"The Fall of the Usher House"

     "The Fall of the Usher House" was written by Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Alla Poe was a Gothic writer in the romantic period of American history. He literature included dark, mysterious, and suspenseful themes. The short story, "The Fall of the Usher House" includes all of these themes. In this house, lives a man named Roderick Usher, and his twin sister, Madeline.
     Edgar Allan Poe explains how the house is an old looking, mysterious house. It has cracks all over it, looking like it is about to fall. There are old trees around the remote house. The exterior of the decaying house, as well as the interior, gives mystery and suspense to the novel. The house's description can be connected to Usher's description. Usher had pale skin, and was very bony. One can tell that he does not spend much time outside, but rather stays in the decaying mansion. The description of the house shows Gothic elements because of the dark, gloomy and mysterious themes Poe added to his short story.

United States - The Hungry and the Homeless

       In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about the hungry and the homeless titled, "Hunger and homelessness on the rise in U.S cities, mayors report" written by Michael Muskal. A survey was conducted, and mayors of twenty nine cities that participated in the survey, said that unemployment rates are increasing. As unemployment rates increase, so the rates of the homeless. 42% of the participating cities said that their homeless rate increased. Beside that 42%, a 38% responded with a decrease in homeless rates. From 2009 to 2010, the poverty rate in the United States increased by 0.8% (on a national scale).
     Today, a large number of people living in the United States are homeless. This affects everyone else that lives in the United States. With the tough times, many people are losing jobs, and losing money. This means that the amount of money in circulation decreases. That leads to more people losing jobs, which will eventually lead to a larger unemployment rate. Until the United States economy turns around, this cycle will continue, and affect many United States citizens.

Gothic Poems

     Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Raven" is an example of a gothic piece of literature. The way Poe describes the setting of the poem, dark and at midnight, gives it a gothic twist. He adds suspense, fear, and even mystery. These elements add to the theme of gothic literature. He also writes about supernatural atmospheres, the way he did in "The Raven".
     In the poem, the narrator lost Lenore, someone the reader can assume meant a lot to him. He makes a connection with the raven (who repeats the same thing, "nevermore"), to Lenore. The narrator has an internal conflict. He is trying to forget about his lost love, Lenore. The bird does everything but help him forget about his lost Lenore. This is partially the narrators fault, by making a strong connection between the bird, and Lenore. In this poem, Edgar Allan Poe showed a twist of gothic literature.

Copter Crashed Outside LV

     In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about a helicopter crash titled, "Las Vegas tour helicopter crashes near Lake Mead, killing 5" written by Ashley Powers. The helicopter operating company called Sundance Helicopters took four tourists, plus the pilot, on a tour around Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon. The helicopter crashed just east of Las Vegas. Authorities and rescue teams were not able to recover any bodies, until the next day, because of daylight issues. They were able to hoover above the accident site, to confirm there were no survivors, but after that, left the "cleaning up" for the next day.
     Sundance Helicopters has been involved in at least four other crashes since 1997. Authorities plan on staying at the scene for several days to swipe out any kind of evidence they may be able to find. Investigators say they may need to use DNA sampling, dental records, or even fingerprinting to confirm the identities of those who were aboard the AS350. Many reports and investigations will have taken place to help prevent further crashes. The sad incident on Wednesday, December 7 should be very carefully reviewed so similar accidents do not happen.

Favorite Part From Novel

     The novel The Scarlet Letter is a very interesting novel. Hester Prynne, a married woman, sleeps with the town priest. After her husband finds out about this, he tries his hardest to hurt the town priest, Dimmesdale, in any way possible. Dimmesdale really suffers from this and has to deal with Chillingworth, Hester's husband, indirectly and slowly killing him. He has a great amount of guilt on his back. My favorite  part of the novel is towards the end when Dimmesdale reads his revised sermon and feels more alive than ever.
     Throughout the whole novel, Dimmesdale was suffering the indirect pain Chillingworth was putting him through. At the end of the novel, it is as if Dimmesdale "broke free" from the pain Chillingworth put him through. Ever since Pearl was born, Dimmesdale had been living with guilt and unrevealed secrets. After his sermon, he did not feel sick at all. This is my favorite part because of the great relief that Dimmesdale had at that moment. Much of his pain and guilt had been taken off his back and replaced with strength and power.

