more! Going to Cancun is a must, I repeat going to Cancun is a must!

"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin"

     This week in class we read "from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin". This piece of literature is about Benjamin Franklin, which he wrote himself. He discusses his life starting as an early teen. His purpose is to inform the reader about his life. His tone is mainly informative, descriptive and practical. Benjamin Franklin was known to seek moral perfection. Naturally, he believed it was his responsibility to better himself. In his autobiography he discusses thirteen "rules" he followed to reach his goal of moral perfection. The "rules" are simple and one would think they are common cense however, when taking time and observing ones environment it is easily seen that many of them are not followed.
     This autobiography was very enjoyable. Most people in our class are also in the AP US history class. It feels wonderful learning about a subject and being able to take it out of the classroom and apply it in another class. Benjamin Franklin was one of our founding fathers and as a Armenian - American citizen it is important to learn about the past of the United States, its' struggles and its' foundation.
   

"Speech in the Virginia Convention" by Patrick Henry

    This week in class we read many speeches. I chose "Speech in the Virginia Convention" because I felt speeches like itself were the ones that helped form this great county. The orator of this speech is Patrick Henry. The purpose of the speech was to convince the people of the colonies to fight for their freedom and fight for their rights. He delivered his speech at the Virginia Convention in 1775-76. He is trying to persuade his audience to go down the road of revolution. His tone throughout the story is mainly patriotic and encouraging.
     I really enjoyed this oratory because it was speeches like this in our nations history that encouraged the colonists to sacrifice their lives for a greater good. Perhaps if people like Patrick Henry did not give speeches, or writers like Thomas Paine did not write about revolution, we would not be where we are today.

Coffee Ice Cream

     Who does not like ice cream? Who does not like coffee? Ice cream is enjoyed almost all throughout the world by people of all ages. There are numerous flavors of ice cream to choose from including vanilla, coffee, strawberry and chocolate. However coffee flavored ice cream is incomparable to any other flavor. Its rich, smooth and creamy texture will make you want to wish it never finished. It tastes very similar to coffee with the perfect amount of sugar, and who does not like coffee with the perfect amount of sugar? Take a moment, close your eyes and imagine the cold, creamy ice cream entering your mouth. Yes, it is really that good! Give it a chance and go try some coffee ice cream and tell me, with a straight face, that it is not your new favorite ice cream.

"Proposed Postal Service downsizing would slow mail delivery"

     Through this economy we have seen many businesses fall, whether they were large corporations or small family owned stores. People were surprised to see their favorite local shops disappear. One that no one thought would be cutting down and trying to save itself is the United States Postal Service. In the article "Proposed Postal Service downsizing would slow mail delivery" written by Michael A. Memoli, found in the Los Angeles Times, news about shutting down more than 250 mail processing facilities. This concerns all American people because most day to day businesses depend on the USPS to deliver their mail fast and cheaply.
     The Postal Service has closed close to 200 facilities across the country which has left nearly 110,000 employees jobless. However, any changes made to the mail delivery service must be approved by congress. Most people agree that other methods should be used to cut costs and help the USPS's survival. Luckily the American Postal Workers Union denounced the plan, which they said was made public without advance consultation.

"Mission Update"

     This week in class we read "Mission Update". So far this has been my favorite piece of literature that we have read together as a class. One reason that this was a little bit more enjoyable was because of the fact that it was written much more recently and discussed a topic that relates more to the newer generations. "Mission Update" is part of the blog posts of Steve Squyres, in which he is informing the world about the landing of his ship Opportunity. It was written in 2006 from space. The reader can sense his excitement through the tone in which he speaks.
     The purpose of these blog posts is to inform people about the journey and excitement of being in space. This has been different from other first person narratives because this is the first one which we have come across emotion. The authors vivid description of the looks of mars makes the reader want to expand their knowledge of space and look up some pictures! Hopefully, we will come across similar stories in the near future.

Officials chase unconfirmed al-Qaida bomb plot.

     The article "Officials chase unconfirmed al-Qaida bomb plot" was written by Eileen Sulivn and was located in the news section of Yahoo. As the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, the United States prepares for a ceremony at ground zero, where the victims and heroes of 9/11 will be remembered. As the US prepares to mourn for the thousands of deaths that took place, no one can be sure that the terrorist are not planning another attack on their end. For this reason, security has increased tremendously and many steps are being taken to assure the safety of the nation, it's people, and government. There were reports of a potential al-Qaida car bomb attack on the anniversary of 9/11. The source is said to be credible but however, unconfirmed. The FBI and Homeland Security joined intelligence and desperately urged law enforcement to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity that can pose as a potential threat.
     This date is one that changed the lives of current generations and affect the lives of future Americans. News like this must be important to everyone that lives in the United States. An unimaginable amount of lives were lost and this can be considered a national tragedy. It changed the lives of every single citizen in one way or another. Hearing about the plans of terrorists is just devastating. Everyone is obligated to put in any type of effort to commemorate these attacks and prevent future ones.

"Of Plymouth Plantation"

     In "Of Plymouth Plantation" by William Bradford, the speaker is William Bradford. Bradford chose to write the story in third person perspective. However, throughout the story through his diction, he implies twice that he was also a part of the story along with the other characters. He tells a story about a journey that originated in England and was headed towards the colonies. Multiple times throughout the story he mentions God and the religious aspects of Puritan life. The reader immediately understands that those people are very religious and they allowed their faith to rest in the hands of God. As soon as they arrived to Plymouth they kissed the land and started to pray. "Of Plymouth Plantation" takes place on the Atlantic Ocean around 1620-21. When the story begins Bradford and the rest of the people are on a ship sailing towards Plymouth but because of a broken ship they end up landing in Cape Cod. To their discovery there was no one their, besides the indians. The author was trying to inform and persuade the future pilgrims of their discoveries,struggles, situation, and faith in god.

     "Of Plymouth Plantation" can be considered as important literature because it tells the story of immigrants and their struggle. This work tells the story on which the United States was founded upon. Bradford tells the story of the American dream and American values that were based on the life of the puritans. The faith of the immigrants helped them soar to new heights and helped them survive.
     I personally enjoyed "Of Plymouth Plantation" more then anything we read this week because of it's coexistence with our AP US History class, it enabled me to make a connection from what I learned in two different classrooms.

My Favorite Book.

Throughout the years we have read countless books in school. There were few that may not have been the most interesting book to read and were looked at as a school assignment. Although I enjoyed reading more then one book, my all time favorite would have to be The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I can honestly say this was one of the only books that I just could not but down. Everyday I would anticipate for 5th period to come so we can read and discuss the novel. This book can be considered to be my all time favorite because it makes you feel as if you are a character in the novel but can not change anything. A couple of the events that took place in the story line were unfair and it makes the reader want to jump in the text and kill a few of the characters. It depicts the change that two best friends went through all because of one night. The novel ends in such a way that puts a smile on the face of the reader. If I had to choose a runner up, it would definitely be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee because it also makes the reader as if he were there. People that believed in discriminating against African Americans were obviously uneducated. It is very amusing to see how people treated them back in the day and being able to compare it to the present. Seeing the huge evolution that has taken place in our society is simply, amazing.

Why do we love Mrs. Kirkman so much?

Because she is going to allow michaels profile picture.