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.