Crazy Black Friday Shoppers

     In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about a woman who attacked almost twenty people at a Porter Ranch Wal-Mart with pepper spray titled, "Suspect in Wal-Mart pepper spray attack refuses to talk with LAPD" written by Bob Pool and Andrew Blankstein. Just last Friday, a woman used pepper spray against twenty shoppers, and ran away after doing so. The police have not yet found the woman who did this. An unidentified woman came to an LAPD station on Saturday, but did not answer any questions about the incident from the day before. The police say they know who it is, but have not yet arrested the woman. Luckily, none of the injuries from that Friday were serious, just minor scratches, soar throats, and itchy eyes.
     Black Friday is the one day of the year where stores offer ridiculous prices on many items. Who would have thought this would lead to ridiculous attacks of pepper spray? Pepper spray is meant for self defense, and to control a group of people, mainly used by the authorities, and can cause tearing, itching, and temporary blindness. Authorities do not know if she used the pepper spray for self defense, or to save a few bucks on a great deal. Either way, the woman should not have reacted with pepper spray.

Chillingworth or Dimmsdale?

     If I had to choose who I sympathize with more, it would have to be Roger Chillingworth. When Chillingworth arrived from overseas to meet with his wife, he sees his wife raised on a scaffolding, and the town's attention at her. "...who is this woman? - and wherefore is she here set up to public shame?" (Hawthorne 53) said Roger Chillingworth. Here, he has to ask a townsman why his wife is put to shame in the public, as soon as he arrives to Boston. When I read this, I sympathized with Chillingworth, what he must have felt. A small incident has now kept their marriage a secret.

The Scarlet Letter

     In The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many examples of American Romanticism. This topic covers the use of imagination, and one of those examples from the novel is the detailed description of the prison door. The prison door is described when the narrator introduces the readers to Hester Prynne, the main character of the story, and a sinner. "The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than any thing else in the new world" (Hawthorne 41). This describes a gothic aspect of the door. The door is described as old, dark, and worn out. The reader can make a connection from this part of the novel, to romanticism gothic literature.
     Because there is such a deep connection between romanticism and gothic ideas, another perfect example of romanticism in the novel is "The penalty therefore is death. But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only at a space of three hours on the platform of pillory, and then and therefore, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom" (Hawthorne 54). Because Hester Prynne committed a sin, she was punished by being branded and wearing the letter "A" for adultery on her chest. This is a sign of shame. They want her to realize her mistake and never forget it. This can be connected to the idea of romanticism in novels (which is not similar to romance, in today's terms). These are two examples of the American Romantic era that are discussed in The Scarlet Letter.

Million Mile Joe!

     In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about a man who was awarded with a new Honda, after driving his old '90 Honda for million miles titled, "Maine man given new Honda after driving old one for million miles" written by Geraldine Baum. Joe LoCicero of Saco, Maine was able to keep his 1990 Honda Accord on the road for 21 years. Shouldn't it be time for a new one? After reaching his one millionth mile, LoCicero drove into downtown with his old Honda, and drove out with his new Honda. LoCicero drove on average 62,000 miles a year. The average driver hits about 14,000 miles a year. Many were surprised how he still got his car to run after all those miles he put on it!
     He was greeted in downtown with a marching band, planes, and a huge parade, and to top it all off with his brand new car! A nearby middle school provided the marching band. The most interesting part of the parade included a giant "odometer" which had six number slots, that kept moving from numbers zero to nine. People were inside a life sized hamster wheel, turning the numbers, making the "odometer" seem as if it was actually real! Aside from that, there were cheerleaders with a picture of Joe's face on their shirt! A lot was done for Million Mile Joe, and his new car! Watch the video to see the parade!

Pride - One of the Seven Deadly Sins

     Pride is one of the Seven Deadliest Sins. If I had to relate one of the seven deadly sins to me, it would have to be pride. I am very much proud of who I am, and what I have accomplished. I did not realize, how being egotistical can lead to the desire of being very important, and wanting to be the best at everything. A lot of something is never good for anyone. This applies to any of the Seven Deadly Sins. A lot of self confidence and proudness, is not good.
     I would feel very bad, if I was branded like the main character of The Scarlet Letter. If I did something wrong, I would not want to have the public know I committed a sin. I would try my hardest not to commit a sin, but as human natures does not favor for one to do so, it is not uncommon for someone to commit a sin. This does not mean one does not have control over how much of the sin they commit. I would try my hardest to prevent any sin at a drastic level, and try my hardest not to be branded, like the main character of The Scarlet Letter.

Love in Colonial America

     Anne Bradstreet, the writer of "To My Dear and Loving Husband", writes about her unlimited amount of love towards her husband. She is directly writing to her husband, making the audience is her husband. This was around colonial/Puritan times. In Puritan literature, it is not common to see love as a topic, such as it is shown in this poem. She explains her love and relationship through metaphors. She also mentions how she will not give up her love for any amount of gold, or riches.

     Anne Bradstreet writes about her love towards her husband. Poetry, at this time, was not supposed to have emotional appeals. The way Anne Bradstreet writes her poem, shows love and affection for her husband, making it an emotional topic. This was very out of the ordinary. That did not stop Bradstreet from writing this poem. She was very much in love, and showed it through her writing.

Facebook, one of the most popular
social networking websites.

     In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about a a woman being tried for making a fake Facebook account titled, "Fake Facebook page leads to ID theft charge" written by Tina Susman. Dana Thornton (Morris country resident), 41 and former girlfriend of Detective Michael Lasalandra, made a fake Facebook account under Lasalandra's name, to give him a bad reputation, after a breakup. Morris County prosecutor's office says "... assuming another person's identity to injure someone is illegal. And Facebook also makes clear on its Help Center page that being a Facebook impostor is not permitted." If found guilty, Thornton can spend up to 18 months of jail time, for violating the law.
     This matter must not be taken lightly. Many people make fake social networking profiles, for a main reason, to make that person look bad. Most of the time, the account maker is not tried, or charged, because the account is not noticed by the person it is trying to mimic. Others make fake profiles for fun, which is might even be against the website rules, depending on which social network website it is. Either way, fake user accounts should not be made, for any purpose. In some cases, it is against the law, and the ability to freely make an account should not be taken for granted.

MLK Jr.

     One can really tell a lot by observing a person, listening to them, or even reading their writings. Reading "from Letter From Birmingham City Jail,"really helps one understand what Martin Luther King Jr. was fighting for, why he was fighting for that cause, and of course, his dedication. This letter was written on April 16, 1963 in a Birmingham City Jail cell, after he was arrested for fighting for what he believes in. The purpose of writing this letter, which was actually something he thought would not reach the intended audience (the newspaper editor), was persuade for what he believed in. King believed in civil rights, and equality for all.
     You can tell from all of King's dedication, the real value of what he fought for. MLK Jr. was locked up in a jail cell, and had nothing but the margins of a local newspaper to write on. He wanted to get his point across, with his mentality of nonviolence. King put a small dent in the universe. He stood up, and fought for what he believed in. His actions are now a small factor of why people are against racial discrimination today. He made a very big difference for the future generations to come.

My Favorite Speech Project

     The topic of the Pearl Harbor attack has always interested me. Harout's and Michael's presentation was one of my favorites throughout the whole week. It was very interesting because of the speech they chose, Franklin Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech to the Nation. After watching the video of his speech, I got more interested in the topic. FDR, my favorite president has done so much for the country, and helped calm the country, by giving his famous speech about the sudden attack.
     Because this speech was a very sensitive topic to some people, FDR needed to address the nation in a very calm voice. He was not scared or stressed during his speech. This may have helped to calm to nation down from the sudden attack. FDR's unforgettable speech helped many Americans, especially those who lost loved ones from the attack. I was very affected by the speech, because of the tragedy and the stress the nation went through, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's encouraging and patriotic speech.

LA Drill to Karnes County Quake

     In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about a record breaking earthquake that took place on October 20, 2011 titled, " 'Record-breaking' earthquake rattles south Texas" written by Deborah Netburn. While the students of Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School were preparing for an earthquake drill on October 20, 2011, the residents of Karnes County, Texas were experiencing the real deal. The 4.8 magnitude earthquake was strong enough to startle some residents of San Antonio, Texas, about 47 miles northeast of Karnes County. This southern area of Texas has been experiencing smaller quakes since the 1980s from 2.6-3.4 (in magnitude), but nothing nearly as large as this. Some small aftershocks were created after the quake, but there is no way of predicting and further aftershock.
     Earthquakes are a very serious natural disaster, and if they are not taken seriously, many people can get hurt. There is no machine that exists to predict an earthquake. This means the precaution taken to prepare for an earthquake is very important. If taken seriously, it may be the meaning between life and death. Southern Texas is not used to having large earthquakes,. They do not spend the same amount of time preparing for earthquakes, as those cities located near or on the San Andreas Fault. This does not mean they should take this matter loosely. Everybody should prepare for the unexpected.

Five Virtues

     As Ben Franklin made his thirteen virtues, I thought of and practiced a few virtues myself. I believe this will help me become a better person. Nobody is perfect, and everybody should relay sit down and think about what they must improve on to become a better person. After paying attention to myself for a short while, I was able to come up with many things that I can try to fix. Some of the virtues I believe are important include:
1. Order - Everything has its own place and should be organized
2. Resolution - Everybody should set their own goals, and try to achieve them
3. Helpfulness - Nobody should be selfish, and everybody should help others
4. Thoughtfulness - Everybody should open their horizon, and think about others
5. Foster - Help those who really need it
     After working a few days on order, I really believe I improved on it. I started to organize everything I have very neatly. After doing that, I noticed how much easier everything is to find after having it in its proper place. Not only should you organize everything, but also keep it organized. I paid some attention to my flaws, and believe I did good in fixing them. Now everybody should spend some time in helping them become a better person.

Sandra Cisneros's "Straw Into Gold: The Metamorphosis of The Everyday"

     Sandra Cisneros writes about one part of her life in "Straw Into Gold", which makes her the speaker of her autobiography. She tells the reader, in this case, us, or anyone else interested in reading about her life, about how she "survived" life, and all her accomplishments. This autobiography is from a from a few specific events, which then lead to many connections she made with other events in her life. She also talks about all her achievements, even though she was not very confident about her work. She makes connections from different events throughout the biography, to other information, which helps the reader learn more about her, and where she comes from.
     Sandra Cisneros was very different, according to her parents. She did what was not expected by her parents, but still achieved a successful life. This can connect to the link in her autobiography Cisneros made about the tortillas. Cisneros says that she was not very confident in making tortillas, but after trying (and getting a sloppy turnout) she was able to do it. She talks about her family, and all the great accomplishments she has achieved throughout her lifetime, whether it be traveling the world for her own interest, or traveling the world to teach.

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

     Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the country that stands above all others. Before he was such a great impact on this country, he was busy with many other things. In this part of his autobiography, only the early years of his life, Benjamin Franklin talks about his goal in life, moral perfection. He wants to inform the reader, anyone interested in his life, to know his steps to try to achieve moral perfection. He wants to inform the readers, in a very descriptive, and practical tone.
     In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin outlines thirteen major points to help achieve moral perfection. These points, and their importance, are something he tries emphasizing to the reader. His goal was to work on each point, one by one, eventually cutting out all things he thought were unnecessary, from his life. He did this by making a schedule, and marking everything unnecessary he did that day, to make sure it was not done the following day. After he finishes working on one virtue, he will move onto the next. This was his way, of achieving moral perfection.

Around the World

     Who would not enjoy a little getaway from home? Who would not enjoy a beautiful view, day or night? Who does not love Paris, France? Whether it is a small vacation, or a two month getaway, Paris, France is the right choice to get away to! With its amazing touring attraction, Paris is such an amazing place! Just imagine yourself sitting, dining at a five star restaurant, overlooking all of Paris and its beautiful lights, while enjoying your meal.
     While visiting the one of a kind city, you can tour museums, which keep the work of many famous artists, from Paris. If you do not want to be touring museums, you can go to one of many attraction centers, or even to the top of the Eiffel Tower! The architecture of the buildings in that city is very special, separating Paris from other major touring cities. The view from up there is amazing. It is truly one of a kind and unique, especially with all the lights that blanket the rest of the city. If you do not take my word for it, just go there yourself!

The Best Flavor Ice Cream

     Cookies n cream ice cream is one of the best flavors of ice cream there is out there. Its mix of vanilla ice cream and crushed Oreos, for that special American favorite taste, makes it the one of the kind ice cream it is. For an extra twist of flavor, you can even add caramel or chocolate syrup to it, as well as some Oreos on the side! It tastes best right out of the freezer, ready to give you a brain freeze! The creaminess of the ice cream combined with the crunchiness of the Oreo make you feel like you are out of this world!
     One good thing about this ice cream is that it is very easy to make! All you need is plain vanilla ice cream with a few Oreos, and you are set! It is not like rocky road marshmallow, where every ingredient is put together. It is very simple, sweet, and enjoyable for anyone! Simplicity is what makes cookies n cream ice cream the best of the best!

Constitutional Convention

     Benjamin Franklin, in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, tried his best to persuade other members of the colonies to come in agreement on different matters, using his speech. He was very calm and reasonable during his speech, showing how serious this matter is. His goal was unanimous unity for the members of the Constitutional Convention. This meant that all the colonies would have been somewhat in agreement with what was going on in the thirteen colonies. He wanted to have all of them not only to speak in the same voice, but to be well administered. His hard work and dedication pays off with the unity and unanimity of the United States of America.
     Throughout the speech, Benjamin Franklin uses many rhetorical questions, to grab the attention of his audience, in this case, all of those that are representing at the Constitutional Convention. These questions are not meant to be answered, but only to grab attention. Benjamin Franklin also compares his audience to instruments. He does this in hopes for the representatives to go and "echo" the important news to the colonies in which they represent. Benjamin Franklin also restates his view on the representatives and colonies. He wants them to be united and to stand together. His hopes are to all speak in the same voice, with all representatives.

Blogging Like Never Before

In the short narrative, "Mission Update", Steve Squyres talks about what he feels as the expedition of NASA's landing on the moon. This took place very recently, in 2006. He talks in a very excited and happy tone, as if he had accomplished something very important, which they did. Because he is blogging it, the whole world has access to it. This was the first time a worker of NASA had been blogging about their work to the public, while it was happening. He anxiously talks about how excited he is to maneuver the space craft throughout different craters, and hopes to be able to part it there safely for it to take pictures, to send back to Earth.
In this narrative piece, you can understand how excited the author is, just by reading a few sentences. Besides showing his emotion, he also shows one key factor. Steve Squyres writes this blog to inform the world about what they have been working on. Technology has changed. It was only a few centuries ago when explorers came to explore America. Now we have different countries exploring different planets, as well as the moon. Who knows what the world will be able to accomplish in only a few more centuries.

What the US Suspected on Tenth Anniversary

In the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about what America suspected to be a 9/11 anniversary plot titled, "U.S. seeks suspects in alleged 9/11 anniversary plot" written by Brian Bennett. September 11, 2001 marks one of the most chaotic times in recent United States history. A group attack took place on the morning of the 11th, attacking many different densely populated cities, some successful, and others, not. This attack is known as a terrorist attack. Just a few days ago marked the tenth anniversary of the tragic event that took place on September 11, 2001. The United States anticipated an "anniversary attack" on September 11, 2011. Most densely populated cities around the Manhattan and Washington area were under law enforcement control, as well as many US intelligence center officials, many undercover.


US intelligence and law enforcement officers found three men, traveling from Afghanistan to America. They were suspected to bomb tunnels and bridges in the New York and Washington area. Although they do not have evidence of what they suspected, Vice President Joe Biden quoted the US intelligence and law enforcement officers as "credible sources". These mens' close ties with Al Qaeda helped support Vice President Joe Biden's quote. Many different investigations were set up by the FBI in the Washington area, to prevent any further attacks, and to keep the peace in the city. Manhattan bridges and tunnels were stuck with traffic due to different checkpoints set up by the police department. The United States intelligence center was sure of an attack, but also thinks that they were able to be prevented because of the precaution took.

A New Way To Increase The Number Of Jobs?

In the political section of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, there is an article about President Obama's plan to increase the number of jobs, called "Obama to propose 'American Jobs Act' in speech to Congress" written by Michael A. Memoli. Everybody knows that the nation is in an economic crisis. If President Obama's plan works, it will help boost the economy, by giving people jobs. The president's speech is scheduled for Thursday, September 8. This is where he will discuss his thoughts and what he thinks must be carried out in order to get the nation out of the economic situation we are in.
His plan includes school renovations and job trainings, which will average out to about $300 billion. His proposition must be passed by Congress. If congress rejects his proposition, President Obama's aides hope to have this subject moved in order to move the political needle in their directions. This proposition is very important to not only the nation, but also to the economy. The nation is mainly in a depression because of the low employment rate throughout most of the country. If this proposition is accepted, the employment rate will increase. This will help raise the economy of the country.

"A Journey Through Texas"

Things were much different in the 16th century. There is so much information and knowledge known today, that was not available to the people back then. There were explorers that needed to travel overseas just to see what it was like on foreign lands. Cabeza de Vaca, a spanish explorer was sent by the spanish king and queen to explore these lands. He was paid for his exploration, in return for the information he brought back to the Europeans.
This explorer met Native Americans on these foreign lands, who helped him. There was a peace connection between the explorers and the Native Americans. They helped the explorers survive in these new lands, as well as give them information about it, and even trade with them. These two groups of people were building trust amongst each other. The Native Americans were very religious and thought of the explorers as people of higher rank. This lead to the respect they had for the explorers, and left a good impression for both groups of people, with no need of any violence.

My Favorite Book...

Throughout all the years in school, I have read many books. My favorite, by far, is The Kite Runner. I usually do not like reading, but that was not the case with this book. I DID NOT want to put the book down. Despite the sad theme, it was a very interesting book.
The author, Khaled Hosseini, writes about the life of a young boy, some scenes taken out of his childhood. This story is about two friends who grow up losing each other. It shows to be grateful, and not neglect what you have. Every moment while reading the book was thrilling. I was never bored, and it felt like almost every scene was the climax. It is, without a doubt, my favorite book.